Because Jesus Is Returning . . .
"Be Faithful- Matthew 25:14-30"
I like reading bumper stickers. Sometimes you get an unusual combination of bumper stickers on one car that give an unintended message. One such combination was funny. One read: JESUS IS COMING! and the one next to it said: ESCAPE TO WISCONSIN. I don’t think that is a wise way of preparing for Jesus’ return. Today we are looking at another parable Jesus told. Each of these short stories gives us instruction on how to live because Jesus is coming back at a time we cannot predict.
- Read Matthew 25:14-30
While it is true that God wants us to use His gifts and to multiply them for the benefit of his Kingdom. We must also understand that we are not judged according to the quantity of the work we do for God, nor even by the success of it. Rather, we are judged by our attitude. By our willingness to do as God wants us to do, by our willingness to risk all that we have been given for the sake of the Kingdom just as Jesus risked all of himself for our sake. As Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-10 "God has saved you by His special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago."
If we reduce the parable of the talents simply to a matter of saying that we must be productive for God - or else be condemned by God. Then we miss what is so good about the Christian life. We miss the good news of Jesus Christ, the good news of the grace and mercy won for us on the cross. The good news that we don’t have to fear God or death. I believe that, in the end, if we focus on productivity, we will end up like the servant who failed to invest the talent that his master gave him because of fear. We will end up being afraid. Worried more about how well we are doing in the eyes of God than we are actually doing nothing at all. Consider the servant who buried the talent entrusted unto him. When he is asked by the master to give an accounting of what he has done with his talent what does he say?
"Sir, I know you are a hard 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 and here it is." The servant was afraid - and he froze. His fear that he better not be unproductive led to unproductivity. Fear does that to you. On the other hand, acceptance of God’s grace, free gift of eternal life and forgiveness - leads to a freedom to serve without fear. Grace produces in us an attitude of "I gotta serve Him! I can’t help it!"
I. Facts About Being Stewards (Managers) For God.
A. What I have all belongs to God. (Vs. 14)
- I am a steward not an owner. This one fact accepted by the heart can radically change your life. 1 Corinthians 10:26 says, "The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it." That is actually a quote from Psalm 24:1 which adds, "The world and all its people belong to Him." Most Christians are able to accept that with their head, but not always with their heart. To say that God owns it all is to admit that He has the right to control it all too. He has the rights, I have the responsibilities. Stewardship is a vital truth to you to accept.
1. Of my time
2. Of my talents. Anything I am able to do, any skill, ability. Rush Limbaugh has this phrase as part of his self introduction. "Talent on loan from God." It might sound arrogant, but it really isn’t. It’s humble. I’ve heard him explain it too. He knows that whatever he is able to do is a gift from God with which he is to do his best for God. Your talent, too, is on loan from God.
3. Of my treasures - money is a representation of time talent and sweat most of the time.
B. God entrust different stuff to different people. (vs. 15)
God, in His sovereignty, entrusts differently to different people. To some he gives greater opportunities and resources. I have a choice in this matter.
- I can be faithful with whatever amount I have to work with
- or I can feel cheated. It comes down to whether or not I trust God to know what is best for me at any given time. Do I trust that God knows more about me than even I know about myself?
- Faithfulness has nothing to do with the amount of possessions - nothing at all. Listen to Luke 16:10,11 - "Unless you are faithful in small matters you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?" So you know what this means? If you are a good giver when you have a little, you’ll be a good giver when you have a lot. If you are a bad steward when you have a little, you will be a bad steward when you have a lot.
So, make it a priority to ask God to help you be a faithful steward now.
- In the day of judgement, the number of opportunities for service will not matter. The question is only, "Have we been faithful in their use?"
C. I am to invest what I have for God (vs. 16-18)
- it’s not to benefit myself primarily. I am not the owner. God is. So I am to benefit Him first. It is to Him that I will ultimately give an account of what I have done with what He has entrusted to me.
II. Signs Of Faithfulness
A. Urgency replaces apathy
A U.S. Army officer told of the contrast in his pupils during two different eras of teaching at the artillery training school at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In 1958; the attitude was so lax that the instructors had a problem getting the men to stay awake to listen. During the 1965 classes, however, the men hearing the same basic lectures were alert and even took notes. The reason: these men knew that in less than six weeks they would be facing the enemy in Vietnam.
Writer Regina Barreca wrote an article for the Chicago Tribune in 1996 on this very issue: Sloth is insidious. It whispers that you might as well do it tomorrow, that nobody will know if you cut comers here and there to save yourself some trouble, that the world will be the same in a hundred years no matter what you do, so why do anything? Sloth says, "Don’t strain yourself," "What’s the big hurry?" and "Just give me five more minutes." Sloth hits the snooze alarm, hits the remote control and hits the road when the going gets tough ... Sloth cheats on exams, drinks straight from the milk carton and leaves exactly two sheets on the toilet roll so that it will have to be replaced by the next poor soul who finds out too late that the remaining paper is nothing more than a mirage.
Sloth does slightly less than the right thing. It doesn’t bother returning something to the lost-and found, but pockets it instead; it doesn’t tell the clerk he has undercharged. Sloth has never written a thank-you note, sent a birthday card on time or entertained angels. All this simply asks too much effort.
If you’re into zoology, you may be aware that there’s an animal that lives in the tropical forests of Central and South America called the sloth. It’s funny-looking mammal, with an appearance somewhere between a skunk and a monkey. Most of its life is spent hanging upside down in trees. It was named the sloth because it moves so slowly and sleeps so much. Nothing pressures the sloth. It seems to be in no hurry to do anything. After studying the sin of sloth, however, I have to conclude that the animal sloth has gotten a bad rap. It may move slowly and sleep a lot, but it’s not lazy. It does exactly what God designed it to do. The essence of slothfulness is in not doing what God designed you to do.
B. Risk replaces fear and complacency
The inventor offered it, first to the Swiss, and only then to the Japanese. The Swiss said that no one would buy such a thing. The Swiss never imagined a situation where their product, with its history and impeccable reputation, was not be the most sought after in the world. The Swiss were not willing to risk their reputation on this newfangled technology, a technology that was, without a doubt ONLY a passing fad. What was the new venture that the Swiss turned down ? It was the quartz chip technology that has revolutionized watch making. In the world of watch making nothing has been the same since. Within a very few years the 80% share of the world watch market, previously enjoyed by the Swiss, was given over to companies such as Seiko and the Swiss were reduced to a mere 20% share. The Swiss passed up the opportunity of a lifetime because they were unwilling to risk what they already had. To make it in today’s rapidly changing and competitive global market it is said you that a company cannot rely on past success or rest on present achievements but must risk everything on what the future may hold. Amazingly, the same can be said about the kingdom of God
The 1 talent servant was unwilling to take a risk with what he had. Many Christians don’t serve God or step out in faith because it requires risk. The last thing we want is to fail or fall or be laughed at. A sincere love for God pushes fear and grasping for security into the background. Our faith takes on a risky, adventurous character.
In his book Fuzzy Memories, Jack Handey writes: There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day. Since I was smaller, I would give it to him. Then I decided to fight back. I started taking karate lessons. But then the karate lesson guy said I had to start paying him five dollars a lesson. So I just went back to paying the bully.
Too many people feel it is easier just to pay the bully than it is to learn how to defeat him.
C. Excellence replaces mediocrity
The world expects excellence, but in the church status quo is standard procedure.
- Franky Schaeffer, Addicted to Mediocrity
"The idea that ’the Spirit can work somehow,’ that God can bring something out of it if we just sort of throw it out there, is unjustifiable from those who aim to know the living God and can see his integrity and dedication to quality in his word and the world around us."
I wonder how many simply don’t know God’s excellent gift of Jesus Christ. How could we possibly give God leftovers when we know that He gave us himself.
Colossians 3:23-24 says, "Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the master you are serving is Christ."
III. The Rewards Of Faithfulness (vs. 21)
A. "Well done"
B. "Let’s celebrate together."
C. "You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities."
Conclusion: 1 Corinthians 4:23 - "it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful."
- faithfulness, not success, is what God requires of us.
In the 1996 Olympics, Dani Tyler, third-base star for the U.S. women’s softball team, hit a home run. Or so she thought. In her excitement rounding the bases, she accidentally stepped over home plate. The umpire disallowed the run. Because of that one misstep, the U.S. team lost in extra innings 2-1, only their second international loss in ten years.
The next evening, Tyler played well. Sports Illustrated writer Peter King (8/12/96) asked her why the mistake hadn’t become a mental ball-and-chain.
"Well, I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning," she admitted. "But this is sports. One play doesn’t make a game, and one play won’t define my life. I’ve never been the best athlete, but I try to have the best attitude and work the hardest. What happened was a freak thing. It’s over. If I whine about it, or make excuses, or argue, what happens? I look like a jerk."
- faithfulness, not success, is what God requires.
Don’t forget the main point of this story. Jesus is coming back, so live faithfully. A day of accountability will eventually come. v. 19
vs.19 - "After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money."
Everything should be done with a view to the day of reckoning that is coming. "How will this decision look on the day of judgement?" is the question that should constantly be asked.
A distinguishing mark of a true Christian is service, giving. That’s why eternal destruction comes to those who do not serve, who do not give, who do not invest what they’ve been given into the Lord’s business. A lack of service, a lack of giving, betrays a heart where Jesus doesn’t really live.
How do I do it though? Invest what God has given me in His business?
The best way I know to do that is to invest in helping people grow to be passionate followers of Christ.
Why are we to give our gifts of time, talent, and treasure? We are to do it so we and others through us can be more passionate followers of Christ.
Jesus’ message to us is that there are only two kinds of people, no matter their talents or abilities or resources or status. There are those who know, love and serve God and those who do not know him, do not love him and do not serve him. There are those whose purpose is God. And there are those who have no worthwhile purpose at all. It’s really very simple.
Is your life directed toward God? Is your single-minded goal to please him like the two profitable servants? Or are you aiming to please yourself?
How do you do that? You’ve got to know him by experiencing firsthand his forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Once you know that forgiveness and the peace and joy it brings, you’ll love him. God will no longer be some vague abstraction or a cosmic policeman in the sky. He’ll be Father to you.
If you know him and love him, you’ll be consumed with desire to serve Him.
