Wednesday Devo
Scripture Reading:
Luke 12:44-48
44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 45 But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.
47 “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 45 But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.
47 “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
Commentary from the ESV Study Bible:
When the master returns, the faithful manager will be rewarded—a metaphorical picture of the rewards that will be given to faithful believers at the return of Christ. The faithful manager is then contrasted with the unfaithful servant who beats the household servants and gets drunk. To the surprise of the unfaithful servant, however, the master will return at an hour he does not know (v. 46), resulting in swift and harsh judgment: he will cut him in pieces (cf. Jer. 34:18) and put him with the unfaithful—a metaphorical reference to the punishment that awaits the unbeliever at the return of Christ. The latter description (cf. Luke 13:27–28 and esp. the parallel in Matt. 24:51) indicates eternal judgment and separation from God (cf. Luke 8:13). much will be required. People who have been entrusted by God with many abilities and responsibilities will be held to a higher standard on the last day.
Study Questions:
- Jesus is calling us to a life of STEWARDING our resources. What resources do we have to steward for his glory and Kingdom? TONS! He's given you physical resources like strength, time, skill, talents, and money. You have spiritual resources like a story and testimony that you can share. You have a spiritual gift that he has given you that you can use to serve the church, your City Group and others. You've got God's Word that you can steward by studying it and memorizing it. God has given you prayer, where you can cry out to him and listen to him as he speaks into your life. He's given you a calling and ministry that is specific to you. He could be leading you to adopt an orphan, to move to an unreached people group to share the Gospel, to have a ministry of giving and generosity, and on and on. Of all these areas, which is most convicting? Where do you need to do more to steward things for his glory and not your own?
- The bottom line is, God owns everything and he's entrusted us to steward it well. Nothing is yours; not even your money! Everything that was listed in the first question... it all comes from him. Read through that question again, this time reminding yourself that all of those things belong to him. Are you behaving in ways that say all those things belong to you? How might that change in perspective affect the way you choose to use those resources?
Pray:
- That you would remember that everything you have comes from God.
- That you would steward what he's entrusted to you well.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
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