Sermon Tone Analysis

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.