Sermon Central
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How To Hear ‘well Done': Three Excuses, Three Expectations, Three Promises
Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jan 8, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: This message unpacks the text in which Jesus tells how a servant can hear his master say, "Well done."
?Many Christians speak regularly of their desire to hear Jesus tell them, “Well done, my good and
faithful servant.” This is the passage that that phrase originates in and herein Jesus has a lot to
say about how we make sure those wonderful words are in our future.
We’re going to look at three excuses, three expectations, and three promises.
THREE EXCUSES:
1. “God hasn’t give me anything to do.”
- v. 14.
- Many talk as if God didn’t give them any spiritual gifts, but this passage clearly indicates that
each servant had “his goods” “delivered” to them.
- You were created for ministry (Eph. 2:10. You were saved for ministry (2 Tim. 1:9). You’ve
been gifted for ministry (1 Peter 4:10).
2. “I can’t do as much as So-And-So.”
- v. 15.
- Each one was given a different amount. God will not ask whether we did as much as the person
sitting next to us, only what we did with what He entrusted to us.
3. “God is asking too much.”
- v. 24 and v. 26.
- Notice that ‘reaping’ and ‘gathering’ are the same in both statements, but that the servant wants
to put the blame on his assertion that the master is a ‘hard man,’ while the master correctly places
the blame on the fact that the servant was ‘wicked and lazy.’
- Once new Christians begin to read the Bible and see Jesus high expectations (like ‘Take up
your cross. . .’), they feel ready to turn back because they think He’s asking too much of them.
THREE EXPECTATIONS:
1. Jesus expects fruitfulness.
- vv. 20, 22.
- It is not enough to be ‘faithful.’ Jesus expects us to bear fruit. In fact, He has promised to help
us to do that if we abide in Him. (We bear the fruit, not produce the fruit (John 15:16).) Saying
you’ve been ‘faithful’ when you haven’t been fruitful is an oxymoron.
2. Faithfulness is not just showing up; Jesus expects you to do what He asks.
- vv. 20-23.
- See John 15:10.
- Are you simply going through the motions, or are you seeking to obey all He’s asked of you?
Are you just opening your Bible each morning, or are you hungrily reading God’s Word? Are
you merely coming to service, or are you coming for worship?
3. Jesus expects you to get out there and take some risks.
- vv. 26-27.
- As He speaks to the unfaithful servant, we see that the other two did more than pursue the route
of greatest safety (putting it in a bank); they got out in the marketplace and worked with the
master’s resources.
- Note also the word ‘traded’ in v. 16.
THREE PROMISES:
1. The pleasure of hearing Jesus say, “Well done.”
- vv. 21, 23.
2. The honor of ruling with Christ.
- vv. 21, 23.
3. The invitation of entering into Christ’s joy.
- vv. 21, 23.
