Sermon Central
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What Would Christian Do (Wwcd)
Contributed by Isaac Magsino on Sep 1, 2020 (message contributor)
Summary: There are thousands of Christians who reached a level of maturity in their Christian faith and then became self-satisfied and complacent. They decided they didn’t need to grow anymore, or pray anymore, or study anymore. And they started dying spiritually because they buried their talents.
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Theme: WWCD
Text: I Peter 4:10
Place: Riverside Church of Christ
Date: August 30, 2020
Intro:
People in our society today love signs just to make the word simplified and to catch attentions. Especially when you’re promoting a product or something… Signs like; RCOC, BIR, SEC, RIP, IBM. Our message today is about WWCD if God gave us talents.
WHAT WOULD CHRISTIAN DO
1 Peter 4:10 International Children’s Bible (ICB)
10 Each of you received a spiritual gift. God has shown you his grace in giving you different gifts. And you are like servants who are responsible for using God’s gifts. So be good servants and use your gifts to serve each other.
Story Background – Parable of the Servants (Matthew 25:14-28)
Let me condense it to just a few sentences. Jesus said that a master was getting ready to take a long journey. So he called in his servants & distributed his wealth among them. Then he left. And then he came back. And when he came back he called for an accounting, & those who had invested wisely, he rewarded. And the one who did not invest is condemned. That’s the parable.
It is practical. It applies to our lives because it shows how God treats us, how He reacts to us, & how we oftentimes treat His blessings.
Focus: WWCD in our Talents
illus: My first car was a 1963 Starchief Pontiac that sold for $500 and I talked my mother into signing a note for me so I could work and pay it off. For $500 you don’t get many five year, 60,000 mile warranties. You can imagine my excitement that turned to disappointment when I drove the car home and the next morning got ready to drive to school only to realize my first car didn’t have a reverse! That car looked great; had a huge engine, nice interior, power windows, the whole nine yards…That car had great potential, it had real promise to be a sweet drive but was useless without a reverse.
Sometimes Christian are LIKE 63 STARCHIEF PONTIAC…you look good, people talk about your potential but you never get out of neutral and let me share this with you.
GOD NEVER INTENDED FOR YOU TO BE STUCK IN NEUTRAL FOR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE - HAVING PEOPLE TALK ABOUT YOUR POTENTIAL BUT YOU NEVER REALIZING YOUR PROMISE AND YOU NEVER BECOME PRODUCTIVE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.
I. We must define that talent is a potential
Webster defines ‘potential’ as, “something that has the promise to develop and become real!” undeveloped, expressing possibility. That means, that God gave us potentials and he’s expecting us to develop that potentials.
Today, I want you to imagine your potential, your personal responsibility in serving in His church and allowing the promise within you to develop and become real.
II. We must understand that it is God who gave us the talent.
He is expecting us to use that talent. Why does God have the right to expect you to use the talent He has entrusted to your care? Because…
a. It is His gift to you.
Remember that it is God, our Master, Our Savior who entrusted us this talent. We are not deserved, but because of His faithfulness. We are enjoying the fruit of His faithfulness.
One of the alarming parts of the story is that He didn’t give the servants the same amount. He gave 5 to one & 2 to another & 1 to another. We say that is not fair. But then we realize that this master knows His servants.
So He gives to each of them, vs. 15 says, "according to his ability."
If He had given only 1 talent to the 5-talent man, it would not have been good use of his abilities. If He had given 5 talents to the 1 talent man, the 1 talent man would never have been able to handle them. But because the master knew His servants, He gave each one what He knew that one could handle, & then He left.
That’s the way God works, isn’t it? God gives, & then He leaves us alone. He doesn’t look over our shoulders. He gives, & then He leaves it in our hands.
He does open doors of opportunity. He gives us visions & dreams. He allows us to see just a little bit of what might be. But then He waits for us to use what He has given, & to see if we will be faithful with it.
b. It is His power working through you (acts 1:8) •
God has given the believer the power to serve and be productive not boast of their talent.
Acts 1:8 International Children’s Bible (ICB)
8 But the Holy Spirit will come to you. Then you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.”
