Zmo6 .101|e3YyCWn :n|=?lutOկ~s ST֏&^)TTݹ(m[#իtnL9Z9t^v–puEj"T7-\NeXl?*L{ٲ<"}5^gA2:.K 9堙ͣ &L5eXVlTŪr6!֫,< ۮ6a&i1/nxCq hTC]fVUMnIqk[PW!n,Eo_&j|ÌQlb,z " Råw|!e϶W~yv:rۇ[*So2#`+P J;C= >"24kbwD@Q9DNPk,ci\F,ߴ3E1 i:ۢkZѬpD3^' o ]?Fo7~KZ#oZ1K+{ aA^/JÇ4Bmm\+py(s.;#. f1h->|1p`kG 4"ClNv?[&SKC/G|y+M/QCcyxjv^ܖDBpGOϡCmzB͕+ѓu%Ƽj ,[ .~d W?&7U@J 컴mzyQ@.*bVnKoBWa)O|FJ-YZl<xy5\ˁk۴k7 mg.bQr w+|Om:+GP~$:K/u8=r; e Ъp1xtK$Sf|L HQY#Vp;[odx5Jd2e "`N.E]('0&h<۸:_ 79gHϖn[veҡ]ڏPkDFD2zT:1!V Y?JTTO/'`ӨRXS)y3|RN?ozCH/.w6Q-.2ؓDA"2ZԿoDq]+)ZΨtS`8Kd_is about investing yourself for God. II. When the boss doesn't come back for a while. A. Wealthy man going on a journey. 25:14 1) Eight talents divided among 3 servants. 2) Talent is not a natural ability, but a weight. a) Usually silver or gold. b) About 6,000 denarii, or 16 years wages. (more than NIV) 1> Parable forms modern definition of talent. 3) Wealthy man leaves. B. Servants have differing results. 1) One with five uses them to gain five more. 25:16 2) One with two uses them to gain two. 25:17 3) Third servant hid his one talent in the ground. 25:18 a) Alternative was "Savings & Loans." b) According to rabbis, a hole is the safest place. C. Master returns after a long time. 25:19 1) First two servants bring their results, a doubling. a) Same response: "Well done, good and faithful servant." 2) Last servant comes with an excuse. 25:24 a) The master is hard-nosed. b) The servant was afraid. 1> That he would fail and lose talent? 2> That he would have to work hard? 3) He gives back single talent. D. Master rips into unproductive servant. 25:26 1) He doesn't defend self, but calls servant lazy and wicked. 2) At the least, he could have put the money in a bank where it could earn interest. 3) The servant played it safe, and ended up losing everything. III. Double or nothing. A. Christians receive differing levels of responsibility. 1) Differing responsibilities are according to ability. 25:15 a) Don't automatically assume you're a one-talent Christian. 1> Too dumb to teach Sunday School, too ugly to witness. One person told a pastor he never thought he could do anything for God because he only had one talent. The pastor said, "Don't be discouraged, God can use it. "What is your talent, anyway?" "My only talent is criticizing people." "In that case," the pastor said, "you'd better do what the servant did - BURY IT." #2163 b) God uses jackasses and big fish to do His will. 1> Certainly he can use you. 2> You can do more than you think. Don't limit yourself. 2) Don't compare yourself to others. a) The one you judge may be using 2 out of 2 talents, while you're using 3 out of 5. b) God only expects you to use what you've got. 3) Don't let others judge you. God will. Fred Astaire was without dispute one of the top singers, dancers, and actors of all time. In a multitude of famous movies, he danced and crooned his way into people's hearts worldwide. But in 1932, when Astaire was starting out, a Hollywood talent judge wrote on his screen test: "Can't act. Can't sing. Can dance a little." Others may not believe in you, but God does. Attempt great things for Him. #1962 B. God gives us what we need to carry out our task. 1) Biblical talents are responsibilities, not natural abilities. a) God will give you what you need (spiritual gifts) to get the job done. b) Don't be limited by your natural abilities. 2) We are rewarded for faithfulness, not results. C. It's not enough to know what to do, you must do it. 1) Your efforts make a difference to God. a) Salvation not based on works, but saved people will work. b) Judgment is based on works - no fruit, no reality. 2) Are you working for God on Monday morning? a) We usually don't think of our jobs that way, but God does. Colossians 3:24 b) Our daily work is a service to him, as Adam's was. 3) The church is loaded with opportunities for investment. a) V.B.S. employed half the people of Ledgewood. b) Limited hellos to friends to greet someone new. c) Praying for those with special needs. d) Financial giving to the work of the church. 4) Spiritual productivity comes from investing in needs of others. a) "By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35 b) Failing to meet needs is evidence of no love. 1 Jn 3:17 c) We have an obligation to serve others. Rom 15:27 1> Try to serve all men, not just Christians. Gal 6:10 D. The glory of God deserves our best effort. 1) We must be hard on ourselves (not others). Howard Hendricks tells this story: "There's a running controversy in art circles as to who is the greater: Michelangelo, the pupil, or Bertoldo, the teacher. The great teacher Bertoldo knew gifted individuals are prone to coast rather than develop. He warned Michelangelo repeatedly, but with no effect. "One morning he walked into the studio and watched Michelangelo as he was piddling on a little piece of statuary. Bertoldo went over and picked up a sledge hammer and batted it into a thousand pieces that ricocheted all over the room. In the stunned silence, he shouted, 'Michelangelo, talent is cheap; dedication is costly.'" #2094 2) Meager efforts will not be excused. a) Mediocrity is bigger problem than lust or greed. b) Pastor Merle: "If Christians put as much energy into their businesses as they did in being a Christian, they would be bankrupt in 2 weeks. E. Take risks for God. 1) The last servant was afraid of failure. a) If nothing is risked, everything is lost. b) Jesus - lose life to save it. Matt 16:25 1> Holding back on salvation? 2) Churches have a problem with risk. a) (Trustees and cautious investments?) 3) Anything worthwhile involves risk. a) Investments with highest yield have the lowest security. b) It's the same with God. IV. Christians must know that Jesus is coming back - sometime. A. Context deals with Second Coming of Jesus. (Matthew 24 & 25) 1) Master would correspond to Jesus, and servants to Christians. 2) Parable teaches about what Christians should do while Jesus is gone. B. Dangers of imminent expectation. 1) They neglect their duties. 2) They wait for Jesus to appear and solve their problems. C. Dangers of no expectation. 1) They feel they'll never have to account for themselves. D. When Jesus comes back, he will bring rewards. 1) Surprisingly, the NT places a great emphasis on rewards. 2) By laying up treasure in heaven, we show our heart is there. On Queen Elizabeth's "official birthday" some years back, when she conferred honors on a number of her subjects, one was a 60 year old postman in northern Wales, a fellow with the unroyal name of Jones. Because Jones, who came from a family delivering Welsh mail for 150 years, had "not missed a day's service in 43 years and got the mail through despite snow, storms and floods," the Queen bestowed the British Empire Medal upon him, expressing the gratitude of the nation. This earthly Queen bestowed such a great honor on a man for faithfulness in so simple a task as delivering the mail. Don't you think the King of Heaven will be even more diligent to make certain each of His subjects receives a proper award for faithful service? Of course He will! This review will be according to quality, not necessarily quantity; It will not be how much, but what kind. #1118