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Tonight we are talking about doing Jesusí beating for Him: The fate of the foolish servant.
We are going to talk about what God expects out of you when he gives you authority. Last
week we talked about how God wants you to invest your money, but what we are going to
talk about today is how you handle the people that have been put into your life, and specifically
the people that God has given you authority over in your life. That is something that
is very dear to Godís heart, and he is going to be looking very carefully at how you handle
those relationships and how you rule over that which has been entrusted to you, especially
when you are talking about people. Because the most important thing to God in the world
is people. He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that anyone who wants
to can be saved, can have eternal life. So this is what is really going to hit on Godís
heart tonight.
Weíve been talking about the different parables of the stewards or the managers, and looking
at this picture of God, or the master, leaving, and leaving someone in charge for a time to
see how they will manage those assets that are put under their care. And then he comes
back ó but whenever he comes back, he comes back unexpectedly so that he can see what
you are really going to do when heís out of the room.
Iím going to read to you again another scripture that talks about this idea. This is Luke 12:35-48,
ì'Get dressed for service and keep your lamps burning; be like people waiting for their
master to come back from the wedding celebration, so that when he comes and knocks they can
immediately open the door for him.í Then Peter said, ëLord, are you telling this parable
for us or for everyone?í The Lord replied, ëWho then is the faithful and wise manager,
whom the master puts in charge of his household servants, to give them their allowance of
food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he returns.
I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions. But
if that slave should say to himself, ëMy master is delayed in returning,í and he begins
to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat, drink, and get drunk, then the
master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does
not foresee, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That
servant who knew his masterís will but did not get ready or do what his master asked
will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know his masterís will and did
things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been
given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much,
even more will be asked.íî
Godís kingdom is coming and heís looking for trustworthy servants who will administer
that kingdom faithfully. So when God gives you authority on the earth, it is not to glorify
you ó itís to test you. So if you want to impress God ó if you want to be found to
be that wise, faithful manager ó first of all, you need to find out about that character
of God and you need to know the principles of Godís kingdom and understand those principles.
Because if you know those things, then you will be able to apply them to whatever he
has entrusted to you.
First of all, understand that Godís kingdom is a kingdom of servant-rulers that is modeled
as a family, and this is different from the kingdom of the world. In the kingdom of the
world ó Satanís kingdom ó the strong rule over the weak; the strong oppress the weak.
Those who have advantages in this world will take advantage of those who donít. And so
there is injustice and inequality in the kingdom of the world. We see that all over the place
ó we see that some people have way more then they need to eat and some people are starving;
the rich very often build their wealth on the backs of workers that arenít paid enough
to even live a decent life ñ just to have their basic needs met. These are the results
of the kingdom of the world. Thatís why we donít want anything to do with that kingdom.
In order to be different, we have to understand what principles are different in Godís kingdom.
So first of all, understand that the way that the weak are treated is going to be a marker
thatís going to tell you whether youíre dealing with the kingdom of Satan or the kingdom
of God. In Godís kingdom, the weak are treated with respect and they are highly valued. In
fact, the weakest members of a family ñ the children ñ are the treasure of the family,
arenít they? In a functional family unit, the children have to obey their parents, theyíre
under their parentsí authority, and yet the parents will lay down their lives for those
children. Theyíll go work hard every day to give them every opportunity so they can,
maybe, go further than the parents did. Thatís our heart toward our children.
In the kingdom of God, thatís the heart towards every weak member; every regular person, every
servant is that valued. And that is why it is such an extraordinary kingdom to be a part
of. Itís very different from the world, isnít it? So understand, the greater take care of
the weaker; they donít take advantage of them. They take care of them and they build
them up until they are ready to take responsibility of an inheritance of their own. And in this
model, there is no slavery. You may tell your kids to go do the dishes ñ that doesnít
mean that theyíre slaves. Theyíre free. Yes, they have responsibilities. Yes, they
work hard. But there is no slavery in this model, in this kingdom.
Also understand, God does not force the submission of His subjects. This is very important for
you to understand so that you donít become like this wicked servant. Whenever his master
was away, he didnít administer what was trusted to him the way that the master would. He administered
it according to the principles of the world. He started taking advantage of the ones he
had power over, and he started beating the servants. He wasnít given permission to beat
the servants, but he started forcing their submission. Now, he was given authority. He
was supposed to be giving them their food at the proper time ó but as we can tell,
the master was not pleased when he came back and found that this wicked servant had been
forcing them into submission. The citizens of this kingdom are free and
it must be that way because forced submission creates slaves. A kingdom built on the backs
of slaves is divided, and will eventually fall. Godís kingdom is built and maintained
not by slaves that are forced into submission but by free citizens who choose to serve their
King of their own free will. And they also choose to serve each other because that is
the Kingís command and because they love one another. We do our acts of service. We
work hard. We work just as hard as any slave, just as hard as any servant. But we donít
do it because we are forced to do it, we do it because that is our heart. Just like you
do in a family ó you work hard for one another...not because you have to; not because you are forced
to; but because thatís what you want to do.
So you see the vast difference there. So understand that when you have people that are given to
you that you have authority over, that you are stronger than, that you have power over,
or that you could potentially take power over ó you need to understand that you have to
operate according to this principle in order to be pleasing to God. If you are forcing
and manipulating people into obedience to scripture, then you are just creating slaves.
You know thatís what the law was all about, and Jesus made it very clear that we are not
subject to that law anymore. We are now free from that law because it just brings sin and
death. [Caption: Romans 8:2 (NET)] Why? Because itís bad to do the right thing? No! But when
you force someone into submission with a law, which is a hard law that says, 'Iím going
to punish you if you donít do what I want you to do', youíre not giving them the chance
to make a choice. If you are a husband, you have responsibility for your wife, your children;
if you are a spiritual leader, you have responsibility for the people who are listening to you teach
and that you are leading spiritually; that does not mean that you have the right to force
them into submission. If you do that, you are working against the kingdom because you
are creating slaves.
The reason that Satanís kingdom is falling ó you know, God is allowing the Antichrist
to come to power, heís allowing evil to come into full bloom so that we can see what is
the end result of all this sin stuff. And the end result of all this is that it's going
to implode on itself, itís going to fall because youíre always going to have rebellion
where you have slavery. People arenít happy being slaves. They want to serve; they want
to work; but they donít want to do it because they are forced to. People want that freedom,
because we were created for freedom. We were created for love, and you donít give people
the opportunity to do things out of the motivation of love when you force them into submission.
You have to back off a little bit and give them a choice. Now yes you have responsibilities;
you carry out those responsibilities. But you do it in such a way that youíre not beating
the servants into submission. You donít have permission to do that.
Iím going to read to you Jeremiah 22:13-17, and this is going to tell you about two kinds
of rulers. And we are going to see these two different kingdoms again. It says: ìWoe to
him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own
people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor. He says, ëI will build myself
a great palace with spacious upper rooms.í So he makes large windows in it, panels it
with cedar and decorates it in red. ëDoes it make you a king to have more and more cedar?
Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well
with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not
what it means to know me?í declares the Lord. ëBut your eyes and your heart are set only
on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion.î
Did you hear what he just said? He said, ìIs that not what it means to know me?î How many
of you want to know God? You really get to know someone when you work with them, ladies
and gentlemen. God has given you the opportunity to come with Him and to work with Him ñ to
work by his side according to his principles, according to His orders. Heís left you in
charge of something here, and he wants to work with you. Heís saying ìif you do these
things according to my principles; if you take care of the poor and the needy; if you
donít oppress the poor, if you do these things ñ your father did them and all went well
with him. Whatís wrong with doing it this way? î And isnít that what it means to know
me? When you do things Godís way, youíre going to get to know him and understand him
in an intimate way that you canít know when you are acting like this stupid wicked servant
over here whoís just interested in shedding innocent blood, oppression, and extortion.
Making people do what he wants to do, building glory for himself, sitting back and eating
and drinking and getting drunk and just focusing on himself and the things that he wants in
this very temporary life, in this very temporary time.
Understand that it is in the little decisions that you make every day that you begin to
know him. Sometimes we think we need to go out and find some mystical experience, some
secret thing. It is a secret ó but it's a secret because most people donít want to
humble themselves to do the simple things that God said to do. You will be so amazed
when you begin to obey in the little things that Jesus told you to do in the small area
that God has given you authority over in your life. Day by day, decision by decision, this
is how you come to know him. This is what it means to know him.
So understand, what does Jesus do? He shows us an image of a King that we have never seen
before. We have seen glimpses of it in good kings along the way, but he is the perfect
image of the King that we have all been looking for. The King that considers others to be
so important that he would lay down his life for his own subjects. How wonderful is that
kind of love? So when he makes other people subject to you, you need to have that same
attitude of humility towards them. Jesus could have squashed us into the ground. Even when
he was on his way to the cross, it says he could have called down legions of angels ó
and what do you think the legion of angels would have been doing to the people who were
crucifying the King? He was showing mercy. Do you understand that? He could have crushed
them into the ground, but he did not. What did he say? He said, ìFather forgive them,
for they donít even know what they're doing. So when you are given authority, when you
are given power, do it the way Jesus did it, and heís going to be happy with you.
Understand, anytime God gives you authority, he also gives you a command ñ to treat those
that are underneath you with respect. For example, husbands and wives, in Ephesians
5:22-25: ìWives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the
head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the churchóhe himself being the savior
of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their
husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and
gave himself for her.î So you're always going to find this balance
whenever he tells one group of people to submit to somebody. When he put somebody in power
over them, he also tells that person thatís in charge ó You respect those people, you
treat them well, you treat them gently, and you give them what they need. You see, what
a wife needs is her husband's love. 1 Peter 3:7 also says, ìHusbands, in the same way,
treat your wives in consideration as the weaker partners and show them honor as fellow heirs
of the grace of life. In this way nothing will hinder your prayers.î And in the NIV
instead of saying ëshow them honorí it says ìtreat them with respectî. So you may be
saying, ìOkay, so I canít beat my wife,î right? But understand that it goes further
than that. God doesnít want you to manipulate people into obedience. He wants you to give
them an example of love, give them strong leadership. Yes, you have to take responsibility
to lead your family into righteousness. But you canít force people into submission and
create anything but slaves. So understand, when he says, ìhusbands love your wives,î
he tells the wives ó give your husband what he needs. Heís the leader; he needs your
support; he needs you to submit to him; he needs you to follow him and have confidence
in him. So heís telling her, ìYou give him what he needsî, but then he looks at that
husband and he says, ìAnd you give her what she needs, because what she needs is your
love.î So understand that one of the ways that you
can, as a husband, very easily force your wife into submission is by simply denying
her your love, your affection. You guys know thatís an easy way to manipulate your wives.
God said to Eve, ìYour desire will be for your husband.î What does she want more than
anything? She wants your love. But you canít withhold you love from her in order to get
her to do the right thing. Thatís not how itís done. God didnít do that with you.
He didn't withhold Christ from you and say, ìWell when you finally get it right maybe
Iíll give you my love.î No! He poured himself out for you even when you didnít deserve
it. Look at what God did with Israel. He poured his love out. He poured his blessing out upon
Israel whom he called his wife, his people. And throughout the centuries, what did they
do? They strayed from him; they went and bowed down to other idols; they broke his heart;
they aroused his jealous anger; they did it over and over. But he did not ever withhold
his love. Sometimes he had to take strong action in order to lead them, but he was always
there to give them his love. It says ëthe Lord, the Lord, the compassionate, maintaining
love to thousands, and slow to anger.í So whenever God gives you that authority,
he also gives you the balance. And he says you need to respect the ones you are ruling
over and you need to give them what they need. What this evil servant was supposed to be
doing is giving the other servants their food at the proper time. He was given authority
ó not to withhold from those servants what they needed, but to give them what they needed
in the proper time. So youíre there to provide for the needs of those who have been entrusted
to you, not the other way around. Even in your workplace ó if you are a boss;
if you are a business owner, you have a certain amount of responsibility and authority over
those entrusted to you. And yes, you have to walk in authority and you have to lead.
But you also have to remember that youíd better be paying them enough to live with
dignity, because if youíre getting rich on the backs of the poor, youíre just like that
evil ruler that I just read about. So this applies everywhere, but in the family,
it talks about children. In Satanís kingdom, the weak are considered not to be that important,
right? But whenever everybody brought their children to Jesus, even the disciples ó they
were learning, all they knew was the kingdom of the world ó and they thought, ìHeís
an important person. Donít bother the master with those children.î And Jesus rebuked them.
He said ìNo, no, let those children come to me, for such are the kingdom of heaven.î
So you see what God values. He does not treat the weak as though they donít have any value.
That is what heís all about ó building his children up so they can be raised up to maturity,
and they can be filled to the fullness with everything that God is. Thatís what heís
promised to do for us, and thatís what we are to do for our children. It says in Ephesians
6, it says ìChildren, obey your parents,î but then it tells the fathers, Fathers, donít
exasperate your children, but lead them into righteousness.
Always, you are going to see that balance that is given to you whenever you are given
that authority. So, remember this: Ephesians†5:21, ìSubmit
to one another out of reverence for Christ.î Why would we need to submit to one another,
or to treat each other with respect, out of the fear of Christ? Well, what this evil,
wicked servant found out is that because he did not have an appropriate fear of the Lordís
sword, he felt the edge of it. And it says that the master will cut that servant in two.
Thatís a harsh judgment. The best thing that could happen to him is that heíll be beaten
with many blows. But the worst thing that it says could happen is heís going to be
cut into two and be thrown into outer darkness. Thatís talking about an eternity without
God right there. You need to have a proper fear of the Lord
when God entrusts people to you. You are a manager, not a master. So understand, why
does the master leave? Why does he entrust you with something and then come back? Because
he wants to see ó are you trustworthy with the people that he cares so much about that
he died for them? If you beat them, if you treat them without respect when you have not
been given permission to do so, then you are going to have a very bad day when you see
the King. And that is a bad day that can last forever if you are cast into outer darkness.
So just because sheís your wife doesnít mean you can treat her however you want, because
she has been entrusted to you for a time, and God is watching very carefully what you
do with that valuable property. Thatís his property bought with a price ñ not yours.
Youíre the manager, not the master. So power does not equal permission. And by
the way, Iím not picking on husbands. The reason I am saying that is because husbands,
you have been given authority. God has given you authority. he has given you power, and
you are born leaders. So you have the most accountability when we are talking about families.
But this applies to everyone anywhere, that you have authority over people.
If you trust your children to somebody, if you pay somebody to watch your children for
a time, and then you come back and you find that that person has beaten your children
into submission without permission, that person is going to have a very bad day. They are
going to lose their job and they might even go to jail. Right? So just because you have
it within your power to force someone into submission and just because God himself has
given you a position of authority over that person does not mean you have permission to
use excessive force in carrying out your duties. You are not allowed to assume the mastersí
exclusive position by beating his servants for him. You may not lord it over the Lordís
servants ó your correction of them must be gentle. Let me read it to you.
It says, ìGive a shepherdís care to Godís flock among you, exercising oversight not
merely as a duty but willingly under Godís direction; not for shameful profit but eagerly.
And do not lord it over those entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock.î And that
term ìlord it overî is talking about forcing people into submission. Do not force them
into submission. Just the way that Jesus did it ó he didnít
come down with his army the first time, and beat everybody that didnít agree with him
into submission, because what he wants to do is win our hearts over to the kingdom.
Because nobody that doesnít want to be a part of his kingdom can be part of it. Heís
not going to build his kingdom on the backs of slaves. What he does is, if you donít
want to be part of his kingdom, youíre cast into outer darkness ó you canít be part
of the kingdom. Thereís nothing else out there you guys. This is it, this is the kingdom.
This is life, this is eternal life ó thatís your choice. But he will let you make the
choice. So you've got to let people make the choice too, by giving them an example of love.
People respond to love. Most people, when they see that kind of nobility that Jesus
showed ó when they see you doing that, when they see you giving your life away, being
unselfish, being humble ó people are thirsty to see that kind of noble leadership. They
want to see it from you. They want to see a Jesus walking on this earth today, and thatís
exactly what you are called to be. Youíre called to be filled with the spirit of Christ
ñ to do the things that Christ does. 2 Timothy†2:24-26, ìAnd the Lordís slave
must not engage in heated disputes, but be kind toward all, an apt teacher, patient,
correcting opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance and the knowledge
of the truth, and they will come to their senses and escape the devilís trap where
they are held captive to do his will.î You want to win them over, you donít want to
crush them into the ground. So those of you who think you are like Godís
fist, you are like the weapon that God uses to crush all of his foes and all the false
teachers, and youíre going to be the one that implements that judgment ó youíre going
to feel the edge of Jesusí sword, because you have not been given permission to beat
the servants. Even if they're wrong. You are supposed to correct them...how? With a sword?
With harshness? No. Correct them with gentleness. This is consistent.
Those you serve are more important than you are. Let me read to you 1 Corinthians 3: 21-23,
it says: ìÖFor everything belongs to you, [this is talking to the people] whether Paul
or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future. Everything
belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.î What is he saying?
The person thatís set over you is set over you, and they have authority over you, but
they belong to you. Theyíre for you. And why? Let me read it to you. Galatians 4:1-7.
It says, ìNow I mean that the heir, as long as he is a minor, is no different from a slave,
though he is the owner of everything. But he is under guardians and managers until the
date set by his father. †So also we, when we were minors, were enslaved under the basic
forces of the world. But when the appropriate time had come, God sent out his Son, born
of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may
be adopted as sons with full rights. †And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit
of his Son into our hearts, who calls ìAbba! Father!î †So you are no longer a slave
but a son, and if you are a son, then you are also an heir through God.î
Youíre hearing this over and over. Husbands, love your wives, be considerate of them and
show them respect as fellow heirs with you. Paul says ó Whether itís Peter or me or
Apollos ó we all belong to you! The only reason weíve been hired is because youíre
so important to take care of. And everything is going to belong to you!
Weíre only put in that position of having guardians and managers over us until we reach
full maturity. But we are sons and daughters with full rights that are going to inherit
the entire kingdom of God. If you are a manager set over any people,
anywhere; those are Godís people, not yours. You are the manager, not the master. Do not
forget what your place is. Only Jesus is worthy of wielding the whip.
Thereís only one lawgiver and judge according to James 4:11-12, let me just read it:
ìDo not speak against one another, brothers and sistersÖî I want to just stop right
there. Probably every single person on the board right now; if you really get honest
with yourself, thereís somebody that youíre speaking against. Maybe itís because you
think that they're too famous that itís ever going to matter to them. Maybe itís because
you think that the person youíre talking about doesnít count because theyíre a wicked,
or whatever. We always have compartments that we put the people that we want to slander
into that makes it okay. Itís not OK. Especially against Christians. ìOh, they have the wrong
doctrine.î Big deal, they belong to God. You think Godís not going to fix their wrong
doctrine if they love God? Are you crazy? Theyíre sons and daughters of God. You better
be careful how you talk about them. If you slander them, itís going to harm them, and
youíre going to be held accountable. ìDo not speak against one another, brothers
and sisters. He who speaks against a fellow believer or judges a fellow believer speaks
against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the
law but its judge. †But there is only one who is lawgiver and judgeóthe one who is
able to save and destroy. On the other hand, who are you to judge your neighbor?î
And then Romans 14:4 says, ìWho are you to pass judgment on anotherís servant? Before
his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him
stand.î So donít think, like the Pharisees, that
you are doing God a service by wielding Jesusí whip for him. He is the only one who is worthy
of wielding that whip, because heís the only one who saved us, who is perfectly innocent
of sin. The law canít judge him because he is perfect. He never violated the law ó you
did. So how can you judge somebody else for their sin? You canít. Youíre not in the
position to do it. Youíre not in the position to wield his sword or wield his whip. You
canít make those judgments, and it hasnít been given to you to do so. Just because you
have power doesnít mean you have permission. Who are you to pass judgment on another manís
servant? Donít think youíre doing God a service.
John 16:2-3 says that thatís what the evil people will be doing. It says, ìThey will
put you out of the synagogueÖî talking about Godís real messengers, prophets and disciples.
ìThey will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills
you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do these things because they
have not known the Father or me.î And this is what I want to point out to you ó those
of you who are beating the servants; those of you who are trying to force people into
Godís way of doing things; those of you who are trying to force people into submission
to yourself in order to get the things you want. The people who think that theyíre doing
God a service by harming other people are NOT the good guys.
Jesus gave us a new command. He said to love one another. There was a time when he sent
Israel out to conquer their enemies, yes. But Jesus came and he said, ìNow I want you
to do what Iíve done. I want you to pick up your cross and follow me. I want you to
love your enemies. If your enemy is in need, give him what he needs. If someone smacks
you on the cheek, turn the other cheek.î Understand, if you are beating anyone, you
need to repent. If youíre forcing anyone into submission, you need to repent. Even
if they're a person that God has given you authority over, that doesnít mean youíve
been given permission to do that. Tonight we need to get honest with God and
say, ìGod, I just want you to show me where I am doing anything wrong with the people
you've entrusted me. I know that they donít belong to me, that ultimately you are their
Maker, and I will be held accountable to you for what I do to them.î
The parable that I read to you last week, Jesus was saying that this master said to
an unfaithful servant, ì...if youíre not faithful with somebody elseís property, why
would you be given your own property?î Because when God gives you something, when God entrusts
something to you, when he says ìIím going to give you something for eternityî, he doesnít
give you his leftovers. When God gives you a gift, he gives you his very best. So when
he entrusts people to you, what he is saying is, ìIím giving my heart and soul to you.
Iím giving you my most precious treasure to take care of.î
Look how much God trusts you, to give these people to you in your life. Appreciate today
what God has given you. Maybe some of you are dissatisfied in your lives, and youíre
dissatisfied with your family and your relationships. You need to just rub your eyes and wake up.
Get dresses and ready for service. You canít see clearly when youíre lying there on the
bed and youíre not awake. You need to wake up spiritually. You need to wake up to God.
You need to get up and take a shower and get clean. You need to go wash your face. You
need to rub your eyes, and then you need to go look over at your wife or your husband,
and see what they look like then. Because when you look at them through those eyes that
God gives you, when he gives you clarity from the Word of God ó when you wake up ó then
youíre going to see how valuable that person is.
Just because you canít see that shine in the people that are in your lives, just because
you canít see the value of that relationship and itís not satisfying you right now, thatís
not what itís about. You wake up. You do what God told you to do. You rub your eyes.
You get sober. You get dressed and ready for service. And what youíre going to find is
that all of a sudden youíre going to have eyes to see the value, the vast value of everything
that has been entrusted to you. And the good news is, if you do a good job with that ó
you right now are not the master, you are just a manager ó But God will give you your
own inheritance to take care of for eternity.