AGM Devotion - Nov 30th

Introduction

Thank you for coming to this important meeting as we consider the budget of 2020.

In , Jesus tells a parable or a story that is known as the parable of the talents. Due to time constraint, I won’t read the passage, but I will summarize it.

There was a master who entrusted three of his servants his property. He gave a different amount of talents to each servant. A talent is equivalent to about 20 years of wages. One servant had five talents, one had 2 talents, and the other one had only one talent. These servants were expected to use and invest their talents/money. The master then went on his journey.

Two of the servants invested their talents whereas one of them hid the talent in the ground and did not invest.

When the master returned, he saw how the two servants doubled their investment. And he said them, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”

Matthew 25:14–23 ESV

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

The point or the emphasis of this parable is faithfulness in serving God while waiting for the 2nd coming of Jesus. It does not matter if you have 5, 2 or one talent. What is important is being faithful with what God has given you.

For many of us,

We are embarking in the year 2020. We are given the budget before us. When it comes to the budget, I want to give offer three simple reminders for us:

It is God’s money.

It is not the “church’s” money. It is not the “church leaders” money. It is God’s money.

God owns the money. Not only does it own money, He owns all of us. God is the righteful owner of everything.

, God says, “Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.”

As we look at the budget, we must remember that it is God’s money.

We, as God’s servants, are to be faithful stewards of God’s money.

Handling God’s money is an important practical test of godliness.

If it is God’s money, then we are to use it wisely that reflect God’s mission and vision for the church. With the given budget, we should be spending and investing God’s money.

We are to be faithful in using God’s money.

With the given budget, we should be spending and investing God’s money. We should not be keeping it.

Money should be used for the work of God’s kingdom

This includes supporting the staff members at OBC.

This includes supporting missionaries who are in the frontline declaring the gospel in places where we couldn’t go.

This includes helping the poor and the needy.

This includes maintaining our church facility.

This definitely includes serving those in our ministry and in our church family.

It should be used to benefit

, Paul says, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

We should pray for the ministries in the budget item.

We have a lot of ministries in this church family.

As important as the numbers may be, we should never lose sight of the souls behind those numbers and ministry who are or who will be impacted by the gospel ministry.

As important as number may be, what we should never lose sight of is the soul behind those numbers.

We should consider and think about how we can use whatever amount we have

Matthew 25:14–23 ESV

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

People vs. Numbers?

Budget:

It is God’s money.

We are stewards of God’s money.

We are to be faithful in using God’s money.

It should be used for the work of God’s kingdom

It should be used to support family

It should be used to benefit

We should pray for ministry in the budget item.

I - Christ’s declaration.

It is God’s money.

We are stewards of God’s money.

We are to be faithful in using God’s money.

We should pray for ministry in the budget item.

I - Christ’s declaration.

I won’t be surprised that most of you are here because God used His money through the church to get the gospel out to you.

will - Christ’s promise.

We should pray that God would use this budget to bring the message of Jesus out into our community, the city, country and the world, so that young or old, rich or poor and different ethnicities would come to hear the love of Jesus.

build - Christ’s work.

Conclusion

my - Christ’s possession

Jesus Christ is our Master who has entrusted to us His money to us, and we are to be faithful stewards and servants. He will return again to judge the living and the dead. Therefore, because Jesus will come back soon, we should stop wasting time and we must make the best use of the time, because the days are evil and because the lost need to know Jesus. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is as clearly revealed in Scripture.

church - Christ’s bride

If Jesus Christ were to come back today to end human history, then will you hear Him to say to you and I, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”

The Aroma of Christ?

$10.00 spent for lunch lasts five hours. $10.00 spent for a neck-tie lasts five weeks. $10.00 spent for a cap lasts five months. $10.00 spent for an auto lasts five years. $10.00 spent for a railroad lasts five decades. $10.00 spent in God’’s service lasts for eternity.

It is God’s money.

We are stewards of God’s money.

We are to be faithful in using God’s money.

We should pray for ministry in the budget item.