Matthew 25:14-30

Matthew 22:34-40

Matthew 25:14-30

“Don’t Waste Your Talent”

Part 4 of Stewardship Series 2008

November 16, 2008

What are the most important things for us to be doing?

What are the most important things for us to remember?

We began our Stewardship emphasis for this year 3 weeks ago as we looked at what it truly means to live as Christians – and what the most important things are for us to remember as we strive to live our lives in God’s ways.

What are the most important things for us to be doing?

What are the most important things for us to remember?

3 weeks ago I talked a little about “final exams” and the Ordination Exams every Seminary graduate has to take before being ordained – and how they were filled with questions to which we prayed that we had answers.

I also talked about how Rick Warren — in his book The Purpose Driven Life — writes that God has a Final Exam for us. He writes that — when our life is over — God is going to have 2 questions for us:

1. How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

2. What did you do with what I gave you?

2 questions.

If you answer them in the way God wants you to answer them, He has a place in heaven prepared for you.

If not, your place will not be in heaven.

Maybe it would be wise to look at how to answer these questions in the way that will please God. As we move through November, we are going to look at the fact that God has questions for us – and whether or not we have answers.

3 weeks ago we looked at the primary passage that we’ll be looking at for the next few weeks — Matthew 22:34-40 – and saw that responding to Jesus by loving God with all our heart, soul and mind – and loving others as ourselves – are the 2 primary ways we can respond to God’s questions of how we responded to Jesus and what we did with what He gave us.

2 weeks ago we looked further at exactly what it means to love God and love others as we looked at Matthew 23:1-12 – and discovered that we not only have to talk about loving God and serving others – we have to do it. We can’t be “Do as I say – not as I do” Christians – we can’t be “Do as I say – not as I do” Church members – but we have to be Christians – we have to Church members – that show God and the Christian life to others I what we say and in what we do.

Last week we continued as we looked at Matthew 25:1-13 – and saw that it means using the gifts God has given us wisely. You see — when it comes to living the Christian life and using the gifts God has given us – we have to wise guys – and wise gals.

Today we continue looking at what it means to love God and love others – and looking at answers we might be able to give God when He asks us how we responded to Jesus and what we did with what He gave us – as we look at Matthew 25:14-30 – and see that God does not want us to waste our talents.

Listen to God’s word as we look again at Matthew 22:34-40 – then look at Matthew 25:14-30.

Read Scripture

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

2 questions that God may ask us when we get to heaven.

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

God does not want us to have to say:

“Lord – I know You wanted me to love Jesus with all my heart – soul – and mind –

I know you wanted me to love others – and use what You gave me for Your glory and to do Your work in the Church – the community – and the world –

but I just never seemed to have time –

I seemed to always find other things to do than things that would show Your love to others –

I seemed to always sit back when things needed to be done in the Church – I knew someone else would do it.

I found it easier to not do things than be a part of the 20% who seemed to be dong 80% of the work.

You understand, don’t You Lord?”

God does not want that to be our response to his questions:

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

You know – I’m sure God would understand if we had to make that response – but – the thing is – I believe that what He would understand is not what we would want Him to understand.

What He would understand from a response such as that is that we chose to waste our talent.

And He would understand that that is not what He gave us our talents for.

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

Jesus says:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind

Love your neighbor

Love God

Love others

Love Jesus

Love others

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

If you can say:

“I loved Jesus with all my heart – soul – and mind”

You are able to give a response that is in line with what God wills for you to answer.

Having a personal relationship with Christ is the first step towards living the life God would have us live. That’s why – every day – you need to ask yourself:

“How are Jesus and I getting along – right now?”

“How are Jesus and I getting along – right now?”

If you can also say:

“Lord – I loved Jesus – and I used what You gave me for Your glory – and to do Your work and will in the Church and the community”

You are able to answer God’s questions in the way God intendeds.

If you can also say:

“Lord – I loved Jesus – and I used what You gave me wisely –

I used Your gifts to me to make a difference in the world and the community for Your glory – I used what You gave me to do Your work in the community and the Church – I used what You gave me wisely to make a difference for You in the Church and the community.”

You are able to answer God ‘s questions in the way God intends.

If you can also say:

“Lord – I loved Jesus – and I knew You gave me many talents and many abilities. I used them for Your glory and to do Your work in the community and the Church. I did not waste my talents and abilities – but used them for Your glory”.

You are able to answer God ‘s questions in the way God intends.

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

Love Jesus

Use what God has given you to do His will in the Church, the community, and the world.

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

Jesus’ parable in our lesson for today forces us to question if we are using the gifts God has given to us – or wasting our talents.

The master in the story gives the servants huge sums of money.

A talent was 15 years worth of pay for a laborer. A total of 8 talents are given here — so that makes for 120 years of pay for a laborer. Quite a hefty sum indeed! And it is obvious the master wants a return on his investment. He is a rich man — but he is looking to get richer.

He gives the 8 talents to 3 of his servants.

The first servant — let’s call him Zechariah — is given 5 talents.

This is what he would normally make in 75 years of labor.

Quite a hefty sum of money.

What does Zechariah do with the money?

He invests it.

We don’t know how — just that he invests it. He uses what his master has given to him — he risks it — and makes a 100% profit to give the master upon his return. When the master returns, Zechariah is rewarded.

The second servant — let’s call him Zedikiah — is given 2 talents.

Not as much as Zechariah — but about what he would make in 30 years — so still a hefty sum.

What does Zedikiah do with the money given to him?

Well, like Zechariah, he invests it. Like Zechariah, he uses what his master has given him — he risks it — and makes a 100% profit doing so. When the master returns, Zedikiah is rewarded for his investment — just as Zechariah was.

So far so good.

But then we have the third servant.

Let’s call him Jehu.

Jehu is given 1 talent — not as much as Zechariah or Zedekiah — but still what he would make in 15 years labor. Still a hefty sum.

But Jehu is different than Zedikiah and Zechariah.

He is different in that he is scared.

He is scared to risk — to invest what his master has entrusted him with.

The master returns, and after rewarding Zechariah and Zedikiah for their profitable risk-taking, he pointedly reprimands Jehu for what he did.

Jehu did nothing — and instead of being rewarded for at least not losing what his master has given him, he is is reprimanded and punished because he did nothing with it.

Zechariah — Zedikiah — Jehu.

Three servants given three different amounts of money.

They use it in 3 different ways.

And who is the master pleased with?

The two who risked what had been given — not the one who is careful.

The ones who used what the master gave them.

Not the one who carefully protected – but in the process wasted – what the master gave him.

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

Jesus is telling a story here of economics – but — there is more than simple economics going on here.

There is a spiritual side to the story also — and that’s where the real point to the story is made. There is a side to this story that questions our relationship with God — and how we use the gifts God has given us.

What did you do with what I gave you?

God blesses each of us with so much. He gives so much to each of us. Maybe not monetarily — like the master in the parable — although money is indeed a blessing from God for many of us —

but God has also blessed us each with abilities.

These abilities may vary — but they are all gifts and abilities given to us by God — and to be used by us for God’s glory and the benefit of others.

When God asks us:

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

We need to be able to say that we loved Jesus with all our heart – soul – and mind – that we continually asked ourselves:

How are Jesus and I getting along – right now?

and do what we can to make our relationship with Christ vital and strong.

We also need to be able to say to God:

I did not waste the talents you gave me – but used them for Your glory and to do Your work in the community and the Church.”

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

God will ask us:

What did you do with what I gave you?

How do we use what I gave you?

This is an important question.

The answer is important also.

Are you like Zechariah or Zedekiah — using what God has given you – thankful for what we have been blessed with — and using your abilities for God’s glory and the benefit of others?

Or — are you more like Jehu – wasting what God has blessed you with?

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

Too many times we don’t use what God has blessed us with for God’s glory or anyone else’s benefit. Like Jehu, we bury what we have been given.

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

Maybe you bury your abilities — your talents — under feelings of little self- worth or little importance – saying things like:

“I’m not that important.

What I have to offer won’t make a difference.”

That’s just an excuse, friends – and is not what God wants to hear when He asks us what we’ve done with what He gave us.

Here’s the ting – we don’t know how much of a difference we can make until we try.

We don’t know what we can do with what God has given to us until we try.

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

Maybe you bury our abilities — your talents — under laziness — saying things like:

“That’s too hard.

I don’t want to get that involved.”

Or whatever other excuse we may want to give.

That’s certainly not the response God wants to hear when He asks us what we have done with what He gave us.

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

Maybe you bury your abilities and gifts — your talents — under an attitude of just not caring about the fact that you can make a difference if you use what God has given us for God’s glory and the benefit of others.

Again – not the answer God wants to hear when He asks us what we have done with what He gave us.

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

Maybe you bury your talent under an attitude of:

“Nobody asked me to do anything”

Again – not the answer God wants to hear when He asks us what we have done with what He gave us.

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

Friends – if you have a gift – if you have a talent – you need to use it – step up and do things that need to be done. You might need to coordinate what you do with others – but believe me – the help will be most appreciated – and you will be using what God has given you to do His work and will in the Church and the community.

What it boils down to many times is fear – being afraid to risk — afraid to take a chance with the gifts and abilities God has blessed us with – and laziness – being too lazy to use what God has given us to do His work and will in the Church and the community.

What it boils down to is wasting the talent that God has given you to use For His glory in the world.

When God asks us:

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

We need to be able to say that we loved Jesus with all our heart – soul – and mind – that we continually asked ourselves:

How are Jesus and I getting along – right now?

and do what we can to make our relationship with Christ vital and strong.

We also need to be able to say to God:

I did not waste the talents you gave me – but used them for Your glory and to do Your work in the community and the Church.”

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

Think about you use what God has blessed you with.

Are you committed to seeing how you can use what God has given you?

If God has given you some musical talent – are you committed to using it for God’s glory?

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

If God has given you the ability to listen to the needs of others – are you committed to be a “listening ear” for those in need — and respond with the love of God?

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

If God has given you the ability to help those in need — are you committed to doing so — in the love and strength of God?

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

If God has given you the ability to work with children or young people — showing them the love of God in real and vital ways – are you committed to working with them in the strength and love of God?

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

If God has given you the ability to work with adults — or Senior Citizens – are you committed to using your ability for God’s glory and the benefit of others?

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

If God has given you the ability to teach – are you committed to using your ability to tell others about God?

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

If God has given you the ability to do things with your hands — building or fixing things — are you committed to using that ability to serve God and others — whether it be by doing odd jobs around the church — or by fixing up houses of those not able to do work like that any more — or by volunteering for things like Habitat for Humanity?

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

If God has given you the ability to cook — or to serve others — are you committed to using your gift for God’s glory and the benefit of others through specific things like our new Casseroles Of Caring program – or just cooking something for someone who is homebound – or our Wednesday night suppers – or other ways?

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

If God has given you the ability talk to others about God’s love in an exciting way – are you committed to spreading the Good News of God’s love?

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

If God has given you money to be used to help support the work of others – to help us as a Church to reach others with the love of God — are committed to using your financial blessing for God’s glory and the benefit of others?

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

Are committed to using whatever gift God has given you for God’s glory and the benefit of others?

Are you?

If so — use them. There is much to be done. Each person — each talent — each ability — is needed.

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

Use your gifts — your abilities God has blessed you with.

Let God show you what your gifts and abilities are — think about those gifts and abilities you have left buried for years — dig them up — and use them. You’ll be surprised what you will discover when you start looking for new ways to serve God. Dig up you talents and abilities from whatever you have hid them under — and use them.

If you are not sure what your talents or abilities are – or how you can use them for God’s glory and the benefit of others — pray about it — or talk to me about it. I’ll be happy to help you discover what you gifts and abilities are — and how to dig them up and use them.

Have you ever considered what we all could get done if we all used the gifts and abilities God has blessed us with?

I think we would be surprised.

When God asks us:

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

We need to be able to say that we loved Jesus with all our heart – soul – and mind – that we continually asked ourselves:

How are Jesus and I getting along – right now?

and do what we can to make our relationship with Christ vital and strong.

We also need to be able to say to God:

I did not waste the talents you gave me – but used them for Your glory and to do Your work in the community and the Church.”

Don’t waste your talent.

Don’t waste your talent.

Amen.