Matthew 25:14-30 Pastor Keone Pang

Matthew 25: "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.

Matthew 25: "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The 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!'

Matthew 25: "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!'

* The master says three things to each servant: 1. Praise 2. Promises greater responsibilities 3. Invitation to share in His happiness * Point of the Parable: Not only is God expecting us to prepare for His coming and complete the duties assigned to us, He also expects us to develop the allotted “talents” will He returns.

Matthew 25: "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. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

Matthew 25: "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. 28 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For 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. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

* The third servant did not understand the master… 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. * Are we like this servant sometimes?

* What kind of God do we serve?

Psalm 139: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Jeremiah 1:4-9 4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." 6 "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." 7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. 9 Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth.

Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Exodus 4: Moses 1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" Vv 2-5: staff becomes a snake, then back again Vv. 6-8: hand becomes leprous, then is healed Vs. 9: water of the Nile will be turned to blood. Vv 10-12: Moses claims not to be eloquent Vs 13-4: Moses asks, “Please send someone else to do it.” Acts 7:22 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

* What kind of God do we serve? God has allotted these “talents” to you because He thinks so highly of you.

* Perfect love casts out fear 1 John 4: In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.

* So what? 1. Decide how you’ll answer the question, what kind of God do I serve? 2. Figure out how God designed and created you. 3. Begin to learn about and develop these “talents” He has allotted to you.