Living in Anticipation Luke 12:35-48 (NKJV)

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1 Living in Anticipation Luke 12:35-48 (NKJV) Have you ever had your cage rattled? I mean something that really shook you to the core? Earthquake story (most memorable) Landers earthquake, June 28, 1992, 7.3 magnitude on our Honeymoon night! We were in the San Pedro Hotel on the 30th floor. Then the cruise caught on fire. I think the Lord s message to my wife was that marriage with me was going to be like facing death over and over again. She should have known. Another earthquake happened years later and I remember holding our crying baby, crouched in a doorway and thinking, Lord, not now. I m not ready. I want to have my life right with you when you come back Not now! There are a lot of passages in the Bible that get my attention, but Luke chapter 12 is one of those cage rattlers for me. At the beginning of Luke 12 it says that the crowd around Jesus had gotten so big that they started to trample one another. But, even though He knew that the others were listening in, He was directing His conversation to His disciples. And in the first few verses, Jesus is warning them about hypocrisy, covetousness, and worrying. Notice in verse 31, Jesus tells the disciples, But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. And then in verse 32 He says, Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. So there was something that was their responsibility to seek regarding the kingdom of God, but ultimately it was the Heavenly Father s desire and pleasure to give the kingdom to them. Here you see the responsibility of man and the sovereignty of God. Now, when Jesus started talking about the kingdom of God with His disciples, they were always under the impression that He was talking in the more immediate like any day now. Remember in Acts chapter 1 when they asked Jesus, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Copyright 2012 Brian Burson 1

2 Israel? Jesus told them that it wasn t for them to know the times or dates that the Father has set. So the disciples were thinking this stuff regarding the kingdom of God was going to happen more immediately. But starting in verse 35, Jesus begins describing to the disciples a delay before He, the Son of Man, would come back to usher in the kingdom and how His servants were to conduct themselves while He was gone. Luke 12:35-40 Jesus then shares a parable about a master who goes away to a wedding, and who could return to his house at any moment. The expectation was that when he showed up, his servants would be prepped and ready to greet him at the door. And the servants who were prepared would be blessed and would actually be served a meal by their master. It is kind of like house-sitting. If you are asked to house-sit, if you think the owner of that house is going to arrive at any moment, you are on guard. The pillows are straightened, the TV is off, and the dishes have been cleaned. If you think they are going to be gone for a while, you can relax a little more. But your greatest fear is that you will be caught off guard. Now, remember that the disciples still had on their minds that Jesus, their Messiah, had arrived, and the whole talk about Him going away for a trip and what that all meant wasn t quite registering. There was obviously a brief pause in what Jesus was sharing to give Peter a chance to interject. Verse 41 If anyone was going to ask a question or to say anything, you could expect that of all the disciples it would be Peter. Peter was often the disciple that felt like he had to say something and often it would have been better if he hadn t said anything. Remember the Get behind Me Satan incident? When you get told by Jesus that you re satanic and to get out of His way, that s what I call a bad day! That s when you learn to keep your mouth shut. Again, here, Jesus doesn t directly respond to Peter s question, but keeps on teaching, and the story Jesus is sharing gets more serious. He starts out with Copyright 2012 Brian Burson 2

3 the blessings of an obedient servant, but now talks about the punishment for a disobedient servant Verses Now, if everything else that Jesus had shared hadn t gotten everyone s attention, this would have. Notice that in this story the disobedient servant in verse 45 says, My master is delaying his coming I think the thing that causes me to pause more than anything else, is that this servant identifies his boss as his master. Not only did he know him as his master, it says in verse 47 that there was no confusion about what his master s will was. He knew the master s will. And to top that off, he acknowledged that his master intended to return. The only identified reason given for the servant s bad behavior was because there was an expected delay in the master s return. Jesus obviously wanted to get people s attention. He wanted to rattle some cages. The Bible emphatically teaches that Jesus Christ will one day return to bring human history to its end, as we know it. Over and over again, the message is Get ready! Be prepared! I always think of the Crystal Lewis song that is played at just about every Harvest Crusade during the altar call time People get ready, Jesus is coming, soon we ll be going home. In 1 John 3:2-3 the Apostle Paul says this about the coming of the Lord Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. In other words, living in constant awareness that the Lord is going to return soon has a definite effect on the way a person lives their life. Everyone who expects that the Lord could return at any moment walks with a greater degree of purity. I mean, if Jesus were to return before we leave this room today, so much of what we have been consumed by in our lives really wouldn t matter anymore. Even when you look at things on the world scene, things are getting interesting like what is going on with the European Union right now and Copyright 2012 Brian Burson 3

4 the Euro. The depth of financial crisis and the fears of a contagion effect the threat of Greece pulling out of the Euro and the struggles of Spain, Italy, France, and the list goes on. It all sounds eerily like the description of the prophecy in Daniel chapter 2. There is a vision given to King Nebuchadnezzar of a statue, which is symbolic of the great nations throughout history: the Babylonians, the Medo-Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, and then this interesting mixture of nations that make up the toes that are made with a mixture of iron and clay. It says that because the iron and clay don t mix well, they don t adhere to one another; therefore, the kingdom is partly strong and partly fragile. And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Daniel 2:44 Are we beginning to see this play out right now before us? I don t know, but I will say this, it causes me to pause and to start thinking more about the Lord s return. Paul told Timothy, But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God 2 Timothy 3:1-4 That seems to be a more accurate description of where we are at right now than ever before. Prophetically speaking, we believe the next event on the prophetic timetable is the Rapture of the church where Christians will be caught up with the Lord in the air. But rather than getting heavy into the eschatology of the end times, what I simply want to focus on is this: without question, regardless of how you interpret end times scenarios, the Bible emphatically urges Christians to be prepared and waiting for the Lord s return. Yesterday, I attended Tyler Davis memorial service. He was our neighbor and my wife works with his mom. Following the memorial service we Copyright 2012 Brian Burson 4

5 followed the processional to the cemetery in Beaumont where his body was laid to rest. It was one of the most amazing things I have seen. Thousands of people were lining the streets of Yucaipa, Calimesa, and Beaumont on overpasses, along the freeway, holding flags and banners, and showing respect and honor due to a hometown hero. It was an overwhelming response. While I was watching that amazing display of outpouring, I thought in my mind what it is going to look like in Christ s second coming, because in His second coming, His reception is going to be much different than the first time around. The first time around, Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Creator of the universe, did not get a reception that was due Him. But in His second coming things are going to be much different. Revelation 19 describes Jesus in His second coming arriving on a white horse, with His eyes like a flame of fire, His robe dipped in blood, and out of His mouth a sharp sword, and on His robe and on His thigh the name KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS. After He crushes all rebellion and judging the nations, He will take His rightful place on the throne, when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! The scriptures indicate that believers will be a part of that processional. It says that the Lord comes with all His Saints (1 Thessalonians 3:13, Jude 14, Zechariah 14:5, Colossians 3:4). I can only imagine what that processional is going to look like! The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness. 2 Peter 3:9-11 If I have knowledge about how this is all going down in the end, what manner of life should I be living? The other day I grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled out 5 things that I felt that I needed to be prepared for in His return. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of everything that you Copyright 2012 Brian Burson 5

6 need to consider before the Lord returns. This is simply a list that I wrote down for myself. So, keep that in mind. The Lord might be pressing other things on your heart regarding your own preparation. So tune in to what the Lord may be telling you to do in preparation, but the first thing I wrote down was 1. Get busy examining I need to examine myself. Paul told us that we should be in the habit of each examining ourselves and our works (Galatians 6). Jesus said in John 15 that every branch that abides in Him bears fruit. So, am I abiding in Christ? Is there spiritual fruit in my life the fruit of repentance and the fruit of the Spirit in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness? How am I doing in my stewardship of what the Lord has given me: my marriage, my family, my kids, my time, my spiritual gifts? How am I doing in my daily life with the Lord, in prayer, and reading the Word? I need assistance with this examination process because I have blind spots to my own sin. So, I need the Lord to reveal those things in my life that I need to get right, to get adjusted before He returns. David said this, Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 So I need to keep asking the Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to reveal those things in my life that need to be dealt with. The other equation in the examination process is the Word of God The author of Hebrews tells us, For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13 Copyright 2012 Brian Burson 6

7 Computer Cord analogy output device. It can be a seemingly good thing I m doing, but if it is motivated by the wrong things, then for me it is wrong. Now obviously, if I lacked confidence in my salvation, my examination needs to start there. Because, let me assure you, according to the descriptions in the Bible concerning what goes down in the last days, you need to make sure that you are on the right side of the tracks. I can t emphasize that enough. And the time to figure that out is NOW! Don t put it off! Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed you are disqualified. 2 Corinthians 13:5 The next thing that I wrote down was 2. Get busy waiting James said, Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8 I need to be waiting patiently for His return In Luke 18:1, Jesus says that, men always ought to pray and not lose heart... And then just a few verses later, He would say in verse 8, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? A significant part of my time waiting for the Lord needs to be spent in prayer. Prayer is not me just giving the Lord a laundry list of my needs, complaints, and fears, but to actually wait on the Lord and listen to what He might have to say to me and getting my heart ready for His return. 3. Get busy dying And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the Copyright 2012 Brian Burson 7

8 day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Romans 13:11-14 Paul tells us that especially considering that our salvation is nearer, now we need to make no provision for the flesh. That means cut the flesh off from its food source. If you cut something off from its food source, you kill it. It may be a slow painful death, but you will eventually kill it. I need to look for sources that are energizing my flesh, my sinful tendencies, and cut them off, whatever those things might be. And I need to die to my Self my selfish tendencies I need to walk in humility and consider others greater than myself. 4. Get busy living I need to get busy living for the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. My first priority, the first thing I should be considering in my day and in my life, is that which pertains to the kingdom of God seeking His will for me, seeking to be used by Him, looking for opportunities to serve, to share the love of Jesus, to use my spiritual gifts, to share my faith, and to disciple others and to be discipled. Jesus said, I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 If I want to really live and have the abundant life that the Lord intends for me to have, then I need to seek first His kingdom because that is really living. 5. Get busy resting In all of this, I need to be able to rest in the sovereignty of the Lord in my life. With my tendency to strive in things, I can end up making all this preparation for the Lord s return a works thing. Sometimes, I can feel like Copyright 2012 Brian Burson 8

9 when I am doing well in my devotional life, dealing with sin, and living for the kingdom that somehow I will find the Lord s approval, and when I fail (and I will) that somehow I have lost the Lord s favor, and that is just NOT how it works! I need to remind myself constantly in all of this that I already have the Lord s favor because I am positionally robed in the righteousness of Christ. I am also a work in progress that it is the Lord s work in me and not my work. being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ Philippians 1:6 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10 Example: a police officer pulls behind you. Consider the effect on your driving stress, actually living in fear, etc. About all this, the Apostle John says, And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:16-18 If I am simply abiding in the Lord, which as you know is just hanging in there, staying connected to the vine, with Jesus, then we shouldn t be fearful of the Lord s return, but it should bring us great hope and great joy as we look forward to His return. Copyright 2012 Brian Burson 9