Are You a Good Steward?

Bible Passage: Matthew 25:14–30

Summary: In this third of three parables on being prepared for Christ’s return, Jesus teaches about the responsibility of stewardship, illustrating the importance of using the gifts and abilities given to us by God for His kingdom. Building off of the last verse of the previous parable, V. 13- Preparing for Christ’s return. His return is not immediate, but it is imminent! We must be prepared at all times!

Talent is a weight of money, the heaviest of Biblical measurements of weight. Equal to about 75 pounds in weight, and $200, 000 in money.

5 talents= 375lbs or $1M

2 talents= 150lbs or $400, 000

5 talents- master praised him for what he did and put him in charge of more. Also said “enter into the joy of your master” Enjoy the perks of the master. Shows a change of status!

2 talents- same as 5 talents

1 talent- knows the master is a hard man looking to earn a profit. Afraid of taking the risk of losing the master’s money. Unwilling to make a safe choice to earn interest!

V.28-29 - “Joy of the master” must have been giving the talents to the trustworthy slaves

The word talent has another meaning in our language. I find it awesome how using it in our language makes this parable even more relatable!

Gifted and Talented

Natural talents

Acquired Talents

Spiritual Gifts (1 Cor. 12:4-11)

We are called to use our gifts to serve one another as good stewards of God’s grace. (1 Peter 4:10–11 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Romans 12:3–8 “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

No matter the portion of gift given, the same duty is required. “ Well, I don’t have the talent that so and so has, so I can’t do anything with this.” Satan is all over that kind of attitude!

1 Timothy 4:14 “Do not neglect the gift you have...

The purpose of our gifts and talents are to glorify God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 4:10 see above

Application: This parable encourages Christians to examine how we are using our God-given talents and to consider whether we are being faithful stewards. It challenges believers to not bury our talents in fear or complacency but to actively invest them in ways that glorify God and serve others.

We are accountable for what we do with our talents. Each individual has been given distinct gifts and abilities, and how we use them not only reflects our relationship with God but also impacts His kingdom.

Faithful stewardship of our talents is both a responsibility and a privilege that reflects our love for God and commitment to His kingdom.

In closing:

1. Recognize Your Talents

Importance of recognizing and embracing your individual gifts. I challenge you to reflect on how you perceive the talents given to you. Are you recognizing their value, or are you undervaluing their potential impact on Christ’s kingdom?

2. Reward for Faithful Service

This passage shows us that we will be rewarded or punished for what we do with our talents.

This passage illustrates the joy of the master at the good stewardship and how it leads to greater responsibilities and blessings. See this as a call to actively invest your talents in service to others, knowing that faithfulness leads to spiritual growth and deeper involvement in God's work. Move from passive to active engagement, trusting that God honors faithful stewardship. Get off of your blessed assurance and get to work!

3. Rejecting Fearful Inaction

The servant who buried his talent did so out of fear. He misunderstood the master’s character. This kind of fear paralyzes Christians today. I encourage you to confront and overcome these fears. We serve a wonderful and loving God who desires to see us flourish in our gifts. He receives glory for it!

Use your gifts and talents to glorify God and serve others. Not only will it be a blessing to them, it will be a blessing to you!