THE TALENTS
Matthew 25:14-30
Introduction
1. If you had $8,000 and wanted some people to work it while you were gone, to whom would you give $5,000, $2,000 and $1,000?
A. What criteria would you use?
B. Who would you trust with these amounts?
2. "Parable" = cast beside in order to compare
A. TV repair = "tear and compare"
B. Use what we understand to illustrate what is not clear.
3. Each parable should be summarized in one sentence. This parable teaches - "ALL WHO DO NOT DO THEIR SHARE OF THE WORK IN THE KINDGOM OF GOD WILL BE CAST INTO OUTER DARKNESS."
4. "Our share" = doing -
WHAT YOU CAN
WITH WHAT YOU HAVE
WHERE YOU ARE
"Bloom where you're planted."
1. What is a "talent"? What is the value of a talent?
A. Two methods of giving coins value today.
[1] Wage comparisons. Day, week, month wages.
[2] Purchasing power. Cost of house.
B. Talent = a highly valuable coin
C. NOT:
[1] Our abilities, (natural or learned)
[2] Our special skill, craft, know-how
2. Compare the three men.
[NOTE: Two standards of measurement. What we are NOW and what we CAN BE.]
[NOTE: Rule of 72. 72 divided by interest rate = years to double your investment.]
[1] @ 6% it would take 12 years to double
[2] @ 7% 10.28
[3] @ 11% 6.54
A. 5 become 10.
[1] Much ability.
[2] Trusted.
[3] Reliable.
B. 2 become 4.
[1] Several abilities.
[2] Trusted (a little less confidence)
[3] Thinks: Double my share. Still not up to A.
C. 1 stays 1.
[1] Some ability.
[2] Some trust and confidence.
[3] What went wrong?
Lazy (slothful, sluggard), "Can't", Wicked
Fearful (Rev. 21:8) = afraid to act
3. Judgment -
A. According to what we have done:
1. Matt. 16:27 Reward according to works
2. 2 Cor. 5:10 Receive acc. to works good or bad
3. Rev. 20:12 Out of things written in the books
4. Rev. 22:12 Reward according to works
B. According to opportunity and ability:
1. Mark 6:11 More tolerable for Sodom
2. John 3:19 Light came; men choose darkness
3. Rom. 1:20 God is seen > without excuse
C. Some have done much good with few opportunities.
D. Some have done little with many chances.
E. God never required us to perform beyond our ability. God DOES demand each of us accomplish what we have the ability to do. He also insists that we grow, improve and hone our skills into greater tools of usefullness in the kingdom.
4. "Outer darkness"
A. Is Hell real?
B. What is hell like?
C. Terms in this text:
[1] Talent removed from him.
[2] Called "unprofitable" servant
[3] Outer darkness
Darkness = absence from God
Jude 6 "darkness"
Jude 13 "blackness of darkness"
[4] Weeping
Over lost opportunities
Memory of wasted life
[5] Gnashing of teeth. (Clinched teeth)
D. Jesus was a "Hell Fire" preacher.
[1] Two words - "Hades" & "gehenna"
[2] "Gehenna" - 12 times in NT
11 by Jesus
10 times in public settings