SESSION 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 PASSAGE
Matthew 24:42-51
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.
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.
KEY WORDS: Son of Man (v. 44)—Jesus’ favorite Old Testament title for Himself. The Jews understood that He was making an audacious claim of messianic authority and to Deity.
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 is 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: “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son—except the Father alone.” 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 is like the adage, “When you least expect it, expect it.”
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 is watching with eager and 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 do not belong to ourselves. Rather, it is our Master and Creator who will return. When we follow Jesus, we acknowledge that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9). We are His. He is in charge. He is our Boss 24/7.
Jesus compared His return with a thief in the night. A thief does not 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. A thief steals what is not his; Jesus will return to claim that which is His own.
Question 2:
How would you react if you knew a thief would try to burglarize your home today?
When I was a young boy, I came home from an evening church service with my family. As we walked into the house, I was the first to walk into the front living room. I quickly saw that something was not right when I saw glass on the floor. As I looked up and noticed that a window had been smashed, I called out to my mother, “Mom, I think we’ve been robbed.”
After glancing around the room, she quickly directed my sisters and me to get back into the car. Within minutes it became clear that while we were at church some burglars had visited our house, without an appointment. As a result, two things changed for my family. First, we moved shortly after that. Second, until we moved, we were much more cautious and alert about safety.
Just like my family’s brush with robbery, all of us must practice vigilance in our spiritual lives. If we are taken by surprise, it is not because God has not warned us; it is because of our own negligence. Believers have less excuse for carelessness than “the homeowner” Jesus described, who had not been forewarned that a thief was coming. 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.
“I continued watching in the night visions, and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13-14).
The prophet 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.
Question 3:
What does it look like to be ready for Jesus’ return?
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. Faithfulness is a vital concept throughout Scripture.
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected” (Luke 12:48).
“It is required that managers be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2).
“Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).
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. As stated previously, 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 trusts from 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, overseeing the master’s estate and his other servants. Such a high-level servant could oversee giving rations to other servants if the master were not present. Part of what God entrusts to us is the “stewardship” of others’ lives and the responsibility to selflessly love others. “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). 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 the task in front of him. 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. What He has entrusted to us is His; we are merely stewards of what He has placed in our hands. Therefore, we are to use it as He would want it to be used.
The reward for faithfulness in the responsibilities we’ve been given is more responsibility! “Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” That may sound strange to a person without a biblical worldview, but there is great joy that accompanies such responsibilities. In the parable of the talents, those who were given more, those put in charge of many things, were told they would “share your master’s joy” (v. 21).
May we be found faithful to the work of God.
Question 4:
Why is it important to faithfully work until Jesus returns?
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 would embolden the servant to act selfishly and abusively toward others. Such a person “starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards.” Since he thinks his master will be gone for a while, he feels free to indulge himself in any way he desires.
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. During the end times, unbelievers will remain openly rebellious against God. Regardless of the signs of Christ’s return, some who do not believe will care nothing for God’s truth. Some may be aware of their lost condition, but they will assume they still have more time to focus on their own interests before Christ comes in judgment.
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. He is like the “scoffers” the apostle Peter wrote about. These unbelievers say, “ ‘Where is his “coming” that he promised? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.’ ” (2 Pet. 3:3-4). Though such people are unbelievers, they are nonetheless accountable to Christ for the stewardship of time, gifts and opportunities that God has given to them.
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. To “cut him to pieces” means to cut a person in two, a form of judgment used regularly in ancient times. The image pictures severe judgment. Matthew also described this judgment as “a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Jesus frequently referred to the weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:12; 13:42,50; 22:13; 25:30) that will be done by those who are thrown into hell. This indicates utter wretchedness and inconsolable grief by those who will suffer such great loss.
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:
What are some obstacles that make it harder to stay focused on the task at hand?
ENGAGE
Jesus called his followers to stay alert and remain watchful. Record some things that are distracting you from focusing on Jesus.
What can you do to minimize one of these distractions?
LIVE IT OUT
Reflect. Take a moment and reflect on your life. Are you faithfully serving God with your life? Have you fully committed to His call on your life? Spend some time in prayer asking God how you can better serve Him.
Memorize. Memorize Matthew 24:46: “Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes.” Let this verse motivate you to remain faithful while you wait for His return.
Exercise. If this session has convicted you to serve more faithfully, speak with your pastor and see if there are ministry opportunities that are going unanswered. If you are serving faithfully, enlist someone you can mentor.
END NOTES
1. Vic Carucci, “Un-Bill-Ievable!” Pro Football Hall of Fame, January 1, 2005, https://www.profootballhof.com/news/bills-greatest-comeback/. [Lifeway Adults (NaN). (p. 140). Bible Studies for Life: Senior 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 PASSAGE
Matthew 24:42-51
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.
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.
KEY WORDS: Son of Man (v. 44)—Jesus’ favorite Old Testament title for Himself. The Jews understood that He was making an audacious claim of messianic authority and to Deity.
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 is 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: “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son—except the Father alone.” 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 is like the adage, “When you least expect it, expect it.”
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 is watching with eager and 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 do not belong to ourselves. Rather, it is our Master and Creator who will return. When we follow Jesus, we acknowledge that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9). We are His. He is in charge. He is our Boss 24/7.
Jesus compared His return with a thief in the night. A thief does not 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. A thief steals what is not his; Jesus will return to claim that which is His own.
Question 2:
How would you react if you knew a thief would try to burglarize your home today?
When I was a young boy, I came home from an evening church service with my family. As we walked into the house, I was the first to walk into the front living room. I quickly saw that something was not right when I saw glass on the floor. As I looked up and noticed that a window had been smashed, I called out to my mother, “Mom, I think we’ve been robbed.”
After glancing around the room, she quickly directed my sisters and me to get back into the car. Within minutes it became clear that while we were at church some burglars had visited our house, without an appointment. As a result, two things changed for my family. First, we moved shortly after that. Second, until we moved, we were much more cautious and alert about safety.
Just like my family’s brush with robbery, all of us must practice vigilance in our spiritual lives. If we are taken by surprise, it is not because God has not warned us; it is because of our own negligence. Believers have less excuse for carelessness than “the homeowner” Jesus described, who had not been forewarned that a thief was coming. 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.
“I continued watching in the night visions, and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13-14).
The prophet 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.
Question 3:
What does it look like to be ready for Jesus’ return?
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. Faithfulness is a vital concept throughout Scripture.
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected” (Luke 12:48).
“It is required that managers be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2).
“Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).
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. As stated previously, 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 trusts from 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, overseeing the master’s estate and his other servants. Such a high-level servant could oversee giving rations to other servants if the master were not present. Part of what God entrusts to us is the “stewardship” of others’ lives and the responsibility to selflessly love others. “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). 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 the task in front of him. 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. What He has entrusted to us is His; we are merely stewards of what He has placed in our hands. Therefore, we are to use it as He would want it to be used.
The reward for faithfulness in the responsibilities we’ve been given is more responsibility! “Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” That may sound strange to a person without a biblical worldview, but there is great joy that accompanies such responsibilities. In the parable of the talents, those who were given more, those put in charge of many things, were told they would “share your master’s joy” (v. 21).
May we be found faithful to the work of God.
Question 4:
Why is it important to faithfully work until Jesus returns?
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 would embolden the servant to act selfishly and abusively toward others. Such a person “starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards.” Since he thinks his master will be gone for a while, he feels free to indulge himself in any way he desires.
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. During the end times, unbelievers will remain openly rebellious against God. Regardless of the signs of Christ’s return, some who do not believe will care nothing for God’s truth. Some may be aware of their lost condition, but they will assume they still have more time to focus on their own interests before Christ comes in judgment.
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. He is like the “scoffers” the apostle Peter wrote about. These unbelievers say, “ ‘Where is his “coming” that he promised? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.’ ” (2 Pet. 3:3-4). Though such people are unbelievers, they are nonetheless accountable to Christ for the stewardship of time, gifts and opportunities that God has given to them.
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. To “cut him to pieces” means to cut a person in two, a form of judgment used regularly in ancient times. The image pictures severe judgment. Matthew also described this judgment as “a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Jesus frequently referred to the weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:12; 13:42,50; 22:13; 25:30) that will be done by those who are thrown into hell. This indicates utter wretchedness and inconsolable grief by those who will suffer such great loss.
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:
What are some obstacles that make it harder to stay focused on the task at hand?
ENGAGE
Jesus called his followers to stay alert and remain watchful. Record some things that are distracting you from focusing on Jesus.
What can you do to minimize one of these distractions?
LIVE IT OUT
Reflect. Take a moment and reflect on your life. Are you faithfully serving God with your life? Have you fully committed to His call on your life? Spend some time in prayer asking God how you can better serve Him.
Memorize. Memorize Matthew 24:46: “Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes.” Let this verse motivate you to remain faithful while you wait for His return.
Exercise. If this session has convicted you to serve more faithfully, speak with your pastor and see if there are ministry opportunities that are going unanswered. If you are serving faithfully, enlist someone you can mentor.
END NOTES
1. Vic Carucci, “Un-Bill-Ievable!” Pro Football Hall of Fame, January 1, 2005, https://www.profootballhof.com/news/bills-greatest-comeback/. [Lifeway Adults (NaN). (p. 140). Bible Studies for Life: Senior Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. Lifeway Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]