2000 years ago Jesus said “upon this rock I will build my church” The Church has been on the move ever since. It is never static. It constantly adapts to its environment, culture and society.
What is the church? You and me--followers of Jesus. It is people who come together using their intelligence, abilities, and gifts to worship the Savior and minister to one another and their community.
The key to growing a church is the willingness and commitment by every member to their church. How wonderful it would be if all our members took their Christianity seriously.
Paul said, 1 Thes. 5:24 “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." Jesus is faithfully building His church. Heaven is prepared for us. He gives us His daily presence in our lives.
But there’s something else in this verse: “The one who calls you . . .” You are called by God. A man was telling someone they needed to believe in Jesus. His little daughter asked, “Daddy, does Jesus believe in us?”
Yes He does. He wouldn’t have called you to become a child of His if He didn’t believe in you. He created you. He knows you. He is faithful to you, and He has the ability to make you productive. This message is about the church and faithfulness. Ask yourself, “Am I faithful?”
Are you living up to God’s trust in you? Are you excited about your Christianity? Examine your life in relation to the story Jesus told in Matt. 25:14-30.
Look at v. 14. The man called and entrusted his servants. There is a myth that only pastors and missionaries are called by God. We’ve been sold a bill of goods that only professional clergy do the work of the church. Get that out of your head. Every believer in Jesus Christ is called to His family, His army, and His team.
The property owner was going away for awhile. He called his servants together and entrusted his property to them. Each one was given some of his property. God is the owner, we are the servants.
Jesus is making the point that He believes in you. He trusts that you will use your talents for Him. He believes that you are going to be faithful. He trusts that you are going to work in your church. He is sure that you will love the other members. And that you are going to do whatever it takes to grow His church.
But we don’t always act like God wants us to. Too often we set back. Don’t appear too willing—they’ll put me on some committee or working with the children. So we sit around doing nothing and think this is what church is.
God called you and He trusts you. He gave you your abilities and talents and gifts. But, at some time, we all wish we were more talented and gifted.
The point is not what you wish you had, but what you do with what God gives you. He trusts you. I wish I could tell stories with the eloquence of Chuck Swindoll, and preach with the authority of Charles Stanley.
But God trusts me to be the pastor of Del Norte Baptist Church in Albuquerque. He wants to use my abilities and gifts here. If you worship with this body of believers, He trusts you to serve Him here.
That’s glorious! God trusts you! But living up to His trust is up to you. God gave the same message to each of the three servants, “I trust you. Take care of my property.”
The worst thing you can do is prove His trust wrong. When you are unfaithful; when you refuse to support the pastor; when you do not serve, you are not fulfilling God’s purpose for you.
Listen, God believes in you. Your talents and abilities are from Him. Every day God blesses and sustains you. He trusts you to use your talents to grow His church. I challenge you to prove Him right.
In verse 15 you can see the potential problems developing. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.
The servants were all together when the talents were distributed. Two got busy, one didn’t. Two had positive attitudes, one didn’t. Which one are you? Why did one only receive the one talent?
I think there are two possibilities:
that he had already proven himself untrustworthy, but he is given another chance. Or,
The question for your is, are you involved somehow, someplace in the life and ministry of your church? Or do you have the attitude of, “I can’t do anything.”
Every time you say, “I can’t” you limit God? You’re not supposed to do everything in the church; but every member should be doing something. I wonder if you are really a member if you are only a member in name only?
Some of you are doing too much, because others are not doing enough. A church can never reach its full potential until every member is involved in the ministries of the church.
In 1 Cor. 12:14-27, Paul compares a church to our human body. Some of you are a hand; or you may be an eye, or an ear, a nose, a foot. Or you might be a liver or kidney. All of these organs are necessary to make up a whole body. The point? Each of us, are necessary to a alive church.
Some of you try to be what you are not. When the hand tries to be the foot, things are dropped. When the foot tries to blow its nose, it’s messy. You need to be what God has entrusted to you.
You have a place of ministry. Develop the attitude that you will give your gifts and talents in service to Him. Jesus believes in you.
16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
Both the five and the two talent servants put their talents to work. They lived up to their master’s trust. They had the right attitudes. However, the word “but” in v. 18 speaks volumes about the one-talent person.
He wasn’t even willing to try. This may be the saddest thing one can say about a Christian. Sometimes we are unsure of our parts, tentative in our roles, and reluctant to trumpet forth the music of faith that God desires of us.
Do you know the difference between belief and faith? Belief is inward conviction. Faith is outward action. Belief always comes before faith. Faith is a demonstration of your inward conviction.
Did the other two servants know something he didn’t? No! The one talent servant just wasn’t even willing to try. There are many Christians like this. Their faith isn’t living and vibrant.
A true believer wants to serve. You just can’t help yourself. So you put feet to your belief. Your belief is seen in your outward faith.
Remember, Jesus trusts you. Faithfulness to Jesus is always active, not passive; it’s productive, not dormant. Faithfulness is aggressive. It’s rolling up your sleeves and getting with it. It’s even a willingness to risk failure for the Master’s sake. That’s because…
It’s thankful and eager service. A faithful Christian does their ministry for God, not for the applause of man. A faithful Christian doesn’t need constant attention and cuddling that so many immature Christians desire.
Look at verse 19, 19“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.”
The property owner handed out the talents, and he left. He wasn’t there to give them constant reinforcement. He didn’t keep coming back to pat them on the back. When he gave out the talents in affect he said, “I trust you. I know you’ll use these wisely.”
We all know people who whine and pout, “The pastor hasn’t been to see me. I’m going to stop coming until he does.” “He didn’t shake my hand this morning.” “Nobody ever recognizes the work that I do.”
One of the things I long ago discovered about Del Norte Baptist is that serving here are some of the most committed and faithful willing servants of any church I’ve been privileged to serve.
Yet there are many who don’t do anything. God is looking for people who will get busy for Him. He isn’t interested in coddling, excuse-making Christians.
He has equipped you with His strength and power . . . God is looking for people who want to serve—those who are always in their place of ministry—the teachers, workers and helpers.
And for those who show their concern by a telephone call when someone is absent; provide transportation for those who otherwise couldn’t worship with us; those who visit the shut-ins and send cards to the sick; those who encourage others when they are down and pray for them; for the secret giver who is always willing to dig a little deeper when there is a need; for those who are called in last-minute emergencies and calmly say, “I’ll be there, I’ll do the best I can”; and on and on I could go.
The mission of our church is to worship God, serve one another, and reach the lost and unchurched. We serve joyfully because we understand that we are serving God, not the pastor, not the S.S. teacher, not the music director.
Our primary efforts should be to reach the unchurched in our community—not spend so much time trying to get back those who’ve stopped coming. It takes five times as much effort to try and get a back-sliding church member back into church than it does to reach one person for Jesus Christ.
We don’t have the time or resources for fickle Christians. Some fickle Christians are like kittens, they need to be petted all the time. Some are like: wagons/pulled; wheelbarrow/pushed; kite/up in the air all the time; balloons/ full of hot air always ready to blow up; and a football/ you never know which way they are going to bounce (John Maxwell).
God didn’t give you the gift of salvation to bury it and hide it. God’s gift releases all your potential. Are you using your talents for God? Are you serving somewhere somehow through your church? Do you have an attitude of caring? Do you have a spirit of willingness? Do you understand that God has a purpose for your life?
The first two servants understood. They worked hard, they invested, they tried. But one didn’t. Look at his excuses: “I knew you were a hard man” (v. 24), “. . . I was afraid and went out and hid your talent” (v. 25).
Folks, when you have a wrong picture of God you will respond just like the third servant, “See, here is what belongs to you.”
The property owner said to the first two servants, “Well done good and faithful servant” (vv. 21, 23). But he called the other servant, “wicked” and “lazy.” I’m sure that not a one of us want to be called wicked and lazy.
God trusts you. Don’t let Him down. Give yourself in service today.