Prepare Like a Faithful and Wise Servant (Part 1)

Prepare Like a Faithful and Wise Servant

Matthew 24:44-51, Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. ⁴⁵ Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. ⁴⁷ Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. ⁴⁸ But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; ⁴⁹ And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; ⁵⁰ The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, ⁵¹ And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Theme: Bible predictions should not inspire our fears nor merely pique our interest but encourage active service to accomplish God’s will until He comes for us in the Rapture.

Introduction:

The Lord Jesus gives us a warning regarding His Second Coming at the beginning of the Kingdom Age. He contrasts those keenly anticipating His arrival to establish the earthly kingdom with those who are unprepared and caught off guard during the great tribulation– the faithful and wise with the faithless servant.

By application, we must live in constant readiness for the abrupt, surprising return of Jesus Christ in the Rapture by faithfully fulfilling our assigned spiritual duties. Using this comparison of the faithful and evil servants, we are warned that while diligent stewards will be rewarded, unfaithful ones, who also reveal their worldly and abusive character, will face severe judgment and exclusion from the kingdom. This passage gives us four ideas to be mindful of.

Message:

     I.     Maintain Steady Readiness (Matt. 24:44).

Because the “Son of man” returns at an unexpected moment, believers should not set dates or grow smug but live daily as though he could return at any time—be ready.

• God certainly knows the limits of the Tribulation period and the Seventieth Week of Daniel will have a definite starting and ending time. But the people living then will only have a general sense of timing. Therefore, attention is important. Believers during the Tribulation, who will be looking forward to the coming of the Lord of glory, should be alert. They will know generally, from the signs of the end, when He will return, but they will not know the exact time.^[1]
• In view of these uncertainties our duty is to watch and be ready—stay alert! “The Son of Man will come when least expected by the masses. Therefore, His people should be on the tiptoes of expectancy.”^[2]
• By application, conflicts and arguments are often a distraction from alertness, but such can be avoided by remembering their source (James 4:1). Conflicts and disputes among believers are always harmful and distracting. James explains that these quarrels result from evil desires battling within our souls—we crave more possessions, more money, higher status, and even more recognition. When we yearn badly enough to fulfill these desires, we fight to get our way. Instead of aggressively grabbing what we want, we should submit ourselves to God, ask God to help us get rid of our selfish desires, and trust him to give us what we really need. This approach can save us from many distractions and keep us focused on the Lord’s plan.

o   Spurgeon gives a charming illustration: “I once lived where my neighbor’s garden was divided from me only by a very imperfect hedge. He kept a dog, and his dog was a shockingly bad gardener, and did not improve my plants. So, one evening, while I walked alone, I saw this dog doing mischief and being a long way off, I threw a stick at him, with some earnest advice as to his going home. This dog, instead of going home, picked up my stick, and came to me with it in his mouth, wagging his tail. He dropped the stick at my feet and looked up to me most kindly. What could I do but pat him and call him a good dog, and regret that I had ever spoken roughly to him?”—MacDonald, W. Believer's Bible Commentary

2. Engage in Faithful Management (Matt. 24:45-47).

The “faithful and wise servant” takes care of their God-given responsibilities (like serving others and sharing the gospel). This consistent activity brings blessing and reward, with the loyal servant/manager entrusted with greater obligations (a promotion) at the Master’s return.

• A servant manifests his true character by how he behaves in view of his Master’s return. All servants are supposed to feed the household at the proper time. But not all who profess to be Christ’s servants are genuine.
• The wise servant is the one who is found caring for God’s people. Such a one will be honored with vast responsibility in the kingdom. The master will make him ruler over all his goods.^[3]
• The Lord wants to find His servants, like the first steward, faithfully carrying out His will (vv. 45–46). Such a servant will be rewarded for his faithful service when the Lord returns (v. 47). ^[4]
• Ephes. 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
• ‘Redeem’ refers to buying back or buying up the opportunities afforded us through wise planning and careful management. Life certainly is short, but we can make a meaningful impact on this world with the proper use of our time.  And since life is short take full advantage of every second of life to maintain balance in your life and to address the priorities that God has established for you. Opportunities that are not managed are times that are wasted or spent for you by someone else.
• Broken promises could be indicative of a time management problem. 
• If you find yourself always breaking promises to your children or your spouse or even if you struggle with being at work on time, then it could be an indication that you are not properly managing your time. This could mean that you are not taking advantage of your opportunities to maintain time balance in your life.
• Discipline yourself to manage your time. Structure your day as much as possible and weigh carefully the magnitude of the unpredictable “crises” that often come and demand your attention.  Again, we must first understand where our time priorities should be.       

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^[1] Louis A. Barbieri Jr., “Matthew,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 79.

^[2] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1297.

^[3] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1297.

^[4] Louis A. Barbieri Jr., “Matthew,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 79.

Who Authorized You to Say That?

 

Who Authorized You to Say That?

If we insist that a person must be qualified to speak on a topic, then generally we would expect a great deal of agreement from the public. With scientific, medical, psychological, law, and even software there are legitimate requirements to be considered a competent professional and quite familiar with those fields before officially addressing an area. We even have entire departments devoted to wording a document or making a formal statement correctly and leaving the ‘right’ impression on the public. There seems to be a reason for such requirements.

However, at the same time there are situations where we dismiss this requirement altogether. We listen to reporters sharing news on various subjects on which they are not experts. On Social Media platforms we subscribe to a view merely because they agree with our position, are popular, they belong to our political party, or they say what we like hearing. In a liberal college classroom, our professors espouse a questionable idea or even an acceptable concept and very few students are equipped to see through the ridiculous propositions. Movies and songs tend to conflate and confuse real cultural issues in a similar manner often villainizing the views they disagree with. A strategy of some reporters is to capture a celebrity’s opinion on the record regardless of whether the person is a real authority on that topic. Many will legitimize an idea because of ‘who’ said it. We often, without any fair questions accept a person (and their views) because they are the ‘right’ color or have assimilated the accepted ‘talking points.’ Even though we say this is our position and we respect others for having a different view, we are not really listening to the arguments that could possibility change our minds.

Perhaps we need to ask again why is anyone qualified to speak on that subject? What makes them such an expert? Has the advisor enjoyed personal success following their own advice? These types of questions are generally good if you accept experience or academic affirmations as the basic criteria. But what if the person had no personal experience but addressed the topics anyway? It even sounds foreign saying it…it feels unsafe and flatly reckless! But this happens all the time. But have we judged too soon? The perspective of numerous pioneers would be silenced if we required experience before they could speak on the topic. Many inventions and life-enriching discoveries have been made by non-academics! Going further…what if those pioneers spoke on a topic with authority that came from God and not necessarily their experience or academic prowess?

I suspect that would change the conversation significantly. ‘Thus saith the Lord’ would take on new meaning and gravity or we would be forced to ignore His counsel, opting for mere human experiences, accreditations, or opinions. In the final analysis people will answer to God for what He stated about a matter regardless of whomever they subscribe to. It behooves us to represent His views accurately because we cannot escape accountability with Him. Certainly, we must observe correctly, interpret precisely, correlate responsibly, and apply truth appropriately. We know no one will do this perfectly every time, but one can be consistently correct. Ultimately the Bible’s (KJV) statements come from God, He is the primary Author and Source of all truth. 

Matthew 21:23, says, “And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?” The same thought is echoed in Mark 11:28, stating, “And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?” Again Luke 20:2, repeats this notion stating, “And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?”

Yes, even our Lord Jesus faced the questions of supposed religious leaders examining His actions, to which he countered by ultimately refusing to reveal His own source and highlighted His holy prerogatives. Beloved, if the statement came from God, then it should be accepted as the standard…the truth.

God’s Order for a Wife (Part II)

God’s Order for a Wife II

1 PETER 3:1-6

SUBJECT: SUBMISSION APPLIED TO MARRIAGE

THEME: each believing wife is to submit to her own husband in God’s order for marriage as a matter of trusting God.

RELEVANCE: though much of marriage is thrilling, our experiences can become unfair and sometimes painful; those who are the most intimate can hurt us deeply. Undoubtedly this is the case in marriage. To further complicate matters, many Christian couples are oblivious of what God calls them to deeming ‘God way’ as outdated. Regardless as children of God we are expected to accept God’s order and conduct ourselves accordingly even in poor circumstances. The obligation to trust God and embrace a better future are thus directed and reinforced in marriage.

INTRODUCTION:

The following counsel is given to wives in less-than-ideal conditions with their husbands and the appropriate emphasis is on authenticity and real substance. The solution for these disadvantaged wives was not taking over becoming more masculine, leaving because the relationship did not fulfill her, manipulating to secure her own way, or nagging to obtain her own desires. She is not a faithless woman scheming her husband to control the circumstances to obtain her will. 

MESSAGE:

I.               Acknowledge God’s Order as a Wife

The following counsel is given to wives in less-than-ideal conditions with their husbands and the appropriate emphasis is on authenticity and real substance. The solution for these disadvantaged wives was not taking over becoming more masculine, leaving because the relationship did not fulfill her, manipulating to secure her own way, or nagging to obtain her own desires. She is not a faithless woman scheming her husband to control the circumstances to obtain her will. 

The Situation of the Christian Wife with a Lost or Wayward Husband. The husband does not walk with the Lord, “if any obey not the word”. This could also be the Christian wife with a husband who is not sold out for God and on board with God’s plan—He is not leading the family in God’s particulars. It is not his practice to obey the word of the Lord…he may even be ignorant of God’s expectations. He may be self-centered and even jealous of her, questioning her loyalty and trustworthiness…emotionally distant and skeptical, frequently ignoring her, disregarding her feelings by continually criticizing her at least until bedtime, or even taking her for granted as optionless. He is disobedient to the word of the Lord…in such cases God wants us believers to acknowledge His order.

A.    The Case of a Disobedient Husband

                                                    i.     Focus on a Chaste Lifestyle—Be a Women of Purity.

1.     1 Pet 3:1-2, Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; (2) While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

2.     Guidance for Such Cases. This is how a believing wife can win her wayward or lost husband to Christ or obedience.  The counsel is the chaste lifestyle of the wife can win the lost husband to Christ and that the wayward husband can be won to an obedient life to his Lord. Wives God will use your authentic testimony as one of His most powerful weapons to convert your husband. This will require your sincerity and faith!

3.     Be a Wife of Purity. “Chaste Conversation” vs 2, means pure from all faults; to be clean and holy and free from all defilement; to act and behave in the most pure and modest way possible.

a.      Chaste refers first to inward purity in nature. It impacts a person’s conduct/behavior (1 Pet. 3:2).

                                                                                                                i.     The word chaste when applied to sexuality refers to innocence or sexual purity, in desire, imagination, and action (2 Cor. 11:2; Tit. 2:5).

                                                                                                              ii.     When a woman marries a man, she is setting herself apart exclusively for him and him alone. She is truly special because she gives herself exclusively to her husband. This is a non-negotiable standard with her. But sexual promiscuity and infidelity are so prevalent due to feminism; unfortunately, it is normal anymore for ‘girls’ to have high body counts by time they turn 30 years old! However, God still calls his people to purity and chastity in this matter. A wife is to submit only to her own husband.   

b.     Chastity is also a virtuous quality we must teach to our children, boys and girls alike—they are to remain pure until they have married and then remain pure in the holiness of matrimony. God has never approved of adultery, fornication, and premarital sex! God would have us control the flesh before marriage because this allows His Spirit to control us, reinforces self-restraint in marriage, and assure all parties of fidelity and moral restraint.

c.      Heb 13:4, Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.  (Prov. 5:1-23)

d.     As a believer, starting a chaste lifestyle is the correct personal standard even when you are no longer a virgin…even after a child and now living in perpetual singleness, until marriage, or until remarriage. You will have some personal and relational challenges, but you can establish celibacy until marriage as normal for you. ‘Worldly people’ will sleep around and live in the gutter trying to manipulate a person’s decisions using their body, but God calls His people to live for His glory and not carnal gratification. Still live for God who is greater than anything else! A person of the ‘world’ will not accept your principles; there is no need to attempt to convince them.   

e.      Body count does matter to God and anyone seeking a real wife. A quality to ask about in any possible bride or groom is purity.

                                                  ii.     Focus on a Real Lifestyle—Be a Woman of Authenticity. “...they behold your chaste conversation” vs 2, This word ‘behold’ indicates that the husband will give keen and careful observation, not a casual glance. 

1.     Her husband will take notice of her spirit, attitude, demeanor, words, gestures, and even the way she carries herself. God will use the wife’s submissive and chaste (pure) lifestyle to soften the husband’s heart, that he can be won to Christ. Her pure heart of authenticity preaches a continuous but silent sermon! It is not her complaining, nagging, or criticizing that will win her husband to God’s will, but her authenticity! If your ‘go to’ is playing ‘the victim’ or ‘turning on the waterworks’ type manipulation, then you may be guilty of blame-shifting, gaslighting, and outright lying to gain control!

2.     Her chaste lifestyle is anchored in her reverence for God (vs2 “coupled with fear”). She lives in reverence of God’s all-knowing ability, power, justice and judgement. Her trust and accountability with Christ are transparently actual!

a.      She is NOT a mere pretender or fake! Yes, she can admit when she is wrong! She does not engage in shifting blame on others, she does not shun responsibility for her miscalculations, she avoids gossip and other fault-finding manipulative tactics, and she has too much respect for God to live a lie! We must trust God’s control and not our own! This reverence—respect—deference to God is what make her freely submit and such a chaste lifestyle could win her husband over to Christ.

b.     She knows she is not perfect and willingly own up to her failures, faults, mistakes, and sin. Because she is growing, she is the kind of person who will earn your trust (Proverbs 31:11; John 10:37), not merely expect it! Trust is foundational to marriage so she fully acknowledges when trust has been broken and must be rebuilt through repentance and trustworthiness. She does not require blind, unconditional acceptance.

3.     Wisdom prescribes caution and setting boundaries when a spouse is untrustworthy, while ultimately directing us to trust God for healing and strength.

a.      Such authenticity and trust are correctly rooted in God: When confidence in a spouse fails, trust should continue in God’s faithfulness (Psalm 9:10) to sustain the individual and restore the marriage. Trust is the foundation of a healthy, covenantal marriage, enabling security and corporation (Proverbs 31:11, Hebrews 13:4).

b.     Ultimately, take a balanced approach: foster a deeply trusting, faithful relationship while acknowledging that when trust is broken, it must be earned back, not demanded.

c.      Luke 22:42, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

                                                iii.     Focus on a Selfless Lifestyle—Be a Woman of Unselfishness.

1.     Only when we have learned the discipline of ‘submission’ can we come to the place where a selfish spirit no longer controls us. Only submission can free us to distinguish between genuine issues and stubborn self-will. Most things in life are not major issues. If we could see this and accept it, we could hold those things lightly. Often the best way to handle these issues is to say nothing and let enough time pass so that the proper perspective is gained.

2.     William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, was once brought to an international meeting when he was very old and infirm. Though too weak to give an address, a microphone was brought to him, and he said one word several times as his final message to the huge, international organization that the Salvation Army had by then become. What was that word? We would expect it to be a terribly important word, given the situation. The word? “Others. Others. Others.”

3.     We find submission easiest when we begin to trust God implicitly and truly value other people. Marriage is not primarily about the individuals; it has always been about the Lord Jesus (Eph. 5:22-28) for us believers. When we truly place importance on the Lord, other people created in the image of God, those for whom Christ died, we’ll submit. When we comprehend that God will use us to touch others, then we find submission easier to live out. Stay focused on the eternal goal of glorifying the Lord even during the tough times. You will grow far beyond the limitations of yourself.

4.     Live as Unto the Lord on Purpose! Wives, Regardless of What Your Husband Does, Decide Now to Live for God! Let your primary motivation in your relationship with your husband be that of pleasing the Lord and not what you hope to see develop in the relationship. Seek to obey God and honor Him regardless of how your husband responds to you and your desire to live for the Lord. Still labor to bear an awesome testimony before your spouse, don’t get frustrated and quit but continue to trust the Lord. Take his advice seriously! It is never a vain effort to live for Jesus Christ even if things don’t turn out the way you desire. This life may last 80 years, but eternity is forever!

                                                iv.     Comprehensive purity, real authenticity, and selflessness! These are the primary character concerns of a wife accepting God’s Order for marriage!

B.    The Traits You Must Avoid as a Wife!

                                                    i.     1 Peter 3:3, Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

                                                  ii.     Superficial: God tells wives that their beauty should not come from outward adornments, but rather from inner character, which is precious to God. We must emphasize inner beauty and godly character over superficial appearances (Prov. 31:30-31; 1 Tim. 2:9-10), encouraging wives to focus on cultivating a gentle and submissive character. God truly values what is happening in the inner being, not merely what is on the surface. These ideas pertain to those who are or want to be wives, not to every woman or female…but wives in particular.

                                                iii.     Vain: we must return to valuing godly character instead of appearance! When a women is asked “what she have to offer” or “what she brings to the table” …if she first points to her physical attractiveness then you can be sure she is far more superficial than spiritual!

1.     A wife should naturally be attractive to her husband, and this is healthy and normal; it is a desirable trait in a woman. Without any special ‘helps’ a wife should be viewed as attractive to her husband. However, we seem to only emphasize outer beauty anymore and inward gorgeousness is almost never talked about. I guess it is easier to change our appearance rather than change our character! Beside that you can’t market inner qualities, there is no sale value…there is no money to be made in ‘character’ growth or change! Anyway, the average girl thinks she must have an hourglass figure, long eyelashes, nail extensions, nail polish or art, a BBL, plump lips, bonnet, hair extensions or several wigs, make-up, fake eyebrows, and a body shaper girdle to be physically attractive. All the emphasis is placed on the external appearance with hardly any focus on the inner character. Perhaps it is because many ‘ladies’ don’t know what a real ‘wife’ should be like inside deep within.

2.     On the other hand, descriptions like drama queen, selfish, ugly duckling, too emotional/sensitive, overweight, wasteful spend thrift, temperamental or moody, untalented, homely or plain, and unattractive come to mind revealing substantial inner and outer complications. Unfortunately, many women attempt to hide, deny, or mask these undesirable traits instead of trusting God to eliminate, transform, or improve these areas! They would rather manipulate rather than be real or trust God for real change.

                                                iv.     Materialistic: High fashion with luxurious branding, extravagant jewelry, and exorbitant prices, seems to be fashionable and ‘common sense’ seems outdated and impractical! The fact is the average man cannot afford this spoiled little princess’s lifestyle!

1.     I am afraid we have allowed materialism to supplant bible mandates! In the fray femineity has been lost, the nurturing softness of female maturity is gone, and the receptive intelligent smoothness of womanhood has disappeared. Compassion, empathy, supportiveness, intuition, sensitivity, gentleness, vulnerability, connection, creativity, and cooperation have vanished into a business tilting feministic self-centered mindset.

2.     Women today are more like bad men: hard-strong-stubborn, overly masculine, aggressively rough, assertive, logical-analytical, independent, goal-oriented-calculating, uncompromising, and competitive. These women do not make good wives!

3.     Wives have forgotten they are the means to shaping the next generation of children for the Lord. The character of the wife must be correct for her to fulfill one of her primary roles as a mother. The next generation’s potential lies in their fathers’ leadership and their mothers’ ability to follow. If all we do is raise children to be good citizens who pay their bills and taxes, we have failed miserably because we adopted a worldly standard. The goal is to raise children who serve Christ with their entire lives! Mothers and wives are at the forefront of that effort every day! This is one way a godly wife makes a real difference for the kingdom of God.

                                                  v.     Mission Ignorant: Yet a Christian home exists to serve God and to advance His kingdom throughout the world with the gospel! Many couples mistakenly believe the home exists to make them happy, fulfilled, or pleased. Again, we have allowed ourselves to adopt worldly ideals for our families. God calls us as believers to His mission in this world and seeks to reign as King from each life consciously submitted to Him. His will is to be done on this earth as it is correctly being done in heaven. Wives have forgotten this or never knew this important purpose. Our homes present another chance to serve the Lord, and not ourselves.