The Tools And Tactics Of A Servant Series

Introduction:

A. Allow me to start this sermon with the story of a boy who other children called “Sparky” after a comic strip horse named Sparkplug.

1. Even though the boy hated the nickname, he could never shake it.

2. School was difficult for Sparky.

a. He failed every subject in the 8th grade.

b. He holds the school record for being the worst physics student in the school’s history.

c. He also flunked Latin, algebra, and English.

3. Sparky didn’t do much better in sports.

a. Although he made the school’s golf team, his poor play ended up costing his team the championship.

4. Throughout his youth, Sparky was a loser socially.

a. It wasn’t that he was disliked by other kids, but nobody paid much attention to him.

b. He never dated or asked a girl out for fear of being turned down.

5. Sparky did, however, have a hobby – he loved drawing cartoons.

a. No one else thought they were any good.

b. He submitted them for the high school yearbook, but they were rejected.

c. After graduating from high school, he wrote to Walt Disney Studios inquiring about a job, and they requested samples of his artwork.

d. Sparky submitted samples, but received a letter telling him there was no job for him.

6. Sparky was disappointed but not surprised, since he had always been a loser.

a. In a weird way, he thought his life was kind of funny.

b. He tried telling his own life story in his cartoons of a little boy loser who was a chronic underachiever.

7. The boy who failed the 8th grade, the young artist whose work was rejected not only by his high school yearbook, but by Walt Disney Studios, was Charles Monroe “Sparky” Schultz.

a. He was the creator of the “Peanuts” comic strip and the little boy loser named Charlie Brown, whose kite never flies and who never gets to kick the football.

B. We have all likely experienced our share of rejection and failure in life, but God has gifted each one of us with unique talents and abilities that enable us to make a significant contribution as servants of God.

1. What are our gifts, talents and opportunities? Unless we attempt to use them, we will never discover how God has prepared for us to contribute to the church and to the world.

2. In our sermon series about learning to Serve Like Jesus, we have explored the fact that God wants us to serve like Jesus and that this requires us to think like a servant and develop the attributes of a servant.

3. Last week, we talked about how a servant’s influence is like the impact of salt and light.

4. Today, we want to explore the tools and tactics of a servant which involves putting our gifts to work in our service.

5. I want us to use Jesus’ Parable of the Talents to draw out our lessons for today.

C. Jesus said: [The kingdom of heaven] “…is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. In the same way the man with two earned two more. But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

“The man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I’ve earned two more talents.’

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

“The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

“His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned.