Expecting His Return

Millions live today "without hope and without God in the world" as the Bible puts it in Ephesians 2.12. In the Times last week a woman journalist was writing about the secular funeral of her husband's best friend. He was a non-believer and had chosen secular music for his own funeral. She wrote:

"From the first doleful bar of Hey Jude in that sunlit chapel we felt his presence and our loss with a terrible, burning clarity ... Then the unbearable poignancy of Mama Kass's Dream a Little Dream of Me chosen for his young daughters ... Without faith, all we have is now each other and the songs we grew up with, which embody our lives' meaning, our love affairs and losses."

According to another Times' report last week 46 percent of Britain's top people say, I quote, "nothing at all survives death except a person's descendants, writing and other people's memories." That is one reason why this Gateshead Project is so significant. It is a way of sharing the gospel with people who are without hope be cause they are without God.

Today is Advent Sunday. Traditionally Christians like to remind themselves at this time of the hope of Christ's Second Coming at the end of history. So this morning we are to focus on a Parable of Jesus that teaches about his Second Coming in Luke 19.11-27. By way of introduction let me put this parable in context. Jesus is in Jericho not far from Jerusalem. He was speaking just after Zacchaeus - a wealthy but fraudulent, chief tax collector - had become a believer. And Zacchaeus had proved his faith in Christ by his giving (verse 8 of chapter 19) half his possessions to the poor. Jesus then said, Luke 19 verse 9: "Salvation has come to this house." And in verse 11 we read:

While they were listening to this, he 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.

You see, many people thought that this salvation meant Jesus was about to bring in a political style revolution. This would rid them of the Romans and set up immediately the promised kingdom of God. But Jesus said "No!" By this parable he taught that there is going to a period of time before the kingdom of God is revealed in all its glory. It is not all going to happen immediately. And in this period believers in Christ need to be active and working for him. So let's now look at this parable in detail and, you see I want to have as my headings: first, THE FACT OF CHRIST'S RETURN; secondly, THE CHALLENGE OF CHRIST'S RETURN; and, thirdly, THE HOPE OF CHRIST'S RETURN.


First, THE FACT OF CHRIST'S RETURN

Look at verses 12-13 - Jesus said:

A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.

Jesus may have been alluding to an actual historical event. The Jewish historian Josephus tells us that when Herod the Great died in 4 BC, his son Archelaus went to Rome to ask the Emperor Augustus to appoint him King of Judea. But a deputation of fifty Jews also went to Rome to oppose the appointment. And Archelaus had a splendid palace in Jericho. So Jesus' listeners knew all about Archelaus. Be that as it may, the gist of the parable is pretty clear. And, of course, Archelaus was an evil tyrant and so nothing like Jesus who clearly is the "man of noble birth". And the going to "a distant country" represents Jesus going back to his Father and his former glory after his life, death, resurrection and ascension. However, like the nobleman, he will come back. That is definite. "When?" is left open and so indefinite. It could be after a short time or a long time.

What, then, does giving a mina to each of his servants represent? It must represent what each follower of Christ has been given and received in common. So here, as in other respects, it is unlike a similar parable in Matthew's Gospel - The Parable of the Talents. There the talents given to the servants represent different gift's that each person has. Here each has the same. This must be the good news and privileges of Christ's kingdom. We are talking about the gospel or the content of the Great Commission of Jesus. So this is saying every follower of Christ is to help spread the good news by word or deed and seek the growth of Christ's church "until he comes back" - until the Second Coming. And there will be opposition in this period. Look at verse 14:

But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'"

There have been, there are and there will be those who reject Christ. But their rejection will not change the fact of his kingship and return. Look at verse 15a:

He was made king, however, and returned home."

So that is the fact of Christ's return.


Secondly, THE CHALLENGE OF CHRIST'S RETURN

And this, spiritually speaking, is where the rubber hits the road. For this parable is a challenge as to how you and I are living and spending our energies in this "between-the-advents" period - the period between the first and second comings of Jesus. Look at verse 15b and following:

Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.' Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 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.' 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? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.

This is now a period for mission. Jesus says elsewhere that his return will be the end of this mission period that began at Pentecost. He says in Matthew 24.14: "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." So now is the time when we are to share the gospel with others. It is a time of opportunity for mission and we are to take any opportunities when they come.

You see, the instruction of the nobleman to his servants in verse 13 was that they should "put his money to work". The word means to "trade" or "do business". And the faithful servants obeyed. The unfaithful servant did nothing - he didn't trade. He wasn't concerned to see the growth of his money. He just wanted to keep it safe and be sure there was no loss. Translate that in terms of the gospel and evangelism. Take our own Trust Deed here at Jesmond Parish Church and those words that feature in the modern Jesmond Trust. They say we are to work for "the maintenance and promulgation of sound Scriptural and evangelical truth." This servant represents those who are only concerned to maintain the gospel against those who want to dilute it and distort it. Yes, that is very necessary. But it is, of course, to be maintained so that it can be promulgated. Jesus Christ is concerned with more than guarding the gospel against false teachers. Oh! that is very necessary because there are false teachers. But the gospel is to be guarded so that it can be shared, and lived, among those who are lost and spiritually helpless. Look at verse 10 of chapter 19: "the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." And while he is away in this period between the two advents, he wants his servants to be sharing in that work of seeking and helping to save the lost. Jesus Christ is concerned with more than orthodoxy. He also wants growth, with the gospel changing lives and groups and societies.

Can I say that it is an amazing coincidence - or rather providence - that I have to be preaching on this passage this Sunday at the beginning of the Gateshead Project gift week. Ian Garrett chose the passages for the Sunday mornings of this session. And he chose this passage because it is Advent Sunday. It wasn't chosen for this gift week. But it is so relevant. It is always relevant. But it is especially so in the light of this opportunity of helping the Cedar's Community Church fulfil their vision of seeing a church planted in St James' Village. This is an opportunity, in Jesus' terminology, of spiritual "trading" and seeing the growth of Christ's kingdom and church. Well, what is involved in "trading" the gospel? The idea of "trading" in the parable suggests four things.

First, there is the freedom to use your own initiative. These servants didn't have to phone in every morning to report on what they planned to do that day. So you have freedom now without always needing some "direct word from the Lord" before you act. With regard to this Gateshead project, we were asked if we could help the Cedar's Community church. So if we can raise the money, it is surely an opportunity we should take for the gospel. Yes, in trading you have to take risks, but you act as wisely as you can. And Christians do that in the light of God's word, the Bible. Stockbrokers these days give you a warning: "the value of your investment can go down as well as up!" There are risks in working for the growth of Christ's church. But work we must.

Secondly, this "trading" is among Christ's enemies. There will always be opposition. That is why the trader needs to be as wise as serpents but as harmless as doves.

Thirdly, in "trading" it is wise to be aware of trends and what are good buys. In terms of getting the gospel out, it is a fact that God seems to be blessing new churches. They grow more quickly than established churches - certainly than dead churches people try to revive. A friend of mine says, "it is always easier to give birth than to raise the dead."

Fourthly, in "trading" you must not be influenced by types like the third servant who would always vote for doing nothing. He votes that because doing something might be wrong, even though the evidence can point to that "something" being right.

So - there is the challenge of using your initiative; of opportunities that come your way; of seeing how God is working elsewhere; and to resist the temptation to do nothing when something should be done. But then there is another challenge. In this period there are going to be three sorts of people. And everyone falls into one of these three categories. The challenge is to know which category you are in and then take any necessary action. This is hugely serious. It is matter that will affect your eternity.

First, there are those who are still rejecting Christ and living for themselves - these are represented in the parable be those who hate the nobleman and do not want him to be king. And today they know they are rejecting Christ.

Secondly, there are those who profess faith in Christ and are like the servants who faithfully "traded" for their master.

But, thirdly, there are those who profess faith in Christ but, like the servant who did nothing, they are not concerned for the extension of Christ's kingdom and the growth of his church and the living out of the gospel in the world. Oh! yes, they fear God; but that fear and concern not to do the wrong thing so paralyzes them that they do the wrong thing by doing nothing. The great evangelist D.L.Moody was often criticized for some of his theology and some of his methods of evangelism. No doubt he wasn't 100 percent right in all he did. But God honoured Moody. And Moody used to reply to his critics: "I prefer my way of doing things to your way of not doing them."

So which category are you in? You have to be in one of those three. And why the challenge to work that out is important is because the second coming of Christ is the time for judgement and judgement for everybody - Christians included. As we said this morning in the creed:

He [Jesus] will come again to judge the living and the dead.

But you say, "how does judgement produce hope?" Well, that brings me to final and third heading ...


Thirdly, THE HOPE OF CHRIST'S RETURN

It is true - it is not a time of hope for those who oppose Christ and do not submit to his Lordship and no know nothing of the forgiveness of sins or the new life the Holy Spirit gives. Time doesn't allow me to go into the subject of hell - but Jesus represents hell in this parable in verse 27:

those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them - bring them here and kill them in front of me.

What ever else hell is, it is a dreadful state. And if people continue to refuse to reject Christ, at the judgement day he will respect that choice. But Jesus taught about hell because he loved people and did not want them to go there. Rather he wanted them to repent and accept him as Saviour and Lord and live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Who needs to do that this morning? Do you need to accept that Christ died for your sins on the Cross and rose again to give you new life? You can do that, even as I am speaking. Then you can have great hope when he returns. Listen to these words of Jesus in John's Gospel (5.24):

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

When you begin that new life you are secure for all eternity. When you die or when Christ returns you need not fear any condemnation - for there is none in Christ. However - and this seems to be the point of the parable - there will be an evaluation of your and every Christian's life. "We must all appear," writes Paul in 2 Corinthians 5.10, "before the judgement seat of Christ." He writes about this on several occasions. For example, in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 he says that the Day of judgment will test our work to see if it is made of durable material or of "wood, hay or straw" that can be burnt up by fire. And he there says in verse 15 of 1 Corinthians 3:

If it is burned up, he [the Christian] will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

There is no loss of salvation, but the loss of commendation - that "well done, my good servant" of the parable. But - and this is a big but - you need to read on in 1 Corinthians. For Paul says then in chapter 4 verse 5:

judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

You see, Jesus Christ will be fair in his evaluation. He knows all the pressures you are under as a Christian, and your particular temptations and how you are struggling to please him and witness for him and "trade for him" in the sorts of ways you are able. And he will forgive where you confess you fail. Paul says there in 1 Corinthians 4 verse 5 that each true believer "will receive his praise from God." That is the clear assumption. Each will receive praise! That is a great hope. And the parable teaches that the praise is out of all proportion to the work you have put in. A mina, in today's money, is worth about £7500. But the reward for faithfulness and good trading was with the first servant taking "charge of ten cities" and the second one taking charge of five. Think in today's money of the value of a city like Newcastle. We are talking of billions of pounds. The point is obvious. The reward is out of all proportion.

I must conclude. In John's first letter he says this, in chapter 3 verses 2 - 3:

We know that when he [Jesus] appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as his. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

It was Lord Shaftesbury, the great humanitarian reformer in the 19th century who said that he consciously thought of the hope of the Lord's return everyday. This was a stimulus to all his political work. Don't think that trading is just helping to plant churches - though that is an essential. Trading for Christ includes living and witnessing for him in your daily work or your daily life in the university or wherever. Live, then, in the light of eternity. Plan as though it will be a long time before the Lord returns. But live as though each day may be your last, either through death or the return of Jesus Christ. And you do that

•by not neglecting the fact of Christ's return; •by remembering the challenge of his return; and •by being encouraged by the hope of his return.