Breaking Fear - Revisited
Theme: Breaking the fear of moving and restoring the joy.
Text: Matthew 25:14-30
Introduction
This morning I would like us to take a look at Matthew 25:14 -30. This passage is titled the Parable of the Talent. As I read this passage I want you to underline a few words.
Matthew 25:14 "For the kingdom of heaven is like (this is a sample of the activities that go in God's kingdom) a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants (this parable is about church people) and delivered his goods to them. (15) And to one he gave five talents (a talent is a years wage so he gave him 5 years worth of money), to another two (two years wage), and to another one (one years of wage), to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. (16) Then he who had received the five talents went and traded (work, minister, labor, commit) with them, and made another five talents. (17) And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. (18) But he who had received one went and dug in the ground (all took some action this was his action), and hid his lord's money. (19) After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. (20) So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' (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.' (22) He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' (23) His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' (24) Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. (25) And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' (26) But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. (the Lord was not saying that the servant was right in his assessment, actually it could be translated with sarcasm, or disdain, He is telling the servant if you thought all these things even though they were not true then you should have . . .) (27) So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. (28) Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. (29) For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. (30) And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
The original word talent was used for a measure of gold. It was used as money.
So we know that first this is a message about doing right with the Lord’s money. I think this is important to understand. As I told you to underline certain words in this passage I want you to notice a few things.
1st it is the Lord’s money. It is the Lord who gives it to the servant. You see the money we have is not our own. We know this.
2nd God only gives to each individual as to “their abilities” (or you could say faithfulness). God knows our abilities and he only gives more if we could handle more. Many people who struggle with tithing or giving to the church think, “Well when I get more money, when I get that raise, when this happens or that changes then I will be able to tithe.” Tithing is about faithfulness and integrity. Even when we don’t feel like we have it we give it because we trust the Lord.
"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal" (1 Cor. 12:4-7).
3rd An account will be given. It will happen either here on earth, or even worse in heaven. I say even worse in heaven because at least here on earth we can change it.
4th I like what the Lord says, “Enter into the joy of the Lord” Or “Let’s celebrate together”.
As I was reading this passage it was like the Lord was saying, “This is what happens when people give faithfully. When they give they enter into the joy of the Lord. No matter their circumstances. No matter their problems they have joy.
Nehemiah “The Joy of the Lord is your strength”
It is the joy of the Lord who gives me strength. When I walk in the joy of the Lord I have strength. If you are feeling like a drained Christian. Dragging yourself to prayer, dragging yourself to church, forcing yourself to have a relationship, things just never seem to go right then I challenge you to look at your joy.
If you don’t have joy then you need to go back and see if you have been faithful. Faithful in your tithing and giving. Faithful doing what God wants you to do.
Psalms 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.
5th I want you to notice that the servant had a false impression of the Lord.
He looked at the Lord as not deserving what he had. And notice that the Lord didn’t say he was right. He said if you thought this way then you should have done this.
Some people thinking about the Lord is so negative. They say, “Why should I give?” Oh that church don’t “need” it. They do this or that. That Pastor does nothing why should we pay him.
But you see this is a false impression will cause us to skimp on God.
Another assessment of this servant is that he saw his master as he saw himself. He was a self serving person, who resented life and the "breaks" he never got. So he skimped out on God.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
James 4:17 "Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin"
6th Look at the difference perspectives that the servants had of the master.
It is interesting the different perspectives of the servants. The first two saw this as a opportunity to be pleasing to the father. To help his kingdom grow, and maybe even saw rewards when he get back. Yet the third "unfaithful" servant saw his master as greedy and undeserving of any gain.
Why? Probably because of his heart. He could not see beyond the windows of his heart.
(19) After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. (20) So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' (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.' (22) He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' (23) His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' (24) Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. (25) And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' (almost sarcasm)
Sarcasm
You can almost read the sarcasm in this servants voice. "I knew you to be a hard man" - a man who is hard to get along with, harsh and unreasonable in your assessments. "reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered" - you get what you have not worked for. You get a lot of profit for which you have not done any work for.
"there you have what is yours" - sounds like resentment in his voice, he makes it clear whose this money is.
Motivation
2 Faithful servants
1) orders given by the master
2) expecting the master to come back and give a reckoning
3) desire please the master
4) desire for reward
1 Unfaithful servant
1) expectation of the master not coming back
2) laziness
It is interesting that the unfaithful servant seemed to not expect the master to come back. Also what did he do with all that time. Surely to develop the talent to grow it takes time and effort. If minimum there is the time to invest in banks. He did not event take the time or effort.
I think the rewards are important. Two experienced joy and the on experienced fear.
If you are in the camp of the unfaithful my goal is not to persuade you to do differently. This was the common strategy of the old Pentecostal preachers. Either by fear or intimidation they would try to get men to change. Yet I don't want you to change because of what I say it will still put you under a burden. My goal is that the you would allow the Holy Spirit to desensitize your heart that you would see the Lord differently.
Excuses
Instead of producing a gain the people who are lazy will offer excuses. If you are constantly offering excuses for not fulfilling all the talents that the Lord has given you then something is wrong. It is time to change our attitude.
7th I want you to notice the most important words in the passage vs. 25 “I was afraid”.
Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. Now understand this is a stewardship message and you have to apply this to stewardship. People are not giving because they are afraid.
Side note
It is amazing how fear will cloud our perspective. It will cause us to see that which is not there. This servant saw the master as a mean undeserving man. He missed it.
Let me take you to another familiar passage. One that I have used recently but God has given me a new insight.
2 Timothy 1:5-7 NKJV Paul said to Timothy, “When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. (6) Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift (reignite the fire that once blew) of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (7) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Paul tells Timothy to stir up the gifts that is in him. Reignite the coals. Blow on those glowing embers. They have not died out you just need the Spirit the blow on them again.
You have got to get this. When we have fear we lose: Power, Love and most of all a sound mind. Last week God give a word to church about the Spirit of power. We need this power working in our church. But it will not work in the church until it works in the people. We have got to have it.
But when people are afraid. Whether it is a afraid to move because of past hurt or afraid to move because they don’t know what God is going to do. It may be you are like me many years of ago, afraid to move because of what people think. Oh I thought he was alright but look he’s getting renewed.
Come on now. Don’t miss it.
When we miss out on God because of fear. It could be giving it could be moving. It could be praying for some. Letting the Spirit move.
It breaks my heart to see people who have been involved in church or seeing God move in an awesome way began to get settled in where they are now. I have seen some leave a active church and make excuses of where they are at. They know that where they are at is dead and dry yet they make excuses.
