are you willing-abilities
Notes
Transcript
Recap
Are You Willing Part 2: Thoughts
1 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
Paul is describing himself and his ministry with the church in Corinth, city in Greece
As he does, he sets up this war analogy
There’s a fight going on, but not with weapons of the world
There’s a battle where the mission is demolish strongholds
“We” (the church) demolish strongholds that are against God – arguments, teaching, claims
Any place the enemy, the world, or our own sin gets in our heads
Instead, we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ
We give our thoughts to the lordship of Jesus
The analogy sets up this battle scene
I’m going into a stronghold (fortress) to free the hostages (thoughts) and then give them to the control of Christ
There’s another war term we can use to describe this situation – surrender
We are called to fight for our minds so that we can surrender our thoughts to Jesus
Are you willing to fight? Are you willing to surrender?
Thoughts – anxieties, worry, dreams, plans, temptations, everything
Give these things to Jesus
How do we “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”?
Are You Willing? Part 3 – Abilities
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.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
(Parable of the bags of gold, or talents)
Parable = A story that teaches a lesson
Parable = A story that teaches a lesson
Jesus is telling this parable to his disciples in the midst of a conversation about his return at the end of the age.
Although this parable specifically uses money, it’s a lesson about any kind of stewardship (what is stewardship?) (what is a steward?)
In fact, in most translations, the money is referred to as “talents”, which is still a type of money, but helps us apply the lesson of the story to the stewardship of our abilities.
Remember, stewardship is what this series is all about
Everything we have is from God
Are you willing to give it all back to God by responsibly managing what you’ve been given?
This question applies to our abilities
God has given every one of us abilities and like the men in the parable, he wants us to put our abilities to use instead of burying them
Remember, Jesus tells this story in the context of talking about being ready for his return
We don’t know if Jesus is going to return in our lifetimes, but we’re all in this time of waiting for his return
This parable addresses the way God wants us to wait (what is active waiting vs. passive waiting, Sara out of town)
It’s not meant to be a time of passive and meaningless waiting
It’s a lifetime of opportunity to put to good use the abilities that he’s entrusted to us.
The men who were faithful and responsible with what they had been given were blessed by the master and given greater responsibility.
(would God find you faithful?)
What happens to the other guy? He acts out of fear (v. 25) – he’s more concerned with security than responsibility and ends up being scolded and punished.
This points to an important idea: A life of following Christ is not about just being concerned with not doing anything wrong, but it’s about actively being responsible with what God has given you to bring glory to the master.
Are you willing to give your abilities back to God?
Small Group Questions
Who do you relate with more in the parable – the guys who doubled their talents or the guy who buried his talent? Why?
What abilities has God given you? How can you give them back to him?
How can you give them back to him?