Ready with Fruit!
Matthew - People of the Last Days • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Ready
Ready
As child getting ready
As adult… dress for event, preparation for exam, resolve for a difficult conversation, finances for retirement, room for new born child.
We spend a lot of time getting ready for all sorts of things… are we ready for the coming of the Son of Man?
PRAY
Incline my heart to you and not to selfish gain… Psalm 119:36 (NIV): 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
Open my mind to you to see the wonderful things of your word… Psalm 119:18 (NIV): 18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
Unite us to your will so we may be faithful, undivided, and fear you alone… Psalm 86:11 (NIV): 11 Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
Satisfy my soul with your unfailing love so that we might praise you… Psalm 90:14 (NIV): 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Ready for the Son of Man
Ready for the Son of Man
Jesus’ return...
Matthew 24:42–44 “42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Ready as faithful servants
Matthew 24:45–47 “45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”
Ready, known by the Bridegroom
Matthew 25:11–13 “11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ 12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ 13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Today, ‘Ready with Fruit.’
Good and faithful servants vs wicked and lazy servant.
G&F - take the opportunity and are faithful and responsible, achieving returns for their bags of gold.
Lazy - misses the opportunity, isn’t faithful or responsible, only looking after themselves.
G&F - are commended, share in Master’s happiness.
Lazy - is condemned to eternal damnation.
Bags of gold - talent - measure of weight ~ 26-36kg - then unit of coinage (varying value, but high)
Matthew 18:24 “24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.”
5 bags of gold… 20 years day labourers wage; 2… 8 years; and 1… 4 years
The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 24: Matthew Jesus’ Parable of the Talents
It would be best to interpret the talents as opportunities. And in the parable each of the men is given opportunity according to ability and is expected to serve faithfully. This is a parable on responsibility.
The Faithful
The Faithful
“Put the Master’s money to work...”
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!’
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.
Commended faithfulness... When the servants invest and multiply the money their master gave them, the master responds, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21, 23). This is a picture of the gracious and generous commendation Jesus will give all of his servants when he returns. The apostle Paul likewise affirms that, “each one will receive his commendation from God” (1 Cor. 4:5; see Rom. 2:29; Heb. 11:2, 4, 5, 39). This is over-the-top generosity to sinners. All of our works are done in response to and empowered by God and his grace (Rom. 2:26–29; Gal. 5:22; Phil. 2:13). Moreover, they are also imperfect and require the sacrifice of Jesus for them to be acceptable. Yet God will commend his people for the very things he has enabled them to do! This is why his praise of us will ultimately redound not to our glory but to his.
Faithful service… commended by our gracious God
5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
Matthew 28:18–20 “18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””
John 15:12 “12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20 “19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 “31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Yet, even more gracious, because it is God taking our feeble efforts and working in us!
13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Come and share in your master’s happiness!
Matthew 25:34 “34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”
Lazy, wicked servant
Lazy, wicked servant
“knew you were a hard man...”
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 evil, lazy servant (a false disciple) failed to use the resources and was severely punished. He attempted to excuse his failure by assaulting the character of his master (v. 24). However, the master’s treatment of the other servants demonstrates that the wicked servant’s slander was unfair.
Like a student deciding not to learn from teacher, because they have decided teachers don’t care.
Like a child determining they will not clean their bedroom, because they think their parent is too harsh.
Like an employee lazily doing the minimum of work, even taking supplies, because they think their employer is greedy.
This servant presumed upon the character of the Master and selfishly chose not to be responsible for the Master’s wealth.
People do this to God… assuming they ‘get’ God and deciding they don’t like him...
Be careful of assuming upon God’s character:
angry God
motivates people with guilt
self-centred
They actually place themselves as judge over God and justify their own rebelliousness.
These excuses that people make for keeping God at a distance, not giving themselves fully to him, not being faithfully reponsible with all God has given them.
Even in church on a Sunday, people presume upon the character of God… and don’t given themselves to the plans and purposes of God.
The results are scary!
Weeping and gnashing of teeth....
30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Isaiah 66:22–23 “22 “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure. 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord.”
24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
This illustration of the condemnation faced by those who are not part of Jesus’ kingdom is throughout Matthew’s gospel...
Faith of the centurion
Matthew 8:10–12 “10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.””
The people of the evil one (vs righteous) “Weeds”
Matthew 13:42 “42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The wicked (vs righteous) “net”
Matthew 13:50 “50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The one not dressed ready for the Son’s wedding banquet
Matthew 22:13 “13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Right now are you consider your life… what is your future as Jesus returns?
Matthew 25:30 “30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
If that is how you see yourself, hear this warning and look Jesus, see what he has done, trust that he has won victory over sin and death, trust that he forgives, that he gives life, and that he welcomes you into his kingdom as a child of the living God. Don’t let ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ be your future.
What is your future when Jesus returns?
My prayer for you… that you will hear your master’s words...
“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!’