{"id":11242,"date":"2016-08-17T01:27:05","date_gmt":"2016-08-17T06:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/ready-for-jesus-return\/"},"modified":"2016-08-17T01:27:05","modified_gmt":"2016-08-17T06:27:05","slug":"ready-for-jesus-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/ready-for-jesus-return\/","title":{"rendered":"READY FOR JESUS\u2019 RETURN"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b>LUKE 12:35\u201348<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal'><i>Peter asked, \u201cLord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal'><i>(Luke 12:41)<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>Jesus had just told the disciples to be prepared for His return through the parable of some servants who needed to keep the house ready for their master\u2019s return. Since the disciples were special servants of Jesus, Peter asked if His warning was for everyone, or exclusively for the disciples.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 18.0pt;line-height:normal'>Jesus answered by asking, \u201cWho then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns\u201d (Luke 12:42\u201343). In other words, all believers are God\u2019s servants, but there are special servants\u2014leaders in the church\u2014who are managers. And the Master is particularly concerned about how they behave.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 18.0pt;line-height:normal'>\u201cBut suppose the servant [manager] says to himself, \u2018My master is taking a long time in coming,\u2019 and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers\u201d (vv. 45\u201346).<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 18.0pt;line-height:normal'>This passage terrifies me because it is clear Jesus is speaking to those who hold positions of authority in His church. They, in particular, are the ones who are to study and learn the Master\u2019s will; and if they squander their time, fail to teach the people properly, or abuse their position by lording it over the flock, they will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 18.0pt;line-height:normal'>Jesus summarizes the matter this way, \u201cFrom everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked\u201d (v. 48). Surely it is a fearful thing to have responsibility in the church. Those who have it must walk in the fear of God, moreso than those who don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;   text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b>CORAM DEO<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;   text-align:center;line-height:normal'>Psalms 65\u201367<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;   text-align:center;line-height:normal'>Romans 2<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:   normal'>Each   of us is responsible before God, no matter what position we hold. Thus,   Jesus\u2019 teachings apply to each of us. Today, reflect on the position your   elders, deacons, and pastor hold before God. They need your prayers and your   support because they will be required to give an account of their leadership   on the Day of Judgment. Read Hebrews 13:17, and then pray for those who watch   over your soul.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:   normal'><i>For   further study: Hebrews 13:1\u201325; tape #B57INT.58\/59<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal'>thursday<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal'>august<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LUKE 12:35\u201348 Peter asked, \u201cLord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?\u201d (Luke 12:41). Jesus had just told the disciples to be prepared for His return through the parable of some servants who needed to keep the house ready for their master\u2019s return. Since the disciples were special servants of Jesus, Peter &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/ready-for-jesus-return\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;READY FOR JESUS\u2019 RETURN&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11242\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}