{"id":7865,"date":"2026-05-03T15:09:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T22:09:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/?p=7865"},"modified":"2026-05-03T15:09:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T22:09:05","slug":"joey-sampaga-waiting-working-for-the-masters-return-luke-1235-48","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/2026\/05\/03\/joey-sampaga-waiting-working-for-the-masters-return-luke-1235-48\/","title":{"rendered":"Joey Sampaga: Waiting & Working for the Master’s Return, Luke 12:35-48"},"content":{"rendered":"

Delivered by Pastor Joey | East Valley International Church | Gilbert, Arizona<\/em><\/strong>
\nText: Luke 12:35-48 (ESV)<\/span><\/p>\n

Abstract and summary of the pastor’s sermon:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Setting the Stage: From Worry to Watchfulness<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Pastor Joey opens by connecting this sermon to the previous study on worry and anxiety from Luke 12. He reminds the congregation that while life in this world makes a worry-free existence nearly impossible, Christ offers a light yoke and invites believers to lay their burdens on Him. God does not always remove trials, but the Holy Spirit walks with us through them, and faith emerges stronger on the other side. The previous lesson called believers to seek first the kingdom of God and to store up treasures in heaven rather than hoarding them on earth. With his trademark image of no one ever towing a U-Haul to their own funeral, Pastor Joey reminds the congregation that only deeds done for God accompany us into eternity.<\/p>\n

A Shift in Focus: From Possessions to the Future<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Today’s sermon pivots from how Christians view stuff<\/em> to how they view the future<\/em>. The Bible plainly teaches that Jesus will return to bring human history to a close, gather His people, and inaugurate the day of judgment. Pastor Joey delivers a sober warning: anyone present at Christ’s second coming who has not already trusted in Him faces a grim outlook. While salvation during the seven-year tribulation remains possible, it likely comes at the cost of martyrdom by beheading. The pastor’s response is direct and personal: better to put one’s faith in Christ now than to gamble on a far costlier conversion later.<\/p>\n

The Certainty of Christ’s Return<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Reading from Luke 12:35\u201348, Pastor Joey establishes the second coming as a core Christian belief \u2014 the grand finale of God’s redemptive plan that has been Plan A from the beginning. Verse 40 declares that the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. Jewish hearers would have immediately connected the title “Son of Man” to Daniel 7, where one like a son of man receives an everlasting dominion that all peoples and nations will serve. The event itself is certain; only the timing is hidden. Pastor Joey addresses the natural question of why Christ’s return has tarried for over two thousand years by turning to 2 Peter 3:8\u20139: the Lord delays not from slowness but from patience, unwilling that any should perish.<\/p>\n

Four Pictures of Spiritual Readiness<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Because the day and hour remain unknown, readiness must be a present-tense reality. Pastor Joey draws out four vivid word pictures from the passage. First, be dressed in readiness<\/strong><\/span> \u2014 an image rooted in the ancient practice of tucking long robes into a belt for action, echoing the Israelites at Passover preparing to leave Egypt at a moment’s notice. Practically, this means trusting Christ as Lord, attending church faithfully, reading Scripture regularly, fellowshipping with believers, and sharing the gospel with the lost. Second, keep your lamps burning<\/strong><\/span> \u2014 staying spiritually awake, walking by the light of God’s Word as Paul exhorts in 1 Thessalonians 5:2. Third, wait like servants for a master returning from a wedding feast<\/strong><\/span> \u2014 a picture that yields a stunning reward: the master himself girds his robe, seats his alert servants at the table, and serves them, foreshadowing the marriage supper of the Lamb. Fourth, be ready and alert, as for a thief in the night,<\/span> <\/strong>Christ’s return will be a complete surprise, and surprise is the thief’s chief weapon.<\/p>\n

The Faithful and the Unfaithful Servant<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

When Peter asks whether the parable applies to the disciples alone or to everyone, Jesus answers by contrasting two servants. The faithful and wise servant is found doing exactly what his master commanded and is rewarded with promotion and the privilege of reigning with Christ in His kingdom. The unfaithful servant assumes his master’s delay grants license to beat fellow servants, indulge in drunkenness, and live as he pleases \u2014 a portrait of the person who claims salvation but treats grace as permission to ignore God’s commands. His judgment is severe, and Pastor Joey underscores a sobering principle: greater spiritual knowledge brings greater responsibility, and harsher judgment for those who reject the truth they have received.<\/p>\n

Living in Light of His Return<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The only true preparation for the master’s return is forgiveness and transformation through the gospel \u2014 denying self, taking up the cross, and following Christ not to be saved but because we already are. Pastor Joey closes by urging the congregation to loosen their grip on temporary things, keep their robes tucked and lamps burning, and live each day with joyful anticipation of Christ’s return. He concludes in prayer, asking God to keep His people awake, undistracted, and faithful until the Savior comes.<\/p>\n