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| 01/21/08 Sundays Message |
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.....AND GOD CAN USE YOU TOO! By: Christopher Flees 01/20/2008 Huntington
Matthew 25:14-30
SO what is a talent worth well in the monetary sense a talent is equivalent to 20 years pay for the average person. By today’s standards one talent would be worth between $500,000 and $750,000 dollars. In simpler terms it would be between $25,000 and $37,500 a year. That is a very significant amount of money. This parable can be interpreted two different ways either in the worldly way as in the case of a salary or in the spiritual sense meaning just as the word implies a talent or something that you are good at. The true meaning of this parable is the latter of the two Jesus used earthly things that all the people of this time understood to explain a heavenly fact.
So then what is the point of this parable? The point of the parable is quite simply this be faithful in the opportunities for service in which the lord has given you and when he has given it to you.
As many of you know I had to travel to Atlanta last week for our annual SAMS meeting. There were several very impressionable things that happened while I was down there it snowed in Atlanta on weds night the first time in 7 years I was told, speakers with a lot good ideas to try, a long forum where the SAMS got to share info and ideas it was a very revitalizing few days, but the most impressionable thing happened on the way home. It was in Dulles airport in DC only now in reflection do I realize the full implications. At any rate I had a 5 hour wait between connections so I got to talk to one lady sitting next to me this lady was in her mid 80’s and was trying to get home to university park Pennsylvania in case you don’t know where that is it is where Penn state is. This lady in our conversation revealed that she had been traveling for a day and ½ and was desperately seeking to get home she was on standby for the next flight home and the ticket agent said that it appears to be a full flight. She in was in about tears when she said to me do you know any good prayers. I hesitated for about a second as I took in what she just asked me and what was going on around me and then I started to pray. When I finished praying I received my sign a man in his 20’s walked past me wearing a shirt that said “procrastinators unite” and below that it said “tomorrow”.
I fear that many of us live our lives as well as do things in our ministries just the same way I will do it tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes, when it does its today. I am just as guilty as the next person I’m not exempt I have done it too. I have put off what I could have and should have done today until tomorrow. What if, just what if the person you were suppose to talk to tonight the person you were suppose to minister to tonight would have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, but you put off meeting with them until the next day and they died in their sleep that night. Tomorrow for that individual is too late, that person died unrepentant and not covered by the blood of Jesus Christ who’s fault would it be his or yours? Pretty tough to think about, isn’t it? How would you answer? How would you rationalize? How would you justify your actions to our Lord and Savior when he asks you why you cared so little about your neighbor? Just thinking about that kind of makes the heart uneasy doesn’t it? By the way a variant definition of rationalize is ”to tell a rational lie”. I love each and every one of you here today you are my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am not trying to stand here and beat up on ya but the fact is and I am not excluded from this either our God Rewards diligence and he punishes negligence.
Brothers and Sisters whatever we have, whether opportunities or abilities they belong to God. You know at this point some churches would go into a 20 minute side sermon on tithing, ok everyone can take a breath I’m not going too at least today but I do need to say this. You know what the bible says about tithing, if you don’t ill give you the scriptures after the service to look up and read for yourself. You do not have to justify to me whether you tithe or don’t tithe or for that fact even Capt. Mullins or anyone else. I do have to say there is one who you will have to answer to for tithing and everything you do or don’t do good or bad and that my friends is to God. See we may possess but God owns, we are no more and no less than Gods stewards while we are here on earth.
The Lord grants us opportunities for service in keeping with our abilities to make use with them. SO exactly what does that mean? God is not going to give you a task, kingdom work of some sort or something to do that you are not capable of doing to advance his kingdom. That is why Paul said in Ephesians 4:10-12 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) (11) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:Let me clarify this point a little further on this scripture vs. 11-12 say He (meaning Jesus) gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for perfecting the saints (saved believers) for the work of service and building up the body of Christ (the Church). In the Day of Judgment the number of talents will not be the question. The question will be “Have you been faithful in your use of your talents?”.
It was Dwight Moody who said, "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And that which I can do, by the grace of God, I will do." With that simple commitment, God used him to bring revival to England and America.
But it is William Booth’s Speech that strikes to the core of who I am and one of the reasons wanted to become and I am a Salvationist today it goes like this:
While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight;
While little children go hungry, as they do now, I'll fight;
While men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now,
I'll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God,
I'll fight-I'll fight to the very end!
This speech is the measure that we should use to see if we are faithfully using our talents.
See Jesus did not state that he would return immediately but after some time had passed. Everything we do should be in the view of the day of reckoning that is coming. Our responsibilities here and now are important but for the faithful servants our responsibilities will be surpassed in the life hereafter. To share in our masters own joy is part of the glory in living the life hereafter. Those who make excuses why they couldn’t do this or why they didn’t do that are the wicked and lazy servants. There is a place of punishment reserved for unprofitable servants.
The sin of omission is just as bad as the sin of commission. Matt 13:41-42 says those who do evil will experience “wailing and the gnashing of teeth” and Matthew 25:30 also show us that those who do nothing will experience the exact same thing.
There are some people who will say but you don’t understand I have blank, blank, blank wrong or I can’t do something and to that I have to say yes, yes I do understand lets look at some people who had some problems that could have stopped them.
Moses Stuttered
John Mark was rejected by Paul
Hosea’s wife was a prostitute
David committed adultery
Solomon was too rich
Abraham was too old
Peter was afraid of death
John was self-righteous
Paul was a murderer so was Moses and David
Miriam was a gossip
Elijah was burned out
Martha was a worry wart
Sampson had long hair
Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse? So did Peter, Paul - well, lots of folks did.
David's armor didn't fit.
Timothy had ulcers.
Jacob was a liar.
Jonah ran from God.
Jesus was too poor.
David was too young.
Lazarus was dead.
Naomi was a widow
Noah got drunk.
Gideon and Thomas both doubted.
John the Baptist was a loudmouth.
Mary may have been lazy.
Amos' only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning.
Jeremiah was a bullfrog (just kidding); he was depressed and suicidal. What we need to do is be productive where the Lord has given you
ability and opportunity because, God can use you too. I can hear it now Chris this is fine and dandy but what are my talents? Let’s start by remembering that not everyone has the same talent or talents.
Some might have one talent others may have five just remember that the
Lord gives each according to his or her own ability. Remember also that
the nature of the talents may be different for example Captain Mullins
( ok I better be specific) Mr. Captain may be a better evangelist than I but
I may be a better teacher than he and Mrs. Captain may be a better preacher
than the both of us, the fact is we have different talents, you see Paul made
this clear in Romans 12:3-8 some teach, others serve, some do more than one,
but everyone has gifts differing according to grace that is given to us. Some talents are easier to see than others. For example someone may
have inherited or gained wealth and because of that have influence in
circles that someone else does not. Some talents might lay hidden. I never
thought I had the ability to teach or preach in view of a childhood reading
challenges, these types of talents lay hidden waiting for someone to awaken
them. So how do you determine your individual talent or talents? One way is through trial and error. Try to see what comes natural to you then
try some several times that didn’t appear to come natural. Trust me public
speaking is something I had to develop; this did not come naturally to me now
I can do it but it truly was a learned talent. Another way is through counsel of others. Other people can often see strengths
and weaknesses in us that we cannot see. Solomon praised seeking counsel
in proverbs 11:14. Through such personal diligence and advice from others one can gain insight
into the abilities and opportunities that the Lord has given him or her. In conclusion If we are in the kingdom, the Lord has given us all some ability in which to serve Him.
One day, He is coming again and there will be a reckoning for what we have or have
not done. If we are going to be "prepared", we need to be "productive". Are you productive?
Or are you like the "wicked and lazy servant"? Will the Lord say to you:
"Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your lord."?
Or will he say: "You wicked and lazy servant", and consign you to the place of torment? What He will say THEN depends upon your service for the kingdom NOW...
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| To add a comment to "01/21/08 Sundays Message" |
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| February 09, 2008 |
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Honey,
that was a very good message I wasn't in there to here the message I was in the nursery but i read it you did a very good job.
GOD BLESS YOU
charlotte |
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