119 - Be Alert and Wait for the Lord Jesus#
119 - Be Alert and Wait for the Lord Jesus
(JP Text Group - Happy Angels Organization)
The sharing topic is: Be Alert and Wait for the Lord Jesus
Luke 12:35-48:
35 Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning. 36 And you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank You. The day of the Lord's return is near. You want us to gird our waists and keep our lamps burning, so that we can be a good witness. Let Your words be our help at all times. Just like waiting for the Lord Jesus to return from the wedding banquet, we are alert and waiting for what You have prepared for us, to be a help to more people in this era. Give us Your strength, relieve all our fatigue, weakness, and pressures in our hearts to Jesus. In You, we will be renewed. Thank You and praise You. Bless every brother and sister who seeks You. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
Christians have the greatest hope. Ninety percent of the prophecies in the Bible have been fulfilled. There is only a small part left. What is this part? Our greatest hope as Christians is to wait for the second coming of Jesus Christ. In fact, no one knows the exact day of Jesus' return, but when we see what is happening in the world, we know that the day of the Lord Jesus' return is very near.
The Bible tells us that when you see "nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, and fearful sights and great signs from heaven," the day of Jesus' return is truly near. As children of God, when the world's problems increase, we should not despair or panic, but rather believe that Jesus Christ has already prepared for us, and He wants us to participate in the banquet.
When Jesus left, He said: "I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself." Right? Brothers and sisters, the return of Jesus Christ is to bring us back to the banquet He has prepared. We must be alert and wait for our Lord Jesus!
Verse 35 says, "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning."
People in the Middle East wear loose-fitting robes, somewhat like our ancient robes. When they work or walk, they must gird their waists. Otherwise, it would be very cumbersome, as it would be below the knees. When you see someone girding their waist, it represents that they are alert and ready to work or travel. They must gird their waists; otherwise, it would hinder their movement.
Girding the waist symbolizes being ready for action at any time. Keeping the lamps burning represents God's words. When we lose God's words, we do not know where to go next. When the lamps are lit, it tells all believers in Jesus what God's words are when others are in panic. We must tell them not to despair or lose heart because our God is still in control of this world, and we must be a witness to others.
For example, many people are sick, and doctors have declared them dead, falling into despair. They do not know how to live in the days to come. The light you can give them is to tell them that this is not the final outcome; Jesus Christ is the ultimate outcome. For such people, your words and your testimony become the light in their lives. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, how many people in the world need Jesus? Not just those who are sick. Those who are weak, troubled in heart, and without direction all need Jesus Christ. When we tell them the words of Christ and share the testimony of Christ, it is like lighting a lamp for them. Jesus also said, "You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world." This light is not ours; it is the light of Jesus Christ shining through us. We must share this light with others, which means sharing the testimony of Christ.
Everyone is doing one thing: continuously telling others about Christ. Jesus will save this person, lead this person, and turn this person's situation around. Amen, thank the Lord! Being alert and waiting for the Lord Jesus means being a good witness for the world. In this dark generation, let the words of Jesus Christ be a bright lamp, as the Bible says, "like a light shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."
We are the light of the world, and this lamp must be lit to glorify God's name. Amen! If God's words cannot become your light, it is like having a lamp that is not lit; that lamp is meaningless to us. Thank God! Gird your waist and keep your lamp burning, and you will become a witness to many.
The mission of all believers is to wait for the Lord Jesus and prepare to welcome His return. This is the attitude we should have. Only those who are alert and waiting for the Lord, "like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, who, when he comes and knocks, will immediately open to him." If a person is asleep, it will take a long time to open the door when someone knocks. However, if a person is alert and waiting, they will open the door immediately with just one knock. We must be alert Christians.
When others are worried about these matters, you should not be worried. Yesterday, a brother in the group shared a few pictures, saying not to complain about how big the waves of life are; you should shout at the waves and tell them how great God is. Right, brothers and sisters?
Many people complain when they encounter problems. Why is this happening? It should not be like this. You should speak to the difficulty, saying that God will definitely overcome this difficulty. This is the content we need to tell others. Our mission is to wait for the return of the Lord Jesus, and the Lord's power is also upon us. Amen! When He comes again and knocks, we will surely hear the voice of the Lord Jesus knocking and will immediately open the door for Him.
Revelation 3:20 says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
For the unbelievers, tell them to accept the Lord Jesus and open their hearts. The Lord Jesus has been knocking at your heart's door. Amen! Many people do not understand that Jesus has been knocking at their heart's door many times but are unwilling to open it. What kind of people are these? Many people have been evangelized, but they do not want to believe. Is Jesus knocking at their door? Yes, Jesus is knocking at their heart's door through you, but this person has not accepted it.
Once a person accepts the Lord Jesus and opens their heart, the Bible says, "I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Do you know who you are dining with? The King of the universe, much more impressive than a governor or mayor. However, many times they do not open the door, refusing to open it, saying that those who believe in Jesus are heretics, that they have problems, and that only spiritually empty people need to believe in Jesus. Jesus is not just for those who are empty; everyone needs Jesus.
When you hear the Lord's voice and are willing to open your heart to accept Jesus, He will come into you. He does not want to rule your life; He wants to serve you. Amen! "Truly, I say to you, when the master comes and sees that servant alert, that servant will be blessed. Truly, I say to you, the master will have them sit down to eat, gird himself, and serve them." Do you see our Lord Jesus?
Those who believe in Jesus are His children. Jesus is still serving you while you are sitting there. He girds Himself and comes to serve whom? "To serve you." It is Jesus who serves us. When we were sinners, Jesus came to seek us and save us. Finally, one day, we were willing to open our hearts and accept Jesus. Jesus enters our hearts; He is always willing to serve you. Jesus often says, "He came to this world to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many."
What is the purpose of the Son of Man coming? Mark 10:45: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Remember: brothers and sisters, there is no other beautiful King in the world who is willing to come into you, not to have you serve Him, but to serve you. Although you are unworthy and have many problems, Jesus wants to come and serve you, to change these problems. You do not rely on yourself; you only need to be willing to accept His service, and He will change you into the person He wants you to be!
Some time ago, I shared a testimony with the brothers and sisters about an older sister who developed depression in her teens. After believing in the Lord for over forty years, her depression never got better. Many problems appeared in her life, and she felt that the world was unfair to her. Her relationship with her husband and family was very poor; it seemed they were all against her. Perhaps it was due to childhood trauma, and her heart was often filled with guilt, which oppressed her for over forty years. She could never escape this problem, even after going to many places and listening to many sermons. However, she did not truly accept the words in her heart until one day she heard my series on the Book of Romans online. She finally understood that Jesus did not come to condemn her but to forgive her. After three months of repeatedly listening to the sermons, her forty-year depression completely disappeared. She said, "Teacher Ren, I did not deliberately try to change myself, but I found that my relationship with my family improved."
Do you know why? Because Jesus has always been serving her. When you accept Jesus to serve you, your life will change. Your family will also change. This is our Lord Jesus. He came to this world not to be served by people, so do not boast about serving the Lord. In reality, it is Jesus who serves you. When you come to church and say, "I am serving the Lord," it is actually Jesus who is serving you.
Do you remember the Samaritan woman? When Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink," she did not give it, saying, "You are a Jew; how can you ask me, a woman, for a drink?" It seems that Jesus was asking her for water, but in reality, Jesus wanted to give this woman the true living water of life. This is the service of the Lord Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, when you become a child of God and are willing to let Jesus serve you, it seems like you are serving your brothers and sisters, but in reality, it is Jesus serving you. Jesus has always been this kind of Lord. The church is different from society. In the church, those who are willing to serve in positions, Jesus says, "If you want to be first, you must humble yourself and serve others." Jesus is the Most High, but He humbled Himself to wash the disciples' feet because He is the serving Lord. Hallelujah!
One day, Jesus will take us to the great banquet, and we will sit there enjoying the feast. But Jesus is still serving us. There is no one in this world who loves you and is willing to serve you like Him. He is perfect, but we are not perfect. Jesus says, "It does not matter; I am willing to serve you, and you will change." Thank the Lord!
He calls us to sit at the table, gird Himself, and come to serve us. In the future, in the kingdom of heaven in Jerusalem, in the new heaven and new earth, Jesus will still be serving us. Amen! He continuously supplies us and gives us His love. This is our Lord Jesus.
What do we offer to the Lord? It is truly too little. When you offer, it is Jesus serving you. Hallelujah! Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit because He fears that we cannot stand, fears that we are weak and have no place to express ourselves, fears that we cannot find a true friend in this world.
Jesus said, "It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you." Jesus went back and placed the Holy Spirit in every believer. When you encounter problems, you can pray to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can comfort you. When you are hurt, the Holy Spirit will soothe your pain. When you are wronged, the Holy Spirit knows where your pain is and is willing to comfort you. Amen!
The Holy Spirit can help you when you are in difficulty, and the Holy Spirit also tells you not to be afraid. Wherever you go, I will be with you. The Holy Spirit dwells in your heart. When you are willing to accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit will dwell in you and will never leave. He is the serving God. Hallelujah! Believing in Jesus is so happy because God loves you so much. He only hopes that you will come to Him for help, and He will help you. Hallelujah! In the future, the Lord will still be serving us.
In the first chapter of Revelation, it mentions something: the Son of Man's eyes shine like fire, but He still has a golden sash around His waist. Why is there a golden sash? Even the glorious Lord Jesus is still girded with a golden sash to serve you. As children of God, we are truly blessed because Jesus is willing to continuously serve you. Hallelujah!
In the last days, the world may be in despair, but you should not despair because Jesus is willing to serve you. He is willing to lift you up, even if you have fallen completely. Thank and praise the Lord; we will not despair or lose heart. Thank the Lord!
Verse 38: Whether He comes in the second watch or comes in the third watch, and finds them so, blessed are those servants.
As servants of God, if you are not asleep or drunk, you will be blessed when Jesus comes. In Roman times, the night was divided into four parts:
Mark 13:35: Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning.
This is what Jesus wants to tell us: to recognize the world. You do not know when the Lord will come. He used four times: 'evening, midnight, crowing of the rooster, morning.' According to the Roman situation at that time, the time was divided like this. The first watch is from six to nine in the evening; the second watch is from nine to twelve at night. This is midnight; the third watch refers to the time from midnight to three in the morning; the fourth watch is from three to six in the morning. Do you see it? Whether He comes in the second watch or the third watch, it is the time when people are most sleepy and it is also the darkest time.
The spiritual meaning tells us that generally, we are most likely to lose ourselves in the darkest times. When we are too tired, we are prone to sleep. This darkness represents the time when the devil's power is greatest, or when you are not alert, he has the opportunity. Although the world's problems will continue to increase, heading towards darkness, the time just before dawn is the darkest. At this time, we must be alert; the day of Jesus Christ's return is near! When you know all this, you can be alert! Being alert does not mean not sleeping! Being alert means knowing in your heart what kind of day it is. Amen!
The world is very afraid in the face of various disasters; what can we do? Including the recent huge disasters, many people will ask why? Why is God so cruel and punishing us?
Many people also ask me: Teacher Ren, why is God so cruel? Why must so many people die?
I say: Do you really think that is what God does? If God were to do it this way, you would underestimate God's power. God only needs to say one word, and the entire earth would be destroyed. Why would He use such a small disaster to deal with you? This is not God's doing; it is the devil's doing. In this process, we must be alert and pray. We pray for these people to know Jesus Christ. Disasters will continue to increase; this is not an exaggeration. Scientists have already proven this.
In the last days, what is our way out? Where is our hope? It is in Jesus Christ. "You must be alert, for the thief will come at an hour you do not expect." What are the characteristics of a thief? First, he comes unexpectedly; he will not come when you are alert. He will wait until the family is asleep.
Second, he will steal valuable things; he will not steal your bed. He will steal the most valuable things. Brothers and sisters, do you know what the devil wants to steal from you? When does he come to steal your things? Generally, it is when you are most confused and when you are drunk. What is your most valuable possession? Can the devil steal your life?
Please remember: even if the devil is bold, he cannot steal your life! From the Old Testament to the New Testament, the devil has no right to take your life. The most valuable thing is your faith. If you lose your faith and let the devil steal your faith, you will lie on the bed and not be able to get up. We draw God's power and blessings from Him. Standing up again is our faith. If faith is stolen, you will complain about everything, seeing everything as unfavorable because you have no faith, and you will see various problems arise. But when you seek God, His words will give you faith again, and you will stand up again. Hallelujah!
It is not that Jesus is a thief who comes to steal your things; He tells us to prepare because we do not expect when the Son of Man will come. Jesus does not come to steal your things; He comes to bless you. Because it was said earlier: if the Lord Jesus comes again and we are alert, that servant will be blessed. Hallelujah!
Do you want to be this alert servant? At that time, Peter did not understand and said, "Lord, is this parable spoken only to us, or to all people?" Does the alert servant refer to ordinary believers or to pastors or servants? All who believe in Jesus are included. Jesus' answer to Peter is: Who then is that faithful and wise steward? The master will make him ruler over his household to give them their portion of food in due season.
Who is that faithful and wise steward? Do not think that the faithful and wise steward in the church must be the pastor. It should be every brother and sister; each person is a good steward of God's various gifts. If only the pastor manages, he will be exhausted and cannot manage everything. Each of us is a steward of God, either a faithful steward or an unfaithful steward.
What is a faithful steward like? "Faithful" is in relation to the Lord. Amen! Remember: our faithfulness is before God. Whether you serve in the church or not, your service must be done before the Lord. Faithfulness must be evident before God. If you do it for people, that is unfaithfulness. Faithfulness means doing it before God, offering to God, and serving for God, not for people. Such a person is a faithful steward who does not betray the Lord's trust. The Lord Jesus said: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Is everyone a steward?
There are two types of stewards: one is very faithful, whom we are pleased with, and the other is unfaithful.
Let us first look at what the differences are between these two. What does a faithful and wise steward refer to? First, this steward is alert; he is responsible for all souls.
Brothers and sisters, when you evangelize, and that person believes in the Lord, you must also be responsible for their soul. Do not say, "I have brought them to church; the rest is up to the pastor." This is not acceptable. Every person is a faithful and wise steward of God. When you lead someone to believe in the Lord, you must be responsible for that soul. Hallelujah!
Next, it says "wise." What does it mean to be wise? There is another word for wise in the original text that means the same; wise and insightful people are what kind of people? We find the answer in the Bible. I do not want to use my own understanding to explain; I want to use the Bible to interpret the Bible. Let us read this passage together.
James 3:13-18:
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Is there no wisdom in this world? There is worldly wisdom. Some unbelievers can run their companies very well and manage interpersonal relationships well. They can control many people through means; this is also wisdom, but it is worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom comes from bitterness, envy, and strife.
If you have such a heart now: I see him serving, so I want to serve too. Why does God give her the ability? If you are envious, thinking that God gives her more, you must remember that this is earthly bitterness, envy, and strife. Such a person should not boast about anything. If you harbor bitterness, envy, and strife, you will do one thing: "lie against the truth."
The gospel has released many people, and many have gained freedom. Usually, I rarely use spiritual meanings to interpret the Bible for the sake of rigor. I prefer to use the method of interpreting the Bible with the Bible, meaning using one passage to explain another. There is no way to interpret without a certain biblical foundation. Moreover, this way of interpreting the Bible will not allow others to find fault. I prefer this method and do not want others to slander the truth. Nevertheless, there are still people who say, "Your preaching is wrong." Let them find out where the error is. They say it does not matter; it is wrong anyway. They will use some lies to oppose the truth.
I have shared such a story with brothers and sisters before: a person was very released after hearing the sermon, and this sister was very eager for the church leaders to hear it.
After the church leader listened, he said, "You cannot listen; this is heresy."
That sister asked, "What did he say wrong?"
The leader said, "Let me think. He said God is omnipotent, which is wrong."
The sister said, "How should it be said?"
The answer was, "God is all-powerful."
The sister said, "Oh, I see. So that becomes heresy."
The leader said, "No matter what, this person is heretical."
Later, that sister told me, "I am glad I said omnipotent. If I had said all-powerful, it would have been worse."
When people oppose the truth, there will always be some lies. Where do they come from? From worldly wisdom. They think they are very wise and insightful, but in reality, they do not know they are using lies to oppose the truth. Some people often have lies when they oppose God's words. Because God's words have no lies, opposing the truth will lead to many lies. The Bible says that such wisdom is not from above but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.
Where there is envy and strife, there is confusion and every evil thing. Earthly wisdom will produce many problems, envy, strife, and many bad things. The wisdom that comes from above is heavenly wisdom. I hope you all possess heavenly wisdom. With heavenly wisdom, managing children, families, and current businesses is the best!
Heavenly wisdom is first pure, meaning there is no deceit in the heart; then peaceable. This person always treats others gently. Gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy, and produces good fruits. Amen! Without partiality and without hypocrisy, we all want to deal with such people. God wants to place such wisdom in you. Hallelujah! Such people produce good fruits. Moreover, they will sow the fruits of righteousness in peace. Wherever they go, people will like them. Jesus is such a person. Wherever He goes, there will be many followers. Because Jesus possesses heavenly wisdom, I hope you have this wisdom to manage God's house. Amen, thank and praise the Lord.
A wise and insightful person will give food in due season. What does it mean to give food in due season? It means knowing what level this person is at and what kind of food to give them. For a child who is only two months old, do not let them eat cookies or chocolate, even though those things are delicious. But they are of no benefit to them. They only need milk; do not give them anything else. An eighteen-year-old adult cannot be given milk every day; their life will also have problems. This is called giving food in due season. Amen! We must have wisdom. I am also learning a kind of wisdom recently: for spiritual people, you can talk about spiritual matters; for worldly people, do not talk to them about spiritual matters, as they will bite you.
The Bible says, "Do not cast your pearls before swine." They do not want this; they want pig food. Although you say this is very good and precious, it is real pearls that can beautify. They will bite you. This is giving food in due season. Amen! Do not say the same words to everyone without discernment. You know this person's life has grown; they are spiritual people, and you can talk about spiritual matters.
You must discern clearly. Just give them earthly things. Amen! Just tell them how to do it. Do not say, "Let us pray together and see what God has to say to us." They do not understand these things and will think you are being mystical and have problems. They may even label you as heretical. Amen!
You must have the wisdom of God. I am now giving you food in due season. Amen! Because when God's words are truly given in due season, they will nourish your life; otherwise, they will become poison and killers. If you give a two-month-old child chocolate, it can choke them and pose a life-threatening danger. Just give them milk.
It is not about sharing our abilities or experiences with others; we are sharing God's words with people. Always remember, when sharing with people, do not share how great you are. That will cause problems. Do not say, "I have been in business for so many years; I used to do this and that; I can solve your problems..." This is worldly wisdom. You must use heavenly wisdom. Amen!
I do not want brothers and sisters to talk about how someone else did this or that. Do not say such things. Also, do not say how you handled similar situations in the past. You should tell them, "What does the Bible say?" This way, you are giving them heavenly wisdom, heavenly food. Such food will take root and sprout in their hearts, giving them Jesus, not your experience. That is very dangerous because your experience may not be effective. When you give them Jesus, there will definitely be results.
Some people say, "I prayed this way; why did it not work?" I say: When Jesus healed a blind man, He used saliva and mud to anoint the man's eyes and told him to wash, and he could see. Should we do it the same way as Jesus? Should we say, "Go wash"?
You can do it this way, but it may not necessarily be effective. Do you understand what I mean? Do not say, "I prayed this way before; why did it not work?" It is not about the method; it is about Jesus Christ. You must give people the food of Jesus, not say what your experience is. "I am so old; can I still deceive you?" This is worldly wisdom that will cause many disputes. You must give them Jesus. The power of Jesus is so great that you can give Jesus to infants, and it will work just as well for adults because only this food is all-powerful.
In the past, the Israelites ate this kind of food. Do you know what it was? Manna, that's right. Children can eat it, and adults can eat it too. They will not suffer from malnutrition. That food is a symbol, symbolizing Jesus Christ. He is the bread of life that came down from heaven. When we give food to people, do not give yourself to them; that will be troublesome. If you are filled with jealousy, giving yourself to others will only reproduce jealous people like you! If you are filled with Jesus, when you give Jesus to others, you will reproduce a Christian. Hallelujah! This is a faithful person.
The other type is the unfaithful person. Matthew 24 mentions the hypocritical servant.
Verse 45: But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk.
This unfaithful servant thinks that Jesus will not come so soon, so he begins to mistreat the servants. He does not believe that the Lord Jesus will come so quickly, so he will mistreat the body. Some believers may say that Jesus is coming soon, but in their hearts, they do not believe that Jesus is coming soon. In behavior, they will have some problems, and in words, they will attack the body. Unfaithful people have a characteristic: in serving, they will trample on their coworkers and slander them. Such people are very pitiful. We will discuss this issue later.
Everyone serves before the Lord. If we do not know that Jesus Christ is coming soon, it is easy to indulge ourselves and forget our mission. We will condemn others, and there will be no difference from worldly people. This is the unfaithful servant. Do not say whether this person is saved or not because we cannot see it. If this person is saved, when the Lord Jesus comes again, everything they have will be taken away, and their work will be burned up. If this person is not saved, an unbeliever pretending to be God's servant, the Bible says they will be cut in two. God will distinguish who is true and who is false, who is heavenly and who is earthly. Hallelujah!
Brothers and sisters, you must understand that the characteristic of the unfaithful servant is that he beats the male and female servants and drinks and gets drunk.
What does it mean to beat the servants? Will an unfaithful person physically fight with Christians? No, he will attack you with words. You must remember: these words are slanderous, and you will feel condemned. For example, there is a person in the Bible who made a very serious mistake. This person is a servant of God, and he is saved. His name is Moses. Let us see what Moses did.
Numbers 20:7-12:
7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 8 “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” 9 So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. 12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
Was Moses not a servant of God? He served faithfully, and God said, "Moses is completely faithful in My house." But Moses made a fatal mistake. He struck the rock with his rod. What did he strike with? Not with a rod, but with words. Why did God get so angry when Moses struck the rock twice? "You will no longer enter the land I have prepared for you because you did not believe Me." Did Moses believe in God? He absolutely believed, and we all acknowledge that. But why did God say, "Because you did not believe Me"? It is very simple. Forty years ago, this rock had already been struck. That rock refers to our Jesus Christ. Amen! When Jesus Christ was struck for our sins, those redeemed people are no longer rebellious. Therefore, do not let anyone say you are rebellious because Jesus has already taken your rebellion. Do not let anyone say you are unclean; no one has the right to say that because Jesus has already taken your uncleanness. Thank and praise the Lord.
If others attack you, they are like Moses, using the rod to strike God's servants and maidservants. We must not become such a person. Do not strike the servants and maidservants. Do not forget that the servants and maidservants belong to God, not to Moses or us. Amen! We are merely children of God and have no right to condemn those around us or to attack this person with words, let alone slander them. That is too dangerous. Amen!
In this matter, God said to them, "Because you did not believe Me." Later, it says that when the master returns and sees the servant like this, he will be severely punished and will be assigned a portion with the unfaithful. Here, 'unfaithful' in the original means: unbelievers. Is it not similar to Moses?
If you treat the body around you wrongly, you are treating God's children like this, then we are like Moses. God says, "Because you did not believe Me, you did not hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel." This means: you misrepresented Me; I am not such a God. Therefore, you will not lead this assembly into the land I have given you." This does not mean Moses is not saved; Moses is saved. However, Moses did not enter the land flowing with milk and honey, the land of abundance. Amen! This is the abundant blessing.
If someone condemns you, that person has lost the abundant blessings that God originally gave them. Therefore, the loss is not ours; it is the person who condemns. Amen! God will personally do such things. How does the Lord hope we serve Him? By correctly understanding Him.
Verse 47: The servant who knew his master’s will.
As beloved children of God, we must know what the master's will is. We must know what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. Jesus took all your sins upon Himself and gave you His righteousness. You have become righteous. This is what we must tell the world and those around us. You must tell them not to lose heart because God can change you. God can overcome your circumstances. This is what we must tell our body. Hallelujah! This is our master's will.
If the servant knows the master's will and knows that we are to convey not a legalistic gospel but grace, if we still use the law to condemn and slander people, just like Moses, then that person will be beaten with many stripes. We must obey the master's will and bring the grace of Jesus Christ to the world. Amen! When we are willing to serve God in this way, it is actually Jesus serving you. When you take a step to serve, it is equivalent to letting Jesus serve you, and your situation will get better and better. Thank and praise the Lord! Do not forget that it is Jesus serving you. Amen!
We must not place ourselves under the law and distort God's will. This is a very dangerous thing. If the servant knows but does not prepare and does not obey the master's will, that servant will be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. This means: if you knowingly break the law, speaking about our church brothers and sisters, we often say you are under grace, not under the law. God no longer condemns you, and you should not condemn others. If you know all this and still slander and condemn others, you will lose your blessings. Jesus hopes that we can love one another. However, some people deliberately stir up trouble, causing others to hate each other. This is knowing the master's will and not acting on it. This is the unfaithful servant, the unfaithful steward. Such people will be beaten with many stripes!
It is not God who sends down disasters; it is not God who punishes them. It is they who place themselves under the law, just like the Israelites in the wilderness. The Israelites complained, "Moses, why did you bring us out to die in this place? There is no water to drink, no meat to eat, no leeks, no onions, no garlic." They complained, which actually means: "God, stay away from us; I do not want to see You anymore." When God's hand was removed from them, plagues appeared, fiery serpents appeared, and many problems arose. Brothers and sisters, do you know what this means?
If you insist on placing yourself in disobedience, under the law, then God's hand of blessing must be removed from you. This is the unfaithful servant. Therefore, the situation will be very bad. The Israelites suffered greatly in the wilderness because they did not want God's grace.
They often complained to God. God said, "I want to bring you back," but they said, "We do not want to." When we see some Christians suffering, we know this is not God's will. It is because they do not want to act according to God's will, so they place themselves under a curse. Remember: if you are not under grace, you are definitely under the law. There is no third possibility.
That is to say, if you are not under God's blessings, you are definitely under a curse. The law can only bring you curses. We must understand this. If this person is an unbeliever, they are destined to be cast into darkness because they are an unjust steward. If they are a believer, they could inherit many blessings from God, but they choose to leave God's protection, and many problems come upon them. God does not want us to live like this. In these last days, we must be alert and wait, becoming good stewards with heavenly wisdom and various gifts!
Verse 48: To whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Many people stumble over this verse. I understand less is fine; the more I know, the greater my responsibility. God will require more from me in the future. So many people start saying, "Open the gates of hell, pastors, elders, and a large group..." Because these people know too much, when God requires them, they have nothing to offer, and God will throw them into hell.
If it is like this, would you still want to be a pastor? I would rather know less and receive fewer stripes. In the past, in the 1950s and 60s, believing in Jesus meant knowing one thing: "Believe in Jesus to enter the kingdom of heaven, and the sick will be healed." They did not know anything else. There was no Bible, and no one preached. Now it is different. There are various theological trainings, and professional pastors explain the Bible to you. You know what the law is, what grace is, and what gifts there are. If we know too much, will we have trouble?
Lord, I am not a child anymore. If I am not careful, God will discipline me, and in the future, He will require more from me. If God gives five thousand and I do not return this five thousand, it will be terrible. If it is like this, we would rather become children.
When I saw this passage, I said, "Lord, I do not want to know too much about You; it is too dangerous. It would be better to believe in Jesus just before I die." Just before I die, I can say, "Lord Jesus, I am willing to accept You!" Then die and not receive stripes. If this passage is interpreted this way, we all have to live like this. No one wants to serve, no one wants to be a pastor, no one wants to be a teacher. No one wants to do it because it is too dangerous. "To whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." If you cannot return it, it will be terrible. Why should I receive so much?
I will explain this passage, and you will be willing to be the one who is given much and required much. The "much given" here refers to what God gives. Amen! God is willing to pour out His blessings abundantly upon you, and He will require more from you. Who is He requiring from? Is it God? No, it is you who are required.
Brothers and sisters, what am I doing now? I am giving to you, right? Where do I receive from? If I receive little from God, I will give you only a little. If I receive much from God, I will give much. Therefore, God says, "I give you much; you must give out more." Hallelujah!
If it is like this, you will become a good steward of God's various gifts. God is willing to give you His various rich blessings, hoping you will give out more to everyone. Hallelujah! If it is like this, do you want to be a channel of God's blessings? Absolutely! You say, "Lord, give me the gift of healing, and I am willing to lay hands on the sick and pray." God is willing to give it to you. God will not take back the gift of healing.
What God gives you will not be taken back. Thank and praise the Lord! When the words are truly opened, we will have faith. We do not want to be children anymore; we want to be adults because God will give us more. I can become a channel of blessings for you. I can become a good steward with various gifts and heavenly wisdom because when God's blessings flow, I will first be blessed. Thank and praise the Lord!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank You! When Your words are opened, we are willing to receive more from You because when You give us more, we can give out more. This is how we serve: Jesus serves me, and I can go out to serve! Because You first gave to me, I can give to others. If I have nothing, what can I give to others? Only when You give me Your gifts, Your words, and Your power can I bless others.
Jesus, we thank You. In this last age, we are willing to gird our waists and keep our lamps burning. The words of Jesus Christ are my lamp, my help at all times. In this dark world, I will not lose my way. I am willing to let more people know Jesus Christ, so they can see hope again in despair and discouragement. You are their bread.
For those who are hungry, You are the best bread. I am willing to be that faithful servant, not serving according to my will, but according to Your will, Jesus, because my service is not done before people, but before You. My faithfulness is before You. Hallelujah!
Thank You, Jesus, for using me, allowing me, an originally insignificant vessel, to become a vessel of Your glory. In this week, give me strength and wisdom to share the grace of Christ with those around me, so that the testimony of Jesus Christ may be more manifested in my life. I thank You for this mission You give to everyone. I thank You for this, and I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!