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"HOW
TALENTED ARE YOU?"
Matthew
25:14-30
I. Investing is tricky.
A. Some stick with savings accounts,
others go for higher dividends.
1) Hunt brothers of Texas tried to
corner silver market. (ill)
Back in the 80's the Hunt
brothers of Dallas, Texas, devised
a
plan to get rich.
They used most of their family
fortune to buy up silver.
What they didn't have cash
for, they bought on credit.
They did a good job of it.
As they controlled more and
more of the world's silver, the
price
shot up from $11 an ounce to more than $50.
Just when it seemed they would
corner the world market and
make
a killing, the government halted all silver trading.
The Hunts were forced to
liquidate everything to cover their
purchases,
but it wasn't enough.
The price of silver crashed
and they lost their shirts.
Even today they're only worth a few
hundred-million.
B. Investing is risky.
1) This parable 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."
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.
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.'"
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.
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