Live Ready

We are coming up on the Christmas season November 1 seems to mark the officially sanctioned that day when we are allowed to put lights up in the Hallmark Channel is allowed to start its incessant movie marathons about one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time. A true classic does not come on the Hallmark Channel height is HR Charles Dickens a Christmas Carol found the one with George. See Scott not Mickey Mouse. By the way, although that one is good also but the gist of the movie is that Ebenezer Scrooge is a greedy, heartless man.

He is a workaholic.

He is a miser. He scripts on paying his workers and he looks down on the knee. He despises Christmas because he thinks of Christmas as a sentimental holiday for freeloaders. All that changes.

One night when he gets visited by three ghosts, the ghost of Christmas past, present and future, all of them have an impact on him, but it is it it is his vision of the future that transforms them with that one. With that with that one vision. He gets a glimpse of the impact of his selfishness.

He hears how people regarded him.

His grave is abandoned and the only emotional response that comes from his death is a poor couple who are actually elated that he is gone. I know some of you are sitting there like the mall just totally spoiled the whole movie forming within the story has been out for 180 years of day gentlemen like Noah was given a home and read it for the first time tonight that is not my fault I take no responsibility for that but the movie illustrates the power of pressing fast forward in your life.

Occasionally, so that you can see things from the vantage point of the future things in the present look different from the perspective of the future. We know there's no way that shouldn't be anything brand-new never seen a really suspenseful movie for the second time your experience watching the movie the second time is so much different than the first because you know it's gonna happen or how many of you saw that the really gripping documentary free solo free solo about a man who scales mountains with no robes or harnesses are member being so nervous as he scaled one of those mountains that I actually pause the documentary jumped online to see if he was still alive and then returned to watch the movie in a much calmer state pressing fast forward was helpful and help me reinterpret what I was seeing in the present. See, I share that because in Luke chapter 12 Jesus tells his disciples to press. Fast forward for a moment and think about their present lives. From the vantage point of being in the begot your Bibles and hope you do. They come out open up term on whatever bargainable going to jump in the loop 12 and pick up where we left off last weekend I write this down as you're doing that it is only by thinking clearly about the future that you will live wisely in the present. It is only by thinking clearly about the future that you will live wisely in the present. That's probably why Jesus talked about the future so much. Did you know did you know that you did vision of the second coming of Christ is the most talked about doctrine in the Bible. I know that is a big huge statement, but it is true by the numbers of the 260 chapters we have in our New Testament there are 318 references to the second coming of Christ. That means that roughly 1 out of every dozen verses is about the second coming of Christ for everyone prophecy we have in the Bible concerning the first coming of Christ there ate the talk about his second what Henry to celebrate an entire holiday that is devoted to his first coming, but we barely even mentioned the second one.

Furthermore, New Testament writers use the second coming. To motivate obedience to almost every single moral command found in the New Testament.

In other words, they understood that you would gain the strength to obey the commands by reflecting on how close eternity is and how immanent Jesus's return is now the church I grew up in. When I was a boy was a little thing I can say it obsessed with the second coming. We talk about it all the time we had RRR rapture boardgames in our rapture bumpers that you know bumper to bumper stickers on our congregation rapture. This car will be unmanned and we made rapture jokes like there was no tomorrow. Okay our annual prophecy conferences were the best attended events of the year and for special Sunday night services we would watch the Billy Graham movies about the tribulation on our Sunday school walls we would have posters of timelines with dates and pictures of dragons that were matched with names of contemporary politicians you think that I making this up, but I assure you I am not RR my pastor would often end our services by saying Maren after Marinette that which is the Hebrew for the Lord is coming, and then he would say brothers and sisters. It might be today and I believed it. I believe it is a kid. I live in a perpetual state of anxiety about Jesus coming back to me not being ready to if for any reason at all. I called out to my parents and they did not respond. I would run to the house in a panic, just positive. I would find I would find my mom's close, summer, fall neatly into a power.

The Florida's chief had ascended to be with Jesus and I've been left by now we might've been a little on the on on the overboard side but but but I will say this might church had something that I think we lack in hours and I would say might even be lacking in this entire generation of Christians, and that is the earnest expectation of Jesus return. It could be today. It could be today. Do you think that. Have you even thought that yet today listen to how Jesus instructs his disciples in Luke 12 verse 35 is will begin stay dressed for action by the way, this is the first of four images that Jesus is going to communicate a posture of readiness. If you're taking notes. Write this down. Stay dressed for action.

At least that's what it is in English. Unfortunately, our English translations do not translate the Greek literally here because what Jesus says is so much more colorful in Greek, the Greek, reads literally, keep your loins girded in those days men wore robes, which of course were were were comfortable and stylish and breezy, but not at all ideal if you were going to work or run or fight. So on those occasions member put on these belts that would tighten things up down there, so to speak, so that they were ready for action.

And Jesus said, let there be a metaphor for how you live do not live in a posture of leisure. You need to live in fight mode. Think of it like this kids how many kids we got in the house were aware whatever give generator in our kids. It's sort like that gain musical chairs. Some of you don't remember that because I would be playing post-Soviet because one of many violent games we had to put behind is not a coder started, but the patient just a musical chairs was this right you get a group of kids River people and you set up some chairs is always one less chair than there are people in any place of music when the music stops you get scramble for a chair and it always ends up in some violent shoving match between a couple of people right.

The point is, when this game you walk around the stairs in a posture readiness and if you're in a posture of leisure you're going to be left out musical chairs is based on the idea that the music is going to stop that a certain but you will know when it's going to stop and because of that, you've got to walk around in a posture readiness. That's basically what Jesus means by keep your loins girded here's a second image continuing on in verse 35 verse 35 keep your lamps burning timberlands burning and be like men were waiting for their master to come home for the wedding feast so that they may open the door to him at once.

When he comes and knocks right no delay.

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly I say to you, you will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watcher in the third watch, and binds them awake.

Blessed are those servants and those days when a rich man went to a wedding.

None of the servants knew exactly how long he would be gone. And that's because in those days, you never knew how long the wedding was held last people I coming to the wedding might be delayed in getting there.

So they get there a day or two late. It would be bit could last one day work at last several days, you would find out when you got there. And of course because they didn't have cell phones. Back then they couldn't. They couldn't text or call the servants of these matters can do that when they were on their way back home so the servicers had to keep the house ready all the time because the master doesn't want to return home to a dark cold house with all the servants asleep in their pajamas you should also he says live like that.

Jesus says, verse two, and keep your lamps burning should remember to keep your lamps burning, verse 35 ready for me to return it in the hours that your second image which leads us to the third image, verse 39 but know this, but at the master of the house had known what hour the thief was coming what he would not left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect number three right like a posh like you're watching out for thief verse 39 letter. Watch out for thief thieves.

As a general rule, do not schedule the break-ins you never get a get a notification on your phone from some after. Says your thief is on the way right there goal is to surprise you.

So if you know that a thief might be coming sometime in the night, you better stay up all night to be ready for him. Same thing is true with me. Jesus says the point here of course is not that Jesus is some sinister rudeness villain, just that he might come when you're not expecting him and if you are not ready for him when he returns, then you will be ruined. It will be like having a thief common destroyer house now verse 41 Peter asked an absolutely fantastic question Lord Peter asked are you told this parable to us because other people. In other words, Peter wants to know if Jesus is directing this warning only to outsiders. Workers also warning in this for the disciples. That's a very important question because it's one of Jesus's big themes in the book of Luke, listen is the dividing line of judgments. The dividing line of judgment isn't between those who are Christians and those who art or are some Christians also going to be caught unprepared and swept away in judgment. In other words, does just becoming a Christian, so to speak, make you prepared or is Jesus talking about something more.

Is this a warning that he would direct toward people who are active in the church and you will notice in the next few verses that Jesus doesn't actually answer Peter.

Instead, he tells Peter another story to help him and the other disciples, self diagnose whether they are living ready which is Jesus's answer is St. Peter. This most definitely applies to you because a lot of my so-called followers to be caught unprepared in their interface judgment. Because of that again. All this is a consistent theme in the book of Luke we see the now two weeks in a row is the third week. Not everybody who calls themselves a follower of Jesus actually is followers of Jesus are only those who live ready and a lot of churchgoing people order to find themselves coming up short on judgment day. Just because you call yourself a Christian just because you are active in church that naturally mean that you are watch this verse 42 verse 42 and the Lord said, the Lord said. Then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food the proper time. Blessed is that servant, whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will set that servant over all his possessions but that servant says to himself, or my master is delayed in coming and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk master that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him at an ad at an hour that he does not know and he will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful manservant who knew his master's will, but did not get ready, or act according to his will. That servant will receive a severe beating. Here is your fourth image as stewards who do not want to be caught idle like stewards you don't want to caught idle because the servants forgot the boss was coming back.

They started to commandeer their master stuff for personal use. So they started to throw parties for their friends on his dime.

They started to drink all of his really good wine. They started to wear his close even force the other servants to tender their needs when it took over's office and put their feet up on his desk so the master comes back, he's going to say what are you doing these things are yours. I didn't give these things to you for your personal use. I entrusted them to you for you to continue on with my purposes and got the word that Jesus uses in verse 42 for the servant is the word ortho Nomos, which literally translates as manager restored right. It literally means store to store. It is not just somebody who owns the assets you make. A steward is not somebody who owns the assets stored is somebody who manages those assets somebody else you are stored in the blog you have control of it, but it's not yours to use for your purpose. It's something that the master gave you for his purposes, so you got for images that all communicate the exact same thing you should live ready. You should live in anticipation of your masters return very busy about your task very busy about your task and if you live that way.

Jesus says don't live that way. Not really my disciple to notice the wording of verses 46 and 47 when the master returns you find you ready you will be cut in pieces, and he will put you with the unfaithful and how much clearer could he get there to get the exact same judgment that the unsaved person gets the office is serious stuff. Again, look things very concerned that you realize that a lot of people think the followers of Jesus actually aren't as demonstrated by the fact that they just don't live ready. So what does this look like. Practically speaking, what you look like a live ready. Practically speaking, maybe three things three characteristics you can glean from the stories about the lives of the ready number one you will be awake to your task, you will be awake to your task. Verse 37 Blessed are those in the master finds awake you can read their active at the task when he comes. What is that task well. What is the specific task that Jesus is given to us before he left. We caught the great commission right will we are commissioned the new Matthew 28 1920 going all the world, all the nations and make disciples of all the nations recall that the great commission because it is Jesus's marching orders for his church.

This is the task for the church. Right now our mission is to make disciples from every nation by the lake.

The Greek word for nations. They are not verse is not a reference to the 206 nation states that are in existence in the world right now. The word in Greek Pontotoc F. May all the nations, is a reference to the different ethnic and language groups. You can see that in the word ethnic content. All the ethnicities the different cultures and ethnicities. Sociologists say that there are a total of 17,442 of those F n�e in the world in existence today. Our task is not finished until there is a thriving church planting, disciple making disciple movement among every single one of you want to know what God is mostly doing in the world right now, that's it writes what he wants us to be doing. Luke recorded this way in Luke 24, 47, he says he says for as it is written, this gospel of repentance must be preached.

This forgiveness of sins has to be preached in all nations, beginning at Jerusalem know you wonder why we talk so much of this church about global missions.

It's not because we like to travel is because it's what we know the master has given us as our great task to the question you gotta ask yourself is, are you doing anything personally. With that, are you giving are you praying are you going without a thousand of you. By the way, go on short-term trips here from the summa church in the last couple of years, have you gone yet. She when it comes to the great commission.

It's like John Piper says you've only got three options to go the sin to disobey. That's one of our task.

Here's another one. I think this passage points to that is meeting the physical needs of the people around us to notice that in verse 42 in verse 42 Jesus describes the faithful and wise manager is the one who gives others their portion of food at the proper time. I think you can deduce from that of the faithful servant of the one making sure the physical needs of people around them are met is using his resources to make sure that other people get fed the unfaithful servants in this parable are those who verse 45 began to beat the male and female servants into eat and to drink and get drunk. In other words they use.

They commandeer what God gave them to bless others to take care of only themselves and I'm sure though I but while this is mine on people today in our church and any church look at their money is their own wiring harness.

I work for its mine and do whatever I want with it.

I'm so how many I'll give God is you little taxes and everything. But if I want to use all the stuff to buy a bigger house, better close Microsoft that's my prerogative before I didn't want to be. It belongs to me.

I work for before and realize that is not how God sees your resources. I guess you are for it. And yes, God want you to enjoy it, but the master said was the one you think gave you those talents who gave you the opportunities you understand there's a huge difference between walking through a door of opportunity in creating that door the first place that air that you breathe. There's talent you employ that help you enjoy the earth you walk God wanted all that come from God says I gave you all that iDVD ability to multiply money I gave it to you with the responsibility to use it for my purposes which you commandeered all of that and turn inward on yourself and you got besotted with the world pleasures and thought only about your needs and you got drunk on the world and you were asleep at the task.

Do not miss this God considers us not using our resources to bless others as an act of grave injustice. It's not just a failure to be generous is an act of injustice I've shown you this before but the apostle Paul talks about our failure to share the gospel with the nations or the people around us.

He talked about in terms of injustice. Romans 114 Paul says I am a debtor. I am under obligation to people that are never the gospel, you have to ask, why would he be under obligation of his people. He never met most of why she say I'm actually in debt to them, so that if I use my resources and opportunities not to get the gospel to them. I'm actually I'm actually reneging on my my allegations while he said that as he understood that with the privilege of hearing the gospel comes the responsibility to share with those would never hurt because I got it's not like I was a less bad center.

It's not like I was more deserving of race than anybody else.

When God showed me kindness and let me hear the gospel that came with it the responsibility to share with those who have never heard and for me not to do that is to fail at my task is to live unjustly friend you want to live justly you want to walk and adjust way before God and you gotta use what you have to help meet the physical needs of others and make sure that they had a chance to hear the gospel.

Gotta wake up to the task summa church. There are still 7413 team unreached people groups in the world today, which is a group of at least 10,000 people or more united by a common language and no viable Christian witness to speak of. They represent 3.23 billion people, 1.7 billion of those would never even heard the name of Jesus.

They say that if you lined up all those people that I just referenced in rows five across 5 feet apart. That group would circle the globe five times.

I need you to imagine a throng of people marching headfirst into eternity with no chance to hear every single one of those is just like you or me. It's made here she is made in the image of God just like you every single one of them knows what it's like to be lonely and afraid him lost in going to hell for them is every bit the tragedy that would be for you or for want your kids living in a place like northern Yemen were praying about trying to get people some families members their population of 8 million.

It's almost the size of North Carolina. Guess how many believers there are in that entire nation 28 million size North Carolina 20 believers total RRR.

They were sinners and we are is it fair for us to know so much about the gospel induced a little to get it to the rooms that we owe it to Blessed are those who were active at their task and active in a way to their task and acted in it when the master comes.

What about you pay your friends know about Jesus when Jesus comes back where you were.

They die they a look at you one day and say why did you never tell me this is look at you one day and say what were you waiting on you. Waiting on a river in the story of two junior devils who work talking to say this is not is not your story to the domicile about how to destroy the church. Once, as I know. I told there's no God things that yeah something to get that many of them. Because instinctively they'll know that there's a God then what's a wino I'll tell them there is no help them be afraid of, and things that well you're not to commence that many either because most no instinctively, there's gotta be a punishment for sin states in the know if you want to really ruin the church. Don't tell them there's no God don't tell them there is no hell tell them there's no hurry.

That's the church that I would say that is the question I would say is most applicable to our church. You live in in the state of readiness as if eternity is real. The gospel truth. Your friends know what you yearning to get the gospel of the nations how you're spending your money you really want to be caught hoarding money that he gave you for his task. Don't let him find you with all kinds of money stuffed in your bank account that he gave you to help relieve people from suffering and to hear the gospel.

I knew a very wealthy man.

Here, the summa church was also very generous and I asked him what time I'm a glutton look like you just are so crazy generous what motivates you out.

Never forget the look of these in my goal is to bounce my last check).

I want to bounce militia as it would would you please make sure you write your second to last check the summa church. Okay, you understand, what is making righties is like I don't want to go into eternity with a bunch of stuff that God gave me for the blessing of the nations on your way to your task number two you be confident in his return. Know the servants you got in trouble with those who were either unsure of his return that is forgot about it when you're sure Jesus is coming back so you start to look at everything differently. They circled the sacrifice differently. Don't you. You can endure sacrifices on earth. If you know that life is temporary and short and eternity is forever, but you think of life is forever.

Then you not to be able sacrifice today truly popular talk about bucket lists your butt� It is means a list of things you would do before you kick the bucket things that you feel like if I don't do them now in this life will never have an opportunity for them to do again. So going to Bon Jovi concert, Mount Everest taking Nicholas Cage his hand at least those were what were on my bucket list again on the questions that I ask in this book I have been just came out to what he could do with your life is does a bucket list really make sense for question.

We don't think about just think logically.

Does the BC. The Bible teaches us that when Jesus comes back, he's going to restore the earth by the is and bring a new heavens and a new earth, which scholars say means renewed. In fact, in Matthew when Matthew records the same teaching of Jesus and looking at Matthew 19 Jesus introduces it by saying that when he comes he is going to bring the Matthew 1928, of all things. Literally the word is the read Genesis is to re-create everything and generate nearly earth watch you take the curse out of it and that means that where were going to where he's taken us there to be a much better version of everything we love down here all the pleasures of the world with another person's. And that means that anything that I miss out on down here.

I'm going to get to experience an abundance of their so if you never make it to the earthly Hawaii you can have your own oceanfront mansion in the heavenly one and you think the earthly Hawaii is awesome I can't wait to get my eyes on the heavenly one. If the earthly curse will look like it does when I bite into a ribeye steak here and I think man this ribeye is still part of the curse creation.

I can't wait for the heavenly one. And if I never get to fly on a spaceship to the moon, which is pretty much like I went to heaven I will get to fly myself there so I don't think the bucket list really make sense for the Christian, do you write if you really believe that Jesus is coming back because the Jesus is coming back been Joe blow.

Is it true for the Christian Yolo you only live once golf is true for the Christian, you actually live forever. That means anything, I miss out on down here I can experience an abundance of their except for one thing, there's one thing only one thing that I know of that I can do down here that I can do there.

That is, tell people about Jesus. So why would I not prioritize that with my time. I restore some opportunities you have a bucket list, put that in the bucket when my missionary heroes is always been at an error in judgment by May, my son after him and I'm just someone to marry a girl named and so he wanted to ask her dad for permission to marry her when he out so he he writes this data I sure the story and and and what you do with your life.

When I read your letter release and excerpt of it. I have now made this man's name was John had not asked whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring to never see her again in this world. Whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life to every kind of want and distress. The degradation insole persecution and probably a violent death. Continue consent to all of this for the sake of him who left his heavenly home and die for her and for you, for the sake of perishing immortal souls for the sake of the glory of God. Continue consent to all of this and hope will soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory with a crown of righteousness brightened by the acclamation's of praise, which shall resound to her savior from the loss who were saved through her means and her sacrifice from eternal woe and despair.

The first dad's would you say you got a letter like this from young men try to date your daughter, John Hassell teen said yes and Anna and Anna Narron got married and when is America's first missionaries processes the Asia they went to Burma now me on more of course get this every single one of those terrible things that at an arm predicted many more came true, why could Ada Narron and and and her father John.

Why could they endure these things is a bleak time short, I believe earth was nothing eternity was real in the Masters, back soon. My challenge to you is that you live in a way that only makes sense of Jesus is coming back soon.

That's what it means to live ready number three last one your faithful your charge.

Most sobering in this parable to me is how Jesus describes the fate of those who neglect their masters return. They are verse 46 given a severe punishment and assign the place of the unfaithful, but you need to know that these are not overtly evil people there just servants who were asleep at their task. By the way, this is not the only place where Jesus taught this later in Luke, Jesus can tell another story about a master who goes away and leaves different sums of money with three different servants five talents which is a unit of of money, five counts of 1 to 1 and one with one guy who has five invested multiplied to turn to the 10 guy with two multiplies it before the guy who has one is scared that will lose money, so did the holy berries master comes back down to 500 is like a herd isn't swelled under basal server go to the cement welding of devils, or style of one digs it back up. But here you go.

I was scared was most arresting to me about this parable is what Jesus says to that servant, you wicked servant, I read that and I think what wicked thing. Had he done talking to the money blew it on prostitutes or gambling didn't steal the money he gave 100% money back to the master, what wicked thing that had he done. The only conclusion is there's more than one way to be wicked you can be wicked by breaking all the commandments you can also be wicked by keeping all the commandments but not using what Jesus gave you for his mission in the way for the purposes that he gave it to you for now to wonder if we got a lot of people consider churches like this one who have lives that basically what God they keep the commandments to go to church they can pay their tithes when Jesus comes back he says you wicked servant yeah you kept all the rules you didn't have, always egregious sins, but you didn't take what I gave you use it for the purpose I gave to you for some that we live in a land of abundance that is God's gift to us, but it is so easy for us to become besotted with the benefits and pleasures that come from success that we forget why God gave them to us in the first place.

CS Lewis famously said weld has a way of nicotine a man's heart to this world. We forget that God gave us what he gave us for eternal investment, not temporary pleasure you ever asked yourself why Jesus gave you what he gave you.

Are you faithfully investing a college student, young professionals never offered your career to him high school students ever settle what you want me to know if Jesus were to come back tomorrow what you said you are you doing that you never even offer this to me and asked me what I want you to do with what resources talking about anonymous because to this young professional what what resources do you have any Jesus came back, it would look at you is that why old nonevent.

You even ask why did you not hear even asked me why did I give you that what you doing with your life. I was, you know, I've got a book came out would by just that title is a question I think every Christian should consider specially if you're in college or high school or start your career nearing retirement is something you need to ask you wasting your life or you fulfill your purpose.

Blessed are those Lassiter this were awake to their task inactive in it. When the master comes maybe her said Mayor. Not with all sounds great. I love live this way. This is a lot easier said than done. Listen before the message in this parable Jesus talks in a couple of amazing things that actually give you the motivation to do this.

For example, verse 3071 of Blessed are those servants remaster funds awake when he comes. What just watch what truly I say to you that master will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will, national, serve them okay.

What is the master doing serving the service that's crazy nobody ever does that when the master comes home servant serve him. Now you gotta master this parable is come back and he's getting address for service and he is seen them watch their feet need to take care of them just got a master were talking about. This is the gospel.

Our salvation is not about our service to him about his extravagant gift. This is a master who served you at the cost of his own life, though he was in the form of God did not consider equality with God something to be held onto, but he divested himself of it, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross, that the gospel is right there in this parable. Plus what he offers you is extravagant, but in verse 44 truly, I say to you, he will set that servant over all of his possessions. All of them public, truly I say to you that little phrase is a little unclear whatever your written Jesus's words, Jesus is truly I say to you, because he was in the habit of telling lies to get some economic tributes. Every says that is because what he's about to say is so mind blowing, that you're not really believe it must return your faith actively on his legs really threw it on Italian. I will put that servant in charge of all my possessions sure exactly what that means but God has destined you to rule is not talking about promoting you to a higher class of slave or servant is talking about making you a co-heir with Jesus. Part of his family were not talk about promotion talking about adoption behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God, not the slaves of God but the children of God to you might read this parable is threatening to smash back and I might be cut to pieces. But consider this from undoubtedly every single one of us be included to serve the punishment that we can servant punishment.

Were they supposed to receive deceivers 46 they were supposed to be cut in pieces, given the domain of the unfaithful, not what happened. Jesus, when he came is wounded for our transgressions. Great for our iniquities. Punishment of armies was upon him. He was numbered with the transgressors by his stripes not be healed and I don't fear the coming back of my master now because I'm totally worthy. It's just that that I know that he came was cut into pieces for me the first time he came he came to serve me.

That's why he came out as a ruling King he came as a servant who would die in my place by living a life of supposed to live and die the death that I had been condemned to die and I know that if you serve me the first time I died for my sins when he comes the second time serve me by establishing me as a co-ruler and assign how marvelous how wonderful and my song shall ever be how marvelous how wonderful is my Savior's love for them. If you want to be generous but not mean you can trust Jesus with your life. We can gird our loins and serve others, just like he guarded his loins and served us