Title: The Loyal and Wise Servant
Contents
November 29, 2009 Sermon
Text: Matthew 24:32-45 (Matthew)
32. Learn the parable of the fig tree; when its branches become tender and put forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
33. In the same way, when you see all these things, know that the Son of Man is near, even at the door.
34. Truly I tell you, all these things will be accomplished before this generation passes by.
35. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
36. But that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
37. As it was in the days of Noah, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38. People were eating and drinking, marrying and getting married until the day Noah entered the ark before the flood.
39. They did not understand until the flood came and destroyed them all; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40. Then there will be two men in the field, one will be taken and the other left.
41. Two women will be grinding their rods, one will be taken and the other left.
42. Stay awake, therefore, to see on what day your Lord will come.
43. For you do not know, for you know that if the owner of the house had known at what point the thief was coming, he would have been awake and would not have broken through the house.
44. Be ready, therefore, for the Son of Man comes at an hour you do not expect.
45. Who will be the faithful and wise servant, who will give his master over the people of his household, and distribute food in due season?
Title: The Loyal and Wise Servant
1. What is Protestant?
‘The faithful and wise servant or steward’ is not a word that someone invented for blind obedience, but a word that the Bible strongly illuminates. I would like to study Luther's Reformation and the Bible. ‘Protestant’ is a collective term for Presbyterianism, Methodism, Holiness Church, Baptist Church, Protestantism such as Pentecostalism, Lutheranism, and the Salvation Army. The Reformation started with the doctrine of purgatory and the issuance of indulgences that were not even in the Bible for the construction of ‘St. Peter’s Cathedral’. It was then a resistance to the position of the papal authority and the tradition of the Church above or on par with the Bible.
The early church suffered persecution and persecution by the Roman Empire, but as Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire under Constantine the Great and became stable, the power of the Holy See grew enormous. At that time, the church only had the Latin Bible, so even if the general members had access to the Bible, they could not read it. Thus, the Bible was reserved only for the clergy, and reading it was illegal and put to death. Therefore, the lay faithful received God's will as the priests delivered them. Therefore, the priests who had the right beliefs died countless times while resisting, and they could not even resist due to the terrible restraint of the Holy See. At the same time, Luther, who was well versed in the Bible, resisted the Reformation, crying out for the Reformation, that is, ‘Let’s go back to the Bible’. After that, anyone could come before God and receive the light of the Word, and they were saved and found peace, not through works or money, but only through the Word and faith alone. (Romans 1:17)
The famous Michelangelo ceiling painting of St. Peter's Cathedral was painted over 4 years. At that time, the Chapel of St. Peter in Rome was the church where the election to become the pope was held, and when the bishops gathered to elect the next pope, they could not leave the church until the pope was elected by unanimous consent. Therefore, Michelangelo was ordered to paint the face of God, but in anger at this corrupt papal court, he drew the wrath of the Pope by painting Michelangelo's own face instead of the face of God, expressing God's wrath. He is said to have painted God's wrath without bending his will while being beaten by the Pope countless times. This is the foundation of faith. As Christianity became stable and peaceful, medieval Christianity in the 16th century did not hesitate to degenerate. If you are a Christian, you should be more alert when you are in peace, and you should be zealous and tense. (Proverbs 6:10-11)
2. Actions to be taken by the saints in the last days
David prayed even when he was going through so many tribulations to escape Saul, but he prayed even more when he became king and lived in Jerusalem in peace. At that time, seeing the ark of God in the tent of meeting, I was moved to live in peace in my own royal palace. So I asked if it was God's will to build God's temple to house the ark. God was pleased with David's heart, and after that, he was recognized by God as 'My servant David.'
The Lord knew that the time had come when he would have to leave the body and meet with his disciples only spiritually, and he felt sorry for them and taught them to be very careful. First, 'Be careful not to be deceived, for in the last days I will raise up false Christs through the works Satan deceives the saints, and make them pretend to be Christians that I am the savior' (Revelation 13:13-14). and deceives those who dwell on the earth by performing the miracles they received before the beast (the devil). Their characteristic is that they choose a secret place to gather and teach. The second sign is that the original order of creation established by God will be destroyed. At the beginning of creation, he made all natural systems operate harmoniously according to certain laws, but he said that in the last days, the laws of nature and the laws of human conscience will be destroyed. He said that the third sign is the sign of the last days that the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus Christ began to preach and preach will be witnessed to all nations.
In the midst of this, the saints were given the task to keep their faith until the end as true Christians and to keep patience until they reach the Lord's rest. It goes without saying that if you look at the glory at the end of your life, persevere, and faithfully practice your faith and faith well, you will become the runner of the last glory. It is grace only when these words are believed through the Holy Spirit.