Sermon Series: Generosity (2)

Sermon: Generous with your talents

Matthew 25:14-30 “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

I. Intro

All of us have been given gifts and talents to serve Jesus and His Church. Just like we’re to be be good stewards of our resources and our time, God expects us to use our talents to do His work in the world. As we’re obedient to do our best with what we’ve been given, the Lord will multiply our work.

We don’t all have the same talents and abilities. At birth, we were all given natural talents and abilities, but at the moment of salvation, God placed inside of us spiritual gifts that we are to use for the advancement of His Kingdom. You weren’t placed on this Earth to not use your spiritual gifts. You weren’t put here just to take up space. Don’t underestimate what God can do with you and your gifts. God takes the most under qualified people and uses them for His glory.

II. You were created to contribute.

We all have a hunger inside of us to make a difference in the world around us.

Rick Warren writes in The Purpose Driven Life, “You were put on the Earth to make a contribution. You weren’t created just to consume resources- to eat, to breathe, and to take up space. God designed you to make a difference with your life. While many best-selling books offer advice on how to ‘get’ the most out of our lives, that’s not the reason God made you. You were made to add life on Earth, not just take from it. God wants you to give something back.”

Too often, we think about our contribution as something extra we do in our world, but our talents and abilities are gifts God gives for us to steward. Stewarding our gifts is one of the great privileges and responsibilities of the Christian life.

III. The parable of the talents. (Matthew 25:14-30)

A man heads out on a journey and gives each of his servants talents to invest.

He gives the first servant five talents.

He gives the second servant three talents.

He gives the third servant one talent.

A talent was a measure of money. One talent weighed about 75 pounds and was worth more than 20 years wages for the average laborer.

Generally speaking, this parable is about stewardship. It’s lessons can be applied to anything God gives us to manage. For the purpose of this message, we’ll look at what God wants us to do with the abilities He has given us.

The servants used their talents differently.

The first servant invests five talents and earns five more by investing.

The second servant invests two talents and earns two more by investing.

The third servant received one talent and buries it. He earns no more talents.

The master praises the first two servants and rebukes the third servant.

IV. Lessons from the parable of the talents.

God gives gifts to everyone.

Romans 12:6-8 “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.”

The master gave each servant in the story a gift.

You might not feel like you have anything to contribute, but you do.

God doesn’t give the same gifts to everyone.

The master gave each servant a different number of gifts.

Not everyone receives the same gifts from God.

We receive different kinds of gifts from God.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.”

We receive different intensity of gifts. Some people are more gifted than others.

The number and kinds of gifts you have been given don’t make you more or less valuable in God’s eyes or in the church.

God wants us to use the gifts we’ve been given.

1 Peter 4:10 “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

The master honored those who used what he gave. He rebuked the one that didn’t.

The Bible says God prepared good works ahead of time for us to complete.

Ephesians 2:10 “ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

God urged Timothy not to neglect the gift.

1 Timothy 4:14 “ Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”

We’ll face consequences for stingy use of the gifts we’ve been given.

The lazy servant lost the talent he was given.

We face consequences when we don’t use our talents effectively.

We miss the blessings that come from service.

We don’t get opportunities for greater service.

Other people face consequences for our failure too. People don’t get reached. The hungry don’t get fed. The lonely don’t get visited.

When you use your talents, God will multiply them.

The faithful servants doubled their master’s money.

God will do far more through you than you can imagine when you use your talents to honor Him.

V. Conclusion

Don’t be like the third servant. Don’t hide your gifts God has given you. Don’t hide them from the world. God gave them for you to use for the advancement of His Kingdom and to honor Him. When you use your gifts, God will multiply them, just like the first two servants.