Parable Of The Talents Series

PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

Please open your Bible to Matthew 25 as we continue with our eternal reward series with today’s message, “The Parable of the Talents.”

The parable of the talents is a behind the scene glimpse of what it will be like when we stand before Jesus Christ, the eternal King of the ages, to give an account of how we used God’s gift of eternal life. It is in this moment that He will reward us with eternal rewards that are exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we could ask or think.

However, as wonderful as that is, this parable is also a stern warning for those who are not prepared for that moment. The judgment seat of Christ is the most serious moment in eternity, and one of the wisest decisions you will ever make, is to prepare for that moment. There are many possibilities of what will happen at the judgment seat, but one of the most profound moments in eternity will be to hear Jesus say…

'Well done, good and faithful servant;

I cannot stress enough how important it is to hear those words, and if is your desire to hear those words, and to do well at the judgment seat, then this message is for you.

Matthew 25:21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. NKJV

WHAT IS A TALENT?

In verse 14 of Matthew 25, we find that Jesus entrusted each of His servants with a very special commodity called a talent, and then in verse 15 we read;

Matthew 25:15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his own ability; NKJV

Some people have the ability to handle five talents, while others have the ability to handle only one or two. I am more of a one talent person myself. However, the point is, Jesus gave each of His servants a talent, but what is a talent?

The world defines talent as someone with super abilities, such as an athlete a musician, or a great speaker, or someone who has a knack for achieving wealth and fame.

Jesus however, defines a talent as a very special treasure or gift that represents a responsibility that God has entrusted to you. All of us have a God given responsibility, one of which is to love God and serve Him with all of your heart.

THE SERVANTS

Notice the word servants in verse 14. Who are these servants that received a talent? These servants represent all who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. The point is, every servant who believes in Jesus Christ, is entrusted with unique talents of responsibilities that are designed to bring glory to God. With that in mind, look at the end of verse 15…

Matthew 25:15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his own ability... NKJV

I want you to see that each servant received a talent. One servant received 5 talents, another

2 talents, and a third servant 1 talent. Regardless of our earthly status, every servant of Jesus

Christ is given some measure of a talent and responsibility, according to our ability…

The world says, it’s unfair that God gives one servant five talents, and another servant only one talent. Why? It is because God knows that no two people are alike. He knows that we all come from different backgrounds, with various levels of education and with different abilities and skills. But… and here is the power of this message; it’s not the number of talents or opportunities that you have compared to someone else that matters; it’s how faithful you are to the opportunities that you do have that matter most.

I realize there are many who say I have no talents and therefore there is nothing I can do.

That is absolutely not true, because Jesus said every servant… regardless of your stature and status in life has at least one measure of responsibility to bring glory and honor to His Name. Nobody is ever left out. Nobody…

FIRST AND SECOND SERVANT…

So, if the number of talents is not the most important, what then, is the big difference between these three servants? The answer is that these 3 servants fall into 2 categories; the faithful and the unfaithful. Every believer falls into one of these categories.

Listen to verse 16… Matthew 25:16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 Likewise he who had received two gained two more also. NKJV

Both of these servants were faithful with they had. These two servants put their talents to work by faithfully using the opportunities their master had entrusted to them. Faithfulness is the key to increasing your rewards in heaven. Faithfulness is what God is looking for.