The Talents
Notes
Transcript
Handout
6:20-6:30—FELLOWSHIP/CHECK-IN
6:25—START COUNTDOWN
6:30-6:35—WELCOME & PRAYER
6:35-6:45—GAME
6:45-6:50—ANNNOUNCEMENTS
Giving Away Feast of Thanks (Pics)
Christmas Pajama Night
Girls Bible Study (Sunday, Jan 17th) after church
Guys Bible Study (Sunday, Jan 17th) after church
Mission SD 2021—Sign-up
6:50-6:59—Bible Project Video—Jonah
6:59-7:02—PRAY
7:02-7:20—MUSIC
He is Faithful
Brokenness Aside
All the Poor and Powerless
Go Tell It on the Mountain
7:20-7:25—THE GOSPEL & DISMISS HS SG
Dismiss/HS SG—Binders
7:25-7:45—MESSAGE—The Talents
7:45-7:55—SG PRAYER TIME
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Lord, here we go again!
Pray.
Think myself empty.
Read myself full.
Write myself clear.
Pray myself haught.
Be myself.
Forget myself. (From Alister Beggs)
Lord, let this message be a beacon for you. Let me be forgotten and invisible. Let them see and know you, only you. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
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The gospel is the good news that God, the loving Creator, sovereign King, and holy Judge of all, has looked upon men and women wonderfully and uniquely made in His image who have rebelled against Him, are separated from Him, and deserve death before Him, and He has sent His Son, Jesus, God in the flesh, the long-awaited King, to live a perfect and powerful life, to die a sacrificial and substitutionary death, and to rise from the grave in victory over sin, Satan, and death. The gospel is a summons from God for all people in all nations to repent and believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, turning from all idols to declare allegiance to Jesus alone as King and trust in Jesus alone as Lord. All who turn from Jesus will experience everlasting, horrifying suffering in hell, while all who trust in Jesus will experience everlasting, satisfying communion with God in heaven. (Secret Church 2020, David Platt, Radical.net)
For now, Jesus remains in heaven, changing the world one person at a time, but one day he will return and judge the world in righteousness. He will remove from this world all sin and all causes of sin and he will restore the cosmos to a state of peace, prosperity and flourishing and all those who have received him as their Lord and Savior will participate in his rule and enjoy his goodness forever.
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PRAY
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EACH WEEK:
A parable is a simple story that explains a spiritual truth.
Have you ever been giving something that your were responsible for?
Animal?
Chores?
Jewelry?
Prized item?
So, what would have happened if you would not have treasured this item, neglected this item, etc?
I would have been in deep trouble, and I probably wouldn’t have been trusted so much next time. Right?
Trust, as some of you may know, is something that isn’t just given freely. It’s something that has to be proven and earned.
Go ahead and open your Bible to Matthew 25 and we are going to stand and read Matthew 25:14-30.
What would have happened if, while my family and I were on vacation, and the people that we entrusted our house, dogs, etc, with didn’t go over a single time? Would we trust them again with that responsibility?
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.’
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PRAY
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While the parable of the Talents only appears in Matthew there is a similar parable called the Parable of the Pounds that can be found in Luke's Gospel (Luke 19:12-27). They make similar points, but they are not the same parable. The parable of the talents belongs to what scholars label as "The Eschatological Discourse" (Matthew 24-25) because Jesus' teachings here refer to events at the close of this age. The phrase "it will be like" (v. 14) links this parable with the preceding one (Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids: vs. 1-13). The subject that the parable illustrates is the kingdom of heaven (or more precisely the coming of the kingdom). So, in this parable the kingdom of heaven (or more precisely the coming of the kingdom) is being compared to the return of a master who has entrusted his money to three servants. Each servant is entrusted with a "talent".
Jesus is addressing his disciples
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Be Careful
This parable can be confusing if you’re not careful as it seems that you have to do something of “works” to be accepted into the kingdom.
Jesus is using hyperbole in this to illustrate the point of the gifting of belonging to the kingdom of God and the responsibility that believers have in that.
ROI
So, we know this man that went on a journey was rich.
How much is a talent worth?
Denarii is a day’s wage.
A talent is worth ~6,000 denarii.
Arkansas’ minimum wage is $9.25/hr. 8 hours = ~$74.00/day
Using Arkansas wages:
1 talent = $444,000
2 talents = $888,000
5 talents = $2,220,000
This man gives his servants money…he entrusts them with a substantial sum. It would seem if he had trusted at least the first two in the past with something as he gives them “each according to his ability.”
Now, what would you do with that? What kind of responsibility would you have had with it?
Remember, Jesus is telling this to his disciples, including Judas. These guys were from a myriad of backgrounds—fisherman, tax collectors, teenagers, and the like. Even a quarter of this money that Jesus was discussing would have been a large sum to them.
These guys were already risking their life to follow Jesus.
Investing takes a risk. If you know anything about investments, you know that even the smartest investments can result in a total loss.
All believers are driven by one of two things; loving loyalty or selfish fear?
Do you trust enough to take a risk? (FAITH)
The first and second servant wasted no time in doubling their investment for their master. They knew it would take time so they didn’t waste their efforts. They didn’t go out and buy a bunch of scratch-off lottery tickets to see if they won more. They were strategic and systematic…at least that’s how I see them.
They used their talents to engage in some kind of business. The phrase "put his money to work" (NIV) does not mean they invested it in the bank to gain interest. This is what the foolish servant should have at least done. Rather, we are to imagine that some kind of business activity began and carried on for a long time (v. 19). Draw attention to the fact that since the money belonged to the master the profits would too. Because the first two servants doubled what their master had given to them, they each receive the master's approval, are put in charge of "many things" and keep the money.
The third, however, just dug a hole and dropped it in and covered it up so he knew where it would be.
If you remember, this was a tactic that many employed for protecting their treasure (Treasure in the field parable).
I can just picture the third servant after he dug the hole, dropped in the talent, and covered it back up. I imagine he breathed a sigh of relief that the work was done and he could just sit back and go about his business until his master came back...
How would 1st century Jews perceive the man who buried his talent? Wise or Foolish?
Some Jews would have thought that he did the cautious and responsible thing by not risking the man's money to loss. Burying money was a common way in ancient times to secure the safe keeping one's treasures. Since the man going on a journey did not instruct his servants to invest his money, the third servant may have thought that his only obligation was to keep what in full what was given to him.
I can also imagine that he may have started sweating a little when he realized that the other two were increasing their talents...
When it came time for the master to return, after a long time, keep in mind, he wanted to see what his servants had done with what he entrusted.
The first with five talents had earned five more by putting it to work. The master replied, “well done, good and faithful servant.”
The second, with two talents had earned two more. Likewise, he received the master’s commendation “well done, good and faithful servant.”
But, the third
He was afraid because he knew his master was a "hard" man. The third servant is condemned and told that what he knew about the master should have motivated him in the opposite direction. He is therefore condemned by his own words. His talent is then taken from him and given to the first servant who has ten talents. The parable ends with an unusual saying: "For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away" (v. 29). This is similar to the ending of Parable of the Pounds (Luke 19:26).
Primary lessons for Jesus’ disciples and believers are:
—Act out of loving loyalty, not selfish fear.
—Be motivated by the hope of pleasing God, not the fear of displeasing him.
—Healthy fear is accompanied by the knowledge of the love of God, while paralyzing fear knows nothing of God’s love.
— The life of obedient, faith-filled “risk” will bear kingdom fruit and please God.
Believers must live continually on the edge of faith-filled obedience, investing everything they have and are for the kingdom...
Every Christian is entrusted with some responsibility for the kingdom. Some will take this seriously and invest their lives wisely, and others will squander this responsibility. The part of the kingdom entrusted to each of us is precious to the Lord. He is hurt by the mishandling of a lifetime of opportunity; but he rejoices over a lifetime well spent. He has placed in our hands what is his own. This is a sobering thought—to be stewards of kingdom resources.
Stuart K. Weber, Matthew, vol. 1, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 419,420.
What will you do with it? How will you steward your talents?