Sermon Tone Analysis

This Week’s Theme: This Week’s Theme: Disciples serve God

Memory Verse:: Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

This Week’s Word is Serve - Someone who serves another.

Scripture provides guidance concerning the roles of servants noting in particular that Jesus Christ chose to be a servant and commands believers to serve one another.

Essence of the Text in a Sentence: God left us his servants in charge with responsibilities that will ultimately be rewarded and or judge.

Sermon Objective: I want those in attendance to Use their talents that God gifted to them for purposeful work and to share God’s love.

Sermon Proposition: Saints should be willing to utilize, grow and prosper with the gifts God gives.

Introduction

Life is full of people who made both profitable and devastating investments.

The truth is money can be managed well and it can be managed poorly.

A faithful Christian will be a good steward of the money that God has given him or her.

However, there are things in life that are much more important than money, and we are to be good stewards of those things as well.

Today, we’ll be looking at the parable of the talents and we’ll learn what Jesus is teaching us when it comes to managing that which He has entrusted to us.

As God speaks to you on this morning, I want you to ask yourself What am I doing with talents given to me?

Let’s pray together before we study this passage, and ask God to speak to us.

Sermon Text: Matthew 25:14-29

I. THE LORD GIVE US GIFTS

Matthew 25:14-18; James 1:17; Exodus 31:3;

Matthew 25:14–18 (NKJV)

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.

15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.

18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.

It’s revealed that not each servant got the same amount.

One got one talent, one got two, and one got five!

Verse 15

says that these gifts were given, “depending on each one’s ability.”

We must understand that everything belongs to God, and He is the one who gives us any kind of gift.

Remember, James tells us in James 1:17

Just as the master gave of his own possessions to his servants, so also, God gives out of His generosity to us.

We must understand that God gives to us according to His wisdom and discretion.

Just like the man in the parable gave to each servant according to his ability, so also, God knows everything about us, and He knows which gifts He should entrust to us.

We have been entrusted with our time, with our talents, with our energies, with our lives for His sake, while we wait.

God has entrusted much to us!

And all these things are to be used, for His purposes.

We are to be productive!

This parable about how Christ-followers should make use of God-given assets uses the metaphor of servants.

These talents can be used for the glory of God.

Using your talents for God can allow you to be a part of advancing the kingdom of God, helping others, and improving the world around you.

So, on this point, let us trust God’s wisdom in giving gifts and let us thank Him for everything that He’s entrusted to us.

The responsibility of every Christian is to glorify God with all that we have.

God has given us life, and breath, and strength, and resources, and money, and energy - and we are all to use that for His glory and the building of His Kingdom.

Before we go any further, let’s answer the question of what a talent is.

A talent represented an amount of weight of money, usually between sixty and ninety pounds.

This was not chump change.

One talent was a lot of money!

Five talents were a whole lot of money! is said to worth, about 20 years of salary for an average worker.

A "talent" in that era was an amount of a tradable metal, such silver or gold.

The master's clear expectation was that his servants would earn more money with the money he left in their care (Matthew 25:14–15).

The first servant in this parable is responsible for more money than most people would see in several lifetimes.

In the parable, the three different men did something with the talents that were given to them.

As a result, we see an outcome tied directly to what they did.

So, the question for us is, “What are we doing with that which God has given us?” Christ's servants, are abilities, faith, spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit, or even maybe money and material resources.

What will be the outcome of the talents, God entrusts to us?

Well, the man in the parable wanted to see the outcome of that which he entrusted to his servants.

That takes us to our second truth:

We must understand that everything belongs to God

How can you use good gifts that God has given you at home, work and church?

What will be the outcome of the talents, God entrusts to us?

ll.

THE LORD HOLDS US ACCOUNTABLE

Matthew 25:19-27; John 10:27;

Look at verses 19-22

The man wanted to know what had been done with his possessions that he allowed others to manage.

Jesus is trying to teach us something here.

It’s not just an interesting story.

Jesus is trying to teach us that we will be held accountable by God for how we manage the gifts that He has given us,

God will hold us accountable for how we handle the finances, The master's purpose is for His servants to use those gifts appropriately, rather than wasting or ignoring them.

In practice, for Christians, this means actively using whatever blessings we're given by God, according to His will.

As with the "talents" given to us by God today, their intended use is for God's glory.

He gives us, the opportunities

He gives us, the spouse He gives us, the children He gives us, the church He gives us, the job He gives us, the neighbors He gives us, the evangelistic opportunities He gives us, the service opportunities He gives us, the homes He gives us, the vehicles He gives us, the friends He gives us, and so much more.

God will hold us accountable, and He will settle accounts with us.

Now I know your question.

You probably are thinking, “I'm not a pastor.

I'm not called full time.

I'm glad you asked this question, because I want to clarify that glorifying God is not just when you stand on stage to preach a sermon.

Serving God is not the unique privilege only to the pastor.

Serving God should be a joy for each and every Christian.

What He has given use to do, we should be good stewards over.

“How?”

With Your Words, Wealth, Walk, Works and Witness.

Serving God with your words.

What are you speaking, how do you encourage or discourage?

What’s in your heart will flow from you out of your mouth.

Speak grace, speak truth, encourage one another; don't complain.

Serving God with our wealth.

Use the resources God has first placed in our hands for His glory, we can meet the needs of saints.

But it is also meant to bring glory to God, praise to God.

As needs are being relieved, people give thanks to God through you.

Serving God with our walk.

I want to include our roles as husbands, and wives, and children, and parents, as workers, as employers.

Let your conduct shine.

Let the way of life, shine.

Let people see you live a holy, blameless, loving life.

It governs the way you drive.

It governs the way you treat your spouse.

It governs the way you conduct your business.

How can I Serve God?