Video Transition: Labor Day – Skit Guys
Series: The Bible and Jesus pt. 6
Sermon: Jesus’ Teaching on The Kingdom – Parables
Thesis: Jesus most taught about one subject the most which was the Kingdom of Heaven or God and He primarily used Parables to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven – to describe it, to get in it, to live for it, to be rewarded by it, to be ready for it when it comes into its literal reign.
Scripture:
Matthew 13:1-17: The Parable of the Sower
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.
2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.
3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.
6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
9He who has ears, let him hear.”
10The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
13This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
(This was not Jesus’ 1st Parable actually it was His 11th one – see the 45 Parables of Jesus that He taught on Handout in Chronological order)
Matthew 25:14-30
Matthew 25: 1: “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like…”
The Parable of the Talents
14“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.
15To 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.
16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.
17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.
18But 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.
20The 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.
25So 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?
27Well 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.
29For 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.
30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Introduction:
Parables in the Greek language were also known and associated with “Riddles” – Riddles are brain teasers – you have to think and ponder the story being told to get the point. Jesus loved using this teaching methodology because it was a common teaching tool in those days, and He used it to confuse the religious leaders who were out to destroy Him.
Quote: “Jesus often used parables as a teaching device. A parable is a story involving the physical things of earth to teach a spiritual lesson about the kingdom of heaven.” From https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-parable-of-talents-jeff-strite-sermon-on-parable-230395
Ancient Sumer: The world’s oldest riddle! Even 4,000 years ago, people tested one another’s critical thinking skills with riddles and logic puzzles. This ancient civilization, located in what is today the country of Iraq, left us with one of the earliest known examples of a written riddle.
Here is the riddle: “There is a house. One enters it blind and comes out seeing. What is it?”
Answer: A school! A school. The Sumerians placed a significant emphasis on the value of education and knowledge, and some of their mathematical discoveries are still in use today.
Would you like another Parable or Riddle?
Here is the riddle: “Out of the eater, something to eat: out of the strong, something sweet.”
Hint: This riddle is found in the Bible: Who said it?
It was Samson’s riddle!
This riddle dates back to the sixth or eighth century B.C. In the Book of Judges, the seventh book in the Old Testament, Samson poses a riddle to his 30 dinner guests. He tells them that if they answer correctly, he will give them 30 expensive pieces of clothing, but if they guess wrong, they must give him expensive clothing. The catch? The riddle was rigged. The guests wouldn’t have known the answer because only people who knew Samson personally had any hope of solving it. So, you certainly shouldn’t break your brain trying to figure it out, but here it is all the same: “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.”
What is it?
Answer: Bees making a honeycomb inside the carcass of a lion. Sometime before the feast, Samson had killed a lion with his bare hands, and returned to find bees building a hive inside the lion’s body. “The eater” and “the strong” are both the lion, and the ”something to eat” and “the sweet” are the honey. Can you see why Samson’s guests felt cheated?
The above from https://www.rd.com/list/history-famous-riddles/
Jesus told Parables or you could say “Riddles” too but for the purpose to have people seek the answer and even pray for it – The disciples at times went and asked Jesus what he mean’t in the parable – they needed that special insight and wisdom that only comes from God. This is why many of skeptics and unbelievers listening to Jesus had no idea what he was teaching – But his primary reason for the Parables was giving insight in the Kingdom of Heaven – How to live for it and how to live in it as a believer. We do need Jesus and the Holy Spirit today to even help us understand and apply His Parabolic teachings to our lives today. But recall the religious leaders were hard pressed to understand many of Jesus’ parabolic teachings!
The meaning of a Talent: In the Bible a talent was a unit of measurement for weighing of precious metals, usually gold and silver. So, this parable can apply to how well we manage the finances the Lord has given us in this life – especially how we manage His tithe! See Malachi 3:6-12:
Robbing God
6“I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
7Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’
8“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings.
9You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.
10Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
11I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty.
12“Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
If you don’t believe in the tithe of Malachi 3 then you dismiss the truths in the book of Malachi – Especially how Jesus is revealed and prophesied about as “The coming Son of Righteousness” – How the Messiah would appear at the Temple (Prophesied in Malachi 3:1 – fulfilled in Mark 11:15-16) or you also dismiss the prophetic word that “The Messiah’s forerunner would come in the Spirit of Elijah” Prophesied in Mal. 4:5 fulfilled in Matt 3:1-2 with John the Baptist)!
Be careful that you don’t pick and choose what you want to believe from the Bible! You will be held accountable at the Judgement seat of Christ!
But I think the Parable goes even deeper than the financial part of contributing to the Kingdom of Heaven – it is a riddle with deep meaning – I think it could be applied to musical ability, using that gift to worship the Lord on His day, It could be applied to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit which the Lord gave you to use (are you using them?), it could be applied to the gift teaching and speaking in small groups, it could apply to using your trade skills for the Kingdom of Heaven, it could be using your leadership skills, it could be using your tech skills for the Lord, it could be writing skills, it could be discipleship skills, it could apply to serving others, it could apply to your God given time which He has given you – how well do you manage your time for the Kingdom of Heaven – I think it can go into many facets of our lives – more than just the financial realm.
T.S. - So with talents defined let’s dig into our Parable or Riddle!
I. The subjects or individuals within the parable of the talents:
a. The lazy servant who did nothing with the talents given Him by His Master.
i. This servant did not earn these talents, they were a blessing given to him so he could multiply them for the Master and build up The Kingdom of Heaven.
ii. He was given what the Master knew he could handle and do in accordance with His abilities!
b. The faithful servant who got 2 talents and worked for two more to give 4 back to His Master.
i. Once again, this servant did not earn these talents, they were a blessing given to him by the Master to build up the Kingdom of Heaven.
ii. He too was given what the Master knew he could handle and do in accordance too his abilities.
c. The faithful servant who got five talents and doubled it to give His Master 10 upon His return and then received another that the lazy servant lost for being unfaithful.
i. Once again, this servant did not earn these talents, they were a blessing given to him by the Master to be used for building up the Kingdom of Heaven.
ii. He too was given what the Master knew he could handle and do in accordance too his abilities. The Master knew he could handle more than the other two!
T.S. – We have been introduced to the 3 main characters of this Parable – Riddle – short story with a huge meaning let’s look more at the specifics of the teaching.
II. The specifics and the comparison of the 3 servants in the Parable - Short stories with a huge message were about the Kingdom of Heaven/God.
a. The lazy unfaithful servant who did nothing with the talents given Him by the Master.
i. First when the Master returns, the lazy and deceived servant comes up with a lame excuse for why he did not use the talent that he was blessed with for the Kingdom. He even blames it on the Master himself – calling him hard to please so why even try! Better to do nothing and just give it back – he looked at the blessing as a curse!
1. His misperception of the Master would cost him his position in the Kingdom of Heaven. He is cats into outer darkness and gnashing of teeth.
a. Alexander on Sermoncentral.com states, “At first we may be a bit bewildered by what seems an unduly harsh treatment of the man with one talent, who at least had a sense of responsibility to see that his master got back the money that he gave him without any loss. But the matter is put in proper perspective when we hear Jesus' words: "For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away." The basic purpose of life is growth, increase, return. To fail in this purpose is to be fundamentally unprofitable. All life grows, and if it does not, it has already ceased to live and is no longer worth keeping. That is what Jesus means.”
i. From https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-parable-of-the-talents-claude-alexander-sermon-on-using-god-s-gifts-244632
b. Jeff Strite states this about those who have a incorrect view of God and Jesus, “We see a lot of people who have developed a poor perception of God today, not because they did the research but because they listened to someone who claimed to be in the know. It starts with an attack on the Bible- it’s written by men, full of contradictions. Ask the person to show you the contradictions and most likely they’ll answer they don’t know, it’s just what they’ve been told. So offer to discuss any “errors” they may find. Others declare God can’t exist because so much bad happens in the world. They point to the natural disasters, disease, wars, and other calamities and ask how a good God could exist. First, how could we know good if there is no bad to compare? Second, the bad we see is the result of choices made by people, not created by God. God created good, bad is the absence of the good He created.”
i. From https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-parable-of-talents-jeff-strite-sermon-on-parable-230395
ii. This servant had gained nothing because he had risked nothing – He did not live by faith but by fear!
ii. He is rebuked for doing nothing by the master. He is called lazy, fearful and unfaithful – the Master rejects his lame excuse for his laziness and deception!
1. His fear IS ADDRESSED and is noted as the primary cause of His misperception of His Master- His fear would cost Him his position in the Kingdom of Heaven.
2. His talent was then given to the servant who doubled his to 10!
iii. He is cast into outer darkness.
1. He loses his position in the Kingdom and everything that comes with the Kingdom for doing nothing!
2. James 4:17: If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
3. Got Questions states, “A sin of omission is a sin that is the result of not doing something God’s Word teaches that we should do. It is generally used in contrast with the corresponding phrase “the sin of commission,” or sins that a person actively commits. Paul juxtaposes the two concepts in Romans 7:14-20. He decries his tendency toward both types of sin. He does what he doesn’t want to do and knows is wrong—the sin of commission—and he doesn’t do what he knows he should do and really wants to do—the sin of omission. Here is a picture of the new nature in conflict with the flesh in which it dwells.”
a. The above from https://www.gotquestions.org/sin-of-omission.html
b. In the classic example given by Jesus is the Parable of the Good Samaritan his 24th Parable gives the account of the Good Samaritan.
b. The faithful servant who took two talents and turned them into 4.
i. The Master says well done good servant – he then invited Him to come and enjoy The Kingdom of Heaven with Him and live happily ever after.
1. Jesus (The Master) says, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Obviously Jesus Christ would never say "well done" unless it had indeed been well done. This is not empty praise, made meaningless by being spoken to everyone alike, regardless of how well or poorly he has done. Then the Lord sets him over much, which in the estimation of Christ must be a great deal indeed, and adds, "Enter into the joy of your master."
ii. The Master knew this servant could double what He had blessed Him with for the Kingdom – he took risk and reaped the reward and the Master was very pleased.
1. Note he did not produce as much as the faithful servant number 1 with 5 but Jesus was very pleased to bless him with more for he did what he could!
c. The faithful servant who was given 5 talents (more than the other two) by the Master took the 5 talents and turned them into 10 talents.
i. He is called a good and faithful servant.
ii. He is promised He will be given even more to do in the Kingdom of Heaven because he is found faithful.
iii. He is invited to participate in the joy and happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven with His Master.
iv. He is also rewarded with another talent by the unfaithful and lazy servant – he gets more!
T.S. – We have dug deeper into the hidden meanings in this Parable – Riddle – Short story with huge spiritual meaning lets apply it to us today!
III. Application of the Parable:
a. Alexander notes this about the teaching in the Parable:
i. In summary, Matthew’s parable teaches that faithfulness in service to Christ will determine our inheritance in the Kingdom. Believers may be assigned different opportunities to serve Christ, but faithful service will be rewarded equally. This also has a clear implication: we must not undervalue what we have been given. Some are given more, some are given less, but all are given according to our abilities.. And Jesus tells us “everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (Luke 12:48). This is why the master was so angry at the servant who did nothing with the talent he was given (Matthew 25:26–27). The servant blamed the master’s character for his lack of diligence (Matthew 25:24–25). But the master saw through this smoke screen and called the servant what he was: “wicked and slothful” (Matthew 25:26).
1. From https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-parable-of-the-talents-claude-alexander-sermon-on-using-god-s-gifts-244632
b. Jeff Strite applies the teaching this way:
i. As you can see, a proper perspective of God motivates us to serve out of love. This results in a just reward. Look what happened to these two servants when the master returned. He was pleased with their results. The master praised them both, allowed them to keep the money, and asked them to share in his joy. The servant who then had 10 talents was rewarded with a bonus talent when the one talent servant had his buried talent taken away. As we are motivated to serve out of a love for God, we can also look forward to the reward. The day is coming when Jesus will return and gather His followers. I look forward to the day when we no longer talk about these words but actually get to hear them from the mouth of God- “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have done well over a little, I will trust you with much. Enter into your master’s happiness.”
1. From https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-parable-of-talents-jeff-strite-sermon-on-parable-230395
c. My application from the Parable:
i. Power Point 11:
1. It matters now what you do with the talents God has given you in this life!
2. Talents can be financial, your time, it’s also symbolic of gifts of the Holy Spirit, could be your musical talent, your trade skills, your medical skills, your hospitality, your leadership skills, your willingness to help others in need, your tech skills and so on!
3. James 1:24 “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”
ii. Power Point 12:
1. James 4:17: “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”
2. The truth is we will be held accountable for what we do and don’t do for the Kingdom of Heaven!
3. 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him/her for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."
iii. Power Point 13:
1. Let’s go out for “Labor of Love” today and change people’s lives – help people – serve people – do Kingdom things that will make our Master Happy and bring others into the Kingdom of Heaven!
2. Barton states, “Ultimately, any exercise in extravagant stewardship involves risk. In the Parable of the Talents, the bottom line for the wicked and unfaithful steward was that he was risk averse. This steward let his flesh, feelings, and unhealthy fears immobilize him (Matthew 25:24-25). Multiplying resources requires letting go and doing things for the Lord.
Video Transition: Labor of Love – Skit guys
