Month: June 2024

Remaining Consistent Until The End. EXPOSITION ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE study #106 (Luke 12:35-48)

/ Matt Vance / 1 Comment

What I’m about to say is something that I have been noticing and pointing out since Luke 11:14. I know that it seems that I am beating on the same drum but we have seen our Lord Jesus teach so much on the two different kingdoms since that moment. In reality He will stay in that focus of teaching it seems here but with a slight turn in a different direction as He looks now to show that the true follower will remain consistent until the time of His return.

I think it is important to point out that this Scripture is not giving any eschatological viewpoint or should not be viewed as things that we can look at to determine the timing of the Lord’s return. This teaching I believe stays true to the context that we have seen since chapter 11. What our Lord does here is shows that a true follower of His will in fact stay consistent in the way He or she serves. This does not speak of a person that finds a path of perfection but rather the path of serving God consistently throughout our lives.

This teaching could very well show the truth that comes with the perseverance of the saints that we hold to. The fact is that a true follower of the Lord will not fail to continue in what God has called them to do. There may be times of disobedience and rebellion but in the end, the true follower of Christ will be seen as one that has served well. There is so much to speak of concerning this topic so let’s look now at our first point.

1.The PREPARED SLAVE is blessed.
Look with me at Luke 12:35-40 that says “Gird up your loins, and keep your lamps lit. 36 And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find awake when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 39 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 You too, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

There is one thing for sure in this text that we can not ignore and that is the fact that Jesus will return one day. Like I said in the introduction of this study, the return of our Lord is only seen here as a secondary teaching within this section of Scripture. The primary teaching comes with the first words we see here from Luke 12:35 which is Gird up your loins, and keep your lamps lit.

These words set up the foundation of what Jesus is going to teach on moving forward in this section. These words are words of readiness and preparation. This is a warning to remain focused and consistent in how you are living as a follower of the Lord Jesus. There are many people that call themselves Christians but few that actually live as if they are following Him. The fact is Jesus uses His second coming as an example of why a person should remain faithful until the end. I know many people don’t like the thought of this doctrine but it must be taught as we see our Lord address it here.

This shows to us that we are to remain faithful and many wonder at how we can do that with so much that pulls us away into sin and bad decisions. Even though Jesus does not directly explain that part of it here what we see is the command to be ready and prepared at all times. Just a side note, I believe we see in the whole of Scripture that this is only possible because of the work of God in each believer through the Holy Spirit.

We see verses like Philippians 1:6 that says And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3-5 says Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Also Jesus specifically says in John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

These verses and many more speak of God holding on to, guarding, keeping and completing the saint until the end. But from our standpoint we do not just sit around in hopes that we are God’s elect. No, if we are truly saved and a recipient of eternal life then we have within us the Holy Spirit that drives us to good works and repentance from the sins we live in.

I think we see this so clear from both the fact that we are to live in obedience to God and that God will be working in us from Philippians 2:12-13 that says So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

I hope this has helped us to realize that what Jesus is saying in our Luke text is from the standpoint of our working out our own salvation, not the working for but the working out in sanctification as God works in us.

It is then that Jesus shares a story to help in understand in the importance of remaining consistent. Jesus says in Luke 12:36-38 And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find awake when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

The person that is a true Christian, the person that is living their life for God in truth will always be ready. They will not be looking for excuses to get out of the work they are called to do, they will not be slothful to fulfill the call on their life but will rather be ready to serve at the time that they have been given. But there will be many that live in that way of slothfulness and hypocrisy. I believe this again is a distinction that Jesus is pointing out from the standpoint of the religious leader that say they do the work of God to contrast with those that actually are.

The fact is that you can fool others but you will never fool God. Remember when Jesus said in the parable of the rich fool that God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you prepared?’

Here Jesus says something that goes along with that very thought. He says in Luke 12:39-40 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 You too, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

Don’t think that your hypocrisy will not be exposed. It will be at a time when you are slothful, disobedient and uncaring for what God commands that your life will be exposed as hypocritical. Therefore we must remain prepared, ready and consistent. This moves us to look now at our next point.

2.The OBEDIENT SLAVE is blessed.
Look with me at Luke 12:41-44 that says Now Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 44 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

We looked at the point of being prepared in our first point and now we see the importance of our faithfulness in obedience. The readiness and prepared saint will be living in obedience but the last point really showed us more of the preparation where we will now see the actual action that comes along with that preparation.

What we see here first is that Peter asks our Lord, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”

I believe Peter is asking this because as we all do, he recognizes his lack of preparation and obedience to the Lord. Then again he may be thinking to highly of himself having in mind that he really doesn’t need this instruction. I tend to think along the lines of the first. I think Peter was wanting some type of confirmation from our Lord concerning his own preparation.

This question is answered by our Lord in what we see in Luke 12:42-48. We will look first in Luke 12:42-44 that says “Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 44 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

The key to understanding the first part of this answer is to see the key words which we see as faithful, prudent and the slave who is doing what was commanded of him. This is not a slothful slave nor a slave that looks for opportunities to do opposite of what has been commanded. This slave is found to be loyal, acting in wisdom to discern the proper way to live and act. This is a picture of how we as Christians should be living out our lives. Not in a way that is dishonoring to our Lord but rather honoring to Him so when He comes we will be blessed by Him.

The story that Jesus shares here gives us some insight to the truths of eternal life. He says here that Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

This statement is not meant to be a dogmatic, all inclusive statement showing that we will rule the world but rather that when we enter into eternity we will in fact be given all of the promises that have been spoken of concerning our salvation. God will not withhold from us anything but will give to us all that pertains to His promises of eternal life.

Before moving on I want to point out the importance of that word doing in verse 43. It is the doing and the preparation of serving the master that is contrasted in our next point. For people that think that just going to church, sitting in a pew, singing a few songs and going back home is what is meant by living out the Christian life, then this next point is one you really need to pay attention to.

3.The DISOBEDIENT and UNCARING SLAVE is punished.
Look with me at Luke 12:45-48 that says But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many beatings, 48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a beating, will receive but a few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

To start off I do want to point out that we see this person also called a slave. Many people will try to use this as some type of proof that all people are truly God’s children but that is not what is meant by this at all. In fact whether or not you are an obedient Christian or a disobedient atheists, you are still a slave to the Lord because He is Lord regardless of your obedience. He may not be your Lord in deed and action but He is Lord and nothing can change that.

So here we see that this slave notices that his master is delayed in his coming. In fact this slave has decided that this master is probably never coming back therefore the slave begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk.

Let me just say that these actions are not actions of a person that is a part of the kingdom of God but rather of the kingdom of Satan. Notice also that Jesus shows that this type of action will not be overlooked because this slave knew of his master or in other words because you “know Jesus”. Jesus says in Luke 12:46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

This slave will be given no mercy because he is as one that never heard or an unbeliever. The problem was that this slave was not ignorant to his master’s will. In fact what we see is that there will be punishment for the one that knew and the one that did not know the will. In other words this covers those that sit in the church week after week and the others that never have been in a church. Jesus says in Luke 12:47-48 And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many beatings, 48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a beating, will receive but a few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Just because you say you are a part of the kingdom does not prove that you are. Your actions, your life, the way you live shows that truth. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

The lawless or disobedient slave will be cast into Hell while the obedient slave will be rewarded and blessed. This is not speaking of works righteousness salvation but rather the proof of the person you truly are. Again we can conclude that you are either living in God’s kingdom or the kingdom of Satan. Which one are you in? The one living for Christ or the one living for self with a little religion mixed in.

Bible Passage For The Day 6-24-2024

/ Matt Vance / Leave a comment

Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be repaid to him? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

What Fellowship With The Father And Son Gives To Us. EXPOSITION ON THE BOOK OF 1 JOHN study #3 (1 John 1:3-4)

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We are just now diving into the 3rd verse for this study and we already have a great sense for what John is trying to convey to us. This letter is pointed towards the work of God through the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. John has plainly communicated that his own testimony is from the standpoint of the fact that he heard, saw, beheld and even touched the very Word of Life we know to be Jesus Christ. There is no doubt to his original audience and to us that he is showing that he was in fact there with Jesus at the time of His ministry.

He then moved into the action of proclaiming these truth to others. It was and still is highly important that we proclaim the good news of the Gospel. John makes the point that this very Gospel was manifested to them not just in some hidden, secret form but in the life that was manifested in the Lord Jesus Christ. John is making the Gospel essential to this writing and must be the focus of every evangelical work that we do.

So John continues on this idea of proclamation with a connection to being in fellowship with himself and those along side with him in ministry. Then that fellowship is also actual with the Father and the Son. Then we will see also that this fellowship is what will give to us one of the reasons that John is writing this letter in the first place and that is in bringing to us a joy that is complete. Let’s move now into our first point for this study.

1.Fellowship with FELLOW CHRISTIANS.
Look with me at 1 John 1:3a that says what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you may also have fellowship with us.

We stop midway through this verse to look at the fact that the Christian life is not meant to be lived out in isolation or in a place of separation from other people. The idea of becoming a monk that separates themselves from society is far from anything Biblical. I can even speak from experience that even going to a church does not provide the fellowship that is meant by this verse. Most people think of fellowship as a gathering in the same room or some meal before or after a church service. I can agree that those things can be good times of fellowship but we have to go outside of our cultural definition to see what it is that John is speaking of here.

The Greek word for fellowship here is koinónia (koy-nohn-ee’-ah) which points towards 1what is shared in common as the basis of fellowship (partnership, community). This word brings along an intimate partnership that is common with those that are in the gathering. A partnership means participation in that gathering. The idea here is not in just sharing a meal before or after a church service but rather the common reason why you are coming together in the first place. That points to what John said at the beginning of this verse when he said what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also.

The very thing that has been proclaimed is the Good News of the Gospel. This Good News is that we have a Savior who is Jesus Christ. If the Gospel is not central in everything we do within the “church” then we fail to follow the pattern set before us here. Some people may thing that the Gospel is central to what they are doing because they “believe” in Jesus or they “love” Jesus but the real proof of that will be in the actions of the fulfillment of the Great Commission, the real worship of God and the exaltation of Jesus as Lord and Savior.

So this fellowship is specific and central to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest example of this fellowship is seen at the beginning of the church in Acts. We read in Acts 2:42 And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.

We see that there is a distinction in a teaching time, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer time. These are all essential to church life but so often we mix them together in different forms. Fellowship was much more than just a time of eating together. In fact I think we see further proof of what this fellowship looks like from what Acts 2:44-47 says, it says And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were dividing them up with all, as anyone might have need. 46 And daily devoting themselves with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number daily those who were being saved.

I bring all of this to our attention because I want us to realize what fellowship John is speaking of when he says it here concerning the fellowship that salvation gives to us as believers. But this is only one form of the fellowship mentioned here. I believe this Christian fellowship is only possible because of the work of the Holy Spirit in each of us. In a section of Scripture where Paul is expressing to the Philippians the need for unity, he says in Philippians 2:1-5 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 fulfill my joy, that you think the same way, by maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose, 3 doing nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves, 4 not merely looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Unity in the church is brought about because of the fellowship we have with the Holy Spirit that lives in us. This fellowship with the Holy Spirit is not just some act of saying a prayer or going to church but rather in a partnership with the Holy Spirit. As He leads we are to be obedient and this leads us to being likeminded to form this unity and fellowship with other believers.

Well I have spent way to long on this point but we have in this point established what Christian unity and fellowship is and how that relates to the Holy Spirit. Now we will see the unity that connects us to both the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ in our next two points.

2.Fellowship with the FATHER.
Look with me at 1 John 1:3a as we go a little further, it says there what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father.

If you haven’t noticed I believe we see terms here that show to us that salvation brings fellowship with the Holy Spirit that is worked out practically in Christian fellowship and also with the Father and the Son as well. Here we will see that we not only have Christian fellowship but also fellowship with the Father. This is very important to the doctrine of salvation. We do not just get the penalty of our sins paid for through Christ but we also have fellowship with the Father. Before we had no fellowship with the Father. We had nothing but hate for God, hate for all that God has commanded before salvation.

In fact I think this is so clearly seen in what Paul says in Romans 5:6-11 that says For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

We were enemies of God but now we have been reconciled by the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation has brought to us a fellowship to the Father that we did not have before. Colossians 1:21-22 says And although you were formerly alienated and enemies in mind and in evil deeds, 22 but now He reconciled you in the body of His flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.

Any Gospel presentation must not only include the act of the death and resurrection of our Lord but with it shows us the need of the Savior. We could in no way reconcile with God on our own, we in no way could make a peace treaty with God, we need Christ, we need to know that we are enemies of God in our natural state. What Christ did brings us reconciliation and fellowship with the Father that we can not and would never be able to pursue on our own. This brings us to look now at our next point for this study.

3.Fellowship with the SON.
Look with me at the whole of 1 John 1:3 with our focus on the last part, it says what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

I am not trying to bring into this the belief of God in three Person here but I think the distinction can not be overlooked here. Yes we see here the distinction the Son has from the Father. They are not spoken of as the same Person but distinct. This of course does not mean we have different Gods or Beings but different Persons with different roles in the Triune Godhead. I could use this section to show this distinction more than I have but I will stick to the subject of the fellowship we see we have now with God’s Son Jesus Christ.

I think an answer to the question of what was your relationship to Christ before your salvation gives us a view of what salvation has given to us in the area of fellowship with the Son. I think we recognize that our fellowship with the Son was no more intact before salvation that our fellowship with the Father. We truly did not love Christ, we disobeyed Christ, we may have looked at Christ as a Savior but not Lord. We did not want to or desire to follow Christ’s commands and therefore we were in a place of hatred towards Christ and disobedience to the call of salvation that He provides. 1 Corinthians 1:9 says God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

This shows us that it is God who calls us to this fellowship with the Son. The Son was the One that died on the cross, and resurrected bringing us the reconciliation to the Father. But it is the Father that draws us, calls us into fellowship with His Son. It is nothing we do on our own or would even desire to have because salvation is more than just deliverance from Hell. Salvation gives God glory, it exalts the Son, it is worked out by the Spirit.

When I think of the fellowship that we now have with Jesus I look at what Paul speak of in Romans 6. In Romans 6 we see that our relationship to sin and to Christ changes because of the salvation that we have in Christ. Our relationship and fellowship with sin before we were saved was that of love for sin and self. The argument of a self righteous professing Christian would ask what we see in Romans 6:1 where Paul says What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

The love of sin is so clearly seen here. People want to stay in sin so much that they would ask or even suggest that by staying in sin we are actually giving God the opportunity to display His grace all the more. But Paul shuts that thinking down quickly by saying in Romans 6:2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

The point I am trying to make here is that sin is what we had fellowship with before but now we are to have fellowship with Christ which is seen in a life that is turning from sin. He continues on in Romans 6:5-6 by saying For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died has been justified from sin.

I wish I could just sit here in Romans 6 for a while but that would belabor the point. The fact is seen here that our fellowship with the Son is in repenting from sinful behaviors and following our new Master and Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 6:11 says Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Our fellowship with the Son is in our obedience to His Lordship. This leads us to briefly look at our last point.

4.Fellowship that COMPLETES OUR JOY.
Look with me at 1 John 1:4 that says And these things we are writing, so that our joy may be made complete.

This is one of the verses we saw in our very first study in 1 John. This shows to us the reason for this writing but it also is included in the context of the salvation that he has already been speaking of. The theme of fellowship will again come up in the next section and throughout this letter. But here we see that this letter is meant to bring to us joy that is made complete.

This joy we have is in direct connection of the recognition of God’s work in salvation towards us. This joy points to the fact that we can have confidence in salvation because it is not dependent on our deeds or works. The obvious connection to this verse will be seen all throughout this letter so be certain that we will see this verse over and over again within our study of this great book of the Bible.

There is much we could say concerning this joy but for now we will finish this study with the thoughts that I believe says it all concerning the joy we should have. I close with 1 Peter 1:8-9 that says And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

I hope that you can see that salvation has given to us this joy , love and fellowship with the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and fellow Christians.

  1. https://biblehub.com/greek/2842.htm ↩︎

Bible Passage For The Day 6-20-2024

/ Matt Vance / Leave a comment

Romans 5:8-11

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Bible Passage For The Day 6-18-2024

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Acts 4:8-12

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man, as to how this man has been saved from his sickness, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”