 Here we are and we'll get into our study now here in Luke chapter 19. Let's begin reading together at verse 11 I'll read to verse 27 and we'll get into our study Luke chapter 19 beginning at verse 11 reading to verse 27 Luke writes on now as they heard these things he spoke another parable because he was near Jerusalem and Because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately Therefore he said a Certain noble man went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return So he called ten of his servants delivered to them ten minus and said to them do business till I come But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him Saying we will not have this man to reign over us And so it was that when he returned having received the kingdom he then commanded these servants to whom he had given The money to be called to him that he might know how much every man had gained by trading Then came the first saying master your minor has earned ten minus and he said to him well done good Servant because you were faithful in a very little have authority over ten cities And the second came saying master your money has earned five minus Likewise, he said to him you also be over five cities Then another came saying master here's your minor which I have kept put away in a hand could shift for I feared you because You are an austere man you collect what you did not deposit and reap what you did not so and He said to him you're dead. No, he didn't say that He said to him out of your own mouth, I will judge you you wicked servant You knew that I was an austere man collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not so Why then did you not put my money in the bank that at my coming I might have collected it with interest And he said to those who stood by take the minor from him and give it to him who has ten minus But they said to him master he has ten minus For I say to you that to everyone who has Will be given and from him who does not have even he even what he has will be taken away from him But bring here those enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them and slay them Before me, you know, it's interesting when the Lord Jesus Christ teaches and you might find this interesting as you look through the Gospels and all Very often he teaches through the use of a parable. That's what we're looking at tonight here. We're looking at a parable parables were used in order to take heavenly truth and Clothe it in earthly symbols so that people would understand things from heaven in a way that That they most clearly could understand It's an ancient form of communicating truth and illustrating truth these parables and Jesus often used them as a matter of fact When you go through the through the Gospels You'll see that there are at least 38 parables that are recorded in the four Gospels that we have here in our New Testament Jesus would use stories because stories have a way of grabbing people's attention When a story or an illustration is given people have a tendency of listening more carefully That was true during the time of Christ. It's true today That's one of the reasons why when I teach to illustrate scripture very often I'll use a story Because all of us have been raised with stories Every one of us has an interest in stories as a matter of fact sometimes when somebody wants to tell something about their life What they'll say is I want to tell you my story And that's one of the words that we use today when people say well, I want to use my story I want to give you my story People understand that because we like illustrations we like to hear things like that and that's how Jesus teaches I mean there are times he gives incredible sermons when you look at Matthew chapters five six and seven That's called the Sermon on the Mountain. That's a masterful message that he gives there But he illustrates that he uses various things there and similes and metaphors and a variety of other ways as he teaches Because it draws people's attention to what he has to say so he uses parables quite often It's been said that approximately one-third of his teachings were given as parables and there were reasons why that He would use parables he tells us in Matthew for example chapter 13 verses 11 through 13 Why he taught so often in parables because when Jesus was speaking to his disciples He said to them it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven But to them it has not been given for whoever has to him more will be given and he will have abundance But whoever does not have even what he has will be taken away from him Therefore I speak to them in parables because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear nor do they understand In other words parables are used to reveal truth to some and to conceal truth from others You see when Jesus would teach there would be great crowds and so within that great crowd It's really not obvious who truly believed in him and who didn't so parables have a way of separating lazy listeners from genuine Followers because genuine followers are going to understand and apply They're going to hold fast to what Jesus is teaching, but a lazy listener will say this is too hard This is too difficult. This isn't simple enough for me and they're going to walk away And so those who are open to listen are going to be equipped and encouraged to follow him completely And those who have no interests are going to walk away and continue in the way that they were prior to hearing Jesus teach So here we have Jesus teaching and once again, he's using a parable and this time he's teaching something related to the coming kingdom I want you to notice how Luke begins this because he prefaces the parable with an explanation Notice how he says in verse 11 as they heard these things he spoke another parable and then gives the explanation He says because he was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately So he gives to you the explanation as to why Jesus is teaching this particular parable They think that the kingdom of God is going to appear immediately You see there was a common belief during that time that the kingdom was going to be one of outward glory and Because of this Jesus is showing that the kingdoms appearing is not going to occur Immediately and seeing that it is not doing so the response should be faithful service until he does bring his kingdom I shared with you before that during the time of Christ There was an expectation that when Messiah came he would immediately set up the kingdom of God They believed that under the Messiah Jerusalem the city would be restored to its glory that Israel would be regathered that world peace would occur And that was a general belief at that time that the kingdom would immediately be set up Even after this particular parable and we're gonna see this a moment that Jesus is speaking about a gap of time Even in this particular parable his disciples really didn't understand it because when you look in the book of Acts in chapter 1 When Jesus is ministering to his disciples is found in verses 4 through 6 and this takes place after his resurrection Luke tells us being assembled together with them He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father which he said you've heard from me He said John baptized with water you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now But it says therefore when they had come together they asked him saying Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel It's something that they didn't understand Because they were expecting that when Messiah came Jerusalem and once again be the center of the world that they would be ruling that Those who have been dispersed throughout the world would be regathered Messiah would be doing kingdom business And so Jesus is giving to us as well as to them two thousand years later The understanding that the kingdom is not coming immediately See part of the problem, and this is something that is called in the scriptures a mystery and you'll see mystery. There's something like 12 Mysteries spoken of in the New Testament something like 12 mysteries There are mysteries that are revealed what it is the New Testament use of the word mystery isn't what we today use the word mystery to Mean in in today's parlance when we use the word mystery We're talking like a mystery of a show That's a mystery or a book that is a mystery book or something like that is something that's hidden from us But the New Testament use of the word mystery is a secret that has now been revealed It was at one time hidden but it's now revealed and one of the mysteries that you find in scripture is the mystery of God-taking Israel and Gentiles and from the two making the one new man Which is another way of speaking of the church in Ephesians chapter 3 verses 5 and 6 Paul said it this way He said in other ages This was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed by the spirit to his holy apostles and prophets that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and Partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel the church was a mystery The Jewish nation did not see it didn't even know that there would be you and me Gentiles Who had one day joined in the family of God? The Jews did not see that during the time of Christ They didn't realize that Jesus would gather from the Gentile nation Those who would believe in him as I've shared with you before we have a tendency of dividing the human race into various groups The Bible actually divides the human race in the Old Testament into two groups in the Old Testament You have Jew and Gentile and that's the whole that's all of humanity divided into two groups Jew and Gentile in the New Testament humanity is divided into Jew Gentile and the church the church that is composed of both Jew and Gentile who believe in Messiah But that was a mystery. He did not see that in the Old Testament. It was alluded to There are promises Paul refers to those in in the book of Romans chapters 9 through 11 He speaks concerning that there how that God is going to do something like that. He speaks clearly in Ephesians related to that But Jesus is here speaking about something that they didn't know at that time He is pointing out that the kingdom of God was not immediately coming But that God had a work that he was going to continue to do and he's continued to do that work for the last 2,000 years and so since it had yet to be revealed the people had an Expectation of an immediate kingdom and that's what he's going to be dealing with and that's why Luke says in verse 11 again As they heard these things he spoke another parable Because he was near Jerusalem in other words since chapter 9 verse 51 He's been making his way to Jerusalem and now he's about to enter into Jerusalem. He's near Jerusalem and Because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately and this is the reason in the background as to why Jesus gives this Particular parable and so he says in verse 12 a Certain noble man went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return Obviously, this is a picture of Jesus's ascension into heaven after his death burial and resurrection It also is a picture of his return to earth and what has been referred to as the second coming And the point he's making is all of this is going to take some time It says a certain noble man went into a far country that would be heaven to receive for himself This is Jesus in his ascension a kingdom and to return Jesus is the king of glory And then it says he's going to return so verse 13 He called ten of his servants delivered to them ten minors and said to them do business till I come And so what he does is he calls out of his those who are serving him ten men And he delivers to them what are called ten minors now? We don't know what minor is you know What is a minor and some people think it's just a bird that you can teach to speak a minor bird But no this is a minor a minor is a Greek coin a minor is a Greek coin that is valued at what we today would say 100 days labor and So I was looking to see what what days labor is here in the United States and all and there really isn't a way For me to actually get that I tried to I looked into household incomes tried to break it down and this and that But it roughly would say if you're making basic wage today a fairly good wage. I'd assume it's about a $200 will say and so that's per day So what you're looking at is a hundred days labor and so in other words It's a considerable sum of money each laborer would receive the equivalent of about three months worth of labor That's what he's speaking about and so that gives you an idea about how much money this is It would be whatever you get for three months if you've got a job what you get for work in three months And that'll give you an idea. It's a considerable amount of money So I want you to notice this each one of his servants receive the same amount and each one of his servants receive the same Instructions and what he does is he gives him this money and he says do business Until I come in other words when he says do business carry on your duties Be diligent work hard until I return and so when we have an application right from the beginning He's saying that the believers those who follow after him are going to be doing business or occupying until he returns It's a call to action. You see it right from the very beginning He's saying if you have an anticipation of my return then you ought to be working in Anticipation of that you ought to be doing something you ought to be busy You ought to be occupying if I've given to you something that you steward which is in this case his finances if I've given to you Finances to steward is the context of this then what you're to do is you're to use that which I've given to you and occupy do business Be busy. Don't be waiting. Don't be become a lazy servant who does nothing with it You'll see that in just a moment, but you need to be somebody who is faithfully serving me until I return as I mentioned earlier went to the pastor's conference this last Last week and in our national pastor's conference the theme of the conference is pastoring in the last days and what we did is we took first Thessalonians and divided it among several speakers several teachers over four days and The teachers were all given an assignment and each one was to speak Concerning what it's like to minister in these days that are the last days And so as the teachers would be speaking that was a theme and looking at first Thessalonians We were taken at a part and sharing their 850 national pastors in this particular conference each one representing a church throughout the United States and internationally We had from South America at Central American pastors Japanese pastors from all over the world really gathering together for this last week And as we gathered together and teachings were given the theme was related to the last days and part of what was being spoken of and what was Being presented is something that all of us who come out of that particular generation of what was called the Jesus movement all of us Realized that when we first got saved the common theme the thing that we spoke about the thing that we were aware of is a Related was related to the fact that Jesus promised to return and how then should we live if Jesus Christ is coming back And that was our theme if Jesus Christ is really returning. How should I live? What kind of life should I be living do I really believe that because we can speak theology all day long and we can talk about Dispensationalism pre-tribulation dispensationalism you can do that. We can speak about eschatology. We can use those terms and discuss those concepts But the bottom line is it's very simple if I believe Jesus is returning. How am I living? Because if I honestly believe that Jesus Christ is coming back It's gonna affect the way that I live if he's even at the door if he's even about to come back How am I living are the things that I had to do that I should change? What if I knew for example that Jesus Christ for sure if I had a bottom-line knowledge and there's no way that is I'm wrong. He's gonna come back next week when I live any differently if I knew for sure He was and the answer is of course he yes Yes When I was first saved people really really believe that I had friends and I believed it like Unbelievably believed it Some guys were going out with their credit cards and charging the credit cards up to leave a big bill for anti Christ That's the truth I'm not kidding you. They were taking their credit card. They're still paying on it right now It's been 30 some years and they're still paying on it in the minimal payment I'm sure there were others friends of mine who said, you know, they this is true I have a friend of mine who Herman his name was Herman he He met a girl her name was Linda at a Bible study and Within three weeks. We're talking about getting married Because the Lord's coming we ought to get married and you know together we can meet them and and they got married after being Together maybe three or four weeks, you know and and often wondered whatever happened to him and to Linda And then years ago I was teaching a Bible study here in this church and Ed walked up to me after his name was Ed Herman I believe walked up to me after a Bible study. He says do you remember me and I said absolutely. Where's your wife? She's here, you know, and it was just kind of like an amazing thing I mean three weeks and they got married because Jesus is returning and let's get married They had kids and everything and I promise you there. They're still waiting but There were so many people at that time who just had this incredible belief Jesus is returning and That's because the Bible teaches that he is and there's an anticipation of it and there are certain things that you do You do business. I've told you this story several times already Some of you perhaps haven't heard a true story my friend George Adams who stood up with me when I got saved Believed and believed with all of his heart that Jesus it was returning and he put that into my heart He said Jesus is coming back. Jesus is coming back I mean, this is one of these guys Jesus is coming back Dave We have to be ready and he was one of these prayer warrior type guys. He'd carry his Bible everywhere I mean he'd go to the store the supermarket and he had his Bible in his hand true And you know if he climbed in my car and I backed up and we were talking and somebody had to get out of the Driveway and I backed up. He'd say wait a minute. Let's pray before we back up You know and we did Jesus take us to the curb safely. That was George. I'm not kidding. That's the way he was You know and and I was just really absolutely amazed at this guy and on one occasion He and I were going to the story had his Bible in his left hand He's sitting there in the shotgun as I'm pulling out of the driveway. I hit the I go forward I hit the stop sign take a left turn and my passenger door did swing open and and George has his Bible in his left hand And he's raising his hands like this and he's leaning out of the car with this Bible true story True story. He's hanging like that with his Bible and then I slammed the brakes and I said, where you going man? And this is what he said. He said I thought the rapture happened Jesus is a gentleman and he opened my door. That is the truth. That's how George was Unbelievable He's been in a mental institution for 38 years now. I mean he really believed it I mean this was a guy who really really believed it It was George who God used in my life to teach me things like being affectionate because George was one of these guys Who would have to hug you every time he saw you he had to hold your hands every time you prayed He was a guy if you're walking in the store with them He'd put his arm around you and walk with you like that I had a tough time with George for the longest time because I was not used to guys getting that close to me And and but that was George. I mean he just that way. He's still that way I just got an email from him yesterday two days ago. He's still that way George is that way that was where his heart was and and so you know He was the one who introduced me to the fact that the Bible teaches Jesus is going to return And he was the one that God used in my life to affect me to actually say if he really is returning How then should I live? Because I meet people I see them You know quite often who who are good at prophecy you can speak to you about Daniel's 70 weeks And they can talk to you about the nuances of revelation and they can speak to you about Ezekiel's wheel within the wheel and all kinds of things they can talk to you about all kinds of prophetic things Who don't love people who don't care about people who don't live for Jesus Christ and yet They can talk to you about prophecy So there has to be something about the return of Christ that motivates the way that you live It has to change you there has to be an anticipation and awareness if he's returning Then I ought to be occupying and that's the point that Jesus is making here You see your theology can be a hundred percent accurate when it comes to yes Jesus is coming before the tribulation and and all of that and you can know quite a number of things about About the rapture and everything, but there are certain earmarks of somebody who actually believes Jesus is going to return And that's what Jesus is saying do business until I come Be busy be occupied be diligent work hard Why? Well, we can make it very practical, and I don't want it to come off in wrong way But well because if I knew Jesus was returning for sure in a week Would I do things differently are there people I'd want to tell about the Lord before I go and the answer is yeah, of course Of course Yes, I would live differently. I Would I would do things do yes, I would Would I have people in my mind that ought to be talking to about the Lord? I'm sure that if I sat down for a while. I'd say you know what I haven't told somebody's Or so-and-so out. That's a possibility of that and so you know, that's a good question That's the point. He's making if he's gonna return. Are you doing business? You see because we have a singleness of vision as believers We actually put the Lord first in our life and what that does is it prioritizes the rest of my life Jesus in Luke 14 26 we saw this Before he says if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father mother wife children brothers sister Even his own life. Well. He cannot be my disciple It's simply saying you have to put the Lord first before everybody else And we know as Christians that that we let go of anything that will keep us from the Lord because in Luke 14 1333 Jesus said any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple We know that as a disciple if we're going to be following the Lord and being occupying until he comes that we're going to be obedient to him because Jesus in John 14 15 said if you love me keep my commandments and We also know that that if Jesus is returning then we're going to put away some of those things that are petty that divide us And we're going to begin to love people because love is a mark of a Christian That's how people are going to know that we are believers and that's what Jesus said in John 1335 when he said by this all men will know that you're my disciples if you love one another And so those are going to be airmarks of people who are occupying we're going to be busy at the master's business We're going to be doing those things that he's called us to do and we're going to love people enough to tell him the truth And share with them when we have opportunity to and all of that and so he says in verse 13 He called ten of his servants delivered to them making them stewards delivered to them Ten minors and said to them do business till I come these are people who receive what is not theirs And they have responsible oversight over it. These are ten minors. This is some money But he's saying the things that I'm given to you are from me You have a responsibility to faithfully use these things I've given to you But verse 14 his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him Saying we will not have this man to reign over us So as Jesus goes to receive his kingdom, this is the picture. He's given in this parable The nation of Israel opposes his reign and the rejection Test the loyalty and faithfulness of Jesus's servants Because Jesus is this noble man We're going to see in a moment that one of the servants obviously is influenced to reject this noble man So the question is in the face of rejection and even persecution Do we remain faithful to occupy? Do we remain faithful to do business for the Lord? Do we remain faithful to the task? because holding on During times of affliction Reveals genuine love for the Lord Jesus Christ in 1st Thessalonians in chapter 1 verses 6 through 8 The apostle Paul writing to the church said you became followers of us and of the Lord Haven't received the word in much affliction With joy of the Holy Spirit so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and Achaia But also in every place your faith toward God has gone out so that we do not need to say Anything you see the apostle Paul was was desiring to go into preach in a certain area But the Holy Spirit kept closing doors to him not allowing him to go and So he's wanting to go in one area and the Spirit closes the door He wants to go to another area and the Spirit forbids him But then he has a vision the vision is the man of Macedonia you see that in Acts chapter 16 And he simply says come and help us so Paul knowing that God is calling him to a certain area Goes as a pit goes to this particular area. It's called Macedonia. It's in in Greece And as he as he goes into that region he could be becomes a minister and starts giving the word of God in a city of Philippi While he's there ministering in the city of Philippi. There's a sorceress There's a woman who makes money. She's a soothsayer She makes money for those who owned her and she begins to follow them around and as she follows Paul in his Ministry his mission team around she begins to speak to the people These are the men who are giving you the way of God and all in Paul gets greatly upset over this that this that this woman who's who's who's a Soothsayer is actually speaking concerning him and so greatly irritated He turns and and he casts the demon out of this woman and it gets the people absolutely upset the masters those who owned her Have lost their source of revenue and now they're greatly upset and they take Paul and they falsely charge him and Paul and Silas are Imprisoned in a Philippian jail as a result of that and As they're in the jail They are beaten severely and they are put into the stocks and what is interesting is that Paul refers to that when he Speaking to the Thessalonians in 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 verses 1 and 2 and he says you know It was because of conflict that I first preached the gospel to you in Thessalonica And what I find interesting about all of that is he through great conflict through affliction through this beating Actually was released to go and to preach the gospel in Thessalonica So two things one is God had called him to Philippi with the knowledge that he was going to suffer greatly there Paul went there and ended up suffering there But as he went and was beaten in the way that he was and he was severely beaten There he is singing at midnight with Silas praises to God and becomes a tremendous witness to the Philippian jailer Who comes and ministers to him as Paul? Reaches him for the gospel of Jesus Christ and leads him to Christ and Then ultimately they release him and he goes down to Thessalonica and as he goes to Thessalonica He says you know with great conflict. I first preached the gospel to you. What happened there Well, what happened is he became an example of affliction and courage in the face of persecution So when people receive the word of God they also Responded that way and that's why I read 1st Thessalonians 1 6 through 8 He said you receive the word of God He said even in the midst of affliction and you were used mildly by God in spite of that So the question is is how do we handle? Rejection how do we handle persecution? How do we handle affliction? How do we handle difficult times in the case of the Thessalonians? They held fast and trumpeted the word of God throughout the whole region Paul said I didn't even have to preach because you were so faithful in your preaching that people were coming to Christ as a result of that Even though you were going through hard times and so how we deal with Hard times really is one of those ways that reveals the depth and reality of our faith Because some people the minute that it's difficult man, they say I'm out of here who cares I don't want anything to do with this is I didn't know that being a Christian was so difficult but the Thessalonians in the face of persecution had an abiding faith and endured afflictions because they trusted that the Lord would Deliver them one way or another that's why in 1st Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 10 Paul said to them You are waiting for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come You're waiting for him because you know that you're just passing through even though you go through hard times And so servants of the Lord remain firm and fast But some do not deal with rejection and persecution. Well, so believers are to do business until he returns And we are busy sharing the things of the Lord. We're to be on the alert We're to be watching for him and waiting for him actively serving him in Romans 13 11 through 14 Paul said do this knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep for now Our salvation is near than when we first believed the night is far spent the day is at hand Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness. Let us put on the armor of light Let us walk properly as in the day not in revelry and drunkenness not in lewdness and lust Not in strife and envy But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts And so that's what happens when I have a real belief that Jesus Christ is even at the door I live in such a way that I don't make provision for my flesh, but I pursue the Lord in holiness Now going on into verse 15 So it was that when he returned having received the kingdom He then commanded these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him That he might know how much every man had gained by trading So I want you to see he makes it clear that his return is sure Even though it does take time It's interesting in 2nd Peter chapter 3 verses 3 and 4 that the apostle Peter wrote Knowing this first that scoffers will come in the last days walking according to their own lusts And saying where is the promise of his coming for since the fathers fell asleep All things continue as they were from the beginning of creation Listen, you've been saying that Jesus is returning and you Jesus people from the seven is all have been saying for the longest time Well, Jesus is coming while he hasn't come yet This is exactly what the apostle Peter said is going to happen scoffers in the last days are going to say Well, where is he you've been saying that for the longest time But things continue as they were from the beginning of creation But he does return and that's the point he's making and ultimately what happens notice with me He gathers his servants together They do that so they can give an accounting of what they did with his message They're there to give an account of themselves even as it says in romans 14 11 and 12 As it is written as I live says the lord every knee shall bow to me every tongue shall confess to god So then each of us shall give account of himself to god and that's the picture that jesus is giving to us here There's a day of reckoning. They're going to give an accounting. So verse 16 Then came the first saying master Your mina has earned 10 minus He said to him well done good servant Because you were faithful in a very little have authority over 10 cities And the second came saying master your mina has earned five minus Likewise, he said to him you also be over five cities So notice the first two come and declare that they were faithful to the master they faithfully worked with what he had given them and There was a result In spite of opposition in spite of rejection of the master They still continued to labor in his name and so as a result they received rewards from their master They were righteous stewards and as a result of that they hear the words that every one of us wants to hear one day well done good servant And received the reward of faithfulness You see in revelation 22 verse 12 Jesus said behold i am coming quickly My reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work And so he's returning and he's bringing with him You know a reward system for those of us who have followed him I've had people say this and it's just I think it just really reveals them a sad misunderstanding of jesus Costs that he paid for you and for for me and And just this is just this shallowness. I guess if there's even a real faith there. It's so shallow I've had people say it doesn't really matter to me if I get into heaven smoking as long as i'm there and I don't mean smoking ciggies I'm speaking about smoking As if you pass through the fire and you come in all like wily coyote or something and just Like that. I've told you the story. I love this story. I don't know why I have to tell you it again I used to work in a place that We we uh the company made drill bits for people who Uh would drill oil wells and so What I had to do is I used to have a sandblaster and I used to sandblast tool bits and things like that drill bits And that's what I did. It was a very boring job and everything but That's what I did and and there was a guy there who was an older fella who was working there I was about 1918 or 19 at the time and he was an old guy in his 50s and uh Real old man could hardly get out of his own way and uh It's very forgetful and as as we were there He uh, he used to uh, he used to have there was a blast furnace that he would use to treat the the drill bits and everything like that, you know To fire them and all of that and so It was a huge it was a huge Kind of like a drum And it had a hole on the side And he would take a long tube and he would put a match on the end of it He would light the gas burner Then slide this lighted match down the tube to ignite the pilot light And then the furnace would come on and it would cure the uh the pieces that he would put in this particular furnace And one day He turned the gas on and stood there talking And he just kept talking And talking and you know where i'm going with this Talking and talking and talking And now I was about 10 yards from him maybe and I had my arms folded and we're kind of just talking He lights the match Slides it down that that opening and the gas ignites And blew this huge door right off the hinges blew it right out and all the fire Escaped out of the sights and he's standing like this when he did it and it just boom It sounded like a just a bomb went off and it was like a starter pistol to me to be honest with you I was gone. I mean boom gone, you know, I was the rapture happened and I was out of the building, you know I do remember I mean I truly was I mean I was gone the thing that bang I was out Then I came walking back. He was still standing there. He hadn't moved with his hand like this Smoking I mean his hair everything had his clothes There are people who are going to get into heaven like that and they're okay with that I'm not I'm not like that, you know, I don't want to enter in smoking like that But I've had people say well as long as I get in that's not how I want to go into heaven That's not how I want to make my entrance in all of that You know, I I know that the lord gives rewards and I know there are proper rewards for service done unto him And and if he says my reward is with me and I am coming quickly That is supposed to encourage us even though this message was given 2000 years ago That is to encourage us to occupy until he comes that that's what the church is supposed to do And one of the problems that I see today Unfortunately in the church is because we're so me centered and entertainment centered and I want amusement I want you to occupy me with something that makes me laugh or at least draws me back The whole problem is is we have lost the ability to be sober minded in the biblical sense and to say look at We don't have that much time. Let's do something with what we have There's so many who don't have that in their mind that they're just not busy Doing the things that the lord would call us to one of the guys is mentioning That people go to church for amusement He said and the sad thing about that is he says, do you know what the word amusement means? And and so we broke it down for us and all of us if we think about it for a minute We can figure out what it means because amusement simply means somebody who doesn't think deeply why Well because the word muse means to meditate or to think upon something you muse over certain things When you put the word a as a prefix before the word muse a as a greek Meaning that it takes it away meaning you do not muse you do not think and so amusement is putting you in a place where you don't think And so what we want is to be entertained so that we don't think and if we don't think that way then Then if we don't agree with that all we have to do is ask ourselves. Is that true? Well for me I have to say there are times that that's absolutely true How do I know that because I plot myself down in front of the tv set? And I don't want to think I just sit there watching the game I don't care if the Lakers won. I don't care if they lost I don't even know because I fall asleep. I mean that's what Superbowl is for me. It's a great nap. You know Amusement it just I'm veggie. We call it veggie. Well, that's what amusement is and here's the problem guys It's when we carry that mentality into our spiritual life It's when we bring that into our churches It's when we come in and sit down and say I'm not going to stay here if you don't amuse me There's your problem and that's what's happening today and that's why a lot of churches have a lot of bodies But they don't have a lot of believers Because people show up But when it gets hard and when affliction happens when persecution hits They never share their faith and when they try to and they're shot down They say who needs this and they just move on down the line And what happens is they don't really believe the Lord is returning But if I do and if you do well, we're going to be busy at the at the master's business That's what Jesus is talking about. You see two of these guys believed it So they said we were busy You know, I took what you gave to me multiplied it and this is yours. I was a steward. I gave it I did it this other guy says I took it multiplied it This is yours and that's the one who gets the well done But there's a third one Verse 20 another came saying master Here is your mina Which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. I I feared you because you are an austere man You collect what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow And he said to him out of your own mouth. I will judge you you wicked servant You knew that I was an austere man collecting what I did not deposit reaping what I did not sow Why then did you not put my money in the bank that at my coming I might have collected it with interest Well, notice this he's basically saying this I did nothing with your message I lived and I let live Not willing to have any problems in life I didn't want to stir up opposition I didn't like being uncomfortable I didn't want to appear to be intolerant I didn't want to openly side with you To be honest. I acted out of fear And I was simply unfaithful Yes, I realized that you were the one who was Giving to me a stewardship responsibility But I never took it seriously It's kind of like Some of us have experienced this I I would I would probably think all of us Have experienced this where you've gone to a store where there's a clerk Who is busy on the phone and not wanting to talk to you And you stand there and you wait for them to look at you And they'll go just a minute. Oh, yeah, he's so cute or whatever, you know And you're standing there thinking and I've done this on several occasions I I don't say anything to the clerk, you know, I I'm generally pretty patient with them As a matter of fact, I'm always patient with them. I don't want to say something Mean to them. I just speak about them in church All of us know this though. This is a common thing Gossip But I've turned to Marie and I've said obviously they don't own this business They own this business They'd be making sure that customers are cared for it's obvious They don't own this business. They're working for somebody else Maybe minimum wage and maybe they don't care about this and maybe they'd like a different job I don't know but they obviously don't like what they're doing Because the best employees are the ones who like their job the ones who are most responsible the ones who understand You know, that that's the best employee the ones who want that business to survive and to actually excel Well, that's the person you want to have working for you But the person who doesn't care the person who stays on the phone and all of that. Well, that's how this person is Yes, you gave to me three months worth of wages and you told me to occupy till you come But what I did is I put it in a handkerchief and I buried it and there's a good reason And I want you to see the reason that he gives to him verse 21 I feared you because you're an austere that word austere means you're harsh You are an austere man You collect what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow I feared you I feared you now on the one hand The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom There's a certain sense of fear that every believer has of the Lord Because he's majestic and powerful because he is awesome God and naturally we are creatures he's the creator and And in that relationship there's going to be a reverence of fear towards God that that really earmarks a believer because Those who don't have a fear of the Lord don't know God But that's not what he's saying. It's like As a little boy, I had a fear of my father You know if if my dad said Do something and and I didn't do it Then I knew that I was going to receive, you know Recompense for that. I was going to get disciplined if I smarted off to my dad I I really didn't do that as bad as I became in my later teen years I was not disrespectful to my father at that time If my dad I remember on one occasion my dad said something to me and and I said yeah And to my dad the word. Yeah was a disrespectful word So I said, yeah He said David. Yeah, and I remembered to this day my dad said to me. What did you say? Because I was taught to say yes or yes, sir to my father You don't say yeah because that's disrespectful. That's how it's and I'm still that way with my older members of this church You know, it's yes, sir Because I was trained to do that. It was just a polite thing to do It's a right thing. Did you choose respect for people and I was taught to do that I still do that if pastor Chuck speaks to me. I say yes, sir Because he's like a father to me. So I'll say yes, sir to him. That's the way it ought to be But I'll tell you something you can say that you can have that fear of a father Or you can have a fear of a stranger And when you have a fear of a stranger It's not the same as a fear of a father if you walk in as a little little kid and you walk into the room And you see a big figure in that room you get afraid because you don't know who it is If it's your dad you instantly can be oh, it's daddy. It's okay. You know, I'm not afraid But if it's a stranger, there's a different kind of fear And this when he says you're an austere man and I feared you He's speaking about you're a stranger to me This is a way of saying I don't have a relationship with you It's not the fear that brings you to service to god at all. It's a misunderstanding of who god is And that's why the lord is going to deal with him I saw you notice verse 21. I saw you as harsh. I saw you as demanding I saw you as wanting things from me that really don't belong to you Well in deuteronomy 10 verse 14 the bible makes it clear that god owns all things He says indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the lord your god Also the earth with all that is in it Psalm 241 says the earth is the lords and all its fullness the world and those who dwell therein He's saying that you reap what you did not sow You collect what you did not deposit That tells me he doesn't know the lord because god owns all things And so we see him as seeing him as god is as harsh He doesn't seem as a loving savior that he is And so the result verse 22 He said to him out of your own mouth. I will judge you you wicked servant You knew that I was an austere man collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow Well, why then did you not put my money in the bank that at my coming I might have collected it with interest So if you really believed that I was a harsh judge that should have provoked you to service Because if that kind of belief was real it would have provoked you to serve me A genuine though uninformed faith would have produced obvious works His lack of action reveals a real lack of faith and that's why god calls him a wicked servant and that's why god brings judgment to him now When it says in verse 24 He said to those who stood by take the miner from him and give it to him who has 10 miners They said to him master. He has 10 miners For I say to you that to everyone who has will be given And from him who does not have even what he has will be taken away from him But bring here those enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them and slay them before me Well God has given to us the ability to trust and believe in him Every child Has this ability From the time they're born. I've seen that to be true in my children's life I see that to be true in my grandson Josiah I will see that eventually to be true with sophia and she's growing older You see ecclesiasties chapter 3 verse 11 says that god has put eternity in their hearts There is a sense That there's something greater than us that is natural To humanity it's natural When's the last time You ever saw turtles conducting a funeral or frogs You know with the frog preacher He's talking at a funeral where one of the frogs croaked Sorry That was good. I like that way You don't you don't have that why not Because they don't have a sense of eternity because they're animals They do not have a spirit. They do not have a soul They die and they go into the ground The writer of ecclesiasties says but when a human being dies his spirit goes to the god who gave it We have a different mentality. We conduct funerals The funerals are never for the dead They're always for the living Because we have to mourn the loss of the one we loved and we speak concerning the reality of a life well spent And in eternity before god when they're christian we have funerals Because within us there is a sense of eternity We have religious ceremonies Overwhelmingly because of that And so god has given to you an ability To believe but what happens here's your here's your point that jesus is making here i believe When he says in verse 26 to everyone who has will be given From him who does not have even what he has will be taken away from him What happens when you don't fan the flame and feed the faith That a child has He becomes dull to it And eventually turns away from anything And that's where you get people who are irreligious, unreligious, atheists, agnostics Because they had the capacity because eternity being in their hearts had the capacity to believe in something Greater than themselves But they can become hardened to it If you don't fan the flame If you don't feed it Feed that faith It becomes hard And gone Here's something that none of you probably know When i was Eight years old until i was 14 i played the trumpet Way up That's true The trumpet why i do not know But i did i played in bands, you know school bands and things like that for years And uh, you handed me a trumpet now i can't even make a sound in it I can't make a sound You know i can't play it i still remember the scale I know those things I can still read music i did it for years But i can't play that Because it requires practice It requires practice every day and sometimes for hours You know that's how you become good at anything And if you don't practice you will lose it everybody knows that If you don't practice some of you were athletes You could go out to the ball field throw a glove on You didn't even really have to warm up that much you were ready to play But for me i played ball for years I played baseball every day and i played it every day for hours And i played it six six days a week at least six days a week when marie met me I was on three softball teams two fast pitch and a slow pitch. I played a lot of baseball I enjoyed it. That's what i did I used to run every day. I did all kinds of things all the time You know my kid one of my kids on us saw me run the other day I was running I was playing and she said I have never in your life ever seen you run a step dad And the funny thing is that she doesn't know that I was an athlete that I was on the track team in high school She doesn't know any of that because I never talk about that those are things that are just the past I mean come on that was 40 years ago. You know right I can't do any of that anymore I can't do any of that because I don't practice any of that and i'm older obviously but I don't I don't do any of that If you if you don't practice You do lose the ability there's no doubt about it in matters of faith If your faith isn't fanned if it's not fed by god's word Then the little that you had is gone because there at one time was the ability to add to that Like a little mustard seed it could have grown But instead of adding to it this guy said you are austere you reap what you did in soul You're just a harsh individual like and and what he's really revealing is I I didn't believe in you. I was affected by The rebellious ones who rejected you and didn't want you to rule over them And though I know you gave me the same thing that you gave everybody else and you gave to me the same orders It was so inconsequential to me that I just buried it and didn't even use it He says is that right? Well, you take what he had and you give it to the one who's been very loyal and very faithful And they're blown away at the extravagant grace. They say he already has 10 How extravagantly graceful god is he says you take that because he didn't put that into practice It's no longer to be part of his life at all because you are going to go into judgment Because you don't have a relationship with me and that's what he's saying in verse 27 Bring here those enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them slay them before me It's a picture of final judgment by the king The faithful are welcomed in those who rejected his rule are judged And so the moral of this particular parable Jesus's servants are loyal and faithful until the end Producing what god has given to them using what god has given to them In such a way that they will hear his words the words that all of us want to hear when he says you've been a good servant well done That's the whole point the Pharisees and the nation of Israel rejected their messiah But within that nation there were those who accepted him. They are the ones who are going to be blessed by him