What'cha Gonna Do?

4 – 30 / What’Cha Gonna Do?

Intro: The word phobia = fear. Do you know what the following words mean: pelado phobia = fear of baldness / aero phobia = fear of drafts / porphyro phobia = fear of the color purple / levo phobia = fear of objects on the left side of the body / dextro phobia = fear of objects on the right side of the body / phobo phobia = fear of being afraid / calypro phobia = fear of obscure meanings. --- These words refer to conditions that people possess.

I. This text is often used by pastors to preach on stewardship with the word talanton referring to an amount of money entrusted to the servants just as God has entrusted possessions to us.

A. I want to focus on Vss. 24 & 25 “. . . so I was afraid . . .” The one talent man was afraid. In fact, he was so afraid he did nothing.

B. There was a man who advertised a beautiful, rare car for sale. The motor sounded impressive, the lights, radio and horn were all in working order. It had new tires. There was only one problem; the transmission was stuck in neutral.

C. Fear paralyzed the one talent man into doing nothing! Ladies, what happens to a beautiful new wool coat if you hang it in the attic and never wear it? Gentlemen, what happens if you buy a brand new, shiny saw, hang it in the garage and never touch it again? --- The same thing happens when we store up God’s resources. We have to use them or they become like moth-eaten garments or rust encrusted tools.

II. Fear motivated the 1-talent servant to bury his master’s money and do nothing with it.

A. The 1-talent servant said, “Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so . . . “

B. He was afraid of the master. Neither of the other two people saw the master in this light. It was just the perception of the 1-talent person. Was it reality of just conjecture?

C. Have you ever been kept from speaking about God’s activity in your life by fear? Perhaps fear of what people would think of you, fear of how what you said might be received, fear of being rejected or humiliated. --- “Nothing venture; nothing gained.”

III. “. . . See, here is what belongs to you!” At least I didn’t loose it.

A. Fear of failure often keeps people from trying. “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.”

B. Shohoiya Yokowai spent 28 years living in a prison of his own making. He was a Japanese soldier of Guam during WW2. When the Americans landed he fled into the jungle and found a care in which he lived for 28 years coming out only at night to look for roaches, rats, frogs and mangoes. Finally, some natives found him & convinced him to leave his self imposed prison. (Have A Go! By Cameron Horsburgh, SermonCentral.com)

C. What a waste! 28 years living as a prisoner of fear. --- There are a lot of people who are prisoners of fear.

Conclu: How many of us are like the 1-talent man who understood his master’s nature perfectly well. He knew what the master expected of his servants; but, refused to take the risk to do it. He said he was too afraid to take such a risk. What’cha gonna do? My prayer for you, this church, and this community is that we will all find the courage to live so God can use us.