"Now Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?" And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many beatings, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a beating, will receive but a few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more."
Good Morning my beloved,
We welcome you to worship today in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for joining us today, whether it's your first time or you are a faithful member of our family in Christ, we're glad you are here. If you have recently received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please contact and let us know so that we can pray for you. Though we all come from different backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and personal experiences, we are bound together by a common purpose, to honor and glorify our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ through our worship. Let our hearts be united together in praise as we seek to immerse ourselves in His presence.
Without sounding egotistical or self-serving, I can't think of a profession in the world that demands higher level of standards, education, character and integrity and level of performance from the most unqualified men than spiritual leadership. Inherent to the pastoral role, is we must be on call, ready and willing to selflessly labor well beyond the "normal hours of business," prepared to offer biblical counsel in a variety of crises; whether it's visiting the sick, comforting the grieving, or encouraging the lost and hopeless in moments of deep personal need, offering hope and help to their communities at any hour, while modeling exceptional moral and ethical standards consistently that others can strive to emulate, while being under intense public and personal scrutiny. We are not only tasked with the responsibility of growing and nurturing our own faith, confronting our own doubts and fears but according to Hebrews 13:17, we are tasked with the responsibility of keeping watch over the souls we shepherd as those whom will give an account.
I don't believe there is a pastor out there, at some point in their ministry, who takes the responsibility serious that hasn't wrestled with the profound question: "What does God really expect of me?" I am convinced that is an age old question that has been echoed by many of Jesus' under shepherds throughout the ages! I believe the tension felt between the high calling of spiritual leadership and personal inadequacy—is not a sign of personal failure, but of one's faithfulness. We must remember the call is not the expectation of perfection, but the faithful pursuit of holiness. We must be alert, vigilant at all times, constantly praying for the hypocrites, the backsliders, the obvious sinners because the god of this world has blinded the eyes, ears and minds of the unbelieving that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God as well as preparing to be ready ourselves to stand before the Lord when He comes. The weight of that responsibility represents the level of influence we have in proclaiming the Gospel, each and every word. Therefore, prayer is essential, as it is through divine intervention that the veil of deception is lifted. That’s why James 3:1 warns believers not to rush into the role of teacher, for they will incur a stricter judgment.
God's faithful steward doesn’t just manage resources in the Master’s Household—he is entrusted with managing the souls that belong to God under your care. There is enormous power and danger of destruction in the tongue, if any man is able to master his own words, he can control the whole body emphasizing the importance of prayer, humility, self-discipline in one's speech is essential. It is nearly impossible for humans to control the tongue, without experiencing moral contradiction. Therefore, the ability to control the tongue is not merely a matter of avoiding offensive words but reflects a deeper, internal transformation that must be achieved through power of the Holy Spirit, God's power source. We have a delegated responsibility in Christ on behalf of God, acting as His co-workers to fulfill the Great Commission, proclaiming Him as Lord, affirming His divinity and supreme authority. Everything we do should reflect the sacrificial and humble service modeled after Jesus Himself. We are living in a day, where humble, God called servants are few and far between, and those who have called themselves into ministry are plentiful, but lack a pastors heart driven by popularity rather than pointing lost souls to the Jesus of the Bible, guiding them to heaven, because they're operating from a spirit other than the Holy Spirit.
They might preach, pray and proclaim its all about Christ, but no longer teach repentance, preach holiness and neglect warning believers to be wary false teaching, replacing the true Gospel with a man-centered gospel that emphasizes one's personal experience, over rebirth and transformation, and living every day with Christ's imminent return in mind. Make no mistake, we are living in the last days, discernment is not a luxury, its a necessity!
Let's pray together,
Heavenly Father,
Father, we are so grateful for Your Word, thankful for the conviction it brings through the power of Your Holy Spirit, and directs our attention to Christ. Lord, we pray that You would work in every heart receiving this message, whether its today or sometime in the distant future. Father, what makes my life and ministry so fulfilling is the completely changed lives and those-filled with appreciation and gratitude who grasp the truth, who apply the truth, who walk in the truth and go on to proclaim the truth, not for personal recognition or for financial gain, but for Christ’s sake. Lord, for those, who’ve never experience real sorrow for their sin, I pray that You would cause them to see their sins as You see them, help to see the desperate condition they're in, and break their hearts, grant them true sorrow, and genuine repentance leading to salvation. For those who claim to have embraced Christ as Savior, but have never fully surrendered to His Lordship, never having regretted their sin enough to turn away from it, help them, open they eyes to see the desperate condition in which they exist now and the even more desperate condition they will face in the future when they stand before You. May they come before You desiring to turn from sin, begging for You grace, mercy and forgiveness for having trampled on Christ's sacrifice. Thank You for giving us Your Word with standards and principles that we can look to make sure our salvation is real. We are grateful for Your clear instruction to be ready. We ask and pray these things in Christ's most precious name.
Amen.
Today's Message: Faithful Stewards Of God's Grace
If this story seems familiar its because believe it or not, there are many variations on this same story. In fact, Jesus just told a very similar story about a master who went away to a wedding and was planning to come back at a time that was not predetermined and his servants needed to remain ready, whenever he showed up to give an account for how they had managed his affairs while he was away. He's using the same principal in this story, Jesus is urges His followers to be ready for His return, emphasizing the He is going to come at an hour you do not expect, faithfully working and living in light of eternity. We are really talking about our own relationship with God and making sure it is as it ought to be. How we choose to live in light of His return, will clearly indicate whether or not we are prepared for Christ's return. If Christ is not going to return, if there is no judgment for the wicked, if God’s not going to intervene, then we are left with absolutely no hope, no future, no nothing. Think about that.
Jesus Himself told His followers, He is physically, bodily going to come back to earth. And in John 14:2-3, He said, "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." Several thousand years might seem like a long time for the church to be waiting for His return, but, let us remember Peter's words in 2 Peter 3:8-9, "But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." The Lord already knows those who are His. (2 Timothy 2:19) He will separate the righteous from the unrighteous (Matthew 24:40–41) closing of the banquet door to the foolish virgins (Matthew 25:10).
One day soon, we will all stand before the One True living God. Not as a religious performer, but as a soul laid bare. If you have not truly repented, if you have not fully submitted to Christ’s lordship, there will be no more second chances. There will be no more time to change. It's too late for that, there's no turning back!
If you trampled the Son of God underfoot and treated His blood as an unholy thing, you will hear the most terrifying word in all of Scripture, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" (Matthew 7:23) Now, you have only the fearful expectation of judgment that awaits you. (Hebrews 10:27).
Open your Bibles with me if you will, to the Gospel of Luke chapter 12, verses 41-48. Luke 12:41-48. I encourage you to follow along with me as I read to set the text in our minds and allow it take root in our hearts and minds.
"Now Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?" And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many beatings, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a beating, will receive but a few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more."
Let's begin by looking at verse 41, "Now Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?" Peter is speaking on behalf of the group, He's always been the spokesman who says what everyone else is thinking. However, I believe that Peter's question reveals his desire to understand the deeper scope and application of Jesus’s words about watchfulness and readiness for the Master’s return, opening the door for an opportunity to a much deeper teaching on responsibility, stewardship, and accountability. Peter is acknowledging the unique role of His disciples, His inner circle, those entrusted with the "mysteries of the kingdom," while recognizing that Jesus words may have had a more universal application, applying to all believers who hear His message, since Jesus often spoke to His disciples directly while in the presence of mixed crowds of thousands and thousands of people. Grace is never a license for any Christian to continue to live sin without consequences, but is the freedom from sin, in order to live in willing obedience to His Word. Hell is horrific, and it is eternal, otherwise Jesus would not have taught that the fire is never quenched and the worm never dies, emphasizing the eternal and unending nature of punishment for those who reject God, using vivid imagery drawn from Isaiah 66:24, which says, "Then they will go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched; and they will be an object of contempt to all mankind."
Beloved, regretting your sin is not enough. Even Judas regretted—but he did not repent unto eternal life in the Kingdom of God. The Only Way Forward, is just as Jesus said at the onset of His earthly ministry: Repent and Believe! The biblical definition of repentance means going beyond being merely sorrowful, but being made sorrowful to the point of turning away from your sin. It means hating your sin, forsaking it, and running toward Christ in willing obedience, grateful for mercy. Jesus inextricably linked faith with repentance, because both are essential for salvation. It's not too late, but today is the day of salvation for all to hear and respond to Jesus' message. When you truly belong to Christ, you don't run around town celebrating your sin. When you truly belong to Christ, and you fall into sin, you immediately run into the presence of Christ, grateful for His grace and mercy. It is this amazing grace that completely transforms the believer’s life.
By implication, the parable clearly indicates there's some danger in not being ready, so Peter wants to know who Jesus is talking to specifically, them or the crowds. Who is in danger? That may sound like a strange question to ask, but if we look a little deeper, I don't believe it really is out of order. Jesus is saying, we've got two kinds of people here, those who profess to follow Me who are faithful and obedient to My commands, and those who profess to follow Me who are unfaithful, disobedient, living in rebellion. In John 14:15, He said "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." By implication, Jesus is saying it doesn't matter what you say, it's what you repeatedly do that indicates the true spiritual condition of your heart. Once you understand that its about believers and non-believers, Jesus really doesn't need to answer the question. If you're in group one, faithful and obedient, you're ready, but if you're in group two, you're in danger and you need to get ready now or you will face the consequences! I find particularly strange, that some commentators that have suggested this is about church leaders, which is interesting since there weren't any church leaders at the time. The twelve weren't even sure about their future responsibility as far as leadership goes, one could question whether or not they were even concerned about leadership at this point and juncture.
In verse 42, Jesus responds to Peter's question, but doesn't directly answering it, He answers his question with another question—this was a common method of teaching in rabbinic dialogue, which served to provoke deeper reflection. The answer is found in the carefully woven parable. "And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?" Jesus isn't dismissing Peter's question, He's merely saying that the faithful and prudent servant is one who manages the masters household well, he understands the responsibility of being entrusted with acting on the master's behalf while he is away, overseeing the needs of the other servants, he distributes the household commodities among them at the proper time, to feed them, and care for them. Why does this matter?
Because the greatest danger for the Christian, is settling for a mediocre version of faith by allowing himself to become so busy, so distracted, so rushed that he passes through this life, living on the surface but never really having lived it, neglecting to slow down the pace of this life to spend time with God, and develop a servant’s heart. Passing over those who are desperately in need, the ones we ought to be ministering too. I find ironic that in our service to God, the first thing we often eliminate is being connected to God, the very place we ought to start, further demonstrating how darkened our minds have become, having been transformed more by the ways of the world, rather than God's Word. The Kingdom's demands are universal upon all Christians, but the depths of God’s rule is personal, where authentic transformation of the heart is established.
In verse 43-44, He says, "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions." This statement appears in multiple passages throughout the New Testament, emphasizing that when Christ returns to find His servants doing what they're supposed to be doing, those who are ready and waiting for His return; He will reward them for their faithful service, placing them in charge of all his possessions, giving him more responsibility because he's proven himself. Notice, this closely mimics Joseph's role when Pharaoh set him over all the land of Egypt in Genesis 41:35-36, managing provisions during the seven years of famine, putting his signet ring on Joseph’s hand and clothing him in garments of fine linen and a gold necklace around his neck. You've been given resources, you've been given spiritual gifts, talents and capabilities, you've been given an understanding of God's Word. And, you have been given opportunities to share the Gospel. What have you done with it? Not everybody receives the same but we all have received enough to be held accountable for what we have been given, so we're without excuse.
Verses 45-46, "But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers." Here we have the opposite of a faithful and prudent servant, the unfaithful, self-indulgent servant. Instead of being responsible, taking care of the needs of the other servants and feeding them, he beats them, and feeds himself, misusing his position of authority. This echoes God’s judgment on false shepherds in Ezekiel 34:2–4, who "feed and clothe themselves" while neglecting the needs of the flock. He's self-deceived, living under some kind of illusion. Instead of being faithful, he's fulfilling his lust and desires, refusing to say no to anything that he wants, he's living it up, getting drunk, fooling himself, thinking he'll make everything right at the end. However, he has absolute no idea what day his master will come or even how much time he has left before he returns. This is a very dangerous way to live. Yet, there are countless numbers of foolish people living under the same illusion, with no regard for the commands of God's Word. They think they'll have their fun now and get right with God later, just before Jesus comes. The problem, they have idea the day or the hour He'll come, they don't even know how much longer they'll live. Remember the Parable of the Rich Fool? Just when everything was going his way, and he was ready to relax, eat, drink and be merry, "but God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you prepared?’"
If you're living this kind of sinful life, complacent, thinking everything is fine, Jesus is going to come back at an hour you don't expect, and He'll cut you in pieces and assign you a place with the unbelievers. Its the Greek verb "dichotomeó," from which we get the English word "dichotomy," meaning to separate, or cut into pieces. They would understood this to be one of most severe Old Testament judgments. Its the same word Jesus used in Matthew 24:51, the parallel passage, where He said "and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." By the way, notice the unfaithful servant’s downfall didn't begins with an action, but with a single thought: "My master will be a long time in coming," Jesus is referring to His Second Coming, which will occur suddenly and unexpected. The warning is not merely about the unpredictability of the timing of His return, but also about the spiritual condition of the heart—those who are spiritually asleep tragically mistake God’s patience for indifference. Professing faith without faithful living leads to the same eternal destination as those who never believed.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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