Victorious Living: The Parable of the Talents

Before it's blessed this morning. I do want to thank you very much for all the expressions of care and support but I've come our way in the last week, especially I'm just had an endless number of texts and I tried to answer those back, but maybe I haven't done all of them in it. If not, I apologize knowing that in a dark moment. You have support and love. Just makes all the difference in the world. I am going to share with you a detailed explanation of where we are, but I want to wait until after the service. I mean after the sermon, I'm not sure that I can keep it all together. So well this morning we're going to talk about comfort zone you hear about that a lot. One of the things that has affected our comfort zone, but certainly the pandemic a lot of us with and we buried drastically

limited the areas where where we are involved in life since Comfort since the pandemic starting Terry and I have not been out of the counties of Oklahoma and Logan except for one time. I'm not advocating that I'm just saying it's real easy to do you get kind of like old I'm comfortable and it's not just us there other people as well who dealt with agoraphobia Cobia and other kind of things are just really pulled them into their physical comfort zone. They felt safe in their home. And so they just were hesitant to expand their borders and that happened to us in a physical way, but also have other ways as well in our life and frequently their people their voices lots of voices out there saying hey, you got to get out of your comfort zone. There's just so many things awaiting you out there if you'll just get past it. It's a common reference. Let me share with your definition of familiar psychological state where people are a tease and perceive they are in close in control of their environment experiencing low levels levels of anxiety and stress then it makes sense that we would want to stay there. It's going to be a very good place to be. Now the quandary becomes it was like for us to think about this morning is it is a comfort zone a good thing or bad thing. And you get a lot of her debate about that and we'll talk about both sides of that as we go along the passage. I'm going to use as a text. This morning is a parable. It's from Matthew chapter 25. It's started verse 14 and the children's story is eight bags of gold and we have a tendency to call it the parable of the talents. Again, it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted his will for them to wanting a five bags of gold to the other two bags and to another one bag each according to his ability Danny Wellness Journey the band you receive five bags of gold when it wants to put his money to work and gained 5 bags more. So also the one with two bags of gold and more the man. He had received one bag went off Doug ahold of the ground and he did his master's money that sometimes in the Bible it's hard for us identify with what's taking place here because this is not the way we would do business in our world. And in our time we have so much better communication. We can have employees who use various kinds of things but in this period of time to master needed to travel maybe to do other business may be to take care of the places we are no but instead of being able to take care of people on a date Bases are communicating with people at all. That funication was not really all that much of an issue would have been possible to communicate and so you just had to find people that you could trust to leave them in charge of your belongings while you were gone and anticipated they would do well when you return After a long time the master of those servants return and settled accounts with in the man who receive five bags of go brought. The other five Mastery said you had trusted me with five bags of gold. See I have gained five more as fast to reply good. You've been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of anything's come and share your Master's happiness. This guy had steel you would assume he he he certainly has initiative. He he's motivated. He's going to take some chances. I think that's inherited the story but he's been given this five bags of gold and he says I'm going to make five more he worked hard to do that and when the accounting comes his master's very pleased with what he's done.

The main reason for 42 the band with two bags of gold also came Mastery said you would trusted me with two bags of gold and see I gave you two more as fast to reply well done good and faithful servant. You've been faithful with a few things. I'll put you in charge of many things come and share your Master's happiness. And now as we know the story it's time for the third guy. The guy who only got one bag you go. I don't know if he was offended by that, you know, this is very obviously trusting issue and the master has more trust for the first serving less was second and only one bag of gold for the third or remember. It's a bag of gold. It's a lot of stuff and so he has entrusted this guy but it a comparison basis for you the man lives up as as he doesn't trust me or doesn't think that I really have a whole lot of of ability here. First 24 with the man who had received one bag of cocaine Mastery said I knew that you're a hard man harvesting where you've got some and scattering where you at the Gathering where you are. Scattered seed so I was afraid and went out in here and your goal in the ground. See here's what belongs to you. I didn't lose any of it. It's right back. I give it all back to you and I think he's probably hoping somewhere in his Souls that's going to be enough what I wanted, but I can understand that. As we know that's not the answer you Wicked lazy servant, you know that I can Harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have scattered seed. Well, then you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers so that when I return I would have received it back with interest. This story has lots of Fiji points. Yeah, we can talk about our talents and using our talented. Typically. That's what we do. We can book about the the master leaving and coming back for an accounting. That's a good way to look at this story as well. But I'd like to look at it from the perspective of ozone. I would anticipate that even the first two servants were challenged with what they had to do. I don't know if I guess is that it took really them getting involved moving out for what they would normally do in life. In order to take care of this investment at this last guy says no, I didn't do all that. I didn't really want to leave my comfort zone and he didn't say that specifically but that's what he saying and you say will when he said he was afraid. He said it was fear that kept him from doing more.

I don't have my

I'm sorry. That thing is goes up there. I think of the word it just it just a little bit later. But on it I left it on this morning. I just walked off and forgot it diagram of a of a circle in the middle wrapped with a band of fear. And a lot of what contains and keep the comfort zone and its place is this me of being afraid of getting out of it. What's going to happen if I get out here where I'm not too comfortable here in the area where I've never been before am I going to be able to manage that I may be able to cope with that? And so actually it's fear for most people that creates this shell that's hard to break through on the outside of our comfort zone now Satan probably likes that he probably likes us. We forgot self-contained. He may look and see the things that we're doing inside our comfort zone at some of those things may be very good things very good things that turns a spiritual experience as well and Satan looks at it he says but you know, I know they could do more and I know they could accomplish a whole lot more and I'm going to be content to just keep them trapped inside this little Shelby comfort zone because although they damaged me some is this a I'll build a damaged we some they don't damage me as much as I could perhaps if they were at their best and really doing all the things that they could do and it seems as though is we looked at our world is Satan is fairly content to leave us. in our comfort zone Isaiah 41:10 God says so do not fear for I am with you do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous my righteous right hand and then most of us are familiar with for the spirit of God does not make us tennis because of power love and self-discipline. God doesn't intend for fear to be a limiting thing. He doesn't intend for you to wrap ourselves in and we don't do anything because we're afraid to do anything. He wants us to understand that he's supportive of the things that we do that cause us to break free of the fear. Do have you live by? Now I have a question. Is comfort zone always a bad thing?

You go into the secular world to the secular world. You're going to hear people just championing write down your comfort zone write down your comforter. Get out of your comfort zone is a way to make bunnies. It is a way to have more happiness is the way to have more self-fulfillment is the way to have more pleasure. And this idea constantly is being heralded yet out of your comfort zone. There's a whole new world out there. I only always we talk about the grass isn't always greener. Always better out there.

We enjoy

things that are comfortable for us and we develop some things that are comfortable family relationships family traditions. Maybe the place you live. I've lived in the same house for almost 40 years. Most people would say, well you should have moved along time ago. Maybe that's right, but it's it's comfortable. I got to the same place on vacation for 45 years and people say the great places to go, but I know what they are. I know that I like it. I know that I'm going to have a good time with people who feel that same way about it. There's not anything wrong with find the places where we're comfortable. God appoints us and moves us toward simple quiet lives first Tulip Festival in Chapter 4 verses 1 through 12. And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. You should mind her own business and work with your hands just as we told you.

The world is saying get out of your comfort zone. But as I look at my life and look at the lights of other people I find there's another biblical element that's a part of this comfort zone equation and that is contentment. God is constantly teaching us that we are to be content. Will how do we get to the place where we could be content ball says that he'd learned to be content and 1st Timothy Chapter 6 starting for 6 and going to verse one but godliness with contentment is great gain, but we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing we will be content with that. Never be content. That's what secular. Advertising is frequently trying to sell us. You need a new dishwasher. You need a new brand of mouthwash you need this. Do you need that? You would be happier. You would be your relationship would be better at all. The stuff is constantly being sold to us. And the way that people benefit is by us getting out of our comfort zone. You use this particular product for a long time is a better product. Are they really wanting you to have a better product or they just wanting you to on their product and we see this it's constantly going in our world in this land of free enterprise in which we live. There's so much of this and people are constantly trying to challenge us not to be content. And God says it's an important quality. So, let's see. Are we supposed to have a comfort zone? Are we not? Look at the Bible characters real quickly. Got them to Noah. Does not like I'm a little job for you. I'd like you to spend the next hundred years building a boat. In the middle of a desert and I'm going to show you how to build it. And then when you get through, I want you to gather one of every animal in the world. He said to just sit with what I'm used to it when I want to do and God says no business. This is what I need for you to do in those days. He's the only guy in the world confident to do it. He's the only guy in the world that has the spiritual resources that will allow him to take that on. And got this $2. You got to leave your comfort zone and come over here and do this important thing for me. Moses are hurting no sheep Glen Midian. He's 80 years old. He looks over there and there's a fire burning bush is burning and doesn't burn up and got this. Come here Moses. I've got a job for you. I want you to go to Egypt get my people to take him to the phone sling. And basically Bowser says Lord, you know 4 years ago. I was up with that when I was young and what I was smart before I had a lot of black marks against my name is the land of Egypt. I would have been more than happy to do that. But now I'm old. 80 years old and God says him you're just what I need you to be. There were things perhaps that Moses didn't understand that 40 that he now knows it 88. God says you you may already have your retirement plan, but I don't care. I want you to break out of your comfort zone get your staff and Lead these people at all excuse that Moses comes up with God got an answer for because the ultimate deal is you're going to have to leave your comfort zone. I need you to do this for me.

idiot The midianites control the country Gideon is hiding in a winepress. To get a little bit of weed to feed his family and God's messenger says mighty warrior. And I miss you this before. I just know that you did looked over his shoulder like this. There's somebody else here. I am not a military guy. I'm not a soldier because of the weakest of the week is it?

And God says no, you're the guy I'm picking. I want you out of your comfort zone. I want you in front of my armies to leave. I think the real answer is there's no point in breaking down a comfort zone just to break it down. Just to stir things up. This is see if there's something better out there we making we can make really bad decisions when we go that direction. But when God calls us out of our comfort zone then that's a whole different thing. That's a totally different application. He's going to help us he's going to provide the the three resources that we need. He's going to bring other people into the equation as it's needed as he did with all three of those guys. He's going to give us the power to get it done. But if we say no, I'm just not comfortable with that. Did we miss this opportunity to be a awesome service to our God? Anybody thinking well, how do you know the difference? real simple being led by the spirit You're being led by the spirit. God will lead you out of your comfort zone. If you're being led by the spirit. God will allow you to enjoy and relish and recharge and benefit within your comfort zone when those times are right. It's not one of the other it's about our willingness. To do with God's way. Peter left fishing pole saw with Judaism prophets left their jobs and their families and we looked all through The scripture we see people that are called to do something different is one of the prophets and I don't know if it's valid or not believe that he was a prophet for only one day. He was called for one day to go down to Israel and prophesy and he did he left his he left for that single equation. If we can leave our comfort zone when God calls us to do it. Then we have the opportunity to not only be a blessing to ourself and others but opportunity to cooperate with God. a great challenge Adventure all says of Filipinos 413 I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.

Proverbs 3 5 and 6 this is what I posed with trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight. I don't think there's anything wrong with saying Lord. I am comfortable in my comfort zone. I am content. I am grateful. I thank you for bringing me here. And I appreciate that. But at the same time we remain aware that God may say I need you to leave. Verde from minute for the rest of your life whatever it is. He wants and needs to use us and that's part of our responsibility as his servants. Would you play with me?

the God our Father in heaven We thank you for the beautiful life that we get to live. We thank you for the life that we live with family and among our church brethren. We thank you for the people in the world who encouraged us to stop and people that we serve few who survived who helped us people whom we helped the father. We know that across the time that we're here. You have a purpose you have things that you want and need for us to do for you. We pray that we might be aware of that that we might be responsive to your voice that we might answer your call. When you bring us to the place where you have something challenging for us to do. Father be with us and help us and mulvis. Please give us strength and we pray this to your precious son, Amy. We're going to extend an invitation if you need to respond to God's invitation we advised to do that right now. What were you saying this thing together?