Money Bags (the risk of the cross)
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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.’
What does it mean to break a rule? I want someone to give me an example of a rule you may have broken.
Sometimes we notice that we focus so much on a not breaking rules. We do, we don’t want to hurt anyone or make anyone feel bad. So we try to stay in line and not break any rules. We may think that we have to do something in order to break a rule, what does that mean? We must DO or ACT. But sometimes breaking rule can just mean no doing anything. Today we are going to look at the parable of the talents and you may have read it before, but the beautiful thing about the bible is that no matter how many times you read the same story, God has something to share with you.
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.
Depending on the version of scripture you have, each man in the story recieved talents or a bag of money. you want to know how much money was in each bag? about 500 thousand dollars. Each servant was given a different amount. They had no say in what they got; they were only responsible to steward and invest to the fullest whatever they had received.
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.
In his statement (and I think this is important) you hear excitement; a sense of eager anticipation. He is glad to see his master; he’s been looking forward to his return.
It’s kind of like when you are proud of a drawing or a medal and you want to show you family or house parent so that they can be proud too.
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!’
Same exact statement! He made less than other guy, but he started out with less, so he got the same commendation.
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.’
Now, he didn’t steal his master’s money or try to run away with it—he didn’t give him a briefcase full of IOU’s. • He didn’t blow it on drugs or partying or prostitutes or gambling; he gave the master back 100% of what he had been given.
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.
This servant was condemned (no other word for it) not for what he had done; but for what he had not done. • (I say that because most of us tend to think about wickedness as breaking the commandments.)
But here, you see that “wicked” can apply as much to a failure to invest your life to the fullest potential as it can to the most egregious violation of the laws of God.
Why didn't this 3rd servant invest his bag of gold?
I'm sure it felt risky. When you invest it, you run the risk of losing it
altogether.
• You lose control of it. What happens if things go bad and you end
up with nothing?
• So maybe it's a better idea to cling to what you got it; hold it
tightly; enjoy it for yourself.
This parable shows you that such a mentality is wicked. to be
obedient is to risk what you have for the kingdom of God.
Who took risk in the bible? David did against Goliath, David had no guarantee that God would beat Goliath for David.
“The Christian life is a call to risk. You either live
with risk or waste your life.”
• You say, “But I want some kind of guarantee.” God rarely gives
his people one.
• Piper: “It is the will of God that we are uncertain about how life
on earth will turn out for us, and… that we take risks for the
cause of God.”4
Risking is dangerous; not risking is more dangerous.
What are the risks God to which God may be calling you, this new year?
Maybe to exercise more so you can loose some weight, lowkey God might be calling me to that XD
Maybe to start reading your Bible more.
Maybe it’s sharing the gospel with your friends at School, that’s a risk. They might think you’re weird for being a Christian.
Maybe it’s inviting people to come to church.
for the adults, a risk might be trying to be obedient to God in your fiances
or continuing in this ministry, and you guys know doing this for a living is always a risk.
You have to take that risk.
• Obedience always involves risk. Your choices: obedience and risk,
or disobedience with the illusion of safety and the guaranteed
anger of God.
Well, taking that risk produces fear, doesn't it?
• Isn't that what this servant in our parable said, vs. 25: “I was
afraid…”?
• So how do you overcome that fear?
The answer is revealed in the different attitudes these servants have.
toward their Master.
• The first two, I pointed out—the ones who invested their
talents—are filled with eager anticipation. Like a dad returning!
But the 3rd said…
or “I knew you were a hard man.”
or He's even critical: “You reap where you didn't sow.”
or “I was afraid.” Verse 24 and 25.
There are 2 things the faithful servant had that the unfaithful
servant did not:
1. Trust in the Master's goodness
These first two servants had a sense that their master was good, and
trustworthy. They felt a freedom and a confidence in risking.
It makes me think of the risk God took when He sent Jesus to die for my sin. Jesus died for everyone, but Jesus knew not everyone would accept His gift of salvation. Isn’t that a huge risk?
One of my favorite preachers says:
If the cross reveals how God feels about me, why would I not feel safe jumping into his arms?
If the cross reveals how God feels about the world, why would I not ask God for great things?
These servants had (1) a trust in their master's goodness.
And…
2. A desire to share in the master's joy
The first two servants seem excited about the master's return and
eager to see his kingdom expand. And so they risked.
So, the master, when he returns, gives them two things: greater
responsibility—the one with 5 had 10, plus the 1 from the
unfaithful—and a greater share of his joy (kara).
• GREATER RESPONSIBILITY: I will confess I don't quite understand Exactly what it means to carry more responsibility in heaven but it does mean this is a good thing
• GREATER JOY: Sometimes we don’t see taking risk as some sort of greater joy because it can cause some anxiety and fear but let’s look at how Jesus took on the risk of the Cross:
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus took on that risk for you and for me knowing full well there will be people on this earth that won’t accept Jesus as their lord and savior. he took on that risk with joy just so that people could have an opportunity to go to heaven and to live a life that’s changed forever.
What is God asking you to risk, remember: obedience is a risk. Today, God may be asking you to take a risk by following Him. He may be asking you to take a risk by asking Jesus to be the Lord of your heart and to follow Him for the rest of your life.