We are managers!

Intro:

A tragedy is an event that causes profound sadness, suffering, or loss. 

The amount of pain this family has gone through the several weeks has been profound.

No parent ever expects to bury their child especially one who was about to start high school!

The tears, the pain, the anguish has been almost unbearable.

Quite frankly I am still in shock!

In the midst of all this pain is their any Hope!?

One of things many from the family grappled with was “fairness, justice, and confusion” Lord she was so young. Lord she never got to go to prom, Lord she never got to graduate from Middle School or High School, Lord she was waiting to join the dance ministry, Lord she never got to experience marriage and children she missed so much.

I understand your pain! Because I was mentally asking the same question of God.

Today I would like to offer another perspective of how to understand death of such a young person.

When we were young during the summer my maternal grandparents would leave Inkster and travel to Oklahoma to see family. They would be gone for several weeks. During that time my mother would take us over the house for sleep overs to manage my grandparents house to make sure it was taken care of while they were gone. To us it was like sleeping in a hotel because it was different than home. But to my mother she was on mission to make sure the house was in order When my grandparents returned.

Cleaned, Grass Cut, Flowers trimmed and in order. During that time the house was never my Mother’s she was simply managing on behalf of her parents. She did not own anything in the house. It was all under the authority of Ben and Lucille May.

Jesus tells us a story to help us understand what it means to be a manager

Matthew 25:14–30 CSB

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’ 21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’ 22 “The man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I’ve earned two more talents.’ 23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’ 24 “The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 “His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27 then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned. 28 “ ‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30 And throw this good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

I. The Faithful Managers

Matthew 25:14–23 CSB

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’ 21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’ 22 “The man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I’ve earned two more talents.’ 23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

(EXP)(14) Jesus is teaching the people via parable. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus talks about a man going on a journey but while he is gone he needs his servants to watch over his possession. Jesus is using this man and his servants to describe our time on earth. The man in this story is Jesus, and the servants in this story are his creation, mankind.

The man left his servants with his possession. The things that were most important to him for the servants to manage while he was away.

The Man is leaving his possessions with his servants. The servants didn’t own anything they were simply managing it for the Master.

The Man is going on a journey but he will be returning at some point to ask about what was done with his possessions.

(15-23) The Master gave one servant 5 tons of his possessions and he gave another servant 2 tons of his possessions. They had a choice that day:

Loot(steal)

Do nothing

Invest-leaving it better than what they started with.

(15) That Master gave each a certain amount of responsibility based on their ability. Then he left.

(16) When he left the servant who had 5 and 2 Immedietaly went out and invested his possessions. While the servant who had 1 talent “dug a hole and hid his master’s money”

So two invested the Master Money and doubled what they recieved from him.

And the one “did nothing”

(19) Eventually the Master came home to settle accounts. Earlier the servant went on a journey all three servants where aware he is coming back, but only two actually lived like it.

(20-23) The two faithful servants both recieve a commendation from God because of their faithfulness. “Well done my good and faithful servant! Since you were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy”

application

We are managers of God’s resources. God owns it all. Even our children.

He may have given them for a season he can call them to himself anytime he wants to and he still good!!!

Imagine: You don’t have a car and I go out of town for an undetermined period of time but I let you use my car while I am gone. Everyday is I let you use my car is my grace. If you get to use it for a week grace, If you get to use it for a month grace, if you get to use it for a year grace, if you get to use it for years grace. Its only when you start to think that it is yours do you become bitter when God takes it away.

There was a third manager as well

II. The Wicked Manager

Matthew 25:24–30 (CSB) 24 “The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 “His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27 then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned. 28 “ ‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30 And throw this good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

One of the most important resources or possessions that God has given us is “choice” “volition”

Your choices determine your future.

You choose where to invest your time, treasure and talent.

If you are married God has given you a spouse. He will demand an account of how you treated them

If you have children God his given you the gift of parenting. He will demand an account of how you raised them

If you have a job God will demand an accounting of how you behave at your job.

If you have Job where you are the manager of people. He will demand an accounting of how you dealt with those you were in charge of.

If you make 50k, 100k, or 500K God will call you into account of how you used the financial resources he gave you.

If you have a body God will ask you how you took care of the physical body he gave you

(24-25) The wicked manager made a calculated decision to do nothing. He chose “Apathy” he chose “Lazyness” He lied to the Master and told him “I was so scared of losing your money through investment that I simply buried your money”

I took the resources that you gave me and made a decision to “do nothing!”

(26-27) The Master told him “you lying!” if you really believed I was the “boogyman” you would have at least put it in bank to earn interest. Notice the text says “the Master went on a long journey” If this journey was more than 5 years the cost of living made his money less than what he gave the Wicked Servant.

What was the wicked servant doing while the Master was gone?

Clearly he was not doing anything on behalf of the Master. He was living his life to please himself.

He was living as if he didn’t really believe the Master was going to return.

What was the Master response?

(28-30) Take his resources and give it to the faithful servants. Then he gives a principle for all of us to follow.

When the final evalution are done those that are faithful shall be given more and those who squandor God’s resources will have all of them taken and given to those who are faithful.

Also if you choose to squandor or reject God’s offer of Salvation (30) tells us “The Master will have you thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” this is a description of Hell.

When I was young before cell phones. The only way I knew to come home was the street lights. Momma and Daddy didn’t need cell phones because the street lights did their talking. I would be miles away from home playing ball until it was dusk but those lights would start to flicker. I think that was God’s way of saying you need to head home, but I just couldnt leave the game it was too good. And it seems like every time I took the chance my dad would be waiting on the front porch when I walked up. Church Family don’t let the street lights catch you. They are flickering right now. Come home while it is still light.

Open the doors of the Church

Commital

Committals for Believers

For as much as it has pleased Almighty God to take out of this world the soul of Mackenzie Crawford, we therefore commit her body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, looking for that blessed hope when the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord, wherefore comfort ye one another with these words.

Final Words

Following the service, an intimate repast will be held for the Immediate Family and invited guest. The Family ask that those who will be attending the Repass would refrain from seeking anymore details about Mackenzie passing. The family does not have the emotional energy to relive such a tragic event. They would simple like to focus on the positive events of Mackenzie’s life.