Sermons
Talents, Pt. 1
March 24, 2024
Ministry:
- Sunday Morning
Speaker:
- Jeff Crotts
Text: Matthew 25:14-25:30
Series:
- Matthew
Kingdom Parables, winning the world at its worst: Talents – Matthew 25:14-30
Intro: Heard, expression: “If you’ve got it, you’ve got it.”
- Google search came up empty on origin.
- Probably, “origin unknown.”
- Meaning still familiar.
- Aphorism is self-evidently clear.
- Probably, “origin unknown.”
- You might be aware of having a particular talent, may not.
- Opposite “play on words” expression also:
“If you do not got it, you do not got it.”
- Phrases used cruelly can hurt others by making people feel less for gifts they simply do not have.
- Avoid doing this at all costs.
- Yet this expression taken at face value is a simple statement of fact.
- Certain people have certain gifts, implying certain people do not.
- Hyper-fare & hyper-inclusive culture cast this concept as damaging to egos or self-esteem.
- Nevertheless, this does not jive w/Scripture’s teaching.
- Christ’s teaching in our passage.
- Some have more and less.
- Certain people have certain gifts, implying certain people do not.
- Jesus being the Creator (i.e. Col. 1; Rev. 5) means it is his prerogative to give how much and to whom, whatever talents he so desires.
- This creates for some a complete paradox.
- Instead taking this as unloving.
- All created in the God’s image are accountable to how God made you.
- He gifts you.
- He has not gifted you and then to rest in this reality.
- This creates for some a complete paradox.
- Something more.
- God not only calls people to be content.
- How he made you, gifted you.
- Calls you to use your gifts for His glory.
- God not only calls people to be content.
[KEY] I call this “stewardship.”
- Believer first gifted salvation (cf. Eph. 2:8-9).
- Treasure stored in clay pots (i.e. 2 Cor. 4:7).
- Great deposit; the trust, called to guard (2 Tim. 1:8, 14).
- Chosen to be born again; once dead, now alive (cf. Eph. 2:1).
- Bought out of the slave market of sin, bought at a price you could never have paid (1 Cor. 6:20).
- New and clean status, where all of your sin depth is forever paid (Col. 2:14).
- Covered with Jesus righteous life, as if given the prodigal son’s robe (cf. Is. 61:10; Zech. 3; Luke 15:11-31, prodigal son).
- Adopted into God’s family, made a son (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5), given a promised inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4), which is all the wealth of heaven (Eph. 1:18), and you were granted royal status as a kingdom of priests (1 Pet. 2:9) as a co-equal heir (Rom. 8:17).
[KEY] Believers called a temple of the Holy Spirit.
- God has drawn near to you, entering your life, in a communal relationship (1 Cor. 6:19).
- Jesus protects this communion in his High Priestly work, making intercession for you (Rom. 8:34), building the providential bridge as you pray for his will to be done within your life’s circumstances.
- Jesus has opened your eyes to read his Word and to believe it (Ps. 119:18; Eph. 1:18), giving you all the promises in Christ as “Yes and A’men” in your heart (2 Cor. 1:20).
- Nothing can break apart these realities.
- Not “height nor depth or any other created thing is able to separate you from the love of God” (Rom. 8:39).
- This love is both promised as “no condemnation status” (Rom 8:1) along with being dynamically personal with intimate care.
[KEY] Whatever grace you observe in how Jesus loved his most intimate disciples in the gospels, He loves you this much and more.
- Christians have this unbreakable reality promised to them and as dynamic as this is, it is even more so when believers live in light of these truths.
- What I am calling, stewardship.
- Ephesians 4, 1 Peter 4, Romans 12, and 1 Corinthians 12 all list out ways people have been given gifts of the Holy Spirit.
- You might say, “I am not sure what gift I have or do not have” and I would answer that with 1 Corinthians 12:7 where “to each [believer] God has given a gift of the Spirit.”
ESV 1 Corinthians 12:7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1Co 12:7 ESV)
- This means that as you live amongst the Body of Christ, you are called to as a steward (caretaker) to use you gift within the Body, to build up the Body.
- Some will have demonstrative speaking gifts.
- Some serving gifts.
- Some will manifest giving gifts.
- Some burden bearing gifts.
- All are necessary, all are to act in concert with each other to organically move as if it were a human body, both in spontaneity and unity.
- Ephesians 4:13 is clear to mark the purpose for this display of gifts as that which builds up the Body to a mature man in Christ.
ESV Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (Eph 4:13 ESV)
[TRANS] Final section of X’s Olivet Discourse.
- Exhorting “would be” believers to examine themselves for readiness in view of X’s return.
- Second coming, accompanied w/clear signs of the times.
- Nevertheless, unexpected.
- Question @/parable calls you to consider your life.
- In terms of living faith.
- Or dead religion.
- “How did you steward God’s gracious call on your life?”
- Did you seize or waste your opportunity?
- TO FOLLOW CHRIST!
[Question] “What sort of life will you live in view of Christ’s return?”
- Jesus’ exhortation nothing less than a warning.
- Targeting religious leaders.
- Targeting those trusting in religion of legalism.
[Appl] Those who believe they are just fine, alive and well, in the Lord, who are in fact, blasé about the Lord, relying on self-righteousness instead of Christ’s righteousness.
Self-deception that’s eternally devastating, so X calls his hearers to look see how they measure up in light a story, a parable.
- “Are you a steward of Christ’s greatest gift or living in complete denial?”
- “Are you a steward of salvation or do you still need to receive Christ’s gift of salvation?”
[TRANS] To fully understand this passage in terms of its depth and meaning, you need to see that this parable pivots on a single, practical idea.
- This swings on someone’s “View of God.”
[KEY] AW Tozer’s famed comment is appropriate:
"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." No religion or spiritual experience, no faith or practice can rise above its idea of God. This means it is possible to wade through huge slices of the Christian life almost by rote.
- Determining factor btwn/3 servants in this parable.
Prop: Christ offering his kingdom necessitates making one of two decisions that will determine everything about you.
- Seizing your opportunity to live faithfully to God (vv. 14-23)
- The master regards each servant, giving talent(s) to each (vv. 14-15)
[KEY] Story begins, “a man going on a journey” (v. 14).
- “man” picture of God.
- “servants” bondservants.
- Trusted, indentured servants (winning freedom).
- Master “entrusting” property to them.
- “servants” bondservants.
- “journey” long.
- High investment in each servant.
- Expectation, high for return on investment.
[Illus] Jesus, earlier in the week had taught his parable of wages where he was making the same basic point. Nobleman entrusting wages with the expectation that they would turn a profit in his absence while he was away, “…into a far country” (v. 12).
- All three servants indiscriminately entrusted w/master’s property.
- Each graciously put to same test.
- How each responds benevolent offer?
- Servant one
“To one he gave five talents…” (v. 15).
- Largest sum of the three.
- Talent is a measurement of money.
- Likely constituted a bag of silver.
- One talent represented btwn/1,000 to 30,000 dollars.
- Moderate estimation of five talents’ amount?
- 100,000 dollars?
- A sizable amount of money.
- Investment expected to grow.
- over perhaps a yearlong period.
[KEY] Modern English interprets, “talent” not in first way we read this parable. Only after understanding the clear use of talent (first) as money will you then be able to correctly apply Jesus’ fuller intention.
- Servant two
[KEY] To second servant “…to another two” (v. 15), obviously a lesser sum.
- Lesser amount does not mean the master is any less gracious than with the former.
- The master’s prerogative, to offer a lessor sum.
- Lessor responsibility by amount
- Not lesser by expectation.
- The master’s prerogative, to offer a lessor sum.
[Appl] The Lord gives a single gift to every Christians, not the same number of gifts nor the same kind of gifts to individuals. Amounts and magnitude vary, while expectations for stewardship are the same.
Same Gospel is offered to all, as represented as, “servant one, two, or three” the offer to respond to the gospel is the same.
Offered through general revelation, “leaving all w/o excuse” (Rom. 1:20) and special revelation. Varied magnitudes, same expectation.
- Servant three
[KEY] Leads to the final servant, “…to another one” (v. 15).
- Whether the amount is five bags of silver, two bags, or one, this is nevertheless still a sizable sum.
- Bearing less financial responsibility.
- While maintaining equal personal responsibility.
- In terms of expectations, note Jesus’ final phrase, “…to each according to his ability” (v. 15).
- Master’s motive, is for success for each!
- Not a set up for the servants to fail.
[Appl] God does not set people up with a mission to fail. He gives his gifts with the enabling grace to fulfill what God requires.
This likewise explains the general call for everyone to believe.
Everyone is accountable to believe on the Lord because everyone has a will to choose to believe or reject. We know the Lord likewise allows some to remain in a state of willful unbelief (which is a mystery).
ESV 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2Pe 3:9 ESV)
- The servants respond to the master’s giving of talents accordingly (vv. 16-18)
- Servant one
“He who received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more” (v. 16).
- Picturing active faith.
- Making quick work to double his profits.
- Making master a double fortune.
[Appl] Acting without hesitation provides insight on the nature of true saving faith. Faith is the substance of what we do not see (see Hebrews 11:1).
ESV Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Heb 11:1 ESV)
[App] Faith that is superficial is what everyone has, “Just have faith.”
[Illus] There is a clear difference between someone having faith and someone having saving faith. Faith that your car will stop when you press your brake pedal down is not the same thing as saving faith.
This kind of general faith is based on logic and mathematical probabilities.
Similarly, why people get on an airplane, flying at 30,000 feet in a metal tube at speeds over 500 mph. Where mechanical failure could occur. You have a clear level of faith in the engineering pilot training to believe you’re going to be safe, so you get on the plane.
[KEY] The defining difference in this kind of faith and saving faith is based on the single issue known as convictions. Faith based in conviction is what the author of Hebrews describes where your heart is at rest with clear assurance in a God, a Messiah, a sacrifice, a resurrection, and a heaven that you have never seen but nevertheless would stake your eternity on this all being real and true.
[Question] “Where does that kind of saving faith come from?”
- A gift (Eph. 2:8-9) given to you, where the Holy Spirit enlivens your heart to by conviction see these realities by means of Scripture.
- “Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17).
- Convictional faith in the object of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
- The key to defining the difference between general faith and saving faith comes down to its source.
- Saving faith is sourced in the Holy Spirit.
- Servant two
[TRANS] Response of second servant, “So also he who had the two talents made two talents more” (v. 16).
- Same response as the first.
- Servant’s talents fewer, yet point was faithfulness.
- So turned the same ratio of profit.
- Both pleasing responses.
- Servant’s talents fewer, yet point was faithfulness.
- First and second servants, both willing to put at risk what could have been lost.
- Did the right thing.
- Followed a path called adventuring. [Barclay]
[Appl] Certainly, we are not called to live in whimsical, blind faith, but at the same time, we are called to walk a path based in God’s providence. We are to live like Jesus did (same attititude), submissively serving God, doing his will.
It’s been said that faith is not a leap in the dark, but it is a leap in the light.
Psalm 119:105 says, God’s Word is a lamp our feet and a light to our path.
God’s Word also says, “The unfolding of thy Word gives light” (Ps. 119:130).
Each promise maintain a clear connection with the Word in spiritual mindedness, we will find a clear path that literally unfolds as we round the next corner.
[Illus] Picture of driving at night in snowstorm comes to mind on Seward Hwy. Cannot see beyond the span of our headlights, but with headlights you can see far enough to safely take turns, one after the other.
- Servant three
[KEY] Third servant, “But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money” (v. 19).
- To protect money, you might bury it somewhere near your home, with a way to retrieve it.
- Picturing someone squandering their opportunity to act in faith.
- Opposite of faith is fear.
- Unlike reverential awe.
- Sense of lacking safety.
- Out of context might seem prudent.
- Picturing someone squandering their opportunity to act in faith.
- No matter what, at least not lose what entrusted.
- “Was this sufficient?”
[Appl] Is a religion that controls others as long as you knuckled down and obeyed the Law then your safety promised? Do you think ancient or modern Pharisees will make good on their promise?
The clear answer is no! Law-keeping legalism is a strangle hold on someone’s life and conscience.
Is it any wonder that so many, forced under the weight of legalism, force their way out, rejecting not only the false way but also the truth.
There are many casualties to their disbelief in the truth and in Christ rooted in associating the false religion of legalism with Christ.
[TRANS] Now master arrives to make clear the difference between what pleases him and displeases him.
- The master reconciles the first and second servant’s use and profit of their entrusted talents (vv. 19-23)
- Servant one
[KEY] Master was away for a while.
- “Now after a long time the master of the servants came and settled accounts with them” (v. 19).
- The length of time could be viewed as the grace given to each one to make the choice to either act in faith or not.
- Servant goes to his master to make good on was given.
- To be inspected.
- Considering what he’s done.
- Verse 20 says, “And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents, here I have made five talents more.’
- What he did is exactly what was expected by his master.
- Servant two
[KEY] Second servant did the same.
- Verse 22 says, “And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents, here I have made two talents more.”
- On a lesser scale while maintaining the same ratio of return.
- Everything is measured by their master by faithfulness.
[Responses]
- To the first servant the master says: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (v. 21).
- Likewise, again to the second (see verse 23).
- Same responses!
[KEY] Principle: Being faithful in “little” that the Lord puts in your charge as the proving ground to be entrusted with more. Always God’s plan.
- Taking the posture of humility the faithfulness is the opposite path of worldly advancement.
- Whether you are called to be faithful over five, two, or one talent, the call is acting in faith by being faithful which in the case of this parable was to invest for a return.
- “Faithfulness turns fruitful.”
[KEY] Principle of “use it or lose it” is at play in a spiritual realm.
[Appl] We are called to sow our time, talent, and treasure in faith and leave outcomes to God. This is how God positions his sons and daughters to receive glory from them.
Think of men like Moses, Daniel, Joseph, and David. Think of Saul who through God’s intervention became Paul.
Think of Sarah, Hannah, Ruth and Esther all heroes of the faith starting small, faithful in a little that turns into much.
The point is that those who had a right view of God, acting in faith, receiving the gift of grace, possessing a faith that bore fruit, these are the ones who will be welcomed into heaven when Christ returns.
[TRANS] Now verse 24 is the point where things turn in the story to the sad indictment of the third servant, who does not act in faith.
- Wasting your opportunity to live faithful to God (vv. 24-30)
- The third servant rationalizes his fear-based conduct by miscasting his master (vv. 24-25).
- Servant three, rationale
[KEY] This servant, “…who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed…” (v. 24).
- Rationalizing how someone thinks God is such a common way of resisting his will.
[Appl] People will reshape God into whatever form will please them and their cause.
Like the expression, to shape something like wax noses, people will make God all one thing or another thing:
He is all “love, love, love,” or “grace, grace, grace” or all “judge, judge, judge, or only “sovereign, sovereign, sovereign” or all “intimate, intimate, intimate” when these attributes and so many more are always all at play simultaneously.
One attribute of God never cancels out another one. So here this would be servant goes represents his master (aka God) as “a hard man” (v. 24).
[KEY] Hard σκληρ���ς (Mat 25:24 BGT).
- Someone depicted as hard, harsh, unpleasant, rough, strong, strict, harsh, cruel.
- Someone who would by nature is hard to work for.
- Rationale is a full indictment on his master, saying he’s the reason this servant would “hide” and “bury” his money.
[Illus] He is making this kind of statement: “I do not have a problem with integrity, you do.”
In essence, do not examine my behavior, examine your behavior. The accusation is that his master is a swindler; a strong-arm collector who does not work. In essence he makes his master out to be a mob boss!
- Servant three, indictment
[KEY] The servant goes on with his rationale which becomes his own self-indictment.
“…so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours” (v. 25).
- The servant creates a false caricature of his master (aka God) to justify his pretend façade of being “afraid” and the behavior that followed.
- Like a cowering man he says, “Here you have what is yours” (v. 25).
- This act is to say, “The thought of losing what you gave me to too terrifying, so I did what I could only do which was to hide it, to simply give it back.”
[Illus] What should be terribly convicting about this game, is that that this game is what everyone plays who’s in the game called false religion.
This is always when someone creates a false version of God to rationalize their sin, which in turn is worshipping self.
[TRANS] The master in turn exposes this façade for what it really is and what this servant is truly hiding.
- The master reckons the third servant’s fear-based conduct as worthy of immense loss and punishment (vv. 26-29).
- Servant three, rationale
[KEY] “But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?” (v. 26).
- No admission to the servant’s mischaracterization of the master, but this is instead the master’s way of setting the servant up.
- Master giving servant a taste of his own medicine, saying, “Ok if you want to cast me like this, then let’s take things to another level” (v. 26).
- If you truly believed this kind of malevolent master, then that makes you more “wicked and slothful…!” (v. 26).
- Instead of getting out of your “wicked” and “lazy” actions, you just showed yourself to be far worse.
- Servant three, indictment
[KEY] Instead of using a façade of being “afraid” as cover for being lazy:
- Master brings up the fact that even if this servant was genuinely “afraid” he would have “…invest[ed] money with bankers, and at [master’s] coming…should have received what was [his] own with interest” (v. 27).
- Roman law in that day stated that you could only collect interest at 12% and that bank investments could not pay a lower interest rate than half that, so this man would have at least shown a 6% interest return on his master’s money.
- The proposed solution is less practical for the servant and more revelatory about the master.
- Please do not miss the note of grace in the master’s hypothetical.
- He’s saying that even if the servant would have done the most minimal thing with his money, putting it in the bank, this would have been acceptable.
- You could have worked hard with this as a market investment which would have shown great care, but you didn’t.
- But, even if you had cared a little bit, I would have accepted it.
[TRANS] The outcomes of fear-based conduct?
- Immense loss (v. 29)
Verse 28, “So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.”
- On the surface this might appear unfair but as we noted from the beginning, this is how God works within his kingdom.
- The principle is that when you have eternal life, you also have eternal heaven.
- You have “ten talents” now you have “one more!”
- Active and living faith and faithfulness breeds more and more faithfulness.
[Appl] Christians are never meant to lay back on their proverbial oars. [Barclay]
Verse 29, “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
- If you believe the one talent being taken was unfair, then what about what the master does next?
- Immense punishment (v. 30)
Verse 30, “And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (v. 30).
- This is always the great warning that in the end.
- When you come face to face with Jesus, you will be observed as being in one of two categories:
- Either the category of the faithful or the faithless.
- Question remains, “Which will you be in?”
Conclusion: Writing: George McDonald’s clarifying statement seems apropos.
“You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” – paraphrase of a George McDonald quote in Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood
[Question] “Where will you be for all eternity?”
- Question answered now and today with another question. “Are you faithful today?”