#1394 Luke 13 Part 1 Who's A Worse Offender Than Me

 

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” Luke 13: 1-9 ESV

Luke 13: 1-9

9What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin. 10As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. 11There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.… Romans 3: 9-11

At that very time - The time when He had told them about settling out of court with their accuser. Everyone is on their way toward death, but no one knows when their hour will be. Our culture is obsessed with "safety", to the point that everything is viewed in hindsight as though that were the plausible view before all incidents occur. In this approach there are no "accidents", everything is the fault of the injured. I drive I4 to work every day, and one must certainly be attentive, but I am not in control of the cars around me. Someone could swerve into my lane, and certainly in retrospect, I could have avoided it if I knew it was coming, but even more so if I didn't take the chances associated with going to work in the first place. If I would have stayed home then I wouldn't have been in an accident. Like I have said before though, life is caloric, it demands that we use energy, and let us ad to that that death is also certain.

11Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned. 13For sin was in the world before the law was given; but sin is not taken into account when there is no law.… Romans 5: 11-13

…26Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.… Hebrews 9: 26-28

…8For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice, 9that he should live on forever and not see decay. 10For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.… Psalm 49: 8-10

Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices - Passover is the only feast where the people participate in the sacrifice, bringing their lambs up to the priest. This would mean that Pilate's men attacked them while they were in the act of sacrificing.

(Excerpt adapted from Josephus 2.9.2-4) After this he (Pilate) raised another disturbance, by expending that sacred treasure which is called Corban upon aqueducts, whereby he brought water from the distance of four hundred furlongs. At this the (Jewish) multitude had indignation; and when Pilate came to Jerusalem, they came to his tribunal, and made a clamor. Now when he was apprized aforehand of this disturbance, he mixed his own soldiers in their armor with the multitude, and ordered them to conceal themselves under the habits of private men, and not indeed to use their swords, but with their staves to beat those that made the clamor. He then gave the signal from his tribunal [to do as he had bidden them]. Now the Jews were so sadly beaten, that many of them perished by the stripes they received, and many of them perished as trodden to death by themselves; by which means the multitude was astonished at the calamity of those that were slain, and held their peace.

(AS AN ASIDE HERE IS ANOTHER FASCINATING EXCERPT FROM JOSEPHUS THAT MENTIONS JESUS - Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. - Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.3) - Precept Austin

Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way - The age old questions, what did they do to deserve this? If God is sovereign and good, then how could He let this happen? Why do bad things happen to good people? Apparently they hadn't read the book of Job or paid attention while it was being read. His friends thought he suffered because he had committed some great sin, and they thought themselves to be more righteous because their wealth and health had remained intact. The answer to all this is quite simple, there are none righteous, and the wages of sin is death, and all have sinned, so what we call good is still sub standard. What God calls good is Christ, and He suffered unfairly on behalf of those repentant sinners who believe. Job's friends, these people talking to Jesus, Jesus' own disciples, the prosperity teachers and much of the world today think themselves the Karma Police. Great song, but look at Jesus, does He go to Calvary as some great sinner? They all need a good lesson from Job.

1Now as Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth, 2and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him.… John 9: 1-3

…3Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.… Acts 28: 3-5

Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish - Turn from your self righteousness, the thoughts that tell you you have nothing to fear because you are good. You have not survived thus far because you are more moral than others, only because God has allowed you to live. He made you, put you where you are, around people who taught you what you now know, and some of it is damnable heresy. Repent from your outward religion, from your standard, and come to God's, this will give you a better estimation of yourself. 

…38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off— to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.”… Acts 2: 38-40

…20But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling. 22Behold, I will cast her onto a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds.… Revelation 2: 20-22

Or those 18 on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them - He is not letting go of the point of their first question, and He is providing them with yet another example. Yes God punishes the ungodly, but everyone is ungodly, everyone is born a sinner. He doesn't want them to walk away from this still ignorant. You are going to die because the wages of sin is death, and death entered the world through sin. There is something far worse to fear than the physical death that awaits every man, and that is the spiritual death you are born into. If that state doesn't change then you will spend eternity as an enemy of God. That solace that atheism promises will not exist, you will not cease being, only your address will change, and you will be forever the subject of God's Holy wrath against an eternal sinner. 

…21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.… 1 Corinthians 15: 21-23

…22“For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “so your descendants and your name will endure. 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD. 24“As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”… Isaiah 66: 22-24

1“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.… Daniel 12: 1-3

For three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree - It is interesting that Jesus' ministry was also three years long. 

1“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ 2All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations, 3to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick,… Isaiah 65: 1-3

Cut it down - A tree is known by it's fruit, and the value of the fruit tree is in it's production. It has not produced the figs for which it was planted. The Creator has a right over His creation, and if we are made in the image of God then the expectation is that we reflect His glory by doing His will. 

…18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.… Matthew 7: 18-20

Until I dig around it and put on manure - Digging is turning up, loosening the soil, plowing the hard ground. Manure is fertilizer, nutrients the plant needs, and it also conditions the soil. This is what must take place in the heart of anyone who is to be born again, the Holy Spirit must do this work in order for life to continue and for fruit to come forth. 

…4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit.… John 3: 4-6

…7But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me;… John 16: 7-9

Read More

#1393 Luke 12 Part 6 Division

 

49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Interpreting the Time

54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Settle with Your Accuser

57 “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.” Luke 12: 49-59 ESV

Luke 12: 49-59

I came to cast fire on the earth - This is the condemnation, that light (truth) has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light. The revelation of Jesus is hope and salvation to those that accept Him, but it is an all consuming fire to those that reject Him. In fulfilling all righteousness, fulfilling that which was spoken of Him by the prophets, as we saw prior to this, judgment is relative to the amount of light which one is given. No one escapes judgment for all have sinned and God is righteous, but there is a difference between those who never knew Jesus, and those who saw Him, saw His works, heard His words, and then rejected Him. 

…3And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear, 4but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips. 5Righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the sash around His waist.… Isaiah 11: 3-5

Steven Cole agrees writing that "Jesus has been talking about the coming judgment (Lk 12:4-5, 8-10, 20-21, 35-48). He goes on to talk further about judgment (Lk 12:58-59; Lk 13:3, 5, 9). John the Baptist warned the people about the wrath to come when “every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Lk 3:7, 9). John predicted that the Messiah would baptize believers with the Holy Spirit and fire, but He warned that Messiah would “burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Lk 3:16, 17)....I would contend that the predominant theme is judgment. While Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, His ministry necessarily also resulted in the judgment of those who reject Him. William Barclay states, “In Jewish thought fire is almost always the symbol of judgment.” Then he adds, “However much we may wish to eliminate the element of judgment from the message of Jesus it remains stubbornly and unalterably there”....To encounter fire is by nature a catastrophic, life-changing event. Robert Fulghum (Borrow It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It [Ivy Books], p. 3) tells the odd story of a fire crew that broke into a house with smoke pouring out of the window and found a man in a smoldering bed. After the man was rescued and the mattress doused, they asked, “How did this happen?” The man replied, “I don’t know. It was on fire when I lay down on it.” That story strikes us as funny because it is so strange. Who in their right mind would lie down on a burning mattress? You can’t be passive about fire. You have to deal with it or it will consume you! Jesus’ coming is like a fire. You can ignore it and you will perish or you can get on the right side of it and it will purify the dross out of your life. But the one thing you cannot do is to be neutral toward it. Jesus draws a line that forces us to take sides." (The Divisive Jesus) - Precept Austin

And would that it were already kindled - Jesus is looking forward to the cross I believe and past it. He wishes it was over. The cross is judgment like no other, it holds intact the holiness of God while allowing for His mercy. It takes the only spotless One and offers Him up to the judgment of an infinitely righteous God. This is Him in your place if you have come to repent and believe. If you reject God's One and Only Way to be made right with Him, then the cross is the worst of all your many offenses. 

MacArthur notes that "the Jews believed that the fire would fall on the Gentiles and that the peace would come to them. They never expected that the Messiah would come and the fire of judgment would fall on them and it is the fire of judgment.... John 9:39, (Jesus declared) "For judgment I came into this world that those who do not see may see and that those who see may become blind." His judgment is...a judgment that saves and it is a judgment that condemns (Ed: In short Jesus' coming and His message divides all mankind into two groups)....In Lk 3:16, John the Baptist says, "The One Who is coming is mightier than I. I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire and He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." So there's the fire of judgment, the fire of destruction that is unleashed....But it's not only a fire of judgment; it's also a fire of purging. You see, the gospel is that fire that either purifies or punishes (cf Jn 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." 2 Cor 2:16 says it is "to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.")... Fire consumes what is combustible and does not consume what is noncombustible. It purifies the noncombustible and it destroys the combustible and so the coming of Jesus is a fire. It's a fire cast to the earth. To those who believe, it purifies. To those who reject, it consumes. (Sermon - Jesus the Great Divider) - Precept Austin

I have a baptism to be baptized with - Everyone loves the sweet and gentle light of the manger, Immanuel (God with us), wrapped in swaddling clothes, but the manger was never apart from the cross. The word baptize means to immerse, and we share in Christ's death symbolically through Christian baptism, which represents the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. Jesus is going to the cross to be fully immersed in the wrath of God, taking upon Him the sin of all who believe, but since He is without sin Himself, only our sin is consumed, paid for, and Jesus comes out the way He went in, brilliantly pure. He is refined and the Father justified in His speech because He has accomplished what He said. This is once and for all, that is why it is believer's baptism and once for those who have been born again. We identify with Him in death, that He did not deserve what He received, but in so doing He paid what I owed. We identify with Him in His burial, that we will die here, and this mortal flesh will rot away, but we also know that death could not hold Him, for it belonged to sin, and He was not a sinner. So we identify with Him in His resurrection, that we too will be given new, sinless bodies, fit for an eternity with God. 

…52in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”… 1 Corinthians 15: 52-54

Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth - This was the great hope of the Jews at that time, but Christ's message ends up being divisive. For those that believed in their own good works, their following of the laws they liked, or the one's they invented, His message that they were sinners and on the wrong side of religion caused a huge rift. 

Mother against daughter and daughter against mother - For those that believed they went home to those that did not, and I have watched this in a lot of people's lives. I grew up hearing about Christ, saying I was a Christian, until I was tested and it turned out I wanted something more than Him. I wanted my "friends", but how unloving was it to replace Christ with them, now I either deny Him outright or make up a new Christ that fits into this sphere of influence. They can't see Him in me because I am not in Him. Jesus told about other things that following Him could divide us from, and for the rich young ruler it was his material possessions. What if you lose your job, what if following Christ causes you to be an outcast to the present culture?

36A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; 38and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.… Matthew 10: 36-38

A shower is coming - They knew, and it was common knowledge that the sky gave certain signs that were quite dependable. What if a virgin had a baby? What if He was born in Bethlehem, of the line of David? What if the Magi followed His star from the east, and this child grew in wisdom and stature before God and man? What if He had power over the wind, the water, sickness, death, food, and even demons obeyed Him? 

…24So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25“I already told you,” Jesus replied, “but you did not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify on My behalf. 26But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe.… John 10: 24-26

But you do not know how to interpret the present time - This was the time of the long awaited Messiah, but they all had their own ideas of peace, what the Messiah would be like, and He didn't fit the current definitions, the artists' rendering from their own want and imaginations. He was too humble, too lowly, too otherly. They sadly could see many of the signs, or could look deeper into their questions, but like small children they hid their eyes behind their hands and pretended that He was no longer there, that He could not be perceived. They were all about politics and outward show, desiring a world made in the image of their own rebellious and greedy hearts. I know many evangelicals today who would settle for as much, a Messiah who brings back politeness, who solves inflation and restores their comforts. This made them hypocrites because they had discernment when it came to the weather, but they wouldn't apply the same scrutiny to the times. They had the scrolls, the prophets and now God in human flesh before them, but they denounced the evidence. 

…43For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will level you to the ground— you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” 45Then Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were selling there.… Luke 19: 43-45

And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right - From the crowd we transition to the each of you, the individuals. You are reading this, you have the Scriptures, the testimony of God, the fulfillment of prophecy, this is the time of your visitation. What will you say? I would suggest that you beg for eyes that can see, ears that can hear, a new heart that longs for the things of God. I would suggest that you not write it off until tomorrow, for that is never guaranteed. 

As Hendriksen says "each person has to make his own individual decision, and what an important decision it is. The preceding context has driven home the following truths: It is necessary for everyone to ask himself the question, "Am I a faithful or unfaithful servant" (verses 41-46)? The hour of crisis has arrived (verse 49). You must choose sides (verses 52, 53). God is speaking to you in the present critical hour (verses 54-56).In harmony with all this, Jesus is winding up his address with a dramatic appeal to every listener, urging him to make his peace with God; to do so now, before it is too late. Note change of y o u (plural in Lk 12:57) to you (singular in Lk 12:58ff). To each person Jesus is saying, "Be reconciled to God." (Borrow Exposition of the Gospel of Luke) - Precept Austin

As you go with your accuser - This is your chance to settle out of court, to make peace with God through Christ. It is a beautiful appeal, and the penalty is unavoidable, it is either you take it for eternity, or He takes your penalty on the cross. There's no other choices, no other Christ, all else is antichrist. There is no other gospel, all else is apostasy. Jesus made it very clear that He didn't come to destroy the law or the prophets but to fulfill them, and those that reject Him are rejecting the Father Who sent Him. This is the offer, no negotiations, one should be shocked that this even available, for the wages of sin is death, and everyone is guilty before God. Are you going to trust your fallen human nature, your limited understanding, your feelings and emotions, or what God says? 

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20: 11-15

Read More

#1392 Luke 12 Part 5 Who Then?

 

41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 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? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant 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 put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. Luke 12: 41-48 ESV

Luke 12: 41-48

Are you telling this parable for us or for all - He had just finished telling them about being prepared always for His return. He used the illustration of having your loins girded up, of your lamps filled and lit so that you can see and join the procession immediately. To further the illustration and to help them understand the urgency, he compared His coming to that of a thief in the night. The thief doesn't call you a couple days in advance; he comes when you least suspect it, and so the moral of the story is to always be doing what your master said, always stay prepared because He could come at any moment. So Peter wants to know is this for us, the twelve, or for everybody within earshot?

…35The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3: 35-36

…38Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. 40Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you:… Acts 13: 38-40

22“The Son of Man must suffer many things,” He said. “He must be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” 23Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.… Luke 9: 22-24

Who then is the faithful and wise manager - Everyone who comes to Christ is responsible for their sphere of influence. Everyone manages something. If you are a baby Christian then there is your growth, and it is your responsibility to be in the word and in prayer daily. It is also important for you to meet with other believers of sound doctrine.

…24And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. 25 Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 26If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,… Hebrews 10: 24-26

If you are a parent then your sphere includes your spouse and or children, this is your first most inner ring. If you are a child who comes to believe then God has given direction for you as well. 

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3“that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.”…

4Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.… Ephesians 6: 1-6

To give them their potion of food at their proper time - If you are an employee, a neighbor, a teacher, a civil leader, a shepherd, then you are responsible for the witness that comes with the name Christian, and these are the people we provide for. As an employee you bear witness by doing your job with a gracious spirit. As a politician you reject the dishonesty of the day, and you seek what's best for the people, refusing to buy votes or make false promises. As a pastor you realize your opinion doesn't matter, it's what God says that matters. 

All who are servants of Jesus must be ready for His return, but those who are ministers among His servants must all the more be ready. “Ignorance of the Divine shall not wholly excuse the sinner, he shall be beaten, but his stripes shall be few, his damnation shall be gentle compared with a minister’s, that knows his Master’s will but does it not; teaches it to others, but does it not himself…God looks upon wicked, loose, and scandalous and mischievous ministers as the greatest transgressors, and he will deal with them as such.” (Poole)

14Remind the believers of these things, charging them before God to avoid quarreling over words, which succeeds only in leading the listeners to ruin. 15Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth. 16But avoid irreverent, empty chatter, which will only lead to more ungodliness,… 2 Timothy 2: 14-16

…11In the same way, the women must be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in all things. 12A deacon must be the husband of but one wife, a good manager of his children and of his own household. 13For those who have served well as deacons acquire for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.… 1 Timothy 3: 11-13

But that servant who knew his Master's will but did not get ready or act according to His will - This person who heard but did not do, that is the same as the tree that didn't bear fruit, and that one who got drunk and beat his fellow servants, well that is the same as a tree with bad fruit, and each is known by their fruit. Knowing the will of God, but utilizing the church or the name of Christ for your own indulgence, like the prosperity teachers or the antinomian, is going to come with a harsher judgment. 

1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body. 3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can guide the whole animal.… James 3: 1-3

…5The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith. 6Some have strayed from these ways and turned aside to empty talk. 7They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or that which they so confidently assert.…

…8Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately. 9We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers, 10for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching… 1 Timothy 1: 5-10

They will demand the more - The more you were put over in this life, the more you will answer for. Your access to knowledge, your freedom, your money and holdings, family, friends, employees; how have you managed these things? God, have mercy, change me. 

Read More

#1391 Luke 12 Part 4 Awake

 

35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 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 and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 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. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Luke 12: 35-40 ESV

Luke 12: 35-48

Stay dressed for action - They wore tunics back then that often covered the legs down close to the ankles. This wasn't ideal for fighting or running, so they would pick up the bottom, pass it through their legs and then tie it off around the waist, like a big diaper, but now their movement was free. Throughout the Scriptures this carried the understanding of preparing and being prepared.

…45Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. 46And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. 1 Kings 18: 45-46

…16She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong. 18She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night.… Proverbs 31: 16-18

…4but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips. 5Righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the sash around His waist. 6The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them.… Isaiah 11: 4-6

…13Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.… Ephesians 6: 13-15

12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. 13Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance.… 1 Peter 1: 12-14

Your lamps burning - A sign of vigilance. This should remind us of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25. 

More on the lamps of Matthew 25

Like men who are waiting for their Master to come home from the wedding feast - Jesus tells the disciples at another time that He goes to prepare a place for them, and that He will come again.

…2In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going.”… John 14: 2-4

Be like men who are waiting (prosdechomai) for their master (kurios) - Men (and women) with a maranatha mindset. Men with "Vertical Vision". The men clearly refers to the servants of the master (mentioned in Lk 12:37-38). Waiting (present tense) speaks of our continual mindset. Ever ready. Ever expecting. Ever looking. He could return at anytime, but since ancient wedding feasts were often quite lengthy, the servants had to continually maintain an attitude of readiness to meet their master (lord) whenever he returns (cf Christ the Bridegroom coming to rapture His Bride the Church!). The clear application of this exhortation is that the believers as bondservants of their Lord (Master) Jesus Christ are to continually be in a state of readiness (why?) for He could return at any moment, not from the wedding feast, but to take us, His Bride, to the wedding and the feast that follows. O happy, happy day! O glorious day! Their master is kurios that is translated "Lord" in Lk 12:40, 41 where the context ("Son of Man") refers to Jesus.

Spurgeon - Brethren, whatever theory we hold about the future, may God grant that it may never prevent our looking for the coming of Christ as an event which may happen at any moment, (ED: imminent) and being on the watch for it as a matter the date of which we do not know! The practical essence of all Scriptural teaching upon that subject is just this, “Ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding.” (Luke 12 - Exposition)

Tannehill - Detachment from possessions (Lk 12:13–21) and from cares of daily life (Lk 12:22–34) is an important part of the readiness for the coming of the Son of Man which Jesus wishes to see in his disciples. (Abingdon New Testament Commentary: Luke) - Precept Austin

Blessed are those whom the Master finds awake when He comes - Those who are either too worried or caught up in the things of this life will not be prepared for eternal life.

He will come and serve them - Jesus taught the disciples on another occasion the glory of servitude by washing their feet, but even after He takes us to where He is, when we are caught up together with Him, it is still His great pleasure. I am trying to find words here, but it is difficult, for I would expect that we would be in no such position. It is in essence though the very heart of the gospel, and astounding, life, breath, food, materials, light, truth, love and salvation, have they not all been served to us? I am forever happy and stupefied to be the slave of such a Master. 

…7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross. 9Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,… Philippians 2: 7-9

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 - The contrast is clear, no one knows the hour or the day of the Lord's coming, but it is imminent, and we are commanded to be always ready. Given the context of the chapter, being ready is to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness". The ones who do this are those who are born again, like the seed that fell in the good soil. Thieves don't announce the time of their arrival. 

…2For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4But you, brothers, are not in the darkness so that this day should overtake you like a thief.… 1 Thessalonians 5: 2-4

9The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. 10But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare. 11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness… 2 Peter 3: 9-11

For the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect - It couldn't be more imminent than that, and I think John McArthur lays it out the best I have seen, very succinct.

Now, when the Lord comes there are a number of things that will take place. This imminent reality of His return at an hour we do not know and do not expect launches a sequence of events that bring the universe and the world to the end of its current condition. Let me just give you a little bit of an overview of that.

When the Lord comes there will be the destruction of the universe. This universe, this time-space universe made up of atomic structure will be destroyed. It will literally melt with fervent heat. That is, there will be a universe-sized atomic disintegration. God will absolutely uncreate the universe and as we know it it goes out of existence. It is temporary, the planet is temporary, the solar system is temporary, the stellar heavens are temporary. Everything we know in the created universe is temporary. In its place, the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament says God will create a new heaven and a new earth characterized by infinite and eternal righteous perfection, a universe, a new heaven and a new earth, with no sin forever.

Before that happens, however, there will be a final judgment of the ungodly on this earth and in this universe environment. However, this judgment will be a judgment in which sinners will not survive. It is called The Great White Throne Judgment and it is detailed for us in the 20th chapter of the book of Revelation. And it just precedes the destruction of the universe and the creation of the new heaven and the new earth. So the final event of the coming of Christ is to create a new universe. Just prior to that is the judgment of all the ungodly who, by the way, will come before God and be given bodies, resurrection bodies. The ungodly are now in a place of torment, separated from God. They will be brought before a tribunal. They will be given bodies fit for the Lake of Fire where they will be sent forever. The godly, already enjoying the presence of God, will then be ushered into the new heaven and the new earth as their final home. Prior to the Great White Throne, before that, there will be a 1,000- year millennial kingdom in which the Lord Jesus Christ reigns from Jerusalem on this earth in this universe. So finally there will be a new heaven and a new earth.

Before that there will be a Great White Throne Judgment at which all the ungodly will be sentenced to the Lake of Fire. All the godly go into the new heaven and the new earth, all those who belong to God. Prior to that, is the 1,000-year kingdom of Christ where He reigns on earth; described very clearly in the first part of Revelation chapter 20. And in that kingdom, the world will be changed. Paradise will be regained. It will be a worldwide Eden. The desert will blossom like a rose. The creation will be altered dramatically. Its final form before it goes out of existence, it will still be touched by sin, it will still be impacted by sin but it will be Eden recreated. Lion will lie down with a lamb, children can play with poisonous snakes because there will no longer be poison that kills. Life will be so long that it says in the Bible if you die at 100 years, you die a baby. Peace will dominate the earth. Christ will rule with a rod of iron. We will rule with Him in His glorious kingdom. He will rule in Jerusalem because it's the kingdom that was promised to Israel. Israel will go into that kingdom a saved remnant of Israel to receive the promises that God made to them. That's the 1,000-year kingdom.

Prior to that, or before that kingdom, Christ comes in judgment. And this is what we commonly call the Second Coming specifically although it really encompasses a lot more. This is His coming in judgment, Revelation 19, as He rides a white horse, blood spattered, comes and destroys the ungodly at the final moment of the battle of Armageddon. He also destroys the ungodly worldwide and only those who have come to faith in Him go into that kingdom in their physical form. They have children. They live a long time. Children are multiplied during that 1,000 years. The whole earth is populated with the offspring of believers who have gone into the kingdom, but not all of those offspring will believe in the Messiah, even though He's here physically, literally, visibly in Jerusalem ruling. There will be many rejecting Him. They will have a rebellion at the end of the 1,000 years which the Lord Himself will then end. And they will be brought, along with all the other ungodly, to the Great White Throne and sentenced to the Lake of Fire.

So the final is the new heaven and the new earth, preceded by the Great White Throne, preceded by the 1,000-year kingdom. The 1,000-year kingdom is launched and inaugurated when Christ comes in judgment to end the battle of Armageddon, to destroy the ungodly all over the world. Before that there is a period the Bible calls a time of tribulation. It is laid out for us as the seventieth week of Daniel, a seven-year period. Half of it is three and a half years. Half of it is 1,260 days. Half of it is forty-two months, the Scriptures say. It's a seven-year period. It's a seven-year period of devastating divine judgment. It's a seven-year period of divine wrath leading up to the return of Christ, which is the full-blown Day of the Lord promised both in the Old and the New Testament. During that period of tribulation, God's judgment will fall on the earth. And it's described in the book of Revelation as a series of seals that are opened. And every time a seal is opened, another judgment comes, and another seal and another judgment. There are seven seals and out of the seventh seal come seven trumpets and each of them is a judgment. And out of the seventh trumpet comes seven bowls and each of them is a judgment. So you have, first of all, the seals being opened and then the seventh seal and the speed of the judgments is faster and then the seventh trumpet and the speed of the vial or bowl judgments is even faster still. And all that judgment unfolds in those seven years.

Now all of that is part of the Lord's coming. He comes in judgment. He comes to destroy the wicked. He comes to set up His kingdom. He comes to stop the rebellion that's occurred in His kingdom. He comes to face sinners at the Great White Throne. And, of course, then He enters into the creation of the new heaven and the new earth where all the righteous will dwell forever and He casts the wicked into the Lake of Fire. Before that, however, before the tribulation, there is one other event. There's a trigger event that sets this all in motion and it is the catching away of the church, the redeemed church, the snatching away of believers in Jesus Christ from all over the world. We call it the rapture and we...we say the word "rapture" and we think of listening to music and saying, "I was enraptured by the music." Well what you mean by that metaphorically is, I was lifted up; I was caught away. And that's what the word essentially is conveying. The church will be snatched away and then comes the tribulation and all that horrific judgment on the earth. And by the way, while that's going on, Israel will at that time recognize their Messiah, repent, and believe and then be brought into their kingdom. The Tribulation occurs in which the world is judged and Israel comes to faith. Then Christ comes, sets up His kingdom, stops the rebellion at the end of the kingdom, brings sinners to the Great White Throne and then comes the eternal state of the new heaven and the new earth and the eternal Lake of Fire for the ungodly and Satan and his angels. But the event that triggers it all is the snatching away of the church. That's the signless event. All these passages that say, "In an hour you don't know...In an hour you don't expect...Be ready...Be ready...Be ready...Be ready," indicate that there are no signs for that. That's why we believe that this signless event has to happen before any of the other things because once the first seal is opened, we know what's coming: the second seal, then the third, then the fourth. Once the first horse or the white horse comes, then we know what's coming next. Once the third seal, we know it's the fourth. Once the fourth, it's the fifth. Then we know the Day of the Lord is going to explode, the abomination of desolations, the temple is going to be desecrated and then all hell is going to break loose all over this planet. Hell is going to belch out demons that are set loose on the earth. God's going to pour down judgment. The sky is going to roll up. The stars are going to fall. The earth is going to be changed. The waters of the earth are going to be turned bitter. A third of the population is going to die. A fourth of the population that remains is going to die. There's going to be a massive holocaust. And we know the sequence: seven seals, out of the seventh seal seven trumpets, out of the seventh trumpet seven bowls. We can follow the pattern. We know then that Armageddon is going to start and the army of the east is going to come and the great work of Satan to gather the armies of the world to fight against Christ and he comes and all of that is laid out. Then comes the kingdom. The kingdom goes for 1,000 years. The rebellion is quelled, etc.

So once you get into the tribulation, there's a sequence of events that are laid out very clearly in the Scripture. But there is one event that we do not know when it's going to happen. There are no signs, there are no precursors to it and it is this event of the snatching away of the church that is the trigger event that starts everything. And every generation of believers since Jesus first promised this have lived in the light of this and we don't know when it's going to happen. And that's what our Lord is talking about in verse 40. "You too be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." You have no idea when this begins. You need to be ready. The first event in His coming is when He comes for His saints.; and then seven years later, with them to set up His kingdom. The first one we call the snatching away or the rapture.

Let me show you three passages of Scripture that lay this out. John 14, John 14:1 through 3 and I'll make a couple of comments about it. Jesus says, "Let not your heart be troubled." I'm going to tell you some news that should quiet you and calm you and comfort you. I'm going to give you some good news, OK? The good news is this, "In My Father's house are many dwelling places,” many rooms, talking about heaven, “and if it were not so, I would have told you." I'm telling you the absolute truth, I am going to leave. Jesus is telling them He's leaving. “I'm going to go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself that where I am, there you may be also.”

Jesus is saying I want to comfort you. I want to take away the anxiety and the trouble of your heart. I'm going away but I'm coming back and I'm coming back to gather you and take you to the place I'm preparing for you.

Now turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and we'll build on that a little bit. First Corinthians chapter 15 verse 51, here is a further description of this event, a further description of this same event. Verse 51, 1 Corinthians 15, "Behold, I tell you a mystery," not an Agatha Christie mystery, not something that's complicated and hard to figure out. Mystery in the Bible means something hidden now revealed. It's another way of saying, "Behold, I'm going to tell you something you've never known, I'm going to tell you something that's never before been revealed. I'm going to tell you something God has kept hidden until now, and here it is. We're not all going to die." Wow! We're not all going to die? No, we're not all going to die. “Sleep” meaning “death,” we're not all going to sleep, we're not all going to die, but we all are going to be changed. This is something brand new. We're not all going to die but we're all going to be changed. Some of us aren't going to die, but we're going to be transformed? Yes. Verse 52, "In a moment,” in a nanosecond, “at the last trump the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable.” All the believers who have died... In a nanosecond, God is going to blow a trumpet and all the dead believers are going to be raised imperishable. You say, "Well aren't they already in heaven?" Sure they're spirits are in heaven but their bodies are still in the grave. And at that moment, God is going to bring bodies to join their spirits. All the saints who have died in the past are waiting their resurrection bodies, the body like Christ's own resurrection body as Philippians 3:20 and 21 says. So at that moment, in that nanosecond, out of nowhere, the Lord comes to take us and the first thing that happens is the believers' bodies, obviously new bodies, the others would have been disintegrated, come up and join their redeemed spirits and we, verse 52, the ones that are still alive, are transformed instantly from earthly to heavenly. It's as if we have our own resurrection then. And the perishable puts on the imperishable and the mortal puts on immortality. And verse 54 says...the end of the verse, "Death is swallowed up in victory." So Paul is saying we're waiting for this event when the Lord comes to take His own to the place He's prepared. And in order to live in heaven in the place He's prepared, we're going to have to be suited for heaven and so the Lord's going to come and transform us. First of all, the spirits of just men made perfect, the glorified saints who now are in heaven in their spirits are going to receive bodies, and then we who are still alive are just going to be transformed on the way up. And we all become imperishable, we all become immortal. - John Macarthur

…15By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.… 1 Thessalonians 4: 15-17

Read More