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Parable of the Talents: One Life to Live; One Life to Give!

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. MATTHEW 25:14-15 NIV

GOD GIVEN APPROVAL

14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. MATTHEW 25:14-15 NIV

GOD GIVEN AMOUNT

14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. MATTHEW 25:14-15 NIV

GOD GIVEN ABILITY

14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. MATTHEW 25:14-15 NIV

16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. MATTHEW 25:16-17 NIV

GOD GIVEN ACCOUNTABILITY

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. MATTHEW 25:19 NIV

THE REWARD FOR INVESTING WISELY IS NOT RETIREMENT BUT MORE RESPONSIBILITY

20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. 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!’ 22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; 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!’ MATTHEW 25:20-23 NIV

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold 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 gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26 “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. MATTHEW 25:24-27 NIV

“There can be no doubt that originally in this parable the whole attention is riveted on the useless servant. There can be little doubt that he stands for the Scribes and the Pharisees, and for their attitude to the Law and the truth of God. The useless servant buried his talent in the ground, in order that he might hand it back to his master exactly as it was. The whole aim of the Scribes and Pharisees was to keep the Law exactly as it was. In their own phrase, they sought “to build a fence around the Law.” Any change, any development, any alteration, anything new was to them anathema. Their method involved the paralysis of religious truth.” William Barclay

DECISIONS? 70 per day, 25,550 per year, 1,788,500 per lifetime

“Life is a sum of all your choices.” Albert Camus

“What comes into your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you.” A.W. Tozer

My Notes

Discussion Questions

Use the following questions to reflect on the sermon. Choose a couple from each section to discuss as a group:

  1. START HERE: Think about a time you were trusted with something important and felt the pressure not to mess it up. What was the outcome and what did you learn about yourself from that experience?
  2. START HERE: What comes to mind when you think about God?
  3. KEEP GOING: Read Matthew 25:14-27 NIV. The master entrusted his wealth to his servants. What stands out to you about the word “entrusted?” What does that assume about how God sees what He’s given you?
  4. KEEP GOING: The master gives each servant an amount “according to his ability.” Why can it be difficult not to compare what we’ve been given with what someone else has?
  5. KEEP GOING: The first two servants “went at once” (v. 16–17). What tends to hold you back from stepping out in faith with what God has given you?
  6. KEEP GOING: The third servant’s explanation is rooted in fear. Where is fear quietly shaping your decisions or keeping you from walking in faith?
  7. KEEP GOING: Why would God see doing nothing as a larger issue than doing something imperfectly?
  8. KEEP GOING: The master says, “Well done, good and faithful servant… you have been faithful with a few things” (v. 21–23). If God’s definition of a win is faithfulness, not hype or visibility, how does that challenge the way you measure success in your own life?
  9. LIVE IT OUT: If you believed everything you have is entrusted to you by God, what would change about the way you handle your time, money, or influence this week?
  10. LIVE IT OUT: If fear wasn’t in the picture, what’s one faithful step you’d take to make the most of the time, talent and resources you’ve been given?