Making Use of the Messiah's Gifts
Text: Matt. 25:14-30
Introduction
1. Illustration: "Getting involved in your church by using your gifts will accelerate your spiritual growth immensely. God designed us that way. Don't head for the grandstands when you enter the kingdom of God. Head for the playing field. That's where the excitement is. That's where the action is." (Wayne Cordeiro, Doing Church as a Team).
2. In the parable we are going to examine today we are going to take a look at an aspect of the last days we have not yet considered; making the most of our gifts until Jesus comes.
3. In this parable, Jesus illustrates three truths about our gifts...
a. He has given all of us gifts
b. He expects us to make use of our gifts
c. He will hold us accountable for our gifts
4. Let's stand this morning as we read Matt. 25:14-30
Proposition: The Lord has given gifts to each of us and expects us to make the maximum use of them until He comes.
Transition: First, we need to understand...
I. He Has Given All of Us Gifts (14-15).
A. In Proportion to Their Abilities
1. Jesus begins the parable by pointing out that it is an illustration of the how the Kingdom of Heaven works.
2. He says, “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone."
a. This was not an uncommon occurrence in Jesus' day.
b. Most of the clerks, doctors, business managers, and teachers in Rome were slaves.
c. Jesus was using a common situation where the master in the parable wanted to test the reliability of his servants by giving them an opportunity (Horton, 547).
d. We are all given opportunities in this life, and, as Christians, we have an opportunity to be used by God.
e. He has given us the privilege of being the instrument by which His Kingdom is furthered here on earth, and he will judge each us based on what we do with what He gives us.
3. The story gets more specific as Jesus says, "He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last..."
a. Although the NLT uses the term "silver," the currency described in the Greek text is the word "talent."
b. Now we need to be clear here, what Jesus is talking about is money.
c. The talent was the largest type of currency in Jesus' day.
d. One talent equaled about 6,000 denarii, and one denarius was as days wage for the average worker.
e. Wealthy landowners often entrusted their property and affairs to trustworthy servants when they went away on business or for personal dealings.
f. In terms of today’s value, the landowner disperses approximately $1,977,600 to the three servants (Wilkins).
g. So we are talking about big bucks here!
h. This tells us about the confidence that the master shows in his servants, and the great responsibility he gives them.
4. However, Jesus was talking about more than money. He was talking about abilities as well. Notice that He says, "...dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip."
a. The term for abilities, the Greek word dunamis, refers to power, or in this case, the ability to do something.
b. The term "in proportion to their abilities," shows the masters discernment.
c. He knew that they each had different abilities, and they are given the responsibility of using those abilities to take the some of money, the talent, and put it to good use.
d. He was not giving them something that they were not capable of doing.
e. Notice also that the parable distinguishes between what they were given, the money, and what they already had, the ability.
f. This shows us that everything we have comes from God whether it is money or abilities (Horton, 547).
B. Every Spiritual Gift
1. Illustration: John MacArthur: "Godly, Biblical church growth results from every member of the body fully using his spiritual gift, in submission to the Holy Spirit and in cooperation with other believers."
2. God gives all of us gifts to use.
a. Ephesians 1:3 (NLT)
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
b. When we become united with Christ he gives us gifts to use for the Kingdom.
c. He gives us abilities to be used to grow the church.
d. He gives us talents to reach out to and help people.
e. It doesn't matter who you are or where you came from, God has blessed you with things and He wants to use.
3. God has given you these gifts for a purpose.
a. 1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
b. He gives them to us to help others.
c. He gives them to us to build up the church.
d. He gives them to us so that we can tell other people about Him.
4. We can ask God for MORE gifts!
a. 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NLT)
Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy.
b. God wants to give us more than natural or learned abilities.
c. God wants to give us supernatural abilities.
d. He is able to give us abilities outside of ourselves.
e. He able to give us abilities outside of our comfort zones.
f. He is able to give abilities that we are incapable of acquiring on our own.
g. We should passionately, long for and desire that He give us more!
Transition: The gifts of the Holy Spirit are like Lays potato chips; nobody can eat just one, and you don't have to!
II. He Expects Us to Make Us of Our Gifts (16-23).
A. Well Done
1. Jesus furthers this parable about the Kingdom by showing what each servant did with what was entrusted to them.
2. He said, “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money."
a. The first two servants take the money entrusted to them and immediately began working to increase it.
b. They did exactly what their master expected of them and they were faithful in their responsibilities.
c. What exactly they did with the money is not known. They could have invested the money in buying and selling livestock, or cloth, jewels and spices from abroad.
d. Those with sufficient capital could invest it at a profit; for instance, they could lend it to moneychangers who would use it to turn a profit and give them a substantial share.
e. Because most people did not have capital available for investment, those who did could reap large profits (Keener, IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament).
f. The third servant, even though he was entrusted with less money, was not any less responsible to make wise use of it.
g. However, instead of making wise use of it he went off and buried the money in the ground. He was treating it the way that people did in those days when they stole money.
h. He did this because he looked at the money with fear instead of faith. He saw it as a burden instead of an opportunity.
i. In reality, he was serving himself instead of his master. In failing to make good use of the money he chose to please himself instead of his master (Horton, 549).
3. Jesus then says, “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money."
a. Jesus indicates that the master was absent for for a long time.
b. The servants had ample time to turn the investments into profits.
c. As stewards there comes a time when they have to settle up accounts.
d. In making this point Jesus returns to the idea of not knowing the day or the hour of His return.
e. When he returns we will all have to give account to what we did with His kingdom and the gifts and abilities He has given us.
4. Then Jesus shows the rewards of making good use of what God blesses us with when He says, "The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ 21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ 22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ 23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’"
a. The first and second servants immediately make effective use of their entrusted amounts, probably setting up some kind of business and making a capital return on the original investment that equals the original five and two talents (Wilkins).
b. The first two servants are both told "well done, my good and faithful servant."
c. They did well with their responsibilities and did more than what was required of them. They were faithful, trustworthy, and reliable.
d. They received well deserved praise from their master because they looked out for his best interest and not just their own.
e. Jesus may well have used the Aramaic term for “joy” that also means “festival”; the master threw a feast at his return and honored his helpful servants (Keener, IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament).
f. Notice that because they had been faithful in the little things that the master blessed them with more (Horton, 549-551).
B. Serving In the Kingdom
1. Illustration: In our last pastorate there was a wonderful elderly gentleman name Wilbur. He was a wise man with an incredible sense of humor. The congregation used to like to sing "specials" at the Sunday evening service, some of which weren't all that special! One Sunday evening I looked out at Wilbur and said, "Hey Wilbur, do you have a special for us tonight?" He responded, "Yes, but I don't believe I'll use it!"
2. God is never sorry He gave you a gift.
a. Romans 11:29 (NLT)
For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.
b. God has given you what He has given you for a purpose.
c. He has given them to you because He wants to use you.
d. He has given them to you so that you could be a blessing to others.
e. You have been blessed to be a blessing!
3. God expects you to use your gifts with gusto!
a. Romans 12:6 (NLT)
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
b. He has given gifts to you because He wants to use you.
c. He has given gifts to you because you are His instrument.
d. He has given gifts to you because you are unique and special.
e. Take everything that God has given you and use it to the utmost of your ability.
Transition: Since God has blessed and expects us to be a blessing...
III. He Will Hold Us Accountable For Our Gifts (24-30).
A. To Those Who Use Well What They Are Given
1. Now Jesus gets to the third servant, and the news isn't very good.
2. Jesus says, “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’"
a. The third servant did not squander his master's money, but kept it safe.
b. Regardless notice his defensiveness as he approaches the master.
c. He begins to spout off about how harsh and ruthless the master is in his business dealings.
d. He was doing exactly what Adam and Eve did in Garden when they sinned. They were looking for someone to lay the blame on. In reality the only one responsible for our own shortcomings and mistakes is ourselves (Horton, 553).
e. The wickedness of the third slave primarily stems from his attitude about his master, which in turn has led to laziness and bad stewardship.
f. The way he conceives his master causes him to fear and then to hide away the talent and not seek to advance the master's capital.
g. The servant's misperception of the master has produced alienation, mistrust, fear, and then personal sloth.
h. Had he truly loved his master, he would not have attempted to place the blame on him but would have operated out of love (Wilkins).
i. The third slave should have known better; he simply did not care what happened to his master’s property.
j. The phrase “here is your money back” was used in Jewish transactions to say, “I am not responsible for this any further" (Keener, IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament).
3. Then Jesus said, “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’"
a. The master took the comments of the servant as an insult.
b. It was the servant who had been mean-spirited, selfish and lazy.
c. The master tells him that he should have at least deposited the talent "in the bank."
d. "Bank" here most likely refers to money-changers, who charged a fee for their services. Investment houses or banks as we know them were basically nonexistent in ancient Jewish society (Wilkins).
e. He couldn't claim to have too little time, ability, or opportunity because he had the same as the other two.
f. His actions were a direct result of his feelings toward his master and his own self-centeredness.
g. A person's attitude can be seen in their actions because our thoughts and intentions correspond with how we behave (Horton, 553).
4. Jesus then shows the accountability to which we will all be held to when he says, “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away."
a. In a surprising twist to the story, the master declares that the talent is to be taken from the wicked servant and given to the one who has ten and who has proven his faithfulness (Wilkins).
b. We see in the moral of the parable a great spiritual truth, one that we talk a lot about; obedience brings blessing.
c. If we do what God expects with what he has blessed us with He will bless us even more.
d. On the other hand, if we disobey and disregard the blessings of God we will lose what we already have at our disposal.
e. A person's faithfulness is evidence as to whether he or she is truly one of Jesus' own.
f. As the disciples await the return of the Son of Man, they must teach that faithfulness of discipleship is a testimony of one's love and trust of Jesus as Lord.
g. But their perseverance should not come from a self-advancing motivation; it should be demonstrated in serving others as Jesus did (Wilkins).
B. Making Good Use
1. Illustration: Mark Hatfield tells of touring Calcutta with Mother Teresa and visiting the so-called "House of Dying," where sick children are cared for in their last days, and the dispensary, where the poor line up by the hundreds to receive medical attention. Watching Mother Teresa minister to these people, feeding and nursing those left by others to die, Hatfield was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the suffering she and her co-workers face daily. "How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?" he asked. Mother Teresa replied, "My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, I am called to be faithful."
2. We need to use our gifts to serve the Lord.
a. 1 Samuel 12:20 (NIV)
"...but serve the LORD with all your heart."
b. We must use our gifts to service the Lord with all of our hearts, minds, and soul's.
c. We must use our gifts to further His kingdom here one earth.
d. We must use our gifts to cause His church to grown and flourish.
3. We must serve Him with our whole hearts.
a. Joshua 24:14 (NLT)
“So fear the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly...Serve the LORD alone."
b. Serve Him with our gifts.
c. Serve Him with our talents.
d. Serve Him with our attitudes.
e. Serve Him with our finances.
f. Serve Him with our hearts.
g. Serve Him with our lives.
Transition: Serve the Lord!
Conclusion
1. In this parable, Jesus illustrates three truths about our gifts...
a. He has given all of us gifts
b. He expects us to make use of our gifts
c. He will hold us accountable for our gifts
2. God didn't give us gifts for us to sit on them and serve ourselves.
3. God gave us gifts to serve Him and His church.
4. What are you doing with what God has given you?
