Good Servant | Wicked Servant
I got to listen to Matt Chandler today again as I drove around seeing my customers. This guy is quickly becoming my favourite bible teacher.
Love his passion and, more importantly, his angle in tackling the text and the insight he has in understanding the big issues. This is especially true in the area of being a disciple of Jesus and making Him Lord of your life instead of simply being a Christian.
Today I listened to his take on the parable of the Ten Mina’s found in Luke.
“A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’
But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business.
The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’ Luke 19:12-27
There is so much packed into the that parable that to “unpack it” – as Chandler likes to say – would take a very long time. For a great take on this from Chandler’s mindset, be sure to listen to his sermon below.
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In the middle of listening to the sermon, something struck me. Here we have 3 servants singled out from among the 10. One used what Jesus gave him and his efforts brought a huge return. Jesus was pleased and gave him 10 cities.
The other had a smaller return. Jesus wasn’t as pleased as the first guy, but still rewarded him proportionately.
But the third guy didn’t do anything and actually accused Jesus and pointed his finger at him. Jesus then took what He had given to him in the first place. He then equated this wicked servant to the ones who are “enemies of His” and had them slaughtered.
Chandler does an excellent job in describing these enemies as those who don’t want Jesus to be Lord of their lives – again, something resonating with me greatly these days.
But you know what strikes me? This wicked servant was still a “servant”. He still served Jesus. But he didn’t have Jesus as his Lord and he had a wrong understanding of Jesus. But at the end of the day, he was still a servant.
Made me think about what I do. Sure I serve in my church. Stuff done behind the scenes no-one has any awareness of. I also put my hand up for many ministries ranging from multimedia to running the men’s group to looking after the kids. So in effect, I am a servant.
But I need to ask myself the questions, “Do I know Jesus in the proper way?” and “Is He Lord of my life?” If I have a “no” in my answer, then I really need to revaluate my walk with Him. Because if I have a “no”, I’m the same as those who are enemies of Jesus and my serving is pointless and futile in nature.
And what about everyone else in Church? In reality, our churches are made up of a bunch of people who sacrificially serve day in, day out but will end up in hell. Because they serve while not knowing Jesus, nor are known by Him. And they serve because of religion – not relationship.
Our churches are full of good servants and wicked servants – but servants nonetheless.
“Easy believism” is a term coined by Chandler in this sermon and it refers to modern Christianity’s watering down of how we are saved. This is in total contradiction to what scripture teaches in the following versus..
“work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” Phil 2:12b
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Mat 7:21-23
This morning as I drove off to work, I asked Jesus to teach me to live with Him as Lord of my life. He answered me through this sermon.
Thank you Jesus. This sermon was a great start.
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While I am not a big fan of Rob Bell – mainly because of his emergent type need to need to question everything – I am a fan of this guy’s ability to communicate. A great example of this is his NOOMA series of video’s – short stories designed to draw out conversation on spiritual matters for small groups. I collected all his NOOMA video’s I found online (21 at the time), made a VODPOD collection and posted them on my blog. Worked like a charm until they were deemed copy write and whoever posted them online had to take them off.
This is one post from a series of posts I did on the Nephilim – the hybrid offspring of angels and humans before the flood and the real reason God destroyed the earth. Most Christians (including Reformed) don’t take this topic seriously and brush it off as fantasy. But I invite you to take a journey with me with this series of posts and you will never see history the same way again. Entire series (although unfinished) listed below.
