Luke 12:41-44

the gospel of Luke, chapter 12, verses 41 through 44, then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all. And the Lord said, who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom His Lord shall make ruler over his household? to give them their portion of meat in due season. Blessed is that servant, whom His Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Of a truth, I say unto you that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. May God bless to us His sacred and holy word this morning. When a scheduled jetliner traveling from New York City to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport takes place, the air traffic controller knows all the details of the flight. He knows exactly where it will be at various stages of the flight, when it departed, and when it should arrive. As you wait the coming of a loved one, at the airport, you know only the approximate time of arrival. You’re not really given any information on all the details, but you joyously await your loved ones coming, even if the flight is unexpectedly delayed by weather or by engine trouble or something of this nature. You’re thrilled at the prospect of your loved ones coming, you are excited to know that eventually you will see him or her. Now, Jesus has been teaching about his second coming, and you were actually told that you are not given a lot of detail here. You have very little information about the time of Christ. arrival. No man knows the day nor the hour, we’re told. The most important thing, however, is to know that Christ is coming, even if you have to patiently wait for his arrival. You don’t need to know all the details. You just need to eagerly wait and watch for his coming. Even if it seems to know all the details. Even if it seems to eagerly wait, you just need to eagerly wait to be a long delay. He still joyously wait knowing eventually he’s going to come. Now Peter in verse 41 asked the question about whether this parable, as he says here, is for us or even the all. Now he calls it a parable since it is a ferville. It’s a figurative way and to convey the important instruction that Jesus is giving. And it’s a reference to what Jesus Christ has just taught in verses 35 to 40. Us seems to indicate those who are your apostles and appointed to preach the gospel as your ministers. The all here seems to refer to all your disciples because verse 22 tells us specifically that he’s talking to the disciples. So whether you’re great or small, if you profess to believe in Christ, is this for you? Well, Jesus doesn’t really answer the question here, but the concept of you. Context certainly indicates, I think, that he’s primarily referring to those who preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, as you should be well aware by now, there’s a general application to every scripture to all believers. You are indeed Christ’s servants, but it is a special message, I think, to ministers. But regardless of the subject, we always can make a general application of God’s word to every believer. But the context here seems to focus on ministers of the gospel, and so we will spend our time on that this morning. I want to talk about the faithful minister. Let me begin by saying this, what is your duty? as a minister of the gospel. And he tells us here in verse 42, and the Lord said, Who then, is that faithful and wise, Stuart, whom is Lord shall make ruler over his household, household, to give them their portion of meat and due season? Well, he says here that ministers are appointed as a ruler over God, house. Now the Church of Christ is the house of the Lord. Christ dwells in the midst of his people, and we know from Revelation he walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, representing the seven churches of Asia Minor in chapter 1, verses 12 and 13. Christ’s people are his household. His family, his children. We read about the house of God, which is the Church of the Living God in 1. Timothy 315. Hebrews 3.6 talks about whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope, firm until the end. And so we read also in Ephesians, three where Paul says, I bow my knees under the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, because we are the family of God. So believers look at Christ as the father and master of their household. So the Church of Christ is the household, he’s speaking of here. Excuse me. Now, ministers are appointed as stewards of God’s house. You notice that ministers are rulers only in the sense of being stewards over the house of God. A steward is one who supervises or manages a household for his master. You’re not a prince or. Lord over the household of God. You don’t have total dominion over people as ruthless dictators. As Paul says in, or Peter says in 1 Peter 3, 5, 2 and 3. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly. Not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. Neither is being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock. Stewards, then, are accountable to their masters, and they carry out their master’s will. They not their own will. You remember when Joseph was exalted in Egypt, he was able to command the stewardship of his house of Potterford. And then he was also a steward over Egypt in many ways. You remember when his brothers came down to visit him, that he filled the men’s sacks with food as much as they could carry, and then he put every man’s sacks. money back into the sack at the mouth. He did this as a steward. He was commanding the household. He was still somewhat submissive to E it to Pharaoh, but he had his own business that he could carry out. So the minister is subordinate to Christ and he’s not authorized to prescribe his own way. but to teach and lead according to the will of God as he has been appointed. Now, what powers ministers have is really derived from Christ because we as rulers are to follow what Christ is taught. Carry out what Christ has commanded. So you were appointed as a rule as a rule of what Christ is taught. ruler of God’s house as a minister. Now your duty is to give Christ’s household their meat, it says here. Now, we see here that you are to give rather than take for yourself. You know, one of the dangers of the office is to use your position in order to enrich yourself. A minister must not be greedy of filthy lucre, 1 Timothy 3.2. We don’t go into the ministry to profit ourselves, but to serve Christ and to care for his flock. Now, if you would, turn with me to the book of Ezekiel chapter 34. We find here God’s anger at the shepherds of Israel, because that’s what they did. They just profited themselves. Beginning with verse 1. In the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophecy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds, woe be to the shepherds of Israel. Israel that do feed themselves. Should not shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat, you clothe you with the wool, you kill them that are fed, but you feed not the flock. The diseased, have you not strengthened, neither have you healed, that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which was broken, Neither have you brought again that which was driven away. Neither have you sought that which was lost, but with force and with cruelty you have ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd, and they became meat to all the beast of the field when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill, yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them, and therefore the shepherds, therefore ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. As I live, saith the Lord God, surely, because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherd, search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and not my flock. Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God, behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock. Neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore, for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, and they shall not be meat for them. So here we have those who should have been been taking care of God’s flock, his people, but they abused their position and their office. And sadly, there are many today that are like this, because their goal is to make money, first and foremost. There are many ministers who think that they should be paid like the CEO of a major corporation or business. Well, Christ emphasizes here that his ministers must be servants to help the people of God. And certainly ministers should be supported by the people of God. The Bible makes that clear. But they should be willing to take a modest salary. You know, to the ministers, Paul declares in Acts chapter 20, it’s more blessed to give than receive. And so as ministers, it should be a blessing to us to give the people of God their meat, their food, their spiritual food, in due season. So you’re to give, you’re not to take for yourself. Now, you’re to give the people of God meat. Now notice here that you’re not a lawgiver. Your duty is to give meat not to make law. Which, that’s Christ’s work to make the law on what people should do. There’s one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy who art thou that judges another. James 4 or 12. So you were to use Christ’s law, the scriptures, not make up your own rules and regulations to burden God’s people. Remember the scribes and the Pharisees laid on men’s shoulders, burdens that they they wouldn’t lift themselves and it were too heavy for the people to bear. So you’re not to be a lawgiver, but you’re to give the people of God the meat of the Word of God. Your duty is to feed the flock of God, as he tells us. which requires you to give them spiritual nourishment. Souls are fed by the doctrines and teaching of the Word of God. You know, St. Augustine desired to always be found either in one or two situations. One, praying, two, preaching, either declaring God’s will God’s will, speaking for God, or else praying to God, both of which were to benefit the people of God. Our duty is not to entertain the people of God, but to feed them. and the Word of God is the food that needs to be used to grow a person strong in the things of the Lord. Remember that Paul declares for everyone who useth milk is unskilful in the Word of righteousness, for he is a babe. And so when he uses the word meat here, he’s talking about, that which belongeth to people who are a full age, they’re adult and their knowledge, who by reason of use have their exercises, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Now, obviously, ministers must not be superficial then in their teaching. They need to teach something of substance, something of substance, something of, depth for the people of God. And this requires a diligent study of the Word of God in order to provide what I’ll call chew food for the people of God and not pudding. Anybody can give you pudding, but we want something that is of sustenance for us. So you’re to give meat. And you’ll notice he says you’re to give meat in due season. There are certain seasons where a particular doctrine or scripture needs to be emphasized. The truth of God’s Word is always under attack by false teachers, and you must counter their teaching by proclaiming sound doctrine. As Paul wrote to Titus in 1, verse 10 and 11, for there are many unruly, and vain talkers and deceivers, especially of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households. The Judaizers taught that unless you were circumcised and obeyed the law of Moses, you couldn’t be saved. This was a false doctrine, declaring that justification was by faith plus works. The same kind of doctrine is taught by the Roman Catholic Church today. The work of Christ, his perfect life, his sacrificial death, we’re told is not enough. Even though Jesus Christ said it is finished on the cross, they’re saying, no, no, no, it’s not finished. You must add works to what Christ has done in order to be saved. The new perspective on Paul, which is very prevalent in so. some reformed churches today. It teaches the very same thing. It’s faith plus works equals justification. It’s a very serious error. Now, when such a doctrine dominates Christian circles, it is due season to emphasize justification by grace alone, through faith alone, and the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Paul certainly, was warning believers about the damnable heresy and the damnable doctrine that was being taught. He says it’s a perversion of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as he told the Galatians. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, not by the works of the law, by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified, he tells us. When there are those who denied the resurrection of the dead, Paul spent a whole chapter in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, teaching the doctrine of the resurrection, so that there would not be any mistake about this. So as a minister, it’s your duty to emphasize key doctrine when it’s under attack in due season. So you’re to give Christ’s house, hold their meat. We’re to give, not take for ourselves, we’re to give meat, and we’re to give meat in due season, he says. Now, he tells you you have to prove yourself to be faithful and wise. here in this text of scripture. It’s important that we see here. He says, who then is that faithful and wise steward? He must be faithful. Moreover, in a steward, it is required that a man be found faithful, according to 1 Corinthians, chapter 4 and verse 2. You have been entrusted with the Word of God. This is a minister has been given. And therefore he has a duty to declare God’s will. The whole counsel of God. Everything that Christ has taught. Christ counts those ministers and only those that are faithful as his own. The rest are false teachers. The rest are false teachers. and faithful minister sincerely desires his master’s honor and not his own. You will carefully follow Christ’s instructions regarding this office. You’ll respect the simplest believer, reprove when necessary, even the greatest believer, as Paul did Peter on one occasion. and you’ll show no respect of persons. So you must be faithful. And you must be wise to carry out your duty. The first thing we would say here, you have to be wise under salvation and even to even be a steward in the house of God, to even be a faithful minister. Only those who have been granted insight and knowledge of God, and to even be a faithful minister. Only those who have been granted insight, word by the Holy Spirit through diligent study of the scriptures are wise. This is not an office for a novice. It’s not an office for a lazy person, but a mature Christian man who has been taught of God and is discerning. You need to be able to guide the flock of God. You must be able to provide a good example for the people of God. You must have a disciplined life. Look at all the qualifications in 1 Timothy with regard to ministers. You must have a healthy fear of God. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, we’re told. Proverbs 1.7. It’s the pathway to wisdom. Like Solomon, you need to know that wisdom is a gift of God, and so you will diligently pray that God that God will give you wisdom to function and carry out this office that is a demanding and very important office in Christ’s Church. So what is your duty as a minister of the gospel of Christ? You’re appointed as a ruler over God’s house. Your duty is to give Christ household their meat, and you need to prove yourself to be faithful and wise in this work. Finally, what is your reward as a faithful minister of the gospel? Versus 43 and 44. Blessed is that servant. whom is Lord when he come I shall find him or find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. You are blessed if you are found doing what your office requires, verse 43. Now the preaching of the gospel is a vitally important work, and you have been trusted by the Lord to do it. First granted in 916, For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of. For necessity is laid upon me, yea woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. You have an important duty, and the Lord is going to hold you accountable. You’re always accountable to the chief shepherd as a shepherd over the flock of God. You’ve got to give it account to Christ. And therefore you must not indulge yourself. with ease and leave this duty undone. As Paul says in 1 Timothy 3, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine, neglect not the gift that is in thee, meditate upon these things, give thyself wholly unto them, that thy profiting may appear unto all. It’s not merely the servant who talks, about the work of the ministry, but the one who is found doing the work of the ministry when Christ returns that is blessed, you should be found doing the master’s work when Jesus Christ returns. At whatever time the Lord comes, may he find you busy about his father’s business. You know, when John Kelvin was persuaded to give over his ministerial labors to another, he was upset. And he said this, what, would you have my master find me idle? He answered with some resentment. It has to be about the father’s business. A minister should preach the gospel as long as he’s physically able to do so. Remember what Christ said to Peter, if you love me, feed my sheep. That should be the incentive that you love Christ, and if you have that love for Christ, it should stir up your soul to give yourself to the work of the ministry. You are blessed if found doing what the office required. Notice in verse 44, you’ll be greatly rewarded by your man. you will be singled out and noticed. Who then is that faithful wise servant suggest? There are not a whole lot of them. Many who enter the ministry are unfaithful. I do not preach the gospel. But the wise steward distinguishes himself by his diligence, sincerity, and perseverance in his work. those who faithfully serve the Lord, Christ will, on that great day of judgment, dignify and distinguish with honor. You will be blessed, he says here. Blessed is that servant, Jesus Christ pronounces. Now, it’s interesting in the book of Revelation, we read Blessed, or the dead who die in the Lord. There’s a special honor for those who are marked. for Jesus Christ. But next to that honor, we find that those who are faithful ministers will also be honored. And he says you shall be exalted. He shall make him ruler over all his goods. Now, the idea behind this reward is that Christ would advance you to a higher place in his kingdom. whereas before this you might be called a domestic servant because you were only taking care of the local church. Here we seem to have an indication that it will give you charge over the greater affairs of the kingdom of God if you faithfully fulfill your office as pastor. Like Joseph, who was exalted to rule over all the affairs of God, of Egypt, being faithful in Potiphar’s household, and Daniel became a top ruler, a president in the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians. God says he will do something like this with regard to his kingdom and our serving in it. There’s nothing that will compare to the weight of glory which the Lord will confer on faithful ministers in the world to come. Jesus declares, Him will my Father honor in John 1226 who serve the Son. There are no details here, but the Lord will highly exult those who faithfully is charge of the office of the minister, whether he be a pastor, or the Lord will be a pastor, or or an elder. So what is your reward? Here it is. Awaiting the coming of a loved one whose flight is delayed does not take away from the expectation and the excitement. There should be, this should be true concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as well. Christ is set before you the duties of Him. minister and the reward for those who faithfully do the work of a minister. Now the next section he deals with those who are unfaithful in this work and what’s going to happen to them. Let’s close with a word of prayer.