Do This Until I Come Again

By Nathaniel J. Wilson

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"And he chosen his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, occupy till I come up." Luke xix:13

Once it is clearly established in the mind of the apostolic preacher that he is called of God, and he has a clear agreement of what his purpose in life is and once he understands that it is a position of sober responsibleness, and so he must recognize that with responsibility God ever gives authority. It is at this bespeak that it is very of import that the man of God understand what is expected of him as far as "begetting fruit" in his ministry is concerned.

Does God expect everybody that preaches to be successful in whatsoever his ministry building is? Am I not successful if I simply defend the religion and maintain my walk with the Lord? What is the minimum requirement that God makes of me?

The title of this chapter is a general all-inclusive statement, fabricated by our Lord, which gives the states instruction equally to what the homo of God is expected to do while Jesus Christ is non hither in person. This proverb, "Occupy until I come," is found in a parable in the 19th chapter of Luke, verses 11 through 27. If y'all are not will acquainted with the parable, information technology will exist very helpful to you to finish here and read it advisedly before going on.

Poesy xi gives us the purpose for the parable. Manifestly the apostles and other disciples felt that Jesus Christ was going to set upwardly His kingdom at this time as He went close to the city of Jerusalem. Verse eleven tells us that they thought that the kingdom of God would immediately appear. They believed that Christ was going to literally and actually fix His millennial kingdom, or physical rule on earth, right at this very fourth dimension in His ministry. Obviously, this was a mistaken concept. They did not understand what he was doing or His firsthand purposes, nor did they understand fully His plan of the ages. Christ knew that they were confused equally to what God was doing next, and consequently, He gave them this parable to analyze God's actions in their minds.

By use of the parable, He explains to them that He is going away and that while He is gone, He has called His servants and delivered them authorisation to have care of that business concern of His which remains on earth. It is at this betoken that He says, "Occupy until I come up." It is obvious that this is a very important statement of the purposes of God'due south Church building on earth while He is gone to Heaven, for He reiterates the theme of this parable in numerous other parables in His teachings.

In verse 12, He identifies Himself equally existence the nobleman or landowner who goes to a far country to receive for Himself a kingdom and informs them that He will render. In poetry 13, He calls His servants to Him and delivers to them the authority and equipment necessary to care for His kingdom until He comes. Once again, we note that He uses the phrase to describe this activeness as "Occupy until I come." In poesy xiv, He informs us that He considers the whole world as belonging to Him—that all "citizens " belong to Him. Simply He likewise points out to us that while He is gone, "His citizens hated Him" and sent a bulletin later Him saying, "We volition non have this homo to rule over the states." In other words, He lets u.s. know that anybody will non receive the message of truth, that in that location volition be those who volition rebel against the purpose of God during this present age in which nosotros live.

Verse fifteen, gives usa the picture of Jesus returning, simply as He promised that He would. We notice that while He is gone, He has received the Kingdom which He had gone to obtain and when He comes back, the beginning recorded activity is His control that those servants to whom He had given money be chosen unto Him that He might know how much every man had "gained by trading."

The term "Occupy until I come" has been given many definitions past preachers over the years. Many times in periods of cocky-compassion and apparent defeat, saints of God and preachers alike have used this statement to justify the attitude of simply "holding their own." This logic goes something like this, "I have done my best. It seems that goose egg works. Perhaps, I was non meant to exist successful in working for God in this world, therefore, I volition simply endeavor to 'agree on' and be faithful to Him until He comes. It is evident that I cannot go forward, so I will just determine to hold on and at least non become backward, until He comes. Like Noah of old, fifty-fifty though I may not win converts, at least I will exist true-blue in witnessing and in preaching and in stumbling forth and humbly doing the all-time that I can. Even if I cannot exercise annihilation else, at to the lowest degree I can hold on and occupy until He comes."

Permit united states of america forever settle it in our minds that this attitude is absolutely not the perfect will of God for anybody in His kingdom. "Occupy until I come up," was never meant but to "hold on," and "protect what you accept" until Jesus comes. In fact, both the argument, "Occupy until I come," and the correct definition of "occupy until I come up," comes out of this very parable which we are at present studying. Paul gave the definition of what a minister is in First Corinthians, four and verse 1:

            "Let a human being so business relationship of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God."

The responsibility of a steward is ii-fold, merely as the discussion "occupy" has a meaning that is 2-fold. First, a steward is meant to protect that which has been committed unto him. Hither Paul tells the states that a man of God is to exist looked upon by the church as a protector of the mysteries of God. A mystery, scripturally speaking, is any truth revealed by God to man. The man of God is to protect the revelation that God has given through His word to the human race. He is to practise this in any fashion is necessary. He does it past imparting this truth to the human race through preaching and past defending this truth from errors taught by false preachers. It is a defensive posture. It is an "earnestly contending for" the things of God.

Whatever else the man of God may be, he is definitely projected in the Word of the Lord as a defender of the faith and a defender of its doctrines. One of the sad things which we see today is that the preacher, who may be very capable in some areas, just sadly lacking in this one, neglects the virtually bones sober responsibilities committed to him.

And so much attention has lately been given to teach men how to administrate and orchestrate the minds of people to produce numerical growth, that non near enough attention has been given to the inner life of the human being of God—the deep, deep, prayer—which drives into his own middle the importance of the convictions that God's Discussion has committed to him in trust. The preacher who sarcastically down-plays the importance of repentance, or the importance of water baptism in the Proper name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin, or the importance of the infilling of the Holy Ghost as evidenced past speaking in other tongues, or the importance of holiness and living a life separated from the globe and all that goes with it, including modesty of clothes and society every bit established in God'south Give-and-take—regardless of his historic period—he is a novice. He may have numerical growth and impressive credentials in the areas of administration, simply this is certainly not enough to commend his work. In fact, what expert is it going to practice to accept 10,000 in attendance if a minister has failed in the very bones of all his responsibilities, which is-to be a protectorate and a projector of God's divine truths as recorded in His Word?

While some of the things in God's Give-and-take may look unimportant to the heed of the favor-seeking, young, aspiring minister, it is all the same true that if God had not thought them important, He would non accept put them in His word. Things that have to practise with social guild and standards of holiness which are "pooh-poohed" by the suave, slick, psychology-oriented, young government minister are nevertheless absolutely essential to the spiritual success of a God-ordered local assembly. If precious verses in God'south holy, anointed, eternal Word were used by the great men of God of sometime to give usa instruction and governmental precepts, then certainly they must be needed, and they are not open to debate.

God would not accept spent time putting things in His Word which are frivolous or unimportant. The allegation of those men who merits that "majoring on minors" may exist justified where men practice not sympathize the "first things offset" of the gospel. Only, on the other hand, this certainly does not justify straying from what God's give-and-take admittedly and clearly projects to us equally role of God's revelation. And we must never forget that the homo of God in i of his very first responsibilities is responsible to protect the revelations that God has made available for the human race. Nosotros must recall that in I Corinthians 4:2, Paul tells united states,

            "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found true-blue."

The 2nd responsibleness of a steward is to overstate the holdings of his master or possessor. He is not only a protector but also an investor. The give-and-take occupy has two meanings. In a passive sense, occupy does mean to protect that for which we have been made responsible. Even so, as we shall see in this parable, the principal pregnant of occupy is not to protect, but to invest. 1 of the great challenges to the human of God is to be both a protector and investor simultaneously. If there is anywhere the responsibilities of the man of God can exist divided into general classes, maybe information technology is in this area of protectors and investors.

Many men would never dream of forsaking the truths revealed in God's Word. Still, as called men of God, they are very poor spiritual investors and are going to have very little turn a profit to show at the Lord'south return. On the other manus, there are those of whom we spoke previously who are expert investors but have forsaken (and fatally so) their duties of protecting truth. Hence, all of their investing is purposeless hi that the kingdom that they are edifice no longer is accepted of the Lord anyway.

This side by side portion is written on the assumption that the human being of God who is the reader is already a steward in the sense of being a protector. It is imperative that earlier a man exist a good investor—steward in God'southward kingdom—he must first be a good protector-steward. The protector stage of stewardship must precede the investor phase of stewardship. A homo must beginning know what the boundaries of the kingdom of Jesus are. He must know the circumscribed perimeters of the truths that he is attempting to give to the homo race. It is impossible for him to exist a proficient investor if he does non understand the "stuff" he is investing. Simply one time a homo knows the Owner well, and knows the material to be invested, and picks upwards the spirit and conviction necessary to protect the things to be invested, and so he is responsible to begin to invest.

This side of stewardship is not defensive but rather offensive. It is not a passive stewardship. It is not the cautious, conservative heart of protectionism, simply rather the care-less, abandoned, chance-taking that is necessary to enlarge the borders of the kingdom. It requires that the active best be brought out of a man. It requires planning, perseverance, and conclusion, boldness, and willingness to sacrifice. This aspect of churchly stewardship must be strongly emphasized to each of us, whether or not it is a pleasant idea.

It is a fact that most men live a long manner from the exertion of their best. It is something that is preached about and idealized and dreamed nearly in the minds of men who vicariously alive information technology through the lives of others, such as the apostles. Still, this is not the mode that Jesus Christ meant for it to exist. Jesus meant for every human being of God to accept personally God's admonishments to work to his highest potential. He meant for His men to be as diligent in their fulfilling of the perfect will of God as was the Son of God. He fully intends this call to be an all-consuming, lifetime, all-encompassing occupation. He not only desires u.s.a. to take success—He demands it. He not only promised the possibilities of producing gain but requires it as an absolute necessity to exist pleasing to Him as a responsible steward in His kingdom on earth.

Near men seldom, if always, exert their all-time in a lengthy concerted fashion. In fact, many men do not realize what they are capable of. They have never "jumped in" faith and wrestled their way through with no idea of failure or defeat. Somewhere, to really break through, a man must invariably come to that place.

Note that when the nobleman came back from his far journey, he came back to find out how much every man had "gained by trading." The get-go ane to whom God had committed a portion of His kingdom while He was gone came to the Lord, saying, "Lord, thy pound hath gained 10 pounds." Then notice the Master's reply. He said unto him,

            "Well done, thy expert retainer: because thousand hast been faithful in a very little, have k potency over ten cities."

What a multiplied reward God gives for just a footling faithfulness in fulfilling the position of steward! And a 2nd came saying,

"Lord, thy pound hast gained v pounds." And the Lord said unto him also, "Be thou as well over v cities." And another came, saying, "Lord, behold here is thy pound, which I have kept laid upwardly in a napkin; for I feared thee, because 1000 art an austere man: thou takest up that 1000 layest not down, and reapest that yard didst not sow."

Please observe that this third man, recorded in the parable, did more than talking than the first 2 put together.

Some people accept a real penchant for making excuses. This man had a well-thought-out list of clear-cut reasons why he acted as he did. There is no doubt that he felt absolutely confident that, even though others may not have practiced reasons for not having gained by investing that which they were given, he did have good reasons, which would surely stand up earlier the Lord. After all, had he not successfully protected that which had been given to him? Did he not keep safely that portion of the kingdom which had been committed to him? Oh, friend, if there is any passage of Scripture that ought to brand the apostolic preacher tremble lest he be non-productive, it is this one! For out of the very words of his excuse, Christ replies to him,

"…Out of thine own oral fissure will I judge thee, thou wicked retainer. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking upwards that I laid non down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gayest not my money into the bank, that at my coming I might accept required mine own with usury?…Have from him the pound and give information technology to him that hath ten pounds."

And they said unto him, "Lord, he hath ten pounds." It is at this point that Christ gave that great, seemingly paradoxical statement concerning the apportionment of the goods of his kingdom. In verse 26, he says,

"Unto everyone who hath shall be given: and from him that hath not, even that he has shall be taken away from him."

Have you ever wondered why it is that it seems like some men but constantly keep to be blessed? Has it ever occurred to y'all that it seems as though some people have special favor with God? Nosotros know that God treats everybody and respects all human beings as equally to their innate value. However, has it ever occurred to you that some people seem to be at "the right place at the right time," to receive the richest of God's all-time?

Well, this is no accident. It is God's manner. On the other hand, have you ever seen someone who is not blessed of God, and notices that others are, and constantly becomes more than disgruntled with his own position? And as his complaints get louder and his bitterness goes deeper, it seems like his life becomes even more devoid of the blessings of God, until finally, at long last, he has worked himself into a rut of defeatism and excuses from which he never will extricate himself? Or worse yet, he loses out with God and backslides and blames his failures upon everything and everybody except himself.

Some lay the blame upon the "politics of the brethren." They lay the blame on the fact that "I don't have the right family name to be anything." Others insist that they fail considering they have not been blessed with education, or natural talent, or gifted abilities to speak, or a hundred other mundane reasons. The existent fact of the thing is that they are completely blinded concerning the reasons for their lack of blessings. In the parable, notice that from him who did non accept was taken even that which he had! And information technology was given to him who had the most!

This is how God works. If you want more of His blessings, yous must first invest what you have. And the more you invest and gain, the more He gives to you lot. God volition never commit Himself to a servant who is not willing to invest what he already has. The Campaigner John made this same observation in his day when he stated in John two:24, 25, "But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed non that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man."

Product

God expects and demands production. In the church building historic period Christ did not prepare His ministry building to merely "hold its own," but rather to go forward and win the lost. To enlarge His kingdom, to further the growth of His Church building. To push back the frontiers of Satan. To permeate this globe with light. To lead lost men to truth and hope. In fact, Jesus teaches us that existence productive brings both the minister and the saints real joy. John 15:5,

            "the same bringeth forth much fruit. "

(viii) Herein is my Begetter glorified, that ye comport much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples."

(11) "These things take I spoken unto yous, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."

It is clear from this portion of Scripture that God's glory abounds just as we bear much fruit. Some would say, "But that means fruit of the spirit, non fruit of winning souls." This is an invalid argument. Any time the true fruit of the spirit is manifested, souls will be won. Soulwinning is a natural outgrowth of a fruitful spiritual life. Nosotros must simply face it—Christ expects and demands of the states to conduct fruit. However, He never expects u.s.a. to do anything that He has not empowered us to exercise. If we are not begetting fruit, we are just non where we ought to be with Christ. It is time to act! Let us exercise then now!

This article "What Did He Mean, Occupy Till I Come?" past Nathaniel J. Wilson was excerpted from the book Evidently Talk about the Human being of God and His Work. March 2011. It may be used for study & enquiry purposes only.

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Source: https://www.apostolic.edu/what-did-he-mean-occupy-till-i-come-entire-article/

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