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Chapter 82 GodŐs Servants The Faithful and the Evil ŇThen Peter
said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And
the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom [his] lord
shall make ruler over his household, to give [them their] portion of meat in
due season? Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall
find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over
all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth
his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat
and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day
when he looketh not for [him], and at an hour when he is not aware, and will
cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And
that servant, which knew his lordŐs will, and prepared not [himself], neither
did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes]. But he that
knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few
[stripes]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:
and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.Ó (Luke
12:41-48) Poor Peter, it
appears that he always had his foot in his mouth. But how many of us, like
him, have heard a message, maybe a little biting, and thought to ourselves,
if we did not openly ask, ŇWas he talking to me?Ó Peter just blurted it out.
He said, ŇLord, were you talking to us or to everybody?Ó The Lord Jesus seems
to have just ignored the question; but he really didnŐt. He gave the same
instruction again in more detail. In these
verses our Savior again gives us a parable in which he describes two
servants, one faithful, the other evil. Notice that both the faithful and the
evil are the LordŐs servants. The fact is, all things serve the gracious
purposes of God toward his elect (Proverbs 16:4; 21:1; Psalm 76:10). Satan is
as much the servant of God, though unwillingly, as Gabriel is willingly. The
fallen angels, the very demons of hell, are as fully the servants of God,
though they despise him, as are the angels of heaven who adore him. Every
human being is the servant of God, too. Some of us
rejoice in that fact. What a privilege is ours to serve the living God!
Others despise the thought of GodŐs dominion; but they are nonetheless under
GodŐs dominion and serve his purposes (Romans 8:28; 11:36; Ephesians 1:11).
Our God rules everywhere, everything, and everyone, totally and absolutely! Even those
evil men who are false prophets and messengers of Satan, deceiving the souls
of men with their perverse doctrine, are the servants of our God, sovereignly
used by him to accomplish his purpose (1
Corinthians 11:19). — This parable is a word of instruction,
inspiration, and warning to those men who stand in the house of God as his
servants. GodŐs
Faithful Servants In verses
42-44 our Lord gives us a description of GodŐs faithful servants. Without
question, the instruction of the parable may be applied to every believer in
his particular calling in life. We who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
gladly bow to his dominion as our Lord. We are his servants. Our lives are
spent in his service. Whatever your particular gifts are, whatever your
station in life may be, that is the place of your calling and service in the
kingdom of God where you are to use your gifts for the glory of Christ and
the good of his people. Be GodŐs faithful servant where you are. Those men who
are gifted of God to be preachers and teachers in his church and are not
called and gifted as pastors, are also his servants. They ought to be highly
regarded as such. God gifts some local churches with more than one man,
sometimes with many men who are clearly gifted of God as preachers and
teachers of the Word, though only one is gifted and called to pastor the
assembly. Those men are to be heard and treated with the respect that their
gifts demand, as the servants of God. But in this passage our Lord is talking
about that specific group of men who are trusted of God with the care of his
household as pastors of local churches (v. 42). — What a great trust (2
Corinthians 4:7; Ephesians 3:7-8). You may never
be a pastor; but you will, as long as you are in this world, need the
services of a faithful pastor. You will be wise to know what to expect from
GodŐs servant, how to pray for him, and how best to assist him in the work
God has trusted to his hands. And you need to know how to recognize and
distinguish between a faithful and an evil servant. You will be wise to ask
God the Holy Spirit to teach you the things here taught by the Son of God. In these
verses our Lord Jesus Christ describes his faithful servant, a faithful
gospel preacher, a faithful pastor by four things in which he is
distinguished from a self-serving false prophet. These four things describe
and are characteristic of GodŐs true servants in every age of the church and
in every place where gospel churches are found. 1. His
Position — GodŐs servant is here
described as one Ňwhom his lord hath made ruler over his household.Ó The
church of God is his household, the household of faith, and the household of
his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is GodŐs family and GodŐs church, not
mine, not yours, not this or that denominationŐs, but the LordŐs! It is GodŐs
House and GodŐs Temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 3:15; 1 Timothy
3:15). In
the family of God there are some fathers, some young men, and some children.
There are some who are strong and some who are weak. There are some who are
very independent and need little attention, and some who need a good bit of
attention. Each one has been placed in his house and family exactly according
to the MasterŐs will. God
ordained pastors have been placed by him as rulers over his household. They are not tyrants, dictators, or lords over GodŐs
household, but rulers placed over the house to govern it as stewards under
Christ (Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 3:4-5; Hebrews 13:7, 17). Most
preachers these days are Junebug preachers. The church, the deacon board, the
board of elders, or the denomination has a string tied to his leg and
controls everything he does, like a little boy ties a string around a JunebugŐs
leg. — Not GodŐs servants. GodŐs servants serve his people; but they
are not controlled by them. Where
in the Word of God can you find a prophet, or a preacher who was ruled,
governed, or even influenced by the will of the people to whom he was sent to
preach? The only preacher like that you can find in the Book of God is a
hireling prophet. GodŐs servants are responsible under God to rule his house
by his Word, according to his revealed will (2 Timothy 3:16). A
faithful steward rules his MasterŐs house exactly according to his MasterŐs
will. As he does, all in the house are expected to honor and obey the steward
in charge of the house. And that household is most honorable and most happy
that is well-governed, with each member of the family knowing his place,
working together with every other member in love for the welfare of the whole
family.
How
I wish I could make this generation understand that it is the work, the
calling, and the responsibility of gospel preachers to feed the church of God
with knowledge and understanding, with gospel truth (Jeremiah 3:15; Acts
20:28). It is not the pastorŐs work to be a good socializer, an analyst, a
therapist, a counselor, a priest, or a community door knocker. GodŐs servants
are preachers! They feed the house of God by preaching the gospel, by opening
the bread of life and dispensing it to the family. If a pastor does that, he
has to spend his time in his study, not running the roads and chasing
ambulances (2 Timothy 2:15). It
is the work of the pastor Ňto give,Ó
not to take (Ezekiel 34:7-8). That which is to be given is Ňmeat.Ó It is not our business to enact laws, but to give
meat. It is not our business to regulate the lives of men, but to feed their
souls. And that with which GodŐs servants feed his children is the sweet meat
of the gospel, not the husks of intellectualism, the mists of mysticism, the
stones of useless doctrinal speculation, or the poison of heresy. GodŐs
servants come with the meat of saving grace in the knowledge of Christ,
declaring ruin by the fall, redemption by the blood, and regeneration by the
Holy Spirit! We
are to feed the saints of God with Ňmeat in due season.Ó The Word of God must be rightly divided; and each
member of the family must be fed with the meat that is suitable for him at
the time: — Grace for the Guilty, — Pardon for the Fallen,
— Redemption for the Ruined, — Righteousness for the Wicked,
— Cleansing for the Defiled, — Reproof for the Wayward, —
Comfort for the Troubled, — Strength for the Weak, Christ for All!
GodŐs
servants are faithful men (1 Corinthians 4:2). They are stewards of the
mysteries of God, of the manifold grace of God, and of the unsearchable
riches of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:1; 1 Peter 4:10; Ephesians 3:8). John Gill
wroteÉ ŇThey are
faithful to the trust reposed in them. They preach the pure gospel of Christ,
and the whole of it; conceal no part, nor keep anything of it; seek not to
please men, but God; neither seek their own things, their ease, honor, and
profit, but the glory of God, the honor of Christ, and the good of souls; and
abide by the truths, cause, and interest of the Redeemer at all costs.Ó A
faithful minister of Jesus Christ is one that sincerely seeks his MasterŐs
honor, not his own. He preaches Christ crucified in all the counsel of God,
not his own thoughts and whims. He follows ChristŐs doctrine and adheres to his
ordinances exactly as the Master gave them. And he exercises the work of the
ministry, caring for the souls of men, without respect of persons. As
they are faithful, GodŐs servants are wise. They are neither faithful nor
wise by nature; but God makes them faithful and wise by grace and by his
gifts upon them, making them fit and able ministers of the gospel. They are
well-instructed in the things of God, given a clear understanding in the
doctrine of the gospel, and wisely exercise their talents and gifts for the
glory of God. They
constantly seek to improve their knowledge and understanding of the
Scriptures, making the best use of their time in prayer and study, laboring
in the Word and doctrine of Christ. They arrange and manage the affairs of their
lives to best serve Christ and his people. God graciously gives his servants
wisdom to guide and direct his people and to care for them, as a father
guides and cares for his family. The
faithful and wise pastor is a man who is doing what God called him to do.
— ŇBlessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find
so doingÓ (v. 43). GodŐs servant always
has something to do. And he is always found doing what he has been sent and
called of God to do. He is not found dreaming, or loitering, or talking, but
doing his MasterŐs will and work, feeding his sheep. GodŐs servant is constant
in his labor and perseveres in the work God has put into his hands. Someone
once asked John Calvin, ŇWhat do you want the Lord to find when he comes?Ó
Calvin answered, ŇI want him to find me not idle when he comes?Ó
The
Scriptures nowhere teach, or even imply that there shall be degrees of reward
in heaven. That is contrary to everything taught in the gospel (Romans 8:17).
Certainly, our Lord does not exalt one servant in his kingdom above another.
But God does reward faithfulness, both in this world and in the world to
come. Those who are faithful over a few things shall be made Lord over many
things (Luke 19:17). Frequently, God honors faithful service by giving
greater service to perform. GodŐs servants shall find immensely great reward
in seeing those for whom they have labored around the throne of Christ in
glory (1 Thessalonians 2:19). And GodŐs faithful and wise servants shall
themselves inherit all things with Christ in glory (John 17:5, 22). — ŇHe
will make him lord over all that he hath.Ó ŇHow
beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings,
that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth
salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the
voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to
eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.Ó (Isaiah 52:7-8) ŇI have set
watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day
nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence. And give him no rest, till he
establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.Ó (Isaiah 62:6-7)
ŇAnd we
beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you
in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their workŐs
sake. And be
at peace among yourselves.Ó (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13) GodŐs Evil Servants ŇBut and if
that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin
to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
The lord of that
servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not
aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the
unbelievers. And
that servant, which knew his lordŐs will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will,
shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of
stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given,
of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him
they will ask the more.Ó (vv. 45-48) Here
our Lord Jesus describes those men who are evil servants in the house of God.
Here again, our Lord gives us four things which are descriptive of that man
who is a false prophet, an evil servant in the house of God. I will not say
much about him. But you will see immediately what such a man is.
ŇHis
watchmen are blind:
they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down,
loving to slumber. (Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look
to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.Ó (Isaiah
56:10-11)
In
every age, both the faithful and the evil are sovereignly controlled, ruled,
overruled, and absolutely under the dominion of our great God. Used by him to
accomplish all his will in all the earth. Blessed be the name of the Lord! Don Fortner Listen to sermons
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