Entrusted Wealth

Good morning and welcome to Sylvania Wesleyan church. It is always wonderful to be gathered together. The last several weeks we have been working through Luke chapter 15. If you hadn’t figured it out the lost individuals are so important. We need to establish that truth in this church. This morning though I want us to push deeper.

First Savings Account

I remember when I got my first savings account. I had just started working at Eat N Park. It is a local chain in Pennsylvania. Interesting enough. The claim to fame that Eat n Park has is that their Super burger is the inspiration behind the Big mac. Just a side note that is always an interesting one.

Anyway, shortly after I started working I of course got my first pay check and I remember going to the bank and setting up my checking account and my basic savings account. Now of course I knew then the importance of a savings account because my money could earn interest. At that time Savings accounts were a lot better interest than they are today. However, I was excited because I knew that I was getting free money because I had a savings account. I was earning Interest. That was a powerful idea to me. Even a few Cents to me was amazing. Free money!

I have applied this tried to apply this to my life as much as possible. My first full time job i Signed up for my first 401k. Best move I ever made. I signed up during the recession in the late 2000s. First, I was getting matching free money from the company I worked for and second I bought in when investments were struggling. When the market rebounded I made some great gains.

Now I know we don’t need to sit here and go over my portfolio but the reality is the idea of invsesting is a powerful one. Getting something back in return for the giving of our resources is a powerful tool. It is also not a tool that is exclusive to our modern understanding. Even Jesus talked about it. Let’s turn together to the book of Matthew in chapter 25.

Here we will find a great parable that Jesus is sharing.

Matthew 25:14–30 NIV

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 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!’ 22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ 23 “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!’ 24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 “ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Context

This parable needs to be understood in the context of the chapter that it is in. In fact we need to really go back to Chapter 24 to see that Jesus is talking about the Second coming and the preparation that is involved with the return of Christ. Like in Luke 15 this broader context is important. In Luke Jesus was talking to the sinners, tax collectors, and the Pharisees to help them see that God values those that are lost and he is searching and hoping for them to return.

In Matthew Jesus is establishing the expectation of what is to come and the roll that Christians should take in their waiting. This is a reminder of how we are supposed to live as Christians.

The Master

The master is going on a trip. He brings together his servants and he entrusts them with some wealth. One interesting thing that I noticed when i was studying this passage is do you notice that the master doesn’t give them any instructions. He doesn’t give them clear cut instructions on what to do with the bags of Gold?

He trusted them to know what to do. To know who he is and realize that they had a responsibility by being entrusted with this wealth. Each one entrusted with their own ability.

The Master had expectations though. If he didn’t he wouldn’t have given according to each ones ability. The Master knew who had what gifts and entrusted more to some and less to others. This is just good business sense.

Management

I learned these lessons a lot working in management. One of the biggest challenges in Management is scheduling. Managing schedules was one of my least favorite tasks but I also knew how important it was. When I was in charge of the front in cashiers at my store I always was trying to keep in mind which Cashiers I was scheduling. I was always careful to make sure that I didn’t have too many of my weak cashiers on at the same time. When I could you paired a faster and efficient Cashier with a slower one. It helped keep the lines balanced and take care of the customers. It was important to keep track of because if you put to many weak cashiers on a busy time you would pay the price in poor customer service. This constant Juggling and management is important for good leadership. This Master is no different. The Master has to keep in mind who has what gifting and abilities and trust them based on that ability.

Return on Investment

The Master was looking for a return on an investment. He wanted results and this becomes clear with his response to the different servants.

Matthew 25:19–21 NIV

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 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!’

The first servant did a great job. He doubled his investment.

Matthew 25:22–23 NIV

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ 23 “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!’

The Second one did good too. He also doubled the investment.

Then we get tot he last servant.

Matthew 25:24–25 NIV

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

The Last Servant

The lasts servant is afraid. He was worried that he would fail. He was worried about what his master might say if he lost the money. There is the problem. The servant was so consumed by the fear that if they lost the money the master would take their wrath out on them.

I think not only was he afraid he was only interested in what was best for him. He thought it would be the safest and easiest route to to ensure he would not face consequences. His inward focus prevented his potential. He failed to see that His master expected some measure of risk. He expected the money to be invested even if it is in the most simple of ways.

Matthew 25:26–27 NIV

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

The Master expected even the most simple of response. The most simple of seeking to grow the money given.

The Church

What does this mean for us today. How does this Parable translate to us here and right now. This parable isn’t about making good investments. This isn’t about our finances from the point of view of making more money. This Parable is about the blessings and resources that God provides us. Every one of us is a part of a church that has been given so much. We have been given resources from God and we have a responsibility to these resources. Resources aren’t always just finances.

Dude Perfect

One of the joys of being a parent is staying in touch with the things of today. One content creators that I don’t mind that my kids watch is Dude perfect. If you aren’t familiar with them they are a group of guys who became famous because they started doing trick shots. The other thing that I love them is they are Christians. Tyler Toney one of the guys just the other month with his wife did a video series called I am second. In many ways he is seen as the leader of this group. He was struggling in faith and his marriage was falling apart when he realized he never had really had a relationship with Christ. It was after this revelation that his marriage started to turn around. It was hard work but Bethany and Tyler were able to make it through it. Than Tyler started doing something different. He started to put Christ at the center of his life. Here is a group of guys making a ton of money. They have a huge platform. They currently have over 59 million subscribers on youtube. It was when Tyler put Christ in the center of his life that God showed him how he could use what he had been given. He could use his influence, finances, and other resources to glorify God. Tyler started sharing the Gospel message after all their lives shows while they were on tour. He saw how he could use his tremendous gifts and resources to share the message of hope.

Sylvania Wesleyan

As the church we have been blessed as a gathering of beleivers with the trust of God to have resources. We have money, we have talent, we have love, we have family, and the list can go on and on for all the things that we have been blessed with. This church has received its bags of Gold.

The question this morning is what do you want to do with those bags of Gold?

Let me tell you where I stand.

I will not be the servant who buries his bag of Gold in the ground afraid to step out.

We will not be that as a church we can not be that as a church. We have been entrusted with much we need to do something with it.

Communion

I am wearing a t-shirt this morning that I want to share with you. This is from our district. This is the heart of what Pastor Doug has been sharing with us Pastors. He has been sharing with us this very idea.

One Matters

This is the phrase that we hve to focus on. This last several weeks we can see the power and importance of searching and finding the one. The one who matters. It starts there.

It reminds me of that night with Jesus. That night with the disciples before he went to the cross and suffered and died. IT is in these moments I have to wonder if Jesus had to focus on the one whom he might change. Which disciple needed to hear those words that night that this was the body and the blood poured out for them. How powerful that message is. How important that message is. That he came and died for all of us.

When we take these elements we aren’t just doing this out of habit or out of ritual it is a reminder of the work that was done by Christ.

It is a reminder of the fact that he came and died for the one.

This is a means of grace in our lives. It is a means of us coming to experience the amazing love of God. It is a reminder of how much he has done for us. This isn’t to be hoarded for ourselves but to be shared openly. To be given as a testimony of what God is doing in each of us.