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Unprofitable Servants!/Flatteries! By Pastor Bill Taylor A publication of My Father's House, inc. Volume 6//Issue 15 Which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he’s come in from the field, “Come at once and sit down to eat?” But won’t he rather say to him, “Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I’ve eaten and drunk, and afterward you’ll eat and drink?” Does he thank that servant because he did the things commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you’ve done all those things which you’re commanded, say, “We’re unprofitable servants. We’ve done what was our duty to do.” (Lk17:7-10) As true believers we must consider ourselves servants of God – Jesus Himself said, “I’m among you as the One who serves.” (Lk22:27) But here Jesus teaches that if we’re really God’s servants we don’t have the right to determine when we’re done serving. Unfortunately the Spiritual Truth Jesus is showing in this passage is being violated by almost every professing “christian” in the modern “churches.” The great multitudes of professing “christians” today are invariably limiting the service they give God not according to what God expects of them but according to what they’re willing to give and they’re very much like a servant who comes in from tending sheep and when the master says “Now it’s time for you to fix my supper” the servant replies, “No, I’ve done enough. I’m not going to do any more.” And we see this spirit in “christians” who say, “Going to church once or twice a week is more than sufficient.” It’s not up to you to decide how often you should go to church. It’s up to God to decide that. (Heb10:25) Or they say, “I think reading my bible once or twice a week is sufficient.” It isn’t up to you. If you’re the servant and Christ is Lord, you aren’t the one who prescribes how much you do for God but Christ does. Look at Paul when he says, Brethren, I don’t count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13,14) He’s offering himself to God in an unlimited way. Consider the thief who was crucified with Christ. He dies with Christ and is saved. (Lk23:40-43) God ordained him to that purpose. So he served his purpose and finished his race just in the fact that he met the Savior on the cross, recognized Him, admitted his own sin, saw the righteousness of Christ and trusted in Him when God gave him this opportunity. And it all happened in a few hours while he was hanging there next to Christ. So God created that thief and he was foreordained in the mind of God, from the foundations of time, that his race would be finished in one day, because God is the One who created us. We’re His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for what God determines is the good work we’re to accomplish. And that man completed the work God created him for. Though he was only a Christian for a day, he’ll still be a Christian forever because God put him in the right place at the right time and showed him to have a right heart and so he was found acceptable to Christ. Shortly after His crucifixion/resurrection Jesus says Peter is going to die a martyr’s death. (Jn21:18,19) Peter serves the Lord for over 30 years before he was crucified upside down in the persecutions of Nero. He finished his race with joy at that time. Paul also finished his race about the same time, fulfilling everything Christ expected of him. But John had to serve another 30+ years. John’s work extended much longer than any of the other apostles as Jesus said of him. “If I will that he remain till I come, what’s that to you? You follow Me.” (Jn21:22) So who determines when your work is finished? God – not you! In the Martyrs Mirror, we’ve seen the testimonies of many martyrs who even when they were suffering extraordinary tortures didn’t themselves dare to say, “God, I’ve suffered enough.” If God intended their suffering would go on for hours or days or even weeks, the patience of the martyrs was, “God, You’ll determine when my suffering ends, not me because Jesus is Lord and not me. And whatever He requires of me He’ll give me the grace to endure.” So also we must apply this to our daily lives. “When is our work for God done?” You get up in the morning – you pray – you read your bible – you spend time with the Lord. So how long are you to pray? Until the Spirit says enough! One of our boys mentioned this morning that he could have stopped short in his devotions. He had four verses he was prepared to share with the church and he thought, “That’s good enough, you can go do other things now.” But deep in his heart he felt, “No, this isn’t enough. I need more.” So he prayed and read his bible until the Spirit told him enough. And God gave him a wonderful revelation to share in our bible study and before we’re done here I’m going to bring up the very scriptures God gave him because he stayed in the place of serving the Lord until the Lord said he was done and God blessed him and us for his obedience because God honors those who honor Him. Those who’ll say, “Lord, I’ll stop when You’re done” instead of “When I’m done” always find God has more for them. So wait on the Lord until He says you’ve done enough. Pray until He says you’ve prayed enough. And do as much as He has for you to do because you’re the servant and He’s the Lord. You tend the Lord’s sheep, then you come in and fix the Lord’s dinner and that is what we’ve been doing at My Father’s House for many years. We have church 6-7 days a week. Why? Because we never said what’s enough. We let God determine what’s enough and God likes having lots of church. (Heb10:25) And we have bible studies with our children almost every day. And each of us has our personal daily devotions. All these things shame the “believers” around us who don’t do very much because they stop when they want to. And we do so much more because we don’t stop until God wants to. And that’s why we get so many extraordinary blessings from God in knowing Him and having His presence lead us. (Heb11:6) For The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. (Ps37:23) Do you think the steps God orders only have to do with where you’re going today? I tell you, God’s ordering our steps all the way to Heaven. He orders our steps as a congregation. He’s ordered our steps in years past teaching us how to worship, to prophesy and receive healings. These things He’s already taught us – teaching us step by step in the church. He’s guiding us in publishing The Glory of His Grace and setting up our internet site. And if it takes a greater faith to do more, He’s going to order our steps to get to the greater faith. And there’s almost no telling how far we can go because God is ordering our steps and we aren’t deciding when we’ve done enough. We’re only righteously able to say we’ve done enough when the Spirit says so. Every evening, after church when I return home there’s always more work to do; church letters, bookkeeping and you might think I’ve done enough. So finally it’s time to go to bed but I can tell you how many times my wife and I stay up to have a Spiritual conversation because God isn’t done yet. And we don’t tell God when we’ve done enough. But you know what? Most “christians” do. But it’s an awesomely foolish thing to do to tell God we’ve done enough. Recently, I heard someone pray they wanted to be more than an unprofitable servant. They wanted to become a “profitable” servant. But if you could become profitable servants you’d have something of which to boast which is contrary to that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1Cor1:29) So as Jesus teaches we’re never to think of ourselves as a profitable servant. But we are to be obedient servants and when we’ve obeyed in everything God requires of us we’ve only done our duty and must still think of ourselves as “unprofitable” servants or nothing special! Because God’s Word is perfect – nothing can be added to it – nothing can be taken away from it. Because God’s will is perfect – nothing can be added to it – nothing can be taken away from it. So even Jesus never indicated that He ever did more than the Father asked of Him. It’s not possible to do more than the Father asks of you without getting into sin. Because if you are doing more than God asks of you, you’re in presumption – you’re adding something unnecessary to His Word or to His will, so you’re outside of His plan – you’re doing something that is going to mess things up. (See Lev10:1-3) To be perfect is to be complete in obedience but not excessive. To be complete in our obedience is perfection. And there’s nothing we should desire except to be perfect and complete in all the will of God and that we would fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power. (2Th1:11) that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work…(Col 1:10) Now if we’ve done everything He’s asked of us then we’re without condemnation. Consider the unprofitable servant. The master isn’t mad at him. Jesus is just saying that the master isn’t going to pat him on the back because he’s done what was expected. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Rom12:1) It’s only reasonable that we should give everything to God. One thing we must understand about what Jesus means in calling us unprofitable is this: slavery was allowed in the days of the bible and in those days it wasn’t a race issue it was a poverty issue. Slaves were often people who got into debt and couldn’t get out. Now suppose I was made a slave because I owed somebody $1,000,000 and I wasn’t able to pay it back. Now I could work the rest of my life and never repay the $1,000,000. In fact, if I work as hard as I can I might not even pay the interest I owe on my debt. Do you get some idea what God means by unprofitable? In such a case if I’m the very best servant I can be I’m still not making a profit for my master. He’s still losing money on me. But if I’m being the best servant I can be I at least owe him to be that. Now concerning the offerings that were taken up by David for the temple Solomon was going to build David makes this statement, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we’ve given You.” (1Chr29:14) Here again we can understand what it means to be unprofitable. How can we possibly make a profit for God when all we’re giving Him is what He gave us? How can there be any possibility of us giving Him back more than He’s given us in the first place when we can give nothing back but what He gave us – because we have nothing else to give – because apart from Him we can do nothing – because the only thing available to give is what He first gave us? He gave us life and all the things that pertain to it and there’s nothing else that can be given back to Him except what He’s already given. So in the sense Jesus is speaking of profitability it’s not possible for us to be profitable servants. But it is possible for us to be faithful servants, pleasing servants, devoted servants – holy servants – consecrated servants. It’s possible for us to be adoring, grateful, loving servants. It’s possible for us to be “fruitful” servants, bringing Him an increase on some particular things He’s entrusted to us. (Mt25:20,21) There are many things we can do that would make us good and faithful servants but we’re never to look at ourselves as profitable servants. And what we must understand is the moment you begin to look at yourself as a profitable servant you get into pride and you’re thinking of yourself more highly than you ought. (Gal 6:3) Pride is the worst of all sins. It’s the sin that caused Lucifer to fall when he began to think of himself as something instead of recognizing he was nothing but what God made him to be. I am what I am by the grace of God. (1Cor15:10) No matter how laborious, how wise, how fruitful Paul is in his labors and he says he labors more abundantly than the other apostles, still he credits it all back to the grace of God. This is what God has called me to be and if I’m to fulfill my race with joy I must do what God expects of me. And if that means I have to serve longer than others or I’m going to have church seven times a week then I am going to give glory to God for the grace He’s given me to serve Him in the way that He’s allowing me to serve Him because it isn’t me that is doing it. It’s Christ in me that’s doing it. It’s the calling He’s given me. It’s what I’ve been created to be: His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for this good work, (Eph2:10) so I’m only returning to Him what’s His due. The tragedy is most “christians” don’t see it that way. They think anything they give to God is a profit to Him and He ought to pat them on the back and be grateful for every little thing they give. And they don’t understand that they can’t even attain to where the unprofitable servant is until they’ve given all. So most “believers” today haven’t even attained to being “unprofitable” servants. They’re not faithful servants. They’re not pleasing servants. They aren’t fruitful servants. In fact they aren’t even servants as long as they’re determining how far they’ll go and not letting Christ determine that. They’re arguing with God. When He says, “Pray a little longer” and they say, “No, I’ve prayed enough.” When He says, “I want you to go to this church” and they say, “No, I want to go to that one.” They’re disobedient and not servants. So the obedient servant doesn’t complain but waits on his Lord until He says he’s done. And the obedient servant realizes it’s my duty to do all that Christ asks of me, whether to die a martyr’s death or spend years ministering in a foreign country or whatever. God has created me – He’s saved me – He’s given me His promise of eternal inheritance and how He wants to use me is up to Him. Now is it up to me to tell someone else how He’s going to use them? – except it’s right to teach them to obey Him. Also there are times when God must use the stronger ones to bear with the weak. (Rom15:1) In order to bring the church into Spirituality the strong may do more than what you’d think is their fair share. Even so, we’re only doing what He tells us to do. So we aren’t profitable, but at best we’re only obedient. Doing all He tells us to do without placing limits on Him brings us to the place of being unprofitable servants but not wicked or disobedient servants. And how far from God must they be who aren’t even obedient and who decide themselves how much service they’ll give God and they don’t ask God when He is done – but tell Him when they’re done, and how far from Christ is that spirit? If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where is the wicked? (1Pt4:18) And if the righteous know they’re unprofitable servants, that keeps them from pride so, “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” (2Cor10:17) And that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1Cor1:29) All we’ve done is our duty. But we can know when we come to the end of our race having done our duty that He’ll say, “Well done.” But to those who don’t obey, those who put limits on their service – those who say, “Fix Your own dinner, Jesus. I’m going to feed myself and go to bed.” They aren’t going to hear “well done” because not only are they not profitable they’re unpleasing, unfaithful, and disobedient. So the highest we can attain to is to be unprofitable but obedient. For we know whatever we give back to Him is less than He’s given to us, which means we’re the ones who made a profit on Him not that He made a profit on us. Would that I could be profitable to Him but all I can do is give Him back what He’s given. And I can’t even give Him back all that He’s given, can I? I can just give Him back as much as He gives me the grace to give back. So we can never see ourselves as profitable, and that protects us from pride – keeps us in a place of seeing our relationship to God and men rightly. So this teaching about the unprofitable servant is a powerful and enlightening Spiritual Truth we can thank God for, in showing me how unprofitable I am even at my best. And we do pray, Lord, You’ll help us be the best unprofitable servant we can be, while we know we can’t ever give You back more than You’ve already given. Prophecy: There’s a proverb among men that God is found in the details. And I tell you My people this isn’t untrue. For I’m found in the details and I’m found in the principal things also. And even as the Spirit of Christ has spoken in My Word “you need to do the one and not leave the other undone,” so to those who desire to glorify My name, I’m instructing you that I’m found not only in the big things, but in the little. And when you’re trustworthy to do the small things unto My glory, haven’t I said then you can be trusted with greater things. So you’re to keep your eyes open to all the things that pertain to My glory and do all things well. For it glorifies Me when you do all things well. Even as in your own work, your own home, your own business, you respect the one who pays attention to the details and does all things well, so do I. And the one who truly pays attention to the details shows he cares for My glory. For the little things glorify Me as well as the large, saith the Lord. (Prophecy delivered at “My Father’s House”) Flatteries! He who speaks flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children will fail. (Job17:5) Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone; nor let me flatter any man. For I don’t know how to flatter, else my Maker would soon take me away. (Job32:21,22) For there’s no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction; their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue. (Ps5:9) They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things. (Ps12:2,3) To deliver you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words, (Pr2:16) He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore don’t associate with one who flatters with his lips. (Pr20:19) A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin. (Pr26:28) A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. (Pr29:5) It’s a common error among many so called “church” people to misinterpret God’s Word because they don’t seek the Lord for understanding when they read the scriptures but look to their own human wisdom. So they come up with what they think is Christian behavior; yet it looks nothing like Jesus. As concerning the word that says “speak evil of no one” (Tit3:2) what happens in many so called churches is the members speak flattery to everyone. They think “we’re not to speak anything detrimental or critical” because they wrongly interpret “speak evil of no one” as to never say anything negative. “If you can’t say something good (positive), don’t say anything at all,” is a worldly saying and not in agreement with scripture. So they flatter thinking “flattery” means saying something positive! Whereas speaking evil doesn’t mean speaking something negative and speaking “flattery” isn’t speaking good. Jesus often spoke negative about people. He was often criticizing, showing people what was wrong with their behavior. Jesus answered and said to them, “You’re mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.” (Mt22:29) The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but don’t do according to their works; for they say, and don’t do. (Mt23:2,3) But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. (Mt23:13) Speaking evil is speaking something that’s untrue such as to repeat gossip or “idle” words or to repeat a slander or something harmful which hasn’t been proven to be true. We’re commanded to speak the Truth in love. (Eph4:15) But often we encounter “believers” who think they’re being Spiritual when they don’t say anything except what’s complimentary, like “Isn’t that person sweet?” Often they’ll make a forced effort to flatter or compliment everyone they talk to thinking that’s Spirituality. But does that make them look like Jesus? Because if it doesn’t, it’s not Spirituality. And in fact: Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets. (Lk6:26) When “christians” are a people everyone speaks well of, then they’re really false “christians.” When people speak compliments that aren’t the Truth in love, they’re speaking flattery. Flattery is speaking “good” falsely about people or for selfish reasons. They mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. (Jude16) If you’re speaking flattery you’re doing what a false prophet does in the hope that all men will speak well of you. Consider the way Jesus spoke to His apostles – how often He rebuked them for having too little faith (Mt16:8) – how He instructed James and John when they wanted to be seated at His right and left hand. (20:22,23) He didn’t speak flattery to them. He said, “This isn’t given to you.” When His disciples are forbidding children to come to Him He rebukes them. (Lk18:16) When Peter speaks presumptuously, Jesus says, “Get behind Me satan.” (Mt16:23) Jesus never tries to buy His disciples love thru flatteries. He never tickled their ears with the kind of talk that comes out of a lot of “believers'” mouths today. He corrected them when they needed it. He commended them when they did right but He didn’t ignore what they did wrong. I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you can’t bear those who are evil. And you’ve tested those who say they’re apostles and aren’t, and have found them liars; and you’ve persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and haven’t become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you’ve left your first love. Remember therefore from where you’ve fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I’ll come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place-- unless you repent. (Rev2:2-5) There’s no flattery here! Though Jesus commends them for doing good, He doesn’t ignore what they’re doing wrong. Many false teachers today say we should ignore the wrong and just commend people for whatever good they’re doing, Jesus says if you don’t repent for the wrong He’ll come quickly and take away your church (lampstand) in spite of all the good you’re doing! That’s what we see today in the false churches that interpret the Word by looking at just one part of it, “Don’t speak evil” but don’t ask the Lord what it means to “not speak evil.” So they erroneously think to not speak evil means only say “good things” which to them means flattering things. So they become the very people who speak well of the false brethren. By falsely speaking “well” they fall into the very category Jesus warns against saying, Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets. (Lk6:26) But, “Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.” (Lk6:22,23) Jesus tells us true Christians will be slandered by the wicked who falsely speak “evil” of them but false prophets are “flattered” by the wicked who falsely speak “well” of them. And those “churches” and “believers” err who interpret scriptures by human understanding without looking to the whole of the Word instead of just a verse or two and who don’t even look to the behavior of Jesus or Paul who often corrected the churches and never flattered them. Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. Now in giving these instructions I don’t praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. (1Cor11:2,17) If the eyes of your understanding are enlightened (Eph1:18) you can see this behavior that’s erroneously passing for Spirituality in many “churches” is unChrist-like. It’s actually false prophet-like. And yet such “christians” do it because they think the Word of God tells them to. But the Word of God they’re looking at isn’t being interpreted correctly. They’ve come up with their own erroneous interpretation of the Word not God’s interpretation. They’re looking at what they think the Word says instead of saying, “Jesus show us what this means.” Then when they’re trying to walk in what they think it means they stumble into the very errors other parts of the Word warn against, because they don’t look at the whole Word, through the Spirit. People who look to the Word and not to the Spirit err because without the Spirit they can’t interpret the Word properly. So their “christianity” becomes an aberration –a farce. It doesn’t look like Jesus. Whereas those who are truly saying, “Jesus, show me the way, teach me how to obey Your Word by the Spirit” will see that when He shows us the way He does it and when we do what He shows us we look like Him. (2Cor3:18) And if we look like Him we’re neither slanderers nor flatterers but a people who speak the Truth in love. Consider Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. (1Tim1:20) And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who’ve strayed concerning the Truth, saying the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. (2Tim2:17,18) for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world… Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him… (2Tim4:10,14,15) I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, doesn’t receive us. Therefore, if I come, I’ll call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself doesn’t receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, don’t imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil hasn’t seen God. (3Jn9-11) The apostles aren’t afraid to speak the Truth about evil people that they may warn others to avoid such behavior. When God gives a commandment not to speak evil, He’s not giving the devil a shield to hide behind – that he can do evil and we can’t warn people. Rather God is teaching us not to be participants in satan’s wicked gossips, lies and slanders against righteous and innocent men. So you see how the devil wants to put us in bondage with a false interpretation of “speak evil of no one” so he and his wicked cohorts can operate unhindered in the churches with no one rebuking them. But God’s true Word has set us free to speak the Truth in love, to confront sin and warn our brethren about evil people whenever it’s needful! Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such don’t serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. (Rom16:17,18) Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Heb13:20,21) Prophecy: You want victory and you want to be a glorious awesome church in this world? You want to be a people that honor and glorify Me, who’ll reign victorious over the enemy? You want to be that people and I can make you that people. But I tell you, there’s another people who want that, all around you, the false church wants it. They want to be a great, unified, big, glorious church that reigns, but none of them want to look like My Son. None of them want to let Christ reign in them. None of them really want to show forth the glory and the power of the only one fit to reign, Jesus. But if you’ll be the people who’ll take hold of Me, cling to Me, look to Me, and become like Me, if you’ll be the people who’ll crucify everything to let My Son live in you, I tell you, I’ll make you a people who are glorious and victorious because what I will honor is My Son. My Son is the most honorable being that ever walked this earth, the most glorious and mighty being that ever walked this earth. And if you want to be unto the glory of God, become like My Son. (Prophecy delivered at “My Father’s House”)
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