Investing my Time
Giving • Sermon • Submitted
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· 1,460 viewsIn order to invest our resources, we need to dedicate some time to the process.
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He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’ “After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’ “ ‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’ “The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’ “ ‘Well done!’ the king said. ‘You will be governor over five cities.’ “But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’ “ ‘You wicked servant!’ the king roared. ‘Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ “Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’ “ ‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’ “ ‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’ ”
As we continue this week in the parable, there are more things to glean from it.
So in order to get into the teaching of today’s message, I need you to understand a basic concept that presents itself here:
True investing takes time!
Unlike modern investing, where we place money in the hands of someone else and expect a nominal return on our investment, What was transpiring with these servants was a highly pragmatic investment of their time and skill.
The modern investment is what the third servant who hid the masters money should have done. It is synonomous with putting one’s money in the bank.
But what these honorable servants did was extremely different. And this is what I want to talk about today.
Insert Video of Andrew Carnegie
I. We invest our time wisely.
I. We invest our time wisely.
Have you ever noticed that people in general seem to go about their business like there’s no tomorrow?
Have you ever noticed that people in general seem to exist like there’s no tomorrow?
Because our time is so precious and limited, we need to be sure and not waste it!
And we also can be sure that God takes inventory of how we spend our time.
In the book of Acts we find that the church had great need for someone to secure the daily distribution of food and goods to the thousands that had joined the church. Surely this was well worth spending time on as leaders, but the Apostles came to this conclusion in Chapter 6:4.
but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Being a wise investor of one’s time does not happen by accident, and may be learned through trial and error.
For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
Remove your way far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house,
II. We invest our time enthusiastically.
II. We invest our time enthusiastically.
I think we can minimize the importance of attitude in christian work.
Just as we saw last week that, God loves a cheerful giver, we also should know that enthusiasm for kingdom work must be part of our spiritual attitude.
Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;
This attitude of enthusiasm drives us to our knees that the power of God would be upon us in all our endeavors for the Lord.
And, all our endeavors are for the Lord!
A. We are not on a schedule but on mission.
A. We are not on a schedule but on mission.
Some churches put signs on there exit doors that read, “you are now entering the mission field” .
But, actually we never leave the mission field!
When Jesus told the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, he said that...
The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.
He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.
But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Matthew 13:
Do you know that this room is the field as well?
There are impressionable minds watching you, studying you, while you pray, worship, take notes, serve, etc.
New believers learn much of the ways of faith by what they see in “mature” believers!
Children learn quickly whether the Christian church is full of hypocrites, is a drudgery to attend, or a place that’s fun and hopeful, by what they see in us week after week.
We are on mission 24/7!!!!!
B. We do not serve more than one king.
B. We do not serve more than one king.
Which means that there is no separation between secular and spiritual, it’s just simply all holy!
My job is holy and I work as unto the Lord.
My boss is holy and I serve him or her as unto the Lord.
The idiots, um I mean people, driving through Kelly Square in Worcester in the afternoon are holy prospects unto the Lord!
III. We invest our time obediently.
III. We invest our time obediently.
“I knew that you were a hard man”, the third servant said, as he pulled out the original money and gave it back to the king.
We know that God has expectations of us, but we proceed as though we are clueless!
What is our problem?
You know, people like Andrew Carnegie, live by principles, and those principles drive them to obey that inner voice that propels them to greatness.
God’s children must hear that inner voice of the Master calling them into His field, and obeying Him without reservation.
Why?
Because obedience goes hand in hand with salvation!
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
;8
Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Eoh 2:
Seeing the scripture is clear that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (), why would anyone want to be labeled a wicked servant by the Lord?