Turn with me to Luke chapter 19. Luke 19. Our passage here, it begins with a key verse to understanding the parable that our Lord is about to speak to his disciples. And it's verse 11, Luke 19, 11. And as they heard these things, He added and spake a parable, and here it has the word because. So he's telling us right here why he is speaking this parable.

Because he was nigh or near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. regarding that they're near to Jerusalem. What's so big about Jerusalem? What's about to happen at Jerusalem? Turn back to Luke 18, verse 31. Luke 18, 31, Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on, and they shall scourge him, and put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again. Now look at verse 34 there. And they understood none of these things. And this saying was hid from them. Neither knew they the things which were spoken. They didn't understand this. They didn't understand what he was saying that would be accomplished by him at Jerusalem.

And this is going to really move them. This is going to rock their world. This is going to be very upsetting to them when they go there thinking that the kingdom of God is going to come in to being. Everything's gonna come together when they go to Jerusalem, but instead of that, the opposite's gonna happen. He's gonna be arrested, he's gonna be cruelly mocked and scourged and mistreated and crucified, put to death, and he's gonna be laying in the tomb for three days. three days and three nights, and it's going to be very, very troubling to them. And instead of that suffering, the opposite of that suffering, verse 11 in chapter 19 says, they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

They thought that the Jews were going to just suddenly get it, and they were going to receive Christ as the Christ, as the Messiah. They were going to see and recognize this. They thought this was going to be an amazing time. And they thought that then they would be recognized and honored and cheered because they were early adopters of Christ, and they believed first and followed him and supported our Lord. And so they're thinking these thoughts, and the opposite's going to happen. And they're thinking that he's going to be a carnal king. that with a carnal kingdom, the way this world runs.

And so they couldn't understand what the Lord was saying. They just didn't even register in their wildest imagination of what was going to happen, even though he told them several times. And so to illustrate what's going to be, our Lord gives them this parable. You see, the reality is, I hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

And what our Lord's doing is preparing for us a much greater habitation, a much greater inheritance than what this world does or offers. And so only by his spirit of grace do we enter into these things and understand the scriptures and understand our Lord and understand the trials and understand the tribulations and the difficulties that we go through with a right understanding, knowing that this, our Lord's kingdom, is not like the kingdoms of this earth. and cometh not with observation." So what our Lord is going to be revealing here is that we have a calling here first, brethren. We have a calling here. We have a labor in this world which we are to be engaged in until our Lord returns.

And he's demonstrating, he's been demonstrating in his earthly ministry that Unlike what they think of a king, our Lord is the sovereign king of grace and mercy. We just had a great example of it with the effectual call, the effectual salvation of Zacchaeus. The Lord demonstrated his sovereign power and his grace and mercy for the greatest, the chief of sinners. Picture there in Zacchaeus. He's showing that he came to establish the covenant of grace. And now, we as the Church of God are called to this labor, to preach the gospel, to minister these things of the gospel.

It's not going to be a life of ease and comfort. It's not going to be the way we think it should be. Everybody should love the Lord. Everybody should rejoice to hear this gospel. Why doesn't everybody believe? Well, this is the way. The Lord told us that it would be. This is exactly that way.

And those that you think will hear it will make it clear to you that we will not have this man, this King Jesus, we will not have him to reign over us. He's not going to be my Lord. We're not going to listen to him. We're not going to do what he says. We're not going to honor him. We're not going to conform our lives to him. We're going to do what we want, when we want, the way we want. And that's the world, and that's what he tells us. So let's look at verse 12.

He said, therefore, this is the parable now, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. Now, the nobleman is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the nobleman that's being spoken of here, and his going into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom is saying, it's describing what he's going to do, what he's going to accomplish after his redemption work, after he's shed his blood, gave himself for the sins of his people, died and was buried, and rose again.

And then he ascends up to the throne of God, his father, seated at the right hand of the throne of the father, till his enemies, expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. And so now his enemies are fighting against the kingdom of God. Now they're warring and fighting against the truth of God. Now they are, nations are being subdued and conquered and the hearts of men and women are being subjected to the Lord Jesus Christ. He's delivering them from the bondage. He's bringing them out from those armies that fought against him to hear and to believe the truth of God. And so there's a spiritual warfare going on.

This gospel is a spiritual gospel that tears down imaginations and falsehoods and lies and things like that in our hearts and in our minds to put down the works of the devil in us, to put down the enmity that's in us by nature and to give us life and liberty in the Lord Jesus Christ, to come under his authority, to hear his voice and to follow him as our Lord, as our Lord and as our King and as our God. And so when he returns, he's going to teach that his servants will be greatly rewarded then, and his enemies will be judged then.

And this is what this parable teaches. And to give us a sense as we're going into it, let me read to you something from Titus chapter 2, verses 11 through 14. Titus 2, 11 through 14, it speaks to this. Paul writes, therefore, the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope in the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us. that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works."

And you're going to hear, this is what our Lord is teaching us here, of his people being industrious and zealous of good works and laboring in the kingdom of God. We're going to see that. This is what the kingdom of God sees now. When we go through this, you're going to say, yes, I recognize this. I see this. I see this exactly what's going on. But at the time when he was saying these things, the disciples, the apostles, didn't understand it. They didn't see it yet at this time. And so our Lord gives this parable. so that they know when they receive the spirit, when their understandings open up, they're reflecting back and saying, he told us this. Now I understand what he was saying. Now I know why he said this to us.

And Peter wrote this in 2 Peter 3, 11 through 14. 2 Peter 3, 11 through 14, seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved. what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And so Peter didn't know this when the Lord's giving them this parable, but after the giving of the Holy Ghost, after our Lord opened their understanding, Then his focus and his understanding of the labor changed entirely. It changed entirely and he became very busy in ministering the gospel to sinners. And he became very busy in ministering the gospel to sinners. So let's see what our Lord says back in our text in Luke 19 verse 13.

And he called his ten servants, This is the parable again. He called his 10 servants and delivered them 10 pounds and said unto them, occupy till I come. So each servant was given one pound, one of the 10 pounds. They each got one. And the scriptures compare this to money. It actually even says in the column, in the center column, in the reference there, It describes it in the terms of the British money at that time, being like three pounds and shillings and six pence and things like that. It breaks it down to what that equivalent would be. So it's comparing it to money, or in other words, something of value. something of value, something of value in this world, in this time.

And our Lord tells his servants that he gives this money to, this value to, use it wisely. And he says, occupy till I come, occupy till I come. Now, as we go through this, you're gonna see that there's two kinds of servants. There are some servants that are very faithful. and good storage with this pound, this something of value that is given to them, and then there's others that are lazy and useless. And so each one had the same pound, each one had the same thing of value given to them by their Lord. And some were profitable in it, some were lazy and useless in it. And what has the church been given, that is of great value. What have we been given that is of great value to us? The gospel. We've been given the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We've heard the mystery of God has been revealed to us, unraveled to us through the preaching of the gospel.

There's many people who read this book and have no understanding, have a false view of it. We were just talking about it earlier, how people just come away with vain, wicked, false ideas of God and what He's teaching. But you who have heard the gospel, By His grace and power, by the giving of the Holy Ghost, you understand the mystery of God that this book, from beginning to end, has been revealing to us the Lord Jesus Christ. It all speaks of Him. It's all revealing to us the Lord Jesus Christ, and He's the mystery of God.

He's the one in whom we have salvation and understanding. and fellowship with the true and living God. Otherwise, it's just a form of dead-letter religion. It's just one religion versus another religion. But only by the grace of God, we're looking to Christ. We're calling out to Christ. We're seeking to know Him and to worship Him and to follow Him in grace and in mercy.

The words of this verse, basically what they mean is take this pound that I've given to you and busy yourself in trade with it. Take this pound, be busy and trade with it until I return. You use this pound that I've given to you and you trade with it. You use this in the world, this is what I've given to you, you be busy, you be about this in the world. Don't waste this thing.

And so each of us is to take this treasure, right? Certainly this is speaking to pastors and preachers, right, ministers of the gospel, it was speaking to the apostles, but it's speaking to us all. We've been given this gospel, we've been given this treasure, albeit in earthen vessels, but we've been given this treasure of eternal life, and it's given to us to trade with it, in the increase of the riches of the gospel made unto us, for it to be profitable to us, for it to be a blessing to us in this understanding, that we may be profitable in it and go about with understanding of who the true living God is and what he's done for us and what he's given to us. Paul writes it this way. in terms of the gospel preachers, right, and in terms of the church, he says it this way, in 2nd Corinthians 5, beginning in verse 18, working our way down to chapter 6, verse 1, he says, all things are of God. who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. He's given to us this pound, this treasure, the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, to know that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not just the Jews, but the Gentiles too, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us He's put it in our hands. He's given us this pound, the word of reconciliation. It's very precious. It's precious to us. In view of the world, it's not a lot, but it's precious to us.

Now then, We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made Christ to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

He's given each one of his servants this pound. Don't receive this in vain. Occupy till I come. Be busy about this, this pound which the Lord has given to you. Otherwise, it'll be no profit to your souls. And it'll be a miserable day in the day of judgment. And so we're to hear these words, right, for you that are sitting here. We're to hear these words. We're to make full use of the pound which is given. Make full use of that.

Put yourselves in in line with the ordinances that the Lord's given us with his word, with the fellowship that we have. Be in a faithful gospel church, come and hear the word, support the work, give yourselves to it, be in fellowship one with another, encourage one another in these things. This is a blessed, blessed thing. Tell others, encourage others, pray for others, be mindful of others, do these things. Let me read to you also from Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10, verse 22 through 25 says, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

The world is pulling away from that. The world is saying, it's a worthless investment. You're wasting your time. You can get a whole lot more out of this world if you could just do this. If you just put your attention and focus on this over here, that's what the world's doing. It's minimizing this pound of treasure that the Lord has given to us, this gospel here. And so the apostle says, let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful. That is promise. He's faithful. He keeps his word of promise.

And let us consider one another, right? As I said, fellowship. Invest your time in this body, in the local body that you've been put into. Invest your time. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another in so much the more as you see the day approaching.

Believe the gospel and live like you believe it. Let it make sense. Let it all be harmonious. Live like what you preach. Live according to the doctrine you believe. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior. That word prince there means he's Lord, he's God, he's king. We're his servants. We're not our own kings. We're not our own rulers. We are servants of the Most High God. We are his servants.

And he promises to us in Proverbs 133, who so hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil. Now I'll provide for you as your king. You dwell in my land. You look to me. You honor me. I'm providing for you. I'll protect you. I'll keep you. That what you fear, what man fears, I'll keep from your doorstep. I'll provide for you.

And so we're exhorted by the grace of God. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Put yourself to this thing that you may grow in him and serve him and walk by faith in him. And we're not all called to be missionaries. That's not what he's saying. What he's saying is love him and serve him. Love his people and fellowship with one another and give yourselves to hearing the word and to be an encouragement to one another, that it be profitable to you and them, right? And that same thing.

Now, our Lord tells us in verse 14, But his citizens hated him and sent a message after him, so this is not the servants, this is the citizens of this world, of his kingdom, sent a message after him saying, we will not have this man to reign over us. And so our Lord is saying to us, he's telling us here, to those to whom he's given this pound of the gospel, serve your God, minister the gospel to others, preach this gospel in the world, trust the Lord to reveal his people, And preaching it, he'll manifest them that are his.

But know this, the citizens of this world hate him. And they make it known. They've told him as much. No, we're not going to have him reign over us. He's not our Lord. We're going to do what we want, when we want, how we want, and the way that we want, we're doing it. And so you can expect.

As you're out there investing this pound, and you're telling others, and you're living in the light that the Lord has given to you according to this gospel, this world is going to reject this gospel. They're gonna reject it, and that means they're gonna reject you. They're not going to love you for being faithful to God. In fact, they're going to love you a whole lot less to the point of hatred and cutting you off from them.

And so the reason for that is because man, by nature, is a sinner. He doesn't have the spirit of God by nature. It doesn't matter if this world thinks that they are a good person. That doesn't mean that they're a child of God. They hate and reject the true and living God, And they have no understanding of him, no faith, no love for God. They might love puppy dogs and kitty cats, but they don't love God. And it's a big difference, a very, very big difference. And so they that are born into this world of Adam's seed by nature are dead in trespasses and sins.

And we're under the bondage to the wicked one until the Lord frees us of that bondage. and delivers us. Paul said it this way in Ephesians 2, 3, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. You wouldn't know that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world by God the Father. You wouldn't know until God revealed it by bringing us out of that bondage and death and causing us to hear the voice of Christ and causing us to follow him. And so this is why the Lord came into the world, to deliver us from that bondage, to deliver us from the works of of the devil, and he accomplished it.

He finished the work. He accomplished our redemption. He obtained that which he sought for by the shedding of his blood. He died and rose again for the justification of his people. And now he has ascended up to the throne of God, where he is seeking a lost sheep. He sent out the spirit. The spirit is seeking out the lost sheep. The spirit sets apart for his own purposes. He sanctifies us to hear this word, and he'll bring that word, or he'll bring the people to hear that word, and he'll make it effectual in their hearts in the same way he did Zacchaeus, in the same way he did that.

Now, when our Lord returns, there's going to be a great day of reckoning where we shall be judged according to the gospel, according to the gospel and what we did with what the Lord gave us. This is what this parable says here, verse 15 and 16. And it came to pass that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, Then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, the ones who got the pound, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And so right off the bat, you notice something about this man in reference to this pound. It's not his pound. He says, Lord, thy pound. Thy pound, what you gave to me, has profited." And here's 10 more, 10 more pounds that have been gained for you, Lord.

Verse 17-19, And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

In other words, It didn't record it here, but he said the same thing. He said the same thing to the one with five as he said to the one with ten pounds. Well, thou good servant, you've been faithful and very little. Have this. That's what he's saying to him. Whether it's five or ten pounds, both are rewarded as good servants, as faithful and good servants. It's like Mary, what our Lord said, she hath done what she could. That's all the Lord is saying. Do what you can in relation to the gospel he's given you and how he's blessed you and given you this pound. We're not all alike. We're all different members in the body. We're not all called to the same thing. But what he has given you, be faithful in it. That's what he's saying. Be faithful in what the Lord has given you.

This pound is not a lot in this world. It's not setting people up for, like, we're not Elon Musks where we can just spend billions and billions of dollars and do all kinds of marketing campaigns and whatnot. No. He hasn't given us that. He didn't intend to give us that. He gave us what he gave us. And as far as this world is concerned, it's small and doesn't necessarily get a lot of traction a lot of times and doesn't seem to be all that profitable.

But that's not what we're doing. Take what you do have and seek to be profitable in it, trusting the Lord, and just be faithful with it. That's what he's saying in this. Whatever you're called to in God's kingdom, be faithful in it. And if you're a member, be a member. Come and give and help and support. Encourage your brethren. Call your brethren. Write your brethren. Encourage your brethren. That's what he's saying. If that's what you're able to do, do it. Now we come to the one who had the pound of the gospel, but he did nothing with it. Verse 20, and another came saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin.

Now, that word napkin is used four times in the scripture, usually as a napkin, or one time as a handkerchief, it's mentioned, but when it's called a napkin, where do we see that? A napkin was laid over Lazarus' face when he was dead. A napkin was laid over our Lord's face, right, because it was set aside when he rose again from the dead. And so the napkins removed when there's life. So long as you're dead, that napkin stayed on the face, but where there's life.

And so what he's saying is this man had no life. He had the gospel. It was given to him. He had an understanding of that gospel. He had a doctrine, a set of doctrine and a set of knowledge, but it was completely unprofitable. It was held by a dead man, a man dead in trespasses and sins.

And he says, for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man. Thou takest up, that thou layest not down, and reapest, that thou didst not sow. And he said unto him, out of thine own mouth. So the king says to him, out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up, that I laid not down, and reaping, that I did not sow. Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank? that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury.

And so what I see in this, the present light that I have on this is, again, we're not all apostles accomplishing great things that they accomplished or did. We're not all pastors. We're not all preachers. Not that I'm anything either. What it's saying is, but go. Be part of a church. That's what I think the bank is picturing. Be part of the church. Encourage your brethren. Give your time, your fellowship. I don't think that most members realize just how wonderful it is when you're here. It makes such a difference just to see your face. It's an encouragement not just to me, but to your brethren. I'm not saying when you're sick and you can't for various reasons, that's one thing. I'm not saying that. Usually the people that want to be here are heartbroken about it. I'm not trying to criticize that or say anything like that.

But when we can be here, be here. That's the thing. Be here when you can. Be here because that in and of itself is an encouragement. That in and of itself is investing that pound which the Lord has given you and it reaps returns. It benefits the brethren. It's a blessing to one another and that's all to the praise and glory of the Lord. He's receiving that glory. He's receiving that with usury as it was And he said unto them that stood by, take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath 10 pounds. And they said unto him, Lord, he hath 10 pounds. He's got enough already.

Well, the Lord says, I say unto you that unto every one which hath shall be given, and from him that hath not, even that he hath, shall be taken away from him. those who will not confess Christ and follow him, regardless of their knowledge of the gospel, regardless of what they say and say their profession is, if they follow not the Lord, if they don't serve him and seek him, that which they have will be taken from them. It was unprofitable. It was held by a dead man. Verse 27 then, but those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me. And so what the Lord is teaching here is all shall be made right when the Lord returns.

We're never going to out give him. We're never going to outspend him. We're never going to come up short. We're never going to be losers in the Lord's kingdom. And he says, you shall not be ashamed. You that believe Christ, you that confess Christ, though you suffer in this world, though you're hated by this world, and though this world takes from you and gives nothing to you, you will not be ashamed in that day.

Whatever you give shall be given to you handful, abundantly, more than you or I could ever give or think. I am certain that when we stand before the Lord and in righteousness, in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, though we are received of him and blessed of him, we're still going to probably, I don't know if it'll just be a brief moment, but I would imagine we'll think, I wish I'd done more. I could have done more. I should have done more. What was I thinking? Why did I doubt? Why was I so lazy? I don't want to be like that, but I fear. But I'm encouraged by this word.

Our Lord is saying it's going to be difficult. It's going to be difficult. This world is going to do everything it can to suck the life out of you and to dash you upon the rocks. It's going to do everything it can. But our Lord is saying that there's a coming day, a blessed day, a rejoicing day. So this world will tempt you to hide in pride and in self-preservation.

If nothing else, confess Him before the world. Own Him, because He owns you. If you're His, He's confessing you before the Father and the angels, and He owns you. So own Him. If nothing else, own Him. Our Lord says this, and I say this in closing, from Luke 6, 22 through 23, blessed are ye. when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil for the son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets." So I pray that's an encouragement. that we use this pound which is given to us to encourage and edify one another, to confess our Lord with one another, because it's a great joy. It's a blessing for us.