Title Matthew 25:14-30 Challenge the ministry
Contents
Challenge the ministry (Matthew 25:14-30)
a challenge not afraid of failure
The king entrusted his servants with talents only when he worked tirelessly toward the dream of blessing God gave him (verses 14-15)
When a master went abroad, he called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions.
In this parable, the master refers to God, and the servant refers to all those who mistreat the saints. And the possessions entrusted by the master mean the gospel and broadly refer to gifts and talents. An important element in this parable is the fact that the master entrusted his possessions to his servants. This is the fact that the Lord is the owner of everything we have.
The master called his servants and entrusted them with talents, each according to their talents. So, the master entrusted his possessions, or talents, to the servants in proportion to their abilities. He gave one talent to the servant who was strong enough to bear one talent, two talents to the one who was able to bear two talents, and five talents to the one who was strong enough to bear five talents. God has given each person a unique gift and ability that only that person can have, according to their talents. Therefore, this is not a sign of superiority or inferiority, but a sign of difference. We can see from this fact that God does not discriminate between people.
The actions taken by the servants and the settlement of the master
The one who received the five talents traded with it, and the one who received the five talents did the same thing and made two talents. But the one who received the one talent dug in the ground and hid the owner's money. But in verse 19, after a long period of time, the owner returns and settles the account. Those who received five talents and those who received two talents receive the same praise from the Lord. But the one who received one talent was called an evil and lazy servant by his master (verse 26). Even what he had was taken away, and he was cast out into the darkness outside, and there he wept bitterly. Here we quickly see what the Lord's interest is. What is the Lord's interest? The Lord is not interested in who has received how many talents. The Lord is not interested in numbers and quantity. The Lord's concern is, "Who made the most of what the Lord has entrusted to you, and did you do your best in the mission and work that the Lord has given you?"
Why did the one who received one talent become an evil and lazy servant?
First, they did not know who the Lord was. He accuses his master of being hard-headed. He is accused of reaping where he did not sow. In a word, the one who received one talent knew the master as an evil and unkind person.
Second, because of inferiority consciousness. Another person received five talents and two talents from the master, but he must have felt inferior because he received only one. When does a feeling of inferiority develop? It happens when you compare. Because they thought that the owner's treatment was unfair, they could no longer have good thoughts about the owner. The problem of this one-talented servant who was rebuked for being an evil and lazy servant is not a matter of little talent. It is a matter of the one-talent ritual. Poverty isn't the problem, it's the mindset of poverty. It's not about being short, it's about being short. Defeat is not the problem, the mindset of defeat is the problem. The ignorance of the master, the wrong sense of inferiority, the sense of comparison, and the sense of inferiority made the one who received one talent into an evil and lazy servant.
Challenge the work God has entrusted to you
The fact that the one who received one talent did not use it and buried it in the ground means that he did not challenge the work God had entrusted to him. The essence of the parable of the talents is a challenge. It is not the difference between those who left and those who did not, but the difference between those who challenged and those who did not. What is the difference between a good and faithful servant and an evil and lazy servant? It's an unchallenged difference. The greatest sin is the sin of not challenging and not doing your best. That is why the Bible calls this man an evil and lazy servant.
A challenge always comes with risks. But the one who received the one talent chose safety. I chose the one that didn't hurt by burying. But the Lord thinks differently. The kingdom of God is not in safety. are on the challenge. He said that the kingdom of God belongs to the violent.
The more homers hitters hit, the more strikeouts. Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times. But he hit 714 home runs. British novelist John Crash has published 564 books and has been rejected 753 times by publishers. Don't be afraid to fail. On the contrary, be afraid of losing an opportunity for not trying.
If we do not settle for today's growth and do not challenge ourselves, our church will rot and become sick. Soon, the church loses its vitality and becomes a fossilized church, a church bustling with only religious people. If we do not dream the dream God has given us today and do not challenge for tomorrow, the Lord will take away even what we have and give it to the church that challenges tomorrow. If you don't try, even what you have will be taken away. Therefore, we must challenge. Don't settle for your life. Challenge the time you think is over. Miracles happen when you challenge yourself. Above all else, challenge the work God has given you. Challenge God's prepared blessings. Challenge God's great purpose through the witness of the gospel. Those who walk in the power of the Holy Spirit constantly challenge themselves.
??Sermon Notes
After the church was built and the entrance service was held, the church is growing explosively. As a result, all members of the church, including myself, can rest. But if we settle here, the church will rot and become sick. The Christian life is a challenging life. Once again, I prepared this message because I wanted to challenge myself with the saints.