MY LORD DELAYETH HIS COMING
MATTHEW 24:32-51
Key verse: v. 48, “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;”
Introduction:
The Lord is coming again soon. However, there are skeptics among those who profess to be born again Christians who do not believe that the Lord is coming soon. They are those who have fallen away from serving the Lord in His churches.
The Scriptures speak of two types of servants. One, the true believer and the other is a professed believer whose life does not show his faith.
I. THE TRUE SERVANT IS…
A. Listening to God’s admonition, Proverbs 8:6-8, “Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. 7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.”
B. Watching for the Lord’s return, Luke 12:37, “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
1. Watching the sky, Matthew 24:27, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
a. The world will have become Satan’s domain, 2 Thessalonians 2:8, “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:”
b. Many people will have been corrupted by false prophets, Matthew 24:24, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
2. Listening for the sound of the trump of God, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
II. THE EVIL SERVANT IS…
A. Taking note of other things, Matthew 16:3, “And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”
1. They see what we see, but without understanding, 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
2. The Lord spoke in parables many times to reveal things to His people only, Matthew 13:10-11, 13, “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.”
3. Their heart has become hard, Matthew 13:15, “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
B. Thinking, “My Lord is delaying his return,” vs. 48-49; Ezekiel 12:27, “Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.”
1. He does not believe the Lord is coming and is set to do evil, Ecclesiastes 8:11, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
2. Like Israel thought of Moses on the mount, many professed “Christians” do not know what has happened to Jesus, Exodus 32:1, “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.”
3. “I will take advantage of his delay,”
a. He begins to smite his fellow servants, 2 Timothy 3:12,“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
b. His real nature comes out, 2 Peter 2:13-14, “And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:”
CONCLUSION
The Lord is coming back very soon. Don’t be among those that doubt and have fallen into sin because of their unbelief.
God’s people are looking. They are waiting patiently for His coming knowing that it will bring great blessings and rewards for faithful service to our King.