The Kingdom of Heaven is like ... (P 3)

What drives you and motivates you to work?

The story that we will study together today will show us how different people will go through the same situation and the out come of their lives and their impact will be radically different. What does it make one person in the group more successful than the other in this story? Is it hard work, is it being a good steward? Is it the amount of resources given to them? Or is there something that triggered success in this story other than what meets the eye? Other than the obvious?

From the very beginning of creation, God had set clear expectations for humanity to “bear fruit and multiply.” God had put us on earth to care for all that we have and to multiply the resources he has entrusted. God built in us the capacity to multiply what he has entrusted us.

What motivates people to work?

But the fact is that there is no success without hard work.

I’m aware that this is a sermon that most of us have heard at least a dozen times but my prayer with this sermon is that this won’t be just one more remake of what you have heard before, and I’m sure you’ve heard amazing teachings from this passage, but that as you hear this message God will reveal his heart for you and that in turn hearing from God will revolutionize your relationship with him.

In 2012, Forbes Magazine, a magazine read by entrepreneurs, managers, and leaders published the article: The Top 9 Things that Ultimately Motivate Employees to Achieve. In this article starts up with: “When you wake up in the morning, what is the passion that fuels you to start your day?  Are you living this in your work?   If others asked you what drives you to achieve, would the answer be obvious?   The triggers that motivate people to achieve are unique for everyone.  Many would say its money; more people are starting to claim that they are driven to make a difference.”

Then it goes on to list the 9 Ultimate Motivators:

Trust worthy leadership

Being Relevant

Proving Others wrong

Career Advancement

No Regrets

Stable Future

Self-indulgence

Impact

Happiness

The more I thought about this list, I realized that each one of the items in this list are outward motivators. The author of this article is making a point to train people to motivated by their environment. There is no real sense of committed to a greater cause, no need for personal determination for personal growth. We miss opportunities to be good stewards of God’s resources when we allow external factors to determine our effectiveness and fruitfulness in life.

Do we see our lives as God’s very instrument to bring transformation to this world and praise to his name?

God calls us to live with a big why. When you find Jesus you find your Why. There’s no need for an external motivator when Jesus gives you a sense of purpose.

Can you imagine what would have happened if Jesus would have been motivated by the trust worthy spiritual leadership of his time, trying to prove others wrong, career advancement, or trying to have a stable future?

Insteaed of that Jesus got busy by setting his eyes on his Father.

Point 1: God is a risk taker. That’s why God trusts you.

When the master leaves, he literally hands over much of his wealth to his servants. We hear often that God call us to put our trust in him. And that’s a basic truth of Scriptures. But we don’t hear often that God is trusting us. God has trusted you to accomplish much in your lifetime. What does it say about you when the maker of heaven and earth deposits his trust in you?

No matter who you are, your background, or what you perceive yourself being capable of doing, God trusts you.

Knowing that God trusts us changes everything! Move we confidence through life! God knows what you are capable of doing because he created every single cell in your body.

I hear often, I just need to let God be and move out of his way. I don’t agree with that view. If we trust Jesus words, then we know from this passage that God wants you to be as much part of his plans as he is part of your life. He wants to bring glory to his name by being fully involved in his plans, but first you need to know you’re trustworthy! You may have been told you were a failure, or a mistake. You may even tell your self you are incapable or unsuitable to carry a task, but if you are in Christ, you have a responsibility to carry on God’s kingdom.

You were created to work

Everything you have belongs to God, and will return to him. God will entrust us with even more than we had on this earth when we live with him in eternity!

I’m amazed at the story because Jesus makes the point that God, the master in this story, chooses to give even to the wicked servant. How do you know who is a good and a bad servant, well, put them to serve! There are no participation trophies in God’s kingdom. Just because you showed up, it doesn’t mean you will receive a reward!

God clearly expects you to bear fruit with your life

Wouldn’t it be tragic if by the end of our lives we would live inconsequential lives? If all that we aimed for was a failure-free life and yet, we realized by the end of our lives that we had accomplished nothing because we risked nothing?

But the fact is that there is no success without hard work.

Don’t self-evaluate. I heard of this guy that did ministry for a while and after a time doing ministry he ended his time and the question his manager asked was simple: What did you learn during your time with us? What was the insight? His response: I learned to know myself… That doesn’t go over very well with God. God will expect from us a life of fruit and multiplication. We read that from the beginning of creation. God calls humanity to bear fruit and multiply: take what you have and increase the numbers, grow as a person and increase the numbers. That is what is called stewardship. Making good use of the relationships, talents, gifts, and time God has given you to bring great glory to his name.

One Master, Two outcomes

How do we earn God’s reward?

Faithful servants

1. Think long term, thus start early!

They were quick to act.

They were quick to act.

The Scriptures say that they went at once

They put the resources entrusted to work (the longer you delay to invest money the greater the loss)

2. Know your share and work accordingly

They were excited to show match the level of trust with results

3. Be excited about your share from God`

The wicked servant

Note: every one of the servants in this story says the word Master or Lord to refer to the owner of the resources

The wicked servant called his master Master, but he clearly was not his master because he didn’t do his master’s will! His words didn’t match his will. His will was for self preservation. He was motivated by a wrong perspective of his master.

He calls his master cruel, and unrealistic.

He believed he was justified to fear him. He hid his talent to preserve just as he hid himself form his master.

Notice this: The talents of each man reflect the inner spiritual health of each one of the servants. The faithful servants believe their master is generous and good natured. Their hearts work with freedom and are willing to take on risks. They are not worried about self preservation. They focus on bringing joy to his master.

Do you look forward to the coming of Jesus, or do you dread his return

The wicked servant is unaware of his contradictions. He calls the man Master but does not obey his will. He knows the master expects work and fruit from his talents but instead he closes all doors for opportunities for positive results.

Hard: Impossible to please, harsh, cruel, merciless, unrealistic, you set people up for failure.

1. Laziness and Superstition

The servant saw his inaction was justifiable. He could not entrust himself to his master. The servant did what Rabbis in his time would say to do:

He was earful for his life because of the way he saw his master: he was unjust,

The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary 3:10

F. And said R. Isaac, “A blessing is located only in what is hidden away from sight, as it is said, ‘The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your hidden things’ (Dt. 28:8).”

G. A Tannaite authority of the household of R. Ishmael taught, “A blessing is located only in what the eye cannot reach [that is, in what is carefully hidden away], as it is said, ‘The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your hidden things’ (Dt. 28:8).”

The Rabbi’s were saying, God will make a way for you. Just hide the money and it will multiply itself. They had a superstitious view of the way the world operated. He viewed the interpretation of God’s word the Rabbi’s as a justification to not do work. He was letting God do a miracle when there was no way around it but through hard work and investment.

Do you look forward to the coming of Jesus, or do you dread his return

The same opportunity can cause action or paralysis; inspiration or rejection; motivation or inaction.

Intro: God has deposited a treasure in your life

The purpose of this treasure is multiplication. This treasure is not meant to stay the way it is today.

Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary vi. The Parable of the Talents (25:14–30)

Even on this unflattering view of his master, however, his action was irresponsible; it represents a discipleship which consists of playing safe, and so achieving nothing (contrast 10:39), ‘a religion concerned only with not doing anything wrong’ (Schweizer, p. 473). ‘Being ready’ consists not only in keeping your slate clean, but in active, responsible, faithful service which produces results.

God’s MO for motivation:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2012/06/04/top-9-things-that-ultimately-motivate-employees-to-achieve/#75b704ae257e

God is wealthy

God is wealthy

God is not hovering over you to check on your progress (not a micromanager). This requires a self-motivated person.

We are not promised to be recognized by our work today, but until the end of times.

God will entrust to his best servant

The master in this story clearly nows the potential of each one of his servants. This man had put a small fortune into their hands and he calls it a “few things.” Can you imagine what it will be when he puts his servants in true abundance?

Career advancement in God’s kingdom may look more like becoming a servant of all, more like a greater willingness to become a servant (Luke...)

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament 25:14–30—Making Use of the Interim Time

Lending money at interest was also profitable, given the exorbitant interest rates of the period (although Jewish people were not supposed to charge interest to fellow Jews); one patron is reported to have lent to an entire city at roughly 50 percent interest! Because most people did not have capital available for investment, those who did could reap large profits.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament 25:14–30—Making Use of the Interim Time

In Lk 19, a servant does worse: tying up money in a head cloth instead of burying it was considered gross negligence, because it did not even keep the deposit safe.)

Jesus may have used the term “joy” to explain what was culturally meant to be an actual “festival”. The master threw a feast at his return and honored his helpful servants.

Only a very wealthy master would entrust his wealth to his best servants

Resources+urgency+work=multiplication

Knowledge is not always power

God rewards faithfulness

v. 20 Count your blessings, measure God’s level of trust

https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2017/january/5013017.html

Bert and John Jacobs, the brothers who cofounded the $100 million Life Is Good T-shirt company, grew up the youngest of six children in a lower middle-class family in Boston. When the brothers were in elementary school, their parents were in a near-death car accident from which their mother managed to escape with just a few broken bones, but their father lost the use of his right hand.

The stress and frustration from his physical therapy caused him to develop a harsh temper, they explain in their new book Life Is Good. "He did a lot of yelling when we were in grade school," John told Business Insider. And life certainly wasn't perfect. "There were often difficult things happening around the house," the brothers write.

But their mom, Joan, still believed life was good. So, every night as the family sat around the dinner table, she would ask her six kids to tell her something good that happened that day." As simple as mom's words were, they changed the energy in the room," the brothers write. "Before we knew it, we were all riffing on the best, funniest, or most bizarre part of our day."

Growing up with a mother like theirs—one who sang in the kitchen, told animated stories, and acted out children's books for them, no matter what bad situation they were going through—taught them an important lesson: Being happy isn't dependent on your circumstances. "She showed us that optimism is a courageous choice you can make every day, especially in the face of adversity."

Reading this story made me wonder, what do my children hear when I speak about the gift of life? Do they hear that God is trust worthy? Do they hear me talking about having a positive outlook about life? Do they hear me dreading God’s plans for my life? Do they hear me having resolve to succeed in life?

People seek to be inspired. How does your faith and action inspire others?

Sermon Illustrations

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'Life Is Good' Founders' Important Lesson from Mom

Natalie Walters, "Brothers who cofounded a $100 million company say this question their mom asked every night at dinner is what inspired their business," Business Insider (12-17-15)

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How can we expect people to put their trust in Jesus if our language is negative, our posts are discouraging, and our outlook of life is damp?

https://www.preachingtoday.com/images/75247.jpg?w=614

Bert and John Jacobs, the brothers who cofounded the $100 million Life Is Good T-shirt company, grew up the youngest of six children in a lower middle-class family in Boston. When the brothers were in elementary school, their parents were in a near-death car accident from which their mother managed to escape with just a few broken bones, but their father lost the use of his right hand.

The stress and frustration from his physical therapy caused him to develop a harsh temper, they explain in their new book Life Is Good. "He did a lot of yelling when we were in grade school," John told Business Insider. And life certainly wasn't perfect. "There were often difficult things happening around the house," the brothers write.

But their mom, Joan, still believed life was good. So, every night as the family sat around the dinner table, she would ask her six kids to tell her something good that happened that day." As simple as mom's words were, they changed the energy in the room," the brothers write. "Before we knew it, we were all riffing on the best, funniest, or most bizarre part of our day."

Growing up with a mother like theirs—one who sang in the kitchen, told animated stories, and acted out children's books for them, no matter what bad situation they were going through—taught them an important lesson: Being happy isn't dependent on your circumstances. "She showed us that optimism is a

v. 20 God does not compare you with others

God’s trust in you must be matched by your sense of urgency and willingness to

Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament, 27th Edition Chapter 25

ἐκέρδησα

Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament, 27th Edition Chapter 25

ἐκέρδησα

① to acquire by effort or investment, to gain

① to acquire by effort or investment, to gain

Effort brings about reward while avoidance brings about loss.

Arndt, William et al. A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature 2000 : 541. Print.

Effort brings about reward while avoidance brings about loss.

God the tyrant

2. Fear will distort God’s gifts and character

Who was the lazy servant’s master? Fear

Your view of God deeply informs your participation of God in his kingdom

Those who see God as broke, poor, or absurd will have no reason to work for God’s kingdom

Those who have a prosperity view of God will have a greater desire to take risks for God’s kingdom.

Myth: Avoiding loss is gain.

Fact: God expects us to work and risk for his kingdom.

Living a life of abundance and fruitfulness is not proportional to the amount of resources, motivation, or skills connections. Abundance and fruit is a matter of the heart.

There are people who see God-given opportunities as one more chance to fail. There are others who see the same opportunity as thevery ground for future glory.

The next time God presents you with an opportunity, know that God an see he has already deposited the potential in you to succeed, to show your character and dpendability.

An eternity of joy is grounded by a life of joy of expectation. The good servants couldn’t wait for their master to return. They couldn’t wait to hear the words coming out their master’s lips: good and faithful servant.

The mind of the lazy servant deceived him into having a limiting view of his master

God in fact:

Has accurate expectations from you

Expects multiplication in your lifetime

Pace yourself (urgency and long-term results)

Is not about the quick gain. This man went away for a long time. The good servants went quickly to invest the master’s talents because they didn’t know how soon he would be away, and they knew that multiplying the talents would take a while. Why would we try to microwave God’s wealth? Are you trying to see quick gains? Then there’s a chance that you are having unrealistic expectations of yourself and others.

Conrast:

There were no surprises for either of the servants. They knew the heart of their master.

The good servants couldn’t wait for the return of their master (both of them said: “Look!”) I can imagine a tone of excitement while they approached their master. They knew that they had not wasted a moment to take action. They had been proactive

The lazy servant wringed his hands all along hoping that his master would delay on his return

Our Ethos:

The Movement is a place where we se God’s hand of provision

He calls us to take on risks because of his abundance of provision

God is a realist, he will not expect you to invest for his kingdom more than he has already entrusted you

He will not expect you to give in return more the same thing God has entrusted. This is not about conservation, but multiplication.

Knowledge+resources+fear=inaction

The servant was well aware of the character of his master.

The master didn’t allow for pretexts for inaction

At the end of times, God will take every person to a different destination “feast”

Busy work vs productive work

I wonder what the lazy servant was doing while his master went away. It took him only a few hours to bury the talent, and then what? Maybe he made himself look busy. He reprioritized his schedule, invested his time in working on a field, and all other kinds of things. He became buys and disobedient. Just because you and I have full calendars, it doesn’t mean that we’re doing what God has called us to do.

Live without retreats. We will take on risks because we only have one life. We only have one opportunity to make the most of what God has entrusted on us. Why did I propose Jessica? Because I couldn’t see my future without her

Stewardship is a matter of the heart. Being an effective steward of God’s gifts and talents is in deep connection with:

Your view of God

Your willingness to put yourself out there for him. No matter what gift you bring to the table, you will need to put yourself out there for that gift, you will need to take risks to see a return.