Prepare Like a Faithful and Wise Servant (Part II)

 

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 selfish behavior, wicked associations, our reservation--fears, nor merely pique our interest, but encourage active service to accomplish God’s will until He comes for us in the Rapture.

Introduction: 

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 two more ideas to be mindful of. 

Message:

I. Respect The Dangers of Indifference (Matt. 24:48-49).

The “evil servant” believes the Lord is delayed and, as a result, choses worldliness, selfishness, and mishandlings his fellow servants. Loosing focus, abusing authority, mistreating others, self-serving, overindulgent, excessive force, godless associations, and sinful living are temptations we must always refuse.

• “Such behavior demonstrates that he is not ready for the kingdom.”^[1]
• Such a servant, concluding that his master was not returning for a long time, took advantage of others (he beat his fellow servants) and lived wickedly (eating and drinking with drunkards).^[2]

One thing we cannot afford to be indifferent about is the pain, tears, and suffering of others. There is not a person on earth today who is not hurting or needy in some way. Everyone you and I know has a burden—a heartfelt need. Behind every plastic smile there is a world of burdens that we struggle and strain to cover up. We don’t want anyone to know our pain…we want to appear strong so that we don’t cause others to stumble. Remember, every set of eyes you will ever gaze into have shed hundreds of tears in secret when no one else but God was watching. That lady who is always smiling at church will one day need a shoulder to cry on. That guy who loves to laugh, cut up, and tell jokes will need encouraging one day. Our world is in a state of emergency and the disease is “an overdose of hurts and burdens,” and the medicine they need is someone unselfish enough to help when they hurt. Someone to love them and reassure them of God’s great love for them!

  o   Trials and temptations are the universal lot of us all, and only Christ can give that measure of strength necessary to overcome them.

§  1 Cor. 10:13, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

§  Look to the Lord for that way of escape and the power to endure until the temptation passes. Be assured He will never lead you into a scenario that is more than you can deal with. His grace is sufficient for you and me.

  o   Christians desperately need to be sensitive to the needs of others and to help bear another’s burdens (Rom. 15:1). This is a repeated instruction in the Word.

§  Gal 6:2, Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

§  1Thes 5:14, Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

§  Gal 5:13-14, For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14, For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

  o   Because we all face similar trials, we may be used of God to help another overcome a challenge we have previously experienced ourselves. That is one reason why God allows us to suffer hardships. We learn to accept His help, strength, and comfort and as a result we can be of aid to someone else. (See 2 Cor. 1:3, 4.)

§  2 Cor. 1:3-4, Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; [4] Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

God Himself comforts us when life hurts, and He provides fellow comforters among the brethren as we receive His comfort through our personal trials. All of this says that God cares about what hurts you. Many of you know exactly what I mean when I say, “The pain can overwhelm us at times….” We can become confused, perplexed, and our souls ache beyond our ability to express…. We can become lost in our sorrows were it not for the sweet Savior, the Lord Jesus.

II. Take His Judgment Seriously (Matt. 24:50-51). 

The Master returns unexpectedly to punish the unfaithful servant. The phrase “cut him asunder” represents severe judgment, separating him from the righteous and placing him with hypocrites, where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth” in Hell. 

• When the King comes, He will punish him and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites….”^[3]
• Like the wicked people of Noah’s day (vv. 37–39), he was unaware of the sudden coming judgment (v. 50). But the judgment will come and he will be dealt with as one would deal with a hypocrite, which is precisely what an unfaithful servant is. His separation will result in eternal judgment (weeping and gnashing of teeth; cf. comments on 13:42) apart from his master. Likewise, the judgment of the wicked at the Lord’s second coming will separate them eternally from God.^[4]

Will you be ready when Jesus comes? He could come in the rapture at any moment now!

Rom 10:8-10, But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10, For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

2 Cor 6:2, (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

           1. Acknowledge immediately that you cannot save yourself no matter how diligently you may try.

           2. Acknowledge that you deserve hell for your sin just like the rest of all humanity. We could never earn him dealing with us in mercy and grace.

           3. Acknowledge that you need the Lord Jesus to save you like the rest of us. It is Christ who died for our sin in our stead, was buried, and rose again the third day as he predicted and the scriptures foretold. Yes, Jesus is alive forevermore to save any one who calls on Him in faith.

Another question is, what would we change in our lives if we know He was coming in 10 minutes? As Believers we can rest assured that we will not go through the Great Tribulation, but we will have some tribulation in our lives as saints. John 16:33, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Beloved, don’t place your hope in the next administration, a person, nor a strong economy, put it Jesus!

Jesus will faithfully and fairly judge the world in the future! Matthew 16:26-27, For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? [27] For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Jesus Christ has been given the authority to judge all the earth (Rom 14:9-11; Phil 2:9-11). Although his judgment is already working in our lives, there is a future, final judgment when Christ returns (Matt. 25:31-46) and everyone’s life from the Tribulation Period will be reviewed and evaluated. This will not be confined to unbelievers; Christians from the Tribulation Period too will face a judgment. Their eternal destiny is secure, but Jesus will look at how they handled gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities to determine their eternal rewards. At the time of judgment, God will deliver the righteous and condemn the wicked. We should not judge others' salvation; that is God’s work.

Conclusion:
This passage refers to Christ’s visible return to earth as Messiah-King, but the principle equally applies to us anticipating the Rapture. “Many who profess to be Christians show by their hostility toward God’s people and their fraternization with the ungodly that they are not looking for Christ’s Return. For them it will mean judgment and not blessing.”^[5]

Indeed, our Lord finishes his lessons on the end times (the Olivet Discourse), giving us practical insight on how to live during these last days—not in fear, but in active service to execute God’s purpose. It highlights that real preparation and readiness are the central conditions of loyal service, not just hypothetical and theoretical knowledge of end time events. 

In addition, this kind of divine activity truly magnifies the grace of God! Really, we have NO REAL comprehension of the MERCY and GRACE of God until we first understand something about His GREAT WRATH (Rom. 11:22). When we see God govern Himself in this capacity, we should shout the praises of God for His great mercy and grace toward us undeserving sinners. Secondly, we should walk before God in the fear of the Lord our entire life!

Beloved, God is not obligated to give anyone a second chance to be saved in any age or dispensation. It was not obligation that made God seek to save any sinner in the first place! It was all a matter of His undeserved favor toward all of us as sinners deserving of Hell. WO! Unto them that reject the Savior, because one day they will face the wrath of an angry Judge! Ephes. 2:8, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For the faithful witness and soul winner, we should ensure that our gospel presentation is clear, well organized, understandable, and Spirit lead. I am not trying to discourage you from witnessing I am trying to encourage you to be well prepared as you fervently endeavor to share Christ through the gospel.

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^[1] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1297.

^[2] 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.

^[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.

^[5] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1297.

Unraveling The Mystery of God's Will!

Does God’s plan for your life strike you as mysterious? Do you refer to God’s will as something that needs to be found, that is, “I’m trying to find God’s will for me”? Well, you will be pleased to know that discovering God’s specific plan concerning a certain opportunity is not as difficult as we sometimes think it is. I do not mean to imply that it is always simple to know what God wants us to do in every instance, but sometimes and even many times it is quite simple. If you view God’s will as too mysterious to know or as hidden somewhere and you cannot find it, then I have good news. God’s will has actually been unraveled for us in many respects in the Bible. That is correct! God even spells it out at times using terms like “this is the will of God.” Consider the following observations for unraveling God's plan for you.

God’s Word Spells out His Will for Us through Specific Mandates.

Our tendency to misread God’s plan can be significantly reduced by “understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17). God’s will can be known and understood by us!  Ephesians 5:17,  says, “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding [connecting concepts together in the mind] what the will of the Lord is.” Understanding is like collecting the pieces of a puzzle and putting them together. The mind must grasp concepts and see the proper relationship between them. Correlating and comparing Scripture well is central to this exercise. Obviously this requires serious thinking on our part—we must exercise our mental muscles while we trust the Lord to teach us His Word.

“Understanding” implies placing biblical precepts together with practical applications and usage. This involves mentally comprehending ideas in order to govern oneself according to God’s pleasure and will. In doing so we transfer the biblical idea into our modern context for application. By following this prescription, we can largely reduce misunderstandings, misconceptions, misapplications, and general misreading of God’s will! Again this demands discipline and exertion of mental energy in conjunction with a hardy dependence upon the Spirit of Grace. 

God’s Plan for our lives is not hidden, incomprehensible, nor mysterious. In fact God desires for His people to be well informed and actuating His will daily. But it may require engaging all our mental powers to arrive at what the Lord wants to achieve through us. God still teaches His children His Word very readily, but we must assume the spiritual posture of patient humility and receptivity before Him. So then, to guard against misconceptions related to God’s will, gain a practical awareness of specific Bible statements related to God’s will and their workable implications. Please note thoughtfully what the Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 1:9-10, For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Note This Prayer for the Knowledge of God’s Will (Col. 1:9).

Paul’s primary request was that God would fill them with the knowledge of His will. There are two key words, “filled” and “knowledge” to consider. “Filled” refers to a filling out to completeness, and “knowledge” suggests a full, deep understanding. This is not an inner impression or feeling, but a deep and thorough knowledge of the will of God that is finally and completely revealed in the Word of God (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:17; 1 Thess. 4:3; 5:18; 1 Tim. 2:4; 1 Pet. 2:13, 15; 4:19). An open Bible, a willingness to study and think, and an attitude of humble dependence upon the Holy Spirit will lead to such fullness and knowledge!

·                    Such knowledge of God’s will does not come from a fleshly mind (which “puffs up,” 1 Cor. 8:1), but the Holy Spirit enlightens a believer’s inner person (1 Cor. 2:5-6, 13), with the Word of God.

·                    “Wisdom” is, practical know-how which comes from God (James 1:5; 3:15), and it is also the ability to accumulate and organize principles from Scripture. Actually wisdom applies knowledge in the best ways.

·                    “Spiritual Understanding” speaks of clear analysis and decision-making while applying spiritual knowledge to various problems—the application of Bible principles to daily living. Understanding sees what agrees and what conflicts with God’s will. God’s will, revealed in the Bible, is made known to Believers by the Holy Spirit’s teaching ministry. Like Paul, we too must pray to be filled with the knowledge of God's plan for the day.

Note This Purpose for the Knowledge of God’s Will (Col. 1:10).

Why did the Apostle Paul want the Colossians to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will? [1:10] Was it so they might become mighty preachers or sensational teachers? Was it so they might attract large followings to themselves, as the Gnostics sought to do?

·                    No, the true purpose of spiritual wisdom and understanding is to enable Christians to walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him. Here we have a very important lesson on the subject of guidance. God does not reveal His will to us in order to satisfy our curiosity, make us appear more astute, nor to impress other Christians with our 'knowledge'. Neither is it intended to cater to our ambition or to massage our pride. Rather the Lord shows us His will for our lives in order that we might please Him in all that we do. (McDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary)

Exercise: the following are some precepts directly form the New Testament outlining specific requirements for all Believers.

What does the Bible say about God’s will for us?

1.    God Wills that We Be Saved (2Pet. 3:9; 1Tim. 2:4).

2.    God Wills that We Be Spirit-Filled (Eph. 5:15-18).

3.    God Wills that We Be Thankful in Everything (1Thess. 5:18).

4.    God Wills that We are set apart from sin and unto His purposes (1Thess. 4:3-5).

5.    God Wills that We Be Submissive to Legitimate Authority (1Pet. 2:13-15).

6.    God Wills that We Suffer for Christ’s Sake (1Pet. 4:12-16, 19).

7.    God Wills that We Glorify Him with all our Opportunities (1Pet. 4:16; 1Cor. 6:20; 10:31).

The Lord Jesus epitomized all of these mandates and is the supreme example for all aspects of God’s will (see John 4:4; 5:19, 30; 1 Pet. 4:1, 2). Honestly if we truly lived this way in the energy of the Holy Spirit, there would be little else to consider or to decide upon with regard to God’s plan. Also bear in mind that God does afford us a measure of latitude and freedom regarding decision making on small inconsequential matters. There are times and instances when He in His sovereignty literally leaves the choice with us. You see, if a person is genuinely Spirit-filled and submissive to Christ's authority over their entire being, there is no design to behave in sinful ways

In conclusion, Ephesians 5:15, counsels us to "See then that ye walk circumspectly [exactly, precisely, diligently, accurately], not as fools, but as wise,   (Also see Col. 4:5). That is, walk or proceed with clear direction from God. Live each day knowing exactly what God expects and with confidence in the type of life He prescribes. Once you know what He requires, proceed with precise adherence and compliance. Walk circumspectly before your Lord. Much like a person walking a tightrope across the Grand Canyon proceeds with preciseness and accuracy; let us walk with exactitude in the plan of God for us. Again He has disclosed His will in His Word there is no reason to be mystified regarding His plan.

Yes, there will still be times when we need to make a decision and we will feel uncertain about how to proceed. This is no indication that God has failed to direct. It may mean we need to dig some in the Word and pray far more for wisdom from God. It may also mean we need to connect spiritual principles one with another like the pieces of a puzzle in order to discern God’s plan in a particular matter. I am afraid God has been blamed far too often for hiding His will when the key to knowing it is a matter of research on our part.

The Lord never intended for His will to be mysterious or confusing. He does not hide it and taunt us as we try to find it or figure it out. God’s will is not hidden nor is it lost! Through the Word, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and prayer we can understand exactly what God’s will is and make decisions in the light of it. In doing so, we limit and reduce our vulnerability to deceptions related to His plan for our lives. God not only want us to know His will but to execute it daily with precision and accuracy to His glory!