Matthew
Servants Entrusted with the Master’s Property
You and I are called to do the business of the Kingdom
If we do not use the abilities our Master gave us
We will be separated from His Kingdom
"'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.
Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
But if we use our abilities like the servant with five talents
And the one with two talents, we will hear our Master say
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master's happiness!'
Luke says the faithful will be placed in charge of cities in the Kingdom
"'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' Luke 19:17
A pastor friend who is now with the Lord used to say
“We are training for the reigning”
If we are not living now as if we were in Heaven
Than why do we want to go to heaven?
Fearful and lazy people will not be welcome in heaven
Everyone in heaven will have great neighbors who keep up the neighborhood
Servants Entrusted with the Master’s Property
Verse 14 of Matthew 25 starts with the word…
“Again”
“Again” refers to verse 1…
“At that time the Kingdom of Heaven will be like.”
The story is about a property owner.
The owner went on a journey
that took a long time.
The property owner called his servants
and gave them talents of money.
Each receiving a different amount.
Each servant received an amount
based on that servant’s ability.
We are given three examples of servants.
One given five talents of money.
Another with two talents of money.
Both of these doubled the amount.
The master said to both of them…
‘Well done, good and faithful servant!
You have been faithful with a few things;
I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master’s happiness!’
But the third servant who received one talent of money…
Hid his talent and gave it back to the master.
The master took note of the servant’s words
when he gave the master back his talent…
'You wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
This servant was not unaware
of the master’s requirement.
It was the servant’s own words that indicted him.
So what did the servant know about his master?
'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
If God created the heavens and the earth
as Genesis says than…
He is the Master and He has been gone a long time.
What God told Moses to tell the people…
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey
My voice and keep My covenant,
then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people;
for all the earth is Mine.
6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'
These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."
Exodus 19:5-6 NKJV
This servant realized his maser was “a hard man”.
Is God a hard man or Master?
Yes, He is!
You can’t have a good Kingdom if…
You allow evil.
You can’t have a Kingdom of peace if…
Everyone is not contributing according to their ability.
You cannot have a prospering Kingdom if…
All are not contributing.
This servant with only one talent of money said…
“I was afraid”
Sadly, too many of us who don’t think
we have much, are afraid.
We hide in the earth or the world…
We blend in and don’t stand out.
We don’t lose what God gives us…
But we do hide it.
We are not only afraid because our Master is hard…
But we are afraid of the world…
So we blend in and come out
when the Master shows up.
You and I cannot escape fear…
But we can choose how it will motivate us.
The fear of the Lord can be
the beginning of wisdom and knowledge…
Doors of opportunity.
Or, fear can cause us to hide and not try.
Faith impowers our fear to
overcome and do great things.
What the master called the servant…
'You wicked, lazy servant!
Luke tells this story and says…
The master
“Said unto them, Occupy till I come.”
Luke 19:13 KJV
Jesus said in Luke 2:49…
"Why did you seek Me?
Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"
NKJV
You and I are called to do
the business of the Kingdom.
If we do not use the abilities our Master gave us…
We will be separated from His Kingdom.
28 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
But if we use our abilities
like the servant with five talents
and the one with two talents…
We will hear our Master say…
21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant!
You have been faithful with a few things;
I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master's happiness!'
Luke says the faithful will be placed
in charge of cities in the Kingdom…
"'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied.
'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter,
take charge of ten cities.'
Luke 19:17
A pastor friend, who is now with the Lord, used to say…
“We are training for the Reigning.”
If we are not living now as if we were in Heaven
than why do we want to go to heaven?
Fearful and lazy people will not be welcome in heaven.
Everyone in heaven will have great neighbors
who keep up the neighborhood.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 25:14-30 NIV
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26 "His master replied, So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
No comments:
Post a Comment