1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:11,360 I'll remind you that there will be a special offering that will be taken up at the end of the program for the Adobe School, and our deacons will have offerings. 2 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:16,240 buckets at the doors when we exit. 3 00:00:16,240 --> 00:00:21,279 Thank you very much for your scriptures and thank you for your song. 4 00:00:21,279 --> 00:00:22,720 I love that island 5 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:24,160 will follow the leader. 6 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,240 Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. 7 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:28,320 Thank you. 8 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:30,560 Wanted to start off with a story today. 9 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:32,320 Um I remember 10 00:00:33,460 --> 00:00:44,820 Uh this week I had some car problems and uh Dave Ellis uh took out his car keys and kinda tossed them to me. 11 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:49,800 And um I like it when people do that. 12 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:54,360 It brought back a special memory to me of when I was 13 00:00:54,660 --> 00:01:03,140 In ninth grade, uh lived in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the central church there in Knoxville is up on a hillside. 14 00:01:03,140 --> 00:01:06,820 And uh then there are two floors to the church and the 15 00:01:07,340 --> 00:01:17,820 second floors the basement uh comes out on the first parking level and there's about fifteen spots there on that first parking level 16 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:25,800 And if you got one of those fifteen spots, then you only had to climb the stairs to get up to the sanctuary. 17 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:29,480 But should you not get one of those fifteen spots, you had to go 18 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:38,440 down and go down the hill and park in a lot that was much lower that had about a hundred parking spaces. 19 00:01:39,780 --> 00:01:43,380 When I was in the ninth grade, the pastor there had a wonderful idea. 20 00:01:43,460 --> 00:01:46,340 I thought it was a wonderful idea. 21 00:01:46,340 --> 00:01:49,700 Some of us had just got our driving permit. 22 00:01:51,660 --> 00:02:01,900 And he had the idea of us standing outside there where people would drive in the parking lot and even up above so they didn't have 23 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:06,120 to climb even up the stairs from the regular parking area. 24 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:14,040 He had us young people standing there so that we could try some valet parking. 25 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:17,640 And I thought it was great. 26 00:02:17,640 --> 00:02:23,000 I loved it when somebody got out of the car and tossed me their keys. 27 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,160 I would catch the keys, and oh, this was great. 28 00:02:27,500 --> 00:02:39,660 Now sometimes they just left the car running, put it in the park, and left the car running, and and sometimes they would even ask us, they would toss us the keys after church, and we got to go down into the lower parking lot. 29 00:02:39,260 --> 00:02:40,940 lot and bring the car. 30 00:02:40,940 --> 00:02:45,100 I loved it when it was a BMW. 31 00:02:45,100 --> 00:02:49,580 There was one gentleman in our church that had a Porsche. 32 00:02:49,580 --> 00:02:50,620 Oh, that was 33 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,240 That was sweet. 34 00:02:53,240 --> 00:03:01,000 Uh one a friend I had there, he and I would always argue about who's going to get to drive the Porsche that day. 35 00:03:00,940 --> 00:03:03,099 It was it was fun. 36 00:03:03,099 --> 00:03:09,099 But twenty years later, somebody tosses me the keys to their car. 37 00:03:09,099 --> 00:03:11,500 I'm like, what do you want me to do with this? 38 00:03:12,099 --> 00:03:15,780 Uh are you asking me to to park it? 39 00:03:15,780 --> 00:03:17,700 Are you giving me your car 40 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,120 Uh, do you want me to run to the store and get something for you? 41 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,280 Why are you giving this to me? 42 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,680 What am I supposed to do with it? 43 00:03:30,300 --> 00:03:40,860 And even now, if someone were to do that and toss their keys to me, it was nice this week when Dave did that, but uh under other circumstances, uh 44 00:03:42,380 --> 00:03:45,020 Why would a person do such? 45 00:03:48,540 --> 00:03:51,900 Open your Bible to Matthew chapter 25. 46 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:59,360 Matthew chapter 25. 47 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,520 So where our Bible story comes from today that we are going to focus on is Matthew 48 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:05,879 Matthew chapter 25. 49 00:04:05,879 --> 00:04:09,720 But remind you, the context here is Matthew chapter 24. 50 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,280 You remember what happened in Matthew chapter 24? 51 00:04:14,140 --> 00:04:16,300 Yeah, signs of the end. 52 00:04:16,300 --> 00:04:18,140 Jesus talking with the disciples. 53 00:04:18,140 --> 00:04:21,260 The disciples say, When is this going to happen? 54 00:04:21,260 --> 00:04:23,980 When are these the this building going to fall? 55 00:04:23,980 --> 00:04:27,180 When are these stones not going to be stacked on one another? 56 00:04:28,759 --> 00:04:32,360 Is that the the sign of your coming? 57 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,560 And Jesus begins in Matthew chapter 24. 58 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,560 He shares with them what these signs 59 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:46,480 The signs are mixed there, the signs of the destruction of Jerusalem, because in their mind it can only be when Jerusalem is destroyed. 60 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,400 That's the end of the world. 61 00:04:48,060 --> 00:04:55,340 And so he kind of has it mixed up there, the signs of the end of Jerusalem and the signs of the second coming. 62 00:04:55,340 --> 00:04:58,540 But he tells us there in Matthew 24, verse 14. 63 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:07,320 That the this gospel of the kingdom is going to be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come. 64 00:05:07,820 --> 00:05:11,340 That that that's got to happen before the end is going to come. 65 00:05:11,340 --> 00:05:15,820 But then he goes on in 24, the chapter 24, the great tribulation is there. 66 00:05:15,820 --> 00:05:16,460 Signs of the 67 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:18,320 The coming of the Son of Man. 68 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,759 And he gets to what we call Matthew 25. 69 00:05:23,759 --> 00:05:29,520 He continues this sermon that he is sharing with the disciples here, and he tells them. 70 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,560 How to be ready for the coming of Jesus. 71 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:39,640 No one knows the day or hour, but this is what you need to be ready 72 00:05:40,940 --> 00:05:44,780 And then he goes into Matthew chapter 25. 73 00:05:44,780 --> 00:05:48,140 It was discussed a little bit last week in the sermon. 74 00:05:50,260 --> 00:05:59,700 The ten women that had their their their lamps and the bridegroom 75 00:06:01,580 --> 00:06:04,700 Quiz from last week was, how many of them slept? 76 00:06:05,580 --> 00:06:08,860 All of them slept. 77 00:06:08,860 --> 00:06:12,700 But when they awoke, how many were ready 78 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:15,840 Only five. 79 00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:18,800 The others had to go out and they had to get that oil. 80 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:22,080 Now part of last week was, what does the oil represent? 81 00:06:22,260 --> 00:06:32,660 The holy and that's the key to the the the the the story of the the parable of the the the five wise women 82 00:06:35,319 --> 00:06:38,199 They had the Holy Spirit. 83 00:06:38,199 --> 00:06:42,440 They had the relationship with the bridegroom. 84 00:06:43,180 --> 00:06:45,900 They were prepared to enter in. 85 00:06:45,900 --> 00:06:49,259 And when the bridegroom came, they got to enter in. 86 00:06:49,259 --> 00:06:53,099 And the five that were not so wise, they were foolish. 87 00:06:52,760 --> 00:07:00,520 When they went and got their oil, and they came to the wedding party, and they knocked. 88 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,880 Do you remember the words they heard? 89 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:05,160 Chapter 25 90 00:07:07,900 --> 00:07:19,740 Verse 12 eleven it says afterward the virgins came also saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, and he answered and said to them, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. 91 00:07:19,620 --> 00:07:21,300 you. 92 00:07:21,300 --> 00:07:25,300 Oh, you talk about terrible words. 93 00:07:25,300 --> 00:07:29,220 Those are words I don't want to hear. 94 00:07:29,220 --> 00:07:33,220 Those are words I don't want you to hear. 95 00:07:34,259 --> 00:07:39,539 That's why we need to be pleading for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 96 00:07:40,580 --> 00:07:44,099 The Bible tells us God wants to give us the Holy Spirit. 97 00:07:44,099 --> 00:07:44,740 If we would just 98 00:07:44,860 --> 00:07:49,820 But ask and keep asking and keep asking and keep asking. 99 00:07:51,900 --> 00:07:52,940 I share that with you because 100 00:07:53,139 --> 00:07:55,780 That's the context of our our story today. 101 00:07:55,780 --> 00:07:58,660 Matthew chapter twenty-five, beginning with verse fourteen. 102 00:07:58,660 --> 00:08:04,900 It says, For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country who called his own servants 103 00:08:05,220 --> 00:08:13,300 and delivered his goods to them, and to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability. 104 00:08:13,300 --> 00:08:16,500 And immediately he went on a journey. 105 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:26,000 In this parable, Jesus presents a vivid picture of the master who had entrusts his servants with his wealth while he is going out on the journey. 106 00:08:26,740 --> 00:08:33,860 The five, two, and one talents, each given according, the scripture says, to what? 107 00:08:35,460 --> 00:08:37,220 Their ability. 108 00:08:40,140 --> 00:08:45,980 Some people say this parable is about money, and the answer is 109 00:08:47,399 --> 00:08:50,279 Yes, it's about money. 110 00:08:50,279 --> 00:08:55,959 In fact, when Jesus tells many of his parables, when 111 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:57,720 Jesus is talking. 112 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:01,640 He talks a significant amount of time about money. 113 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:06,040 And if you want, I mean I could probably preach a whole year just on 114 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:10,520 stories Jesus talked about money, a different story every time. 115 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:16,920 Because Jesus spends that much time talking about material things, finances. 116 00:09:17,340 --> 00:09:19,100 Handling finances. 117 00:09:19,100 --> 00:09:25,020 But this talon parable is not just about money. 118 00:09:25,020 --> 00:09:28,700 So I'm going to save the money sermon till another time. 119 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,120 Now you can apply this to money, okay? 120 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,720 It's okay for you to apply it to money because it does 121 00:09:38,339 --> 00:09:39,620 Talk about money. 122 00:09:39,620 --> 00:09:52,339 But if you read Christ Object Lessons, that book by Ellen White, talking about the the the lessons that Jesus shares, the the parables that he talks about, if you read what she has to say about this chapter 123 00:09:52,700 --> 00:09:56,300 This chapter is 50 pages long. 124 00:09:56,300 --> 00:10:00,220 And she talks about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 125 00:10:00,820 --> 00:10:02,980 In the parable of the talents. 126 00:10:02,980 --> 00:10:07,540 She talks about your many mental faculties. 127 00:10:07,540 --> 00:10:09,460 You have some of those, right? 128 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:14,400 When she is writing about this parable of the talents. 129 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:17,920 Thank you. 130 00:10:18,780 --> 00:10:25,020 She talks about your speech when she is writing about the talent. 131 00:10:25,020 --> 00:10:26,700 She talks about your influence when 132 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:28,240 When she's writing about the talents. 133 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:29,839 She talks about your use of time. 134 00:10:29,839 --> 00:10:31,279 She talks about your health. 135 00:10:31,279 --> 00:10:32,800 She talks about your strength. 136 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:34,080 She talks about money. 137 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:38,640 And she talks about kindly impulses and affection. 138 00:10:40,660 --> 00:10:43,940 Well, it sounds like she talks about everything, doesn't she? 139 00:10:44,260 --> 00:10:49,780 This kind of applies to all those things that God gives to us. 140 00:10:50,700 --> 00:10:55,180 If God has given it to us, what was it? 141 00:10:55,180 --> 00:11:01,820 Mental faculties, time, health, strength, money, kindly impulses and affections, speech 142 00:11:03,820 --> 00:11:07,100 Gifts of the Holy Spirit. 143 00:11:07,100 --> 00:11:11,580 This parable applies. 144 00:11:11,580 --> 00:11:15,100 Now, based on what we've talked about the last six weeks. 145 00:11:16,020 --> 00:11:20,580 You can guess how I'm going to apply it. 146 00:11:20,580 --> 00:11:21,540 Right? 147 00:11:21,860 --> 00:11:24,500 What have we been talking about the last six weeks, Pastor? 148 00:11:24,500 --> 00:11:25,620 I don't recall 149 00:11:26,740 --> 00:11:31,300 The gifts of the Holy Spirit. 150 00:11:31,300 --> 00:11:34,500 God has given us. 151 00:11:34,500 --> 00:11:37,380 God has given each one of us 152 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:44,480 Gifts that we are to use for his honor and glory. 153 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,040 How do we use them 154 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:58,360 I mean if somebody came and said, I'm going to put $1,440 in your bank account every day, what would you do? 155 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:02,280 Every day. 156 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:04,120 Boy, the math figures are going there. 157 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:05,160 How much is that a month? 158 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,800 Boy, that's depends on how many days I 159 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:09,080 I understand this. 160 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:11,160 But are you doing the calculation? 161 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:15,080 I mean, I would get excited if somebody told me that. 162 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:21,640 And then if they told you at the same time, but at the end of the day, that $1,440 is going to be gone. 163 00:12:22,540 --> 00:12:24,220 But it's yours to use. 164 00:12:24,220 --> 00:12:28,220 You can use it any way you want during that time. 165 00:12:28,220 --> 00:12:33,100 Now some of you know the bank account that you get 1,440 in is what? 166 00:12:35,500 --> 00:12:38,540 You don't get that? 167 00:12:38,540 --> 00:12:41,500 You get that many minutes every day. 168 00:12:43,700 --> 00:12:46,100 How do you use it? 169 00:12:46,100 --> 00:12:50,180 God gives you 1440 minutes every day. 170 00:12:50,180 --> 00:12:52,260 How do you use it? 171 00:12:52,260 --> 00:12:55,700 Now some of us, some of you, you have 172 00:12:55,940 --> 00:12:59,140 Have quite a schedule. 173 00:12:59,140 --> 00:13:01,620 And you use it very detailed. 174 00:13:01,620 --> 00:13:05,380 You know what you're going to be doing every moment of every day. 175 00:13:05,380 --> 00:13:08,340 Some of us, what are you doing today 176 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:10,440 Well, I don't know. 177 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:11,880 What do you mean you don't know? 178 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:17,560 Well, I have an idea of what I would like to get done, but what I would like to get done is not always what happens. 179 00:13:18,780 --> 00:13:20,940 Are you like that sometimes? 180 00:13:20,940 --> 00:13:28,700 I mean, I have a plan usually every day of what I want to do, but sometimes people interrupt my plans. 181 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:33,000 Not yesterday, but a week ago Friday. 182 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,040 Cheryl Friday's usually a busy day. 183 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:38,760 I usually come here to the church, try and finish up my 184 00:13:38,740 --> 00:13:44,340 my sermon then I I'm on Sabbath preparation duties. 185 00:13:44,340 --> 00:13:46,420 You know what that entails? 186 00:13:47,700 --> 00:13:49,780 Yeah, going here, going there, going 187 00:13:50,180 --> 00:13:57,700 Places and Cheryl and I were in the process of doing those things and trying to get home, and I got a phone call. 188 00:13:57,700 --> 00:14:01,380 And Dave Ellis told me, Hey, have you been to the market over here? 189 00:14:02,740 --> 00:14:04,180 Have you ever found that place? 190 00:14:04,180 --> 00:14:06,100 I said, yeah, I found it. 191 00:14:06,100 --> 00:14:08,259 I know where it is. 192 00:14:08,259 --> 00:14:09,699 He says, good. 193 00:14:09,699 --> 00:14:12,339 He says, they got strawberries on sale. 194 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:19,680 You buy a a flat of them and you can get them for 50 cents a pound. 195 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:21,600 I don't have time to go 196 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:25,600 And Cheryl and I can't look at it. 197 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:29,279 We don't have time not to go. 198 00:14:29,279 --> 00:14:35,040 And suddenly your your the things that you have to get done get rearranged, right? 199 00:14:36,860 --> 00:14:40,540 Things get a higher priority. 200 00:14:40,540 --> 00:14:46,860 I'm often told: if you want to get something done, ask a busy person. 201 00:14:46,860 --> 00:14:48,460 Because a busy person 202 00:14:49,860 --> 00:14:53,460 Knows how to schedule their lives so they get things done. 203 00:14:53,460 --> 00:14:56,500 If you ask somebody that has nothing to do, guess what? 204 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,560 They're going to get nothing done. 205 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:07,800 And if you ask them to do something, the chances are they'll get nothing done. 206 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,880 What would you do if you knew all that time belonged to God? 207 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:20,840 Matthew 25, I want to come back here. 208 00:15:23,460 --> 00:15:33,620 It says he gave five talents to one, two talents, and to another one, and to each according to his own ability, and immediately he went. 209 00:15:33,460 --> 00:15:35,220 Into a far country. 210 00:15:35,220 --> 00:15:40,340 The master gave each servant exactly what they could manage. 211 00:15:40,340 --> 00:15:42,900 God does not burden us with more than we 212 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:51,400 Can bear, nor does he overlook the smallest gift. 213 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:53,800 In the chapter in Christ Object Lessons, Eleanor 214 00:15:53,860 --> 00:15:54,820 White writing about this. 215 00:15:54,820 --> 00:15:57,860 He says, God has given to every man his work. 216 00:15:57,860 --> 00:16:02,500 He has not left the work to be done by only a few individuals. 217 00:16:02,620 --> 00:16:09,260 but has committed to all apart to act in his great plan. 218 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:14,720 Your assignment is unique. 219 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,519 Your gift is unique. 220 00:16:17,519 --> 00:16:20,560 The church family needs what you need 221 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:28,279 have to offer and should it not be included in the things that the church body is doing, we are 222 00:16:30,759 --> 00:16:37,800 Inept, we come short of God's ideal 223 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:42,560 verse sixteen. 224 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:54,080 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents, and likewise he who had received two gained two more also 225 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:03,760 What did those individuals that received the five talents and the two talents do? 226 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,439 It requires action. 227 00:17:10,439 --> 00:17:14,120 Something that we are to do. 228 00:17:14,120 --> 00:17:16,199 Something that we are to to to 229 00:17:17,140 --> 00:17:18,660 Act on. 230 00:17:18,660 --> 00:17:21,459 We cannot just let it lie dormant. 231 00:17:21,459 --> 00:17:22,819 Excuse me. 232 00:17:28,020 --> 00:17:38,900 God has a plan for us, and He gives us these things to be utilized for His church, for the ministry of the church. 233 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,520 Good intentions are not enough. 234 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:46,200 God calls us to act. 235 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:52,600 Charles Spurgeon wrote, Faithfulness in little things is a great thing 236 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:56,880 Faithfulness in little things is a great thing. 237 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:02,240 In this this chapter in Christ's object lessons on the the this these talents. 238 00:18:02,019 --> 00:18:03,700 Ellen White makes this comment. 239 00:18:03,700 --> 00:18:05,539 I I loved it when I wrote wrote it. 240 00:18:05,539 --> 00:18:06,659 I mean when I read it. 241 00:18:06,659 --> 00:18:10,419 If you are a mother, train your children for Christ. 242 00:18:10,419 --> 00:18:15,460 This is as verily a work for God as is that of the minister 243 00:18:15,660 --> 00:18:18,780 in the pulpit. 244 00:18:18,780 --> 00:18:22,300 Come on, you can do better than that. 245 00:18:22,300 --> 00:18:25,660 I expected a louder amens than that. 246 00:18:26,580 --> 00:18:28,100 Listen to this next section. 247 00:18:28,100 --> 00:18:35,940 If your next sentence, if your duty is in the kitchen, seek to be a perfect cook. 248 00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:42,520 Prepare food that will be healthful, nourishing, and appetizing. 249 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:49,000 As you employ the best ingredients in preparing food, remember that you are to give your mind 250 00:18:49,340 --> 00:18:58,380 And best thoughts, if it is your work to till the soil or to engage in any other trade or occupation, make a success of the present duty 251 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:00,120 I thought about that. 252 00:19:00,120 --> 00:19:01,960 What does it mean to be the perfect cook? 253 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:06,039 I mean, if you think of the perfect cook, do they receive a Michelin star? 254 00:19:07,740 --> 00:19:12,140 Do they just get one star or the perfect cook gets five stars? 255 00:19:12,140 --> 00:19:14,140 Oh, Michelin only gets three. 256 00:19:14,140 --> 00:19:15,100 Sorry. 257 00:19:15,780 --> 00:19:18,340 I mean, you think about this. 258 00:19:18,340 --> 00:19:25,460 When when you think of the perfect cook, you think about the the the shifts and those those fine dining establishments. 259 00:19:27,100 --> 00:19:30,539 What does it mean to be the best cook? 260 00:19:30,539 --> 00:19:32,620 I mean a perfect cook. 261 00:19:35,020 --> 00:19:38,940 It means utilizing the gift that God has given you 262 00:19:40,620 --> 00:19:46,380 To the best of your ability for his honor and glory. 263 00:19:46,380 --> 00:19:50,299 Understand why you're doing what you're doing 264 00:19:52,740 --> 00:19:59,299 For the honor and glory of God. 265 00:19:59,299 --> 00:20:01,620 Success is not the result of change 266 00:20:01,919 --> 00:20:13,120 Chance or of destiny, it is the outworking of God's own providence, the reward of faith and discretion of virtue and perseverance. 267 00:20:12,660 --> 00:20:15,700 It's Christ's object lessons, page three hundred and fifty three. 268 00:20:15,700 --> 00:20:20,420 Faithfulness is not measured by the size of what what the the 269 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:22,880 income that happens because of it. 270 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,280 Faithfulness is measured by what you do. 271 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:30,560 I mean the man that was given two talents, he only shows up with 272 00:20:31,940 --> 00:20:36,340 Four talents, the two that he was given and two extra. 273 00:20:36,340 --> 00:20:40,740 The man with five talents, he shows up with ten. 274 00:20:41,679 --> 00:20:46,960 The man with two talents, was he a perfect man or an imperfect man? 275 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:50,720 I mean your your gift it looks like it's a little bit inadequate here. 276 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:54,960 He should have been able to turn those two into five, and then he would have been able to accomplish 277 00:20:55,140 --> 00:20:57,940 What the first man did. 278 00:20:57,940 --> 00:20:59,860 God doesn't think that way. 279 00:20:59,860 --> 00:21:02,580 Only you and I think that way. 280 00:21:02,820 --> 00:21:05,380 Well, if I can't do that, then. 281 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,320 I'm not doing anything. 282 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:15,320 That's what man number three did. 283 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:17,000 Verse 24 and 25 284 00:21:17,140 --> 00:21:17,700 five. 285 00:21:17,860 --> 00:21:29,940 Says then he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed 286 00:21:30,940 --> 00:21:37,180 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. 287 00:21:37,180 --> 00:21:41,180 Look, there you have what is yours. 288 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:49,520 What did he believe about God? 289 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:51,840 That's a whole 290 00:21:52,060 --> 00:21:52,860 Another sermon here. 291 00:21:52,860 --> 00:22:00,300 I'm not gonna get I mean his belief about God, he he had something just a little bit askew. 292 00:22:00,300 --> 00:22:04,300 He had been focusing on the wrong thing about God. 293 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:13,800 He had believed some of the lies that had been said about God. 294 00:22:14,260 --> 00:22:16,500 said he was afraid. 295 00:22:16,500 --> 00:22:20,740 Do you realize what fear does to us? 296 00:22:20,740 --> 00:22:25,059 Fear calls us to to to bury our talent. 297 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:36,840 To bury the calling that God has given to us, to bury the gift that God has given to us, to accomplish 298 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:40,400 What God wants to accomplish. 299 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:46,560 The servant with the one talent confessed, I was afraid. 300 00:22:49,019 --> 00:22:56,620 Commenting about this, Martin Luther put it this way: faith is a living, daring confidence in God. 301 00:22:56,340 --> 00:23:04,900 God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times 302 00:23:05,860 --> 00:23:08,580 Do we believe these stories in the Bible? 303 00:23:09,700 --> 00:23:14,020 Do we believe that God can do what he says he can do? 304 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:21,920 Faith pushes us. 305 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,920 God asked me to step out of the boat 306 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,440 I'm not gonna pray that prayer. 307 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:33,680 I mean, yeah, this may be filling with water. 308 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:37,680 The storms may be everywhere, and but I'm going down with the ship. 309 00:23:38,540 --> 00:23:45,100 Why would you ask God to give you faith enough to step out of the boat? 310 00:23:45,100 --> 00:23:46,940 That's a foolish prayer to begin with. 311 00:23:46,940 --> 00:23:48,860 Who's going to pray that prayer? 312 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:54,640 The man with faith. 313 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:58,240 The man that has a relationship with Jesus. 314 00:23:59,140 --> 00:24:05,540 The man though that that wants to go up to the the the next level in his relationship with Jesus. 315 00:24:08,159 --> 00:24:14,399 Faith pushes us to to ask to step out of the boat. 316 00:24:14,399 --> 00:24:21,440 It pushes us to step out when the invitation is there and uncertainty arises in our 317 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:23,720 mind. 318 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:29,400 Fear is what keeps us in the shadows. 319 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:32,360 And never stepping out into the light. 320 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:45,960 I heard a pastor sharing once that he was talking about uh witnessing and how the personal ministries at his church 321 00:24:46,220 --> 00:24:52,220 They they are always asking people, hey, where you're going out knocking on doors this afternoon. 322 00:24:52,220 --> 00:24:54,380 Would you be willing to go and knock on doors? 323 00:24:54,380 --> 00:24:56,620 And he said their their church of about two hundred. 324 00:24:56,620 --> 00:24:58,300 He says, We always have 325 00:24:58,860 --> 00:25:01,419 For uh twelve people. 326 00:25:01,419 --> 00:25:03,260 Out of two hundred they go knock on. 327 00:25:03,260 --> 00:25:06,779 We ask why don't other people want to go knock on doors and do the community 328 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:18,120 survey or or try and encourage people to to get Bible studies and the the reason is is because I'm afraid that people will not 329 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:21,440 like us and slam the door in my face. 330 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,840 Or I'm afraid I'll get a rude response. 331 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:30,320 Or I'm afraid that and he says, Do you want me to tell you what the real reason is they don't go knock on doors? 332 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:37,120 He says they're afraid somebody will say yes to Bible studies. 333 00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:40,640 Do you know what happens if somebody says yes to Bible studies? 334 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:43,720 Oh, here we go. 335 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,840 Do you know how many Bible studies are in a set? 336 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,040 Oh man, I don't know if I can do that. 337 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:52,680 Oh, every week for half a year 338 00:25:53,000 --> 00:26:00,440 that's you know it's easier just don't knock on doors. 339 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:02,520 It's easier just to don't ask my 340 00:26:02,820 --> 00:26:03,780 neighbors. 341 00:26:03,780 --> 00:26:11,380 It's easier to just he said the real fear is they're afraid somebody will say yes. 342 00:26:11,380 --> 00:26:15,060 He says and so there are twelve of us that almost every week we go out 343 00:26:15,060 --> 00:26:16,180 And we knock on doors. 344 00:26:16,180 --> 00:26:21,380 And he says, every week there are people that say yes. 345 00:26:21,380 --> 00:26:28,740 He said, the problem our church has right now is we don't have enough people to get Bible studies. 346 00:26:29,980 --> 00:26:38,300 We don't have enough people going out and knocking on doors to get new recruits. 347 00:26:38,300 --> 00:26:41,660 Because we're all filled up with giving Bible study. 348 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:49,480 Sometimes we let our our our fear bury our calling. 349 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:52,360 We need fear 350 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:56,120 Faith to push us out just a little bit more 351 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:07,880 There in the text, I want you to come down to let's see. 352 00:27:12,919 --> 00:27:15,480 Come to verse 20. 353 00:27:15,559 --> 00:27:21,559 Says so he who had received five talents came and brought five talents, saying, Lord, you deliver to me five talents. 354 00:27:21,559 --> 00:27:23,480 Look, I have gained five more talents. 355 00:27:23,940 --> 00:27:24,580 Sides. 356 00:27:24,580 --> 00:27:28,980 His Lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. 357 00:27:28,980 --> 00:27:31,380 You were faithful over a few things. 358 00:27:31,380 --> 00:27:34,899 I will make you ruler over many things. 359 00:27:34,899 --> 00:27:36,659 Enter into the joy of 360 00:27:37,220 --> 00:27:40,260 Your Lord. 361 00:27:40,260 --> 00:27:42,100 Isn't that beautiful? 362 00:27:42,420 --> 00:27:44,580 I mean, that's what we want to hear. 363 00:27:44,580 --> 00:27:51,060 We want to hear our Lord say, Well done, good and faithful servant. 364 00:27:54,860 --> 00:27:57,179 Does that happen if we bury it? 365 00:27:58,380 --> 00:28:01,740 Does that happen if we we don't use our time wisely? 366 00:28:02,380 --> 00:28:08,380 Does that happen if we we do not seek to use the talent that he has given to us? 367 00:28:09,820 --> 00:28:21,820 If we're not seeking to use it for the edification of the body of Christ, if we're not seeking to use it for the benefit of the kingdom of God, that means we're not using it for God's honor and glory. 368 00:28:26,860 --> 00:28:29,419 Which side do we want to be on? 369 00:28:30,860 --> 00:28:33,820 I mean, which words do we want to hear? 370 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:46,520 The Lord in verse twenty six So the Lord said to him, You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I had not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 371 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:50,360 You ought to have at least deposited my money with I told you. 372 00:28:49,660 --> 00:28:51,260 Was talking about money, didn't I? 373 00:28:51,740 --> 00:28:58,140 You should have at least deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I would have received back my own with interest. 374 00:28:58,140 --> 00:29:03,260 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has ten talents. 375 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:06,880 Well, that doesn't seem right. 376 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:14,159 Verse 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 377 00:29:16,559 --> 00:29:21,520 Which words do you want to hear? 378 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:25,520 I do not know you. 379 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:27,200 Well done. 380 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:33,440 Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord. 381 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,200 I mean, those are the words that I want to hear. 382 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:38,720 Well done. 383 00:29:38,980 --> 00:29:42,100 Those are the words that I want you to hear. 384 00:29:42,100 --> 00:29:43,780 Well done. 385 00:29:43,780 --> 00:29:47,620 If we want to hear those words. 386 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:56,480 We should be encouraging one another to use their spiritual gifts. 387 00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:00,240 Encouraging one another to edify the body of Christ. 388 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:02,000 Encouraging one another. 389 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:06,760 To grow in the relationship with Jesus. 390 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:08,519 Again, Christ object lessons. 391 00:30:08,519 --> 00:30:17,000 This time, page four hundred and two, Ellen White writes this The well done of the Master is not given because of the greatness of the work. 392 00:30:18,139 --> 00:30:20,139 Did you hear that phrase? 393 00:30:21,100 --> 00:30:31,260 The well done of the master is not given because of the greatness of the work, but because of the fidelity in all that has been done. 394 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:38,600 I I want to go to heaven. 395 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:41,080 I want you to go to heaven. 396 00:30:40,940 --> 00:30:48,139 But let me tell you something, the greatest reward in heaven is not going to be the crown that is put upon our heads. 397 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:54,880 The greatest part about heaven is not going to be the robe that I get to wear. 398 00:30:54,880 --> 00:31:01,520 The greatest part of heaven is not when I am escorted to the mansion that Jesus has prepared for me. 399 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:09,480 But it is hearing those words: Well done, good and faithful servant. 400 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:13,800 Enter into the joy of your Lord 401 00:31:16,060 --> 00:31:22,620 Oh, the greatest thing about heaven is entering in to be with Jesus. 402 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:31,120 to be able to experience his joy, to be in the place of pure joy and contentment. 403 00:31:36,799 --> 00:31:41,520 The parable of the talents is a call for us to to have courage. 404 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:46,640 The parable of the talents is a call for us to be diligent. 405 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:52,880 The parable of the talent is a call for us to to have trust. 406 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:55,760 Yeah, the praise team can come up at the 407 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:56,240 this time. 408 00:31:56,240 --> 00:32:03,200 The parable of the talent is is what has God placed in our hands? 409 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:04,400 What has he put in in 410 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:06,200 Into your hands. 411 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:10,120 What is it that he wants for us to accomplish? 412 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:15,080 How does he want us to invest it for the kingdom of God? 413 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:17,559 Jesus is coming again. 414 00:32:20,039 --> 00:32:21,639 Yeah, we did okay there. 415 00:32:21,639 --> 00:32:23,720 Jesus is coming again. 416 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:30,840 May we live so that when he returns, we will hear those words. 417 00:32:31,060 --> 00:32:39,700 Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord. 418 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:48,320 Let's stand together and we'll sing with the praise team. 419 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:51,280 Lord, I want to be a Christian.