Occupy This World Till I Come

or

God will require an accounting! 

 

Text: Luke 19:11:27                                                                    

 

Occupy Wall Street has been an on going event since it was first mentioned in mid- July of this year.  It has grown exceedingly and expeditiously since being brought up by a magazine article and has exploded because of internet access for people who wish to unite with this cause.

 

Originally the movement was suggested by an activist group from Canada called Adbuster Media Foundation.  At the time they had one simple agenda- “a presidential commission to separate money from politics- we start setting the agenda for a new America.”

 

The movement, which seems to lack leadership and a concrete written agenda, has brought together people from all walks of life.  According to a recent Associated Press report, dated October 10, the people protesting are of many different age groups, genders, and races.

 

Of those protesting, it has been widely reported that most are liberal in their political affiliations.  However, it should be noted that many are anarchists, socialists, and environmentalists. Many observers have described the scene as the blind leading the blind.  Many are reported as having their own personal agendas rather than a clear cut organization.

 

This mass protest, which at times has not only edged on violence has continued strong in New York City for several weeks. Many on the internet and privately have longed for a violent act to catapult their agenda. Some have called for a “Kent State” moment, in reference to the Vietnam War protests in the 1960’s.

 

Some have likened this action to the American Revolution of the 1700’s.  Others have drawn comparisons to the Civil Rights Movement of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Still others praise this as the American version of the Arab Spring Movement of this past summer which was a part of the Egyptian Revolution.  Their battle cry is “I am 1 of a 99 percenter.”

 

From my vantage point I see an angry mob that has no real clue as to why they are angry.  Proverbs 22:24 states: Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:  According to www.occupywallstreet1.com “There have been a few lists of demands circulating the Internet, but no official list. Most of the demands center around finding jobs, student loans, and trying to discover how they can finish their education when there is no money left. Some demands also center on globalism, the environment, and immigration. But many of them center on the problem of a small group of wealthy big players influencing the political and economic system for their own benefit, at the expense of everyone else.”

Can I just say, if you need to find a job- then look for work.  If you need to finish your education and you do not have any money left, may I suggest you stop protesting and begin to pursue the jobs that are available.  

 

I say that to set the stage for our message from God’s Word.  Luke 19 is a great Chapter.  Jesus sees a little man in a sycamore tree.  He sees his stature.  He sees his sin.  He sees him saved.  Happylujah! 

 

In verse 10 Jesus makes the great proclamation about His ministry.  Luke 19:10 - For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.   I am glad He came seeking me, because I may never have found Him.

 

Now, Jesus turns aside and heads to Jerusalem.  He begins a journey to celebrate His final Passover; when He would become the everlasting Passover Lamb. 

 

Those travelling with Jesus had the impression that this was a conquering political march to Jerusalem. The Pharisees believed the purpose for Jesus existence was to establish Himself as the World Ruler.  Look back at Luke 17:20 - And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

 

Jesus’ disciples were caught up with the grandeur of Jesus being the Emperor and they being the special assistants.  They were excited about the idea of ruling and reigning with Jesus in Jerusalem. 

 

Before we castigate the disciples for their mistake- it is possible for good men to be mistaken.  I can not tell you how many times during the Nixon administration, good men of God, told me Henry Kissinger was the anti-Christ. 

 

Jesus is fixing to set the story straight.  It is a teaching time for His closest companions.  It is a moment for the Master to minister the maxim of truth.  As so many times before, He is using a parable to get the disciples attention.

 

He sets the stage by telling them a noblemen was going to go to a far country and receive a kingdom and then return.  There are two key statements made in verse 12- The man was leaving and the man was coming back.  It was no secret what this man was about to do.  They would see Him leave and they would know when He returned.

 

He calls 10 servants.  Gives each one a pound of money and tells them to, “Occupy till I come.”   In doing so, there are a mess of people really disgusted.  The Bible tells us these citizens hated Him.  They sent a message ahead of Him telling others they did not want this man to rule over them. 

 

He comes back and requires an accounting of those that were told to occupy.  The first took one talent and made it 10.  The second took one and made it 5.  The third kept it for a keepsake and was reprimanded.  He had his money taken away and given to the man that had 10.

 

What was Jesus saying?  First, of all, Jesus is referring to Himself as the nobleman.  He would soon after his death, burial, and resurrection ascend to heaven and fulfill the promise of John 14:1-3.  He calls his servants, His followers and gives them a pound a piece and states- “Occupy till I come.”

 

That word occupy is a strange word.  The Greek word occupy is the word pragmateuomai.  It means to busy oneself or to trade or make money.  Jesus is saying to his beloved. I am leaving this earth to go to Heaven.  You have this promise that I am returning.  Until such a time that I return, you have been given this pound.  This possession.  Do something with it. Note the intent in verse 15- … then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.   

 

What a picture of the return of Jesus Christ. We see Jesus, the servants, and the citizens.  There is going to be an accounting of what we did with what He gave us.  Now, there are four things I want you to notice from this portion of Scripture.

 

I want you to see the faithful follower (16, 17). He comes up to this first person and requires an accounting of what he had done with his Master’s pound.  The servant steps up and states- Lord, I have made this one pound gain ten.  

 

This man (silly capitalist) took the order to heart. He knew that his Master had given him a pound and told him to occupy- to busy himself, to trade and make money.  He was a faithful man.  He followed his orders and was rewarded.  Note- the reward did not come because of potential but because of proven work history.

 

Then there is the faint hearted faithful (18, 19). He comes to the second person and requires accountability.  The man states he had been given one and had gained five.  Once again this man is rewarded.  But notice he is not rewarded to the same degree as was the first man.  Why?  His work was not the same.  Thus he was rewarded according to his labor.  Does this not help you to understand- God is not a socialist.

 

The third person is the fickle fan (20-27)  Here is a man that  had  the eye of his Master.  He was one of the one’s that was entrusted with the Master’s money.  Obviously he had done some things to garner such attention.  So the Master trusted him to do something with what he was given.  The Master leaves and the man takes what he was given to occupy and wrapped it up in a napkin and did nothing.  According to the statement the servant makes- He feared (respected) his Master so much that he was afraid to do anything.  So rather than obey the order to occupy he kept it in safe keeping.  You know where that thinking came from- the citizens.  More specifically the devil- II Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 

He thought it was more important to keep what he had been given than to be faithful and be obedient to what God had told him to do with that pound.  He was to reproduce that pound.  Even if he had only gained one pound- he would have been obedient because he would have been occupying.  As long as his Master was present he was there, but when the Lord left- he did nothing.

 

But wait a minute, there are those that had forsaken their fate. Ten servants were called.  Ten servants were given what the Master had to give.  Verse 27 indicates the enemies- those that hated Him were slain.  I believe that is the Tribulation period.  But we still have seven servants not mentioned; seven servants that seem to have disappeared from the pages of Scripture. 

 

They were called servants.  These seven were not lumped in with the citizens.  We might label them the sleeping, slothful, servants of the Saviour.  70% did nothing.  Seven were not even willing to stand before the Master.

 

Do not confuse this with Matthew 25 where some were given different talents.  All ten of these men were given the exact same thing.  All ten of these men were given the exact same instructions.  All ten of these men were responsible for their actions while they were occupying. 

 

Need I remind you, that if you are a child of God we have all been give the same directives.  We are to occupy this world till Jesus comes.  If you are saved, the day you got saved you were given the indwelling of the Holy Ghost of God to give you the courage and the unction to perform until the return of Christ His investment in you.  Every servant began with one pound.  What was the pound?  The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We are to perform everything in that gospel.

 

We are to do our best to win others to Jesus Christ.   

We are to be obedient to live right.  

 We are to separate ourselves to the cause of Jesus Christ.   

We are to tithe and give an offering.   

We are to help get and maintain Missionaries on the mission field.   

We are to grow in grace.   

We are to live by faith.  

 Do we not understand that as we are obedient to those directives of the Master that the pound we were given will be reproduced in the lives of others? 

 

When someone is saved and discipled we have reproduced that pound.  When we live for the Lord we reproduce that pound.  One of the reasons my children are not afraid to tithe, is because they saw Mom and Dad do so and they saw God bless.  The reason they are not afraid to bring their friends and co-workers to church, is because they have seen people get saved and God change their lives. 

 

We need to determine right now that occupying till Jesus comes is of far more value and far more eternal rewards than occupying Wall Street.  We need to set our sights on being that faithful follower who took that one pound and made it gain ten. 

 

Perhaps you would  admit that you are one of the seven.  Can I just encourage you?  There is still time to reproduce that pound.  The trumpet has not sounded.  Jesus has not appeared.  You can get about the task of occupying till Jesus comes.  You can begin to reproduce that pound over and over again.  What will you do with your pound?

 

 

Thank You for visiting this site. If we can be of help in any way, please do not hesitate to ask. Much Blessings on you and yours, Dr. Joseph A.Carson Northland Baptist Ministries