Message Notes
The Kingdom of God
Today: The Kingdom Assignment: Maximizing your life for God
June 20, 2004
The Parable of the Talents
Matthew 25:14-30 "Again, it will be
like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his
property to them. 15To 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. 16The man who had received the
five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So
also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man
who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his
master's money.
19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and
settled accounts with them. 20The 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.'
21"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!'
22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said,
'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23"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!'
24"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. 25So I was afraid
and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to
you.'
26"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? 27Well 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.
28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has
the ten talents. 29For 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. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the
darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
In this story:
God is the master
We are the Servants
The “talents”
represent our lives and everything they consist of…
We have a
responsibility (a “Kingdom Assignment”) to use what He gives us to the fullest,
for His glory.
How to Maximize the
Impact of Your Life for God’s Kingdom
1. You have to get
to a place where you see everything you have (and are) as coming from God and belonging
to Him. There is a LOT riding on how well you do this!
vs. 14 "Again,
it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted
his property to them.
A few diagnostic
questions to ask yourself…
What is your view of
“your” life and your reputation?
What is your view of
“your” money and time?
What is your view of
“your” talents and gifts?
Romans 6:23 For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
John 1:12 Yet to
all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God—
Jesus, I want you to
be in control in every area of my life: my career, my relationships, my time,
my health, and my family. I want to put you first. Today, I humbly ask for your
help. Jesus Christ, I admit to you that I am messed up. I realize today that I
am not living my life for you. I realize my sin has offended you, so I turn
from my sin and ask for the forgiveness that you freely give. I turn to you,
Christ, and ask you to be the leader of my life. I give you everything I am and
everything I will be. Amen.
2. Use whatever He
has given you to glorify Him. Remember,
we are not measured by our level of success by our definitions, but by what we
do with what we are given, according to HIS definition of success.
Vs. 15 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.
I Peter 4:10 Each one should use
whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s
grace in its various forms.
Colossians
3:23-24 Whatever you do, work
at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since
you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is
the Lord Christ you are serving…
The Kingdom
Assignment Project:
1. This is not your
money, but God’s.
2. Using this money, do something outside the walls of the church to further
God’s Kingdom.
3. Return in 2 months (August 15) and tell us what you did with the 100
dollars.