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Women World Leaders' Podcast


Jan 11, 2023

The Christian life is one of being ready – standing prepared to meet our Lord and Savior – and doing what we are called to do to help others prepare, too. Join Julie Jenkins for the study of Luke 12:35-48 and Matthew 24:42-51.

 

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Welcome to Walking in the Word, the Wednesday edition of the Women World Leaders podcast, where we take a few minutes each week to study the Bible together systematically. We offer three very different podcasts each week – so I hope you have your phone set to download ALL of them regularly. We all lead very busy lives, and I LOVE having these podcasts ready to listen to when I have a few minutes alone driving the kids to school or even washing dishes. On Monday, Kimberly Hobbs hosts Empowering Lives with Purpose – a 30 minute interview with a different woman of faith each week, meant to inspire you and empower you in your God-given walk. Sometimes Kimberly interviews someone you might recognize, and other weeks you will meet someone new, but you can be sure that EACH week she pulls a gem from the stream – someone who is walking through life’s challenges and relying on the strength of God. Then on Fridays we have the joy of Celebrating God’s Grace with one of our beautiful leaders. So download yourself a free gift of encouragement – and get in the habit of sitting in God’s lap as He grows you 3 times every week!

On Wednesdays, today, we are currently walking through the gospels chronologically. If you are new to the podcast – don’t worry – you can jump in right where we are, which, today, is Luke 12:35-48 and Matthew 24:42-51.

Before we begin, let’s pray…

Dear Most Holy God – Thank you for who you are and for who you made us to be. God you formed each one listening in her mother’s womb, and you KNEW that she would be listening to this today. You are sovereign, always in control, and your plans are perfect. Father, we give you this time, and ask you to open our hearts to hear exactly what you want us to know today. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

The Christian life is one of being ready – standing prepared to meet our Lord and Savior – and doing what we are called to do to help others prepare. That is the topic of today’s teaching. Jesus has been busy speaking to the crowds. He taught His followers to be the light, to be on guard against false teachings, not to be slaves to money or possessions, and not to worry about their well-being, as God is in control. Now Jesus states quite clearly that being a Christ follower requires, well, following Christ – that is, obediently and intentionally being prepared for Christ’s return by doing all that God calls us to do.

Let’s begin reading in Luke 12, verse 35 from the New Living Translation…

35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. 

We see several word-pictures here that all have the same meaning: be prepared.

First we read to “be dressed.” The literal interpretation of the original version means “let your waist be girded.” This referred to the long garments that were worn, which, you can imagine, could be cumbersome on a sudden journey. Imagine a line of runners waiting for the gun to go off, all dressed in long tunics. And then imagine the one runner who decides to hike his garment up around his waist and tuck it in so that his legs can move freely, unencumbered by the fabric. Not only would this runner win, but he would also be in the safest position to run without tripping over his own clothing. He would be READY!

Like a runner dressed in the appropriate clothing, ready to win the race, we are to be prepared for Jesus’ return.

The second picture is one of a burning lamp. Darkness can be REALLY dark when there is no electricity or, in this case, burning lamps. To be ready, we must hold a light against the darkness.

The third picture is of a servant waiting for his master to return from his wedding feast, which, in those days, lasted a week or more. It could be tempting, in that situation, to let your guard down, but the job of the servant was to welcome the master home in grand style.

Jesus continues…

37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! 38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn.[a] But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.

That is kind of a crazy thought…the servant must keep watch, prepared to honor the master when He arrives at any moment, only to have the master turn around and honor the servant.

Matthew 4:42 states clearly who the master is….42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.

Jesus had not been shy about saying that He was going away, and here He tells them that He is coming back, they won’t know the day or the hour, so they must always be prepared. It is impossible for us to guess the day or the time of Jesus return…so we must be ready!

Luke 12:38 continues…

39 “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

If you recall our recent teachings, sometimes Jesus spoke to the crowds, and sometimes he turned and addressed the disciples directly. He must not have been clear with His body language at this point, because Peter asks for clarification on WHO exactly should be prepared for the Lord’s arrival, saying…

“Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?”

Jesus didn’t answer the question directly, instead He said…

“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 43 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 45 But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful. – Matthew reports Jesus’ words as… The master will return unannounced and unexpected, 51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Luke continues…

47 “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly.

Let’s see if we can discern the answer to Peter’s original question, which in essence was – Who must be prepared for the Lord to return?

The first thing I notice is that Jesus doesn’t say, only the leaders, only my followers, or even only my servants must be prepared. Instead, He answers by explaining what a faithful and sensible servant is – that is, a faithful servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants.

As a teacher of God’s Word, this phrase humbled me, and I hope it speaks to you regardless of your profession or calling. God has a calling for EACH and every one of us…and that calling is to reach someone else. No one in this world is on an island. No one was born into this world only to look out for him or herself. If you are walking and breathing, I can guarantee that God has a divine job for you – and though it may seem, at times, like no one is looking or noticing or even that no difference is being made through your efforts, I can guarantee that God did not give you busy-work. When you resolutely walk where God calls you and obediently do what He has called you to do, you can trust that He has a purpose in it.

We ALL have the potential and the invitation to be His servants…how it all turns out is up to us and our response.

In the parable, Jesus offers four different responses from those who are called to serve Him.

First… If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.

What has God called you to do? Perhaps it is as straightforward as caring for your family or even a loved one with special or ongoing needs. Now THAT is a job where you MUST keep your lamp lit and never give up. As an aside, if you are in a caregiver role, we would love to partner with you in prayer and support. Rusanne Carole, who often hosts our Friday podcast, has an amazing group of caregivers who meet on Zoom monthly – if you want to find out more, I encourage you to email her at Australia@womenworldleaders.com. Yes, she is one of our Aussie leaders – so you get the bonus of hearing a great accent as you speak with this beautiful servant of Jesus.

No matter what God has called you to, and that often shifts throughout our lives, we can trust that He will empower you to fill your role well, but it is up to US to walk faithfully in that role.

So the servant who is doing a good job will be rewarded, but what about the one who decides NOT to fulfill their God-given purpose?

Well this is difficult to hear, but it’s in the Bible, so we can’t shy away from it. The servant who knows what is expected of him or her but thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ so he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk,  will, when the master returns unannounced be cut into pieces and banished to where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth – in other words, hell.

Throughout the Bible, we are clearly taught that to spend eternity with Christ in heaven, we must simply accept the free gift of salvation offered by Jesus Christ and provided to all believers by His death. So…what does it mean that if I am not doing the will of God, I will be thrown into hell?

Let me see if I can explain this. When we become followers of Jesus, when we say yes to Him and give Him our life, we receive His gift of salvation. But He gives us more than salvation. We are also gifted with the Holy Spirit, who comes to live in our hearts, guiding us and teaching us and giving us a desire to understand and follow Christ. Do we do that perfectly this side of heaven – unfortunately, the answer to that is no. We are all, quite simply, messes whom God loves and cherishes. BUT, we have ingrained in us the Holy Spirit – and as such, we are gifted with the longing to do His will, even if we don’t do it perfectly.

The servant Jesus is talking about in this parable is really not God’s servant at all, but is someone who REFUSED to give his life to Christ. This is the person who, behind closed doors, has no personal relationship with Christ. As such, he has NOT be given the gift of the Holy Spirit, and has NO longing to follow Christ. And the hard truth is that anyone who does not have a personal relationship with Christ when the Lord returns, will go to hell for eternity.

So…we have the servant who is doing the will of God and will be rewarded, and the so-called servant who has turned away from God’s call and never was His servant at all, and will be banished to hell.

But Jesus also tells of two other degrees…saying…

The servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished….and the one who does not know and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly.

In those final days, we will either be God’s children, granted access to Him for eternity by the blood of Jesus Christ, or we will be turned away at the banquet as God says, “I don’t know you.”

At the final day, all those who are granted eternal life with Christ will be clothed with His righteousness. So punishment and discipline at that time will be no more.

So…I have to believe that the discipline that comes from not following God’s will for our lives is administered to us in this lifetime. When we don’t walk with God, when we screw up, and we ALL do, God nudges us back toward the path He has for our lives. He never gives up! So it follows that if we stray a far distance and belligerently refuse to return to His path, the discipline He uses to get us back on track is going to hurt more than when we just stray a little bit. That may sound daunting – but it is a GOOD thing. Your God loves you too much to let you move away from all the good that He has purposed for your life!

And as we follow Him, not only does He heap more blessings on us, but He also entrusts us with more to do.

 Luke 12:48…

When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

 

So who is Jesus talking to when He says to be dressed for the race, keep your lamp lit to keep out the dark, and be ready for your master to return from the wedding feast? He was speaking to EVERYONE – those who were following Him, and those who weren’t. Jesus is GOING to come back – you can COUNT on it. And His coming will affect every single one of us – whether we are dutifully following His will for our lives or have given our lives to Him but are a bit off track. And for those who have never become His true servant, His true child, when Jesus returns, it will be too late.

God doesn’t want any of us to be caught off guard. So He calls and calls, He nudges and pushes, and He sends His followers to shine His light so that ALL will be saved.

If you haven’t yet accepted Christ, please do so today! You can reach out to us at prayer@womenworldleaders.com and we will walk with you! And if you have accepted Christ – please don’t stop walking in your purpose – keep running the race and holding the lamp — SO MUCH depends on your obedience.

Let’s pray…

Dear Most Holy God! We thank you for  never giving up on us – for telling us like it is, for disciplining us when we are off course, and for giving us the opportunity to serve with and for you. Father, give us strength and wisdom today to persevere as we walk in this beautiful life you have crafted specifically for us. Help us be ready to run the race and shine the light – not for the glory or reward you promise, but so that we might lead many into your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.