What's Your Lane (5)
What’s Your Lane? • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Handout
18 Feb 24 Lane
Bless our Communities Video –
Turn to Matthew 25:14. You’ll hear more about that later and in the weeks to come.
We’re in a series called, “Go,” from the Great Commission in Matt. 28. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples in the nations,” meaning, as you go along in life, as you journey in your lane (where do you enjoy life and where you BEST connect with others – good indicators of what your lane might be), live in a way that points people toward Jesus. This is for every follower of Jesus Christ.
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 (lasting) value in the lives of others.
In Matthew 25 we find the parable of the Talents. A parable is a story (fictional or real) used to convey Biblical principles and expose human nature. We are to pay attention to the story and find God, ourselves, and discover how we ought to live.
Remember, the parable of the Talents is in the middle of a long narrative about the second coming of Christ. He’s teaching us how we ought to live while we wait. It’s interesting how many Christians are on the End Times bandwagon. “It’s the End …!” Ok, could be, but if it is then what are you doing about it? This parable is primary directed toward Christians. Jesus tells us very plainly – “I’m coming back. You better pay attention to how you live.”
As a reminder, a Talent in Biblical times was a monetary measurement. A Talent was equivalent to 20 years' worth of wages. However, the talents in this story represent not money, but what we bring to the table. The truth is everyone has something to bring and offer that God can use to produce fruit – to produce something of eternal value. Doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, doesn’t matter what you’ve done or what’s been done to you, we all have something of value that God says, “I can use that,” - if we allow Him – even our pain and suffering.
In this parable, a master gave each of his three servants a large sum of money to manage while he went away for a very long time (e.g. 20 years). No instructions, but the expectation that they would do something with what he gave them. To one servant, he gave 5 talents, to another he gave 2 talents, and to the third he gave 1 talent (poor guy – only got one talent. That’s about $32,000). Servants one and two went out and doubled the money. When the master returned, they were excited to show what they had accomplished, and the master was excited and said, “Well done good and faithful servants!”
Let’s look at the 3rd servant. Like last week, I want to play around with it, speculate and see what we come up with.
But the man who had received one bag 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.
Think about this for a moment. When our lives are done and we meet Jesus face to face, the most important question will be do you know Him – personally, as Savior, as Lord. Perhaps the second most important question will be about faithfulness. Were you and I faithful to
Do what you can with what you’ve been given.
Jesus doesn’t hide the fact the He will settle accounts with us. He will ask, “So, what did you do with what I gave you?” What will be your answer? Keep that in mind.
This third servant took the master’s money and buried it. When was the last time you dug a hole? Not easy. It takes time, and effort, drag out the tools, and it’s often slow hard work. Got rocks and roots to deal with. It takes work to dig a hole. So
The 3rd servant ironically put a lot of effort into not doing what he could with what he had been given.
(More effort not to follow God)
What would cause him to do that? Again, we’re only speculating but here’s some ideas. 1) Perhaps he was too busy. Had too many other responsibilities. A lot on his plate. Doing this, and doing that, going here and there …! There’s nothing wrong with being busy as long as it’s busy doing the right things – the God things. If you’re too busy for church, too busy for Kingdom work, too busy to do what you can with what God has given, you’re too busy. 2) Maybe he was afraid to fail. That’s interesting because he accomplished precisely what he was trying to avoid. Ultimately, he failed - failed to be faithful. Let fear dictate …. 3) Maybe he had Eeyore-itus (Winnie the Pooh). “Oh poor me. I can’t do this. I can’t do that. I’m not good enough. I’m not like the others. I don’t have their talents. Life’s not fair.” DUH! 4) Maybe he was lazy. “I’m a servant (i.e. I’m a Christian), and that’s good enough.” 5) Maybe he was the person who says, “When I get my life in order,” or “When I get that job,” or “When things settle down,” or whatever, “then I’ll do what I can with what I’ve been given.” 6) Or maybe this guy was so self-centered that doing the Master’s will was not on his radar. We could go on with the excuses.
Remember,
Context is important.
We do what we can with what we’ve been given within our context. Example - my friends Dwight and Marilyn Johnson have a different context than most people. He’s had Parkinson’s for over 40 years – intense pain and suffering has been his life. Marilyn, his wife has loved and cared for and watched him through it all. That’s their context. Yet, they have faithfully served the Kingdom of God, and have blessed hundreds, if not thousands of people throughout the years. They have not allowed a horrendous disease to stop them from doing what they could with what they have been given. Yes, they were given a raw deal – but they still love God and love others.
Perhaps some here need to ask, “What’s stopping me.”
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold 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 gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
This servant, for whatever reason, had a bad attitude toward his master. I don’t think he really knew his master. He had this false and distorted, even self-centered perception of the master (i.e. Jesus). That warped perception that caused him to say, I’m doing my own thing.
What’s your perception of Jesus? Does it fully align with who Jesus has revealed Himself to be in Scripture? If you’re not sure – that’s why we have Sunday school, Bible studies ….
So how did the Master respond?
“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.
“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.
For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
This is not about earning salvation (having our sins forgiven and having eternal life), but this is about doing what we can with what we’ve been given. It’s about taking your abilities, skills, natural strengths, your joys, spiritual gifts and using them for Kingdom work. And the greatest gift that we have been given is the gift of Christ Himself– the free gift of salvation. Jesus said, “Anyone who believes in me will never perish, but will have everlasting life – new life – that begins now.” So at a minimum, what are we doing with the gift of salvation?
I’m going to take a left turn here. I could beat us up, but I don’t think that’s what the Lord wants. I think you get the picture of what Jesus is telling us. Think about this -
What if the servants in the parable who represent individual believers, also represent individual congregations?
If so, then Jesus is saying to us, Klamath Nazarene – do what you can, corporately with what you’ve been given.
What have we been given? This church has wonderful godly people. We have competent leaders. We have a building that’s paid for. We’ve been given children, teenagers, adults that need loved, discipled, cared for. We’ve been given a community that is extremely broken and needs the light and love of Christ.
Remember that video at the beginning? That is an initiative that was launched last year at this time by the USA/Canada Nazarene Region. We missed it because we were in transition.
Last year was the beginning – it was a season of prayer. Out of that season of prayer came three themes – Blessing our Community, Bringing People to Jesus, Becoming Christlike Disciples. The emphasis this year is to go into the community and bless people where they live and work, where they are lost and hurting. Our task is to be a blessing to the people and build relationships that open doors for spiritual conversations and sharing the Good News of Christ.
You’ll hear more about this in the weeks to come. But let me close with a message from Stan Reeder and then we’ll pray together as a church.
Video
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
Let’s pray – Lord, show us what we can do with what we’ve been given ….
Admit. Believe. Commit. Tell (get a booklet).