TPC Connections

Sermon Notes

Last Days Parables of Jesus
Pt. 1
“Be Ready in Your Faithfulness”

Matt 24:43-51 “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
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Leading up to this parable, with his betrayal and arrest only two days away, Jesus delivered the longest prophecy of his ministry in answer to his disciple’s questions about the future, which were:

“When will these things be (destruction of the Jewish Temple), and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus answered by speaking things both soon to come, and in the far distant future.

He predicted cataclysmic events–supernatural signs in the sky and the planets.

And on earth widespread wars, famine, plagues, earthquakes, persecution of Christians, an explosion of deception through false prophets and teachers, and a great apostasy with many hearts growing cold toward God.

He predicted a repeat of the reckless disregard for God as in Noah’s day, and of the sexual perversion prevalent in Sodom and Gomorrah in Lot’s day.

All these signs would take place with increasing intensity and frequency, like a woman’s birth pangs.
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Yet after 38 verses of prophecy and warnings, Jesus wasn’t finished.

He then delivered four parables based on one dominant theme–BE READY for my return! The 4 parables deal with BEING READY:

• In your faithfulness
• In your salvation
• In your accountability
• In how you have treated others

Today, we’re going to look at the first parable–be ready in your faithfulness.
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The main subjects in this parable are:

–The MASTER of the household, who leaves for an undetermined amount of time, representing Jesus.
–The SERVANT left in charge, who represents church leadership.
–The HOUSEHOLD, which represents the church.

When the master of the house (Jesus) prepares to depart for a long journey, the chief servant is given an assignment:

–feed the members of the household according to their need.
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So first, we have the master’s departing assignment:

I. Feed the household

It reminds me of what Jesus said to Peter when restoring him back to his calling–“Feed my sheep,” “Feed my lambs,” “Feed my sheep.”

Of course, Jesus was speaking of spiritual food–of feeding them the good word of God.

The food is described as MEAT–that which nourishes, sustains, and strengthens.

The Bible talks of God’s people being, “nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.”–1 Tim 4:6

Peter encourages new Christians, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”–Pet 2:2
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Sadly, many of the pulpits in America no longer feed the people with the nourishing word of God,
but instead with fluffy,
watered down messages more suited for a motivational seminar than a church service.

They might quote a Bible verse or two along the way but the message is not built around God’s word.

As a result the congregation becomes
anemic,
defeated,
worldly, and
restless.

So many churches resort to entertainment to keep the people in their seats.

The great English preacher Charles Spurgeon rightly predicted,

“A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats!”

Paul told Timothy, “Preach the Word of God urgently at all times,”–2 Tim 4:2
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So this was the divine assignment given to church leadership.

But I would also add it’s an assignment for the members of the household–the church folks!

There will be an accounting for all believers, not for our sin, but:

–for what we did with the time and gifts and opportunities for service God gave to us,

–and for how we treated one another.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Yes, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”–Romans 14:12

For instance, the Bible tells all Christians to, “…not forsake our meeting together [as believers for worship and teaching], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.”–Heb 10:25

And again, Paul tells the Corinthian church:

“So here’s what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. Everything that is done must be useful to all, and build them up in the Lord. This goes for all the churches—no exceptions.”–1 Co. 14:26 MSG

So we see that we’re all called on some level to “give spiritual food–love, patience, mercy, grace, encouragement, forgiveness–to the household of God!
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But as the parable progresses, something takes place in the heart of the chief servant.

“But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’–24:48

What this servant said to himself in the private chambers of his own heart reveals:

–The creeping shadow of UNBELIEF!

He’s slipping away from the daily expectation of the master’s return.

Jesus predicted this very thing would escalate before his return,

“Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many (believers) will grow cold.”–Matt 24:12
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In our parable the chief servant has tragically begun to doubt the master’s return in his heart.

The words, “My master delays” are words of, not just impatience, but of a growing unbelief in his imminent return.

He’s instead developed a casual, flippant “some day far away” attitude about the master’s return.

And as soon as this attitude takes root, his lifestyle spirals down.

He’s no longer living with one eye peeled on the horizon for the return of the master.

ILLUS: when parents would go out

It says that instead of feeding the members of the household, he “begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,”–vs 49

Think about it!

He begins to behave in direct opposition to his master’s assignment by beating, abusing, and mistreating the very people he’s called to feed and care for!

–In doubting the promise of the master’s return, he abandons the assignment the master gave him.
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And to add insult to injury, he begins running with the world and becomes a partying drunk just like them.

–So Jesus makes a strong connection between a daily expectation of His imminent return to earth with a Christ honoring lifestyle!

Listen to what the Apostle John wrote about this,

“Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.”–1 John 3:2-3
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The parable doesn’t end so well for this servant.

Jesus said, “the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,”–vs 50

The master’s return WAS imminent after all!

And it came when he wasn’t ready.

There’s no way around what comes next:

“He will cut him to pieces (by severe scourging) and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”–vs 51
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So the gist of this first end-time parable is,

–Be ready to be found faithful when Christ Jesus, the master of the house, returns!