Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, “Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.”

But the master replied, “You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.”

Matthew 25:24-27

I knew you were a harsh man. Can you imagine going up to your boss and saying something like that? You boss puts you in charge of a big project, a budget to accomplish it, and leaves town with the expectation you will complete your job. He gets back, sees nothing done. And you respond, “I knew you were a harsh man. So I didn’t want to risk failure. But don’t worry, I haven’t wasted any of the money, it’s all right here.”

We’re not told that he was right or wrong about his opinion of the master. Maybe he had good reason to think the master was hard or had high expectations. From the servant’s vantage, it certainly seemed that the master gained advantage in situations that weren’t of his own making. Maybe he had just heard that the master had high expectations. Perhaps one of the other two servants, knowing the master well, had warned him saying, “Don’t mess this up. This is your chance to shine!” Or maybe it was all just in his head.

We don’t know. But we do know that his response was a mistake.

Stepping back for a moment: This whole thought process is important. Some have read this parable and taken the servant’s statement as definitive. And reasoning that the master stands in for God in the parable, they have reasoned that God is harsh, just like the master. We need to recognize that that is not what this parable teaches. And this kind of attitude towards God is dangerous, as we can see in the response of the servant.

The master points out his servant’s poor reasoning: “You mean to tell me that you had this idea I was harsh, and yet you did nothing? Did you fully think this through? Are you really expecting me to pat you on the back and say well done?” The master doesn’t tell the servant his view of the matter was wrong or right. That’s not the point. The master points back to task at hand: “You were supposed to produce. And you didn’t.”

God does care that we are productive. He has entrusted great riches with us: the message of salvation, his body the Church, our possessions. God has given all these as tools. He wants them used to advance the Kingdom of God. People are right to say that God doesn’t need us to accomplish his purposes. But he has decided to use us. It is his great pleasure and will to involve us in his plan for rescuing the world.

That God would use is is humbling, but encouraging. Each new day is a chance to praise God by our faithfulness and persistence. We don’t have to dread the failure and sin that has haunted us to this moment. Today, step out in faith, letting your choice to follow God transform you into the image of Jesus.

Fear makes us do bad things. Unwise things. Wicked things. Often it just causes us to do less than we could, less than we should. In the case, Jesus describes a man paralyzed by his fear. Though many of us through experience read this man and critically agree that he was lazy and wicked, if we were honest, we sometimes fail in just the same way. We side with fear, saying that we can’t do what we’ve been called to do. We say with our actions that God really isn’t in control of our lives, and we’re not sure we can trust him.

Fear comes in many varieties. There is the fear of not having our needs met. There is the fear of failure, of not measuring up. There is the fear of bad things happening to our family, things we can’t control, or worse, things we maybe should have known but didn’t. There is the fear of the future, that huge expanse that often will not yield to our probing. There is fear of being lonely, ignored, discarded as unnecessary. Fear leads to worry and anxiety, even sin. Taken to the extreme, it is an attitude that says, “I don’t trust you, God.”

God has offered us his love and his presence. His son was sent to become like us, so that we could see in him someone who walked the talk. And he died and rose again to give us assurance that he would do the same for us. Without doubt, we have reason to expect that life won’t be perfect. That we won’t always be in control of the circumstances. But we have no reason to be paralyzed by fear.

What causes you deep concern? What makes you anxious? What bothers you to distraction? What do you fear? Today, spend some time in prayer offering that thing to  God. Our hope is in him alone.

And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.

1 John 4:13-19

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 25:21 (also 23)

The above Scripture is taken from the parable of the talents as recorded in verses 14-30 of Matthew 25.  If you are familiar with the story, you know it accounts the positive results of faithful service to the Lord, as well as the penalty for a lack of productivity on God’s behalf.  If you have never heard the account, I recommend you read the sixteen verses in their entirety.

I have had the incredible privilege of knowing many faithful servants of the Lord in my life.  When I was a child I met a missionary to Papua New Guinea, whose passion and devotion to reaching that country with the Good News of Jesus Christ was inspiring.  She came and spoke at our church and even invited my family to her home for dinner one evening.  I was probably no more than 10 years old when I met her and heard her stories of serving Jesus on the foreign mission field, but her love for God left a lifelong impression on me.   I still remember her name to this day, Ella May Sliker.

When my father was a pastor in a small community up north when I was 12, I remember a dear servant of God named Alta Hartman.  She was one of the first people I ever identified as a “prayer warrior.”  She lived all alone in a small apartment in this obscure town in the middle of Southeastern Michigan.  Every time I accompanied my dad to her humble abode, she would offer us something to eat or drink, and she would ask about our family and the church so she could pray very specifically for those who were special to her.  She had lived the largest part of her life prior to my meeting her, but even as the winter of her years intersected the spring of mine, I was impressed upon by her faithfulness to God.

Throughout my teenage and college and early adult years, I’ve encountered humble servant after humble servant in the Lord’s Kingdom.  School teachers, church custodians, pastors, missionaries, musicians, single moms,  husbands and wives who’ve been married for more than six decades, professors, personal friends, the list is long and detailed of all the faithful servants of Christ I have been privileged to know.  My life is still replete with relatives and friends who serve God faithfully every day.  Their lives have been and still are very productive for the Lord and my life has been enhanced in knowing them.

These wonderful people have seen the power of God at work in their midst.  Part of their reward for faithful service has been getting to witness lost and wayward souls come to salvation and redemption in Jesus.  They have seen marriages restored, relationships healed, addictions overcome, and a host of other transformations that God has orchestrated through their obedient sacrifices.  They have also produced a legacy of subsequent generations of faithful servants to Christ, who continue to partner with the Holy Spirit to this day to foster more transformation.

If you were to sit down with any of these faithful servants, and ask them why, why they chose to use their lives to serve Jesus with their one and only life, here’s what I think you’d hear.

There is no reward known to man that is more valuable, more worthwhile, more important than finishing one’s work on earth and hearing their Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!  Come and share your Master’s happiness!” WOW!! Who wouldn’t want to hear God, our Master, say those words to them when we breathe our last breath and stand before Him at the crossroads of eternity?  Those words are the prize!  That sentiment from Almighty God to His servant are the goal!! They are the ambition for which we all should be aspiring, to please God with all that we are and all that we have so that He will acknowledge us as His good and faithful servant and share the reward of His happiness with us forever!!! We should do everything solely to please our Master. Period.

When I am done with my work here on earth, when this solitary life is over, I have one thing I want to hear more than anything else, “Well done, my good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master.”  Both Ella May and Alta, as well as many other faithful servants I’ve known, have already heard those words uttered to them and are experiencing the eternal happiness and joy of the Lord in His presence even now as you’re reading this.  They continue to receive the never ending reward for their faithful service to God.

The alternate ending for a life lived without God, is an eternity spent without Him either.  That is the ultimate penalty for the ultimate rejection.  I don’t want anyone to experience that, so I must strive to serve God faithfully all the more with each day He gives me.

I thank the Lord for all the faithful servants He has blessed my life with, and I pray that I will be found faithful to Him and a blessing to others as well.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

Matthew 25:14-15

The master decided to leave his wealth under stewardship, and he divided it in proportion to their abilities. But we need to be careful how we read that. This is a parable, and not necessarily allegory. Certainly the parable tells us that God expects us to profitable, to be fruitful with what he has given us. The comment here certainly makes clear that the master made a choice, not just randomly giving out his wealth to his servants.

But here is where we must be careful in application to our own lives. What if we haven’t been blessed with a wide range of possessions, talents or experiences? Are we to read this parable to say that God expects us to fail, so he hasn’t risked much on us? Short answer: NO. And this is not just an imagined problem. Many Christians have given up serving thinking they have nothing to offer. They begin ministry and service from the standpoint of defeat. We must find in this parable God’s concern for our diligence in the Kingdom, without reading too much into it that wasn’t intended.

And what if we have been given lots of skills, a wealth of possessions, or a bunch of life experience from which to serve him? Should we read this parable to say that this is a sign that God is happy with us? That he expects us to succeed? Once again, no. There are many whom God has blessed, but who have shown themselves to be lazy or even wicked.

So what is the point? We are to be diligent, to make our master a return on his investment. We are to use whatever we have been given. This doesn’t require us to compare ourselves to one another. The first two servants, given 5 and 2 talents respectively, are both given the master’s commendation. The one receiving two talents could have said, “Why wasn’t I given 5 talents?” But the amount wasn’t the issue. Being productive was.

prayer

God, help us to faithfully serve you. We want to please you, to thank you for the opportunity to serve, to thank you for your show of faith in our ability to please you! Root sin out of our lives so that we can be filled with power to accomplish your will. Help us to work together in unity as a body. Live among us, Jesus, so the world sees you when they look at us.

We will love you with our whole being, God – heart, mind and soul. And we will serve you with all the strength you give us. Amen.

As a public school teacher I’m held accountable by federal, state, county and local guidelines. I think ultimately, no matter how difficult or senseless some standards may seem to me, I am a better teacher because of them.

God instituted accountability from the beginning of creation, even in the garden of Eden. We know how that turned out.

Accountability is a very serious issue with God and a most important one too.

In the parable of the loaned money (Matthew 25:14-30), Christ talks of a master who divided his money with three servants. Each was given according to his ability to handle the money. The master only expected them to do what they were capable of doing. No unfair expectations here. The first two doubled their money through wise investing but the third servant buried his in the backyard. He had nothing more than the original amount to offer back to his master. He was punished severely for his laziness while the other two industrious servants were greatly rewarded.

God does the same with us. We are each given gifts of finances, talents, time, intelligence, etc. We are given different gifts depending on the different abilities God has placed within each of us. During our time on earth we are to invest our gifts by using them in God’s service. So many times I’m afraid I make excuses just as the lazy servant did. I’m often self-centered and hide my gifts for my own personal use.

The message of this parable is very sobering. Christ is coming back and whether we live to see that or enter God’s presence through death we will be held accountable. We are responsible to wisely use the gifts He has given us. No matter how limited we may feel, there are things in our possession (mental, physical, financial, and spiritual) that we can use in God’s service. The question is never how much we have, but rather how well we use what we do have. And we would do very well to remember that everything we have is not ours in the first place. We are only the caretaker. God is the owner. Don’t let Him find you lacking.

To end on a high note, always remember when serving Christ that the blessings God has in store for us far outweigh the expense of serving Him. The sweetest sound we hope to ever hear are the words “well done faithful servant”.

We have it on good authority that Christ is coming back, and that there is reward in store for those who patiently endure, remaining alert and faithfully doing the work God has prepared for them. The “wedding feast” at the culmination of history is something worth looking forward to. But that doesn’t mean it is always an easy ride. It can feel like a long hike with no end. Still, what we think about God’s promised rest has an impact on us in the day to day:

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Hebrews 10:23-25

What are the characteristics of those who truly believe in Christ’s return? They express love, encouraging each other in it. They live a life that is characterized by goodness. No, not perfection, but goodness, transformation in their hearts that is visible in their deeds. They meet together, building strong bonds that will weather the storms of life. Waiting for Christ is not an excuse to hide away, and those who truly hope in his return have every reason to encourage each other, to rejoice at meal time, to hug and cry together when things aren’t right.

Life is not easy. In fact, it can be quite difficult. (Duh!) We have loved ones who die. We have loved ones who betray us. We feel guilt for our sin, for our failures. We fight hard to comprehend and follow a God who doesn’t always follow our preconceived notions of fairness, love, mercy. But as we slug it out together, we find joy. Christ is coming back! He will reward those who have faithfully endured, those he unashamedly calls brothers and sisters.

Each day we have the choice to follow Christ, or to give in under the pressure of sin. When the world makes you want to run and hide, remember what drew you to him in the first place. Remember how great God is. Remember how great his love is, how trustworthy his promises are. Though your legs are shaky, stand firm. Though your arms tire, maintain a tight grip:

Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

^“For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

Hebrews 10:32-29

Now, we should definitely strive to be patient. But sometimes it seems like there is an expectation that you can be held indefinitely at the doctor’s office. I’ve even heard some people joke about charging the office for the time they lost at work.

But it is made worse because waiting in the doctor’s office is filled with either dread or boredom. There is either a sense of foreboding: “What will the doctor say?” Or there is a sense of anxiousness and annoyance: “I have to get back to work. What a waste of time. I should have brought a book!”

Compare that to the joy of a child at Christmas. The joyful anticipation. The wonder of falling snow that reminds us of past celebrations. The giddiness of looking for the perfect gift, and imagining the gift’s reception. The hope to be found in the message of the birth. The whole season is pregnant with possibility, and the waiting is an integral part.

We’re already preparing for an awesome Christmas at the Mount, full of opportunities to share Christ with those who don’t have him. Operation Christmas Child is a great way to get involved in missions, providing shoebox gifts to many who have no hope of a gift in life. And we are going to be focusing our attention on 10-14 year old boys. This age group is in special need, as they are often left out; so we are going to put our attention to them. Start praying now, asking God to continue to work!

And our Christmas drama Believe is already in rehearsal. People are memorizing lines, planning songs, beginning work on the set and staging. This is more than just a time to highlight our skills as a body. This is an opportunity to share God’s message to the community in a relevant way. Just talking about it here has excited me about the possibilities! But there is still a lot of work to do.

You also must be ready all the time. For the son of Man will come when least expected (Matthew 24:44). Waiting for God, is it like waiting for the doctor, or is it like waiting for Christmas? Is it good anticipation, the kind that runs parallel to hope and expectation? Or is waiting for God to culminate the events of history, all the injustice and pain that we and this sin-corrupted world inflict on each other, like a bitter pill: an anxiety and stress inducing trip to the doctor’s office when we want to be with our family or could be accomplishing something productive at work?

Even for those who look forward to Christ’s return with anticipation and joy, life is hard. It can be difficult to trust in the face of uncertainty – not knowing when things will come to pass. But God assures us with a promise of rest in him if we will patiently wait, with readiness and faithfulness in our actions and words. He is coming back, and will not be one moment later than he has planned.

Most people like to turn and focus on the beauty of the bride as she enters the scene but I love to turn back toward the front of the church and watch the expression on the groom’s face as he sees his bride begin her walk down the aisle. And I really love it if he starts to tear up at the sight of her.

Then I sometimes think of another marriage that will take place one day. The marriage to end all marriages. The marriage feast of the Lamb when Christ the groom will forever be united with His bride – the Church.

In the parable of the 10 bridesmaids Jesus talks about this day. In the Jewish culture, the groom went to the bride’s house for the ceremony just as Christ will one day return to our earthly home to unite with us for eternity.

In Jewish culture, the bride and groom would return to the groom’s house for a feast which might last the entire week. Christ will return to His home in heaven with His bride (the Church of believers) and a marriage feast will take place that will surpass anything our minds could imagine.

So back to focusing on the Groom. Can’t you see Christ smiling in anticipation as He steps out on the threshold of Heaven’s gate to meet us and bring us home? Now we know why the focus is on the groom in Christ’s parable. Christ is the groom and all glory, honor, and praise belong to Him alone.

We would be nothing were it not for Jesus. We certainly would not be a fit bride worthy of wearing white. But because of the cleansing blood of Jesus and the righteousness we are given through Him, we will be clothed in “fine linen, clean and white”. (Revelation 19:8)

What a wedding! What a Bridegroom!  What a Savior!

The Scout Motto is BE PREPARED. A Scout prepares for whatever comes his way by learning all he can. He keeps himself strong, healthy, and ready to meet the challenges of life.

The Boy Scout Handbook

Be Prepared. It’s either a great lesson, or it can be a discouraging defeat. Life is filled with all kinds of people; some who are hyper-alert to everything around them, some who are lackadaisical, some who wish they were able to be better prepared but seem constantly behind the curve. Some people seem to have their entire future mapped out. Others respond to life as it comes, never knowing what tomorrow holds in store.

You can heave a sigh of relief. Scripture doesn’t side with one personality type or another. We are told to give no thought for what tomorrow may bring (Matthew 6:25-34), and at the same time are advised to “decide beforehand” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Being prepared doesn’t have to hit us as an accusation if we are naturally more inclined towards spontaneous action, nor as validation of the benefit of a natural tendency to be anxious and alert. But there is no excuse for not being prepared, when we have already been told what is coming.

Let’s look at this another way.

Someone who is hyper-attentive or anxious about the future might be inclined to always think that they are not ready for ministry. They don’t have the degree that is needed. They haven’t been in the particular counseling situation, haven’t been taught how to respond to a given question. They haven’t done the research. All of these become barriers to actually responding and serving when the opportunity arises. They may have the perfect background, been adequately educated or trained, or may just be in the right time and place. But they aren’t prepared spiritually or mentally.

On the other hand, someone who is too spontaneous in life, will not realize that there is an opportunity until it is too late to do something about it. They haven’t lived a life of prayer, and so are dull to God’s voice. They haven’t spent time in God’s word, wrestling with justice and mercy, love and authority. They didn’t consider the implications of their choices, so may be able to recount a lot of interesting experiences in their life, but are unable to piece together a coherent whole – to build upon this foundation. When the opportunity to comfort someone arises, it flies past unawares.

Being prepared is important. But it isn’t about having everything planned out on paper. It isn’t about having it all worked out, feeling unable to cope when God hasn’t spelled it out for us in advance. Being prepared is about readiness, to speak up, to trust, to do what is asked of us. Matthew 10:19 makes this abundantly clear: But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Matthew 10:19 NIV)

Notice what isn’t said: Give them a word study from the Greek. Or, Lecture them based on your seminary background. What is said? God will provide you the words. Just show up, ready to speak. Or, do. Whatever God asks of you, be prepared through prayer, study, faithful action in the past, and determined hope in the future. Be prepared.

Full service stations are ancient history.  We now have self-service drink dispensers at restaurants, self-check-out lanes at retail stores, and a myriad of other “conveniences” that expedite the rhythm of our lives.  But, there is still at least one place we can go and still ask for a “fill up” and never leave disappointed.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.  He will not rebuke you for asking.

James 1:5

Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom.

Exodus 28:3

Wisdom is a very important commodity to have.  Wisdom allows us to discern right from wrong, to look at a set of choices and know what to do.  Wisdom enables us to learn, to think ahead, and to be prepared.  Wisdom can also cause us to stand apart!

The Bible tells us in Psalm 111:10 that fearing God is the foundation of true wisdom.  Therefore, we have to conclude that God is the source of wisdom, and if we want to possess it, we must go to Him to receive it.  As the verse in James above reminds us, God does not mind our asking Him for wisdom, in fact, He will grant our request as we humbly seek Him as the source of wisdom.

Except for Jesus, the wisest person to ever walk the face of the earth was Solomon.  He is renown for exercising great wisdom as king of Israel.  You can read all about it in the book of 1 Kings.  In fact, chapter 3 of that book tells the story of how God spoke to Solomon in a dream (vs. 5) and said, “What do you want?  Ask, and I will give it to you!” God told Solomon he could have whatever he wanted, and He would grant it!! What would you have asked for, given the same choice?  Well, in verse 9, Solomon offers his request. He asks for an understanding heart, or wisdom.  This pleased the Lord very much, and in addition to wisdom, God granted Solomon what he did not ask for too, such as wealth, fame, and the promise of a long life, according to Solomon’s obedience to God.

You cannot put a price tag on wisdom.  It has the power to save your life, and the lives of those around you.  Knowing the precise thing to do at the exact right moment can literally mean the difference between life and death. Spiritually speaking, this is true also.  As we heard in the sermon on Sunday morning, there is coming a day when Christ will return and the end of the world as we know it will arrive.  Whether through the grave or through being alive at the Second Coming, we all will face God and be confronted with the reality of an eternity with God or an eternity without God.  We must be ready for that day, and we must exercise the wisdom to prepare for that time NOW! It would be foolish to procrastinate about being prepared for the imminent return of Christ.  It is illogical to take our next breath or tomorrow for granted.  We don’t know when our time is up or when the whole world’s time is up, and we must be wise today so we don’t get caught unprepared.

God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

Revelation 1:3

Give me a discerning, understanding, and wise heart over fame and fortune anyday!! Money and prestige are fleeting and temporal, but our souls are eternal.  Lord, help me to have the wisdom to guard my soul and live for You, so that whenever you return, I am ready!  Thank you for filling me with wisdom as I humbly seek You for it.  Help me to be wise to help those around me know and serve You also.