332-For Everyone Who Has, More Will Be Given to Him, So That He Has Abundance (2)#
332 For everyone who has, more will be given to him, so that he has abundance (2)
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Life of the Eagle)
Luke 19:10-27,
10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." 11 While they were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell them a parable because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas (a mina is worth about three months' wages) and said, 'Put this money to work until I come back.' 14 But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don’t want this man to be our king.'
15 "He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money in order to find out what they had gained with it. 16 The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 17 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' 18 The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' 19 His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.' 20 Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'
22 "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' 24 Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'
25 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' 26 He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they think they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.'"
Let us first pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for giving us the opportunity to start a new week. Please guide us during this time, so that we may receive abundantly. Your words are our strength and help; in our confusion, Your words are our power. Through Your words, let us know that we are people of abundance; we can possess the rich blessings of the kingdom of heaven and live them out in our lives, bearing witness to glorify Your name. Lord, You came to seek and save the lost. You know our needs; You empower us and supply every person in need. We pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!
Continuing from last time's sharing: For everyone who has, more will be given to him, so that he has abundance (2).
In Luke 19:10, Jesus said, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
What kind of people are lost? Those on the margins of society, those in need, those with problems... In fact, everyone is lost. When people turn away from God, they become sinners, and all become lost, needing the salvation of Jesus Christ.
Verse 11 says, while they were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell them a parable because He was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once...
At the time Jesus told this parable, the people of Israel did not have a clear understanding of the kingdom of God and did not know what life was truly about. If it were just to enter the kingdom of heaven and believe in Jesus, they would have already received it; what matters is what comes after believing.
After believing, how should one live? Or, why should we evangelize for Jesus? Why should we gather? Even, on what basis does Jesus bless us? Once we have received the authority of Jesus, how do we use it? Many Christians say: After believing in the Lord, they do not see how this Lord brings help into their lives. What is the problem?
Jesus said, "For everyone who has, more will be given to him."
God must be a God of blessings; it is we who have problems that need adjustment. Jesus gave this group a parable about the kingdom of heaven, so let’s take a look:
Verse 12 says, "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return."
Who does this "noble man" refer to? Jesus. Jesus went to a distant country to be appointed king and will return. What was Jesus doing while He was on earth? He was explaining the kingdom of heaven to them. One day He will return; this is what Jesus was talking about. What did He do before He left?
Verse 13 says, "So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas (a mina is worth about three months' wages) and said, 'Put this money to work until I come back.'"
A mina is roughly equivalent to about ten Roman silver coins. He said, "You go do business until I come back." What does this mean?
What does it mean to have ten servants? The number ten in the Bible represents completeness. The Lord Jesus came the first time as a Savior, and the second time He will come as a King. Before He left, He had already arranged for the subsequent matters and gave authority and power to His servants. Did He give it to you? The ten servants do not literally refer to ten people, but to all His servants.
Sometimes the Bible says we are children of God, and sometimes it says we are servants of God. The Apostle Paul said he is a servant of God, and at times he also said that the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and we can call Him Abba Father. When do we refer to ourselves as servants, and when as sons? Should we call ourselves servants or sons before God?
Sons are our identity, while servants are our work. Do you understand? When doing work, we should do so with the identity of a servant, but our identity remains as sons. Is Jesus the Son of God? Yet when He worked, He did so as a servant of God, able to bend down to wash the feet of His disciples, perform miracles, and heal the sick—these are all things a servant does.
He is a King, and if He sits on the throne, He will execute judgment. What is His identity when He comes the second time? The identity of a King. When He comes the second time, He will execute judgment in this world.
The previous passage tells how to enter the kingdom of heaven; what is the method? Believe in Jesus and you will enter the kingdom of heaven. After entering the kingdom of heaven, that is, after becoming a child of God, what should you do? Do business, right? Do all who see Jesus, or hear His words, receive His authority?
There are two types of servants: the first type is true servants who become servants through faith in Jesus; the other type is inherited. For example, the current Jews, who are the scribes and Pharisees mentioned in the Bible, are they also servants? From a worldly perspective, they seem to adhere to the rules more than we do.
The master gave them ten minas, ten servants ten minas, each person receiving one mina, the same amount. The silver can symbolize salvation. Every Christian, upon receiving the Lord Jesus, has received His salvation, but when God gives salvation to people, not everyone believes! When Jesus preached, there were prostitutes, tax collectors, soldiers, and also Pharisees and scribes. When Jesus spoke to these people, some accepted and believed; others did not.
Jesus came to the world to give salvation to everyone, but not everyone is willing to accept salvation. Everyone can receive equal spiritual blessings and authority from God. You can use the authority of Jesus to evangelize, heal the sick, solve life’s problems, and glorify the Lord, but not everyone who hears the words of Jesus accepts them; some do not accept.
So here the nobleman gives the silver to the servants, but who is responsible for handling the silver? The servants. Each person gets one mina. If you are willing to believe in Jesus, you can receive the authority of Jesus, but not everyone who hears the word can receive it; there will always be some who hear but do not believe.
Someone asked me, "What does it mean that those who cry 'Lord, Lord' cannot all enter the kingdom of heaven?" Looking ahead, it refers to false prophets, those who only hear and may verbally acknowledge that what you say is correct, but do not truly believe in Jesus.
Luke 19:14 says, "But his subjects hated him."
Do you see? Jesus gave salvation to people, yet some hated Him. Among these servants, some accepted Jesus' silver but instead hated Jesus. Isn't that strange? Brothers and sisters, why would some people hate Jesus when He gives salvation? The scribes and Pharisees saw many people healed and many following Jesus; they said, "Look, everyone is following Him; what should we do?" They felt Jesus was stealing their sheep and resolved to kill Him.
Let’s look at a passage, Luke 19:39-40,
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
They were all listening to the sermon; Jesus was giving salvation and blessings. However, the scribes and Pharisees said, "Rebuke your disciples." Perhaps the disciples were having some issues or were evangelizing on their own, but these scribes and Pharisees said, "You are going against our regulations!" hoping Jesus would discipline His disciples. But Jesus said, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." So, while they were all listening to Jesus preach, not everyone believed and accepted.
Luke 6:6-7 tells a story:
On another Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.
Were they listening to the sermon? What was Jesus giving to people? The message of release—the gospel, the message of healing. What should the people below do? If Jesus is now releasing the message to you, releasing healing to you, you should receive it! But what were they doing? They were watching Jesus to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.
Brothers and sisters, can healing be done on the Sabbath? Yes. But the scribes and Pharisees believed healing could be done at other times; why must it be done on the Sabbath? In fact, they had distorted God's law. God's law clearly states that you can work for six days, but the seventh day must be a day of rest. However, on the seventh day, there are people who are always busy—servants. These servants can heal the sick on the Sabbath.
Is Jesus a servant? He is a servant of God, and it is normal for Him to heal the sick, fully compliant with the regulations. But why did the scribes and Pharisees disapprove? Because they did not recognize Jesus, believing He was not appointed by them, and that He was not of their sect; thus, what Jesus did was not in accordance with their rules. So they were watching to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath to find grounds to accuse Him.
Do you see, brothers and sisters? Jesus wants to give salvation to everyone, hoping that each person receives it, just like the ten servants in the scripture, hoping they all receive salvation and His authority and grace. Yet some hated Him and sent a delegation to say, "We do not want this man to be our king." In fact, Jesus told this story because there was a real model:
At that time, there was a king named Archelaus, a client king of Judea, who was not good to the Jews, and they wanted to overthrow him. One time, this king went to Rome to be appointed. As soon as he left, many Jewish leaders united and wrote a petition to the Roman Emperor to accuse Archelaus, resulting in Archelaus being deposed.
But unexpectedly, after a few years, he returned. Do you know how he dealt with these Jews? He said to his servants, "What have you done while I was away? Bring it all to me!" Before he left, he had already told the servants to manage everything. The servants thought the king would not return! But he did...
Upon returning, he said, "Let’s settle the accounts for these years!" Some were very loyal and were rewarded by Archelaus; others did nothing and committed many evils. Then Archelaus said, "Take these people out and kill them."
When Jesus told this story, He was actually referencing Archelaus's story to the Jews because they had done this. Now they were doing the same thing, rejecting Jesus. Jesus will indeed return one day, but as soon as He left, after His death, what did the Jews do? They persecuted Christians. "We do not want Jesus to be our king; our king is Caesar; we do not want Jesus as king."
They immediately did some things, persecuting Christians. They thought Jesus had left; now let’s see what you will do! The disciples scattered and fled, but what they did not expect was that one day, Jesus would come again, and what would He do? Settle accounts! He will settle accounts!
Luke 19:15 says, "He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money in order to find out what they had gained with it."
Before the master went away, he called these servants over, giving each one a mina and saying, "You go do business." Now I ask everyone a question, what does doing business refer to? Evangelizing. And if your first thought is evangelizing, it still carries a burden and pressure. What if you do not evangelize? Guess what Jesus gave you? Salvation. Jesus gave you His salvation; He forgave all your sins on the cross, shedding His precious blood, and you were justified. He gave you the identity of a righteous person, and secondly, He gave you His authority.
Matthew 28 says at the end, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
He has given you this authority. The first purpose of giving you this authority is for you to use it on yourself, to receive these blessings from Jesus; secondly, it is to work. If you have not received anything, how can you work?
If the master said, "Now you go do business," but gave them nothing, how could they do business? In the beginning, God first blessed Adam, telling them to manage the birds of the air, the animals on the ground, and the fish in the sea. He blessed them first. Similarly, for these servants: He first gave each one a mina, saying, "You go do business!" After receiving this, they were already sufficient, and then they were to take Jesus' capital to do business. Therefore, you must first receive Jesus' salvation, His grace, power, and authority; you must first receive it before you can serve!
If you do not think this is good, just like the last person who took one mina and said, "I wrapped it up," he does not think it is good. If you have not received God's grace, how can you do business? How can you serve? After believing in the Lord, you say, "Does God really exist?" He has not had any effect in your life; evangelizing will become a burden for you!
So I hope everyone, after receiving this salvation, this gospel, realizes that He truly is the gospel. The gospel is good news; in the original Greek, it means good news. Today, what is this good news for you?
If you woke up today feeling unwell, what is the good news? Jesus is your healer. If you are in debt and do not know how to proceed, what is the good news? Jesus is your provider. If you are facing a professional exam and feel scared and nervous, what is the good news? Jesus is your comforter. So you need to discover what your good news is today.
Do not shout too loudly; we do not shout that. For you, what does Jesus being your good news mean? What do you need Jesus to give you? What do you need to receive? If you truly receive it, you will see Jesus in your life every day and know how to serve.
First, let yourself be filled with God's grace before you can give to others. It is impossible to give what you do not have; everyone must be clear about this. So first come before God, receive His gospel, and then think about how to serve! Hallelujah!
If you have not received that mina from God, how can you do business? Where is the capital? If you have received the authority of Jesus and believe in your heart, yes, it is in my hands, I believe it works, just like that servant who took one mina and returned with ten.
Isn't that real silver? It can buy things and do business. So after you accept the gospel, is it not real? Although the things may not be visible, they truly exist; you need to personally feel the power of this gospel.
He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money in order to find out what they had gained with it.
Here there is a meaning; this master seems to always know: I gave each servant silver, and they would not lose it. Why is that? People doing business will inevitably incur losses! Why is it that none of the ten said, "Lord, I lost that mina!" Business in the world can incur losses, and may even lead to debt, but this master believes it is impossible to lose; at worst, it is just that one mina, not earning; but you will definitely earn. This is the gospel. Will your salvation be lost? No! What is to be feared? Holding onto this salvation but not believing in it will lead to not receiving it.
Let’s look at, "to find out what they had gained with it."
What does this refer to? This symbolizes the judgment before Christ. It is not about salvation but about judgment.
Let’s look at a passage, 2 Corinthians 5:7-10,
7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Many people, when they hear the word judgment, are frightened. Why? They find many problems within themselves, feeling that they are always not in accordance with God's will, and many sins appear. But now it is mentioned that we live by faith, not by sight.
Verse 8 also tells us that we are confident.
When standing before judgment, what are you waiting for? Rewards! That’s right. If you are fearful and trembling before judgment, then you are indeed a sinner; if you stand before the judgment seat confidently, then you are thinking, "Am I third place, second place, or first place?" This is being confident in your heart!
All Christians, when standing before the judgment seat of Christ in the future, will do so with an expectant heart, because you do not know how much reward God will give you!
This is an unknown; it may start from the least and become more and more... So the further you go, the greater your heart's expectation... But in any case, all who believe in Jesus will stand before Christ's judgment seat confidently.
So verse 9 says, "So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it."
This refers to serving.
Verse 10 says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."
After believing in the Lord, we will certainly have some actions; these actions can be evil or good. There are only these two types. If it is good, for example, if you give a cup of water to a little one for the Lord's sake, this person cannot fail to receive a reward. God will reward him. If it is an evil deed, what then? Cursing this person for an entire month, how will this evil be repaid? I want to tell everyone: God does not remember it! This part is a blank.
Some may say, "That's great! I can sin on purpose." You can do it, but you will have many blanks in the future, and you will truly cry. God gives you the opportunity to earn rewards, but you waste it. It is like we are all at the starting line; Jesus says to run forward, even if you take one step, I will reward you. You say you will not run, not even one step! OK, you are still a winner. But you will have no reward. If you just move one step, you give a cup of water to a little one, and God says, "Good! I will reward you!"
Do you want to run or not? It is very simple. As long as you explain what a reward is, there is no Christian who does not want to do for the Lord. What is to be feared? Not running! The whip is cracking at you, forcing you to run! Then you will not want to. Regarding judgment, there is not only punishment; there are also rewards. For Christians, the judgment here refers to rewards. Amen!
When Jesus Christ comes a second time, it will be the time for rewarding the good and punishing the evil. Punishing the evil refers to unbelievers. How will unbelievers be punished? Revelation clearly states that those who do not believe will end up in the lake of fire. There is no need to do other judgments. There is no need to say, "This person committed one sin, so he goes to the first level; that person committed more sins, so he goes to the eighteenth level!" There is no such thing. That is something made up by other religions.
In our Lord's view, committing one sin is the same as committing a hundred sins; the outcome is the same. In terms of breaking the law, violating the smallest commandment is the same as violating all of them. Therefore, their outcomes are the same; they will all go to the lake of fire. Let me share again: you must remember, the judgment here, when Jesus comes a second time, is not to judge our sins, but to reward us based on our actions, or to execute final judgment on the unbelievers.
1 Peter 4:16-18,
16 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"
Regarding today's scripture, Jesus gave salvation to everyone, giving each one a mina, but some do not regard it as silver; some truly regard it as silver and seriously manage and use this silver, using salvation.
In the process of using it, some will suffer. Doing business will inevitably encounter rejection. Just like when you evangelize, you will definitely be rejected; this is your part of suffering. When you give to others, some will certainly not understand you, and even ridicule you; this is when you suffer; but for this, do not feel ashamed, but glorify God because the time has come, which is the time of judgment, and judgment must begin with God's household.
As I mentioned earlier, those who do not believe in the Lord do not need to be judged one by one because as long as one sin exists, the outcome is already determined. But for the children of God, we must carefully and seriously judge because we must record what we have done for God, and then we will be rewarded.
If it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? Verse 18 says, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved..."
Indeed, there are some righteous people, those who have believed in the Lord, who have done nothing in their lives, merely being saved. But being merely saved is still good, like the thief crucified beside Jesus; did he believe in Jesus? Yes. But did he have the opportunity to do good? He had no opportunity. So he is just a person who is merely saved, but his outcome is still good. Amen!
He is better than those who are ungodly and sinful; such a person is better than those. Think about it, if the righteous are merely saved, then what about the ungodly and sinful? They are unbelievers; where can they stand? They cannot stand before God!
Emphasizing: Salvation is related to faith, while rewards are related to actions.
Those who believe in the Lord know they are already saved; you have offered for the Lord, and you will receive the Lord's rewards. The size of these rewards will be different in the future. For example, why did the Apostle Paul willingly give up so many favorable conditions to evangelize?
Do you know what kind of person Paul was? A Roman citizen. In that era, being a Roman citizen meant you would never have to work a day in your life; the government provided excellent benefits! You would never have to work; everything you eat, drink, and use was provided for you. At that time, Rome was very powerful! Being a Roman citizen was a source of pride; many people spent a lot of money to become Roman citizens, but Paul was already such a person, a Roman citizen.
At the same time, he was also a very devout Pharisee; the Pharisees were a very famous sect at that time, with a particularly noble status and a very high position in society, a Pharisee among Pharisees, proving his higher status. Paul's teacher was a very famous figure. So Paul was a well-known figure both in society and in the church.
But one day he gave all this up to evangelize. From the day he began evangelizing, he started to suffer for the Lord; many people began to attack him, but he persisted until he died a very cruel death. In fact, he did not have to do this; he could have lived very well in this world. But why did Paul give up everything in this world, viewing the world as dung and Jesus Christ as the greatest treasure? What did he see? Because he knew that no matter how much one possesses in this world, it is all temporary; only God's inheritance is eternal. So he wanted to receive that heavenly reward, and his actions changed because of this.
If we do not realize this, we will truly fight over trivial matters with our neighbors, even cursing someone for not giving you a dollar. If one day you discover that there are greater rewards in heaven, you will not care about these gains and losses. Thank and praise the Lord!
Revelation 22:11-12,
Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy. "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done."
If you do not believe in Jesus, OK! You continue not to believe; if you are vile, continue to be vile; if you are righteous, you are willing to offer for the Lord, willing to receive Christ's righteousness and live, you will continue to be righteous; if you are holy, you are willing to live a life different from the world, you will continue to be holy. These will not be reminded of you before Jesus Christ comes; He will not suddenly descend from heaven and run to earth saying, "You must believe in me and live a holy life." He will not do that; He will let His servants remind you.
Are we "doing business" today? Put it in quotes; do not get it wrong! Many pastors have started doing business, which is terrible! What I mean by "business" is that I am currently teaching you the truth, helping you understand more; I am currently evangelizing, helping you know Jesus more. You can say this is what Jesus meant by "doing business."
When Jesus comes again, the rewards and punishments will be based on how much each person has received and how much they have served. Thank and praise the Lord! Let’s look at some more scriptures. When the master comes, he says to the other servants, "Now I will start settling accounts; bring everything you have to me."
Verse 16, the first one came and said, "Sir, your mina has earned ten more."
God gave him one mina; he earned ten. Is that good? It shows that this person has truly given everything. For example, the apostles in the Bible, such as Peter, Paul, John, and many spiritual predecessors, gave everything to host; you could say they earned ten minas because ten represents all.
Verse 17, the master said, "Well done, my good servant! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities."
Since you have given everything, God will reward you with everything. But how much, we do not know; we will only understand when we reach the kingdom of heaven.
Verse 18, the second one said, "Sir, your mina has earned five more."
Five is a number of grace in the Bible, proving that in the process of evangelizing, you have enjoyed the joy of being with the Lord; that goodness, you feel, is wonderful! The more I evangelize, the more joy I have; the more I believe in the Lord, the more joy I have; I am in Your joy every day. God says, "Good, my good servant! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, you may take charge of five cities" (verse 19).
Is it the same? You see God's grace; God says, "In the future, in the kingdom of heaven, I will let you see more grace!" Hallelujah! Do not understand it with a literal number!
Then we come to verse 20, another servant said, "Sir, look, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth."
Brothers and sisters, what did God say when He gave the silver? He said to do business, which actually means to use it. Why did he wrap it up? Look at how he views this God in his heart.
Verse 21, "I was afraid of you because you are a hard man: you take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow."
Brothers and sisters, how did the Pharisees and scribes view Jesus? They thought Jesus was speaking well, but they did not acknowledge Him as God; at most, He was a minor prophet. They did not recognize His actions, thinking, "Why are you coming to take our kingdom? Why are you stealing our sheep?" Therefore, they did not accept the gospel Jesus preached, even though they sought to find fault with Him but never succeeded, so these people feared God.
The Pharisees and scribes indeed feared God. During the time of Gethsemane, according to the Passover, it should have been the evening of the 14th of the first month, when there should have been a big moon. They took a large torch and a group of people to find Jesus, and when Jesus asked, "Whom are you looking for?" they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." "I am He!" Those people fell to the ground.
This proves that these people were afraid of Jesus. Brothers and sisters, do you know that fearing God means not believing in God and not knowing what kind of God He is?
If you still fear this God, I hope you have a renewed understanding of Jesus; He did not come to judge you, nor to condemn you. The first time He came was to resolve your sins. Amen! Just like God went to find Adam and Eve the first time, He did not come to judge them but to kill an animal to make skins for them to wear, to cover their shame; God knew their problems long ago.
Because you are a hard man, from this perspective, the first is not believing in Him and fearing Him, which is itself a mistake; the second is thinking He is a hard man. What kind of God do you have in your heart? If you are under the law, believing in a God in religion, that God will surely make you very fearful, feeling that He is a very harsh God.
Look at other religions in the world; their gods are fierce and terrible. Why? In their hearts, this is the image of their god because they do not have a fixed image, so they draw out their fears and turn them into their god, fierce and terrible, and they feel that this god is very harsh and cannot be easily offended. This is why some worldly people, knowing we believe in Jesus, instinctively respect us.
Do you know why? They are afraid and do not understand what Jesus is really about. So they say, "You are a Christian; you must be respected." Because they think God is a harsh God. How harsh? "You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow."
Brothers and sisters, think again, do those gods under the religious system, the gods of other religions, need to sow and reap? Everyone who comes before them must bring something, right? So they do not need to sow; they want to reap. They have not given anything; they want to take. Therefore, those offerings can only be put in; can you dare to eat? No one dares to eat! They are all very afraid of this god.
But the problem is, now they view Jesus as such a god, thinking Jesus comes to collect debts, taking away what you have! What can you give Jesus to take away? If you think of Jesus as such a god, it shows that you have not accepted Him at all.
Verse 22, "His master replied, 'You wicked servant! I will judge you by your own words...'
Brothers and sisters, now I want to ask everyone a question: Is this wicked servant a believer or not? A believer? If he is a believer, has God ever called any of His children "you are an evil person!"? Was Lot considered evil? Yes, he did not want to come out of sin; the angels had to pull him out, yet he still did not want to come out! Did he have nothing? But did God say, "Wicked servant Lot!"? No! What did God say? "Righteous Lot."
In God's kingdom, there is no evil. If an evil person enters the kingdom of heaven, that would be troublesome, brothers and sisters! The kingdom of heaven is full of righteousness!
"I will judge you by your own words."
Brothers and sisters, will there be judgment in heaven? No! If you believe in Jesus, God will not judge you again. So how do we see judgment:
Matthew 12:35-37,
35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.
Now do you dare to speak carelessly? Some say, "How scary is that?"
Everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
Who is speaking empty words? We also speak; unbelievers also speak. One day, someone may say, "I don’t think I have sinned!" Jesus will say, "On such and such a date, you spoke empty words about someone!" Speaking ill of others behind their backs, is that empty talk? Is that a sin? If you do not believe in Jesus, you will bear this sin yourself, and what will the outcome be? Hell!
Verse 37, "For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
Now, how will you be acquitted by your words? By believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth, you will be justified. Is it not by your words? You say, "I believe Jesus is my Savior; I believe He shed His precious blood on the cross, forgiving all my sins." Because of this word, God says, "I will justify you!" Hallelujah! Is it simple? It is all by your words. Some people say, "I do not believe in Jesus; He is just an ordinary person, a Western god; why should I believe in Him?" By this word, you are defined as guilty!
For the unbeliever, indeed, he is defined as guilty; but for believers, God no longer condemns.
Take a careful look at this passage, Romans 8:1-2,
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Now, unbelievers are under the law of sin and death, but you are not there! Why? Because you believe in Jesus; you are now in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus, God will not condemn you again. So today, God will not say, "Because you said an empty word, I will condemn you." This does not exist! Hallelujah! Now the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart; you have been set free in Christ Jesus! Amen!
How should we live today? We still need to change our words; do not speak words of condemnation, as they are of no benefit to us. Although God does not remember, it is of no benefit to us; we should speak more words that build others up!
Hebrews 10:16-17,
16 "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time," says the Lord. "I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." 17 Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."
Since God does not remember, will He call you an evil servant? Will He say, "Because of this word, I will condemn you"? No! So only unbelievers will be condemned! Amen!
Hebrews 9:28, "So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
Isn't this what Jesus will do when He comes a second time? The first time Jesus came was to be sacrificed, bearing the sins of many; this is what He did the first time, and you see it recorded in the Bible! Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross, forgiving all your sins. When you believe in His redemptive work, salvation comes upon you, and the Holy Spirit dwells within you; your spirit has already been saved, and your spirit belongs to Jesus, the same spirit as Jesus.
Now there are still two differences: the soul and the body. What does the soul refer to? Intelligence, emotion, and will. Intelligence, emotions, and willpower. Animals also have these. Intelligence is our thoughts, our IQ; emotions include our joys and sorrows; willpower is our desire to live better, eat better, play better, etc.; animals have all of these.
The intelligence, emotion, and will are the parts of us that are being renewed. The Holy Spirit renews our soul, and our actions will change as a result. Therefore, the spirit influences behavior, which influences the body; how you think will determine how you act. Now you just need to continually renew yourself with God's words, and your behavior will naturally change.
When Jesus comes a second time, what will He save? He will change the shape of our bodies because we are still bound, like caterpillars crawling on the ground. When Jesus comes a second time, after changing our bodies, we will be like the resurrected body of Jesus, no longer bound by time and space; at that moment, we will be completely free! Hallelujah! This is what we are looking forward to; this is what Jesus will lead us to do after His second coming. In that instant, "whoosh," we will all go up into the air. Look at 1 Thessalonians!
Finally, let’s look at the last part of Luke 19, verses 24-27,
24 "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' 25 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' 26 He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they think they have will be taken away."
Brothers and sisters, I just told you that the master said to the one who wrapped his mina in a cloth and kept it, "I will judge you by your own words. You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?"
In fact, no matter how you use salvation, you will gain something! What is to be feared? People look down on this salvation, wrapping it up, not even looking at it. I am now giving you the best thing; after you take it, you do not even look at it, wrapping it up and putting it in your pocket. This is unbearable for God. In the future, those who despise salvation will be severely punished by God because they have a wrong understanding of God. Brothers and sisters, you are not such people.
So He said to that person, "Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas."
What does this mean? What are unbelievers pursuing? It is nothing but fame and fortune! Will we be able to obtain these things in the kingdom of heaven in the future? Yes! They can also be obtained on earth. It depends on how you understand it and how you believe this gospel. Because the children of God should be at the forefront of the world, look at those spiritual giants in the Bible; they are not living in poverty like Lazarus; they are the leaders of their times.
Was Solomon a leader of his time? Was David? Yes! They were all very powerful at that time, and even today, they still have a huge influence, including today’s Jews, who are still leading the world. Whether you admit it or not, they are indeed driving the development of some things in the world; you cannot deny it! If they can do it, why can’t we?
Some people indeed look down on Jesus; you can look down on Him, but because you look down on Jesus, what you should have will be taken away. It is not that God wants to take it away; you have truly lost these blessings! Let’s look at, "Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas."
I will use a social phenomenon to explain this passage to you. If you carefully look at the world map, in many countries, those that believe in Jesus are generally not too poor, while countries with many idol worshipers are generally not too wealthy. So far, the relatively wealthy countries have a Christian background. Why? The source of God's blessings is in our Jesus; once you leave Jesus, what can you talk about in terms of prosperity? God can bless you; the laws of the world are all in God's hands. Amen!
So today, this person does not want it; in the end, God says, "You do not want it? Give it to the one who has ten minas." Then they said, "Lord, he already has ten!"
This brings us back to today's main text, For everyone who has, more will be given to him, so that he has abundance. God's blessings and God's gospel are just like this; if you are willing to receive Christ's salvation, the more you receive, the more you will have. God's salvation is not just to save you from darkness into light, from hell into heaven; it is not like that! If it were only that, God's salvation would be too powerless. God's salvation can involve every aspect of your life; if you believe that you can rely on God in your work and do your best, God can give you that. If you rely on God in this area, you can do the same in other areas.
If you discover this principle, you will find that many of God's words are applicable across the board. This is why when you receive one, you are willing to receive more. When God gives you gifts and authority, when you use them, you find they are truly effective! As a result, the more you use, the more you are willing to use, and the more you will have! Gifts are like this; abilities are like this; authority is like this; and the same goes for others.
For example, when it comes to healing, you may see God heal you from a minor illness, and your faith will immediately increase. The next time a problem arises, you will know how to pray. No problem; Jesus can definitely do it. The more you use these gifts, God says, "I will add more to you." Hallelujah! This is what Jesus meant by "For everyone who has, more will be given to him; but as for the one who has nothing, even what they think they have will be taken away."
Let me ask everyone a question: If a person buys 100 houses in this world, will those 100 houses still belong to him at the time of judgment? What does he possess? Nothing. Will his reputation in this world be acknowledged by God? No, it will not. So he thinks he has gained, but in the end, he loses everything.
I hope everyone focuses on what is above, because what is eternal is truly eternal! Hallelujah!
The eternal on earth may be diamonds, but the true eternity is the blessings in the kingdom of heaven. God blesses you on earth and is still willing to give you in the kingdom of heaven. Christians have this authority; you can enjoy the blessings of Christ on earth, and likewise, in heaven, there is another portion stored for you, which is an eternal blessing! Amen!
Do not be like worldly people, thinking you seem to have a lot, possessing hundreds of billions in assets. Yes, you possess them, but when your life ends, when you stand before God's judgment seat, those will not be acknowledged by God. God says, "I do not want these things; they will all be taken away." Amen!
If we have served many people in this world, helped many people, conveyed Christ's love, let many people be released, be free, know Jesus, and even we have received many graces ourselves, God says, "I will record this for eternity." Therefore, we are blessed people! Hallelujah! The world may think they possess a lot now, but one day in the future, they will have nothing.
Verse 27, "But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me!"
These people will have no opportunity. Brothers and sisters, we know the end times are truly near. Just look at this world, and you will see more and more problems, more and more things that make us panic, but you have hope! Hallelujah!
Do not fear judgment. God says that no matter how turbulent this world is, you have true peace in Him. Hallelujah! So I hope every brother and sister, starting this week, will make a firm decision to live using Jesus' salvation, living like this every day, and when helping others and serving, when working, do not hold onto a complaining heart, knowing that you are doing this for the Lord! Whether you are serving at home, in the company, or running your own business, you should feel that you are doing this for the Lord. When you have this intention to do so, it will all be remembered by God, and there will be rewards at the time of judgment. Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for the words You have given us today, letting us know that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, but judgment is not punishment; it is a reward, and we will do so with a heart of confidence.
Lord, thank You! You said, "For everyone who has, more will be given to him." We are those who have received Jesus' salvation; we have the salvation and also use this salvation, not wrapping it up in a cloth. I am willing to understand more of Jesus' authority, understand Your truth, and use it throughout this week because You said, "For everyone who has, more will be given to him, so that he has abundance." You hope we become people of abundance, for You said: You came to give life to the sheep and to give it more abundantly.
I am willing to experience this more abundant life throughout this week. Every day I want to think: Jesus, what is the good news You give me today? No matter when, You are always my hope, always my strength! I thank and praise You! Thank You for comforting me and encouraging me. I will no longer fear the road ahead; even if I fail, You are still watching over me, and I will rise again. Hallelujah! Thank and praise You; all glory belongs to You. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!