Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: Everyone of us, young or old, doesn't matter who you are. God is going to ask you, how much have you entrusted into my kingdom? Because the only thing that is of value is what you give to God, period. That's what's going to last. That's the only foundation that is going to last.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Reese in Diamond Bar, California. Today's lesson continues our focus on the elements of a life where love for the Lord Jesus is the motivating power for everything. Establishing the importance of God-centered stewardship, Raul will urge us to carefully manage our gifts and resources. It's tempting to put our own desires ahead of everything, but the fact is God calls us to put his kingdom first. Here is Raul Reese in Luke chapter 19 beginning in verse 11 with our study Faithful Stewardship.

Raul Ries: Jesus on his way to Jerusalem began to share with his disciples concerning the importance of good stewardship. How to be a good steward of what God gives to you as he entrusts you with everything he's given to you. Now as believers, we understand that when you come to Jesus Christ, you are saved, you are redeemed by his blood, and he forgives you for all of your sins when there is true repentance, and you will never ever again ever will stand for any one of your sins ever again. They're forgiven, they're forgotten, they're gone. But as a believer, I am going to have to stand before God in judgment.

That is at the bema seat of Christ. And at the bema seat of Christ, I'm going to have to as an individual, I'm going to have to give an answer to God for what I did with everything that Christ entrusted me with. That is the gospel message, my finances, my husband, my wife, my children, whatever God has given to you one day, you will give an account of your stewardship to Jesus Christ, the motive. Why did you give? Why did you preach? Why did you witness? All these things are going to be evaluated by the Lord individually.

No one will stand with their wife or husband or children or the whole family together or friends. You will stand alone with the Lord Jesus Christ in judgment, and you'll have to give an account of your own life, not of your sins. Your sins are forgiven, they're taken away, but as God makes you a house manager of everything that he gives to you, starting with your car to your house to your finances to everything you have, one day God's going to ask you, what did you do with everything that I gave to you? Did you invest into the kingdom of God?

Let's look at the prophets. That's the parable. The prophets for the kingdom of God, not the prophets for yourself. The prophets that the Lord made on his money as you give to him to build the kingdom of God. Very important. Look how he begins when he speaks to them about eternity, beginning with verse 11 of chapter 19. He says, now as they heard these things, he spoke another parable because he was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God was appear immediately. See, so in their mindset, they thought the kingdom age already was coming.

So they didn't even think that Jesus was going to die and rise again on the third day and that he would ascend to heaven after 40 days and then 2,000 years later he would come back. They didn't get the message. They thought literally they were going to take up spears and swords and fight against Rome and Jesus would overtake them and he would win and then they would set up immediately the kingdom of God. But that was not true. In his mind and heart, he knew already that he was going to die and that he was going to be betrayed and that he was going to be ridiculed and mocked and spit upon and that he would have nails to his hands and his feet and then they would put a crown of thorns on his head and then they would take a spear and they would spear the side of the rib next to the heart and the heart would actually rupture and the blood and the water would be in the sack and the sack would break and the water and the blood would come forth and medically speaking, Jesus would died of a broken heart.

Imagine that. And they did not understand that until it happened. They were shocked. They couldn't believe it. Look at the rest of the parable verse 12 now. Therefore he said, here is the parable. A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and return. So he called 10 of his servants and delivered to them 10 minas. And then he said unto them, do business until I come or occupy until I come again. But his citizens hated him and they sent a delegation after him saying, hey, we will not have this man to rule over us.

Isn't that the attitude of the world today? I'm not going to have Christ rule over me. Forget him. I'm going to do what I want. I'm going to live the way I want to live. Nothing's changed. The same rebellion today we find in the world that they had in that culture in that time. Verse 15. And so it was that when he returned having received the kingdom, so he gives us the assurance that he's coming again just like he said in the scriptures. Many say he's not coming again. He's coming again. He went the first time, he's coming the second time.

And notice what he said. And so it was that when he returned having received the kingdom, he then commanded the servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Notice that. Then he came to the first investor and he said, master, your mina has earned 10 minas. Notice he multiplied it. And then he said to him, well done, good servant, because you were faithful in a very little, you have authority now over 10 cities now. And then he came to the second investor and he said, master, your mina has earned me five minas.

Likewise he said to him, you also now are given five cities. But then he came to the third investor and he said, master, here is your mina which I have kept and put away in a handkerchief. Oops. This guy didn't do anything for God. The handkerchief was worn around the neck for sweat, so they would take the handkerchief off to wipe the sweat, but this time he took the handkerchief and he put away his coin and he put it away until his master would return. There are a lot of people today in the church that are actually putting away their gifts and their talents and their monies and spending everything on themselves and nothing in God's kingdom.

So when the Lord comes, there's no return for the kingdom of God. Everyone of us, young or old, doesn't matter who you are. God is going to ask you, how much have you entrusted into my kingdom? I mean, we put away for retirement. We like to invest online, and that's good. But who are you investing for? To build a bigger kingdom for yourself? I hope not. Because the only thing that is of value is what you give to God, period. That's what's going to last. That 's the only foundation that is going to last. Everything else is going to burn in the fire.

You 'll see that in a moment. This young man said, hey, forget it. I'm not investing. I'm putting it away. He thought he was doing the right thing. But then on the day of reckoning, hey, he didn't have nothing to show. Look what the Lord said. He said, here is your mina which I had kept away in a handkerchief for I feared you because you are in a steward man. You collected what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow. And then he said unto him, out of your own mouth I will judge you.

Notice that. Accountability. Out of your own mouth you've judged yourself, you wicked servant. You knew. Notice he had a knowledge. You knew that I was an a steward man collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. What do you think I gave you? What I gave you? You see? He's asking for his return. Why then did you not put my money? Notice not your money. Whose money is it? God's money. You notice that? It's not yours. It's God's money. Everything belongs to God. Get that through your mind and you'll do fine.

Look what else he said. This is pretty interesting. Verse 23. Why didn't you put my money in the bank that at my coming I might have collected it with interest? So you see, the Lord is looking for interest. God expects it. If you're a child of God, he expects you to put his money into what? Into the bank so that it can make interest to use it to bring glory and honor to his name. Then in verse 24 and then he said unto those who stood by, hey, take this guy's mina from him and then give it to the one that has 10.

So they strip him from everything. But then he said unto him, master, they already have 10, so now he has 11. For I say unto you that everyone who has will be given and from him who does not have even that which he has, notice will be taken away from him. Wow. But bring here also those enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them and kill them right before me. So the parable's pretty intense when you look at it. It speaks of investments, it speaks of judgment, it speaks of the wicked.

And so let's just kind of look at the parable and again the whole theme of the parable is occupying until he comes again. What are you doing to invest into the kingdom of God so that when he returns, what will you be able to give back to the Lord that he gave to you? Whatever may be.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Reese. We are here to challenge and encourage you to wholeheartedly pursue the Lord. Visit us at somebodylovesyou.com for resources. You can also download our free app for live-streamed Bible teaching and digital Bible studies. Let's rejoin Raul now for the conclusion of our lesson Faithful Stewardship.

Raul Ries: In the parable also, you can see that the gospel is an investment, a great investment. One of the greatest investments that you can invest into building God's kingdom. Think of all your children and your children's children in the future to come as we continue to invest into the kingdom of God for their sake so that we don't die as a church, but that we have a great vision for the world to reach all of the world for Jesus Christ. God wants us to do that. But one man cannot do that. It takes a team of players to be together in unity and strategize and work a plan on how can we reach the world for Jesus Christ?

And surely we do it through crusades. You can do it to television, you do it to radio. You can do it through many many other things that are in the church today. It's so need to see that. I wish I could read you every letter I receive from the radio ministry and from the Somebody Loves You crusades of people that were desolate and desperate and they got saved. So incredible to know that God is pricking in their hearts and they're getting convicted and they're getting saved through the radio ministry. So it's not in vain in what we're doing.

We're investing into the kingdom of God. And it's so need because God, according to Paul the apostle, tells us in the book of Romans chapter 12 6 through 8, 1 Corinthians 12 8 through 10 and then Ephesians 4 11 through 16 that God has given to each one of us here gifts and talents to be used in the kingdom of God today. There are 21 gifts of the Holy Spirit offered to the church of Jesus Christ. 21 gifts. Imagine that. 21 gifts. You find some of those gifts in Romans chapter 12 6 through 8 where he says again, listen to Paul, having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them in prophecy.

Let us prophesy a portion according to faith in ministry. Let us use it in our ministry. He who teaches in his teaching, he who exhorts in exhortation, he who gives with liberality, he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness. Then in 1 Corinthians 12 8 through 10, for to one is given the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another by the same spirit, to another faith, to another the gifts of healings, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another discerning all kinds of tongues, to another interpretation of tongues.

And then again in Ephesians chapter 4 11 through 16 and then he gave himself some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastor teachers for the purpose of what? For the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ. That's what we are doing here in the teaching session, equipping you for the ministry until we all come to the unity of the faith, of the knowledge of the son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature and the fullness of Christ that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro around, carried away by every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness and deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love that we may grow up in all things together into Jesus Christ who is the head Christ from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part does its share.

It causes growth in the body of Christ for the building up of itself in the love of God. There it is. That is what we are commanded to do, building up the body of Christ, growing together using the gifts and the talents that God's given to you so that we can reach the world for Jesus Christ. We need to realize that the Lord is coming back again and he's coming back to judge the world. But for us as believers, we will stand in the presence of God one day at the bema seat of Christ and we are going to be judged for what has been entrusted to my care by the Lord.

And that puts fear in my heart. To much is given, much more is required. Imagine that. The great judgment day that is coming. 2 Corinthians 5 10, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether it be good or whether it be bad. And of course, I love that scripture Paul brings about in the responsibility that you and I have to the gospel. In Romans 10 15 16 17 he says, and how shall they preach unless they are sent as it is written?

How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace and who bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed the gospel for I say I said, Lord, who has believed our report? So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. So we have a responsibility not only for myself to commit and dedicate my life to Jesus Christ so that he can use me to reach others, but the message has to be preached to a world that is in total darkness today. People need to believe in the word of God because Jesus is coming again.

He promised it. Remember the first verse he said, he's leaving but he's coming again. In John 14 1 he said, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. If they were not so, I would have never told you. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you, here's the promise, I will come again and receive you to myself where I am, there you also may be with me. And where I go, you know the way you know.

So the promise has been given that he left and he's coming again. Jesus Christ, first of all, will be coming in the clouds. Can you imagine that day when we are coming back with Jesus Christ in all righteousness? In Matthew 12 30 he said, then the sign of the son of man will appear in heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Great glory will come too, but great glory. They're all coming together. Secondly, he is coming in a flaming fire.

2 Thessalonians 1 7 and 8 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in a flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. You see? He's going to judge the disobedient. Thirdly, he is coming with the angels. Matthew 24 31 and he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together his elect from the four winds and from one end of heaven to the other.

And then he is going to be coming like a thief in the night in 1 Thessalonians 5 2 and 3. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night and when they're saying peace and safety, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman and they shall not escape. So there is a day of reckoning coming for the righteous and for the wicked. I wonder how we will stand before God after we listen to this message today. I hope you're listening.

I hope and I'm praying we would be more giving and more in ministry and doing more to build the kingdom of God than building our own little kingdoms so that we can see our children in the future to come in the kingdom of God. That's what it's all about today.

Guest (Male): Only you can answer the question of whether you're truly ready to meet Jesus and give an account for your actions, but we hope that today's message has been an inspiration for you to keep living every day with eternity in view. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Reese. Raul's lesson today was titled Faithful Stewardship. If you'd like to get an unedited version with much more teaching, we'll be happy to send a copy to you for a donation of $5 or more. To get that, simply call us at 800 634 9165. We'd also like to offer you Raul's 10-part series called Chosen and Committed, available on CD and flash drive.

This resource provides more insight into what it looks like to completely surrender to Christ. You'll find that when you entrust your future to God and daily follow his leading, he'll bless you with purpose and use your gifts to accomplish mighty things in his kingdom. To order Chosen and Committed, visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800 634 9165. We'll send you Raul's 10-lesson series on CD for $22 or on thumb drive for $13. That's 800 634 9165 or write to Somebody Loves You Radio, PO Box 4440 Diamond Bar, California 91765. Don't forget your partnership enables us to keep sharing the good news of the gospel with the world and we are grateful for every tax-deductible gift.

Tune in again next time as we continue this series with a challenge to fearlessly follow Jesus' example of undivided devotion. You'll find that when you take up your cross and daily die to yourself, the Lord will bless your life with fruitfulness and spiritual victory. Here's Raul now with the concluding thought.

Raul Ries: So the parable is exhorting us about the coming of the Lord and how we are invested into the kingdom of God. So then he also makes a proclamation. Look at the last verse of the parable. Pretty interesting. Those people that had nothing to do with Christ, those who rejected him, those who were disobedient, verse 27, but bring here those enemies of mine. Anyone that is not for Christ is an enemy of Christ. Remember that. Bring those enemies of mine here who did not want me to reign over them. Notice how clear it is. Those that do not want Jesus Christ to reign over their lives one day will be thrown in hell and into the lake of fire and kill them and slay them before me, he said.

The judgment of the wicked one day. I hope this morning the Holy Spirit has quickened your hearts and that you're ready to meet the Lord.

Guest (Male): This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.