Matthew 25:14-30- “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, 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 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, 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. 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.’
INTRODUCTION: This MESSAGE SERIES is focusing on the topic of stewardship. Today in Message #2, we are going to look at 3 foundational PRINCIPLES OF STEWARDSHIP that are found in the parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-30.
Principal #1 God is the owner and we are the manager (stewards)
Matthew 25:14-19-“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, 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 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, and hid his lord’s money.19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.”
What does it mean that God is the owner, and we are the manger?
1. God is the owner of everything
Matthew 25:14-“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.”
Psalm 24:1- The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.
Haggai 2:8-“The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ says the Lord Almighty”
John 1:3- All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
James 1:17- “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.”
Colossians 1:16- “All things were created by him and for him.”
Since God is the owner of everything and He has created all things, this shows us that….
2. Everything we have - has been entrusted to us by God
Matthew 25:14“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.”
a. The words “his goods” or His property
The Greek word used for “property” here in Matthew 25:14 is the same Greek word used to describe “Christ” in Philippians 2:6.
The word refers to an existence both prior to the circumstances mentioned and continuing afterwards. In Philippians 2:6 it refers to the deity of Christ. Christ was God prior to his incarnation and continued to be God at and after his birth. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever!
In Matthew 25:14 it means it was God’s property before he entrusted it to us and it is still God’s property after he entrusted it to us.
2. Notice the scripture does not say his goods or property was given to the servants. The scripture says that his goods or property was entrusted to the servants.
There is a huge difference between being “given something” and being “entrusted with” something. When something is given to us then it becomes ours; we can now do what we want with it.
But when something is entrusted to us- it is not ours. We have to do what the real owner wants to do with it.
3. This means one day we will all stand before God and give an account for what we did with what he entrusted to us.
Matthew 25:19-After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.”
2 Corinthians 5:10-“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
Were you faithful with what I gave you?
Were you worthy of my confidence in you? Were you trustworthy with what I gave you?
Secondly, and here is the more difficult part of this passage of scripture.
-Were you fruitful with what I gave you?
-Did my kingdom grow because of what I gave you?
-Can we identify specific goals that were achieved because of what I gave you?
-How well did you do with what I gave you?
4. God has given all of us the ability to be good stewards of everything he has entrusted to us
Matthew 25:14-15-“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
God has given us the power to do something with what he has given us and entrusted to us.
Philippians 4:13- “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
The Challenge for those who are entrusted as stewards:
It’s not an issue of can I be a good steward of what God has given me.
It’s an issue of will I be a good steward of what God has given me!
It’s not an issue of God’s faithfulness. It’s an issue of our faithfulness!
Not ability but obedience!
Principle #2 Stewardship begins with our present resources.
Matthew 25:14-17-“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, 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 with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
Notice the man who was given the 5 talents and the man who was given the 2 talents went at once and put God’s money to work.
They didn’t wait till the first of the year…
They didn’t wait till their bills were paid off…
They didn’t wait till they got a pay increase…
They didn’t wait till they saw what they had left at the end of the month….
They practiced stewardship at once!
Notice the man who was given the one talent, he wasted it.
Matthew 25:18- “But he who had received one went and dug in the ground and hid his lord’s money.”
Why did this man not follow the example of the others?
Matthew 25:24-25- “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.’
He said to his Lord, I was afraid! This man spoke from a heart of FEAR. Fear is simply false expectations appearing real!
Fear is seen when people say things like: I can’t afford to give to missions. I can’t afford to pay tithes. If I tithe how am I going to pay my bills?
Principle #3 We can never out give God
Matthew 25:24-“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.”
Malachi 3:10- “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house. Prove me now in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek in Genesis 14 hundreds of years before the Lord established his Levitical Laws with Israel.
Luke 6:38- “Give, and it shall be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will men give back into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Galatians 6:7-9- Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
CONCLUSION: As we close out this message, the challenge for each Christian believer is to try to out give God and continue to be faithful as a steward in God’s kingdom. Are you a faithful and fruitful steward of the time, the talents and the treasure God has given you? If not, we need to always make sure that we maintain a life of faithful stewardship to the Lord.
