Going With What Is Given

Going With What Is Given

Matthew 25:14-30 

 

Illus. The commission and call…

 

This morning we are going to turn to Matthew 25:14-30, where Jesus gives a parable called “The Parable of Talents.” In context, it is a parable given by Jesus that provides insights into His return, the talents He has entrusted His people, and what is true of those who hear the words “well done” from Him.

It is a parable that points toward both the practical and the eternal.  One that focuses in on the way you live and what you do with what God has given. Jesus directs our attention to not only what has been given, but the fact that there will be an accounting of it all in the end.

That said, we will dive into Jesus’ teaching on the parable of talents, while asking the question how are we to see, what are we to select, and what are we to seek when it comes to the talents the Lord has given to you and me. 

 

Read: Matthew 25:14-30

 

The circumstances Jesus presents in this parable would not be all that uncommon in His day. We have a story of a wealthy man who entrusts what He has to his servants to take care of and to steward while He himself goes away.

As we know, a parable is to throw one thing alongside another. Jesus is using this situation that they might see in their day to display a kingdom principle and reality. Jesus says, the kingdom of heaven is like this. He throws the picture of a wealthy man giving talents to his servants, then going away for a long time, then returning alongside the reality of Jesus’ entrusting resources to us, going away, and then returning at His second coming. And in this life we live currently, it is an important picture to see because the way we live and what we do with all God gives has implications eternally.

Jesus is expressing the importance of using what the Lord has given and entrusted for His purpose and His glory.

 

1. See Yourself as a Steward

 

Matthew 25:14-19, 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. 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. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them and made another five talents. And likewise, he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

 

• To the servants, the man going away divided up talents. To each servant a different amount was given.

 

• The first was given five talents, the second was given two talents and the third was given one.

 

• To best understand what was being given out and entrusted to the servants, we must understand what a talent is.

 

• The talents referred to here and are given out are not physical skills. While when we hear the word “talent,” we may immediately go to what talent means in our society, it is important to understand what it meant in their day historically.

 

• In context, the term talent refers specifically to resources given to a person. A “talent” was a sum of money, it originally meant “weight of money,” and its value was determined by whether it was gold, silver, or copper. Gold talents being the most valuable, then silver, then copper.

 

• Since it is not specified, I will use the middle option as the example to express the value. One talent of silver would have been valued at 20 years wages.

 

• So, the one with five was given 100 years wages, the one with two, forty years wages, and the one with one, twenty years wages.

 

• Whether they were given five, two, or one, each of the servants was being entrusted with a large sum of money.

 

• What is given to each is according to their ability, this shows that there is an awareness of what was proper for each servant to have.

 

• While talents were worth a great deal, the actual worth of the talents were not as important as the emphasis is on the accountability for differing levels of responsibility based on what has been entrusted to an individual.

 

• Though talents is a weight of money, in the parable, it is well noted that talents can be understand at life resources: Time, Esteem, Ability, Money.

 

• Because the parable illustrates the kingdom of heaven, the man in the story represents Christ who we know from John 14:1-3 has gone away to prepare a place for us.

 

• Here, after giving the talents out and entrusting them into the hands of his servants, the man goes away.

 

• What they have been given and entrusted, was not theirs personally. What they were given was given from their master who went on a journey. They were however, given charge and responsibility over what was entrusted, and they needed to steward well.

 

• So too for me and for you, all that we have been given is from God, that being the case, it is important that we remember this and are sure to see ourselves as stewards.

 

Romans 11:36, For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

 

James 1:17, Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…

 

• We are all stewards, meaning nothing that we have is ours, and ours alone. And this parable is a reminder to us that all we have been given is from God.

 

• The time, esteem, ability, and money we have is given from God. Those are the things that we have been entrusted and we are to steward.

 

• When we stand before Jesus, at the judgement seat of Christ, He will hold us accountable for how we lived and what we did with what we have been given.

 

• If we don’t realize that we are stewards, then we can easily compartmentalize what is ours, and what is God’s, but the reality is, it is all His!

 

• In 1 Corinthians 6:19, Paul says, “you are not your own.” In Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” In Romans 14:8, “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”

 

Psalm 50:10-12, For every animal of the forest is Mine,
The cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and everything it contains.

 

• From what He has, He gives, but the parable being presented illustrates the importance of our understanding that it is all His, every good and perfect gift.

 

• Some say, “I am self-made,” but that is not true. You are God made, the air you breathe, and the life you live is all from Him.

 

Steward: a person who manages another’s property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.

 

Matthew 25:16-18, Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them and made another five talents. And likewise, he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground and hid his lord’s money.  After a long time, the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

 

Illus. AGT.

 

1. Select the Right Investment of What’s Been Entrusted

 

• We see the importance of this principle clearly on the day of accountability.

 

• Each of the servants took the money and did differently.

 

Matthew 25:16, The one who had received the five talents immediately went and did business with them and earned five more talents.

 

Matthew 25:17, In the same way the one who had received the two talents earned two more.

 

Matthew 25:18, But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

 

• When the money was given, each one did something with it immediately. The first two went and got more, the third buried it.

 

• What is evident is that each of the three upon receiving the talents, knew immediately what they wanted to do with them.

 

• The first two immediately went out in order to made more, and the third immediately went to bury it in the ground somewhere.

 

• The accountability came after a long while and wait. Whatever the servants were doing with what had been given was what they had been doing with it for a long time.

 

• Each one had a determined disposition in the way they lived out their lives and handled what had been given.

 

Matthew 25:20, After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

 

• The one with five got five more; the one with two, two more; and the one with one, went out and got none.

 

• The expectation of all three was that they would take what they were given and get more. That they would be profitable with what was entrusted.

 

• That is the point Jesus is getting at. With what has been entrusted to us, there is an expectation as to what we do with and when we go to be with Him, or for those who are on earth when He returns, all of those things will be processed through God’s system of accounting.

 

• In many areas of our lives we understand the importance of investment. When you invest in something, the desire is that with that investment there will be a return.

 

• But also, when we invest what we have been entrusted into something, our heart and interest follow.

 

Matthew 6:20-21, But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

• If what is most important to our lives are the earthly treasures, we must know that they are temporary and will pass away.

 

• If you are living for treasures on this earth, those treasures become the purpose of your life.

 

• If moths, rust, or thieves, can destroy or take away the treasure which has become your purpose on earth; you are living for the wrong purpose.

 

• Jesus tells His followers to place their treasure in heaven. Why? Your heart follows what you treasure.

 

Illus. What is happening?

Matthew 6:24, No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other; or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

 

• No one can serve (belong to) two masters.

 

• Here Jesus highlights the impossibility of serving God and wealth. Essentially, our treasure is either in heaven, or on earth. 

 

• You can tell who or what you are serving by realizing that you will sacrifice for your God. Many are willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of wealth or possessions, but do not sacrifice for the sake of Jesus.

 

Illus. Give it to the Lord.

 

• The important truth is, we can live our lives today, with eternity in view. Knowing that we have an opportunity, albeit a short one in comparison to eternity to make a real, significant and genuine impact for God’s kingdom.

 

1 Timothy 6:17-19, Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

 

• It is not about what you have or what another has or doesn’t have, but about who or what has your heart. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be.

 

• In this life, we store up treasures in heaven when we treasure Jesus most of all. When He is our treasure we commit our time, energy, ability, and money to His work in this world.

 

• Know that treasures in heaven are not susceptible to decay, or moths, or thieves, they are of eternal value.

 

Colossians 3:23 -24, Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

 

• The picture Jesus is paints, is powerful. It’s not just about what the servants did with what He gave, but also what they did not do with what we had.

 

• In investing we also understand there is a risk vs. reward factor and it is so easy to go and bury what God has given, rather than understand that there is a way He wants us to live our lives and invest all He has given.

 

• But Jesus clearly wants us to know that all things are from Him and He wants us to “Go” with what has been given!

 

III.   Seek the Well Done Way

 

• There is a distinct difference in the disposition and also the ultimate destination of the first two servants and the third.

 

Matthew 25:20-21,  “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 

 

Matthew 25:22-23, He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’  His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

 

• Those two lived faithfully, the third lived fearfully.  

 

Matthew 25:24-30, “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

 

• To those who live as faithful stewards for Him with all that He has given, they will enter into His joy!

 

• The servant who hid his talent had his talent then taken from him, and his destination was not joy, but verse 30 says outer darkness.

 

• The picture of the third servant is of one who understands some things about God but chose to live His life unconcerned about what will happen on the day of His return.

 

• His final destination was determined by the way in which he lived out his days in light of all he had been entrusted.

 

• It becomes clear the third servant did not really know the master. On the day of reckoning, he gave excuses for what he didn’t do what he was supposed to do and offered excuses and the reality of his lack of relationship with the master.

 

• He says: “I knew you to be a hard man.”  But his thoughts of the master weren’t true…

 

Matthew 11:28-30, Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

 

• The man offers misconceptions and excuses for why he did not do what he knew he was supposed to do.

 

• The master responded, “did you know I am one to reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed?” If so, you should have put the money in the bank and you would have received interest.

 

• In reality, the man simply did not know the master, and was not interested in doing anything with what he was given.

 

• In contrast to the one who buried his talent, we see those who gained more, and joy comes as a result of living faithfully. To both the first and the second he says, “well done good and faithful servant!”

 

• Charles Spurgeon once said so appropriately: He didn’t say well done thou good and brilliant servant…or well down thou good and distinguished servant” …rather well done though good and faithful servant!

 

• What makes them good servants is that they were faithful.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 Let a man regarding us in this manner, as ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found faithful.

• When we pursue His calling, follow His direction, surrender our plans into His hands, we can always know that He will bring us to the right destination. What is that destination? Being given charge over more and entering into the joy of their the Lord.

 

• One of the greatest rewards we could ever receive would be to simply hear those words found in verse 21, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master.”

In the book “Mere Christianity” C.S. Lewis wrote, “Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given to you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service, you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already.”

 

Illus. T.E.A.M. ing up!

 

Matthew 25:14-30