Reading:
• Matthew chapter 25 verses 14-30.
• 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verses 9-10.
Ill:
• Two dads were having a drink together;
• And conversation turned to their children and their children’s school-work.
• The first dad said; “I helped my daughter today with her religious homework”.
• “You did what?” replied the astonished second dad.
• “But you don’t know anything about religion;
• In fact, I bet you don't even know the Lord's Prayer,"
• The first dad angrily replied; "Why everybody knows that,"
• The second dad said; “Well, what is it then?”
• So the first dad paused for a moment;
• And after racking his brains for several minutes replied:
"It's, Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take."
• His friend looked at him astonished! And said,
• "You win! I didn't know you knew so much about the Bible."
I am assuming tonight that your knowledge of the Bible is better than those two dads:
• But one topic that many Christians are ignorant about;
• Regards our topic tonight ‘The Judgement seat of Christ’.
• To some here tonight you may not even be aware that there will be such an event.
• I guarantee that you will not hear many sermons on it (ill: count on one hand)
(1). What is the judgement seat of Christ?
Ill:
• The term ‘judgment seat’ comes from the Greek word ‘bema’,
• At the time of Paul most Greek towns had a ‘bema’.
• And Corinth where this letter was received and being read out;
• Had a large, richly-decorated rostrum (ill: remains are they today for tourists to see!)
• It was an elevated platform;
• And was used for civil matters and also for sporting ceremonies.
(A). FOR CIVIL AFFAIRS:
• The important rulers and leaders of the city used this ‘bema’;
• To make public speeches and declare official decrees to the citizens of Corinth;
• War heroes were honoured and rewarded at the bema.
• A person on trial could be condemned or acquitted at the bema.
(B). IT WAS ALSO USED IN THE CONTEXT OF SPORT.
• It was the place where the winners in the annual Olympic Games.
• Would received their awards; they were publicly honoured and rewarded.
• So in the apostle Paul’s day:
• The ‘bema’ or ‘the judgement seat’ was a familiar concept:
Now notice how Paul takes this very familiar image and applies it to Jesus Christ.
• By saying there is coming an actual day in the future;
• When every Christian (like every winning athlete).
• Will stand at God’s ‘bema’;
• (That is the ‘the Judgment Seat of Christ’.)
• And at this judgement seat ALL God's people;
• Will have their lives judged, evaluated and many will be rewarded.
It is important to understand the correct meaning of the word "judgment" in this passage:
• When used in the New Testament,
• The term "judgment" means two things to two different groups of people.
(1ST GROUP): THOSE WHO ARE NOT CHRISTIANS.
• Judgement means condemnation.
• Ill: A judge passing the guilty verdict to a guilty criminal.
Ill:
• The most famous verses in the Bible, quoted by Jesus himself say;
• John chapter 3 verses 16-18 testify to this fact
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
Jesus himself said; that those who refuse to trust him as Lord and saviour:
• Stand condemned already.
• And one day when they stand before God they will hear those sad and tragic words:
“Depart from me, I never knew you!”
• This judgement will not take place at he bema.
• The Bible makes it clear this will take place;
• At what the Bible calls ‘The Great White Throne’
• And we read about this in Revelation chapter 20 verses 11-15.
Now remember:
• God has done everything he possibly could;
• So that no one need face this judgement, this condemnation.
Ill:
One day, when Vice President Calvin Coolidge was presiding over the Senate,
• One Senator in his anger told another Senator to go “straight to hell.”
• The offended Senator complained about this remark to Coolidge the presiding officer,
• Calvin Coolidge had been leafing through a book at the time;
• He looked up at the man and said;
“I’ve been looking through the rule book, and you don’t have to go.”
God has done EVERYTHING possible to save men and women from judgement:
Ill:
• High on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful city of Venice, Italy,
• There lived an old blind man who was a genius.
• Legend had it he could answer any question anyone might ask of him.
• Two of the local boys figured they could fool the old man,
• So the caught a small bird and headed for his residence.
• One of the boys held the little bird in his hands;
• And asked the old man if the bird was dead or alive.
• Without hesitation the old man said,
"Son, if I say to you that the bird is alive, you will close your hands and crush it to death. If I say the bird is dead, you will open your hands and the bird will fly away. You see, Son,
in your hands you hold the power of life and death."
Quote: John Hannah
No one who is ever in hell will be able to say to God, “You put me here,”
and no one who is in heaven will ever be able to say, “I put myself here.”
(2ND GROUP): THOSE WHO ARE CHRISTIANS.
• Whenever Paul talks about the judgement seat (the bema);
• He is always writing to Christians and referring only to Christians!
• In this context Judgement means evaluation.
• Testing to see how pure it is.
Ill:
• When the gold has been recovered from the crushed rock,
• Two processes may be used in order to turn it into a useable commodity.
• These are cupellation and refining.
• This involves the crushed rock being placed in a special crucible.
• In the crucible the gold is melted with lead.
• The lead strips out the gold's major impurities & is absorbed into the crucible's porous walls.
• The remaining gold is then refined
• To the various standards that the industry requires.
Please note:
• That the ‘bema’ or ‘the judgement seat of Christ’ has nothing to do with salvation.
• Our salvation was settled 2,000 years ago one Friday afternoon.
• When Jesus Christ cried from the cross “It is finished”.
• The price for sin was paid, salvation has been made possible!
• And as a result a persons eternal destiny is determined in this life;
• According to whether or not they trust Jesus Christ for salvation.
Please note:
• That the ‘bema’ or ‘the judgement seat of Christ’ has nothing to do with salvation.
• That issue is settled while we are alive on planet earth.
• The ‘bema’ or ‘the judgement seat of Christ’ concerns Christians only.
• And it will be a time when their works of service, their lives and all that, that involves.
• Will be judged, evaluated, refined.
• And God will reward his people in the light of their service.
• If we read all that is written about the ‘bema’ or ‘the judgement seat of Christ;
• You will see that the emphasis is on rewards. God want to commend us, not punish us
Other New Testament passages that talk about the ‘bema’ or ‘the judgement seat of Christ are:
• e.g. Romans chapter 14 verses 8-10.
• e.g. 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verses 4-5.
In fact in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verses 5b the apostle Paul says :
“When the Lord comes, he will bring our deepest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. And then God will give to everyone whatever praise is due”.
• Although the Judgment Seat (the Bema) will be a solemn and serious time:
• When our lives and motives are examined and reviewed by Jesus Christ himself.
• Notice the passage ends with words of encouragement, not terror:
• And then God will give to everyone whatever praise is due”.
Ill:
We have recently seen two sides to the athlete Paula Radcliff.
• Their was the face of udder despair and total disappointment at the Olympic games.
• When she failed to complete the race and sat in the roadside totally disappointed.
• Then a few weeks later there was the face of sheer joy and victory;
• As she came in first at the New York marathon.
• What a contrast:
• The difference was all down to winning and losing.
God would have us be aware that at a future time:
• The rewards, the medals will be given out;
• He wants us to be winners not losers, rejoicers not regreters!
Quote: the Bible commentator Paul Barnett:
“The sure prospect of the judgement seat reminds the Corinthians – and all believers – that while they are righteous in Christ by faith alone, the faith that justifies is to be expressed by love and obedience and by pleasing the Lord. Our “confidence” that we will be “with the Lord” is to be held in tension with the “fear of the Lord”, from which we serve him”.
(2). When will this event take place?
• Bible scholars are unsure (and so am I),
• But I will say that I am 100% confident that it will happen:
• Sometime after the Lord returns!
• Remember: “I’m on the welcoming party not the planning committee!”
Quote: J. Oswald Sanders:
“It is neither possible nor necessary to fix an exact timetable for these events –
it is the certainty of them that is important”.
• Rather than speculate or talk about things that I am unsure of;
• I want to be more productive.
• Because the Bible does tell us;
• How we can please the Lord, how we can be winners, how we can win the Gold medal!
(3). My obligation (responsibility):
Reading: Matthew chapter 25 verses 14-30.
THIS IS A SIMPLE STORY TO UNDERSTAND:
(a).
• The man going on a “journey” represents Jesus.
• Even a child could work that one out!
(b).
• The three servants who all receive a ‘talent(s)’ are his true followers;
• As we apply this parable this would be symbolic of all Christians (you & me).
SEVEN PRINCIPLES TO NOTE.
(1). What we have is not ours (Verse 14):
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey,
who called his servants and entrusted HIS property to them”.
In Biblical times it was common for wealthy men to take long journeys:
• Before they would leave,
• They obviously had to put their affairs in order;
• They would arrange for someone to look after domestic matters;
• e.g. Take care of the mail & to feed their pets etc.
• But more than that, they would have to put their business affairs in order;
• So that when they returned they not only still had a business but a prosperous one!
So often the owner would delegate:
• Control and responsibility of their wealth to trustworthy employees.
• These employees were expected to bring a return on what had been handed over to them.
Now here is the point to note:
• There was no doubt in the minds of these servants;
• That the property and money still belonged to the master.
• They were the possessors, but not the owners.
• Their job was to manage on the masters behalf, what they were given.
Application:
• We must remember that everything we have has been given to us by God;
• And is not really ours anyway, we are stewards not owners.
Ill:
Pearl of great price drama sketch.
• Remember it’s mine but you can wear it for me,
• You can spend it for me etc, etc.
(2). We are given what we can handle (vs 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.”
Question: What do we mean by the word “talent”?
Answer:
• Originally a ‘talent’ was a measure of weight; copper, or silver, (commonest being silver)
• In some Bible translations the word has been changed to refer to currency, to money.
• A talent was a very large sum of money;
• (20 years wages for a farm labourer)
I would Suggest:
• That the ‘talent’ is symbolic;
• It can refer to money, to spiritual gifts, or to opportunities of service that come our way.
• So think beyond money;
• Let the word ‘talent’ be symbolic of all the other things God has given us.
Notice
• In the story.
• The Master gave the first servant five talents,
• The second servant received two talents,
• And the third servant got one talent.
• Even though there’s a big difference between five talents and one talent,
• The guy who received one talent still had an awful lot of money (20yrs wages).
Verse 15 makes it clear the talents were given:
• “Each according to his ability”.
• The point this verse is teaching is:
• It is not a persons talent or many talents that is important to God;
• But rather how we use the talent or talents God has given to us that matters.
• People may not be equal in talent;
• But all people can be equal in effort!
• The principle in this verse is whatever talent we have big or small;
• We need to use it in the service of God.
Verse 15 also makes it clear:
• That God entrusts different gifts and functions to different people;
• Notice the ratio of five, two and one.
• This does not indicate a different value on the person.
• But a different significance to their work.
Ill:
• If five talents had been given to the third servant;
• He may well have been destroyed by the heavy responsibility.
• If one talent had been given to the first servant;
• He may have felt disgraced and degraded.
It also is an indication that God knows what we can handle.
• He will not ask us to do that which is beyond our ability.
• Neither will he under use us in his plans.
• He knows exactly the ‘abilities’ that we have;
• And uses us in his service with this knowledge in mind.
(3). We must invest what we have been given
(Verse 16):
“The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more”.
(a).
• Verse 16 tells us that the man who received five talents went;
• “AT ONCE and put his money to work and gained five more.”
• He didn’t waste any time;
• But immediately went to work on his investment strategy & doubled his master’s assets.
(b).
“So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.
• The man who got two talents did the same thing;
• He was prepared for hard work.
• And as a result;
• He also doubled his master’s money, ending up with four talents.
(c). Verse 18 describes the different approach of the third servant:
“But the man who had received the one talent went off,
dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.”
In contrast two the first two servants:
• This one-talent servant was a slacker who went off and buried his blessing.
• The practice of hiding valuables in the ground was quite common in Bible days.
Application for us:
Quote:
“Our potential is God’s gift to us. What we do with it is our gift to Him”.
Notice: in the story:
• The man who gained five talents is not compared with the man who gained two,
• God is not expecting us to compete with one another.
• But he is expecting us to fulfil the mandate received from God;
• With the resources he has given to us.
(4). A day of accountability is coming (vs 19).
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.”
• In New Testament times when this parable was literally lived out
• It was the duty of servants to always bear in mind that the master would be returning;
• And when he came back;
• He would settle his accounts with them.
Application for us:
• If we were to think more about the return of our master;
• We would be more focused on making an eternal return on our investments.
Quote Daniel Webster was asked:
“What is the greatest thought that can occupy a man’s mind?”
He replied: “His accountability to God”
That future service in the kingdom of God, will be affected by our earthly service:
• How did we used our time,
• How did we our money,
• How did we use our natural talents,
• How did we use our spiritual; gifts,
• How did we use the gospel message, which he has entrusted to us.
• How did we contributed to our local fellowship, which is HIS church!
• The question will be: did you invest in these things wisely?
• May our answer be yes!
• I want to hear those words: 'Well done, good and faithful servant!
• I don’t want to enter his presence in embarrassment & disappointment.
(5). What we do with what we have reveals our view of God (verses 20-25).
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.'”
The way the servants viewed the master affected their service:
(A). THE FIRST SERVANT:
• The man who had been given five talents;
• And who used them to gain five more.
• His language is insightful. He says, “See, I have gained five more.”
• The word “see” means, “Behold” or “Look!” or “Stare”
• This man was eager to invest what he had been given;
• And now he’s excited to show the master what He had done.
• He’s bubbling with enthusiasm and thoroughly thrilled.
• He couldn’t wait to present what he had done because he wanted to please the owner.
(B). THE SECOND SERVANT:
• The man with the two talents, who gained two more.
• He too approached this time of reckoning with the same anticipation and excitement.
• The master is thrilled with both of them
• Because they both demonstrated responsibility and worked for the master.
Notice Jesus says the exact same thing to both of them:
“Well done, good and faithful servants! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
To both these servants:
• The master increased their resources after they had proven themselves faithful.
• And they were given even greater things to do for him.
These two faithful servants received three things:
(1). Affirmation:
“Great job! Well done.
I appreciate your good work and your faithfulness.”
(2). Promotion:
“Since you’ve done so well with what I’ve given you, I’m going to give you even more responsibility and opportunity for growth.”
(3). Celebration:
• “You’ve made me very happy. Let’s celebrate together!”
• The phrase, “well done” can be translated, “excellent,” or “wonderful.”
• These two servants were called faithful and were called good;
• Because they had a right view of the master.
IN contrast:
• The one-talent guy came a bit more reluctantly to the master and said in verse 24:
• “…I knew that you were a hard man…”
• Notice that the first words out of his mouth were about himself:
• “I knew.”
• We could translate this as, “I always knew.”
• The other two guys kept their focus on the master: “Master, YOU entrusted me.”
This third guy had a wrong view of the master:
• He already had his mind made up even before he received his talent.
• He looked at him as someone who was hard and harsh, instead of loving and gracious.
• To excuse his laziness and bad judgement,
• He tries to lay the blame on the master.
• He is trying to make out that the master is some kind of hard task master:
• But it’s quite clear in the story that he’s nothing of the kind.
• He even gives the first two servants a generous reward.
• Far from being exploitative and ruthless, this man is a generous benefactor.
Just scan over the differences between the three servants:
• The first two were determined to make a profit;
• The third was determined to not take a loss.
• The first two were willing to work hard and take risks;
• The third took no risks.
• The first two received the gift;
• The third refused the gift.
• The first two wanted to advance the master’s domain;
• The third had no interest in what mattered to the master.
• The first two viewed the money as an opportunity;
• The third guy saw it as a problem.
• The first two allowed the master’s gift to change their lives;
• The third refused to let the gift touch his life.
• The first two invested;
• The other one wasted.
• The first two saw a blessing;
• The third guy saw a burden.
• The first two knew the master;
• The third guy had no clue.
(6). What we have we must use or what we have we will lose (Verse 26):
(The Message):
"The master was furious. "That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least?
• The master saw right through the flimsy excuses of the useless servant
• Look at what he calls him, “You wicked, lazy servant!”
• These are pretty strong words, but the man was wicked because;
• He deliberately misrepresented both his master and himself.
• He falsely accused the master of being harsh;
• And he lied when he said in verse 25: “See, here is what belongs to you.”
• He actually owed his employer not only the one talent
• But also whatever it would have earned had he been faithful.
• Yet amazingly, instead of owning his guilt,
• He behaves as if the master should have given him credit for having been so cautious.
• Now because this third guy did not use what He had been given,
• Verse 28 says he lost it.
• “Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.”
• It’s the “use it or lose it” principle.
Quote: Martin Luther
“I have held many things in my hand, and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands that I still possess”.
The two servants who were faithful with their talents:
• Were promoted by God, they started as servants and were promoted to rulers.
• Because they were faithful with a few things, God trusted them with many things.
Regarding your talent that God has given you:
• Develop it, hone it, and multiply it by using what you’ve been given.
• So that the talent will be productive.
(7). Who you know and what you do will lead to either abundance or agony in the next life (verse 29).
• In verse 29, we learn that those who are faithful with the little things;
• Will have an abundance, or excess:
“For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.”
• The two servants who had done well are not told to lean back and rest on their oars;
• They are given even more opportunities, even more responsibilities.
• On the other hand,
• Those who bury their blessings will miss out & lose the little they have!
Jesus concludes this parable by describing this third servant:
(a). He is called wicked:
• He is ‘wicked’ because he was lazy.
• He was unwilling to busy himself in the master’s interests.
• Quote Jerome K. Jerome in his book ‘Three men in a boat’.
• “I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours”.
(b). He is described as worthless.
• He is ‘worthless’ because he is producing nothing.
• There is no gain to his activity and pursuits.
(c). He is described as weeping.
• He is described as weeping because he is cast into darkness.
• Unlike the other servants who are ‘sharing in their masters happiness’.
• This servant will be ultimately sad and miserable;
• Like his talent he is out of sight and wasted.
Remember:
• The focus of the parable is not on the master (God);
• It is not teaching us new truths regarding his character.
• It is not on judgement;
• It is not a parable designed to teach us regarding eternal destinies.
• The main focus of this parable is on the three servants;
• And on what they did with what they had been given.
• It is a reminder that one day they will be called to account as to how they used that talent.
• The challenge for us tonight is; How are we using out ‘talent!’
