Turn with me to Luke chapter 19.
This will be our text for today as we read it before I do, let us pray. Our Father, we come to you in prayer now because we recognize that unless your Spirit opens up our eyes and our hearts and our ears, we are here in vain. We are wasting our time. Lord, we need you to give us clarity and give us understanding the open up our hearts and hearts that they might receive the seed of the gospel that we might produce much fruit or give life here.
Lord, let the seed be sown and Lord, you give the increase, we pray, do it in our hearts, we plead. And it's in Jesus's name, Amen. People of God, we are reading Luke chapter 19. I'm looking at verses 11 through 27.
Here now God's word. As I heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near to Jerusalem. And because they suppose that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.
He said, Therefore, a nobleman went into a far country to receive for Himself a kingdom, and then return, calling 10 of his servants, he gave them 10 minas and said to them engage in business until I come. But his citizens hated him and send a delegation after him saying, We do not want this man to reign over us. When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him saying, Lord, your mina has made 10 minas more. And he said to him, Well done, good servant, because you have been faithful and a very little, you shall have authority over 10 cities. And the second came saying, Lord, your mina has made five minas and he said to him, You are to be over five cities.
Then another came saying, Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man, you take what you did not deposit and reap what you did not. So he said to him, I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant, you knew that I was a severe man taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not. So why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my come in, I might have collected it with interest.
And he said, to those who stood by take the mina off from him, and give it to the one who has the 10 minas.
And they said to Him, Lord, he has 10 minas, I tell you that to everyone who has more will be given, but from the one who has not even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me. He was yours.
Let them hear the Word of God, please be seated.
And King Herod would be replaced by his son, Archelaus , that was naturally what was already set up. People thought, When King Herod dies, his son is going to be king. Next. However, Archelaus is could not just crown himself king, the Emperor of Rome, who had all the authority at the time, had to give him that power. The Emperor of Rome had to coordinate Archelaus as the king of the region. So our Ken Lay us would make his trip along trip to Rome. We would be away for some time, where he would be crowned as king, and then he would return back to the land of Judea to rule over all the land.
You're tracking so far?
Historical then this really happened?
Around four BC-ish around there.
Now, however, there was a lot of people who didn't like Archelaus. He was kind of cool.
He wasn't kind. And there was a delegation of 50 Jewish leaders that followed him to Rome, and pleaded and petitioned with Caesar don't make Archelaus king over us. He's not a good king, we want a different king.
was made Archelaus King to Caesar. And so what do you think Archelaus did when he returns back to his land as the coronated King. What do you think he did to all those that oppose him, and the delegation that sought to keep him from being king, Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector. Zacchaeus is undeserving, he is a great sinner, yet Jesus calls him to himself. You might even say Jesus's grace to Zacchaeus is irresistible. And Zacchaeus responds to that grace. And then he climbs down the tree, he's obedient. And he, he follows Christ and He produces the fruit of repentance, and he is generous and he is giving away he's no longer going to steal.
He's no longer seeking to be corrupt, joyful obedience. We're also told that Jesus tells this parable, because he is nearing Jerusalem. And because they stopped or because they suppose that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. There is great expectation that is growing for Jesus. If you have been here for some time, we've been working our way through to get to Jerusalem. Remember, Luke chapter nine, Jesus has set his face like stone like Flint, to grow to Jerusalem, because that is where the cross is. That's where redemption will be accomplished. And we're very near, in fact, next week, he enters Jerusalem, we're there.
We're there. Now, a lot of people they've seen Jesus do some pretty incredible things.
They've seen miracles. They've heard his teaching with authority and the expectation for Jesus as they get Jerusalem as building.
More and more people are thinking maybe this is it. Maybe this is indeed the promise king of Israel, here he is. And he is the promise King, however, they think that Jesus is going to unleash his power on Rome, and overthrow it to establish a political kingdom in Jerusalem to make Jerusalem great again.
That's what you know, that's what their hath said. And they're going to sweep him into Jerusalem, as we will see next week, but he will not be the king that they expect, nor will he be the king that they want.
They will get a king on a donkey rather than the white stallion that they want. They will get a humbling a humble servant, who even go to the cross, not the warrior wearing the crown. Not yet. And they don't want that.
And now as you will see, they will usher him in with great excitement. But soon after, say this isn't the guy we don't want this guy. We don't want the cross. We want the crown. And so they will reject Jesus, like many. And in this parable, Jesus is trying to correct their expectations. The kingdom of God has already come.
He's already come because the King is here. The kingdom of God is coming. That is the the blind are seeing people like Zacchaeus is hearing the gospel and embracing it. And so the Kingdom is being advanced. And yet the kingdom is still to come in full glory. But before it comes in full glory, a few things must happen. Jesus has to die, he has to be raised from the dead, he has to ascend to his father, and then he will be crowned as king and then return back to his land as the conquering king. And so as you've already picked up, Jesus is what this parable is about Jesus's the noble man, in this parable, the son of the king who has gone into a far country to collect his kingdom, Jesus has ascended up to heaven, and is currently there sitting at the right hand of the Father, and currently working as a High Priest making intercession for us. However, he's not always going to stay there. He's going to return, he's going to come back there is a day set on the calendar of God, a day and a time when Jesus Christ will arise from his throne, and he will come back to his land. And He will come again with glory.
And as we even set in the Apostles Creed to come and judge the living and the dead, and He will establish the new heavens and the new earth. And there will be no enemy left in his way. All people will submit to King Jesus. And this parable is a reminder to us to never forget this fat, Jesus is coming. Do not forget it. Do not be foolish to think that he has been gone for some time, he is coming back. And today could be the day the king is coming again. Jesus has lived for us he has died for us. He has risen for us. He intercedes for us. And indeed, he comes back for us. So how should we be living now? That's kind of what this whole parable is about. You have the King who's away. And the syrup servants are left they are given a commission, if you will. And what are they to do? What are we to do? Because we find ourselves in the same position as the people in this parable, the servants? Well, how are we to live in the interim of the King being gone until he returns? How should we live? Well, the text tells us we are to live as faithful servants of the king.
The King's enemies are going to be plotting, but the faithful shirts servants should be seeking to follow the Kings instructions. And what are the instructions to further establish the king's kingdom to build up his treasuries? He's called us to do it. And how do we do that? How do we build up the king's treasuries? What has the king given to us the gospel.
And so the minus here is not so much human ability or strength at all. But it's the gospel that he has given to His servants.
And it's the gospel that has the power to build his treasury. And so the question that's being asked is, What are you doing with that Bay Haven? What are you doing with the gospel that's been given to you? Are you just sitting on it? Are you applying it? Are you growing in your own faith? Are you sharing it that the kingdom of God might increase that is really the essence of this parable? It's not only word but deed. And so here we have three sections, we have the orders given to the servants you have an OB the obedient servants, and obstinate servants. So here are the orders from the A nobleman went into a foreign country to receive for himself the kingdom and then return, calling 10 of his servants he came to them, he gave them 10 minas and said engage in business until I come. The nobleman gives 10 of his servants 10 minas and that's about three months of wages and tells them to engage in business till I come. And the assumption there is that good servants will look to increase the king's Treasury for when he returns.
Again, it is not human power, but but gospel and faithfulness to it. That is, the gospel is heavens currency. The gospel is what is more valuable than much fine gold. The gospel is salvation. The gospel is life.
The gospel is Christ and what the servants received from the King is what has the power to increase and build the kingdom it has the power, even if you look at verse 16. We were even kind of hinted in this. It says your mind has has made that is itself has made it it is what has its power. You just have to apply it apply it put it into practice, and it itself will give the increase if you invest As the Word of God, it will return back with increase, the word of God will not return void. So the question here, even at the very beginning, then is what are you doing with the Word of God? What are you doing with the gospel? How are you putting it into work? Are you using it in your own life to increase your prayer life or your repentance, or trust? Are you serving others with it? Are you showing mercy to others? Are you sharing it with others, that they too might be faithful servants of the king? Am I using my means to make eternal friends and making sure that churches and missionaries are are well supported? We have been commissioned, Jesus told us all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, he is the king. Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I've commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. Are you living as someone who has been commissioned by the king, this is your primary calling, this is the work that the king has set you to do.
And one day you will have to give an account? Are you living as someone who has been commissioned? Or have we grown lazy? Have we grown afraid? Are we being faithful servants?
Well, here we come to the first servants, the obedient servants, the King returns, I happens, again, to reminder, Jesus will return with full authority over his kingdom, that the course of this world will not allow, will not always go on as it does now.
He will come in power, the judge the living and the dead. And there are really only two categories here that the king will find those who are faithful, and those who aren't.
Verse 15. And when he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered the servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. Everyone is called to account everyone. Revelation 22 says, Behold, I'm coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay each one for what he has done. And we have two servants. And really the idea here is that we have two servants. And they both increase what was given one returns a hundredfold, 10 more, the other 50%, more, five more, and they're rewarded with cities.
Now, this text can be tricky.
And I just want to pause here.
Because even as we were plugging our way through it, if we take the text out of context, we can think that God is just pleased with me, and I'm accepted in God's presence. If I work, and if I work really hard, then God's face will shine upon me.
But this is also the importance of taking the the text and context if you remember the blind man, he's blind, and he has nothing he cannot see. And that was a picture of our own hearts, you remember that? And we cry out Jesus, Son of David have mercy upon me. And he's merciful to sinners, those who are blind, those who are are spiritually decayed, and dead and blind inside and he gives life. But then Zacchaeus is that example of what repentance look looks like to those whom God has has given mercy? It's not to saying I believe but now what does that look like? What are the fruits of the Spirit? How does that work out in my life, and that's really what this text is helping us think about and meditate, a Galatians two, verse 16 reminds us that a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. And so also we have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law. Because by works of the law, no one will be justified in Ephesians, two, eight and nine, For by grace, you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing. It's a gift of God, not a result of work so that no one may boast. But hearing the Word of God and doing it, they must always go together. As the Bible says, those whom God has justified, he will sanctify that is those who have been washed and cleansed and been made renewed, he will be working in them and transforming them to be more and more like Christ, not only in word but also indeed, if even we stepped back and we're thinking about Zacchaeus and imagine Jesus calls his Zacchaeus as he's up in the tree, and then that Zacchaeus says, Lord, let me just think about that a little But before I come down and obey, you know, there are different ways I can come down this tree and I just, I just need to think about it a little bit. No, he just he obeys, he gets down off the tree. Or what if Zacchaeus says, Lord, I'm going to follow you, and you're gonna come to my house, you're going to stay. But you know, I am going to continue to steal, and cheat, and covet. Because that's what makes me happy. You see how those two do not go together. And so those who call upon the name of the Lord, they are transformed. And we are in that process of being transformed more and more slowly, sometimes too slow. We want to be transformed quickly.
But however, we are putting off the old and putting on the new.
Those who call upon the name of the Lord will seek to put off the world and put on Christ more and more, as Galatians five says, But the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, against such things, there is no law, and those who are belong to Christ Jesus have been crucified with the flesh and its passions and desires.
grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, that's our title of heaven. That's our entry to Heaven, you will never be able to work yourself into heaven. But the interesting thing, I think, maybe the challenging thing of this text is that there does seem to be rewards given proportional to our service. And I've always struggled with this, if I'm completely honest. You know, I just I'm in Christ, and everything I have is in Christ, for sure. But here on our text, it's undeniable in other places, there are rewards given to those who are seeking to pursue Christ faithfully. But just notice here that the rewards though are not in any way proportional to our service, but infinitely beyond our deserving to see they are given three months salary, and what's been given in return for their service, City's 10 cities.
It's not even close. And again, it's just a parable. It's not a one for one. But he calls us into His service. And once he reward us with things that we would never earn things with, but that are incomparable. And this is what God gives to his people, things that are beyond our imagination, anything that we could ever think, really. I also want us to just notice, here's how we spend our time is not merely in categories of right and wrong. And here we have these faithful servants, one's 100%. One is 50%. In their increase, and often when we think about what should I do, we often just think, Well, is it good? Is it right? Or is it wrong? And as long as it's not wrong, then that's okay, then I can do that, then I should do that I ought to do that. But here are our lives are more than just asking what is right and wrong. I think as we are maturing in Christ, we should also begin to not only ask what is right and wrong, but what is good. What is better. And what is best? Is this the best way to be using my time right now, not only is this a good way is this a wrong way might not be but is this the best way to be using my time? Is this the best way to be using my money? Is this the best way to be using the Lord's Day?
And so I think even with these faithful servants, it helps us think about, am I using the energy and the gifts God has given me to the best of my ability. Now we turn to the obstinate, this unfaithful servant. He didn't follow the Kings instructions. He didn't listen to the king. Verse 21, I, I kept laid away in a handkerchief for I was afraid of you because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit and reap what you did not so he says. Now, this is a very sobering account, because this man represents professing Christians. This man represents those who say they are followers of the king. But yet their lives do not produce the fruit that would go along with that profession. His actions do not reflect that he serves or loves the king in any way. He makes no effort here to use the gospel for his good or even the good of others. He has a Bible and it's a nice Bible. We got the Reformation Study Bible with all the notes and he got a he got a Bible cover even for it. He's got it in the keeps all his bulletins slotted in there, and it has extra pens, but you know What he doesn't do with it, open it. He just keeps it real nice pasture. Look at this nice Bible. It's so nice. But he doesn't open it. He doesn't read it. He doesn't apply it. He doesn't make effort to do what the king has called him to do to make business with it of his own soul and the souls of others, but he keeps it hidden and a handkerchief covered and a nice Bible and it looks good. And he's here at church somewhere.
And he says, I'm a servant of the king, but he's not doing what the king has called him to do. This is convicting. This is so boring. And it's not humility here. It's fear and it's rebellion. Even Jesus calls him wicked. Jesus says, It's wickedness to not use what we have been given for the building of his kingdom, to not let the gospel go to work in our hearts, or the hearts of others. And he blames it on the master. Do you notice that here? He says, You're harsh and you're severe.
I thought you're you're not fair. And you know many people this is how they see God. Now it's not true. It was true of Archelaus see was not good. But Jesus is good.
Many people though, they see God as a cruel taskmaster. And He only takes only demands he never gives. He's never generous. And what we find is that this servant just has the attitude of the older brother, remember, in the parable of the lost sons of the prodigal son, the older brother thought, Father, you're just cruel. You know, I've been working for you all these years, and you never do anything good for me. You just take and I just give, and you take and I give.
That's his thought here. But it's to show that this servant, like the older son doesn't really know the older son doesn't know his father, and the servant really doesn't understand the king. The king is generous. The king just gave cities away, as a king, not generous here in the parable.
And King Jesus has given us everything. He has given us everything God has given us life and breath and are being. Most of all Jesus has given us himself. Jesus has done everything for us. He he spared not but deliver even himself, his son to the cross, and how much more will he freely give us all things, and all of your sins have been washed away in Jesus and He intercedes for you and He gives and gives, and he gives, and you have done nothing for God, that would earn you any favor in his sight. But yet he continues to give, he is so generous, and good. False profession, and formality will not save you. proximity to other Christians and other servants will not save you. You might be married to a Christian, that doesn't mean that you're a Christian. Your parents might be a Christian, that doesn't mean you're a Christian. What will save you as Jesus, Jesus will save you and putting your faith in Him alone. His grace is what will stand you will not stand.
But in Christ, you will by faith alone in Christ in Christ. The man here in this text, he wants fairness rather than the king.
And that is exactly what he gets. He gets what he deserves, and he is condemned. The king says, I will condemn you for your own words, you wicked servant. And then again, a reminder that people make excuse after excuse, trying to calm their consciences not to serve Jesus, but every single excuse not to follow Jesus is all in vain. Everything good will be stripped away from you. All grace, all hope, all peace, all joy, and you will be condemned to hell. That is the sobering reality of this text. Verse 27, but as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.
This is the absolute ruin and destruction of all those who do not serve King Jesus upon his return. The kingdom of God is not a democracy. You aren't voting for Jesus. It isn't when Jesus returns that you then gather with your buddies and say, Well, Jesus, we all agree, we don't want you. We've all agreed that we are better off without you and having another king. We're going to serve something else. And you know what? That's the exact message of Psalm two. You know, there is one thing Psalm two reminds us that that the whole world can agree upon. Can we agree upon politics? Now we can. We're divided on on politics. Send us even as a country how things ought to be run and what's good and what's bad. But you know what, there is one thing that has the ability to unite all of America, and not only all of America, but the entire world.
And Psalm two tells us that and you know what it is? Hatred for Jesus Christ. The kings of earth set themselves in the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed slain. Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. The world comes together in unison, and harmony. Finally, it's on harmony against the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us first as bonds from us.
We're free from Jesus, He is not our King. We're going to worship something else. We're going to follow something else.
He's not our King. You remember how Psalm two then continues?
Jesus says, Does it say Oh, all right. You guys, you guys when I'm out of here? No. He who sits in the heavens, laughs The Lord holds them in derision. Then He will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury saying, As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill, you shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now, therefore, oh, Kings obey Haven, be wise and be warned, old rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the sun, lest he be angry and you perish and in his way, for his wrath is quickly kindled but blessings are all who take refuge in Him.
Jesus will destroy every trader and rebel. And you must submit to him before it is too late.
And your only hope from the wrath of the Lamb is found in the land. That is where you can find refuge that is where you can find mercy. All of your rebellious hearts you can repent of this day, and he will get grant mercy to you. You know, the parable? If you remember it started with 10 Servants 10.
Well, what happened to the other seven? Where are they in our text? Well, I think that's a reminder that this it doesn't tell us it. And it's a picture of you here right now. You are the other servants, I have not yet been called in by the king to give an account for your life and your faith. What will you do today? The master has been gone for a long time, but he will soon return. You have been given the gospel and what are you going to do with it? Well, let us get busy with it by him and let us seek to build His kingdom and His righteousness, let's invest our time and our money and our energy to the building of his kingdom. What are we going to do with the gospel? But maybe you're like me and you, you're hearing this, and you feel like I have wasted so much time. I have wasted so many opportunities. And you know, like that servant, I've been afraid. You know what we should do? If you if you're feeling like that right now. Remember Jesus. Remember Jesus, who pours out mercy to a blind man. The hope of your salvation is not based on what you have done, but it's based on what Jesus has done. Remember, Jesus who takes all of your sins not in part, but the whole, and he nails them to the cross. And He gives you now blessing even though you deserve curse, because that's what we deserve. And as you think about Jesus, and as you reflect on what Jesus has done, for a vial center, a chief of sinners like you, it should bubble up in our hearts, to serve our king with joy. And that's exactly what happens with Zacchaeus. Right? He then serves Jesus doesn't ask him to give but then he just starts giving because God is merciful to sinners like us. So let us take this text serious. Let us look to our Lord Jesus Christ, let us rest in Him for our salvation.
But you who are servants of the king, who are resting upon Him by faith alone, let us get doing for the Kingdom. Not because it saves us but but this is what our master has given us the pleasure of being a part of building his kingdom. And let us be preparing for his arrival.
For today might be the day.
Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for this challenging text. This convicting text Lord, we, we do remember, our works will never save us. Christ comes and he saves us. In Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no man will come to the Father apart from him. But Lord, you call us into your service to not only be hearers, but doers. You call us to engage in the business of your kingdom. And Lord will have to give an account for our time. So, Lord, I do pray that you would stir us to stay, to not be idle, to not be afraid, but to get doing for the kingdom, that you might be pleased that, that you might find us busy building your treasuries that you might come and find us faithful, not idle, not seeking the things of this world but following you as you have commissioned us to do, what we thank you that you have promised that you will be with us always, even to the end of the world. It's in Jesus's name we pray, Amen.