SOMETHING TO CONSIDER FROM LUKE 3

“As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals.”  (John the baptizer, as he prepared national Israel to receive their soon-to-arrive Messiah-King, Luke 3:16)

Over the years I have met a number of men and women of God whose lives and ministries radiated the power of God.  They came from different backgrounds and cultures.  They had different personalities and gifts and passions.  And they were called to different ministries.  But they all shared one thing in common:

not one of them had an air of self-sufficiency

I don’t think I’ve ever met an effective servant of Christ who had not first been broken.  Each one’s confidence in the Lord was strong; but his self-assurance was gone.  He is the kind of person who prays, “Why did You call me to do this?  Who am I?  I am not fit for this ministry!”

Actually, they are in good company:

• “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”  (Moses, after hearing God’s call to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage, Exodus 3:10-11)

• “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel?  Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”  (Gideon, after hearing God’s call to deliver Israel from Midian’s oppression, Judges 6:15)

• “Actually I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody.”  (Paul, to the church in Corinth who questioned his calling as an apostle, 2^nd Corinthians 12:11)

The Lord has a good reason for bringing His servants to this point of self-doubt:

“My power is perfected in your weakness” (2^nd Corinthians 12:9)

It is one of the paradoxes of the spiritual life.  When one thinks he is strong, he is actually quite weak.  But when he thinks he is weak, he is in a position to be quite strong … in the Lord.  Contrary to the world’s value system,

the LORD will not use us because we are mighty in ability.

There is just too much of us that will get in His way.

Nor will the LORD use us in spite of our weaknesses.

This sounds good; but that is not completely true.  The LORD does not use us in spite of our weaknesses.

The LORD will use us because of our weaknesses.

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  (1^st Corinthians 1:26-31)

It does not feel very good; but the fact is, our all-wise and sovereign God has every right to break us.  Sometimes He uses sandpaper.  At other times He uses a jackhammer.  Either way, He has every right to do what it takes to empty us of our self-assurance

• because in doing so, we are made more dependent on Him …

• and being emptied of ourselves, we can now be filled with His power …

• and by that power, our lives are better able to represent the Savior to a world that desperately needs to know Him …

• and by that power, our ministries become more effective, more fruitful, more powerful.

Have you ever felt less-than-“fit” to serve Jesus Christ?  If so, let’s not miss the reason why.  We are not weak because God failed to make us strong.  We are made weak that we might be filled with the power of God … for the strengthening of His people … to the glory of His Name.

Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.  (2^nd Corinthians 12:10)

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They tell you in seminary that, after you preach on Sunday, you should wash your car on Monday … or cut the grass … or paint something.  That is, the Bible teacher needs to do something on Monday from which he can see an immediate result. That’s because the Word of God often does not have an immediate (observable) effect on the audience.  In fact, your pastor will never see the full impact his ministry is having in the lives of others … at least on this side of the resurrection.  And so, to encourage himself, he needs to do something with his hands.  Perhaps mowing the yard has prevented a lot of pastors from throwing in the towel.

I don’t think I have ever met an effective servant of God that has not struggled with this issue.  They have given their very best to the ministry to which God has called them.  But as far as they can tell, they are having little impact in the lives of those they serve.

“Am I really doing any good?  I don’t see much fruit.”

One day I said that to a friend of mine; and he hit me square between the eyes with a “question” I needed to hear:

How much fruit do you need to SEE before you can be faithful to your calling?

The answer, of course, is “None.”  That’s because faithfulness has nothing to do with results.  It has to do with one doggedly remaining in (what seems to be) a stagnated situation because he knows that is where his Master wants him to be … and that’s the ONLY reason he stays.

Dear friends, a day is coming when every reborn Christ-follower will bow before the Judgment Seat of God.  And on that day the quality of our stewardship is going to be evaluated.  No doubt, we all want to hear our Master say,

Well done, good and faithful servant!

But if that is what we want to hear, there is something we need to come to grips with. We need to clearly understand what it’s going to take for us to become that kind of servant.

The fact is, some things can only be forged on an anvil.  Faithfulness is one of them. This trait does not come quickly, nor does it come easily.  Indeed, for faithfulness to be dyed into the fabric of one’s soul, he must be put in situations that tempt him to give up … to quit … to stop trying to be and do what Christ has given him to be and do.  It is at this point – and only at this point – that faithfulness can be cultivated: when the servant of God, tempted to throw in the towel, keeps going.  Not because of the fruit he sees but because of the Calling laid upon his life.

This is the spiritual grit of a faithful servant:  the conviction of his Calling

And so, during these “flat” periods of anguish and confusion when we are tempted to give up, let us be fully convinced of what is taking place in our lives:

The Father is cultivating our faithfulness by stretching our endurance.

To be aware of that fact goes a long way in understanding why troubles … and weariness … and circumstances that don’t make any sense are so vital to one’s ministry.  It explains why God (seems to be) so slow and so silent and so aloof at times.  This is the reality of faithful stewardship.

And at his finish line, he will hear his Master say,

Well done good and faithful slave!

And he will savor that praise throughout eternity.

And eternity is a long, long time.

 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.  (1^st Corinthians 15:58)

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.  (Galatians 6:9)

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It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.  (Hebrews 9:27)

So teach us to number our days that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. (Psalms 90:12)

If you would like to know what a person believes about the future, observe how he lives in the present.  If someone tells you that he believes Krispy Kreme Doughnut stock is going to quadruple in value by this time next week, then take note:  Is he buying as many shares of Kripsy Kreme Doughnut stock as he can afford … or no?

According to the Scriptures, what we believe about the future will have a great influence on how we live in the present.

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.  We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.  And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.  (1^st John 3:2-3)

As the brevity of life becomes more and more apparent with each passing year, he who is wise will live more fervently, not for a world scheduled to be destroyed but for an eternity that is fast approaching.

LORD, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days.  Let me know how transient I am.  Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight.  Surely every man at his best is a mere breath.”  (Psalm 39:4-5)

Today, you and I are one day closer to appearing before the Judgment Seat of Christ.  Whether we are removed from this earth by the Rapture or by death, we are that much closer to bowing before the Son of God.  We are one day closer to giving an account of our stewardship.

It is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed … But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”  (Romans 13:11, 14)

To be prepared for our approaching evaluation, we must be able to present a life of faithful character and service when Christ asks to hear our account of what we did with His property:

“What did you do with the time and the resources and the abilities and the strength and the opportunities … I entrusted into your care … to prepare yourself and others for eternity … to the glory of My Name?”

Beloved friends, we do not have the luxury – or the right – to foolishly squander our fleeting lives on the temporal affairs of a dead world.  Most certainly, the race we have been called to run will prevent us from being “in sync” with all the Jones’s out there.  But the reality of our situation is this:  We each have only one heart.  We do not have two.  We can have, therefore, only one devotion … only one all-consuming passion.  We cannot have two.  It is impossible to pursue the glitter of fool’s gold that so enamors this spiritually-dead world and be faithful to Christ at the same time.

Therefore, let us look down the track and set our gaze upon the finish line.  Do you see “the joy set before (you)”?

How immense that joy will be to find ourselves in the smiling Presence of our glorified Master!

How glorious it will be to receive from His hand an imperishable reward!

How satisfying it will be to hear that wonderful greeting,

“Well done, good and faithful servant!  Enter into the joy of your Master!”

Just imagine what it will be like to cross the finish line!  I have an idea that, at that moment, we will fall before our Savior, grab hold of His wound-scarred feet, and weep with gladness.

And so, with this eternal perspective, let us all

… lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  (Hebrews 12:1-2)

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Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created. (Revelation 4:11)

This is the promise which He Himself made to us:  eternal life.  (1^st John 2:25)

Eternal life … a promise made by One Who cannot lie to those who have been bought with the blood of the Lamb.  We, the redeemed of God, will never stop living.  Have you ever tried to grasp the scope of that word?  When we are 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 “years old” (so to speak), our lives in the presence of Christ will have just begun.  The zeros will just keep on accumulating.

The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.  (1^st John 2:17)

The Apostle Paul describes the eternal state as “the ages to come” (Ephesians 2:7).  Not “the age (singular) to come” but “the ages (plural) to come.”  For this word to be in the plural either means that (1) the one age in front of us is so long it will seem like many ages or that (2) the future will actually witness countless “ages.”  Either way, the redeemed are promised a forever-life!

Are you able to wrap your mind around this Truth?  I’m not.  For me, it is like trying to stretch a two-inch piece of string around the planet Jupiter.  I simply cannot fathom eternity.  But should we expect otherwise?  How can a finite mind comprehend the infinite?  Eternal life is a promise that comes from the one, true God Who, Himself, is too big for any of us to comprehend.

But there is something we must grasp … and with full conviction:  our time on this earth is very short.  Indeed, compared to eternity, our sojourn here is a speck of sand.  So, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun,” what are we going to be really glad we did with the time we have on this earth?

• Surely, we will be glad for every minute invested in fellowship with the Father.

• We will be glad for every minute we used to worship Him in spirit and in Truth.

• We will be glad for every opportunity we used to faithfully trust and obey Him.

• And we will be glad for every opportunity we used to serve Him with our God-given abilities.

To do all of this, we have been wisely instructed:

No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.  (2^nd Timothy 2:4)

So, what kind of “soldiers in active service” are we?

• Are we depending upon the Spirit of God to bring our character in alignment with the will of the Father?

• Are we using our God-given abilities to the fullest to strengthen His people?

• Is our purpose in life to exalt His Name … that He would be highly respected and feared and loved and honored?

Do we have this kind of perspective … one that is focused on eternity?  The fact is, the only way to live wisely in this present life is to

LIVE WITH AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

Let us all be faithful to God.  Those who are have been promised to radiate – forever – the blazing glory of God.

And forever is a long, long time.

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(And now to the One) from Whom and through Whom and to Whom are all things. To Him be the glory forever.  Amen.  (Romans 11:36)

In the “Parable of the Soils” (Luke 8:4-18), a farmer is shown planting a crop by casting his seed upon the ground.  This seed falls upon four different kinds of soil:  hardened, rocky, thorn-infested, and good.  The hardened soil prevented the seed from taking root.  The rocky soil was too shallow to hold moisture.  The thorn-infested soil choked the crop from growing.  But the good soil provided the fertility that seed needs to take root and flourish.  Only one kind of soil could produce a crop.  The other three could not.

Jesus then explained the meaning of this parable:  The seed is the Word of God.  The sower represents the one who rightly explains God’s Word to others.  The four “soils” represent four different kinds of hearts responding to God’s Word in four different ways.  Of these four hearts, three bear no fruit (i.e., they do not respond in true faith and obedience).  Only the fourth – “an honest and good heart” – holds fast the Word and bears fruit with perseverance.

Most certainly, the sower can refer to today’s preachers and teachers explaining God’s Word to their audiences.  In this particular setting, however, Jesus is probably referring to Himself as “the Sower,” the seed referring to the presentation of Himself as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah, and the four soils as being the Jewish nation’s different responses (mostly rejection) to His offer.

After the parable is finished, Jesus then challenges the hearer / reader with a caution:

• So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given;

• and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.  (Luke 8:18)

It is the context that helps us understand this verse:

• For whoever has a living faith that motivates him to respond to God’s Word in faith and obedience, to him more understanding shall be given;

• and whoever does not have a living faith that motivates him to respond to God’s Word in faith and obedience, even what understanding he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.

Dear friends, God’s Truth is a stewardship with which you and I have been entrusted:

If we respond to God’s Word with faith and obedience, we will be blessed with an increased capacity to understand and apply even more of God’s Word.  Why?  Because we have shown ourselves to be wise and faithful stewards of the Truth we possess.  The Lord can trust us with more.

But if we have no intention of doing anything with the Truth we know, our capacity to understand God’s Word gradually decreases.  We become “dull of hearing” (Hebrews 5:11).  Why?  Because we have proven ourselves to be foolish, unfaithful stewards of the Truth we know.  We cannot be trusted with more.

This dulled sensitivity to Truth is the worst condition in which an individual can find himself.  It is worse than cancer.  It is worse than paralysis.  It is worse than prison.  It is worse than the loss of a loved one.  All of these involve the physical body and the emotions.  And as grievous as these conditions would be, they are, nevertheless, temporal in nature.  But the inability to understand the Scriptures affects the soul; and the soul is eternal.  If a person cannot understand the Scriptures, then he cannot believe them.  And if he cannot believe God’s Word, he cannot obey God’s Word.  It is, in fact, the most dangerous of situations.

• If he is lost, he will remain lost.  How can one be saved if he does not understand the Gospel?

• If he is saved, his own spiritual growth will be stunted,

• His life will be a detriment to the reputation of God,

• His personal witness to a lost world will not present a clear picture of the Savior they need to know,

• His local church will suffer from his immaturity,

• And he will suffer eternal loss of reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

That is why the Lord Jesus added this warning:

So take care how you listen.  (Luke 8:18)

Bible study is risky business.  It demands a response.  It will produce either a joyous reward or a grievous loss depending on whether we are doers of God’s Word or mere hearers.  What we learn, we are responsible for.  So, the bottom-line question we should all be asking ourselves is

What am I doing with the Truth I already know?

Am I responding to It in faith and obedience?

There is coming a day when we will be ushered into the presence of Christ Jesus.  This will be one of the subjects of that conversation.  If we give ourselves to this pursuit, we can look forward to seeing the smile on our Master’s face and hearing these longed-for words:

“Well done, good and faithful servant!”

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Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen.   (Jude 1:24-25)

You are the owner of a large business.  The nature of your business demands prompt delivery of its goods to local manufacturing companies.  This business is so large that it has two warehouses, each having its own manager.

Over the course of time you notice that the manager of warehouse # 1 always ships each order on the day it comes in.

The manager of warehouse # 2, however, is indifferent toward the need for punctuality.  More times than not, the goods are shipped two, three, sometimes four days after the orders are received.

One day, you receive an order for goods that, if delivered on time, will result in many large orders from this company.  Otherwise, you will lose all their business.  To which warehouse manager would you entrust this shipment?

In one of His parables, Jesus tells us which manager He would choose.

THE STEWARDSHIP OF SERVICE

For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. (Matthew 25:29)

What does this verse mean?  “Everyone who has” what?  And “more” of what “shall be given” him?  What does the second one “not have”; and what exactly “shall be taken away” from him?

Matthew 25:29 is a verse imbedded within the “Parable of the Talents” (Matthew 25:14-30).  This story describes the stewardship of three slaves who were given certain responsibilities to perform during the absence of their master.  The first two slaves were faithful to the responsibility entrusted to them; the third slave proved to be irresponsible.  When the master returned, he rewarded the first two slaves, but he reprimanded – and then expelled from his presence – the third slave.

The timing of this parable is quite interesting.  The nation of Israel as a whole – and the Jewish religious leaders in particular – had rejected Jesus as their Messiah-King.  Knowing that the Day of His Crucifixion was very near, Jesus used the remaining time He had to prepare His followers for His absence.  A part of that preparation is found in this “Parable of the Talents.”

In this parable Jesus informed His disciples that there would be an interval of time between His departure (Ascension) and His Return (Second Coming).  During this interval His followers would be entrusted with certain responsibilities.  Each slave was expected to use his God-given resources to promote his Master’s interests.  Upon His Return, they would then be summoned to give an account of their stewardship.

The parable ends with both a promise of blessing and a warning of loss.  Once their stewardship has been evaluated, those who were faithful to the Master are given greater responsibilities in His Kingdom.  Those who were not faithful to Him suffer great loss.  And then, our verse appears:

For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.  (Matthew 25:29)

It is the context that fills in all the blanks:

For to everyone who has a living faith that motivates him to faithfully serve his Master, more Kingdom-responsibilities shall be given, and he will have an abundance of authority and honor;

 but from the one who does not have a living faith that motivates him to faithfully serve his Master, even what responsibility he does have shall be taken away from him.

You and I have been entrusted with the stewardship of service in the name of Christ.  The question we need to ask ourselves is this:

Am I using my God-entrusted resources to serve my Master?

It is a worthy consideration.  There is coming a day when every believer will bow before the Lord Jesus Christ.  And when we do, we will be called upon to give an account of our stewardship.  If we were faithful to that responsibility, we can look forward to seeing the smile on our Master’s face and hear His words of praise:

“Well done, good and faithful servant!”

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To Him Who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, Whom no man has seen or can see … to Him be honor and eternal dominion!  Amen.  (1^st Timothy 6:15-16)

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!  (Revelation 5:12)

Much of the New Testament’s last letter, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, describes what will take place in heaven and on earth immediately preceding the Return of Christ (chapters 4-19).  In this letter “to the seven churches that are in Asia,” the Apostle John describes an event that will take place sometime after the Judgment Seat of Christ.  The scene involves twenty-four elders, sitting upon twenty-four thrones, all of which encircle the throne of God.

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads ….  (Revelation 4:4)

Based upon this description, it is the belief of many Bible students that these twenty-four elders represent redeemed saints.  They are described as being “clothed in white garments” (they have been made spotless and pure by the blood of Christ).  They are sitting upon thrones encircling the Throne of God (they are reigning with Christ).  And they are adorned with “golden crowns upon their heads” (they have been rewarded for being faithful stewards).

It is my belief that these are literal crowns.  If that is true, then a certain worship service is scheduled to take place in heaven’s Throne Room.  We are told that, during this particular ceremony, the redeemed ones will remove their crowns and cast them before the throne of God.

The twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne.  (Revelation 4:10)

But why will they do this?  Why will the saints – having been rewarded for their faithfulness – cast their crowns at the feet of Christ?

In this one act, the saints are officially confessing two truths regarding the fruitful labor for which they have been rewarded:

Jesus Christ deserves all the credit.

Jesus Christ deserves all the glory.

Jesus Christ Deserves ALL the Credit for Our Crowns

For the saints to cast their crowns before the throne of God is to publicly acknowledge Christ’s right (and His alone) to wear those crowns.  At this time they will “give credit where credit is due.”  During their lives, these believers had faithfully represented Christ to the world in both character and service.  But the ability to do so had not been generated by their own will and power but, instead, by the will and power of God.

I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed.  (Romans 15:18)

Most surely, we do not deserve the credit for these crowns.  We will cast them before the throne of God because that honor rightfully belongs to Him:  to the One Who called us into His service … Who equipped us with everything we needed to fulfill that calling … Who accomplished through us what He gave us to do … and Who rewarded us with eternal life … and with words of praise … and with positions of authority within His eternal Kingdom … and with the capacity to shine forth the blazing glory of God!

When the saints cast their crowns before the throne of Christ, their declaration is this:

“You, and You alone, deserve to wear these crowns!”

Jesus Christ Deserves ALL the Glory for Our Crowns

Furthermore, for the saints to cast their crowns before the throne of God is an act of worship.  Because the work was not really theirs but His, Christ Jesus has the right to receive all glory and honor and power.

And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power.”  (Revelation 4:9-11)

With this one act, the saints are declaring the worth of the generous One Who is so willing to share His life, His praise, His authority and His glory with those who had submitted themselves to His rule over their lives.

Dear friends, this is the kind of God we serve.

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Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen.  (1^st Timothy 1:17)

It is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.  (1^st Corinthians 4:2)

There was once a man who owned an orchard.  In this orchard were ten apple trees.  One day in early spring, the man left town to go on a long trip.  But before he left, he told one of his field hands to take care of his orchard in his absence.

Each day the field hand was careful to cultivate the owner’s orchard.  He kept the surrounding ground aerated and watered.  And at the proper times, he fertilized the root system with just the right ratio of nutrients.

As the summer passed, however, the field hand became greatly troubled because he saw absolutely no fruit.  Not one apple.  Week after week, the worker faithfully cultivated the trees.  But that fall, there were still no apples to be seen.  “Surely, my boss will not be pleased with me,” he thought.

Word came that the owner’s absence was to be extended.  “Whew!” said the worker.  “Perhaps next fall, there will be a harvest of apples.”  And so, the next spring he got an early start.  He aerated.  He watered.  He fertilized.  He covered the trees to prevent damage from a late freeze.  He prevented insects and disease from harming them.  But that fall there were, once again, no apples.

Each year, the owner’s absence was extended.  And each year the field hand carefully cultivated the orchard.  Yet, there were never any apples.  Finally, after seven years, the owner returned.  One by one, each worker was called into his office to give an account of their assigned tasks.  Expecting to be fired, the field hand packed his suitcase and, with hat in hand, walked into his employer’s office.  But to his utter amazement, his boss praised him!  And promoted him!  And gave him a raise!

And that next fall, there were ten apple trees with branches weighed down with hundreds upon hundreds of bright, red, juicy apples.

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There is coming a day when every reborn Christ-follower will bow before the Judgment Seat of God.  And there his level of faithfulness will be evaluated.  Concerning that appointment, I have never met a believer who did not want to hear his Master say,

“Well done, good and faithful servant”

But if that is what we want to hear, there is something we need to come to grips with.  For faithfulness to be dyed into the fabric of our souls, situations must exist that tempt us to give up … to throw in the towel … to quit being and doing what Christ has given us to be and do.  This is the reality of stewardship.  It is impossible to cultivate faithfulness without going through trials that demand perseverance.

To be aware of that fact goes a long way in understanding why troubles … and weariness … and circumstances that don’t make any sense are so vital to the Christian life.  It explains why God (seems to be) so slow and so silent and so aloof at times.

One thing that tends to discourage us is a certain false expectation.  We have been promised that those who remain in intimate fellowship with God through faith and obedience – those who “abide” in Christ – will bear “much fruit.”

I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  (John 15:5)

The false assumption we have is that we will see that fruit.  But when Jesus said that fertile soil will yield a crop “some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty,” He did not assure the sower that he would see these results in full, at least on this side of the Resurrection.  Maybe he will.  But more than likely he will not.  And if he does not, he will be in very good company.  Many missionaries have ministered on the field for 20, 30, some even 40 years, yet do not live to see most of the fruit of their labors.

In fact, I don’t think I have ever met an effective servant of Christ that has not asked himself at one time or another,

“Am I really doing any good?”

“Should I continue to languish in this ministry that’s ‘going nowhere’ when every fiber of my being tells me to ‘throw in the towel’?”

His labor has been skillful.  His motive has been Christ-centered.  But as far as he can tell, he is having little impact in the lives of those he serves.  And this continues on and on and on until, finally, he just wants to give up.

It is at this point that the bond-slave must ask himself a question … a “bucket-of-cold-water-in-the-face” kind of question:

How many lives must I see impacted by my ministry before I can be faithful to my calling? The answer, of course, is “None.”  That’s because

Faithfulness has nothing to do with results

There are some things that can only be forged on an anvil.  Perseverance is one of them.  This trait does not come quickly; nor does it come easily.  Faithfulness is not tempered by the laborer seeing the full impact he is having in the lives of others.  To the contrary, it can only be strengthened when few, if any, results are seen.  Steadfastness is fortified when the laborer doggedly remains in a stagnated situation because he knows that is where his Master wants him to be … and that’s the only reason he stays.

During those times, let us be fully convinced of what is taking place in our lives:

the Father is cultivating our faithfulness by stretching our endurance.

I am the true Vine, and My Father is the Vine-dresser.  Every branch in Me that … bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.  (John 15:1-2)

To whom, then, should we turn for the spiritual “grit” needed to endure this confusing and often discouraging – but necessary – pruning?  To the One Who,

for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  (Hebrews 12:2b)

Therefore, let us not give up.  Let us not throw in the towel.  Let us not lose sight of “the joy set before us.”

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.  (Hebrews 12:1-2a)

Those “flat” periods of anguish and confusion that exist in the lives of those who want to please their Master with their lives and service will be well worth every prayer that was poured out and every tear shed.  And at the finish line, each of these faithful ones will hear his Master say,

“Well done good and faithful slave”

And he will savor that praise throughout eternity.

And eternity is a long, long time.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.  (1^st Corinthians 15:58)

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.  (Galatians 6:9)

Click here to view this course:  OUR APPROACHING EVALUATION

Click here to view our website:  STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ … that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.  (Colossians 4:2-4)

When I was in the 7^th grade, my family lived on 11 acres of land with a large creek as one of its boundaries.  My father used this property to graze his small herds of Black Angus cattle and Shetland ponies.  My mother used this property to grow her vegetable garden.  And I used this property to have a whole lot of fun, usually down by the creek with my dog, sleeping bag and fishing gear.  But another way I had fun there was with my bow and a quiver full of target arrows.  To feed our livestock during the winter months, my father kept our barn loft stocked with bales of hay.  I would roll a bale out of the loft and, propping it upright on one of its ends, use it as an archery target.

One day I propped a hay bale upright, walked about 20 yards away, turned around, fitted my arrow, aimed … and then stopped.  The bale was leaning slightly forward.  Thinking that I could straighten it up by shooting the arrow into the top of the bale, I let it fly.  But instead of straightening it, the arrow actually caused the bale to lean just a little more forward.  “I didn’t hit it hard enough,” I thought; so I shot again.  But that only caused it to lean a little bit more forward.  With exceptional smart, I kept shooting my arrows – one by one – into that bale of hay, trying to knock the top of it backwards.  But with each one, all I did was cause it to lean more and more forward.

Even today in my mind’s eye, I can still see what happened with arrow # 19.  As it thudded into its target, the bale of hay fell forward into a cloud of dust, its full weight cracking and splintering and breaking every one of my arrows.  All nineteen of them … ruined … while trying to prop up a lost cause!

Tell me, how is it that a fairly sane 12-year-old could not realize that all those good arrows were going to be shattered while trying to straighten a tottering target!  Was it not obvious that the bale would fall forward?  Did I not have enough foresight to see that it was only a matter of time before it came crashing down?  Why did I fail to see the inevitable?

You know, it is possible for us, as believers, to do that same thing … to “shoot our arrows into a leaning bale of hay.”  We can be so distracted promoting our own earth-bound interests that we end up investing the bulk of our priceless time … and strength … and resources … and opportunities … and abilities in something that will one day pass away.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world … The world is passing away.                         (1^st John 2:15-17)

Do you believe that?  Do you believe that

the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.  Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!  But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.  Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless.  (2^nd  Peter 3:10-14)

We, the true and living Church, are not in the dark.  We have been told what’s coming.  We do not know the when, but we do know the what.  We are keenly aware of how distracting the things of this world can be as they are dangled in front of us.  But we also know from God’s Word that “the earth and its works” will one day be burned up.

We already know that this “bale of hay” is going to come crashing down.

We have also been told that our lives are going to be examined by an all-knowing Judge.  God’s Word tells us that the quality and the motive of our labors will one day be “revealed with fire.”

Now if any man builds on the foundation (i.e., his salvation through Jesus Christ) with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.  If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.  If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.  (1^st Corinthians 3:12-15, parenthesis added)

Do you believe what your Bible says?  Do you believe that one day you will give an account of your choices?

For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”  So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.  (Romans 14:11-12)

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, we have been given the “heads up” as to what is in front of us; and we should not ignore it.  Knowing that our approaching evaluation is certain, let us not squander our resources.  Rather than giving our hearts to the sparkling tinsel this tottering world offers, let us cultivate a devotion to the riches of God.  Let us live our lives with an eternal perspective.  Otherwise, we will spend our entire life shooting our arrows into a leaning bale of hay.

If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)

Click here to view this course:  OUR APPROACHING EVALUATION

Click here to view our website:  STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS

Finally, brethren, pray for us that the Word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.  But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.  We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what (He) commands.  May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.  (2^nd Thessalonians 3:1-5)

Benjamin Franklin ¹ once wrote

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

It is risky business to challenge the thoughts of a gifted individual.  But when it comes to this particular saying, I must respectfully disagree with Mr. Franklin on both accounts.

In the first place, there are lots of people who can and should – but who do not – pay taxes.  And they get away with it.

Concerning the other issue, the Bible informs us that an entire generation of Church-Age believers will not experience death.  According to the Apostle Paul

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet … For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”  (1^st Corinthians 15:51-53)

So, neither (paying) taxes nor dying is necessarily certain … “in this world.”  But there is something in the next world that is most certain.  Once resurrected, there is something every reborn follower of Christ must do:

“We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”  (2^nd Corinthians 5:10)

The time is coming when we must all bow before the One sitting on heaven’s throne, lofty and exalted … the train of His robe filling the temple … and the foundations of its thresholds trembling as one angel calls out to another,

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts.  The whole earth is full of His glory.”         (Isaiah 6:1-4)

The day is approaching when we must all bow before the One Whose head and hair are white … like white wool … like snow … Whose eyes are like a flame of fire … Whose face is like the sun shining in its strength … and Whose voice is like the sound of many waters (Revelation 1:14-16).

Every true believer has a scheduled appointment with the Son of God.  And dear friends, once we have been ushered into His Presence,

we are going to have the frankest discussion of our lives.

“I, the LORD, search the heart; I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.”  (Jeremiah 17:10)

To prepare ourselves for this divine examination, we need

to cultivate an eternal perspective

That is the purpose of this course, “Our Approaching Evaluation:  a Study of the Judgment Seat of Christ.”

The goals of this study are

• for each of us to be sobered by the certainty of this scheduled, face-to-Face appraisal by our all-knowing Master,

• for each of us to become aware that we – who are saved by grace – will be judged according to the quality and motive of our works,

• and for each of us to realize that this evaluation of our lives will result in varying degrees of rewards and losses.

So, as the world constantly dangles in front of us its countless distractions of fool’s gold, let us be fully assured.  The Judgment Seat of Christ is a most certain appointment … and it approaches like the wind.  May this study challenge us to live more fervently, not for our own interests in a world scheduled for destruction but for the interests of the King over all kings and Lord over all lords, Whose

“… dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and his Kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.”  (Daniel 7:14)

¹           Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the United States.  He was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, the first U.S. Postmaster General, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat, serving as U.S. Minister to France and, later, U.S. Minister to Sweden.

Click here to view this course:  OUR APPROACHING EVALUATION

Click here to view our website:  STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS

To the readers within the believing community:  I would greatly appreciate your prayers, that the Master-Teacher would be the Author of these writings.