(adapted from a message by Darrel Land)
SPECIAL DAY: HOMECOMING AT FCC-MARTINSVILLE
TEXT: MATTHEW 25:14-30
TITLE: “FOUND FAITHFUL”
OPEN: A. What is “Homecoming” at a church all about?
1. Traditionally, homecoming celebrations look back at the past
a. They remember great times and great people who did a tremendous work for the Lord
b. Fond memories are important
--they make us who we are
2. Sir Anthony Quayle: “To understand a man, you must know his memories…”
B. However, homecomings are also about the present and the future
1. When the Martinsville school alumni and community gather at football homecoming this next
weekend, they’re not just going to be focused on the past
--They’re going to be watching the current team on the field as well as talking about prospects
for the Martinsville football team’s future
2. Tom Ellsworth: “Most of us like having something that ties us to our past – something that
reminds us who we are. Eighty years ago my grandfather started a dairy in my hometown.
And though he and the dairy have been gone for many years, he would be shocked at what I
have to pay to buy an Ellsworth Dairy milk bottle at an antique store. But the value of that
bottle far exceeds the price on the tag. It is part of my heritage – part of who I am. Those
bottles hold more memories than they ever did milk. Sir Anthony may be right; to understand
a man you must know his memories. I do cherish the past but I don’t want to live there.
Rather, I think to understand a man you must know his dreams. Where we are headed is more
important than where we’ve been. What we are doing and will do, is more valuable than what
we did. God is not just God of the past; he is God of the present and the future. Your
memories are important but not as important as your dreams. So dream on and let others see
who you really are!”
C. What is it that God requires from His people?
--faithfulness in the long haul
1. God is faithful:
--Ps. 33:4 – “For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.”
2. He expects faithfulness in our part
a. 1 Cor. 4:2 – “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
b. One of the fruits of the Spirit is faithfulness
--Gal. 5:22-23a – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
c. Vance Havner: “God is faithful, and He expects His people to be faithful. God’s Word
speaks of faithful servants, faithful in a few things, faithful in the least, faithful in the Lord,
faithfulministers. And all points up that day when He will say, “Well done, thou good and
faithful servant. What terrible times we have in our churches trying to keep people faithful in
attendance andloyalty! How we reward and picnic and coax and tantalize church members
into doing things they don’twant to do but which they would do if they loved God! The only
service that counts is faithful service.”
d. Anonymous: “It is not success that God rewards but faithfulness in doing His will.”
D. Jesus told a parable about faithfulness. Many of you probably know it as The Parable of the
Talents. This parable comes in the section of Matthew’s gospel where Jesus is giving an answer to
the disciples’ question about His Second Coming. He challenges them in Matthew 24:44 to be
ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when He is least expected.
--Mt. 25:14-30 – “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and
entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and
to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who
had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So
also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent
went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of
those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five
talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have
gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been
faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s
happiness!’ The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with
two talents; see, I have gained two more. His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Then the man who had received the one talent came.
‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and
gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in
the ground. See, here is what belongs to you. His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So
you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 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. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the
ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever
does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant
outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
E. According to Jesus as outlined in that parable, what would be the definition of faithfulness?
--Do all you can with what you have where you are until Jesus comes.
I. DO ALL YOU CAN
A. Talent = 6000 denarii
--a denarii was a day’s wage
B. Notice that each servant did not receive the same amounts of money.
--They were given the money “each according to their ability
C. The principle is, “Do all you can….”
--What you can do may be more that what someone else can do or it may be less than someone else can
do
1. God simply expects your best and not someone else’s best.
2. Col. 3:17 – “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
II. WITH WHAT YOU HAVE
A. Again, not everyone was given the same amount
1. God doesn’t expect you to give more than is available
2. He simply expects you to be faithful with what you have
B. The two faithful servants put the money to work
--They both got back double the original amount
C. The unfaithful servant simply buried what he was given and just handed it back the same as he received it
D. 1 Pet. 4:10 – ““Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
III. WHERE YOU ARE
A. What is the prime rule of real estate?
--location, location, location
1. Martinsville, IL is not Louisville, KY.
--He’s not expecting a Southeast Christian Church here in Martinsville
2. But He does expect us to do the best job possible in reaching the lost in our area and in supporting
the work of missions both locally and worldwide
B. Jesus calls us to be salt and light in the community where we live
IV. UNTIL JESUS COMES
A. When does the responsibility of being faithful end?
--It ends at the point of our physical death or until Jesus comes (whichever of those events occurs first).
B. When Jesus gave the Great Commission, He told us that He would be with us to the end of the age
C. Rev. 2:10b – “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
CLOSE: A. In his book, Visioneering Andy Stanley tells about a guy named Chris. He had a vision; he
wanted to share the gospel (the good news about Jesus) with every student at Dunwoody High
School which he attended. The problem was that Chris was not a mainstream, popular kind of
guy. Not the president of anything, not on any teams, not an honor student. He didn’t even dress
like everyone else. Chris was a skater. In some schools that would make you cool, but at his
high school it meant that he got no respect. So Chris wasn’t going to be asked to speak to the
student body anytime soon, but that didn’t discourage him. He felt like God had put it on his
heart to make sure everyone in his school had at least one opportunity to hear the gospel clearly
presented before they graduated. But he couldn’t figure out how to get the chance to talk to
everyone together. So his year came and went without his vision becoming reality.
But … Chris was faithful to do what he could (while trusting God to do what he couldn’t). He
shared with every one he could individually. One of those students was a guy named Mark.
Mark had just moved to the area, new in school, he was angry about his parent’s divorce, he was
on drugs and alcohol – he had a major attitude problem. He was a very intimidating guy. Kids
stayed away from him, except for Chris. Chris introduced himself, showed him around. One day
Mark came over to Chris’ house, they hung out, listened to music. Mark shared his story with
Chris and how angry he was at the world. When he finished, Chris (a seventeen year old high
school student), told Mark that he had a heavenly Father who loved him in spite of all he had
done. He told him that Jesus had died for his sins so he could be forgiven. And that night Mark
put his faith in Jesus. And soon Mark started going to church and to youth group. Chris
graduated and went to college, but Mark wasn’t done at Dunwoody High.
And one day Mark was asked to speak to the entire student body for a school assembly before
Spring Break, designed to warn kids about the dangers of drinking and driving. The principal of
the school knew Mark had been heavily involved in drugs and alcohol, and that he had really
changed. She asked Mark to share his story. That day he went in front of every student and
every faculty member and said, “When I first came to Dunwoody High School, I hated everything
and everybody.” He talked about his life up to that point and his drug and alcohol use. Then
Mark said, “One day a guy named Chris Folley introduced himself to me and invited me to his
house. That night I told him all about my life. I told him how much I hated everybody. He
listened. And then he told me Jesus loved me. He explained how he died on the cross for my
sins. He said I could be forgiven. That night I prayed with Chris and my life changed.
Everything hasn’t been easy since then. I still have my struggles. But now I don’t have to face
them alone. If you have any questions about anything I’ve said, I would be happy to talk with
you afterwards. Thank you.” With that, he placed the microphone back on the stand and walked
off. And the entire student body stood to their feet in applause. They clapped and cheered for
several minutes. Incredible, isn’t it? Why did it happen? Because of Chris. Because God told
Chris that through him he wanted to tell his entire school about Jesus, and Chris was faithful to do
what he could. He didn’t sit on the bench, he got in the game.
