Sermon Notes 01-25-09

January 25th 2009 “What Will You Harvest?”
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.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.16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.18 But 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. Matthew 25:14-19

1. How you investing your life?

a. Matthew 25 is saying: “When you get to the end of your life and look back—what will be the reason for you being here?”
“My life was a success—because!”……
“My life counted for……!”
“My life was worthwhile because…….!”
“I went for the gusto!”
“I had wealth and I enjoyed pleasure!”
“I was famous!”
How are you investing your life? WHAT WILL YOU BE KNOWN FOR?

God’s Plan for Your Life:
1st The first principle is Ownership! This is the first principle for investing your life!

A. Psalm 24 “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” HE MADE IT ALL!
It all belongs to Him!

B. Jesus said in: Matthew 25:14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.”Circle—“his property!”
Whose property? His property! The Master’s Property!

God’s Plan for Your Life:
1st The first principle is Ownership!
2nd The second principle is Distribution!

The second principle for realizing God’s plan for your life is how you use God’s Stuff!
God has given each of us talents!
I know some of you say, “I don’t have any talents!” Wrong!
In Matthew 25—the word “TALENT” actually in the original wording means a “measurement of money!” About $1,000 dollars!
Anything that God has ENTRUSTED to you many be declared a talent!
Matthew 25:15 “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.”

Notice:
The amount of “talents” varies!” “To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent.”
Notice—“everyone gets something!” “five” “two” and “one!” Romans 12:16 says: “We each have been given different gifts according to the grace given us.”

Circle—“different gifts!”
You’re unique!

You’re not one in a “million”—you’re one in over six billion!
You’ve been given “One” “Two” or “Five” or more—we’ve all been given something!
Distribution—we’ve all been given something but—“THE GREATER THE PRIVILEGE THE GREATER THE RESPONSIBILITY!” Luke 12:48 “…everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

God’s Plan for Your Life:
1st The first principle is Ownership!
2nd The second principle is Distribution! How you use God’s Stuff!
3rd The third principle is Answerability! Give an Account for!

Matthew 25:16 “The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.”A. God expects you to use the talents He gave to you!
He made an investment in you and He wants a return on His investment!
Answerability—v19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.”
Eventually the owner came back!

Today we life in a time when NO ONE IS HELD ACCUTABLE FOR WHAT THEY SAY OR WHAT THEY PROPHESY, WHAT THEY DO!

The principle of ANSWERABILITY IS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE WITH WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO EACH OF US—MONEY, TALENT OR WISDOM!

God’s Plan for Your Life:
1st The first principle is Ownership!
2nd The second principle is Distribution! How you use God’s Stuff!
3rd The third principle is Answerability! Give an Account for!
4th The fourth principle is Implementation!

Matthew 25:16 “The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.”
Implementation means: application, use, putting into practice, getting with the program!

A. Let’s look at these three men:
First Man: v16“The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.” a. This man “utilized” to the best of his ability and took his talents from “five talents”—to “ten talents!”
100% increase with his investment!
He bought good stocks!
He doubled his money!

Second Man: v17 "So also, the one with the two talents gained two more".
This man double his talents!
100% increase! Two talent to four talents! Terrific!
Even though he had not even half of the amount of what the first man had—he still did SOMETHING with his 2 talents!

Third Man—v18 “But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.”

A. He buried his talent!
He did NOTHING!
He thought he would play it safe!
He thought—“I’ll play it safe!”
“I don’t want to speculate!”
He sat on his talents!
SOUND FAMILIAR? Hummmmmmmmmmm?

B. What was the master’s reaction to the third man with “one talent?”—v19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.” V26 "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? 27 Well 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.”
“At least you could have put it in the bank in a passbook account!”
You BURIED it! You did nothing! The man didn’t even try!
The sin of passivity!
When you bury something—you are trying to get it out of your sight! OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND!

C. Jesus is saying—“If you have been given a talent and you bury it that is wrong!”
God would rather have you try something and blow it than not try something at all and achiever it!

One Talented people compare themselves with others who have the 5 talents and they play it safe and go out and bury their talent!

Matthew 25:25 “So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' Circle—“I was afraid!”
Fear—Fear is the number one tactic that satan uses to defeat Christians!

D. Application—“IF I DON’T USE IT, I LOSE IT!
Matthew 25:28 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.”
God said, Maliciah 3:9-11 “Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.”

WHAT ARE YOU INVESTING YOUR LIFE IN?