The Tragedy Of A Profitless Life

Bunbury

Fri pm

Men’s D/S

“The tragedy of a profitless life”

Intro: *** There was a story about a man who died & when they were winding up his estate it was discovered that in his will he wanted his estate left to the devil! Since the estate involved a property the executors of the will were at a loss as to how they would leave real estate to the devil.

After some discussion his lawyers decided that the best way to honour their client’s request would be to simply let the property lie idle & do nothing to it. They figured that w/ the passing of time it would simply run down & fall into a state of disrepair & ruin.

This is an interesting story & it got me thinking.

If this is true of a property that is left to the devil ..... that it would degenerate to a state of utter disrepair, what would happen to a life given to the devil?

We don’t have to think too hard b/c the Bible already answers the question for us.

The writer of Proverbs allows us to see a similar scene through his own eyes when he says ....

Proverbs 24:30-34 (NKJV) I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction:

A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

Here is a man that could have / should have lived a profitable life but the profit of his life was stolen simply b/c he did nothing.

T/n I want to consider w/ you ‘The tragedy of a profitless life’.

Text: Matthew 25:14-28 ( NKJV ) “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. 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. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. “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.’

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.’ 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.’ 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.’ “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. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ “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. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

# 1. The potential of life.

A. It’s an amazing thought when you think about the potential buried in a life.

a. At the heart of every life is a seed called potential.

i. Potential is basically the seed of possibility – the possibility of what that life might b/co / what might be achieved through it.

ii. And potential is something that is resident w/i every one of us ..... it’s not dependant upon education / upbringing / financial status.

*** In his mid 40’s Ivan Boesky was sitting on a park bench staring up into the sky wondering what the rest of his life might amount to. He had just been retrenched & although he sat there immaculately dressed in a suit there was no reason to believe that his future might have been anything but tough!