What's Your Lane (4)

Chad Wintringham

What’s Your Lane? • Sermon • Submitted 3 months ago • Presented 3 months ago

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11 Feb 24 - “Go”

Turn to Matthew 25:14. Little review from last week. We’re in a series called, “Go,” from the Great Commission. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples in the nations,” meaning, as you go along in life, as you journey in your lane, live in a way that points people toward Jesus. This idea of going is not only for people in vocational ministry – not just for pastors or missionaries. It’s for every follower of Jesus Christ.

John 15:16 NIV

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

There is an expectation from Christ that each of us will produce something of eternal value in the lives of others.

Then we got into Matthew 25 and the parable of the Talents. A parable is a story (fictional or real) used to convey Biblical principles and human nature. We are to listen to the story and find God, His lessons, and ourselves in the stories and then make adjustments accordingly. This parable of the Talents illustrates how we ought to live before we meet Jesus.

A Talent – in Biblical times, a Talent was equivalent to 20 years' worth of wages. However, the talents in this story represent what we bring to the table – what we bring to Kingdom work. The truth is everyone has something to bring and offer that produces fruit (this is an all play). We have a variety of skills, abilities, interests, hobbies, spiritual gifts, a variety of callings (invitations to partner with God), and we’re all wired differently. God expects us to use our skills and wirings for His Kingdom.

The talents in the story represent more than what we have. They also represent what we do. The main lesson from this parable is -

Do what you can with what you’ve been given.

Let’s look again at this story and this morning, I want to play around with it, speculate and see what we come up with. Jesus was talking about the End, and He said this.

Matthew 25:14–19 ESV

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

Last week we talked about no instructions, but are expectations, personal responsibility, and accountability.

Indulge me for a moment as my inner Dr. Suess comes out:

Thing One and Thing Two, what do you do,

With the talents given to you?

Do what you can with what you’ve been given,

For it’s the Master’s Plan before you enter Heaven.

Well done Thing One and Thing Two,

for the Master is proud of you!

But O Thing Three, you were too lazy you see.

You sat on your bum; you got nothing done.

Maybe too busy to do what you could,

Regardless, you did not do what you should.

You hid your gold, and now the story’s all told.

The Master returned, and now you’ll burn.

Poor Thing Three, weeping and gnashing for eternity.

Let’s stop and think about the story, because if we don’t, we can come up with some unhealthy, unbiblical, and unrealistic concepts about God, ourselves, Christian service, etc. For example, in this story it seems like Thing One and Thing Two left at once and doubled their money in a short period of time and then did nothing until the master returned. That’s unrealistic. I would even say poor theology. The point is not how quick they produced something and it’s not even about the amount – the point is that

The servants did not hesitate to do what they could with what they had been given.

Didn’t let fear, or lack of experience or whatever get in the way.

I imagine there was a learning curve for them. Had to learn how to invest, where to invest – they were servants not necessarily investors. I’m sure they failed at times - gained and lost. Got swindled once or twice. Definitely had to take risks. Had to let go, and hope and trust and pray. Made mistakes - some trial and error. Probably criticism from others. How did the Master respond? Let’s find out.

Matthew 25:20–23 NIV

The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. 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 two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; 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!’

We can read this story and impose characteristics upon these two servants that are not realistic. We can think they were perfect. Knew exactly what to do, and when and how. They took the money and easily doubled it. Your life and what you do for the Kingdom of God is not about perfect performance. It never has been, and it never will be. But it is about faithfulness. It’s about doing what you can with what you’ve been given.

Let’s think about how much they produced. We live in a “bigger and better” world. According to the story, Thing One and Thing Two doubled their master’s money. That’s amazing. We would call that success. Pastor comes in – doubles attendance – bigger and better – success. If we’re not careful, we can create unrealistic expectations for ourselves and others.

Let’s say Thing One was 20-years old when he initially received $50,000 from his Master. We know he doubled it, so he eventually presented the Master with $100,000 – that’s awesome. But when did he double it? Was it at the beginning, end …? How? Jesus said the Master was gone a long time. 1 year, 5 years, 20 years? Don’t know, but let’s go with 20 years. So, Thing One 20-years old when the Master left, and 40 when the Master returned. If that’s the case, Thing One earned a measly $2,500 a year. Doesn’t seem like much, but over 20 years, 30 years ….

Let’s think about one more thing before we close. What if Thing One earned $2,500 every year from the beginning? “Well done, good and faithful servant.” What if while he earned $2,500 a year, Thing Two struggled to even make a dime for the first 10 years. He wanted to please his master, wanted to do something significant, but it seemed like nothing was happening.

Which of the two were faithful? Which of the two were doing the Master’s will?

See where I’m going with this?

Listen, if you are doing what you can with what you’ve been given, the amount of return is not the issue.

These servants were congratulated not because they doubled the money, but because they were faithful.

What may seem like no progress, slow progress, insignificant or not good enough or “I’m not like so and so” … none of that matters IF you’re faithful and doing what you can with what you’ve been given.

So we have some questions to ask ourselves.

What has God given me? What do I bring to the table? Am I being faithful and doing what I can with what I’ve been given? If I am not being faithful, then what might I need to change, rearrange …? What stops me from doing what I can …?

And the most important question of all – do I know Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord? If the Master came back today, and settled accounts with me, why should God let me into Heaven? There’s only one answer – Jesus Christ.