June 10, 2012
Morning Worship
Text: Luke 19:11-27
Subject: Working for God
Title: Working for the Increase
I want to start this morning by saying thank you to all of you and especially to all who preached and worked in ministry while we were gone to keep things running smoothly. We are back and the Lord is getting ready to do great things among us starting today.
Now I want to share with you a word that I received from the Lord Friday morning while we were at prayer. It was just Frances and I Friday morning (thanks to Frances for her faithfulness) and as Frances was interceding for you and for the community the Lord began to speak to me and before long Frances’ voice was replaced by God’s voice in my inner man. This is the description of how it went:
I saw the LORD sitting on His throne. His appearance was different than as I had seen Him at other times. Normally I see Him as teacher or preacher and I see mercy and grace and love on His face. This time Jesus had a stern look on His face – the look of a judge about to pronounce judgment. Though His face was stern there was still compassion there. He begins to speak to me – again it is different than other times when He would speak words to teach or encourage me. This time He speaks words to tell of things to come…
Mike, I told you yesterday that this is the year of the harvest and that you should prepare the church to receive. I have heard the prayers of your intercessors and have sent My Spirit to intervene in the lives of your families, the church, in your town and surrounding areas, because your prayer warriors have called on my name on their behalf. I heard from the time they began to pray and just now the spiritual battle has risen to the point where strongholds are coming down and the Spirit is able to move against the enemy.
My Spirit has done His work and is now waiting for the church to begin to do its work – to reap the harvest. (Now to the church) Look around you in the church. I have been moving people into this congregation in order to have the church ready for the harvest. The rest now is up to the church. What will you, the church, be willing to do? Are you willing to take the word of life and salvation I have given you into the world and share it with the lost and hurting? Or will you keep it to yourself? I declare this day that I the LORD will give you a greater harvest than you could ever imagine if you heed My words and are willing to answer My call to evangelism. If you will bring the unsaved to church – compel them to come in – I the LORD will change the face of the congregation so that one year from today you will not recognize (if you could see it now) the church. Among them I am bringing in the undesirables who struggle with addictions and immoral lifestyles. But along with them I will bring in others who are willing to minister to them – teachers and ministry leaders who are willing to take leadership roles of ministry among you.
But… if the church refuses to answer My call to be what I desire it to be – if there is rejection of My call – I will leave you in the desert to die off as an unbelieving generation as I left Israel to wander in the desert because of their unbelief, until that generation has passed away. It is not my desire to do so but I will accomplish what I have told you if you refuse to receive the great harvest I am sending you.
So, do not be afraid, be of great courage for I the LORD am going before you – I have already gone before you to prepare the fields for harvest. It is your choice: experience the greatest revival you will ever see or continue in your complacency which will lead to death and not the abundant life I have prepared for you.
If you will stand in faith and answer the call I will bless you. That is why I have given messages to your preachers in recent times to show you the power and authority you have in Christ.
So I say today, “Go in that power and authority and reap the harvest I have given into your hands”
This is the Year of the Harvest!
When the Lord speaks to me like that I always anguish as to whether it is something I should share with the church or if it is for me. This time there was no doubt.
I want to show you through the scriptures that this word from God is real and relevant.
Luke 19:11-27
I believe this is God’s word…
I believe it is for me…
I accept it as mine…
And I appropriate it to my life today…
As we begin a quick exposition of this passage we have to start out with verse 11 in order to understand why Jesus told the following parable. 11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God# was going to appear at once… Now we have something that the people of Jesus’ time did not have – we have the blessing of hindsight that tells us that the first coming of Christ was for our salvation… Right now the church is at the same place where the people were then. They were expecting the coming King. More and more we hear about how around the world people are expecting the return of Christ. Any time! That is what makes this parable applicable to us today.
I. A CHARGE TO HIS SERVANTS IS GIVEN… Look at verse 12, He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. Who is that talking about? Obviously Jesus is talking about Himself here. John 14:1-3, 1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. What is it that the church is waiting for? What did Jesus say was going to happen? So what does Jesus expect from His church while He is gone preparing a place for us? “I’m going to prepare a place for you so while I’m gone just kick back and take it easy and enjoy so you’ll be well rested when I get back…” No, that’s not what He says to do. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ I love the way the KJV says it… “Occupy till I come…” The word translated “occupy” or “put this money to work” in the NIV means, to stay busy! What is the church to do while Jesus is gone? Stay busy! With what? Doing the things that Jesus has established for us to do… 1) The things that He has done… preaching, healing, casting out demons, caring for one another… 2) building the church… Matthew 16, 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Some of you were here last Sunday night when sister Jeana talked about binding and loosing… it’s about taking spiritual authority over the enemy who is attempting to control your life. 3) continue to speak words over your life that are the same as what God says about you. Mark 11, 22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. So in relation to the church today is this about spending money wisely? To an extent… that is important, but it is about doing what is necessary to extend the kingdom… ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ Make My kingdom prosper.
II. THE WORLD’S REJECTION IS ON DISPLAY… look at verse 14, “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ Who said this? Is it the ones He gave the minas to? No, the bible clearly calls them servants, Gr = doulos (dou`-los), a voluntary, fully devoted servant… Those in verse 14 are called “subjects” or “citizens (KJV). They may not be servants but are still under His authority whether they want to be or not. That’s the world. They want to rebel against God. They want to try to do things their own way. ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ Why does the world hate Jesus? It is because of the authority that the name carries. The name reflects the person and character. The name suggests the power and authority of the one named. Philippians 2:9, Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name… Those in the world – who are opposed to God because they do not know Him, are under the control of the god of this world. Whether they want to admit it or not they are his and have no recourse against him because they lack spiritual authority over him. So when God has exalted Jesus to the highest place, He is putting Him where satan has always wanted to be and never will be. So the very nature of the one who rules this world is reflected in the ones who are under his dominion. Verse 15, “He was made king, however, and returned home. Whether the world wants to believe it or not two things are promised. 1) Jesus is king 2) He is coming back…
III. THE WORK OF THE SERVANTS REVEALED… Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. OK, here is where we get down to it. If you think that this is only talking about money think again…While Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, before He returns for the church at the rapture, while you are alive and part of the body of Christ, you are expected to do something with what God has given you. You can look at this several ways. First, God has given you the gift of salvation… You have an option as with any other gift as to what you will do with it. You can keep it to yourself or you can share it with others. Second, The gifts of the Spirit… They are given by the Spirit to individuals to be used for the edification or building up of the church. Third, natural/physical talents that have been given that can be used for the glory of God… The question Jesus is asking is, “What did you do with them to further the kingdom?” 16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ 17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ 18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ 19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ Do you understand that the rate of increase for the first servant was 1,000%? The second was 500%. How does one see that kind of results in ministry? How can you increase the kingdom like that? Because they were only doing what they had been given authority to do. Turn over to Luke 10… Everybody say, “The Lord has given me what I need, to expand the kingdom…” 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Get your priorities straight. Know that you are a child of the King, then act like it, by exercising your authority of the enemy by building the kingdom. 20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ Now this servant is an enigma. He is difficult to understand. As a servant (doulos) he has willingly placed himself under the king’s authority. But, it seems that he was afraid to do anything out of fear… fear of failure and fear of the repercussions of failing. In either case there is a real lack of understanding of the nature of the king. 1) He has given you all the authority you need. In Joshua 1:9 we have the same set of circumstances that the church faces today. We are called to expand the kingdom the same way Joshua was called to go, 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” If that is true then Philippians 4:13 holds true for you as well, 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. 2) He will not chastise you when you put in the effort. He never condemned the one that earned 5 minas while another earned 10. Each one worked according to their abilities and their faith. The last servant did nothing and used fear as an excuse. 22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant… Stop right there. How is Jesus going to judge us? … By our own words! Watch what you say and be sure to agree with what God says about you and not what satan says about you. You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ This seems like one who has dedicated himself to just keeping the church afloat; not like one who is expanding the kingdom. Do you see the difference? One is inwardly focused – the other is outwardly focused! 24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ 25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ 26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. Inwardly focused? Heaven is what you get, but those who are expanding the kingdom will receive rewards in the kingdom. Oh yeah! Getting back to those who didn’t want Jesus as their king… 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”
There are three different types of people mentioned in the passage today… enemies of God, active workers for God, and believers who don’t understand God. Let’s address the first and the last. If you are an enemy of God – you don’t want anyone to control your life other than yourself – you have never made Jesus Lord and Savior of your life get up out of your pew right now and surrender to Him.
If you are a Christian who has received gifts from God but are content with just keeping the doors open with no real desire to expand the kingdom, get up out of your pews and come and repent.
If you are a believer and are actively pursuing the things of God and the expansion of the kingdom and His church get up right now and come forward for a fresh anointing.
This is the year of the harvest for Palmyra First Assembly.#
