What do you want to hear at the end of your life?
Matthew 25:14 – 25:30
George Bernard Shaw, the 1925 Nobel laureate in literature, shortly before he died was asked by a reporter "Mr. Shaw," "if you could live your life over and be anybody you know, or any person from history, who would you be?" "I would choose," replied Shaw "to be the man George Bernard Shaw could have been, but never was."
I like that response. It was a good response. But as much as I like Bernard Shaw’s response, when I come to the end of my life, I don’t want to say what he said. At the end of my life, I want to be able to say, “By the grace of God, I have fulfilled God’s will for my life, I have become the man God desired me to be.” In essence, I want to be able to say what Jesus said a few days before His death. In John 17:4 Jesus says, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” Is that what you want to say at the end of your life?
And at the end of my life do you know what I want to hear from God? What do you want to hear at the end of your life? I want to hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” How many of you would like to hear those words? Raise your hands. It’s either that or “you wicked and lazy servant.”
At the rate your living, and spending, might I add, if Jesus were to come right now, what do you think you’d hear? This is a very important question. If you were to drive home after church, and get into an accident, probation is over for you. It’s hasta la vista baby, for you! And the next moment for you is going to be the resurrection. Which side will you wake up on? Are you going to wake up next to Hitler and Mussolini, or on the other side with Martin Luther and John Calvin? Oh, I like those names.
I want to journey with you through the parable of the talents this morning. Most of you are probably very familiar with this parable. Before going into the actual passage, let me give you a quick summary of this parable for those who may not be familiar with this parable before we journey through it verse by verse.
Jesus said that a master was getting ready to take a long journey. So he called in his servants and distributed his wealth among them. Then he left. And then he came back. And when he came back he called for an accounting, and those who had invested wisely, he rewarded. And the one who did not invest is condemned. That’s the parable in a nutshell.
Let’s open our Bibles to Matthew 25. Let’s begin in verse 14. (Matthew 25:14-30)
(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.
Who does the man traveling to a far country represent? God. Who do the servants represent? The servants represent you and me.
I like the way the NIV puts it. “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.”
The goods do not belong to the people—they belong to God. They are His goods and they have only been entrusted to His servants.
(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.
The talents in the parable referred originally to money. A talent of silver in Bible times was worth about twenty years’ wages for the common laborer. Today that would equal around a half million dollars. That is not cheap. Understand that God has entrusted us with a lot.
Now while the talents in the parable referred originally to money, they also symbolize something else.
I would submit that everything we have and everything we are comprise the talents entrusted to us by God. Would you agree?
This includes our abilities. This includes our time: each precious moment of every day, every week, every month, and every year given to us. This includes our material and financial resources. And it includes our relationships with loved ones and friends. In short our very lives!!!
Everything we have is entrusted to us by God, and we are called to be good stewards! Do we believe in stewardship? Amen! It is one of the 27 fundamental beliefs of our church.
Friends, stewardship is about the right use of our life. And money is a part of that life. Money is simply a representation of time, talent, and sweat - poured into a piece of paper or a checking account. It ALL belongs to the master. All of it! Amen!
So the next time you are tempted to whip out that card and spend money you don’t have to buy things you don’t need to impress people you don’t like, remember that it all belongs to the Master. Life is a test. Remember this: if you don’t remember anything else in this sermon. Life is a test. Can you say it with me? Life is a test!
(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.
By the way, the talents also symbolize spiritual gifts.
In Christ’s Object Lessons p. 327, on the chapter which focuses on this parable, Ellen White says:
“All men do not receive the same gifts, but to every servant of the Master some gift of the Spirit is promised.”
Who decides who gets what gifts and how many? In the parable the master decides. The master is seen as the dispenser of the gifts.
In His wisdom, God gives us just the right gifts—no more, no less. Never bemoan the size of your gift. If God has not given you first place; then glory in second or third place. We cannot grumble or be resentful or jealous toward people with five or two gifts, if we only have one. God has given us what we can use.
“And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one….”
"Notice that God didn’t make us with a cookie cutter. We are not all the same. Do you always find yourself always comparing yourself with others? It’s our parents who are always doing it, right? Why can’t you play the piano well like so and so? Why can’t you be as smart as so and so? Well mom, it’s because I got your genes. What do you have to say to that, huh? Don’t blame me, it’s not my fault. It’s your fault. Young people, when you grow up and have children, don’t do that to your children. It messes them up. God needs messed up people, right! But God didn’t tell you to mess them up. God told you to love them and show them the love of God.
We have to stop comparing ourselves with others. There will always be someone who is funnier than you, more popular than you, more talented than you, more athletic than you, more intelligent than you, better looking than you, more richer than you, and more successful than you. And for the life of me, what I can’t figure out is how some people have more time than I do. So save yourself some trouble and stop comparing yourself.
Let’s stay on verse 15 a little longer and let it sink in.
(15) And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one….”
The Master, as distributor of the gifts, has given some five, some two, and some one. But each servant received at least one gift. We all have at least one spiritual gift. Have you ever thought, “I don’t have any gift. Everybody else has a gift, but not me.” Are you a Christian? There is no such thing as a Christian who does not have at least one gift to use in the Master’s service. No one can claim that there is nothing for him or her to do. We are all called into ministry and gifted by God to do something. Amen!!!
We want to help you find that gift. That’s why we are studying about spiritual gifts during Sabbath School. Have you been coming to Sabbath School? Please come join us, it’s not too late.
(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.
The master did not give these talents to his servants just to be stored in a place for safekeeping. Had that been his intention, the master could have stored the talents himself.
For the servants to invest the talents that they had been given meant that they had to take a risk. There is an old adage that says "Nothing ventured, nothing gained". There is also another adage that applies, "If you don’t succeed the first time, try, try again".
Success is not always automatic. It takes time and effort for an investment to begin to get profitable.
Are you willing to step out and take a risk for God?
(18) But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
Do you know of people who do this?
Have you heard people excuse themselves from upholding the church by their prayers, their presence, their gifts by appealing to what they do not have. I’m too old. I’m too young. I’m not educated. I’m too busy. I’m not good enough. I could never do that.
When God asked Moses to tell Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go, Moses used a number of phrases to complain about what he did not have:
Who am I that I should go? Suppose they do not believe me? I have never been eloquent.
After listening to Moses’ complaints, God said to him:
What is that in your hand?
In essence, God was saying: Moses, I am not interested in what you do not have; I am only interested in what you do have. Reach out your hand and certainly I will be with you.
Some feel that since they only have one gift, it isn’t much—so they do nothing. That was the problem with the unfaithful servant. What you must realize is that each gift is precious because it is God’s.
(19) After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
Friends, one day we all will stand before God. Each one of us will have to give an account of what we have done with what we have been entrusted with.
During my first quarter up at Andrews, I attended a seminar every Sabbath morning for a month called, “How to be a Contagious Christian.” Maybe we should take you through that seminar.
On one Sabbath morning we learned about how to deal with stubborn people. They are the ones who ask question after question, raise objection after objection and argument after argument, and resist the idea of God and salvation.
What do you do with such people who just keep throwing questions without even trying to consider whether there is a God?
We were taught how to move from the DEFENSE to the OFFENSE!
Moving from the DEFENSE to the OFFENSE.
There are many questions I can’t answer. But from my reading of the Bible I am convinced that one day we are all going to stand before God in a final judgment. At that moment our whole life will pass before us, and we will see then how many times God gave us evidence that He is real and that He loves us. We’ll also see that we had many opportunities to yield our lives to God so that He could change us and prepare us for eternity. And at that moment, when we stand alone before God in the final judgment, the only thing that will matter is what we did with those opportunities God gave us to accept Him and His love for us, what we did with his invitation to turn our lives over to Him.
I like that! Good stuff, huh? Moving from the defense to the offense. This is powerful because everybody has a certain fear about the judgment. We all know it’s coming.
Do you want a copy of this? I’ll give it to you.
Brothers and sisters, one day we will all stand before God. And the question will be asked: what have you done with what you have been given?
What will you say?
I saved it for me! I went on lots of trips and had lots of parties. I bought lots and lots of things to make self look real good. That’s what I did!
(20) 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.”
The reward for the faithful use of one’s gifts is the reception of more gifts and more opportunities for service.
When I was going through a Spiritual Gifts seminar up at Andrews, I heard so many stories about individuals who started out with very little. I remember a story about a couple that went through a spiritual gifts seminar. It seemed like they really had no gift. But this couple wanted to serve, and they were faithful. They started out by doing simple things like helping the pastor with visitations. To make a long story short, God gave them more and more gifts. The husband eventually became an elder of the church and the wife held an important position where they were very involved.
The key is to use what you’ve got. God will bless!
(20) 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.”
(21) 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.”
That is what I am planning on hearing God say to me in the near future! I didn’t say that I was hoping to hear that. I said that I am planning to hear that. There is a difference between hoping and planning. There are people who say I hope to visit Hawaii someday. And they hope all their lives and they never see Hawaii. And then there are people who plan on visiting Hawaii. I plan on hearing Jesus say those words, “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.” How about you? Are you planning to hear those words? Can you have the assurance of salvation? Absolutely!
This life is practice for the next life! Are you preparing for the life to come? Are you planning for the life to come?
Let’s jump down to verse 24.
(24) Then he who had received the one talent came and said, “Lord, I knew you to a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
(25) And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.”
(26) But his lord answered and said to him, “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
(27) “So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
Those who fail to use what is given them lose what they have. The unfaithful servant had the ability to double his one talent. The husbandman expected him to do so. In verse 27 it says, “So you ought…” indicates clearly that the man should have used his talent.
The whole parable seems to focus on the one-talent person. Why? Because it is the person with the one talent who is most apt to do nothing.
The reason the church is not advancing as it should today is not so much because of the multi-gifted people as to the many one-talent people who are doing nothing because they think they have nothing.
Christ wants the people with the smallest gifts to understand that they are very valuable in his sight. Their gifts are needed desperately by the church.
(28) “Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
(29) “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
(30) “And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Utilizing one’s spiritual gifts is part of a Christian’s preparation for eternity. Failure to utilize one’s gifts results in eternal consequences. This is serious business.
In Christ Object Lessons p. 363, Ellen White says:
For all the knowledge and ability we might have gained and did not, there will be an eternal loss.
What are those things that the Owner of all things has entrusted to you?
What is the special thing you can do that nobody else in the world can do in quite the same way?
Is it a laugh? A smile? Is it an ability to encourage? Is it an ability to earnestly pray? Is it a loving tone people hear in your voice? Is it a skill in music or art or teaching or managing?
The possibilities are almost limitless!
There is an Adventist church out in Peoria Illinois. This church was planted a few years ago by a dentist and his wife, Rod and Donna Wiley. They felt impressed by God to plant a new church. Do you have to be a pastor to start a church? Nope! You need Jesus. That’s who you need. The church Rod and Donna had been attending just seemed to be dying with a pastor who wasn’t really interested in trying anything new. They had a vision of having a church where all the members were active. They first began by having a Bible study in their home during the week. Then they invited those people to worship with them on Sabbaths in the lobby of their dental office. Over time, the group grew, and they eventually purchased a building. Now to be a member of their church there are several requirements. One requirement is that everybody has to be involved in a ministry. This church has all kinds of ministries. They have a cooking ministry. They have a radio ministry. They even have a go-cart ministry. Can you do a ministry with go-carts? Absolutely! You can teach young people how to repair engines, how to build go-carts, and then you can invite children in the neighborhood to come ride the go-carts. Of course, this is something you would do on Sunday or on weekdays.
I heard Rod Wiley share a story about an elderly couple that wanted to join this church. This man approached Rod and said, “My wife and I would like to join your church.” Rod said, “You can join our church as long as you can find a ministry to be a part of.” So Rod told them to go home and pray, and ask God what they could do for the church. Well, this man was old, and his wife was confined to a wheelchair. Can God use people who are old and confined to wheel chairs? This couple came back to Rod one day, and said, “We are ready to join your church.” I would like to help the church by vacuuming and cleaning. My wife in her wheel chair can write letters to people who are sick or in need of encouragement, or to people who have not come to church. Have you ever missed church because you were sick or something? How would it feel to get a letter from another member telling you that you were missed, and that church was just not the same without you? Would you be blessed? Do we have people who enjoy writing letters, who also know how to encourage people?
Let’s play that “what if” game again. What if all of our members got involved in the work of the church? What if everybody contributed their gifts?
On the bulletin board at the back of the church you may have noticed the sheet that is posted up. It’s titled “Let’s Pray For Laborers.” It lists different positions and ministries that we need people for. What if we could fill that sheet up with names? By the way, that sheet is just to get us started. We are not limited by the positions listed on that sheet.
Instead of having a nominating committee choose people, and end up having people serve because they feel pressured, what if we all prayed and said, “Lord, where do you want me to serve?”
May I remind you of 1 Cor. 1:7 where Paul says to the Corinthian church, “you come short in no gift eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This church has every gift that is needed in order to function as a biblical community.
What if we prayed? Do you think God would answer us?
Do you really believe that God would answer us? Alright! I’m convinced that you believe. Would it be appropriate if we got on our knees right now, and we all prayed silently? Let’s ask God to show us over the next few weeks, where we could best serve.
Dear Lord, You have said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Hear our prayer, Lord. Bless us! In Jesus name, Amen.
Closing Hymn: Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior, p. 569 Stanzas 1, 2, & 4.
