Matthew 25:14-15
25:14. "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
25:15 "And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
The Lord trusts us, sinful people, with holy heavenly goods. The talents refer to ministries. It is only because of His mercy.
He gives us the ministries according to our own ability so all men can minister Him. It is only because of His justice.
Thus, we were sinful but now we can minister God because of His mercy and justice.
OUR ATTITUDE TO THE TALENTS.
Matthew 25:16-21
25:16 "Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
25:17 "And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
25:18 "But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.
25:19 "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
25:20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'
25:21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
There are two attitudes to the talents, i.e. the positive attitude and the negative one.
All ministries must be accounted for at the time of Jesus' second coming. Be serious!
The positive attitude to the ministry and the gifts of Holy Spirit is faithfulness and goodness.
Both of them cannot be separated. One neither can be faithful without being good nor be good without being faithful.
Being faithful means nothing may hinder us to commit service and ministry seriously.
Being good means as follows:
25:21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.Enter into the joy of your lord.'
The result of ministering with goodness and faithfulness is we are trusted by the Lord to do greater works in the ministry until we enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb.
John 14:12
14:12. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than thesehe will do, because I go to My Father.
There are two kinds of works as follows:
In the Old Testament, the fellowship of the body of Christ is described as Joseph's meeting with his eleven brothers. It was so difficult even it was an impossible matter. God made a way through a famine to unite them. Maybe the world sees it a negative way but it can be positive before God.
John 17:11, 21-23
17:11. "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
17:21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
17:22 "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be onejust as We are one:
17:23 "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
In the New Testament, Jesus must pray four times to unite the body of Christ even it is easier to make the dead arise than to unite the body of Christ.
The things may unite us in the oneness of the body of Christ are below:
8:18. And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.
8:19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."
8:20 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
Jesus' longing and sigh are to make His body ready that He may lay His head upon us.
Not being active in the ministry of building Christ's body means Jesus does not become the head of our lives but the foxes (evil spirits) and birds (unclean spirits).
Revelation 18:2
18:2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
The foxes and the birds will peak on the sins concerning eating-drinking such as smoking, being drunk, gambling, et cetera, and the sins concerning marrying and giving in marriage.
Not entering the building of Christ's body, one will enter the body of Babel which will be perished.
This morning, the question is who becomes the head of our lives, the head of our marriage?
The proofs of Jesus' being our head are below:
Revelation 19:6-7
19:6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
19:7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
Worshiping Jesus as the King means we lift up our hands to Him.
Afterward, He will stretch His merciful and good hands to the faithful and the good.
The result will be real as follows:
25:14. "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
25:15 "And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
The Lord trusts us, sinful people, with holy heavenly goods. The talents refer to ministries. It is only because of His mercy.
He gives us the ministries according to our own ability so all men can minister Him. It is only because of His justice.
Thus, we were sinful but now we can minister God because of His mercy and justice.
OUR ATTITUDE TO THE TALENTS.
Matthew 25:16-21
25:16 "Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
25:17 "And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
25:18 "But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.
25:19 "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
25:20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'
25:21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
There are two attitudes to the talents, i.e. the positive attitude and the negative one.
All ministries must be accounted for at the time of Jesus' second coming. Be serious!
The positive attitude to the ministry and the gifts of Holy Spirit is faithfulness and goodness.
Both of them cannot be separated. One neither can be faithful without being good nor be good without being faithful.
Being faithful means nothing may hinder us to commit service and ministry seriously.
Being good means as follows:
- Ministering with a good conscience.
Hebrews 13:18
13:18. Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably.
The good conscience means as follows:- An ability to discern the right teaching with the false one as well as to discern the good deeds and the wicked ones.
- Obedience.
- Not seeking physical advantage.
The thing discerns the right matter and the false one is not the brain but the heart. - An ability to discern the right teaching with the false one as well as to discern the good deeds and the wicked ones.
- Saying good words.
Ephesians 4:29
4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is goodfor necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Beginning with there is no lie. - Good deeds.
Romans 12:17,21
12:17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good thingsin the sight of all men.
12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Meaning as follows:- Good deeds to help other people, not to give disadvantage.
- Not repaying evil for evil but repaying good for evil.
- Good deeds to help other people, not to give disadvantage.
- Good name.
Proverbs 22:1
22:1. A good nameis to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.
Let us minister with the good name, do not make any gossips.
25:21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.Enter into the joy of your lord.'
The result of ministering with goodness and faithfulness is we are trusted by the Lord to do greater works in the ministry until we enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb.
John 14:12
14:12. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than thesehe will do, because I go to My Father.
There are two kinds of works as follows:
- The work of salvation.
We have to do it one of which is through bearing witness to other people who have not known the Lord. - The work of building Christ's body.
The Lord is going to the place of Father God to prepare a place for us and we have to prepare His body.
In the Old Testament, the fellowship of the body of Christ is described as Joseph's meeting with his eleven brothers. It was so difficult even it was an impossible matter. God made a way through a famine to unite them. Maybe the world sees it a negative way but it can be positive before God.
John 17:11, 21-23
17:11. "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
17:21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
17:22 "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be onejust as We are one:
17:23 "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
In the New Testament, Jesus must pray four times to unite the body of Christ even it is easier to make the dead arise than to unite the body of Christ.
The things may unite us in the oneness of the body of Christ are below:
- Joseph's grain, meaning the revelation of God's Word or the true teaching Word.
What may unite us is the grain not Joseph himself. How great Joseph was but without the grain could not unite anything.
Joseph was the enemy of his brothers physically but there should be no shy to meet. - Perseverance in prayer worship.
Jesus prayed four times and we have to have perseverance in worship prayer. Besides, we should add our prayer with fasting and all night prayer.
8:18. And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.
8:19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."
8:20 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
Jesus' longing and sigh are to make His body ready that He may lay His head upon us.
Not being active in the ministry of building Christ's body means Jesus does not become the head of our lives but the foxes (evil spirits) and birds (unclean spirits).
Revelation 18:2
18:2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
The foxes and the birds will peak on the sins concerning eating-drinking such as smoking, being drunk, gambling, et cetera, and the sins concerning marrying and giving in marriage.
Not entering the building of Christ's body, one will enter the body of Babel which will be perished.
This morning, the question is who becomes the head of our lives, the head of our marriage?
The proofs of Jesus' being our head are below:
- Prioritizing the true teaching Word more than all things and practicing It or being obedient.
- Having perseverance in worshiping God righteously.
Revelation 19:6-7
19:6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
19:7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
Worshiping Jesus as the King means we lift up our hands to Him.
Afterward, He will stretch His merciful and good hands to the faithful and the good.
The result will be real as follows:
- We experience the power of creation, meaning the merciful and good hand of the King creates a way in the midst of sea.
Isaiah 43:15-17
43:15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King."
43:16 Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters,
43:17 Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
The way in the midst of sea refers to these things:- Preservation of our lives in the middle of many impossible things in the world.
- Way out of all problems even of the impossible one.
- Beautiful future life.
- Preservation of our lives in the middle of many impossible things in the world.
- We have the power of sanctification,meaning the hand of Jesus' mercy and goodness as Heavenly Bridegroom will sanctify and cleanse us until we are blameless as Him to become His Bride.
Ephesians 5:25-27
5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 5:27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Being perfect, we may enter into the joy of the marriage supper of the Lamb together with the Lord.