5
Keep Serving Faithfully
Question 1:
When have you seen a “never quit” attitude on display?
THE POINT
Serve Christ faithfully as you wait for His return.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
The clock said 13:19 in the third quarter, and the Houston Oilers were so far ahead of the Buffalo Bills (35-3) that the fans began streaming out of the stadium. It was January 3, 1993, in Buffalo, New York, so why stick around and watch your team get trounced, especially when the weather was chilly and rainy?
But the game was not over. Had those crushed Bills fans stuck it out, they would’ve seen something quite amazing. In less than seven minutes, the Bills had scored 27 points, coming within four points of the Oilers. But the game was still not over. A tie put them in overtime, and the Buffalo Bills ended the game winning 41-38.1
As Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” On that cold day in January, a lot of Bills fans had given up on their team, but had they remained faithful and stuck it out, they would’ve seen one of the greatest comebacks in football.
For followers of Christ, “It ain’t over till it’s over” applies to the return of Christ. We are called to serve Him—and continue serving Him—until He calls us home.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Matthew 24:42-44
42 “Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. 44 This is why you are also to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Verse 42 is the central turning point in Jesus’ Olivet Discourse. The message is clear: people living prior to Christ’s return must be ready for His coming. “Be alert” is a present imperative in the Greek, which means we are commanded to be continually alert. It’s a call for continual expectancy.
The reason we are to be alert is because, “you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.” Christ essentially repeats the truth of the uncertain timing of the Lord’s coming we read earlier in verse 36. Jesus also said He will return, “at an hour you do not expect.” This is a way of saying that not only will Christ return at a time that is concealed from us, but it will also be at a time that seems least likely. It’s like the adage, “When you least expect it, expect it.”
Question 2:
What are the dangers of not being alert to Christ’s return?
To get this picture right, we must remember that the alert position of the Christian is not the watching of terror-stricken fear and nervous apprehension. It’s the alert watching of joyous expectation for the coming of the One we love and serve. The phrase your Lord is significant. It draws attention to the fact that we don’t belong to ourselves. Rather, it’s our Master and Creator who will return. When we follow Jesus, we acknowledge that He is Lord (Rom. 10:9). We are His. He is in charge.
Jesus compared His return to a thief in the night. A thief doesn’t send a letter saying when he is stopping by to rob a house. His principal weapon is surprise. Therefore, a homeowner who has valuables in his house must maintain a constant vigil. Jesus was referring to that “surprise” element when He compared His return to a thief’s arrival. Just like the burglar, Jesus will not advertise the time of His arrival. Of course, that would be the extent of Christ’s similarity to a thief.
All of us must practice vigilance in our spiritual lives. If we are taken by surprise, it’s not because God hasn’t warned us; it’s because of our own negligence. Believers have less excuse for carelessness than “the homeowner” Jesus described, who hadn’t been forewarned. We know Christ is coming; we just don’t know when.
“The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Jesus often used the phrase the Son of Man to refer to Himself; the self-designation identified Him as God’s Messiah. When Jesus used this title, He was assigning a prophecy from Daniel 7:13-14 to Himself.
Daniel saw “the son of man” as one who is divine. Daniel also prophesied that the son of man would come suddenly to earth. We see this is Jesus, who was now referring to His return in a sudden, unexpected moment.
Matthew 24:45-47
45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”
Being alert and ready for the return of Christ calls for faithfulness. Christ used the familiar household imagery of a master and servant to capture the disciples’ attention on the importance of remaining faithful to what God has called us to do. A good servant is one who remains faithful, and as Christ followers, we are His servants. When we acknowledge Jesus as Lord, we recognize that we belong to Him. We are His servants; therefore, we are obligated to serve Him in every way.
The picture of the wise and faithful servant illustrates the principle that we always should be ready for His return. That readiness includes our faithfulness to be found doing what we are called to do at the time of Christ’s return. The believer’s life, breath, energy, and gifts are things entrusted to us by God to be used in His service.
The servant in this parable is no ordinary one. Often a well-to-do household had a servant who was a manager. Part of what God
Engage
JUST DESSERTS
When certain people experience results corresponding to their deeds, we say they received their “just desserts.” Draw a line from items in the first column to results in the second column that might be “just desserts.”
Actions in LifeResults
Faithful to ChristPunishment
Unjust dealings with othersLoss
Proper stewardshipRecognition — “Well done”
Selfish indulgenceBlessingsBlessings
Describe why it is important to maintain faithfulness while anticipating Christ’s return:
“Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”
REVELATION 2:10B
entrusts to us is the “stewardship” of others’ lives and the responsibility to selflessly love others. Christ called us to be faithful with whatever He has entrusted to us. A wise servant of Christ always sees obedience as his primary duty.
The master is certain to return at some point. A wise servant maintains the character of readiness and faithfulness to his tasks. As a result, the master will entrust His faithful servant with all His possessions because the servant was faithful with some of His possessions. A little later in this discourse, Jesus would deliver the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30). Whether we think we’ve been given much or little, we are to use what He has given us for the sake of His kingdom.
Question 3:
Whom would you describe as a faithful and wise servant?
Matthew 24:48-51
48 “But if that wicked servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The faithful servant is now contrasted to the wicked servant. While the faithful servant aimed to be ready for the master’s return, the wicked servant took his chances, assuming the master would come later. A wicked servant would think, “My master is delayed.” Such thinking emboldened the servant to act selfishly toward others. Such a person “starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards” (v. 49). Since he thinks his master will be gone for a while, he feels free to indulge himself in any way he desires.
Question 4:
What does it look like to live for self instead of for Christ?
Surely such an evil servant would plan to clean up his life at the last minute before his master returns. But this risky move is dangerous and could easily result in the servant being trapped. This will be the sad case for far too many at the return of Christ. The evil servant is a servant in name only. He ignores his master’s instructions and assumes the rights of authority for himself. We are all called to obey and serve God, but the wicked servant likely is a picture of an unbeliever who refuses to take seriously the call to follow, obey, and serve. Though such people are unbelievers, they are nonetheless accountable to Christ for the stewardship of time, gifts, and opportunities God has given.
The fact that the wicked servant is not a true believer is underscored by Christ assigning this servant to judgment and hell in verse 51. While the word hell is not used in this verse, the concept is present. The images picture severe judgment. Matthew also described this judgment as “a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Hell is an uncomfortable subject, but we cannot deny its place in God’s Word. We must acknowledge that judgment, condemnation, and punishment await those outside of a relationship with Christ. With that acknowledgment, though, should come a desire and motivation to point people to Christ. As His servants, one of our tasks is to proclaim the gospel and point unsaved people to the hope, grace, and salvation found only in Christ. Let’s do that while we can because none of us knows exactly when Christ will return. Once He returns, our opportunity to share Christ will be gone—and so will their opportunity to accept Him.
Question 5:
How can our group help one another prepare for Christ’s return?
LIVE IT OUT
We are to serve Christ faithfully as we wait for His return. Choose one of the following applications:
Pray. Commit to pray specifically and regularly for a ministry in your church or your city that shares the gospel and serves people in the name of Christ. Pray for the Lord to open doors and hearts to bring people for Christ (Col. 4:3).
Read. In addition to your time in God’s Word, read a great Christian book on ministry or missions. The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman or Radical by David Platt are good suggestions. Books like this can expand your thinking and give you greater vision for impacting the world for Christ.
Share. Identify one person that you would like prayerfully to befriend and share the gospel with this month. Pray yourself what Paul prayed in prison: “Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19).
We don’t have a clock to look at or quarters to divide history or our lives by. So we must remain vigilant every day until Christ returns to take us home. Let’s be faithful.
1 Vic Carucci, “Un-Bill-Ievable!” Pro Football Hall of Fame, January 1, 2005, https://www.profootballhof.com/news/bills-greatest-comeback/. [LifeWay Adults (2020). (p. 113). Bible Studies for Life: Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. LifeWay Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
Keep Serving Faithfully
Question 1:
When have you seen a “never quit” attitude on display?
THE POINT
Serve Christ faithfully as you wait for His return.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
The clock said 13:19 in the third quarter, and the Houston Oilers were so far ahead of the Buffalo Bills (35-3) that the fans began streaming out of the stadium. It was January 3, 1993, in Buffalo, New York, so why stick around and watch your team get trounced, especially when the weather was chilly and rainy?
But the game was not over. Had those crushed Bills fans stuck it out, they would’ve seen something quite amazing. In less than seven minutes, the Bills had scored 27 points, coming within four points of the Oilers. But the game was still not over. A tie put them in overtime, and the Buffalo Bills ended the game winning 41-38.1
As Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” On that cold day in January, a lot of Bills fans had given up on their team, but had they remained faithful and stuck it out, they would’ve seen one of the greatest comebacks in football.
For followers of Christ, “It ain’t over till it’s over” applies to the return of Christ. We are called to serve Him—and continue serving Him—until He calls us home.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Matthew 24:42-44
42 “Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. 44 This is why you are also to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Verse 42 is the central turning point in Jesus’ Olivet Discourse. The message is clear: people living prior to Christ’s return must be ready for His coming. “Be alert” is a present imperative in the Greek, which means we are commanded to be continually alert. It’s a call for continual expectancy.
The reason we are to be alert is because, “you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.” Christ essentially repeats the truth of the uncertain timing of the Lord’s coming we read earlier in verse 36. Jesus also said He will return, “at an hour you do not expect.” This is a way of saying that not only will Christ return at a time that is concealed from us, but it will also be at a time that seems least likely. It’s like the adage, “When you least expect it, expect it.”
Question 2:
What are the dangers of not being alert to Christ’s return?
To get this picture right, we must remember that the alert position of the Christian is not the watching of terror-stricken fear and nervous apprehension. It’s the alert watching of joyous expectation for the coming of the One we love and serve. The phrase your Lord is significant. It draws attention to the fact that we don’t belong to ourselves. Rather, it’s our Master and Creator who will return. When we follow Jesus, we acknowledge that He is Lord (Rom. 10:9). We are His. He is in charge.
Jesus compared His return to a thief in the night. A thief doesn’t send a letter saying when he is stopping by to rob a house. His principal weapon is surprise. Therefore, a homeowner who has valuables in his house must maintain a constant vigil. Jesus was referring to that “surprise” element when He compared His return to a thief’s arrival. Just like the burglar, Jesus will not advertise the time of His arrival. Of course, that would be the extent of Christ’s similarity to a thief.
All of us must practice vigilance in our spiritual lives. If we are taken by surprise, it’s not because God hasn’t warned us; it’s because of our own negligence. Believers have less excuse for carelessness than “the homeowner” Jesus described, who hadn’t been forewarned. We know Christ is coming; we just don’t know when.
“The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Jesus often used the phrase the Son of Man to refer to Himself; the self-designation identified Him as God’s Messiah. When Jesus used this title, He was assigning a prophecy from Daniel 7:13-14 to Himself.
Daniel saw “the son of man” as one who is divine. Daniel also prophesied that the son of man would come suddenly to earth. We see this is Jesus, who was now referring to His return in a sudden, unexpected moment.
Matthew 24:45-47
45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”
Being alert and ready for the return of Christ calls for faithfulness. Christ used the familiar household imagery of a master and servant to capture the disciples’ attention on the importance of remaining faithful to what God has called us to do. A good servant is one who remains faithful, and as Christ followers, we are His servants. When we acknowledge Jesus as Lord, we recognize that we belong to Him. We are His servants; therefore, we are obligated to serve Him in every way.
The picture of the wise and faithful servant illustrates the principle that we always should be ready for His return. That readiness includes our faithfulness to be found doing what we are called to do at the time of Christ’s return. The believer’s life, breath, energy, and gifts are things entrusted to us by God to be used in His service.
The servant in this parable is no ordinary one. Often a well-to-do household had a servant who was a manager. Part of what God
Engage
JUST DESSERTS
When certain people experience results corresponding to their deeds, we say they received their “just desserts.” Draw a line from items in the first column to results in the second column that might be “just desserts.”
Actions in LifeResults
Faithful to ChristPunishment
Unjust dealings with othersLoss
Proper stewardshipRecognition — “Well done”
Selfish indulgenceBlessingsBlessings
Describe why it is important to maintain faithfulness while anticipating Christ’s return:
“Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”
REVELATION 2:10B
entrusts to us is the “stewardship” of others’ lives and the responsibility to selflessly love others. Christ called us to be faithful with whatever He has entrusted to us. A wise servant of Christ always sees obedience as his primary duty.
The master is certain to return at some point. A wise servant maintains the character of readiness and faithfulness to his tasks. As a result, the master will entrust His faithful servant with all His possessions because the servant was faithful with some of His possessions. A little later in this discourse, Jesus would deliver the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30). Whether we think we’ve been given much or little, we are to use what He has given us for the sake of His kingdom.
Question 3:
Whom would you describe as a faithful and wise servant?
Matthew 24:48-51
48 “But if that wicked servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The faithful servant is now contrasted to the wicked servant. While the faithful servant aimed to be ready for the master’s return, the wicked servant took his chances, assuming the master would come later. A wicked servant would think, “My master is delayed.” Such thinking emboldened the servant to act selfishly toward others. Such a person “starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards” (v. 49). Since he thinks his master will be gone for a while, he feels free to indulge himself in any way he desires.
Question 4:
What does it look like to live for self instead of for Christ?
Surely such an evil servant would plan to clean up his life at the last minute before his master returns. But this risky move is dangerous and could easily result in the servant being trapped. This will be the sad case for far too many at the return of Christ. The evil servant is a servant in name only. He ignores his master’s instructions and assumes the rights of authority for himself. We are all called to obey and serve God, but the wicked servant likely is a picture of an unbeliever who refuses to take seriously the call to follow, obey, and serve. Though such people are unbelievers, they are nonetheless accountable to Christ for the stewardship of time, gifts, and opportunities God has given.
The fact that the wicked servant is not a true believer is underscored by Christ assigning this servant to judgment and hell in verse 51. While the word hell is not used in this verse, the concept is present. The images picture severe judgment. Matthew also described this judgment as “a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Hell is an uncomfortable subject, but we cannot deny its place in God’s Word. We must acknowledge that judgment, condemnation, and punishment await those outside of a relationship with Christ. With that acknowledgment, though, should come a desire and motivation to point people to Christ. As His servants, one of our tasks is to proclaim the gospel and point unsaved people to the hope, grace, and salvation found only in Christ. Let’s do that while we can because none of us knows exactly when Christ will return. Once He returns, our opportunity to share Christ will be gone—and so will their opportunity to accept Him.
Question 5:
How can our group help one another prepare for Christ’s return?
LIVE IT OUT
We are to serve Christ faithfully as we wait for His return. Choose one of the following applications:
Pray. Commit to pray specifically and regularly for a ministry in your church or your city that shares the gospel and serves people in the name of Christ. Pray for the Lord to open doors and hearts to bring people for Christ (Col. 4:3).
Read. In addition to your time in God’s Word, read a great Christian book on ministry or missions. The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman or Radical by David Platt are good suggestions. Books like this can expand your thinking and give you greater vision for impacting the world for Christ.
Share. Identify one person that you would like prayerfully to befriend and share the gospel with this month. Pray yourself what Paul prayed in prison: “Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19).
We don’t have a clock to look at or quarters to divide history or our lives by. So we must remain vigilant every day until Christ returns to take us home. Let’s be faithful.
1 Vic Carucci, “Un-Bill-Ievable!” Pro Football Hall of Fame, January 1, 2005, https://www.profootballhof.com/news/bills-greatest-comeback/. [LifeWay Adults (2020). (p. 113). Bible Studies for Life: Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. LifeWay Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]