What Does It Mean To Be A Citizen In The Kingdom Of God.
Our Scriptures this morning address this issue: what does it mean to be a citizen in the kingdom of God? More importantly, what does it mean to be a citizen in the kingdom of God, when the Master, Jesus, is gone?
When we become Christians, accept Jesus into our heart, give our lives over to the Lord, we enter the kingdom of God. We are a part of it, our citizenship is solid and no one will ever be able to be taken away from us.
Jesus in this parable tells us not how to become a part of the Kingdom of God, but how to act in the kingdom of God, how to act as a good steward.
Many times this is what we do: We become Christians, citizens. Life’s hard and we are doing ok, so we focus on maintaining our Christian lives. We live by this motto: Better to do no wrong – than risk messing up; Better to maintain and stay the same, than risk messing up.
But Jesus tells us – that’s the wrong approach. He wants us to take risks in the Kingdom of God. He wants us to invest the Kingdom of God. He wants risk not just maintenance.
In our day our society has come to equate stewardship with conservation Stewardship is not about conservation .For example in the environmental movement: Keep this forest in a pristine state – DON’T TOUCH IT. That is not stewardship – stewardship involves risks, investment, not maintaining the status quo . The risk and investment, are not only for risk and investments sake. There is a return on a risky investment in the kingdom of God. The return is not in the form of money. The return is Joy, a more fulfilling walk with Christ, more spiritual responsibility.
In the past: I have been told by some, maybe you have heard it too – using this parable: Invest your money in the kingdom of God and God will give you back more than double your money. When I hear that, I suspect that is someone who is just trying to get my money. Why?
It is bad scholarship. It is a misunderstanding of Scripture. Christians don’t give money to the kingdom to get money. That is unspiritual thinking.
Stewardship – is a spiritual matter, for though we deal with material issues but they have for us spiritual consequences. Let us see how this is....
Supervisor Material.
Jesus sets up the situation with the Master going on a journey. Clearly the Master is Jesus and he is speaking of the time after his death and resurrection where he has gone away. In other words: right now in our time. Clearly the three men represent – all of us. So he is looking for supervisor material. in biblical terms: steward, - to us a supervisor.
Common in biblical times. The Master leaves for months or years and places the servants – could be slaves, in charge. The people hearing the story understood: The supervisor did not own the estate. The supervisor was not working for his benefit. The supervisor was given a great opportunity. He had responsibility. He was to make his master look good. He apparently had the capacity to take a risk. What Jesus is looking for is the capacity to take a risk. He seeks this. He commends this.
Let’s look at Eccl 11.
It takes three thoughts. Places them side by side, yo encourage us to take a risk.
Verse 1
Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.
An odd saying, it means this: Despite the risk at sea, or traveling a river, there is potential return. Egyptian in origin - bread on the water – Egyptian, a gift.
We would say: what comes around goes around.
Verse 2
Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
Life is uncertain.
Verse 3+
If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie .
But one must act before rain (plant) not just when it is in sight, there are events we have no control over.
What comes around goes around.
Life is uncertain.
There are events we have no control over.
All of these combine to say to us, in the context of the kingdom of God, when we apply this to stewardship, don’t wait for the best time in your life to get started. Waiting will get you nowhere. Act now. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.
Take a risk.
Not Natural Abilities.
Back to Matthew Scripture. The Master gives three servants different sums of money, The term Talent is used here. This is confusing to Americans. A Talent was a silver coin of great value. Five talents = 10,000 days of labor, or 3-4 million dollars in our day.
Given to their abilities. The Master sees one can handle more responsibility than another. I mean that’s a lot of cash!
What this means to us: Not natural abilities, there is an emphasis is on the sum of money. The point is: something is given to us and we are furnished with resources – for the sake of the kingdom of God. It is God’s investment in us. God is investing in us. He is giving us his endowment. We are expected to risk it and invest it.
Endowed To Our Ability.
As Christians we are all given an endowment by God, it is different for each to use. Now some look at this story and say: It is not fair. Jesus basically says – this is how things are. Life is not fair.
Story.
I had a neighbor, Jerry, who had Multiple Sclerosis. He was in bad shape. Basically dragged his feet as he used his crutches. He was a professional motivational speaker. He had walked across America - alone, climbed pikes peak – without help, and so on. Amazing, things many of us could never do. He had tremendous ability, in spite of appearances.
Judgment: According to our overall stewardship.
An annual meeting at a coperation: Again we did the same as last year. Good news: we didn’t lose any money, we maintained, everything is as it was. You haven’t lost money, you haven’t earned money and we expect the same next year. Sounds great! I’ll buy more stock!
Forget it – fire the guy, I want a return on my investment.
Jesus point: Pursuit of the masters agenda – is our agenda. We are expected to use what we have for the kingdom of God. We will be judged according to how we perform. I cannot look at the person next to me and say, clearly I am doing better than they are in my stewardship. Your endowment from God is different than theirs. You may be doing well, but maybe not according you what God has invested in you.
100% Return.
Goal: Pursuit of the Masters Agenda. A question I am asked frequently is: Can I give to other charities than the church? Of course – I do too. The Cancer society is one of those – How many give to it? Wonderful.
A great cause we can all be apart of. But know this: Giving money to things that are not Christian , Is good, Generous, Christian, bu ti t is not, investing in the kingdom of God, it is not the pursuit of the masters agenda.
If I am giving all my money to the cancer society. I am not tithing, I am giving money to the cancer society.
What if I give money to other Christian organizations and causes too?
Great – I do. That is investing in the kingdom of God.
The Review: What Is Gained Spiritually.
In the story the master returns and sees how his investment went. He comes back and reviews his servants. One servant has maintained – misunderstood stewardship. The master is not pleased. He was given according to his abilities. Yet he didn’t even attempt to please the master.
The others have increased the investment.Two things happen to them. First, they are given Greater Responsibility;
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!’
When they are given the talents, that doesn’t mean they get money, it means they are given greater responsibility. God says, you have done well with what I have given you. Think in terms of spiritual nature of things. Use what God has given you well and you might receive more spiritual insight.
Joy
What we will be given is not cash. But something more valuable: joy
