1. "Loyalty is such a confusing category. When formal spouses are being replaced by informal boyfriends and girlfriends, what are the bounds of our relationships, even our friendships? How are they to be defined? Who can say what is disloyal when we've not really defined loyalty?"

2. "Each decision you make is a referendum on what you think of the claims of Christ. Is he who he says he is? Will you give an account to Him? Will He return? Will He judge and reward?"

3. "You and I want to act like we're the kings. That's our natural inclination. Like we're the captains of our own souls, the masters of our own fate. But we're not. To speak in terms of the philosopher or the theologian, we're derivative beings. We didn't put ourselves here. And we don't control our fate."

4. "We're not called to own what is ours, but we're called to manage what is his. He is the one who's entrusted us with the years you hold that job, the months you have that relationship, the weeks you're talking to that person, the days you struggle with that trial."

5. "Brothers and sisters, we don't want to be dead ends for God's blessings. We want to be highways where God knows if He entrusts this to you, whether it's a lot of money or a lot of trials, you will know how to turn to the Lord and use these things to reflect His character."

6. "The instructive point, the point of this parable is the third servant who says he's loyal but didn't live like it. People who follow Jesus are people who are truly loyal to him, not merely those who call themselves loyal."

7. "This king wants followers whose Sundays summarize the rest of the days of the week rather than hypocritically lie about them."

8. "Unresponsiveness to known truth is wickedness and will be judged."

9. "True loyalty is more shown by what you regularly do not just in public but also in private where only the Lord sees."

10. "If we're Christians, he's redeemed us, he's purchased us as his very own. If we're really his, his Spirit is even now leading us into more and more conformity to his will. Maybe even through the preaching of this very parable. Right now."

Observation Questions

1. According to Luke 19:11, what two reasons does Luke give for why Jesus told this parable?

2. In Luke 19:12-13, what does the nobleman do before leaving for the far country, and what specific instruction does he give to his servants?

3. What do the nobleman's subjects do in verse 14, and what message do they send after him?

4. In verses 16-19, how do the first two servants report their results to the returning king, and what rewards does each receive?

5. According to verses 20-21, what did the third servant do with his mina, and what reason did he give for his actions?

6. In verses 22-27, how does the king respond to the third servant, and what final command does he give concerning his enemies?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why is it significant that Jesus told this parable specifically because the people "supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately" (v. 11)? What misunderstanding was He correcting?

2. The sermon emphasized that the third servant is the main point of the parable. Why would Jesus spend the most time on someone who appeared to be a servant but acted like an enemy, rather than focusing on the faithful servants or the open enemies?

3. How does the king's statement in verses 22-23—that the servant should have at least put the money in the bank—expose what the servant truly believed about the king's return?

4. What does the principle in verse 26 ("to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away") teach about how God distributes and redistributes stewardship responsibilities?

5. How does this parable connect to Jesus' teaching in Luke 18:31-34 about His coming suffering, death, and resurrection? What does this connection reveal about the nature of Christ's kingdom?

Application Questions

1. The sermon stated that "each decision you make is a referendum on what you think of the claims of Christ." What is one specific area of your life where your daily choices might reveal whether you truly believe Jesus is returning and will hold you accountable?

2. The third servant called himself a servant but lived as if the king would never return. In what ways might Christians today profess loyalty to Christ on Sundays while living the rest of the week as though He has no claim on their lives?

3. The sermon challenged listeners to identify who or what is competing with Christ for ultimate loyalty in their lives. What relationship, ambition, comfort, or habit currently challenges your wholehearted devotion to Jesus, and what would it look like to address that this week?

4. Hebrews 10:24 was cited as a call to "consider how to stir up one another to love and good works." Who is one person in your church community that you could intentionally encourage toward faithful stewardship this week, and how might you do that?

5. The sermon described all of life's circumstances—including trials and suffering—as stewardships entrusted by God. How might viewing a current difficulty in your life as an opportunity to display Christ's character change how you respond to it?

Additional Bible Reading

1. Luke 18:31-34 — This passage shows Jesus explicitly predicting His suffering and death, which the disciples did not understand, providing the immediate context for why Jesus needed to correct their expectations about the kingdom.

2. Matthew 25:14-30 — The Parable of the Talents presents a parallel account of servants entrusted with resources and held accountable upon the master's return, reinforcing the themes of faithful stewardship and judgment.

3. Hebrews 10:19-25 — This passage calls believers to draw near to God, hold fast to their confession, and stir one another up to love and good works as they see the day of Christ's return approaching.

4. Isaiah 52:13–53:12 — The Suffering Servant passage that Jesus brought forward to reorient His disciples' understanding of the Messiah, showing that the King would first suffer before reigning in glory.

5. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 — Paul describes believers as stewards of God's mysteries who must be found faithful, and who will be judged by the Lord when He comes—echoing the accountability theme of the parable.

Sermon Main Topics

I. The Concept of Loyalty in Modern Times

II. The Kingdom Is Coming, But Not All Here Right Now (Luke 19:11-15)

III. You're Not the King, You're a Manager (Luke 19:16-19)

IV. This King Divides People (Luke 19:20-27)

V. This King Wants Entire Loyalty

VI. Call to Live as Loyal Subjects Until Christ Returns

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Detailed Sermon Outline

Loyalty.

We may think we're not the people to talk about loyalty. Does loyalty seem like a foreign concept to you? Maybe we're the wrong country to talk about loyalty in. I mean, after all, we were founded by being disloyal to the British monarch. In fact, those who opposed the revolution were called Loyalists.

A lot of us, Marylanders and Virginians, were loyalists. Did you know that? In fact, almost as many Americans fought for Britain as fought against. In 1780, there were 9,000 patriots in Washington's army.

Eight thousand Loyalists at the same time were serving in the British Army.

But finally it was the America-loving Patriots who vanquished the king-loving Loyalists.

Aren't we really in the wrong time for this? I mean, does loyalty seem kind of like an antique, quaint, even antiquated?

Loyalty is such a confusing category. When formal spouses are being replaced by informal boyfriends and girlfriends, what are the bounds of our relationships, even our friendships? How are they to be defined? Who can say what is disloyal when we've not really defined loyalty?

In our world today, who has the authority to ask for loyalty, to require loyalty? Well, just reflect on your own life. Recall situations in which you have been asked for or have pledged loyalty. Think of your spouse.

We see loyalty pledged in vows at weddings. Some of us heard Riley yesterday lead Mattie and Daniel in making vows before God to each other and before a congregation.

And then there's your country. We see that in the vows that we take in the military or in other kinds of public service from elected officials. To the law courts, to law enforcement. And of course, there's the church here. All of us who are members take a covenant.

We covenant with each other and before God.

Also, regularly we hear people come forward and take vows to service as deacons or elders. And we as a congregation make vows back to them.

All of these vows imply loyalty to them, ways that we will act or not act in accord with what we've said. They define loyalty. Some of us this last weekend may have watched at least parts of the coronation service of the new British King, Charles. A little more somber than some of us may have expected if our closest encounter with British Royal pomp is Hamilton.

You remember King George's appearance in Hamilton, the revolutionary musical, with his song, you,'ll Be Back? Should I sing it now?

You say our love is draining, you can't go on, you'll be the one complaining when I am gone. And no, don't change the subject, because you're my favorite subject, my sweet submissive subject, my loyal, royal subject, forever and ever and ever and ever and ever.

Back to George's descendant, Charles, who took his vows this past weekend, Charles both pledged his vows to the nation and received oaths of loyalty from many of his subjects. In fact, one of the highlights of that deeply Christian service was when his heir apparent, his son William, pledged loyalty to the king, his father.

Of course, in our experience, loyalty is often known by its absence.

Like when the husband cheats or the agent reveals secrets.

Or the friend turns on you.

Loyalty requires clearly laid out expectations and requirements. And that's kind of what Jesus is doing in our passage for study this morning. Please turn there. It's Luke. We're in Luke chapter 19.

If you're using the Bibles provided, it's page 878. If you don't have a Bible, you can read. Please take the one here from our church as a gift from us to you. Take it home with you as your very own. Luke, chapter 19.

We've been in this chapter. We just saw Zacchaeus converted, the beginning of chapter 19.

Jesus has been in Jericho. He's about to leave to go up to Jerusalem, where next week we come to the passage, Lord willing, where He enters as a a new king, really, into the capital city, the triumphal entry, it's called. This is right before that. Every step Jesus takes toward Jerusalem, the national capital, at this time of year, the time of Passover, the national celebration, with the city swelling with pilgrims from all over Judea, every step he takes brings with it more and more excitement, more and more expectations. Many people are feeling that this Jesus is not merely an average wandering rabbi, but that this Jesus has taught exceptional things and behaved in exceptional ways and done things that no one had ever seen done before.

Large and growing numbers of people were thinking, every time a miracle was done, like the blind man given sight or the lepers cleansed or the sick healed, and Jesus would then teach the crowds and the crowds would acclaim that surely the kingdom of God had come upon them. Do you understand the kind of expectations that were growing as Jesus approached Jerusalem? Now, if you're newish to reading the New Testament, let me tell you, This is one of the fun parts of reading the Gospels. When you're aware that these are not just random stories thrown out by four authors, but that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all very much have in mind that Jesus has come to die. And that that will happen in Jerusalem, and that's his purpose.

And every one of the Gospels is structured with a perspective on that to show you the truth of that. Its significance, what it means.

And so you can orient your understanding of the stories to them going to and then getting near and then finally getting into Jerusalem. So here we come to the last parable Jesus told. In fact, the last bit of his teaching at all we have in Luke's Gospel before he actually enters the city. So what would Jesus say at a time pregnant with such expectations? What would he say to orient his followers to what they should think, how they should prepare themselves for what was about to happen?

Well, Jesus wanted to equip his disciples especially and all those listening to him by telling them more about the kingdom of God. So let me just summarize here four things the king wanted them and wants us to know about the kingdom of God. Four things. This will summarize the message. Number one, the kingdom's coming.

But it's not all here right now. The kingdom's coming.

Number two, you're not the king. You're a manager. You're not the king. Number three, this king divides people. This king divides people.

And number four, this king wants entire loyalty. He wants all of us.

As we work through this last bit of Jesus' teaching before he entered Jerusalem, I pray that you'll be able to listen and learn the truth about the king and the kingdom and the loyalty that he requires of any who would be His subjects. So the first thing we have to realize is that, number one, the Kingdom is coming. It's not all here right now. Listen to how He begins this, verse 11, Luke 19 verse 11.

As they heard these things, He proceeded to tell a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem and because they, that's His disciples, the crowds around, and because they supposed that the Kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said, therefore, a nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas and said to them, Engage in business until I come. But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him saying, We do not want this man to reign over us.

When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him that he might know what they had gained. By doing business. Now when you and I hear this, it's just a story, a parable of Jesus. I think when this was spoken, when this was said around 30 AD, most of the people there would have had in mind the political situation that was going on in Israel. There in Judea, there actually had been exactly this situation more than once.

But the most celebrated time was when Jesus had just been a little boy Herod the Great had died and his son Archelaus went to Rome, the imperial capital, to get the authority to come back as king. But Archelaus was hated by the people. He was known as brutal. And so they sent a delegation of their leaders to Rome to tell the emperor, Please don't make him king.

Well, this would have been the background in their minds when Jesus told this story. An interesting story for him to pick up. As he's talking about their expectations for the kingdom of God, that they all are thinking it's about to appear when Jesus steps into Jerusalem. So the people expected the immediate appearance of the kingdom of God. And what that means is it's full, complete manifestation, including the Messiah's reign on earth.

You know, Jesus had been regularly prophesying that that was not what was gonna happen this week. He had been teaching them ever since about a year earlier they had confessed him publicly as the Messiah, he had been recalibrating what they understood the Messiah was to do. Jesus brought forward lots of teaching in the Old Testament that people seemed to have ignored about what God would do. They had concentrated on the fact that David would have a descendant who would reestablish his throne all true, but they had ignored other streams, other parts of the teaching of the Old Testament. Jesus, particularly with Isaiah 52:53, brought out the suffering servant and the work he was going to do.

You see, if you look back in chapter 18, just above where we are, verses 31 to 34, Jesus had just said this to the disciples. He said, chapter 18, verse 31, and taking the 12, he said to them, See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging Him, They will kill him. And on the third day, he will rise.

But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them. They did not grasp what was said. Friends, if they understood any of it, they should know that this is not the kind of coronation day that some of them seem to be expecting. Jesus taught that the rule and reign of God was already really in him and really present.

So back in Luke chapter 11, Jesus had said that that's why he cast out demons. Luke 11:20, if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. So God's might and power were already specially active among them. It wasn't waiting for the future. At the same time, lest people think that this is all of the fullness of the kingdom of God, Jesus wanted them to know that they were really only seeing the beginnings of it.

That's why John the Baptist back in chapter 7 was confused and uncertain, because the kingdom was still partly hidden. Isaiah 53 had not been fulfilled yet at that point. The crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, outpouring of the Spirit, and the return were all still ahead of them. In fact, the way that Jesus would refer to being with them always to the end of the age in Matthew 28 makes it seem like His return would be quite a far way into the future.

But there were the great hopes for the Messiah still prevalent among the people in general and even Jesus' own disciples. The kind of idea that if Jesus is the Messiah and He's coming to Jerusalem, well then He's about to to kick out the Romans. He's about to reestablish the throne of David. And that, Luke says here in chapter 19, verse 11, is why Jesus told this parable. It was to prepare them to better understand what they were about to see from the triumphal entry to the crucifixion and the resurrection, including all the crowds and religious leaders, many of whom would reject Jesus.

So Jesus tells this story kind of like the one at the beginning of chapter 18 about the persistent widow and the unjust judge, where the lesson is not that God is an unjust judge, but that if even such a judge will answer that widow, how much more God. Well so too here in this story, if even such a severe king will be able to establish his rule, so too will the real Messiah, full of God's own justice, return with justice and with love. Jesus was about to leave and like the nobleman in this story, go into, as he says in verse 12, a far country. And see, even the fact that he calls it a far country is suggesting there's going to be some time elapsing between his leaving and his returning. So Jesus was just about to be rejected and rise again and go to heaven and receive the rule from His heavenly Father and then at some point in the future return to reign forever over all.

In the meantime, while He was in a far country, the coming King's subjects are to work while they wait. You see that in verse 13, Engage in business until I come. This has been the watchword for many Christians of past generations. Engage in business until I come. That's the motto we are given as Christ's followers to hold until He comes.

Continue to be active while we wait. And then we see here in verse 15 that it's exactly this business that the returning King checks on. Did his subjects do what he asked them to do. So making sure of that would be part of what his kingdom rule and reign would be about.

So Jesus' most obvious reign will happen after his people reject him. So you can tell if you're trying to plot us and where we are today in this parable, we're between verses 14 and 15. If you take this like that, Jesus is departed to a far country, he's ascended, and he's not yet come back. But he will return. That's verse 15.

So we are between verses 14 and 15. If you have more questions about that, speak to anyone at the doors afterwards, especially Bobby at this door right here afterwards. Happily answer all your questions about that. I'm giving you what I've got here in the sermon. Bobby can contribute others.

So you and I, if we are subjects of Christ, We're called to follow His instructions, to live knowing that we will give an accounting when He returns, like we see here in verse 15. Jesus apparently often taught His disciples about this, like back in Luke chapter 12. Part of the coming of the Kingdom would be giving an account.

Now I wonder if Jesus is predicting the people's rejection of Him here in verse 14. If that seems strange to you. If you're new to the Bible and you're just beginning to study, I think you'll find the Bible a very frank book spiritually. The Bible does not present everything as rosy. Everything's great always all the time.

The Bible is very frank in depicting spiritual struggle. Now this parable that Jesus tells is not an allegory. It's not like every detail has a certain special hidden meaning. But it is true that human opposition to Christ's lordship is real. According to the Bible, rejecting God is where we all start out spiritually.

Some of us are born in Christian homes and we hear the gospel very early on and we can't remember a time when we didn't believe it. Oh, what a wonderful testimony that is. That's the testimony every parent praise their children will have. But for so many of us, even who today are Christians, that's not our story. We didn't believe till we were maybe older as a child, maybe 10, or maybe it was later when we were in our job or in college at 20, or maybe we were further on into marriage and having kids ourselves, maybe it was 40.

Some people come to believe even later in life, in their 70s or 80s. But whenever it is at some point a Christian is someone who has that native hostility to God subdued and affection and even a kind of loyalty to Christ begun. Many of us come to recognize Jesus in love and serve him. I wonder if you have come to realize that Jesus Christ is the King.

Friend, you are born naturally in opposition to God. That explains so many things about each person's life. We would rather do what we want rather than what He wants by nature. And yet God in His kindness didn't merely judge us all for that, but He sent His only Son to live a life of perfect, humble trust and submission and that to die on the cross as a substitute bearing God's good and right wrath against us, he bore it for the sins of all those who would turn and trust in him. So, friend, when God raised him from the dead and he ascended to heaven, he accepted that heavenly sacrifice on our behalf if we will turn and trust in him.

You too can know that forgiveness. And that restored relationship of love and trust in God. This one who is your enemy can become your friend. That's what you want to understand yourself. What does it mean for me to be a follower of Jesus Christ, to rely on him?

What would that look like in my life? Talk to your friend you came with today or one of the pastors at the door. About that. Friend, why would you plan to live another day ignoring or resisting Christ's right to be Lord in your life? How can we help you think about that or consider what it means?

Because when the King returns, as He will, then the time for repenting has ended and the time He depicts in this story, the time for giving account, will have come. Jesus wanted his followers to realize that God's kingdom is beginning, but it's not all here yet. When you look around in this church, you see real evidence of God's Holy Spirit at work. But please don't think this is all God is doing. That heaven is a 7,000 long CHBC service.

Praise the Lord, he has so much better. In store for us. This is the Christian life that we experience together is wonderful and yet is only the smallest foretaste of the good that's to come. Second thing, the King wants us to realize about the Kingdom, number two, you're not the King, you're a manager. Look in verses 16 to 19.

The first came before him saying, 'Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.

I like the way he even said that. He put it in a sort of flattering way. Your mina has made ten minas more. It's like he didn't do anything, you know? And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant, because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.

And the second came saying, 'Lord, your mina has made five minas. And he said to him, 'And you are to be over five cities. So when the king returns full of authority, he checks up to see if his subjects had done what he told them to do up in verse 13 when he told them, 'Engage in business. Though his coming was important, he didn't want them to wait to live life until then. He wanted them to be working while he was away securing the kingdom.

So Jesus' disciples are responsible for all that he's entrusted to us. We're to be active. While Jesus is away, we are to be using the opportunities we have in this life to do spiritual good. These two servants that the king commends here in verses 16 to 19 risked their entire Wages, three months wages a mina is, mina represents three months wages. They risked it all, just as those disciples following Jesus were about to need to be able to risk everything to follow Him into Jerusalem and what their eyes were about to see in the week to come.

Their loyalty was real. You could tell by the fact that they were willing to follow his orders. The first guy made a great prophet. The second also made a good prophet. They were both good enough at business for the new king to entrust them with authority to help him administer his new realm.

The two examples here, differing from each other in how much they made with their mina, suggest that there are different levels of reward to come. Just like Jesus back in chapter 12 had talked about different levels of punishment. Those rewards come to those people who recognize the king and were obedient subjects to him, who loyally followed his instructions. Now, you and I want to act like we're the kings. That's our natural inclination.

Like we're the captains of our own souls, the masters of our own fate. But we're not. To speak in terms of the philosopher or the theologian, we're derivative beings. That is, we're not self-existent. We didn't put ourselves here.

And we don't control our fate. We live temporarily in this world as some of our songs and prayers and Scripture readings have already reminded us, and soon we'll be needing to give an account to the One who entrusted us with all the gifts and opportunities that we do have. And He tells us about rewards in order to encourage us in applying ourselves to our work for Him while we wait. We're not called to own what is ours, but we're called to manage what is his? He is the one who's entrusted us with the years you hold that job, the months you have that relationship, the weeks you're talking to that person, the days you struggle with that trial.

All of those things are entrustments from him to you. They don't belong to you, they're given to you to manage. We'll understand our opportunities and our obligations in this life All of our gifts and experiences better if we understand this, that they're from the Lord entrusted to us, each one, to be used in particular ways to reflect His preeminence, His honor, His glory. You realize that this is what our obedience shows. Our obedience shows that we believe the King when He says He's coming back and that we will give account to Him.

So these two subjects here invested their minas. They could have kept them. They could have just spent them. I mean, you can get quite a bit with three months' wages. They could have used them on themselves immediately.

Why didn't they? Well, they clearly believed this nobleman was going to come back. They clearly believed this nobleman really was going to come back as the king. And that they really would give an account to this king. And so regardless of what they might have wanted to do in their flesh, sometimes they needed to restrain themselves in order to live in such a way that they could give an account one day to this king, trusting that he would reward them.

So my Christian brothers and sisters, whether you are looking at a simple decision to do or not do something, one way to understand your decision correctly, accurately, is to realize that each decision you make is a referendum on what you think of the claims of Christ. Each decision you make is a referendum on what you think of the claims of Christ. Is he who he says he is? Will you give an account to Him? Will He return?

Will He judge and reward? These guys engaging in business were giving their vote of confidence in the king. It's the same way for us because you and I, we're just managers. Of what belongs to the king. We're to follow his instructions and how we use it.

Another thing to know about the king, number three, this king divides people. This king divides people. I'm not sure anything is more clear in this passage.

Look there.

Beginning verse 20, Then another came, saying, 'Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' He said to him, 'I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant. You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank? And at my coming I might have collected it with interest.

And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, give it to the one who has ten minas.' and they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas.' I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.

Friends, for the loyal follower of Jesus Christ, this Christian here this morning, we put great stock in knowing that we can trust God entirely. In His understanding of mercy, in his understanding of justice, in his understanding of goodness, he will do right. But part of this world, this life, is that God and his plan has given us real stewardships and our decisions have real everlasting consequences. And Jesus told this parable not to say that he was a severe king like the character described here, in verse 21 or 22. But to make it clear that he would reward true loyalty and he would punish fake loyalty.

Loyalty professed but not lived out. It's another example of those parables, like I said, of the shrewd manager or the unjust judge at the beginning of chapter 18, where Jesus is saying, Look, even if such, even a wicked character will do this right thing that's fundamentally good, you can be all the more certain that I will do this good thing. And the point was that what we find here at the end, there will certainly be justice coming as this king divides people accurately. In the story, the man who would be king entrusts some servants with moderate amounts of money. Each man gets a mina, and when he returns, the king sees what they've done with them.

It's kind of a test, almost like an application for public service. The first two, though their results vary, both obeyed the king's instructions to engage in business. And so they are rewarded as those who recognized and responded to the king's claims to authority. But the third servant, the third servant by his rejection of the king's authority, this third servant fails badly.

He is therefore treated He is punished. Friends, this parable is a preview letting the disciples and others know that so far as the Messiah is coming, they shouldn't think it's only excitement and good news. No, the Messiah's coming will also mean accountability. It will mean bad news for those who have been poor stewards of what God has entrusted to them. Those who think we're safe with God merely because God is good, or because God has entrusted these things to us, or because they've called themselves servants, have some surprises ahead.

That's the real shock of the parable of the ten minas. It's not that the faithful will be rewarded, everybody believed that. And it's not even that the king's enemies would be judged, I know with our sensibilities, verse 27 shocks us. But at the time when Jesus told this, people would have just thought this is self-evidently right. Yes, the enemies, the one opposing the king must be punished, even killed.

No, the surprise in this parable was that the apparently safe middle path of being called a servant rather than an enemy, and yet ignoring the stewardship he had been given hiding it, that that was truly wicked. That's the word Jesus uses. And that really takes us to our final and our main point, number four. This king wants entire loyalty. He wants all of us.

He wants followers whose Sundays summarize the rest of the days of the week. Rather than hypocritically lie about them.

If your friends at work or that you live around saw you at church, would they go, yeah, that fits. Or would they think, what a hypocrite. Jesus is telling this parable to make it clear that the people who follow him are people who are truly loyal to him, not merely those who call themselves loyal. You can tell what his emphasis is in the passage. Look down at the passage for a minute.

Let me just get your eyes on it for just a minute. Look at where Jesus spends his time. You have this setting in verse 11, that's the occasion of the parable. A little time is spent on the nobleman before he goes. That's just 12, 13, 14.

That's the kind of setup. No, it's all on when the kingdom comes. With it. He spends all his time really on the judgment. That's verses 15 to 27.

And that last verse is the judgment of the enemies. So if you just kind of pull that one off, one verse. So most of the time is spent in coming evaluation of the king's servants. That's verses 15 down through 26. That's most of the passage.

They're summoned in verse 15, and then the evaluation of the servants is verses 16 to 26. It's very interesting. Up in verse 13, you know, he mentions ten servants. Seven of them are never mentioned again. We don't know what happened to them.

They're just not part of the story. It's Jesus' story. He can do what he wants with it. Yeah. But all the time is taken up on these three servants.

Now the two who are faithful are recounted in verses 16 to 19. Both successful to varying degrees, both obedient. Both rewarded proportionately. Perhaps we were doing a series, there'd be more to say on the difference between the 10 and the 5, but that doesn't seem to be where Jesus focuses his attention in this parable. Jesus spends verses 20 to 26 on the one other servant.

That servant is the point of this parable. It's no surprise that God would judge his enemies there in verses 14 and 27. And it's no surprise that God would reward his loyal subjects there in verses 16 to 19. Friends, the instructive point, the point of this parable is the third servant who says he's loyal but didn't live like it. That's the point of this parable.

People have wondered how we're to take that description of the king there in verse 21. And then it's repeated in verse 22. That's the thing that throws them most about this parable.

It's the king, I think, exposing the servant's hypocrisy and claiming to be his loyal subject. If that were the case, the king argues in verses 22 and 23, then he would at least have put the money out to get a little interest. Not quite the business he'd instructed them to, but at least it would be something. But this servant didn't even do that. As little trouble as that would have been to him.

And what did that show? It showed that this guy didn't really think the nobleman would ever come back as the king. It showed there wouldn't really be an accounting he would have to give. It showed he really agreed with those enemies of the king who went to say, Don't let this guy be king. Or at least, he thought they would be successful.

Because if he had really thought this guy was coming back, he would have done what the other ones did, like a true loyal obedient servant. But his disobedience exposes what he really thought. He was with the enemies. And that's why here in verse 22, the king calls him wicked. And that's why he's left completely destitute at the end.

His judgment is complete. In contrast to the reward that the real loyal subjects get. Now I wonder if you're here today, maybe even as a member of this church, you're known as a servant, but you're actually living as if Jesus will never return, as if you will never have to give an account to him for what you've done.

Does your loyalty go beyond your lips in singing these hymns or amending these prayers?

Friends, even in war, rights of open combatants are protected in a way that rights of deceptive spies are not. Even in the horrors of war, there's taken to be some honor and honesty.

But to take the king's money and then do nothing with it. Maybe just keeping it to spend when you hear that the enemies were successful in defeating the nobleman's claims. Friends, that's not loyalty. That's treachery. That's the opposite of what you're claiming to be when you call yourself a servant.

The religious leaders of Jesus' day who knew all the prophecies and yet who didn't acknowledge that Jesus was fulfilling them were abusing their stewardships. They were not loyal to the Lord even if they called themselves the Lord's servants. They were what Jesus said about this third servant here in verse 22. They were really wicked. If you look over chapter 19, you kind of feel the scene.

Zacchaeus has happened, blind Bartimaeus was healed, and Zacchaeus. And now they're about to leave Jericho to go up to Jerusalem. And you realize that Jesus wasn't only popular, he was wildly popular. But he also had growing numbers of people who absolutely hated him. He had enemies.

Because they understood that if this guy comes, He will expose us.

It wouldn't all happen in that next week. Jesus had a plan. He wanted time for not only His crucifixion and resurrection and ascension, but for the Spirit to be poured out, for sinners to hear and Repent and be forgiven. Remember verse 11, There were great messianic expectations among the people in general, and even among Jesus' own disciples. Jesus was teaching them that at the right time He would return.

He would go to get His kingdom and return to rule. But Jesus wouldn't just be going to Rome like Herod's son had done. He wouldn't get His authority from an earthly sovereign. He wouldn't return merely for some temporary reign over a small nation. No, Jesus would ascend to to the right hand of His heavenly Father.

He would receive His rule from His heavenly Father and return to reign forever over all. And then He would judge those who were His open enemies and those who were only His apparent friends, but in reality who ignored Him and His Lordship and the stewardships He had entrusted them with. Those who honored Him only with their lips, but by their inaction they honestly were disloyal to him. This third servant didn't really seem to believe the nobleman was coming back at all. Friends, God's judgment is coming, and it's real and it's right.

It's coming sometime. In the week these disciples were about to see, some would oppose Jesus actively and openly, but others would do it more passively and quietly, just ignoring his instructions. But both would ultimately be judged. Unresponsiveness to known truth is wickedness and will be judged.

Verse 25 seems to be a kind of cry for mercy. Did you notice that?

The speaker is concerned about the unequalness of the outcome of the king's judgment. They said to Him, 'Lord, He has ten minas.' Wasn't taking from the third man to give to the first who already had ten minas. The one mina that he had, wasn't that confused?

Well, why should he do that? Well, it depends on what the king is doing. If the king was trying to make sure that all the servants were supplied with minas, yeah, then that would be foolish. But maybe that's not what the king was doing. He was removing blessings and opportunities from those who talked a good game but who really were disloyal in their living.

And he was reapportioning those gifts and opportunities to those who really did good with them. And that makes entire sense. Friends, you and I don't want to be dead ends for God's blessings. We want to be highways where God knows if He entrusts this to you, whether it's a lot of money or a lot of trials, you will know how to turn to the Lord and use these things to reflect His character, His goodness to others around you. You will use the occasions in your life to bring clarity about who God is and what he's like.

And friend, that's really all you need to do. You don't need to dress God up and make him look better than he is. If you're just clear about who God really is, that praises the Lord. Because he is good, he is gloriously good. All you need to do with the opportunities entrusted to you whether they appear in this passing world good or bad, is take them in and entrust them to Him in a way that's consistent with His commands, with His teaching.

Then you'll show what He's really like. You'll show His goodness, His completeness, His competency. Brothers and sisters, let's resolve to pray for each other here in this church that we're able to be good stewards of all that God has committed into our of our hands. You know, one thing I noticed recently in that last series through Hebrews that I had never really noticed before in that much quoted verse in Hebrews 10 verse 24, it's when we're exhorted there in Hebrews 10:24, Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. And then the famous bit, Not neglecting to meet together is in the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

I confess, I had mainly stared at verse 25. But look at verse 24 as an important part of what we're to do as a member of this assembly. Let us consider. That means spend time meditating on, trying to work it out in our minds. How?

Pragmatic, practical. How to stir up one another to love and good works. So I'm not only to be concerned about my own being loving and my own works being good.

But I'm to consider yours. I'm to give time and attention, think to how can I edify you, build you up, provoke you to do what is good and right and helpful and honoring to the Lord. Oh, I won't do that perfectly, but I shouldn't not do that at all. That should be actually typical of part of being a good steward. Friends, we need to consider what it means to be a good steward at work.

Are you faithful with the responsibilities that your boss commits to you? That your employees depend on you for? Even more, are you living faithfully as a follower of Jesus Christ, displaying the fruit of His Spirit as you interact with others through days good or bad? Brothers and sisters, we are stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. Don't be discouraged.

That you're not given some of the stewardship somebody else around you has given. You're given just the right stewardships. All of us as human beings are very limited vessels. The Lord entrusts us with a few things that we're to try to steward as best we can, relying on Him. We each have our own stewardships that we've been entrusted.

You probably have some that you haven't even noticed. God has committed them into your hands specifically. I love the way in Philippians chapter 1 and verse 29, Paul could speak of the sufferings of the Philippian Christians as a gift of God to them, for them to be able to suffer for His sake. Consider the witness you can give to Christ's lordship, the loyalty to Christ you can show to others today even as you experience difficulty. In his word.

Some of you have heard me share my testimony before. A prominent part of that testimony when I moved from being an agnostic to becoming a Christian was looking at evidences for the resurrection. The Christian church, its existence to me pushed me to think that something must have happened after Jesus was crucified. But friends there was something else going on in my life at the same time. I was watching a young woman named Laurie.

Who professed to be a Christian, struggled with some terrible ailment in her back where she had a full body cast on. And I would see her in school and in church at meetings where she would be standing for hours, no doubt often in great pain. But I also saw how she dealt with that trial and that tribulation. And I think every bit as much as the Lord was using those arguments in my mind, He was using Laurie's inexplicable joy in my heart to get at me about some way to experience life that I did not understand, that she clearly did. Brothers and sisters, that's part of what he entrusts to us, for the people watching around us.

I wonder if there's any aspect of your life that you've thought Jesus doesn't care about. At your work, you work ultimately for the King, not finally for your human boss. Kids, you know, even you have responsibilities. You're at home, you have many things taken care of for you by your parents right now, but what growing up means is having increasing responsibilities. That's why your work at school gets more complicated and harder.

That's why you're increasingly giving more freedom outside of home. And as a Christian, what that means is you're supposed to figure out with each one of those new levels of responsibility, how you can do that in a way that honors the Lord. Really, that's a lot of what growing up is. It's figuring out how to take these new opportunities, these new freedoms, these new abilities. Oh, a driver's license.

How can I use this? Even as part of my being a loyal subject of King Jesus. If you can think of parts of your life that you're not sure what to do with, talk to a good Christian friend about it. Or talk to your parents. I'm sure they'd love to help you think more about that.

The description of the enemies there in verse 27 is clear, isn't it? Who do not want me to reign over them.

That's a summary of the non-Christian's attitude. Toward Jesus. Do not want me to reign over them. Friend, if you're here and you're not a Christian, I would just appeal to you. Jesus is a good king and you are living in la-la land if you think there's no king in your life.

You have controlling interests and I would just want to challenge you and tell you that they are wretched. Compared to Jesus Christ. Try to see what those controlling interests are. Compare them to Christ. Study Christ.

Let's resolve to live loyal lives as if Christ is returning, as if this is His approval that we most value, as if loyalty to Him is our chief concern. Brothers and sisters, who's challenging that loyalty in your own life today. Identify that. Pray about that. Confess that.

Church members, again, we've covenanted with each other to help us really follow Jesus. Consider that. You will be judged unerringly. We as a local church, we can only judge so much. We don't get all that right.

God, He'll know everything. He will be unerring in His judgments. We want to use His Spirit's work in us to help each other really be loyal to Him with all of our being because this King wants entire loyalty. So what does it mean to be entirely loyal to Jesus Christ? Well, in this life, the loyalty of saved sinners doesn't look like never sinning.

You won't find anybody here who meets that qualification. Don't misunderstand this challenging parable in that way. It's a scary parable to preach in some sense, because it could leave any person sitting here who sinned this week thinking, Ah, that exposes me as somebody who will really be condemned. That's not what Jesus is saying in this parable. No, there will be varieties in our obediences as we compare ourselves with each other.

And even in our own life from season to season and from hour to hour. We will all face temptations. The question is what we regularly do with these temptations. In the lives of true Christians, there is a real, abiding, strong current, if you will, pulling us, leading us more and more to honor and obey the Lord Jesus Christ in everything. That is the current of our lives.

Perfection is not yet. The fullness of the Kingdom is not here until Christ returns and we're in our glorified bodies. True loyalty is more shown by what you regularly do not just in public but also in private where only the Lord sees. Your spouse, your country, your job, your friends, your church all have different levels of purchase, of ownership, of rights to certain expectations of you. Friends, but when it comes to God, His expectations to rule and reign in our lives are complete.

They are total. They know no limits. If there's an area that you think is bounded and set apart from this, talk about it over lunch. Try to find it, you're about to have lunch. Talk to your friends about it, try to think, what area is sort of fenced off?

And does God really not care? I mean, this is entirely neutral. What would that be? See if you can agree on that. Because I think according to what we're seeing here, we see that he has made us.

If we're Christians, he's redeemed us, he's purchased us as his very own. If we're really his, his spirit is even now leading us into more and more conformity to his will. Maybe even through the preaching of this very parable.

Right now.

Jesus calls us to be entirely devoted to Him. Even should it come to it above other good loyalties, none of them should exceed our loyalty to Him. He alone is the King. He'll tolerate no rivals to that ultimate status in your life or mine. And He is returning and He will have an accounting that we're to give.

He wants to expose your true life to reveal your true loyalty, because that will bring him praise. That will bring him glory and honor that he deserves.

That's what he will do, period. Are you ready for that?

Let's pray.

Lord God, we pray that if we are like the enemies in this parable that you would convert us.

Lord, if we are like this third man who calls himself a servant, we pray that you would expose us to ourselves especially, and that we would be able to turn and truly trust in Christ. Lord, use all of our lives to your honor and glory. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.