“And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?” (Luke 12:42).
That is a question Jesus answers in the next verse. First, we should try to honestly answer the question for ourselves. Look at our resources! We have the infallible, living, pure Word of God, the presence of Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit as well as the Spirit’s power and guidance. As this parable indicates, we have been left with responsibilities while the Master is away. Not knowing exactly when He will return, what will He find with the work He has left me to do? His instructions are very clear; “GO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS” (Matthew 28:19). Of course, there are many other instructions for us, His disciples and the Church, but this one instruction is at the core of why we have been left here. While there are other details in this parable we could examine, Jesus gives us the answer to His question; “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes” (12:43). The illustration in verse 42 was providing “food at the proper time.” The central issue is whether we are working at being faithful with the responsibilities our Lord and Master gave us. This means being active with HIS agenda, not ours, UNTIL HE COMES!
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Sometimes we are challenged by the Lord and we do not realize He is testing our “readiness.” My blog yesterday runs right into the subject I will address here. Whether we look at military or medical “readiness,” those in command of these operations will often perform a “readiness test” to see if those responsible for maintaining equipment, supplies and practice runs have been doing what they should so when the commander gives orders for action, all systems are ready.
Jesus talks about another kind of readiness and draws an illustration from the Master of a house, and a thief who wants to break in and steal. “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come At all nd serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!” (Luke 12:37–38). He follows this with saying, “But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into” (12:39). The point is that the servant and master are ready at all times and under all conditions. As I listen to some ministry leaders and some who like to predict when the Lord is coming back based on “signs” they think are in the present crisis, I am deeply concerned that we not get distracted from our duty – preach the gospel and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). Jesus made it very clear; “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:40). Anything less than being ready is not being faithful! Often the word “endurance” reminds us of the quality of athletes; particularly runners. It is a quality that is built up over time, through much practice and with the encouragement of a good coach. It is also a quality that is needed and used in many other aspects of life, especially when we are faced with difficulties, unexpected trials, disappointments and sudden changes of life.
There are twenty references in Paul’s writings alone where this word is used. It refers to the “capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances with patience - perseverance.” The reference I am thinking of is this: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3–5). I was just speaking with someone who is going through a very traumatic experience, causing them to question ‘why God would allow such things to happen to them.’ I suggested that they change the word ‘why’ to ‘what’ — “what is God teaching me?” When we expect God to teach us through our trials and suffering, they become tools in His hands to “produce endurance, and endurance produces character.” You will grow through these experiences. That is His love working in us by the Holy Spirit! Be careful not to give up just short of reaching the goal! There are some people who are feeling that the COVID-19 pandemic is going to hinder mission work and slow the progress of the gospel. They have become fearful and doubt that we will be able to carry on the Lord’s work as we have in the past. I believe God has something much better in mind!
First, we need to look at what God says about His Word. ““For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10–11). I can’t think of a greater statement about God’s plans! This statement in Isaiah takes us back to Genesis 12 and 15 where God promised Abraham that through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. That promise and “word” is going to be accomplished. The gospel will reach every people group around the world! Paul was in prison several times, yet his vision for God’s work was undaunted. He reminds Timothy of two key things in his last letter; “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the Word of God is not bound!” (2 Timothy 2:8–9). Can you remember those two things no matter what you face? The power of Jesus’ resurrection is still working and the Word of God is never bound! Both are enough for every believer to stand firm in the faith no matter what happens. The changes in life style, habits and ministry could not have been foreseen before COVID-19 came upon us. Most of our team had plans to train in various parts of the world this year. As travel shut down, it became obvious that Jonathan and Randy had to return from S. E. Asia. We realized that future trips this year were not going to happen.
Disappointing? YES! Not just for us, but for those who were expecting us to come and prepare them for indigenous expansion of the gospel so they could reach the last unreached people groups in their part of the world. As we have remained in contact with these leaders, we remind them that God is working something through all this that is much greater than the problems we face. As I have spent time in prayer and in God’s Word, there is an unshakeable sense in my heart that God is preparing us during these “stay-at-home” days for a sudden expansion of the gospel to the “ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). How is this preparation going to happen? I have referred before in this blog to Acts 16:6-10. We might say that Paul and Timothy were disappointed that they were “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the Word in Asia” (16:6). Wasn’t that Paul’s calling? We are not told exactly why they were hindered, but several days later, Paul had “a vision…in the night; a man of Macedonia was standing there urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (16:9). The Spirit was directly involved in their travels. This is not a time to become self-focused, downcast, or diverted from our calling in ministry. It is a time to draw close to the Lord and the Spirit and let them prepare us for the next move. When the time is right, they will give clear directions. We will discover that they have prepared the next assignment while preparing us. GET FOCUSED ON WHAT GOD IS DOING TO PREPARE YOU! We have been looking at some of the key moments Jesus had with His disciples just before He ascended into heaven. He was building in them a way of thinking about themselves and their future that was totally different from what they had known in Judaism. Instead of following the Mosaic Law, they were becoming more and more attached to the person of Jesus. How would this close relationship continue when He was going to leave them? We will answer that later.
For this blog, I want to center our attention on the second verse of Luke 24:46-47. Jesus “(46) said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, (47) and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” Behind that word “proclaimed” in the context is that they were given “authority in an official capacity” by Jesus, because the message was to be “announced, told or preached” “in His name.” The Apostles understood this as we see in the Book of Acts. Their boldness was not just because they were filled with the Holy Spirit, but they also had the authority of Christ in them to “proclaim… repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” This does not require any kind of degree, money, pulpit, or building. All it needs is persons who submit to the authority of Christ and the indwelling Spirit. It can be done to one individual or a group, in person, on paper or electronically. There are no limits to God’s message. The only limits are those we place on ourselves. “GO…to all nations” (people groups) and begin right where you are with the confidence you have in Jesus, the One who sent you! I remember well the times that my mother would ask me several times if I had done what she told me to do. By the third time, I would start thinking back to the ‘way I had obeyed.’ Many of my ‘acts of obedience’ were short of what I knew she expected.
There are many times I still review what I do in the light of God’s Word and by what I know is expected of me — and to my shame, fall short. Should we do this kind of self-examination? Paul told the Corinthians, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Is this what Jesus was doing with Peter when He asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me” (John 21:15-17). There was no secret in Peter’s life that Jesus did not know. In asking Peter this question three times, He wanted Peter to examine himself so he would be truthful about his own heart, his motives and able to measure his love by the love Jesus had shown to him. What area of your life would Jesus ask you THREE TIMES, ‘what about this or that?’ These questions are not asked to condemn, but to make us “examine ourselves” with truth so we can better serve the Lord and His interests here on earth. There is only so much time left to do His work and He is looking for those who will be totally faithful to Him, His Word, and His calling. Sometimes the Lord must take very unusual ways to really get our attention. For Peter, there were several events right after another that confirmed what Jesus said to His disciples; “He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31). It was not a passing comment, but intentional teaching that was to prepare them for events after His resurrection. That was very clear. How could Peter miss all these clues:
After Peter suggested to several of the disciples that they go fishing, Jesus approached them on the shore of Galilee and asked how they were doing. ““Children, do you have any fish?” They answered Him, “No.”” (21:5). From the context, they did not recognize Jesus until after they took His suggestion and “cast the net on the right side of the boat” (21:6). The haul of fish suddenly reminded Peter of the first fishing episode with Jesus and John says to Peter, “It is the Lord” (21-7). Jesus is all prepared with a fire to cook some fish and eat with them. What a meal that was. He even provided some bread to go along with the fish. Was this event another step in preparing Peter for the day of Pentecost and ministry beyond that? I think it was. What events is the Lord using to teach you and prepare you for effective witness and ministry? He wants each of us ready for something much bigger than what we plan. We celebrated the resurrection of Jesus as best we could under the COVID-19 conditions. NOW WHAT? There is a very serious danger we face after coming away from this joyful worship of our Savior. You may be wondering what I am referring to?
Mary was given a message to carry back to the disciples that she “had seen the Lord and that He had said these things to her” (John 20:18). This is followed by Jesus meeting with His disciples behind “locked doors…for fear of the Jews” (20:19) where Jesus assured them of who He was, gave them His peace, and prepared them to receive the Holy Spirit. There were more times that Jesus would meet with them before ascending into heaven to sit on the throne with His Father (Hebrews 10:12). Shortly after the private meeting with Jesus, “Simon Peter said to them [the other disciples], “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing” (John 21:3). The greatest event in human history had just taken place and they were witnesses of the living Christ, but then decided to go back to life as usual. We may tend to wag our finger at them in disapproval, when in fact we do a similar thing. We may have spent quality time in worship, our hearts were stirred, and we may have even made a fresh commitment to be different. BUT… “Business as usual” is not what Jesus wants from us! We will look at the points Jesus makes in Chapter 21 tomorrow, but I trust you will ask yourself, “will my “NOW WHAT” become “nothing?”” Yesterday I point to how creation responded to the death of our Savior. More specifically, angels stood by, almost waiting for the command of their Creator to deal with those who orchestrated His arrest and death. In fact, Jesus tells those who were with Him at His arrest, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53). Jesus never made the command, and all they could do was watch.
Imagine how the heavenly beings hovered over the scene of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. They must have felt helpless and without understanding as to why Jesus, the God/man who had healed the sick and raised the dead could endure both the hatred of man and the wrath of God. Peter reminds us that what we understand “by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, [are] things into which angels long to look,” but cannot (1 Peter 1:12). The moment came as these angels continued to watch, when they saw Jesus rise out of death, out of the tomb. This was a moment when Deuteromony 32:43; Psalm 97:7 and Hebrews 1:6 were fulfilled; “Let all God’s angels worship him.” As if they can’t wait, the angels are at the empty tomb, removing the stone and proclaiming to those who came to the tomb, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said…Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him. See, I have told you”” (Matthew 28:5–7). They wanted the news spread as soon as possible. If angels can worship with celebratory joy and proclaim the good news of Jesus’ resurrection, what should we be doing? Spread the news of this gospel far and wide to all who have never heard! |
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