Sermon Tone Analysis

Begin with Video

Dismiss / Pray

Well over the last few weeks we’ve had the privilege of listening to those who serve in different capacities on the Missions field.

The first week as you know, we had Thom and Amanda McMurray with us who are serving the Alliance in South America, and last week we had Tim Smith with us who spoke about serving in the jail ministry here locally and witnessing to the inmates.

Of course, we just watched the video from the cagwin’s who are faithfully serving the Lord as missionaries.

And as you may recall, at the end of the month, we’re going to focus on serving here in the church and highlight our children’s ministry and ways to serve…

But really, this whole month, the Lord has been orchestrating and aligning it with the central theme of missions.

And so, with this in mind, both this week and next week, we’re going to continue with discussing missions with the emphasis of living a life of purpose.

No not porpoise!

I had to put that in there, to see if you guys are awake this morning...

But really, our focus is on living your life for things that matter and consider how we invest our time.

You see the truth is there are as you know there are 365 days a year, or 525,600 minutes, which breaks down to 31,536,000 seconds.

And the point is this… how will you spend each second?

how will you spend each moment?

how will you spend each year?

If you have your bibles with you this morning, turn with me to Matthew 25.

And as you’re turning there, we are going to examine a parable that Jesus told during the Olivet discourse.

This discourse, or message was the final discourse of Jesus as he addresses his disciples.

And he would deliver this message to them on Tuesday afternoon, during his final week on earth, as he was sitting on the mount of olives.

What I want us to see from the scripture this morning is 3 key ideas.

As we talk about investing our time.

Serving others - 1.

The requirement, 2. The response 3. the reward.

1.

The requirement

Now at the beginning of Matthew 25 and we won’t read at this time.

But Jesus first discusses the parable of 10 virgins to show the need of being ready by waiting for the Messiahs return.

But then in verses 14-30, Jesus transitions from the principle of waiting… to this idea of being ready by working.

Jesus would describe the parable of the bag of coins and explain to his disciples.

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.

15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability.

Then he went on his journey.

16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.

17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.

18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

Now as we stop for a moment and consider the text.

I think it’s important to remind us that what Jesus is saying here is significant.

I mean, this is during the last week of his life and would be one of the last conversations that he would have with his disciples.

Now it doesn't take away from any of the previous lessons that Jesus taught, but as one of his final teachings…it’s certainly key, information that shouldn’t be missed.

I think to myself of driving home from the local pool on Wednesday afternoon.

And Kim had a bad migraine, so she stayed behind… but also with her was our youngest daughter Aubrey who was out of milk.

Now before leaving the pool, I called Kim and we talked for a few minutes… but the last thing that Kim spoke to me before she we would hang up the phone was “hey, don’t forget to stop by the store and get some milk.”Why

was this the last word?

Because it was very important information.

The other parts of the conversation were important as well… but she didn’t want me to miss this point… That I had to get the milk.

Here, Jesus as he is speaking with his disciples… Knowing the crucifixion that await him later that week, this topic is crucial.

And what does Jesus turn his attention to?

He discusses the requirements for each person to carry out the work that they were given.

You see, Jesus’ focus in this parable was on the tragedy of wasted opportunity.

It’s the tragedy that we’ve been entrusted with X amount… how will we spend it… and yes, this applies to finances, and other things… but really in this parable, Jesus is talking about spending our life in service to others.

I want us to stop for a second and take a closer look at the text.

We’re told: 14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.

15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability.

Then he went on his journey.

Here, this man who is going on a journey was going to be gone for a long time, perhaps months or years.

And due to his absence, he is calling for his servants to care for his estate while he is gone.

Now the man in this parable is Jesus, and the time that he is gone is in between his first ascension to heaven and his second coming which of course, we are now waiting for.

But what’s interest is in the text it says the man, that is Jesus, called his servants.

When it says his servants, it’s the Greek word Doulos, which means slaves.

And oftentimes in scripture, a wealthy person would have slaves who were extremely skilled, and proficient in different trades.

But what I want us to see is that the owner of the house called his servants and entrusted them with different levels of responsibility.

We see that each servant was given a different bags of gold, one slave was given 5 bags, one was given 2 bagsand one was given only one bag… but the expectation from the owner to servant was no different.

Instead, he was simply calling them to be faithful to Him.

Friends, we today.

As the church, find ourselves as the owner “so to speak” is away… and as he’s away, he has trusted us both as a church, and individually, with what he’s put in our hands… and what he’s given us both as a church in comparison to the church next door, or an individual basis, what skills or talent you have compared with someone else, really… isn’t the point… the point is… will you be faithful with what you’ve been given?

Will you be a faithful servant of what the master has placed in your hands?

Mlb all star game

You see, I’m reminded of Jeremiah 29:11 this morning which tells us: “11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

You see, the master has plans for you, how will you respond?

He has entrusted us both individually and as the church to be faithful in what he’s placed in our hands.

How are we doing?

Friends, today, we as the church are the servants.

Jesus himself, will come again, and call his servants,

2. The response

16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.

17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.

18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

So, we notice that the first 2 slaves were obedient to the master, but one of them was not.

The bible tells us that the man who had received one bag, went off, dug a hole in the ground and his master’s money.

To which in verse 27 Jesus would say: 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned, I would have received it back with interest.

In other words, this servant, at least could have put the money in the bank where it would accumulate interest.

And yet, he dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

You know, it’s interesting, if we stop and think about it for a moment.

And I hate to bring it up in church, but the latest inflation rate it right around 9%.

Here’s what that means, from year to year, if you have if you have 1 dollar one year, and the next after 9% still have the same dollar.

You in essence have lost 9 cents.

On each dollar.

To give an example of what this looks like, I looked at some statistics from 1970’s many of you were alive then.

That was just a couple years before my time… but the point is this.

If you wanted a can of soda, it was .10,

and it wasn’t long before that, where it was a nickel.

If you wanted a candy bar it was also .10. a gallon of gas in 1970?

(Any guesses?

.37 national average.)

and the average home price in the us.

17,000.

Here’s the point I’m making this morning.

That as you know, when money is not put to work… it misses out on the opportunity of earning.

Even at the time when Jesus was speaking this message to his disciples the roman empire had a banking system that was in many ways similar to modern times.

A slave therefore could have taken one talent and made at least 6 percent interest by making no effort at all, and yet, the slave did nothing with the money.

Instead, the slave chose to bury this treasure.

For a second, I want to consider what it looks like for us to respond 1.