WEBVTT 00:00:01.489 --> 00:00:03.770 Thank you, Jenny and Renee for the beautiful 00:00:03.770 --> 00:00:08.470 numbers. Today we continue our look in the Gospel 00:00:08.470 --> 00:00:11.070 of Luke at some of the hard sayings of Jesus, 00:00:11.529 --> 00:00:13.810 and today we're going to look at Luke chapter 00:00:13.810 --> 00:00:18.489 12 and verse 48, the message entitled, Much Means 00:00:18.489 --> 00:00:24.410 More. How many of you prayed for God's blessing 00:00:24.410 --> 00:00:26.570 in your lives this week? Oh, you don't need to 00:00:26.570 --> 00:00:28.609 lift your hand because I'm sure every hand would 00:00:28.609 --> 00:00:32.780 go up. It's right that we should pray for God's 00:00:32.780 --> 00:00:36.539 blessing. We know that it's only by God's blessing 00:00:36.539 --> 00:00:39.100 on our families, on our ministry that we share 00:00:39.100 --> 00:00:42.000 together at Grace Church Roseville that we're 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:46.159 going to progress, grow. God's blessing is vital 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:53.259 to our future. As we frame the future as the 00:00:53.259 --> 00:00:56.960 phrase is being used, in such a way that more 00:00:56.960 --> 00:01:01.219 people will be able to hear God's word. and be 00:01:01.219 --> 00:01:03.460 ministered to and be changed from seekers into 00:01:03.460 --> 00:01:06.459 followers, which is our vision. God's blessing 00:01:06.459 --> 00:01:12.000 will be absolutely crucial. But I wonder sometimes 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:14.599 if we realize the ramifications of that prayer. 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:20.900 When we ask God to bless us, do we understand 00:01:20.900 --> 00:01:24.799 the ramifications of praying for God to do good 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:29.000 things in our lives and in our church? Because 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:32.379 you see, as God answers that prayer, as He blesses 00:01:32.379 --> 00:01:39.780 us, it makes us more accountable to Him for our 00:01:39.780 --> 00:01:58.340 lives. Harry Ironside wrote, to His servants, 00:01:59.019 --> 00:02:05.760 it is that they may use all for His glory." Harry 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:08.139 Ironsides is talking about the verse we're going 00:02:08.139 --> 00:02:10.319 to look at today. It's really the last part of 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:15.479 verse 48, and it says this, and from everyone 00:02:15.479 --> 00:02:20.000 who has been given much shall much be required. 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:25.539 And to whom they entrusted much of Him they will 00:02:25.539 --> 00:02:31.379 ask, all the more. What we are seeing in this 00:02:31.379 --> 00:02:38.759 verse is that our blessings increase our responsibility. 00:02:40.979 --> 00:02:43.639 That is the gist of this hard saying of Jesus 00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:47.979 in Luke 12, 48. Now, to understand what Jesus 00:02:47.979 --> 00:02:50.280 is saying, we first need to take a look at the 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:54.259 broader context of this verse. And to do that, 00:02:54.259 --> 00:02:56.599 we need to back up a few verses. to the first 00:02:56.599 --> 00:02:59.060 of the chapter, the very first verse of chapter 00:02:59.060 --> 00:03:05.560 12. Luke says, under these circumstances, and 00:03:05.560 --> 00:03:08.780 we'll see what that means in a moment, after 00:03:08.780 --> 00:03:12.020 so many thousands of the multitude had gathered 00:03:12.020 --> 00:03:15.080 together that they were stepping on one another, 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:19.659 he began saying to his disciples. So here is 00:03:19.659 --> 00:03:22.180 an occasion where there are so many thousands 00:03:22.180 --> 00:03:24.930 of people gathered to hear Jesus. that they're 00:03:24.930 --> 00:03:30.610 crawling all over one another. And Jesus uses 00:03:30.610 --> 00:03:35.069 this occasion to talk about some important themes. 00:03:37.449 --> 00:03:40.610 He addresses these themes first to his disciples 00:03:40.610 --> 00:03:43.909 and then to the multitude that was gathered. 00:03:46.090 --> 00:03:49.310 Basically, what Jesus is saying in his broader 00:03:49.310 --> 00:03:52.930 teaching here is, that there is great danger 00:03:52.930 --> 00:03:56.830 at looking at life through defective lenses. 00:03:59.150 --> 00:04:01.349 I just got some new glasses this week and I can't 00:04:01.349 --> 00:04:03.729 tell you how nice it is to be able to read without 00:04:03.729 --> 00:04:07.009 having to take my glasses off. You know, as you 00:04:07.009 --> 00:04:10.110 get older things happen to your eyes. Oh, you'll 00:04:10.110 --> 00:04:13.250 understand when you get there someday. At the 00:04:13.250 --> 00:04:15.310 last number of months I've had to look through 00:04:15.310 --> 00:04:18.769 glasses that were increasingly defective for 00:04:18.769 --> 00:04:25.990 my deteriorating condition. And so I finally 00:04:25.990 --> 00:04:28.110 bit the bullet, bit the bullet, and went out 00:04:28.110 --> 00:04:30.629 and bought some new glasses so I can see better. 00:04:31.110 --> 00:04:35.490 Not perfectly, but better. Jesus is warning us 00:04:35.490 --> 00:04:37.750 here that as we look at life, we need to be careful 00:04:37.750 --> 00:04:40.410 that we're looking at life through glasses, through 00:04:40.410 --> 00:04:42.949 lenses, that are giving us the right picture. 00:04:44.110 --> 00:04:48.160 And to that end, he warns the disciples. the 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:51.759 multitude and us about certain things. For example, 00:04:51.860 --> 00:04:54.720 in verses 1 through 12, the warning is about 00:04:54.720 --> 00:05:00.759 hypocrisy. Through hypocrisy, we have a defective 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:06.220 view of ourselves. We think of ourselves in a 00:05:06.220 --> 00:05:11.139 way that is contrary to the truth, so that we 00:05:11.139 --> 00:05:17.000 present ourselves to others dishonestly. playing 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:20.920 a role. We're being hypocrites. And Jesus says, 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:26.459 beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which 00:05:26.459 --> 00:05:32.680 is hypocrisy. Leaven, you recall, is like yeast, 00:05:33.779 --> 00:05:37.060 and is that which causes bread to rise. Leaven 00:05:37.060 --> 00:05:42.240 in the Bible is always a picture of sin. Even 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:45.660 a little bit of yeast affects a lot of dough. 00:05:46.029 --> 00:05:49.790 and so a little bit of sin affects our lives. 00:05:51.569 --> 00:05:55.949 Jesus is saying, beware of this leaven of hypocrisy 00:05:55.949 --> 00:05:59.329 that belongs to the Pharisees. He goes on to 00:05:59.329 --> 00:06:02.889 say, there is nothing covered up that will not 00:06:02.889 --> 00:06:05.730 be revealed and hidden that will not be known. 00:06:07.230 --> 00:06:09.550 You see, the Pharisees were guilty of cover up. 00:06:11.310 --> 00:06:14.529 of hiding the truth about themselves and pretending 00:06:14.529 --> 00:06:19.529 to be something they were not. They had a defective 00:06:19.529 --> 00:06:23.529 view of themselves. They thought they were righteous, 00:06:24.189 --> 00:06:26.689 but their righteousness was only exterior, not 00:06:26.689 --> 00:06:30.529 interior. It was a righteousness of outward action, 00:06:30.550 --> 00:06:32.670 but it was not a righteousness of the heart. 00:06:33.810 --> 00:06:43.509 Jesus warns us of hypocrisy. You say, well, why 00:06:43.509 --> 00:06:45.689 does Jesus start out with the Pharisees and with 00:06:45.689 --> 00:06:47.430 hypocrisy? Well, if you just back up a little 00:06:47.430 --> 00:06:50.069 further in the chapter 11, you'll find out why. 00:06:51.449 --> 00:06:56.170 Go back to verse 37 and notice that when he had 00:06:56.170 --> 00:06:59.689 spoken, a Pharisee asked him to have lunch with 00:06:59.689 --> 00:07:04.850 him. And he went in and reclined at the table. 00:07:05.490 --> 00:07:08.149 And when the Pharisees saw it, he was surprised. 00:07:09.449 --> 00:07:12.810 that Jesus had not first ceremonially washed 00:07:12.810 --> 00:07:17.290 before the meal. Did Jesus just forget washing 00:07:17.290 --> 00:07:21.930 his hands? Was this some neglect on his part? 00:07:22.089 --> 00:07:26.410 Absolutely not. Jesus set up the situation. He 00:07:26.410 --> 00:07:31.069 was invited by this Pharisee to come to lunch. 00:07:31.829 --> 00:07:34.050 And as part of the preparation for the meal, 00:07:34.230 --> 00:07:39.639 a good Jew, a good Pharisee, would wash his hands 00:07:39.639 --> 00:07:42.240 in a particular way several times in order to 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:45.139 be ceremonially clean. It really had nothing 00:07:45.139 --> 00:07:48.699 to do with hygiene. It had everything to do with 00:07:48.699 --> 00:07:51.160 this attitude that righteousness is in what you 00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:57.300 do, not who you are. And so the Pharisee was 00:07:57.300 --> 00:08:00.339 surprised that Jesus didn't go through all this 00:08:00.339 --> 00:08:03.639 ceremonial washing. And the Lord said to him, 00:08:03.779 --> 00:08:06.879 now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup. 00:08:07.180 --> 00:08:10.100 and of the platter, but inside of you, you are 00:08:10.100 --> 00:08:13.620 full of robbery and wickedness." Dale Carnegie 00:08:13.620 --> 00:08:16.939 would not have approved of this approach and 00:08:16.939 --> 00:08:21.379 engaging this man in conversation. He goes on 00:08:21.379 --> 00:08:23.680 to say, you foolish ones, did not he who made 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:29.379 the outside make the inside also? Then Jesus 00:08:29.379 --> 00:08:32.960 goes on, verse 42, verse 43, verse 44, to pronounce 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:36.549 a woe to the Pharisees. a way of pronouncing 00:08:36.549 --> 00:08:41.470 judgment upon them. And then one of the lawyers 00:08:41.470 --> 00:08:43.529 who was present, I understand this is not an 00:08:43.529 --> 00:08:46.269 attorney at law like we have lawyers today, although 00:08:46.269 --> 00:08:49.809 verse 46 says, woe to you lawyers as well for 00:08:49.809 --> 00:08:52.509 you weighed men down with burdens hard to bear. 00:08:54.029 --> 00:08:56.269 And we might think it applies to some lawyers. 00:08:57.250 --> 00:08:59.529 However, these lawyers were a specific kind. 00:08:59.909 --> 00:09:01.730 They were Jewish lawyers. They were people who 00:09:01.730 --> 00:09:04.490 dealt with the law. Many of them were Pharisees. 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:09.399 And probably that was the occasion here. Now 00:09:09.399 --> 00:09:11.779 the lawyers were always interpreting the law, 00:09:11.899 --> 00:09:15.940 trying to fine tune it and come up with new regulations 00:09:15.940 --> 00:09:18.940 that would keep people from breaking the law. 00:09:19.059 --> 00:09:22.519 But you see all of these were outside ritualistic 00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:26.299 external kinds of rules and regulations. But 00:09:26.299 --> 00:09:29.220 that was their job in life, to set up rules. 00:09:31.159 --> 00:09:35.139 So Jesus pronounces likewise three woes. upon 00:09:35.139 --> 00:09:39.799 the lawyers, the Jewish lawyers. And then in 00:09:39.799 --> 00:09:42.639 verse 53 it says, when he left there, the scribes 00:09:42.639 --> 00:09:46.639 and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:51.259 to question him closely on many subjects, plotting 00:09:51.259 --> 00:09:55.220 against him to catch him in something he might 00:09:55.220 --> 00:10:01.519 say. So you see their heart attitude is hardening. 00:10:02.350 --> 00:10:06.990 They are hostile toward Jesus now. And that's 00:10:06.990 --> 00:10:09.710 why Luke says, as he does in verse 1 of chapter 00:10:09.710 --> 00:10:15.110 12, under these circumstances, when this crowd 00:10:15.110 --> 00:10:18.009 had gathered together, Jesus first of all warned 00:10:18.009 --> 00:10:21.710 the disciples and all of those within hearing, 00:10:22.190 --> 00:10:26.669 beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which 00:10:26.669 --> 00:10:33.419 is hypocrisy. Then Jesus moves into another theme, 00:10:33.639 --> 00:10:36.240 beginning in verse 13 and actually going through 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:42.980 verse 34. It is a theme of greed. A greedy person 00:10:42.980 --> 00:10:48.059 has a defective view of his possessions, what 00:10:48.059 --> 00:10:53.559 he owns, the material things of life. He sees 00:10:53.559 --> 00:10:56.899 the things that he owns as the sum and the substance 00:10:56.899 --> 00:11:01.129 of life. To him, life is about what you can possess, 00:11:01.190 --> 00:11:03.769 what you own, what you can do with it, how rich 00:11:03.769 --> 00:11:10.509 you can become. Now he began to teach about this 00:11:10.509 --> 00:11:12.750 theme because someone in the crowd said, teacher, 00:11:12.789 --> 00:11:15.610 tell my brother to divide the family inheritance 00:11:15.610 --> 00:11:21.110 with me. Can you just see the whine in this? 00:11:21.210 --> 00:11:22.870 And there may have been a legitimate complaint. 00:11:23.269 --> 00:11:25.450 Some suggest perhaps this is a younger brother. 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:28.080 whose older brother, the eldest in the family, 00:11:28.220 --> 00:11:30.399 got more than he did, which was according to 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:34.100 the law. Apparently the older brother wasn't 00:11:34.100 --> 00:11:36.820 dividing it rightly, and so he complains to Jesus, 00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:40.059 and Jesus responds by saying, that's not my realm 00:11:40.059 --> 00:11:44.379 of authority. That's something for somebody else 00:11:44.379 --> 00:11:48.240 to worry about. But he said to them, beware, 00:11:49.399 --> 00:11:52.899 and be on guard against every form of greed. 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:57.720 For not even when one has an abundance does his 00:11:57.720 --> 00:12:03.899 life consist of his possessions. For that is 00:12:03.899 --> 00:12:10.659 big news to most Americans in 1999. Because right 00:12:10.659 --> 00:12:17.779 here is where the popular culture is. The understanding 00:12:17.779 --> 00:12:20.980 of having a successful life and being an important 00:12:20.980 --> 00:12:27.620 person lies In what you possess, Jesus says, 00:12:27.659 --> 00:12:31.100 beware of that kind of an attitude. It's defective. 00:12:32.860 --> 00:12:34.600 And he tells this story that we've looked at 00:12:34.600 --> 00:12:36.899 before, so we'll not go into detail about it, 00:12:36.899 --> 00:12:41.220 about the rich farmer who laid up his goods. 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:44.480 And yet on one night, God said, your soul's required 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:47.559 of you. He says, you're a fool because you have 00:12:47.559 --> 00:12:50.529 not laid up things for God. And Jesus concludes 00:12:50.529 --> 00:12:52.970 that story by saying, so is the man who lays 00:12:52.970 --> 00:12:57.429 up treasure for himself and is not rich toward 00:12:57.429 --> 00:13:03.169 God. And then Jesus launches into a related subject 00:13:03.169 --> 00:13:08.629 regarding worry. Worry is sometimes related to 00:13:08.629 --> 00:13:15.809 greed. It's an effective view of one's possessions, 00:13:16.190 --> 00:13:18.950 worrying about them, being anxious about them. 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:22.179 Jesus spends a long time talking about that. 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:25.419 He concludes by saying in verse 34, where your 00:13:25.419 --> 00:13:29.299 treasure is, there will your heart be also. He 00:13:29.299 --> 00:13:31.639 says that's why you should lay up treasures in 00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:35.639 heaven. Because your heart follows your treasures. 00:13:37.580 --> 00:13:39.820 And if you are greedy and you lay up treasures 00:13:39.820 --> 00:13:43.000 for this life, your heart will naturally go in 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:45.820 that direction and be focused on this life and 00:13:45.820 --> 00:13:48.399 this world and you will be greedy and anxious. 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:53.179 So he says, lay up treasure in heaven because 00:13:53.179 --> 00:13:56.860 your heart will follow in that direction. And 00:13:56.860 --> 00:13:59.379 your father knows that you have needs of these 00:13:59.379 --> 00:14:05.580 things on the earth. Trust in him. Then in verse 00:14:05.580 --> 00:14:09.860 35, Jesus launches into another theme. Here he 00:14:09.860 --> 00:14:15.399 is warning about negligence. He seems to be pointing 00:14:15.399 --> 00:14:19.100 out the defective view that one may have regarding 00:14:19.470 --> 00:14:23.629 his responsibilities or his blessings in life. 00:14:26.070 --> 00:14:29.889 He warns that we need to be watching and waiting 00:14:29.889 --> 00:14:33.809 for his return. That we need to be working in 00:14:33.809 --> 00:14:37.250 the light of our coming accountability to the 00:14:37.250 --> 00:14:41.990 Lord. When the Master comes again, we must answer 00:14:41.990 --> 00:14:46.860 to him. Then he concludes this part of his teaching 00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:49.360 by warning that life will not be easy for his 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:53.240 followers. Therefore, they must not be reckless. 00:14:54.039 --> 00:14:59.059 They must not be careless. And then, to conclude 00:14:59.059 --> 00:15:01.399 the broader context, and we'll come back to our 00:15:01.399 --> 00:15:05.919 verse, in verses 54 through the end of the chapter, 00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:08.700 and really into chapter 13 and verse 9, the same 00:15:08.700 --> 00:15:13.019 occasion, Jesus is warning about incognizance. 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:19.710 That is being unaware, being spiritually dull. 00:15:20.809 --> 00:15:23.289 And he gives two parables in this part of his 00:15:23.289 --> 00:15:25.710 teaching to illustrate the importance of discerning 00:15:25.710 --> 00:15:31.210 the times that we live in. And then being diligent 00:15:31.210 --> 00:15:34.970 about the issues of life that threaten us. In 00:15:34.970 --> 00:15:39.129 other words, coming judgment. And this part of 00:15:39.129 --> 00:15:41.889 his teaching, he especially focuses upon the 00:15:41.889 --> 00:15:45.399 multitude at large. Up to this point, It seems 00:15:45.399 --> 00:15:47.620 to have been focused primarily upon the disciples. 00:15:49.740 --> 00:15:51.740 But here he particularly broadens it, it says 00:15:51.740 --> 00:15:55.580 in verse 54, to the multitudes. And he warns 00:15:55.580 --> 00:16:02.440 of being spiritually dull and undiscerning. Here 00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:07.320 we have a defective view of one's times, the 00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:09.120 times that one is living in. Jesus says, you 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:11.200 can tell the weather. You know it's going to 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:17.240 be hot today. If you can analyze the sky and 00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:20.159 know what the weather is going to be, can't you 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:25.419 analyze the times that you're living in? Good 00:16:25.419 --> 00:16:29.080 lesson there for all of us. But having looked 00:16:29.080 --> 00:16:31.039 at the broader context, I want us to come back 00:16:31.039 --> 00:16:34.039 now to that particular verse that we're examining 00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:37.399 this morning, verse 48. Notice that it fits into 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:44.539 this teaching about negligence, about being careless. 00:16:45.100 --> 00:16:50.460 with one's spiritual responsibility. The basic 00:16:50.460 --> 00:16:53.700 principle that Jesus is giving here in this verse 00:16:53.700 --> 00:16:58.200 is this, that we are responsible for the privileges 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:02.620 and the blessings that we are given. Now whether 00:17:02.620 --> 00:17:05.180 they're spiritual or material or some other, 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:09.400 Jesus says we are responsible for our privileges 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:15.210 and we will give an accounting to Him. for our 00:17:15.210 --> 00:17:19.470 privileges. Let's go back and look a little more 00:17:19.470 --> 00:17:22.829 in detail at what Jesus has said before. He says 00:17:22.829 --> 00:17:25.529 in verse 35, be dressed in readiness and keep 00:17:25.529 --> 00:17:27.730 your lamps lit. And here he's using the picture 00:17:27.730 --> 00:17:31.730 of an oriental wedding. The servants of the master 00:17:31.730 --> 00:17:34.910 are at home waiting for the bridegroom to come 00:17:34.910 --> 00:17:37.549 with the bride. The wedding is over. He's coming 00:17:37.549 --> 00:17:42.750 back home. He says keep the lamps lit for the 00:17:42.750 --> 00:17:47.039 bridegroom. Be waiting be like men who are waiting 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:49.559 for their master when he returns from the wedding 00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:52.480 feast So that they may immediately open the door 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:55.920 to him when he comes and knocks blessed Are those 00:17:55.920 --> 00:17:59.180 slaves whom the master shall find on the alert? 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:04.460 when he comes Then notice what Jesus says truly 00:18:04.460 --> 00:18:08.440 I say to you that he will gird himself to serve 00:18:08.440 --> 00:18:12.140 And have them recline at the table and will come 00:18:12.140 --> 00:18:16.819 up and wait on them. Whoa This was not difficult. 00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:19.839 Because normally when the bridegroom came back 00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:21.920 with his bride, he was the one who was served. 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:27.839 It was his party. But Jesus' tear twists the 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:32.539 story. He turns the tables at this point. He 00:18:32.539 --> 00:18:36.480 says, when your master comes, he's going to serve 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:42.380 you. He's going to wait on you. It's going to 00:18:42.380 --> 00:18:48.890 be your party. So be watching and be on the alert 00:18:48.890 --> 00:18:57.089 for His return. Verse 40 says, you too be ready 00:18:57.089 --> 00:19:00.730 for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do 00:19:00.730 --> 00:19:09.210 not expect. Peter says, Lord, are you talking 00:19:09.210 --> 00:19:11.750 to everybody or to us? Lord, who are you talking 00:19:11.750 --> 00:19:16.940 to here? Jesus doesn't answer him directly, but 00:19:16.940 --> 00:19:19.900 he indicates by what he says that he's especially 00:19:19.900 --> 00:19:25.440 talking to his followers. He says, who then is 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:30.220 the faithful and sensible steward, whom the master 00:19:30.220 --> 00:19:33.700 will put in charge of his servants to give them 00:19:33.700 --> 00:19:38.619 their rations at the proper time? Jesus is saying 00:19:38.619 --> 00:19:41.220 that a master will look for a faithful and a 00:19:41.220 --> 00:19:45.960 sensible. steward. And when he leaves, he's going 00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:49.240 to give the steward responsibility for the other 00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:53.240 servants. He is to care for them, to give them 00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:58.099 their rations, their food, their necessities 00:19:58.099 --> 00:20:02.640 at the proper time. Jesus says in verse 43, blessed 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:07.000 is that slave whom his master finds so doing 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:12.859 when he comes. The slave has been given The blessing 00:20:12.859 --> 00:20:18.940 of leading others. The slave has been given privilege. 00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:23.220 The slave has been given responsibilities. He's 00:20:23.220 --> 00:20:29.720 a steward now. Jesus is blessed is the one who's 00:20:29.720 --> 00:20:33.319 doing what he's supposed to do when the master 00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:37.420 comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him 00:20:37.420 --> 00:20:41.430 in charge of all his possessions. In other words, 00:20:41.450 --> 00:20:48.630 there is a reward. In other words, there is a 00:20:48.630 --> 00:20:53.849 promotion for the one who fulfills his responsibilities 00:20:53.849 --> 00:20:59.150 well. But, Jesus warns, if that slave says in 00:20:59.150 --> 00:21:02.230 his heart, my master will be a long time in coming, 00:21:03.250 --> 00:21:06.049 and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, 00:21:06.849 --> 00:21:09.900 and to eat and drink and get drunk, The master 00:21:09.900 --> 00:21:13.599 of that slave will come on a day when he does 00:21:13.599 --> 00:21:16.859 not expect him, and at an hour he does not know, 00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:19.859 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place 00:21:19.859 --> 00:21:22.799 with the unbelievers." This is figurative language. 00:21:23.019 --> 00:21:24.839 Obviously, if he literally cut him in pieces, 00:21:25.099 --> 00:21:27.039 he wouldn't be assigning him a place with anybody. 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:31.619 In other words, he's going to cut him down, as 00:21:31.619 --> 00:21:35.319 we would say, and he is going to assign him a 00:21:35.319 --> 00:21:38.450 place with the unbelievers, that is those who 00:21:38.450 --> 00:21:41.289 did not believe he was coming back and were careless. 00:21:42.630 --> 00:21:46.829 And that slave who knew his master's will and 00:21:46.829 --> 00:21:50.089 did not get ready or act in accord with his will 00:21:50.089 --> 00:21:55.009 shall receive many lashes. But the one who did 00:21:55.009 --> 00:22:00.190 not know it did not know his master's will and 00:22:00.190 --> 00:22:02.950 committed deeds worthy of a flogging will receive 00:22:02.950 --> 00:22:08.450 but a few. And from everyone who has been given 00:22:08.450 --> 00:22:12.509 much shall much be required, and to whom they 00:22:12.509 --> 00:22:16.289 entrusted more, or much rather, of him they will 00:22:16.289 --> 00:22:22.690 ask all the more." So there's how that hard saying 00:22:22.690 --> 00:22:26.190 of Jesus fits into the context of this occasion. 00:22:27.809 --> 00:22:31.750 Jesus is saying that we, His servants, His followers, 00:22:31.890 --> 00:22:35.740 are stewards. that we have received from him 00:22:35.740 --> 00:22:40.059 blessings, that we have received from him privileges, 00:22:40.339 --> 00:22:42.460 that we have received from him responsibilities 00:22:42.460 --> 00:22:47.759 while he is gone, and that we are not to neglect 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:53.799 these. We are not to keep the blessings to ourselves. 00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:57.619 We are not to overlook what we're to be about. 00:22:58.900 --> 00:23:01.960 We are to use our blessings. We're not to hoard 00:23:01.960 --> 00:23:05.630 them. we are to fulfill our responsibilities, 00:23:06.009 --> 00:23:10.509 not shirk them. And he says, the more that we 00:23:10.509 --> 00:23:14.809 receive, the more for which we must give account. 00:23:17.029 --> 00:23:19.390 So that's why I began this morning by saying, 00:23:19.450 --> 00:23:22.029 did you pray for God's blessing in your life 00:23:22.029 --> 00:23:26.450 this week? Because if God answers that prayer, 00:23:26.470 --> 00:23:30.569 as we hope He will, It will nonetheless in the 00:23:30.569 --> 00:23:36.650 end make you even more responsible to God Because 00:23:36.650 --> 00:23:39.329 the more that he gives us the more responsible 00:23:39.329 --> 00:23:43.809 we become For our use of the blessings that he 00:23:43.809 --> 00:23:49.170 gives if we receive much We are all the more 00:23:49.170 --> 00:23:54.230 responsible in the final accounting Now I want 00:23:54.230 --> 00:23:56.690 to get to the bottom line and then we'll be done 00:23:56.690 --> 00:24:02.000 the bottom line is this That there is a day of 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:06.960 accounting that is set for you and for all people 00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:12.480 There is a day of accounting that is set For 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:17.140 you and for all people Daniel Webster the great 00:24:17.140 --> 00:24:21.180 American patriot said my greatest thought is 00:24:21.180 --> 00:24:28.750 my accountability to God would that that were 00:24:28.750 --> 00:24:32.089 the greatest thought of our leaders today. It 00:24:32.089 --> 00:24:37.849 makes a difference. Hebrews 927 says, it is appointed 00:24:37.849 --> 00:24:42.670 for men to die once and after this comes judgment. 00:24:44.349 --> 00:24:47.369 You count it. Now it doesn't come immediately, 00:24:48.549 --> 00:24:51.509 but it comes in the future. And it will come 00:24:51.509 --> 00:24:56.309 when the Son of Man returns. There is a day of 00:24:56.309 --> 00:24:58.910 accounting for all of those who are unbelieving, 00:24:59.849 --> 00:25:04.549 for all of those who reject Jesus Christ. In 00:25:04.549 --> 00:25:08.609 Acts 17 and verse 30, the Apostle says, God overlooked 00:25:08.609 --> 00:25:12.230 the times of this ignorance, but is now declaring 00:25:12.230 --> 00:25:20.670 to men that all everywhere should repent. All 00:25:20.670 --> 00:25:25.480 everywhere. From the islands of the sea and the 00:25:25.480 --> 00:25:28.559 tribes that have never been reached to the multitudes 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:32.059 of the most populous nations of the world, all 00:25:32.059 --> 00:25:36.880 everywhere are commanded by their Creator to 00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:43.119 repent of their ignorance, their ignorance toward 00:25:43.119 --> 00:25:48.180 Him, their refusal to know Him and to give Him 00:25:48.180 --> 00:25:52.579 thanks as the Creator. God commands everyone 00:25:52.579 --> 00:25:56.079 everywhere to repent. And he goes on to say in 00:25:56.079 --> 00:26:02.940 verse 31, because he, God, has fixed a day in 00:26:02.940 --> 00:26:05.579 which he will judge the world in righteousness 00:26:05.579 --> 00:26:12.799 through a man whom he has appointed. And lest 00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:16.759 anyone wonder who the man is, he says, having 00:26:16.759 --> 00:26:19.500 furnished proof to all men by raising him from 00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:24.109 the dead. so we know it's Jesus. What Paul is 00:26:24.109 --> 00:26:29.529 saying is that whether Jew or Gentile, for the 00:26:29.529 --> 00:26:34.750 civilized or pagan, poor or rich, all men everywhere 00:26:34.750 --> 00:26:39.750 are commanded to repent of their sin and their 00:26:39.750 --> 00:26:41.930 spiritual ignorance, their willful spiritual 00:26:41.930 --> 00:26:46.289 ignorance, because God has appointed a day when 00:26:46.289 --> 00:26:50.900 they will be held accountable. He has fixed the 00:26:50.900 --> 00:26:55.279 day. And Revelation 20 describes that day. It 00:26:55.279 --> 00:26:58.200 doesn't give us the date, but it describes the 00:26:58.200 --> 00:27:01.180 day. It says, and I saw a great white throne 00:27:01.180 --> 00:27:03.680 and him who set upon it from whose presence earth 00:27:03.680 --> 00:27:06.819 and heaven fled away. We don't have to guess 00:27:06.819 --> 00:27:10.420 as to who that is. It is the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:27:12.950 --> 00:27:15.130 There was found no place for earth and heaven 00:27:15.130 --> 00:27:17.650 it says and I saw the dead the great and small 00:27:17.650 --> 00:27:21.269 standing before the throne and books were open 00:27:21.269 --> 00:27:24.309 and another book was open which is the book of 00:27:24.309 --> 00:27:28.809 life and the dead were judged from the things 00:27:28.809 --> 00:27:31.089 which were written in the books according to 00:27:31.089 --> 00:27:34.730 their deeds and the sea gave up the dead which 00:27:34.730 --> 00:27:38.049 were in it and death and Hades gave up the dead 00:27:38.049 --> 00:27:40.329 which were in them and they were judged every 00:27:40.329 --> 00:27:45.859 one of them according to their deeds. And death 00:27:45.859 --> 00:27:47.859 and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. 00:27:48.359 --> 00:27:51.819 This is the second death, the lake of fire. And 00:27:51.819 --> 00:27:54.039 if anyone's name was not found written in the 00:27:54.039 --> 00:27:57.240 book of life, he was thrown into the lake of 00:27:57.240 --> 00:28:02.119 fire. And may I say that anyone who appears at 00:28:02.119 --> 00:28:04.859 this particular judgment will not find his name 00:28:04.859 --> 00:28:09.410 in the book of life. The Book of Life is there 00:28:09.410 --> 00:28:11.630 as evidence that the fact that they are condemned 00:28:11.630 --> 00:28:17.970 because their name is not there. And it says 00:28:17.970 --> 00:28:20.390 that these who are lost, who have been the unbelieving 00:28:20.390 --> 00:28:22.390 through the history of the world, will every 00:28:22.390 --> 00:28:26.329 one of them stand before God, and they will be 00:28:26.329 --> 00:28:30.230 judged according to their works. Twice it emphasizes 00:28:30.230 --> 00:28:40.170 that. Hard saying of Jesus in Luke 12 adds to 00:28:40.170 --> 00:28:45.089 the equation is this That those who have received 00:28:45.089 --> 00:28:50.609 much light about God In this world during their 00:28:50.609 --> 00:28:56.549 lifetime Will have a more harsh judgment Than 00:28:56.549 --> 00:29:00.529 those who have lived and died with very little 00:29:00.529 --> 00:29:08.009 light Now all have light of revelation, if not 00:29:08.009 --> 00:29:11.309 from the Word of God, from the creation of God, 00:29:11.670 --> 00:29:14.630 so that all are accountable to God, Romans chapter 00:29:14.630 --> 00:29:21.509 1. But Jesus is laying down a principle of accountability 00:29:21.509 --> 00:29:24.470 in Luke chapter 12, and he is saying that those 00:29:24.470 --> 00:29:30.269 who have rejected great light, who have understood 00:29:30.269 --> 00:29:33.769 Jesus Christ coming, his death and resurrection 00:29:33.769 --> 00:29:36.400 for them, and who have neglected it, or who have 00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:42.339 rejected it and said no to Him, that they will 00:29:42.339 --> 00:29:48.160 receive a greater judgment in the end than perhaps 00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:51.700 that tribesman who lived in some place where 00:29:51.700 --> 00:29:55.579 the gospel is not even yet proclaimed, and who 00:29:55.579 --> 00:30:00.559 will die lost and condemned in his sin and justly 00:30:00.559 --> 00:30:04.920 so. But his condemnation in the second death 00:30:04.920 --> 00:30:08.339 in the lake of fire will be less, because his 00:30:08.339 --> 00:30:12.480 light is less. Because to whom much is given, 00:30:13.359 --> 00:30:21.940 much shall be required. How great will be the 00:30:21.940 --> 00:30:24.880 judgment of those who have lived in our day. 00:30:27.880 --> 00:30:30.819 when the gospel has been so readily available 00:30:30.819 --> 00:30:34.279 in many parts of the world like the United States, 00:30:35.619 --> 00:30:38.039 where it is available in print and is broadcast 00:30:38.039 --> 00:30:41.559 over the airwaves day after day in almost every 00:30:41.559 --> 00:30:48.160 community in our nation, how severe will be the 00:30:48.160 --> 00:30:52.680 judgment of this generation at this great white 00:30:52.680 --> 00:30:58.869 throne. This judgment looks at the accumulative 00:30:58.869 --> 00:31:01.890 weight of the works of the lives of every lost 00:31:01.890 --> 00:31:05.390 person, and their eternal punishment will be 00:31:05.390 --> 00:31:14.569 determined accordingly. Actor W .C. Fields, just 00:31:14.569 --> 00:31:19.369 before he died, was in a hospital. Their friend 00:31:19.369 --> 00:31:21.490 walked in and surprised him one day, and W .C. 00:31:21.549 --> 00:31:24.289 Fields was looking through a Bible that was in 00:31:24.289 --> 00:31:27.910 the room. His friend asked what he was doing 00:31:27.910 --> 00:31:30.269 with the Bible, and W .C. Fields responded by 00:31:30.269 --> 00:31:36.190 saying, I'm looking for loopholes. Friends, there 00:31:36.190 --> 00:31:38.390 are no loopholes when it comes to the judgment, 00:31:38.450 --> 00:31:44.309 the final judgment. There are no loopholes. But, 00:31:44.470 --> 00:31:49.910 but there is an escape. And that escape from 00:31:49.910 --> 00:31:52.609 this final judgment is by believing on the Lord 00:31:52.609 --> 00:31:56.240 Jesus Christ. and recognizing that on the cross, 00:31:57.220 --> 00:32:01.119 He bore your judgment. He bore your eternal death. 00:32:02.319 --> 00:32:04.940 He bore the penalty that you deserve for all 00:32:04.940 --> 00:32:09.559 the sins of your life. He died in your place. 00:32:10.980 --> 00:32:15.140 So that now if you will trust in Him, His death 00:32:15.140 --> 00:32:19.160 will pay off your sin debt. And He will give 00:32:19.160 --> 00:32:22.529 to you His righteousness. And my friend, that's 00:32:22.529 --> 00:32:26.410 the only escape there is from this judgment. 00:32:30.410 --> 00:32:32.849 Some poet has captured that thought in this way. 00:32:33.569 --> 00:32:38.369 On him, Jesus, on him almighty vengeance fell, 00:32:39.269 --> 00:32:43.309 which would have sunk a world to hell. He bore 00:32:43.309 --> 00:32:47.589 it for a chosen race and thus became our hiding 00:32:47.589 --> 00:32:56.200 place. He is the escape from this judgment. Judgment 00:32:56.200 --> 00:33:01.960 is coming for every lost person. But, judgment 00:33:01.960 --> 00:33:06.420 is coming for every Christian too. And I cannot 00:33:06.420 --> 00:33:08.920 close without pointing all of us in this direction. 00:33:10.759 --> 00:33:14.019 In Romans chapter 14 it says, but to this end 00:33:14.019 --> 00:33:17.539 Christ died and lived again. That he might be 00:33:17.539 --> 00:33:20.920 Lord both of the dead and of the living. But 00:33:20.920 --> 00:33:24.819 you why do you judge your brother? Remember in 00:33:24.819 --> 00:33:26.819 Rome they had that problem that none of us have 00:33:26.819 --> 00:33:29.000 ever faced where they were judging one another 00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:32.759 And he says why are you judging your brother? 00:33:33.539 --> 00:33:35.640 For you again, why do you regard your brother 00:33:35.640 --> 00:33:37.920 with contempt? Why do you look down at your brother 00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:42.519 in Christ? He says for we shall all stand Before 00:33:42.519 --> 00:33:46.609 the judgment seat of God as it is written As 00:33:46.609 --> 00:33:49.450 I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to 00:33:49.450 --> 00:33:51.369 me and every tongue shall give praise to God. 00:33:52.650 --> 00:33:55.430 So then, writes Paul, each one of us shall give 00:33:55.430 --> 00:33:59.170 account of himself to God. Don't go around judging 00:33:59.170 --> 00:34:01.170 other people and condemning and looking down 00:34:01.170 --> 00:34:03.730 upon them. He says, you just take care of yourself. 00:34:05.009 --> 00:34:07.430 Because each one of us will have to stand before 00:34:07.430 --> 00:34:12.610 Jesus Christ someday at the judgment seat. And 00:34:12.610 --> 00:34:15.690 the Bible is called the Bema, the Bema, the... 00:34:15.690 --> 00:34:18.409 the place of accounting or the place of reward. 00:34:19.230 --> 00:34:22.130 The Bema was a seat in the public place in ancient 00:34:22.130 --> 00:34:25.449 cities where, for example, athletes would come 00:34:25.449 --> 00:34:27.889 to receive the award of the city because of their 00:34:27.889 --> 00:34:31.150 success in the games. That is the picture Paul 00:34:31.150 --> 00:34:33.710 draws upon when he speaks about the Bema of Christ. 00:34:34.110 --> 00:34:36.670 We believers, whose names are written in the 00:34:36.670 --> 00:34:40.789 Lamb's Book of Life, thank God, will not stand 00:34:40.789 --> 00:34:42.909 before him at the great white -throne judgment 00:34:42.909 --> 00:34:46.250 that we've looked at a moment ago. But we will 00:34:46.250 --> 00:34:52.110 stand at the Bema. We will stand at the judgment 00:34:52.110 --> 00:34:57.389 seat of Christ. And to whom much is given, much 00:34:57.389 --> 00:35:01.650 shall be required. The examination on that day 00:35:01.650 --> 00:35:04.289 will not be to determine saved or lost. That's 00:35:04.289 --> 00:35:08.130 settled at the cross. The examination on that 00:35:08.130 --> 00:35:12.420 day will be for rewards. Based upon our stewardship 00:35:12.420 --> 00:35:15.139 and how we have used the privileges and the gifts 00:35:15.139 --> 00:35:19.559 the opportunities and the blessings That the 00:35:19.559 --> 00:35:23.099 Lord has given us in this life It will examine 00:35:23.099 --> 00:35:26.300 how we have used our lives to serve and to bless 00:35:26.300 --> 00:35:32.920 others Those with greater gifts and greater callings 00:35:32.920 --> 00:35:35.760 will have a greater judgment greater responsibility 00:35:37.670 --> 00:35:40.130 I suppose a lot of us have thought, oh, wouldn't 00:35:40.130 --> 00:35:42.250 it be fun just for a day to be Billy Graham? 00:35:44.530 --> 00:35:47.590 To sense being used of God in such a significant 00:35:47.590 --> 00:35:51.230 way to preach to, I don't know, a million people, 00:35:51.349 --> 00:35:55.889 say, on television? But friend, remember what 00:35:55.889 --> 00:35:59.530 Billy Graham does remember. That on this day, 00:35:59.690 --> 00:36:02.070 his accounting to God will be greater than yours. 00:36:04.690 --> 00:36:07.130 because he has received more opportunity than 00:36:07.130 --> 00:36:11.510 you have received. But lest any of us relax and 00:36:11.510 --> 00:36:14.170 say, well, I'm sure glad that's passed, remember 00:36:14.170 --> 00:36:17.230 how many there are in the world who have so much 00:36:17.230 --> 00:36:26.190 less than we do. Paul says to the Corinthians, 00:36:26.570 --> 00:36:29.369 do not go on passing judgment before the time. 00:36:30.039 --> 00:36:33.199 But wait until the Lord comes who will both bring 00:36:33.199 --> 00:36:36.900 to light things hidden in the darkness and Disclose 00:36:36.900 --> 00:36:41.280 the motives of men's hearts then each man's praise 00:36:41.280 --> 00:36:46.079 will come to him from God The suggestion at least 00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:48.260 in that verse is that on that day the Lord is 00:36:48.260 --> 00:36:50.519 going to find something for which to reward each 00:36:50.519 --> 00:36:57.280 of us But the point is What ought that reward 00:36:57.280 --> 00:37:00.579 to be, if we really used our opportunities and 00:37:00.579 --> 00:37:03.880 our privileges well? If we really were diligent 00:37:03.880 --> 00:37:07.619 and we were watching for the Lord's return? If 00:37:07.619 --> 00:37:10.440 we were ready for the Son of Man when he comes? 00:37:12.280 --> 00:37:17.480 How much greater our reward might be? Alexander 00:37:17.480 --> 00:37:20.880 McLaren, the great Scottish Presbyterian said, 00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:25.019 The judgment seat is meant for us professing 00:37:25.019 --> 00:37:29.159 Christians, real and imperfect Christians, and 00:37:29.159 --> 00:37:31.860 it tells us that there are degrees in that future 00:37:31.860 --> 00:37:36.960 blessedness apportioned to our present faithfulness. 00:37:39.340 --> 00:37:43.579 What McLaren was saying is that there will be 00:37:43.579 --> 00:37:46.480 varying rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. 00:37:47.400 --> 00:37:50.099 And just as Jesus suggests that the faithful 00:37:50.099 --> 00:37:52.980 servant will receive more responsibility if he's 00:37:52.980 --> 00:37:57.760 done well, so in the future kingdom, those who 00:37:57.760 --> 00:38:02.039 have done well serving him in this world, who 00:38:02.039 --> 00:38:04.500 have fulfilled the responsibility God's given 00:38:04.500 --> 00:38:09.139 to them, will be given reward in the coming kingdom 00:38:09.139 --> 00:38:14.199 to serve him. And likewise, those of us who've 00:38:14.199 --> 00:38:18.289 just blown off life, Those of us who just lived 00:38:18.289 --> 00:38:20.070 as though all of this didn't really matter in 00:38:20.070 --> 00:38:22.510 the end. We're saved and that's all that counts. 00:38:23.789 --> 00:38:25.969 We'll not only lose our reward, the judgment 00:38:25.969 --> 00:38:30.949 seat, but lose out the possibility of reigning 00:38:30.949 --> 00:38:33.710 with Jesus and his kingdom in some position that 00:38:33.710 --> 00:38:36.949 you might give us because we didn't prove ourselves 00:38:36.949 --> 00:38:41.929 faithful. We do not know when our Lord may come. 00:38:43.349 --> 00:38:46.409 or when life's day of opportunity will close 00:38:46.409 --> 00:38:50.610 suddenly for us. How well we've been reminded 00:38:50.610 --> 00:38:53.670 this last week, how even the young can die suddenly. 00:38:56.530 --> 00:38:58.909 Therefore, all of us must live with diligence, 00:38:59.929 --> 00:39:03.869 waiting, watching, and working for the Master. 00:39:06.269 --> 00:39:10.050 Let me close with this poem. that says, when 00:39:10.050 --> 00:39:12.909 I stand at the judgment seat of Christ and He 00:39:12.909 --> 00:39:18.789 shows me His plan for me, the plan of my life 00:39:18.789 --> 00:39:21.909 as it might have been had He had His way with 00:39:21.909 --> 00:39:25.690 me, and I see how I blocked Him here and I checked 00:39:25.690 --> 00:39:30.650 Him there, and I would not yield my will, will 00:39:30.650 --> 00:39:34.269 I see grief in my Savior's eyes, grief though 00:39:34.269 --> 00:39:40.340 He loves me still? Oh. He'd have me rich, and 00:39:40.340 --> 00:39:44.679 I stand there poor, stripped of all but his grace. 00:39:45.360 --> 00:39:48.199 While my memory runs like a hunted thing down 00:39:48.199 --> 00:39:53.519 the paths I can't retrace. Then my desolate heart 00:39:53.519 --> 00:39:57.280 would well -nigh break with tears I cannot shed. 00:39:58.320 --> 00:40:02.659 I'd cover my face with my empty hands and bow 00:40:02.659 --> 00:40:08.710 my uncrowned head. No. Lord of the years that 00:40:08.710 --> 00:40:12.750 are left to me, I yield them to thy hand. Take 00:40:12.750 --> 00:40:18.630 me, make me, mold me to the pattern that thou 00:40:18.630 --> 00:40:27.489 hast planned. Let's pray together. This hard 00:40:27.489 --> 00:40:29.590 saying of Jesus, that to whom much is given, 00:40:29.590 --> 00:40:34.050 much will be required, is one that should sober 00:40:34.050 --> 00:40:39.530 every one of us. May the Holy Spirit just apply 00:40:39.530 --> 00:40:43.110 it to our hearts now as it needs to be. And if 00:40:43.110 --> 00:40:47.630 in fact we have been shirking our responsibility, 00:40:48.809 --> 00:40:52.010 if we have taken for granted and abused the blessings 00:40:52.010 --> 00:40:57.369 and the privileges that God has given us, let's 00:40:57.369 --> 00:40:59.989 have the same attitude that this poem writer 00:40:59.989 --> 00:41:04.789 did. Lord of the days that are left to me, I 00:41:04.789 --> 00:41:10.070 yield them to thee. Friend, we don't want to 00:41:10.070 --> 00:41:13.889 come to that judgment seat of Christ, empty -handed 00:41:13.889 --> 00:41:22.530 and uncrowned. We want to hear, well done. Father, 00:41:22.570 --> 00:41:24.530 may it be so that that would be the passion of 00:41:24.530 --> 00:41:28.110 our hearts. Help us to hear the words of Jesus, 00:41:29.130 --> 00:41:34.429 to take them seriously, to apply them to our 00:41:34.429 --> 00:41:37.739 hearts. And then out of that, we pray that you 00:41:37.739 --> 00:41:41.639 will bring forth fruit in our lives. Lord, you 00:41:41.639 --> 00:41:43.679 taught us to pray for your blessings, and we 00:41:43.679 --> 00:41:46.179 do. But oh, we also pray that in the blessings, 00:41:46.940 --> 00:41:50.179 you would also give us diligence, that we may 00:41:50.179 --> 00:41:57.559 use those blessings well. Because someday we 00:41:57.559 --> 00:42:01.179 will give an account to you. And to whom much 00:42:01.179 --> 00:42:10.789 is given, much will be required. Sing with me 00:42:10.789 --> 00:42:13.949 this song, if you will, just in closing a cappella 00:42:13.949 --> 00:43:22.239 without any instruments. Lord, help us to be 00:43:22.239 --> 00:43:24.900 good stewards of ourselves and the gifts you've 00:43:24.900 --> 00:43:28.420 given us, and to understand the times in which 00:43:28.420 --> 00:43:32.719 we're living, and to expect your return shortly, 00:43:34.219 --> 00:43:40.139 and to be watching, be working for you. In Jesus' 00:43:40.340 --> 00:43:41.960 name I pray, amen.