30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
LUKE 19 11-27 TO EVERYONE WHO HAS, WILL BE GIVEN 22 Zealous for good works
📖 Luke 19:11-27
30Dec2020 - *Zealous for good works* - _Luke 19:11-27_ - TO EVERYONE WHO HAS, WILL BE GIVEN 22 – Bible reading: _Ephesians 2:8-10_
_Luke 19:22-23 And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. (23) Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'_
We are the property of the Creator the Owner and He expects results out of our lives. He has not brought each of us into the world, just to drift through life but fulfil His purpose.
Let us, therefore, go over our purpose statement once again.
_We are citizens of the kingdom of God here on earth, redeemed and reconciled back to God, through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. This world is being driven by the evil one, through man, who has become his prisoner._
_We, citizens of the kingdom of God, live and work, fulfilling all the elements of the creation or cultural mandate, in the image of God, which is to give of Himself. With all diligence, we use the capital that God has invested us with, in the enablement and wisdom of the Holy Spirit._
_The kingdom of God has already begun, which will come into its full effect when the Messiah returns. As we prayerfully await His return, we reach out to an audience that is rejecting God but with boldness and love._
_In the eternal kingdom of Jesus, we will continue with the theme of having dominion, which was our theme here on earth. We will be assigned roles and responsibilities, depending upon the results that we produced here on earth, with the capital that God has invested in each of us._
We are the planting of the Lord that He may be glorified in and through our lives.
_Isaiah 61:3-4 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, *The planting of the LORD*, that He may be glorified." (4) And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations._
This is the concern of God. There are people around us whose life is in ashes. We are here to convert the state of their ashes into beauty. We are here on earth to convert the state of heaviness in which people are in, into that of praise.
As you go through the passage in Isaiah, we can see the concern of God which is why He has brought each of us into the world. This is what fruit-bearing is all about, for we are here to nourish the lives of people around us.
_Luke13:6-7 He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. (7) Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; *why does it use up the ground?*'_
Consider the question that the owner asked the keeper of the vineyard. “Why does this fig tree use up the ground?”
The owner was earning from the vineyard. If the space occupied by the fig tree could be planted with vines, his profits would increase. This is the same reasoning that needs to be understood with which the Lord considers each of us.
*It is a matter of ROI*, which all of us understand very well. Yet, when it comes to our eternal relationship with the Lord, we switch to a life of wandering and we assume that the Lord will overlook our life of meandering because of His grace. Are we being profitable for His purposes is the big question?
_Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast. (10) For we are His workmanship, *created in Christ Jesus for good works*, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them._
Our being saved by grace through faith is not for us to rest and glory in our salvation but to produce results for the Master.
_I Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, *that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light*; (10) who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy._
We are here to proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. Our proclamation is both by our life and words.
_Titus 2:14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself *His own special people, zealous for good works*._
*Thought to ponder*
```Are you being profitable to your owner?```