Luke 12-35-48 Ready or Not (3)_Quit Doing Nothing

8/20/2019 Luke 12-35-48 Ready or Not (3)_Quit Doing Nothing

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R EADY OR NOT (3): QUIT DOING NOTHING

(Luke 12:35-48)

Date: August 9, 2015

Intro – Jesus is coming again. An !ust as "is #i$st coming %as &ite$a& an

'sica& an 'e$sona&, so %i&& *e "is secon coming. +n tis 'assage, een to"e as not een &e#t et, Jesus is a&$ea '$e'a$ing "is ea$e$s an

conseuent& us to *e &iing e'ectant &ies / e'ecting "is soon a''ea$ing.

o, o% o %e o tat +n vv. 35-40 "e u$ges tat %e Wat E!"#$tant%&. An

in . 4'-4 "e u$ges tat %e Wor Earn#*t%&. ait an %o$k e

essa&onians on& got tat half right. e %e$e so conince o# Jesus

imminent $etu$n tat some gae u' tei$ !o*s an took up laziness as a hobby

%i&e te a%aite is $etu$n. 6au& %a$ne tem in II T+#** 3:'0, 7+# anone

is not %i&&ing to %o$k, &et im not eat. Waiting expectantly #o$ Jesus $etu$n is

no ecuse #o$ not working earnestly e cant *e &ike te *o %ose #ate$

%as t$ing to ta&k im into staing in ig scoo&. "e sai, 7 Son, you just

can’t quit. All the people who history remembers in’t quit. Abe !incoln

in"t quit. #homas $ison, he in"t quit. %wight $isenhower in"t quit.

$lmo &c'ringle . ..( #he son interrupte, 7Who’s $lmo &c'ringle Da

$e'&ie, See, you on"t remember him. )e quit.*

Jesus as *een ta&king a*out te im'o$tance o# *eing $ea * waiting

e'ectant& %en 6ete$ inte$$u'ts in v. 4', 7Lo$, a$e ou te&&ing tis 'a$a*&e

#o$ us o$ #o$ a&& Jesus oes not ans%e$ i$ect& *ut gies anote$ 'a$a*&e

%ic em'asies tat tose %o a$e reay #o$ is $etu$n %i&& *e working . +t

contrasts a faithful ser+ant with the unfaithful ser+ant . An * te en it is

c&ea$ Jesus is cont$asting real belie+ers with those who merely profess to bebelie+ers. o, tis is a 'a$a*&e #o$ e+eryone -- contrasting possessors with

professors. 6ossesso$s a$e working earnestly een as te wait expectantly.

Like te ;inute ;en in te


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6ossesso$s a$e #ait#u& to tei$ mission. =ait#u& manage$s #ee te ouseo&.

is o*ious& a''&ie 'a$ticu&a$& to te a'ost&es %o in te #i$st centu$

%e$e $es'onsi*&e to s'$ea te gos'e& an teac ne% *e&iee$s te %o$ o#

>o / to fee them. +n e'ectation o# Jesus $etu$n, te %e$e oing a&& te

cou& to *$ing as man 'eo'&e as 'ossi*&e into te kingom o# >o.

>o as gi#te us a&& to %o$k ea$nest&. Ro '2: )"aing gifts tat i##e$

acco$ing to te g$ace gien to us, let us use them. at a''&ies es'ecia&& to

te %a tat >o as gi#te us to %o$k in minist$ in te church. ?ut it is

eua&& im'o$tant tat %e *e using te gi#ts an a*i&ities tat >o as gien us

in ou$ &ies away from church / ou$ secu&a$ %o$k o$ scoo& -- to $e'$esent

"im an to inite ote$s to *ecome 'a$t o# is #ami&. >o as a mission #o$

eac one o# us %e$ee$ %e a$e an 6au& $emins us I or 4:'-2, 7is is o%

one sou& $ega$ us, as se$ants o# @$ist an ste%a$s o# te mste$ies o#

>o. 2 ;o$eoe$, it is $eui$e o# ste%a$s tat te *e #oun #ait#u&.

?e&oe, as 'ossesso$s o# ete$na& &i#e %e ae *een ent$uste %it te most

%one$#u& message te %o$& as ee$ ea$. +# %e a$e t$ue *e&iee$s, t$ue

'ossesso$s, %e %i&& *e #ait#u& in s'$eaing tat gos'e& in %atee$ %a %e

can. ats %at 'ossesso$s o. e a$e #ait#u&.

im Be&&e$ %as 'asto$ing in Ci$ginia %en e #e&t tat >o a ca&&e im to

#oun te cu$c in E@. A&& o# is contacts to& im tat it %as im'ossi*&e.

e sai tat te #e% $emaining cong$egations in te cit a su$ie *

aa'ting @$istian teacing to te etic o# to&e$ance tat '$eominate. e

sai, 7 %on’t tell people they ha+e to belie+e in esus - that is consiere

narrow mine here.( en Be&&e$ insiste tat te ne% cu$c %ou& teac

te isto$ic tenants o# @$istianit / te in#a&&i*i&it o# te ?i*&e, te eit o#

@$ist, te necessit o# s'i$itua& $egene$ation, e %as to& tat tose oct$ines%ou& *e $e!ecte as o'e&ess& outate * e% Eo$ke$s. Be&&e$ sai,

oboy e+er sai /fuggeaboutit( out lou

, but it always hung in the air.

e+ertheless, we launche 0eeemer 1resbyterian 'hurch, an by the en

of 2334 it ha grown to more than 5,333 attenees an ha spawne more

than a ozen aughter congregations in the immeiate metropolitan area.

#he church is quite multiethnic an young 6a+erage age about thirty7 an is

more than two8thirs single. We were as stunne by this as anyone. o%+m not suggesting tat ee$one %i&& ae te same success tat Be&&e$ i. +

am suggesting tat is faithfulness in te #ace o# ae$sit is eact& %at

ca$acte$ies t$ue *e&iee$s %o e'ecting Jesus $etu$n.

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?ut %at a*out mere professors 45 “?ut i# tat se$ant sas to imse, F;

maste$ is e&ae in coming, an *egins to *eat te ma&e an #ema&e se$ants,

an to eat an $ink an get $unk. e$e is no #ait#u&ness e$e. is 'e$son

ma ae '$o#esse #ait in @$ist at some 'ointG te ma sti&& een atten

cu$cG *ut e o$ se as &ong ago gien u' an o'e in te &ite$a& $etu$n o#

Jesus. e $etu$ne to a &i#est&e eicate to tei$ o%n selfish agena. ea$e conce$ne a*out ote$s on& as it ma e&' tem. e #ee& no sense o#

accounta*i&it to a maste$ te ont $ea&& *e&iee is $etu$ning. #hey are

unfaithful because they are unreal . ei$ '$o#ession is a &ie.

A #e% ea$s ago H Ai$ a a s'ecia& a #a$e #o$ %ies %o accom'anie

tei$ us*ans on *usiness t$i's. "o'ing to get some a&ua*&e testimonia&s, te

6< e'a$tment sent out &ette$s to a&& te %ies o# *usinessmen %o %ou& use

te s'ecia& $ates asking o% te en!oe tei$ t$i'. A &a$ge num*e$ o# &ette$s

%e$e $etu$ne com'$ise o# te same uestion, What trip + imagine tat

&e to some inte$esting cone$sations a*out #ait#u&ness imi&a$& te$e %i&&

*e a a o# accounting #o$ a&& un#ait#u& se$ants. Heb 10:26 warns, “=o$ i# %e go on sinning eliberately a#te$ $eceiing te kno%&ege o# te

t$ut, te$e no &onge$ $emains a sac$i#ice #o$ sins, 27 *ut a #ea$#u& e'ectation o#

!ugment, an a #u$ o# #i$e tat %i&& consume te ae$sa$ies. Eou ont ae

to &ook an #u$te$ tan Jesus inne$ ci$c&e to #in an eam'&e o# an un#ait#u&

se$ant / a '$o#esso$ as o''ose to a 'ossesso$. Juas is a '$ime eam'&e tat

ou can *e tat c&ose to te t$ut an miss te %o&e ting. Eou sa, 7e&&,

+m no Juas. o, ou must ask ou$se, 7en i + &ast s'eak u' #o$ Jesus

ote$ tan in cu$c at o + o %en ote$s mock Am + t$ue to "im, o$

o + sta si&ent an non commita& $ue *e&iee$s a$e faithful workers in

e'ectation o# Jesus $etu$n.

II. ,o**#**or* Ar# W*# ,ro#**or* Ar# Un6*#

1. 42, 7o ten is te #ait#u& an wise manage$ o is %ise e 'e$son

%o can see *eon tis &i#e into te net. isom sees *eon time an into

ete$nit. $ue *e&iee$s o tat. 6$o#esso$s o not. ei$ %o&e &i#e is taken u'

in c$eating com#o$t an ease #o$ temse&es e$e an no%.

A*$aam is a g$eat eam'&e o# a %ise se$ant. "e %as te $eci'ient o# a

magni#icent coenant #$om >o / '$omising im count&ess escenents,

*&essing, an &an. Listen to %at te %$ite$ o# "e*$e%s te&&s us a*out

A*$aams attitue in te mist o# a&& tese '$omises. 7? #ait e %ent to &ie

in te &an o# '$omise, as in a #o$eign &an, &iing in tents %it +saac an

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Jaco*, ei$s %it im o# te same '$omise. 10 =o$ he was looking forwar to

the city that has founations, whose esigner an builer is 9o (H#7

'':8-'0). A*$aam %as &ooking *eon te immeiate '$omise to its ultimate

fulfillment in hea+en. oug e %as $ic in tis &i#e, e %ou& nee$ ae

*een te gu in 9/# '2:20 %o %as #igu$ing out o% to *ui& *igge$ *a$ns to

ouse a&& o# is ea$t& 'ossessions so e cou& &ie in com#o$t te $est o# is&i#e on te e$ nigt %en >o came to im an sai, =oo& is nigt ou$

sou& is $eui$e o# ou, an te tings ou ae '$e'a$e, %ose %i&& te

*e Ie$ting e a &ie #o$ %as tie u' in tose ea$t& 'ossessions an

no% te %e$e gone !ust at te moment %en e %as a*out to en!o tem. An

e a mae no pro+ision for what came next . "e #o$got %at #o$me$ H@LA

#oot*a&& coac $eat ?ut te %ise se$ant une$stans tat if our

long8range goals only exten to the en of this life, they are way too

shortsighte . o %e must ask ou$se&es / o% #a$ out o ou$ goa&s eten

A$e %e e'ectant& waiting #o$ an ea$nest& working #o$ te coming o# ou$

Lo$ an aio$. Jesus is coming again *e&oe. e must *e $ea.

III. ,o**#**or* Ar# R#6ar# ,ro#**or* ar# ,/n*+#

43 ?&esse is tat se$ant %om is maste$ %i&& #in so oing %en e comes.44 $u&, + sa to ou, e %i&& set im oe$ a&& is 'ossessions. >$eat $e%a$

a%aits 'ossesso$s / #ait#u& se$ants. e$ants %o a$e #u&& o# #ait. e

*e&iee in Jesus. e kno% es coming again. e a$e &iing #o$ im no%

een as te &ook #o$ is a''ea$ing &ate$. An te %i&& *e $e%a$e #o$ tei$

#ait#u&ness. ;ost im'o$tant o# a&&, hea+en will be theirs. Ie$ting teae sac$i#ice e$e %i&& *e $esto$e ten tousan#o&.

Eea$s ago an e&e$& cou'&e a''$oace te nigt c&e$k in a 6i&ae&'ia ote&

seeking a $oom. A cit%ie conention a &e#t no $ooms aai&a*&e. e man

inui$e, Are there any rooms left anywhere e c&e$k tougt #o$ a

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moment, $ea&ie is o%n $oom %as aai&a*&e *ecause e %as %o$king te

esk a&& nigt &ong, so e gae is $oom to te e&e$& cou'&e. e cou'&e

inite te c&e$k to !oin tem #o$ *$eak#ast te net mo$ning. e gent&eman

sai, ;oung man, you"re too goo for hotel in this place. )ow woul you

like for me to buil a big hotel for you in ;' ats eact& %at e i.

Jon Jaco* Asto$ +C %ent ome to *ui& te #ame Asto$ia ote&. An teo*scu$e, iso&ate nigt c&e$k eentua&& *ecame one o# te g$eatest ote& men

in te %o$&. "is #ait#u&ness 'ai o##.

?ut *e&iee me tats noting com'a$e to %at Jesus as in sto$e #o$ is

#ait#u& se$ants. +n o ete$na&&. at one %i&& *e cut o## %itout $eme. Eou

sa, Are you absolutely sure about that


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*u$ns %it #i$e an suu$, %ic is te secon eat. "e&& a%aits tose %o

a$e un#ait#u&, tose %o * tei$ &i#e en "is Lo$si'. at is te #ate o#

te un#ait#u& se$ant. "e c&aims Jesus as ;aste$, *ut e is &ike tose n


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an into ete$nit Eou&& nee$ *e isa''ointe. An ou&& *e $ea #o$ "im /

%enee$ "e $etu$ns. Lets '$a

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Luke 12-35-48 Ready or Not (3)_Quit Doing Nothing