Before going to Europe on business, a man drove his Rolls-Royce to a downtown New York City bank and went in to ask for an immediate loan of $5,000. The loan officer swallowed hard and asked for collateral. The man replied, “Well then, here are the keys to my Rolls-Royce.”
The loan officer promptly asked a clerk to drive the car into the bank's underground parking for safe-keeping and gave the man $5,000.
Two weeks later, the man returned to the bank and asked to pay off his loan and get his car back. The loan officer said, “That will be $5,000 in principle and $15.40 in interest,” The man wrote out a check, got up, and started to walk away.
“Wait sir,” the loan officer called after him. “While you were gone, I learned you're a millionaire. Why in the world would you need to borrow $5,000?”
The man smiled. “Where else could I safely park my Rolls-Royce in Manhattan for two weeks and only pay $15.40?” (Adapted from a commercial; www.PreachingToday.com)
That businessman used his resources wisely.
As we approach the soon return of Christ, believers must use the resources God has entrusted to them just as wisely. This is not a time to squander those resources. It’s a time to invest those resources in such a way that Jesus gets a good return on His investment when He returns. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Matthew 25, Matthew 25, where Jesus tells us how to handle His money.
Matthew 25:14-15 For it [i.e., the kingdom of heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away (ESV)
Jesus, of course, is talking about Himself, who entrusts His property to His servants. That’s you and me who profess faith in Him. He gives them talents. Now, these are not special abilities, as we think about talents today. They are large sums of money. A common worker in Bible days would have to work 6,000 days or almost 17 years (i.e., 16.67 years) to earn one talent.
In today’s US economy, with the last year’s (2020) median income at $68,400, that adds up to a whopping 1.14 million dollars! So Jesus gives one servant roughly 5 million dollars, another servant 2 million dollars, and a third servant 1 million dollars. It’s the accumulated wages a person can earn in a lifetime.
So what does Jesus want you to do with all that money? How does He want you to manage it, so He receives a good return on His investment in you? Well, first of all...
RECEIVE HIS INVESTMENT IN YOU.
Accept it as His money, not yours, and welcome what He has given you to manage on His behalf.
You see, everything you have belongs to Jesus! Verse 14 says in is “HIS property,” so don’t treat it as your own; treat is as His!
Cordell Dick put it this way: “Since we are only stewards of the possessions God has seen fit to give us, every decision we make relating to our possessions has a spiritual implication. I wonder sometimes what difference it would make in our spending if Jesus had to appear in bodily form to co-sign all our checks before they would be negotiable” (Cordell Dick, Christian Leader, December 20, 1988; www.PreachingToday.com).
When you realize that it is His money you’re spending, you might spend it a little differently. Jesus made an investment in you! Don’t squander that investment.
This reminds me of a scene in that old movie, Hoosiers. The movie tells the story of a small-town Indiana high school basketball team wins the state championship after many losing seasons. In the movie, an alcoholic named Shooter has failed at most things in life—but he has an extraordinary knowledge of and passion for the game of basketball.
So the coach works with Shooter to give him a second chance in life. He asks Shooter to be his assistant coach, and soon Shooter is on the bench.
Very quickly, the little-known Hickory High School basketball team starts to win games. Then, during a pivotal game, the coach asks the referee to take him out of the game. The ref doesn't know what the coach is up to, but he tosses him from the game.
Shooter is terrified. The end of the game is near, and the score is tied. The Hickory players call a time out. In the team huddle, all eyes are on Shooter, including his son's, who never thought his dad should be in this position in the first place. Take a look (show video: Hoosiers—Shooter Runs the Picket Fence, www.youtube. com/watch?v=C2ILSuQOmEg).
Shooter is paralyzed by fear. He can't speak. Finally, his son says, "You reckon number four will put up their last shot, Dad?" That seems to jump-start Shooter, and he haltingly calls a play. The team goes back on the floor and begins to execute it when Shooter calls another time out.
Now he is completely engaged in the game, and his knowledge and passion for basketball have overtaken his fear. He lays out the strategy for the next play with confidence: "All right, now listen to me. This is the last shot that we got. All right? We're gonna run the picket fence at 'em. Merle, you're the swing man. Jimmy, you're solo right. All right, Merle should be open swinging around the end of that fence. Now boys, don't get caught watchin' that paint dry!"
The players are with him. They walk back onto the floor, run the play to perfection, and sink the game-winning basket. Then Shooter and his players jump up and down, hugging and high-fiving each other, all over the court (Hoosiers, Rated PG, written by Angelo Pizzo and directed by David Anspaugh, produced by Hemdale Film Corporation, released 1986).
During the celebration, Shooter's son looks into his father's eyes and says, “You did good, Pop. You did real good.”
A weak, shame-filled alcoholic did “real good” because the coach valued him enough to take a risk on him.
In the same way, Jesus values you enough to take a risk on you. He died for you on the cross. Then He rose again and ascended into heaven, entrusting you with His property. So, if you want to do “real good” with His property, remember that He has trusted you to take care of that property. Receive His investment in you. Then...
INCREASE HIS INVESTMENT IN YOU.
Multiply the trust Jesus placed in you. Grow His money for His benefit. That’s what two of the servants did. They doubled their Lord’s money.
Matthew 25:16-18 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money (ESV)
One servant just buried the Lord’s money. In verse 26, Jesus calls him “slothful” or lazy. My dear friends, don’t be lazy with the Lord’s money. Instead, like a good servant, put it to work for Him.
Several years ago, Rev. Rich Kannwischer, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, issued a challenge to his congregation. He invited people to come down the aisle and receive $100 each, by which they were to do something good to help someone.
10-year-old Jackson Rogers accepted the challenge. Even though his father tried to discourage him, he ran down the aisle and accepted the $100.
Jackson said he knew exactly what he wanted to do with the money: “Help a homeless family,” but he wasn't sure how to go about it. He talked with his dad, and they discussed it for a couple of months. Then they came up with the idea of a letter-writing campaign seeking donations and explaining that it cost $50,000 to build a house through Habitat for Humanity. Jackson then wrote a letter in his own handwriting on notebook paper. He used the $100 to buy stamps and paper and sent out 200 letters, mostly to friends and family.
One woman who received that letter was so touched that she passed it on to several of her friends and colleagues. Soon, people from Tennessee, Virginia, and Idaho were sending in checks. The 170 people who responded ended up contributing $43,000. When the people at First Presbyterian learned that little Jackson was just $7,000 short of his goal, they chipped in the rest (Ron Wilson, “10-year-old raises $43,000 for Habitat for Humanity,” San Antonio Express-News, 8-5-06).
What will you do with the money Jesus is giving you – not just $100, but hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime? Sure, He wants you to take care of your family, but what other good things does He want you to do with His money? If a 10-year-old boy could do so much with just $100, just think what a church full of adults could do with a little thought and ingenuity?
If you want to manage Jesus’ money well, 1st, Receive His investment in you. 2nd, Increase His investment in you. And 3rd...
BELIEVE THAT HE WILL REWARD YOU.
Trust that Jesus will repay even your smallest effort. Rely on His gracious generosity to more than compensate your faithfulness to Him.
Matthew 25:19-23 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master (ESV).
Jesus richly rewards His faithful servants. He puts them in charge of “much” and welcomes them into His Kingdom.
I find it amazing that Jesus calls $5 million dollars (or 5 talents) just “a little” here. But it is pocket change compared to the real wealth you’ll see in His Kingdom. And if you handle the “pocket change” well now, Jesus will let you manage huge fortunes in His Kingdom.
A man built a prosperous business through a lot of hard and honest work. As he advanced in age, he was concerned about the future of his enterprise, because he had no close relatives except three nephews.
One day, he summoned the young men and said, “I have a problem, and whoever comes up with the best solution will inherit all that I possess.” He gave each nephew an equal sum of money and instructed them to buy something that would fill his large office. “Spend no more than I have given you,” he directed, “and be sure you’re back by sunset.”
All day long, they worked to fulfill their mission, and when the shadows lengthened, they obediently returned to make their report. Their uncle asked to see their purchases.
The first nephew dragged a huge bale of straw into the room. When he untied it, he made a pile that hid nearly two of the walls.
After he cleaned the straw away, the second nephew brought in two large bags of thistledown. He released the down, and it filled 3/4ths of the room, much more than the straw had done.
The third nephew stood in quiet desperation. His uncle asked him, “And what do you have to offer?”
The third nephew replied, “Uncle, I spent half of my money to feed a hungry child and gave almost all the rest to the church. With the little I had left, I bought these matches and a small candle.” Then he struck a match, touched it to the wick of the candle, and its light filled every corner of the room!
The old man knew he had found a worthy successor. He blessed the third nephew for making the best use of his gift, and he gave that nephew everything he owned.
At the end of the age, what will Jesus find that you have done with His money? If you are “faithful over a little,” He said, “I will set you over much.” If you do well with His money, Jesus will reward you, but Jesus will punish the unfaithful servants. He will take away even what little they have.
Matthew 25:24-30 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (ESV).
The wicked, lazy servant is thrown out of the Kingdom into a place of eternal darkness, weeping and pain.
Will Jesus really do that with those who mishandle His money? If that’s the case, then there is going to be a lot of poor people in hell, and we know that is not true. People don’t go to hell because they are poor.
What’s the real problem here? Well, let me tell you. It is NOT financial mismanagement. That is only a symptom of a deeper, spiritual problem. The real problem with this servant is his view of Christ. He saw his Master as a “hard man” (vs.24). That is, he believed his Master was harsh and demanding, exploiting the labor of others, as he “reaped where he did not sow.” No wonder, he hid his million dollars. He didn’t expect any reward, only his Master’s wrath, no matter what He did.
Scott Larson, a youth speaker, was approached by a 16-year-old boy named Ricky after wrapping up his first speaking session at a weekend retreat for high schoolers. “I just hope you're not heading down a path where at the end of the weekend you're going to ask us to make some kind of commitment to follow God with our whole lives,” he said. “’Cause if you are, I want to go home right now.”
Without pausing for breath, Ricky continued: “I've been coming here for a long time, and I've made these promises year after year—promises I can never keep—and ended up worse off than before I started, with God even more mad at me. 'Cause now, not only am I sinning, but I'm breaking another promise I made to him. And so I just want to make sure that's not where you're headed this weekend. Is it?”
Feeling sad for Ricky and not knowing exactly how to respond to him, Scott took a shot in the dark and asked: “What can you tell me about your dad, Ricky?”
Ricky proceeded to tell Scott a story from when he was in fifth grade. “Every day when my dad came home from work, the first thing he would always ask me was, ‘Have you done your homework yet?’ It was a pretty safe bet that I hadn't. Then one day I decided to surprise him. When he got home, I met him at the door saying, ‘Guess what, Dad. I did all my homework!’ His response was, ‘Then why aren't you working on tomorrow's?’”
Suddenly it was no surprise that Ricky felt the way he did about himself and about God. He had learned that no matter how close he came, the mark of approval would always move a few notches higher. He would always come up short (Scott Larson, A Place for Skeptics, Regal, 2005; www.PreachingToday.com).
Oh my dear friends, Jesus is NOT like that. On the contrary, He rewards even the smallest effort. Earlier in Matthew, Jesus said he will reward those who give even just “a cup of cold water” in His name (Matthew 10:42). Here, Jesus offers His “well done” to those who just put His money in the bank to earn a little interest. You don’t have to do great things, just little things, to receive His reward. Please, BELIEVE IT!
Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
Skye Jethani talks about the time when his daughter, Zoe, was two-and-a-half and loved to play hide-and-seek. Sometimes SHE hid, but usually she hid his cell phone. Unfortunately, she misunderstood the object of the game.
She made her dad close his eyes—that much she got—but she always hid his phone in the same place: on the stairs in plain sight. No matter how many times they played, she always put his phone on the stairs. When he opened his eyes, he knew his phone was on the stairs, but he pretended like he didn’t see it. He looked on the sofa or under the table, trying to teach her the point of the game.
What he ended up teaching Zoe is that her father is a complete idiot, because the moment he looked somewhere else for the phone, she said, “No, Daddy. The phone isn't there. It's on the stairs, silly goose.” Then she rolled her big brown eyes at him.
Skye tried to show his daughter, Zoe, that the fun of hide-and-seek is the seeking. But for Zoe, the fun part was always the finding. (Skye Jethani, in his sermon “Lent: Preparing Our Garden for Growth,” www.PreachingToday.com).
God wants you to seek Him, but like Zoe, He understands the fun part is in finding, not seeking. In fact, God wants you to find Him, so He hides in plain sight. All you have to do is “take one step to a welcoming God that requires only child-like faith” (Skye Jethani).
In fact, He didn’t even wait for you to come to Him. He came to you. Jesus left wealth of heaven for the poverty of this earth to seek you out. Then he died on a cross for your sins and rose again, so you could spend eternity with Him. All you have to do is believe. All you have to do is trust Him with your life, and He takes care of the rest.
In fact, faith is not only the key to Christ’s coming Kingdom. FAITH is the key to FAITH-fulness here and now before Jesus comes again. TRUST is the key to TRUST-worthiness. For if you believe that God will reward you generously, you cannot help but serve Him faithfully.
If you want to manage Jesus’ money well, receive His investment in you. Increase His investment in you. But most importantly, believe that He will reward you. In other words, don’t live for yourself; live for Him! Don’t live to accumulate wealth; live to capitalize whatever Jesus gives you for Him.
Pastor Rico Tice put it this way: Failure is being successful at the things that don’t matter. Success is hearing, “Well done” from the only lips that matter” (Rico Tice, “Faithful Leaders: And The Things That Matter Most,” The Good Book Company, 2021, pp. 15,19; www. PreachingToday.com).
My dear friends, if you want to succeed in life, live for His “well done!”
