Spoken at SGBC
10-12-97
Luke #102
12:35-48
What if it were today?
In our last lesson on Luke twelve we considered Christ's words, "Fear not little flock." The phrase is found in the context of a passage all Christians are familiar with.. The words of Luke 12:22-34 call the children of God to focus on that which is of eternal importance. The counsel is to rest in the promise that God will GIVE all necessary things, physical and spiritual, to His children. Do not spend your time and energies seeking and worrying about what your Father has already promised to give you. "Fear not little flock!"
Having been freed from concern over worldly and temporal things we are to seek the kingdom of God. That is, we are to spend our time trying to learn, do and teach what is pleasing to the Lord. "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things, things spiritual and physical, will be GIVEN unto you." Turn your heart from the treasures of earth to treasures in heaven that are eternal. Seek the kingdom and forget the world.
Follow with me as continue our study of Luke 12:35-48 NASB. "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps alight. {36} "And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, (Holding the torch high looking for any sign of his arrival.) so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. {37} "Blessed (happy) are those slaves whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. {38} "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. {39} "And be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. {40} "YOU TOO, BE READY; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect." {41} And Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, (the disciples only) or to everyone else as well?" (See Mark 13:37) {42} And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? {43} "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. {44} "Truly I say to you, that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. {45} "But if that slave says in his heart, 'MY MASTER WILL BE A LONG TIME IN COMING,' and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; {46} the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. (His actions have proven he is an unbeliever.) {47} "And that slave who KNEW HIS MASTER'S WILL and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, shall receive many lashes, {48} but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more."
First we must ask what it means to be dressed and ready? Verse thirty five in the King James version gives us a clue. It reads like this, (Luke 12:35 KJV) Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;" The dress of the day consisted of long flowing robes which reached nearly to the ground. These robes were fine for just walking about but if one needed to be real active his legs might get tangled up in his clothes. So, when a man needed to move rapidly the lower portion of the garment would be gathered up and bound about the waist with a belt or rope.
The picture is one of servants dressed and ready to serve their Master as soon as He returns from a late night wedding feast. They are not indoors snoozing with their feet propped. Rather, their robes are gathered up and bound about their waists. They have torches in their hands looking for the first sign of the Masters return. They crane their necks, as it were, anxious to greet and serve Him as soon as He arrives. He may come in the next few moments or it may be a long while. The servants don't know when He will return only that He will and they must be ready. These are good and faithful servants who will be rewarded by the Master.
Now Jesus gives us the spiritual application. (Luke 12:40 NASB) "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect." What is the lesson? It is this, "Be ready at all times for the return of Jesus!" Live as if He will arrive at any moment. Prepare yourself for the Master's return NOW! Or, as Jesus puts it, "Be dressed and ready!"
There are only two types of people on this earth. One is clothed in the rags of his sin the other in the pristine robes of the righteousness of Christ. One is ready for the return of the Master the other is not. Hear the word of the Lord which tells us that all humans wear the rags of sin at first. (Isaiah 64:6 NASB) "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." As children of Adam and Eve we come into this world dressed in the filthy garments of our sin. In this filth we cannot enter into the presence God. (Habakkuk 1:13 NASB) Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, And Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor." Our filthy garments must be removed and replaced with a robe of pure righteousness acceptable to God. Only then will we be ready to meet the Master.
Where might one acquire the clothing required for entering the presence of God? Why, from God Himself, of course! Hear the word of the Lord as spoken in Zechariah 3:1-5 NASB. "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. {2} And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! (Please notice that although Satan is the accuser of men before God he is no obstacle to God. There is no "war" going on between the Devil and God. God simply does as He pleases when He pleases. He continues . . ) Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" (A sinner plucked, in God's good time, from the hands of Satan.) {3} Now Joshua was clothed with FILTHY GARMENTS and standing before the angel. (These filthy garments are made of sin and human righteousness.) {4} And he spoke and said to those who were standing before him saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him." Again he said to him, "See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes." (The robes of the righteous of Jesus Christ!) {5} Then I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by."
Go with me now to Isaiah 61:10 NASB where we hear the song of the redeemed
"I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." So also, ladies and gentlemen, my God has clothed me with the most magnificent clothes possible, the garments of salvation, the robe of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. I am dressed and ready for his return!
Again one may ask, "Where might I find these garments of redemption?" Jesus says you can buy them from Me. Revelation 3:18 NASB. {18} I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness (lack of righteousness) may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see." With what shall I buy them, you ask. What is the currency of salvation? There is no charge my friend. Consider well the words of Revelation 22:17 NASB. "And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes (to be saved, to be righteous in the eyes of God) ) take the water of life (This is Jesus and therefore salvation.) WITHOUT COST." The robe of righteousness that makes you ready to meet the Master cost Jesus His life and blood but it costs you nothing. Hear the word of the Lord.
(Romans 4:1-8 NASB) What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? {2} For if Abraham was justified by works, (by paying a price for his salvation) he has something to boast about; (He might say, "I got my salvation the old fashioned way, I earned it!") but not before God. {3} For what does the Scripture say? "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." (The word reckoned means "to consider the same as." Abraham's faith in the promised Messiah was the means by which he became righteous in the eyes of God.) {4} Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. {5} But to the one who does not work, (Does not try to earn or buy ones salvation.) but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as ( Or equals) righteousness, {6} just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: {7} "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. {8} "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT." All true Christians are blessed in this way!
Ladies and gentlemen, it is by faith and that alone that God clothes the sinner with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is by faith given to us by God that we find ourselves appropriately clothed and ready to meet, greet and serve our Master.
Lets look at one more text on this subject. (John 6:28-29 NASB) They said therefore to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" (How may we earn or buy God's favor?) {29} Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you BELIEVE IN HIM WHOM HE HAS SENT." No man woman or child is ready to meet Jesus at death or at His second return until they are clothed, through faith, in the garments of salvation. Jesus is the source of the robe or righteousness that every sinner needs to be saved from the wrath to come. That is why it is said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved."
There is a warning here for those who claim to be dressed in the robes of righteousness. That warning is this. If the Master returns and sees that you have not been doing His will He will punish you with the rest of the unbelievers in this world. The proof of your salvation is seen in your readiness or lack of it. Are your robes girded about your waist, are you shining your light into the darkness for all to see while watching for Jesus return?
To have your robes girded about your waist, in the spiritual sense, is equivalent to having put everything out of your life that is a hindrance to your walk and testimony. Consider the instruction of Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB. "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, (The author speaks of people who were examples of what it means to be faithful fruit bearers.) let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, (Sin gets around our spiritual feet and trips us up.) and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, {2} fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Consider also 2 Timothy 2:1-5 NASB. "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. . . . . {3} Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. {4} No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, (Rather, he girds his long robe up around his waist and gets ready for action. That is, he rids his life of everything that might keep him from being a good soldier.) so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. {5} And also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules."
What are the rules for Christian living. They are in our text for today. Be dressed and ready. The dress consists of wearing the righteousness of God by faith in Christ as opposed to the filthy rags of sin and self-righteousness. The readiness has to do with the evidence that one is clothed in the righteousness of Christ. He speaks here of the fruit of salvation. He speaks of obedience and good works. He speaks of doing his Master's will whether He is present, expected soon or gone for a long time. Return with me to our text, Luke 12:37 NASB. "Blessed are those slaves whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes; (Happy and interfered with are the two main meanings of the word "blessed." The good servants are happy to see the Master because they love Him and have anxiously watched for his coming. That they have been interfered with by God is obvious because they have been obedient in His absence. Therefore, they have no cause for fear at His return.) truly I say to you, that He will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them." Be dressed and ready, beloved, and you will share in this great reward.
We continue with Luke 12:41 NASB. And Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?" Christ's answer is not recorded here but in Mark 13:37 NASB, while addressing the same subject, Jesus declares, "And what I say to you (the apostles) I say to all, 'Be on the alert!"
This necessity being dressed and ready is emphasized again in the following verses. Luke 12:42-48 NASB) And the Lord said, "Who then is the FAITHFUL AND SENSIBLE STEWARD, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?
There are many examples of faithful stewards in Hebrews chapter twelve. A faithful steward is one who is entrusted with a treasure of some kind and takes care of it well. He does not own the treasure he is just the steward or manager and guardian of it. The stewards spoken of are, ministers of the Gospel, then the Church as a body, then its individual members. In other words all Christians are stewards of the many blessings and privileges bestowed upon them. The pastor-teacher is the steward God's word in a special sense. As such he will be judged harshly for bad stewardship. Yet we all have in our possession some knowledge of the Gospel that we must manage and guard well. We are to obey God's truth ourselves and convey that truth to others as God gives us opportunity. We might say that the good, faithful, sensible steward is the Christian who is always working out his own salvation with fear and trembling. He is always dressed and ready! Let's continue.
{43} "Blessed is that slave (Happy and obviously saved is the one . . ) whom his master finds SO DOING when he comes. {44} "Truly I say to you, that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. (This is a picture of the true Christian. Now for the unbeliever who is in the house or Church but is not a Christian at all.) {45} "But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; {46} the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. (Because he is an unbeliever. This is proven by his lack of godly fruit, love and faithful obedience to the Master.) {47} "And that slave who knew his master's will and DID NOT GET READY OR ACT IN ACCORD WITH HIS WILL, shall receive many lashes, {48} but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more."
What we have in this last section are two unbelieving slaves. One is more aware of the Masters wishes than the other. Therefore, he will be punished more severely when the Master returns. The other is somewhat ignorant by comparison. He will receive a less severe punishment. However, we must take note that both the evil slaves are at last found with the unbelievers who are cut into pieces when the Master returns. This is a picture of judgement and eternal punishment. These men are not wearing the garments of salvation by faith in Christ and they are very much entangled with the things of this world. They are not dressed or ready and will be caught totally by surprise when Jesus returns. What will they have to say to Jesus the Judge? Well, seeing that they were in and around the house of the Master and, therefore, practiced religion the following scene might apply.
(Matthew 7:18-23 NASB) "A good tree (servant) cannot (constantly) produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. {19} "Every tree (servant) that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. {20} "So then, you will know them by their fruits. {21} "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who DOES the will of My Father who is in heaven. {22} "Many will say to Me on that day, (trying to gain access to heaven) 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' {23} "And then I will declare to them, 'I NEVER KNEW YOU; (never recognized you as one of my own) DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' You see, dear friends, religion without faith in Jesus is lawlessness and rebellion. All who trust in the practice of religion for acceptance with God will be told to depart from Him into everlasting fire.
The lessons of the day apply to believers and unbelievers alike. Be dressed and ready for Jesus is coming again. He may come today, tomorrow or not for a long time. It is this uncertainty that Jesus uses to press His hearers into getting ready now and staying that way. Today is the day of salvation for Jesus is coming like a thief in the night. No one knows when He will arrive only that He will. When He does come it will not be to give men another opportunity for salvation. He will come to gather the believing to Himself and to punish the unbeliever in hell forever and ever.
Are you dressed in the robes of the righteousness of Christ by faith in Him? Are you looking for His coming? Does the thought fill you with joy or with fear? Are you holding forth your lamp of faith and daily obedience while you watch for the fist sign of His arrival? Have you put out of your life, mind and speech all that could trip you up as you work and do the Father's will? Do you trust in Christ alone for salvation and acceptance with God? These are the questions each of us must answer for ourselves. The Christian will be known by his love of God, His Christ, His people, His truth and because he is always trying to learn and practice what is pleasing to the Lord. Let all who have ears hear what the Spirit is saying to His church.