What Will Last?

INTRO

What are the most comforting words someone could say to you?

“You were good.” - from Field of Dreams?

Doc Graham - missed his chance in MLB

Gets to play with the mythic Baseball players & Legendary Shoeless Joe tells Doc Graham - “You were good.”

Many of us just want to hear those words - but WHO says them MATTERS

Context of the Passage - Tuesday night of Passion week.

Olivet Discourse

Begins in Chapter 24 - teachings on the 2nd coming of Christ

No one knows the day or the hour…

Importance of being ready when he DOES return.

What does it look like to be ready?

BODY (Exegesis of Matt. 25:14-30)

Matthew 25:14–30 (ESV)

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

PRAY

Interpreting Parables - Not a straight allegory like last week - principles matter here...

Jesus is not simply talking about the Kingdom here, but the returning of the King - Himself!

“man going on a journey”

Jesus is referring to himself as this man.

He is about to ascend - until he comes back for his people

“entrusted to them his property”

Everything is His - Jesus allows his servants to steward his ‘property’ in his absence.

Referring more to resources here more than gifts

It includes time, personality, experiences, attitudes, and material resources (money, etc.)

Vs. 15 - “To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ”

This is why I think it is more rightly understood that the ‘property’ He entrusts them with does NOT refer to Spiritual Gifts —> That would be One’s ‘ability.’

Talent - in the OT it is a measure of Weight - In the NT it comes to refer to an amount of MONEY.

The specifics are a little unclear...

Not a ‘coin’...

It is believed 1 Talent = about 20 years wages

Another interpreter considered 5 Talents = about 75 years wages

THE POINT is - this was NOT a small amount

Vs. 16 - He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.”

The servant who received the 5 Talents to steward - immediately gets to work...

He DOUBLES what he was given to steward

The servant who received the 2 Talents does the SAME thing!

He DOUBLES what he was given to steward.

CONTEXT is KING -> won’t do this as much...

Storytelling Culture

Grecko-Roman usage - Teaching, etc.

Jewish usage - Teaching & passing on truths -> OT!

How they would remember at celebrations & Festivals etc.

Common Storytelling structure - 3 Parts

The first 2 would be EXAMPLES of WHAT you SHOULD do.

The 3rd would be an EXAMPLE of WHAT NOT to do...

Vs. 18 - “But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.”

Sounds even more strange to us

No Banks on every corner...

If you had something valuable - Bury it

Story of the Kingdom of God Jesus tells - “its like a man who finds a treasure in a field … buys the field”

This was not uncommon!

“BUT what about the ‘bankers’?

Jews were not supposed to lend money or charge interest…

But we will get there...

Then the Man returns —> (Jesus has come back)

“Settled accounts with them.” - Implies they knew what they were supposed to do…

Vs. 20 - “‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’”

The servant returns to the Master ALL that belongs to Him.

The servant took what was given and got a 100% increase.

The Master is pleased - Well done - What is the reward?

You get to Steward MORE - that doesn’t seem like much of a reward to some of you…

“Enter into the joy of your Master” (ESV, NASB) - “Share your master’s joy” (CSB) - “Come share your master’s happiness” (NIV) - “Let’s celebrate together” (NLT) -

What is the joy of God —> His presence

I think this can be interpreted as heaven… —> Entering the Master’s Joy…

There will be work in heaven —> Revelation 22:3 “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” (KJV & NASB say ‘serve’ Him)

We are created for Work - Adam & Eve —>

Sin makes work hard…

There will be rest… Revelation 14:13 “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!””

Vs. 22 - we see the same thing for the servant with 2 Talents…

The servant returns to the Master ALL that belongs to Him.

The servant took what was given and got a 100% increase.

The Master is pleased - Well done - What is the reward?

You get to Steward MORE - that doesn’t seem like much of a reward to some of you…

“Enter into the joy of your Master”

2 good examples - what to do!

Vs. 24 & 25- “ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’”

If I actually thought what this guy thought, I don’t think I would say it out loud…

He made a calculated decision, “The best way to make sure I don’t lose ANY of this is to hoard it & bury it - keep it safe.”

Vs. 26 & 27 - “But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.”

Now - important to point out that again, parables are not easy to interpret - not allegorical, not a 1-1 correlation…

This is NOT saying that Jesus is not a “Hard man”

But that isn’t the point…

Even if he was —> What a terrible way to respond, by hoarding the Master’s gifts to steward for yourself...

Bankers - basically it would have been better for you to have broke the ceremonial law so that I would at least get some return on my investment.

I think that this exchange actually reveals something else, that is NOT explicit in this passage —> This 3rd ‘servant’ does NOT know the Master or his heart - at ALL.

I’m led to think of the way that critics of Christianity speak of God.

He is judgmental & harsh - hateful - “Cosmic child abuse” - bigot

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

What if I told you about my wife, “blonde hair, blue eyes, really short - makes me feel tall”

You would rightly respond, you don’t know Mackenzie (brunette, brown eyes, just a few inches shorter than me)

So, I don’t think the response in verses 28-30 refer to “losing your salvation”, because it seems that this ‘servant’ does not in fact know the Master.

Common Grace...

Vs. 28-30 - “So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Matthew uses this language, “weeping & gnashing of teeth” 7 times - referring to Hell.

This 3rd servant was MORE worried about safety, than about stewarding the Master’s resources well —>

The Allusion of safety can keep us from serving Jesus.

If you are going to follow Jesus & serve Him —> there is going to be risk involved

To ‘produce fruit’ you have to be willing to risk the resources God has given you.

There have been several folks that I have personally discipled - that no longer have anything to do with following Jesus - or nothing seemingly changed…

Risk wasting your time & investment

BUT it is worth it!

The only thing that is “safe” & “secure” is Jesus.

What does a “good & faithful servant” look like?

APPLICATION

The 11 Disciples -

All but one was Martyred for their faith - John the Revelator - they tried to boil him alive, but God didn’t allow him to die - Exiled to the Island of Patmos - wrote Revelation…

Paul - radical conversion - writes MOST of the NT, plants dozens of churches & lives out his days pursuing the mission of God.

2 Timothy 2:2 “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

Hebrews 11 - The Hall of Faith - Great cloud of witnesses

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

BE inspired by those that have come before us!

Hudson Taylor & C.T. Studd - Missionaries to China…

Hudson Taylor was a British missionary to China in the late 1800s. He spent 54 years in China. His Father was a pharmacist & Methodist lay preacher.

Hudson denounced the Christian faith at an early age, but professed Christ at 16 and shortly after committed himself to going to China as a missionary.

He studied Mandarin, Greek, Hebrew & Latin.

Was fluent in 3 different Chinese dialects - able to preach

Charles Thomas Studd, better known as C. T. Studd, was a British missionary.  He was born into a family of wealth and privilege , he graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge.

After his brother became seriously ill, he realized he had not been serious about his faith.

Cambridge 7 answer the Call to the Mission field…

In 1885 he entered the mission field with Hudson Taylor in China.

C.T. Studd spent his life in dedicated service to the Lord, serving in China, India, and Africa.  C.T, died in 1931, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, still serving on the Mission Field.

Some of you are called to serve like Hudson Taylor & C.T. Studd…

Some of you are called to be faithful with what God has provided right here at Grace…

Some of you will go on to other churches, other cities, maybe other countries —> God’s desire for you, as servants, is that you would steward His resources well.

More Practical Marks of Good & Faithful Servant:

Rhythms of Grace

Read your Bible & Pray everyday

Community

Evangelism / Service

Make Disciples

Follow Me —> Fishers of Men —> Make Disciples

Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9–12 ESV

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

CONCLUSION

Summarize marks of a “good & faithful servant”

Rhythms of Grace (Bible & Pray / Community / Evangelism)

Make Disciples

Pray for the Lord’s Kingdom to come...

Be inspired to walk more closely with Jesus by the story of faithful brothers & sisters.

Do you KNOW the Master?

Consider who was in the audience - Judas

Half the battle is KNOWING the Master & his heart

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” - A.W. Tozer

Our answer to who God is; clearly defines our response to Him.

Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past by C.T. Studd

Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way; Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done; Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgement seat;

__ extra stanza __

Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

PRAY

May we one day hear, “Well done, good & faithful servant, enter into my joy.”

May we be faithful with ALL that you have given us.

Capture our hearts with your overwhelming love for us, your children.

May your love for us drive us to action & to service & faithful stewardship.

May GBC be a launchpad for faithful servants for YEARS to come.

Matthew 6:9-13 “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

AMEN