The Good News According To Luke: Chapter 19
“A little is a lot In God’s Kingdom”
Pastor Cole Parleir
Focus: Jesus seeks and saves the lost giving them opportunity for eternal reward as they participate in the coming of His kingdom.
Context
Where we are at in the Gospel account of Luke
Luke
Luke 18
Luke 19:1-10 Zaccheus
And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Jesus sought Zaccheaus in order to save him.
Verse 10 defines Jesus’ mission and sets up the rest of Luke 19
Luke 19:11-27 ESV
Jesus clarifies the coming of the “kingdom of God” and how we can participate.
“As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants,[a] he gave them ten minas,[b] and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant![c] Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me
Define terms
Mina
Most likely about 3 months wages for a laborer (avg Chicago IL salary is $73k, making this amount for us $18k)
The kingdom of God
Where God reigns.
Supporting scripture on the kingdom of God
Luke 17:20-21, 33 ESV
“Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.
…33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”
John 3:1-3 ESV
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus[a] by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again[b] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Acts 1:6-8 ESV
“So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The kingdom of God is not observable in ways you expect
The kingdom of God is in you when you are born again
The proof of the kingdom of God in you in increasing measure is
Repentance of sin and confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9)
Godly character (Galatians 5:22-23)
Holy Spirit empowered witnessing (Acts 1:8)
The kingdom of God is God’s rule shown in the salvation of sinners like Zaccheus. This is God setting up his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. This is occupying until he returns.
Observation
Good servant
Wicked servant
Citizen enemies
Stewardship principles for engaging God’s resources in business:
Decide: Am I a servant or an enemy of the coming king?
Recognize: Every servant has resources entrusted to them.
Invest: God expects and enables a return on his investment in you.
Rewards: God will reward good stewardship with his pleasure and increased stewardship.
How can we “engage in business” until Jesus the King returns in power and set’s up the observable kingdom of God? We can work with him “seeking and saving that which is lost” through using the spiritual gifts and resources he’s given us (think minas!).
Here a few ways you can engage in kingdom business at Second City Church:
Ministry Team Fair (Sunday morning service)
Second City Stars Children’s Ministry (Sunday morning service)
Booklat Children’s Outreach (Thursday evenings)
Youth Ministry (weekly outreach or bi-weekly youth nights)
Madison WI Mission Trip | Church Plant (10 days in June)
Bair Lake Bible Camp (A week or all summer)
Luke 19:27- 40 ESV
“And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Jesus is fulfilling prophecy that the Messiah would come to Jerusalem as a humble king riding on a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)
Sometimes we steward the Lord’s word as the disciples did in retrieving the donkey.
Little did those rejoicing understand that their praises were for a king who would be crucified for them.
Will you let the stones cry out in your place?
Luke 19:41-48 ESV
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.
We see Jesus weeping 3 times in scripture
Lazarus’ death (John 11:35)
His friend and sins effect
Over Jerusalem’s blindness and coming destruction (Luke 19:41)
His people and sins effect
In the garden of Gethsemane (Hebrews 5:7)
Himself and sins effect
Weeping over sin is the proper response even when we have hope.
The temple was to be a place of holy worship where sin was dealt with. It had become a place of transaction: money for sacrifices and sacrifices for sin. Jesus was restoring a proper environment for an acceptable sacrifice through prayer from a contrite and broken heart over sin.
Isaiah 57:15 ESV
“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Today God wants to revive your broken heart through is broken body and shed blood for you at the cross.
Bring your sin and shame in repentance and faith and be made new today.
He will make your life fruitful for his glory.
Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher