10/23/22 - Possess Nothing, Steward Everything - Matthew 25:14-30 - Pastor Jason Fritz

Matthew 25 holds a story about you, me, and our future together. It is a parable told by Jesus about making the most of every spiritual opportunity God has given us. Now, it’s obvious that the master is Jesus. The long journey is his time in heaven where he is now seated at the right hand of the father, but one day he will return. Christians are the servants and we are now in upper management. Each of us has been handed a bag of coins. It was John Calvin who began to popularize the idea that the talent included your skills, gifts, abilities, wealth, all that you are and all that you have.  We are not all the same.  Some have opportunities not available to others. We don’t all have the exact same intelligence and we don’t all have the exact same skills. Some have a very deep understanding of the Bible because of their training. Others have had no formal Biblical training, yet they know the simplicity of the gospel. All of this is by God’s design and control. It is perfectly acceptable to be a one talent servant. It’s ok to be two, it’s ok to be five. God designates it and this is a picture of spiritual capacities and opportunities. So what has God placed in your hands?  Every time you read the Word or sit under solid Biblical preaching, you’ve just received a coin. Many people attending Illuminate can give a Biblical sermon better than many pastors I’ve met. God has given us money, intelligence, skills and experiences. He has given us his Spirit and his Word. We have been given things that most in this world do not have. Why is that? The parable tells us why - so that we can take what we have been given by God, turn it around and give it right back to him. He has entrusted to you what you are capable of managing. God is not giving a one talent person five talents. He is not giving a five person talent one talent. He gives what you are capable of because he knows you.    What does Jesus want us to learn from this story? It’s pretty simple really: with responsibility comes accountability. Each of us will be held accountable for what we have been given. In the end, we want to hear from Jesus, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master!” This Sunday we’ll explore what it means to hear these words from our Savior.