There’s Work to Be Done Before He Returns!
Matthew 25:14-30
May 10, 2009
NOTE: THE ME/WE/GOD/YOU/WE FORMAT IS FROM ANDY STANLEY’S BOOK, "COMMUNICATION FOR A CHANGE."
Me: There were a number of times in my working career when my boss would be away, and I’d be put in charge.
Some of these times were stressful. Other times were great. But in almost every case, I was glad to have the boss back.
And I was always hopeful that my boss would recognize a job well done, and maybe say something about it.
Not necessarily because I needed my ego stroked, but because I wanted to know that what I was doing was making a positive difference for that particular business.
We: Probably all of us know the feeling of wanting to be recognized for a job well done.
It might be from a boss, a parent, a co-worker, a sibling, or even your own children.
And a lot of people never get that.
They struggle, they work, they labor, oftentimes doing things they hate just hoping that someone around them, especially someone in authority over them will give them the slightest word of praise.
And when they get it, if they get it, they cherish it because they know they might never get another one.
In out Scripture passage for today, Jesus tells us a way for us to get some high praise from the One who really counts – our Heavenly Master.
And it comes as we take care of the business the Master has for us.
God: Matthew 25:14-30 –
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, ’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.
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.’
I said a few weeks ago that if I had to summarize chapters 24 and 25 in one sentence, it would be “Be ready and be wise.”
The first parables in this section emphasized the “be ready” part, and this one puts more emphasis on the “be wise” part.
The other parables stressed that Jesus could come at any moment, while this parable stresses that He might be a long time in coming.
It’s natural for pastors to take time on each of these servants, but really I want to focus mainly on the last two servants.
The first servant was obviously incredibly capable and trustworthy, and he performs just as he is expected to, which is incredible.
But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the second servant, described in verses 17, 22-23.
Here’s a guy who, when he saw what he was getting compared to the first servant, didn’t whine about it.
He took it and went to work with it, and he brought the same result as the first servant – he doubled it.
And what did he hear from the Master? “Well done, good and faithful servant.” And how was he rewarded? With more responsibility.
He was trustworthy with a little, and so the master figured he would be trustworthy with more.
He didn’t get down about the smaller amount he had to work with. He just went with it and was effective. And the master praised him for it.
Now let me take a little detour here and talk to any of you who may be in positions of authority over other people.
The master praised the first two servants lavishly – and Christian bosses in particular would do well to follow this example.
So let me ask you: if you’re a boss, when was the last time you publicly praised one of your employees to their face?
Not a letter, not an e-mail, but you standing in front of that person and using your own voice to tell them they did a good job.
If it’s been awhile, then I think you need to go that person tomorrow and do that.
Not next Monday, not a month from Monday. Tomorrow. Find something you can praise them for and do it.
They need to hear it from you. Really they do.
And then watch their attitudes and work improve.
Back to the servants.
The third servant comes in for special attention by Jesus in this parable.
Instead of investing the money in some way, like the other two servants, he buries it in the ground so that at least he wouldn’t lose money and have the master angry at him.
By the way, burying money and other valuables in the ground was a common practice back then. It was a way to keep possessions safe.
But when the master returned, he found the master angry at him anyway, because he had not done what was expected of him – to bring some sort of return.
So the sin of the servant wasn’t necessarily in the burying, it was in the not allowing the money to work, even in the most simple form of drawing interest.
The third servant makes excuses for not putting His money to work, accusing his master of being hard and harsh.
I gotta tell you that I’ve learned the hard way that excuses don’t get it done. And for many years, I was very good at making excuses, and truth be told, if I’m not careful I can end up making them even more today.
But you know what I’ve found? Excuses are like armpits – everyone has a couple and they usually stink. Isn’t that right?
In any case, this servant had the wrong idea and therefore the wrong attitude about his master, and it caused him to be disobedient and to make excuses for his disobedience.
This is the way many people deal with God. Their wrong ideas and attitudes toward God (God is mean, unconcerned with our fate, etc.) result in an excuse for disobedience to His calling. (NIVAC)
This third servant – the wicked servant according to the master and Jesus, finds himself in judgment. And according to Jesus, that punishment will be with weeping and gnashing of teeth – the same description Jesus uses to describe the punishment of those who reject Him.
Not a pleasant fate for the servant who chose disobedience over obedience.
Okay, but what does this mean for us?
The bottom line of this parable is that we have work to do for the Master.
We cannot become lazy in our work because we think Christ’s return is a long way off.
We need to be like the first two servants who said, “The master has given us a task – let’s get it done.”
Each of us as individuals has a part in this, and of course, the Church overall – both the universal church around the world and the local church – have a part to play in all that.
And when Jesus returns, we want Him to say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
You: Years ago, Billy Graham was interviewed for some TV show – I can’t remember what it was, but it was on one of the three major networks. He was asked by the interviewer what kind of reward he hoped to get after all of his years of service to God.
He just gave smile and said, “All I want is to hear the Lord say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
Folks, depending on your situation, you may never hear a human boss tell you, “Well done.”
But do you want to hear God say, “Well done,” to you?
Do you want to leave this life knowing that you’ve made a difference for the Kingdom of God?
That can be you if you work to be effective for the Kingdom of Christ. So let me give you a couple steps you can take in order to make that happen:
1. Get with God and ask Him to show You what He has entrusted you with for Kingdom work.
Take time this week to sit down with a calendar and plan a half-day sometime during May or June for you to do this.
He has gifted everyone here with something or somethings to be used for the Kingdom.
It may be money. You might have an abundance of money that God has entrusted to you to invest in the growth of His Kingdom. And by the way, God has given everybody some money that they can use to invest in the Kingdom. It may not be much, but if you’re willing to handle your finances along Biblical priorities, you will have enough to live on and be able to give to God, no matter how much you make.
I know that from personal experience.
It may be that God has given you more available time to work on things that advance the Kingdom.
God may have given you a great intellect, or an ability to analyze and answer the objections people have about Christianity.
You may be a great cook or decorator, or good with tools (obviously this isn’t me). You may be an awesome organizer.
You may be blessed with a diligence to complete a task for the Kingdom, no matter how hard or distasteful it might be.
However, and I know this will disappoint some of you, but grossing out girls is not one of those God-given resources for building the Kingdom.
One thing I can guarantee: He has given every believer and follower of Jesus at least one spiritual gift, which are described in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4.
During your time with God, examine these lists, asking the Holy Spirit to show you if one or more of them have been given to you to use for the sake of the Kingdom.
2. Commit to using those resources as God brings opportunity.
It’s not enough to just know what you’ve got. The third servant had that. We’re supposed to use what He’s given us.
Listen to this from the Expositor’s Bible Commentary:
The wicked servant is “worthless,” for to fail to do good and use what God has entrusted to us to use is grievous sin, which issues not only in the loss of neglected resources but in rejection by the master, banishment from His presence, and tears and gnashing of teeth…The parable insists that the watchfulness that must mark all Jesus’ disciples does not lead to passivity but to doing one’s duty, to growing, to…developing the resources God entrusts to us, till, “after a long time” the master returns and settles accounts. (BEC 518)
Folks, don’t sit on the resources God has given you to help grow the Kingdom. Be intentional about actively using those resources, and you will find great joy in the work, and also great joy in the pleasure of the Lord.
We: I’ve been talking about how we as individuals need to apply this sermon, but I want to take a few minutes and talk about how I think this applies to the Church of Jesus overall, and particularly, Aberdeen Wesleyan.
I believe that it’s just possible that God gives “talents” to each church, and that if they are faithful with what they have, God gives them more responsibility, more opportunities to serve and be effective for Him.
And I also think that it’s just possible that while there are many “five-talent” churches and “two-talent” churches, I think that there are also some “one-talent” churches.
What does a one talent church look like?
A one talent church thinks only of itself.
A one talent church never grows because they don’t want to share themselves with new people.
A one talent church grows inward and selfish instead outward in selflessness.
A one talent church judges people according to their worthiness to join the group instead of what Christ can do in and through people.
A one talent church thinks the church is buildings and property that need to be jealously guarded from unwanted newcomers, forgetting that the Church is people, and that the Church belongs to Jesus.
A one talent church hoards its resources instead of investing them in the Kingdom.
A one talent church works for itself and its preferences and agenda instead of working for the Master and His agenda.
The people of a one talent church will never lie awake at night excited about what God is doing in and through that church.
A one talent church is a dead church, ineffective for the Kingdom.
Each of the servants was given according to their ability. But the first two each doubled what was entrusted to them. They were responsible for what they were given, they worked hard to increase their portion, they were successful at it, and they were rewarded for it.
I believe that God can make us a five talent church. If we’ll let Him!
Why am I harping on this so much?
Because I want God to make this a five talent church that is effectively using all its resources for the glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom.
I want God to look down on this church and say, “You’ve done well with what I’ve given you. I will give you more people to influence for Me.”
I want God to use this church to bring many thousands of people to heaven instead of letting them go to hell without a fight.
I want God to say to the people of this church, “Well done.” Will you be part of that?
Let’s pray.
