WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:05.200 Hi, I'm Pastor Creighton, and thank you for tuning into Newsong Churches Podcast. 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:16.079 We're a biblically faithful, gospel-centered Anglican church in Port Perry, Ontario, proclaiming the true and life-giving word of Jesus as we love and serve our neighbors. 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:20.160 You can learn more about us at newsongportperry.ca. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:24.079 May God bless you today through his life-giving word. 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:29.920 The holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:30.879 Matthew. 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:40.320 For it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:49.359 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, to another one, to each according to his ability. 00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:51.200 Then he went away. 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:57.920 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:02.159 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:09.519 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:15.280 Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:24.719 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, Master, you delivered to me five talents. 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:28.239 Here, I have made five talents more. 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:38.000 His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:41.359 Enter into the joy of your master. 00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:48.159 And he also had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you delivered to me two talents. 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:51.120 Here I have made two talents more. 00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:58.640 His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a little. 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:00.799 I will set you over much. 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:04.319 Enter into the joy of your master. 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:17.680 He also had received the one talent, came forward saying, Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:22.000 So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. 00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:24.560 Here, you have what is yours. 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:35.439 But his master answered him, You wicked and slothful servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed. 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:43.520 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:48.479 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:52.319 For to everyone who is who has will be given more. 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:53.680 Let me say again. 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:58.879 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:04.879 But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:08.479 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:13.120 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:15.039 The gospel of the Lord. 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:21.439 Well, if you have your Bibles, I would encourage you, or just keep the passage in front of you. 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:25.759 We're going to be speaking from Matthew 25, the parable of the talents. 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:34.560 And just and just so you have that passage of scripture in front of you, that'll be very important. 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:36.560 The word of the Lord. 00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:45.840 And as I um as I begin this message, let me let me just let's just pray over this passage, and so that we have an understanding, and that God would give me the ability. 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:46.960 So let's pray. 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:48.879 Father God, we thank you for your word. 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:52.719 We know that it's eternal, we know that it's living, it's active. 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:56.639 Lord, you're you're moving in your word, even among us today, here at New Song. 00:03:56.800 --> 00:03:58.879 And so I just pray your blessing over your word. 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:11.039 Lord, I pray a blessing over every heart that is here, hungry, uh listening, wanting to know more about you and your truth and your plan for each of our lives. 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:22.959 So, Lord, I just pray your blessing over your word, and may the words from my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight because you're the Lord, our rock and our redeemer. 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:24.399 Amen. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:30.879 So as we look at Matthew 25, uh just let me encourage you to have it open to you. 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:33.439 Um I want to begin this way. 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:38.800 I want you to be to begin with to try to understand certain passages of scripture. 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:40.560 Context is everything. 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:46.959 Okay, so understanding the context, why it was said, how it was said, becomes extremely important. 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:50.399 That goes for this passage in Matthew 25. 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:52.000 Context is everything. 00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:54.319 By context, let me explain it this way. 00:04:54.480 --> 00:05:00.240 If I were to give you a map and say to you something like, How far is it to the next town? 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:01.839 How long is it going to take us? 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:06.079 You're going to need to know a few things before you can answer that question, right? 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:10.399 You're going to need to know, okay, uh, Rob, like, where are we on the map? 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:12.240 Okay, first, where are we? 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:13.920 What what direction are we traveling? 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:15.279 How fast are we going? 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:16.240 Are we on a horse? 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:18.240 Are we on a fast car? 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:19.839 Uh is the road curvy? 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:20.800 Is it dry? 00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:22.160 Is it snowy, icy? 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:25.439 You need to know all those things in order to answer the question. 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:27.439 That's that's context. 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:34.079 Context is what you know, you hear about an accident on the 401 and they shut down the highway for hours and hours and hours. 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:35.439 They're looking for context. 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:36.480 How did this happen? 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:37.519 Why, how? 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:40.000 Same with the criminal investigation. 00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:43.439 So, context is really important. 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:48.079 And that goes for this passage, the parable of the talents. 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:49.360 Context is everything. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:55.439 We need to know the basics of who's talking, what are they talking about, and why are they talking about it. 00:05:55.600 --> 00:06:00.399 So let me just break that down a little bit before we get right into the into the text. 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:02.160 It's Jesus talking. 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:05.839 So if you've got a red letter edition like I do, it's it's all red. 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:11.519 Okay, so we're into a Jesus is talking, he's talking to the disciples. 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:16.079 It's the week of his death, and he's saying a lot to them. 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:22.240 He's giving them all kinds of information about what's going to happen to him and what's going to happen after he goes. 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:26.160 And and they've just left the city. 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:30.160 The Mount of Olives is a small little hill on the east side of Jerusalem. 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:31.759 You can overlook it and see the temple. 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:33.759 It's a beautiful little spot. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:36.639 And and and they're asking him questions. 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:39.920 And the questions come out of what Jesus has just said. 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:43.120 So let me read to you from Matthew 24. 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:47.920 And at the beginning of Matthew 24, we read this. 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:56.399 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came up to show him the buildings of the temple. 00:06:56.480 --> 00:06:59.040 So they're looking at this beautiful temple. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:04.319 And Jesus said to them, Do you not see all these things? 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:12.399 Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down. 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:17.600 So you can imagine the disciples, you know, this is our temple. 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:19.040 This is this beautiful temple. 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:20.879 Jesus, how can you say that? 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:31.439 So as they sat down on the Mount of Olives, verse 3, the disciples come to Jesus privately and said, Tell us, when will these things be? 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:37.199 And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:44.079 And so then Jesus begins to answer their questions and says to them, Take heed that no one deceives you. 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:49.040 So the context is the disciples looking at this beautiful temple. 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:53.279 Jesus is saying, it's not going to be so beautiful, you know, in the future. 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:55.040 So this is prophetic. 00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:56.879 And they're saying, What? 00:07:57.040 --> 00:08:00.319 Like, what could happen to our beautiful temple here in Jerusalem? 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:09.519 And so then Jesus goes on for the rest of chapter 24 and all of chapter 25 to explain to them prophecy. 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:11.680 What is going to happen? 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:14.480 So that's important context. 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:16.000 What is going to happen? 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:17.759 He says it this way. 00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:23.040 He says, um He says, tell us when will these things happen. 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:25.759 They they ask, when will these things happen? 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:27.920 What will be the sign of your coming? 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:30.800 What will be the sign of the end of the age? 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:40.159 So those are the questions that the disciples are asking, and then Jesus comes back in the rest of these chapters to explain without specifics. 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:42.080 This is typically Jesus, right? 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:47.919 I'm not going to tell you the date, I'm not going to tell you the time, but it's going to be like this when it happens. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:56.879 So he gives them generality, signs of his coming, signs of the end of the age, sign of his coming to his kingdom, in his kingdom. 00:08:57.120 --> 00:09:05.200 And so then we need to enter into, like, to understand the parable of the ten talents, we need to understand the talents. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:09.440 We need to understand what is this kingdom that they're looking for? 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:11.679 Like, what are they supposed to be getting ready for? 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:13.840 So let me just enter into that for a moment. 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:20.000 I'm just gonna brush over it, but kingdom language is always very interesting. 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:30.080 Uh Creighton and I could have a very long conversation, so Matthew and I, so most of us who are into scripture could have long, long, long conversations about kingdom. 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:32.320 What are you talking about, kingdom? 00:09:32.559 --> 00:09:40.159 And of course, initially, and and and Tim Keller uses the language now and not yet. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:40.639 Right? 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:42.080 There's a kingdom now. 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:44.000 We're in the kingdom now. 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:46.720 If you're a believer in Christ, you're in the kingdom now. 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:54.000 But there's obviously a not yet because Jesus is saying, somewhere off in the future, there's this kingdom. 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:56.799 So then you're gonna go, what's this language about? 00:09:57.039 --> 00:09:59.919 So let me try to explain that down a little bit. 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:06.240 In just a few days, Jesus is gonna be standing in front of Pilate. 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:09.759 And Pilate is saying, They tell me you're a king. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:11.120 Are you a king? 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:15.279 And so in John chapter 18, they go back and forth a little bit. 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:24.000 And in about verse 33, Pilate calls Jesus and says, Are you a king, the king of the Jews? 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:30.799 And Jesus answered, Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning me? 00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:33.679 Then Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:38.320 Your own nation, the chief priests have delivered you to me, what have you done? 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:43.919 Then Jesus said, This, My kingdom is not of this world. 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:59.039 If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now my kingdom, and this is the important language, but now my kingdom is not of this world. 00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:01.039 It's a spiritual kingdom. 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:02.639 Okay, so I think we get that. 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:04.639 It's a spiritual kingdom. 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:17.200 And there's some wonderful, very beautiful um portions of scripture that describe the kingdom now, and people who are hungering for that kingdom now. 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:24.559 One of my favorite spots would be Nicodemus, who comes to Jesus at night and says, I want to know more about this kingdom. 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:27.919 If you've seen the chosen, this is a really beautiful spot. 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:33.200 And um and he's breaking down and he says, Jesus, I want to know more. 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:43.039 And Jesus says to him, Well, in order to enter this kingdom, in order to know eternal life, you need to be born again, born born from above, born spiritually. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:46.559 So it's a great conversation in John chapter 3. 00:11:46.960 --> 00:12:08.000 And in my prayer here this morning is that everybody here has come to that place where you've entered into the kingdom of God because you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that you know that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, that you know that you are forgiven of your sin, that you belong to Christ and the Christ's family. 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:23.840 We went to a baptism yesterday and uh and it was at a lake and it was really beautiful, but for every candidate, there was there had to be a confession that they knew Jesus died on the cross for their sins, that they knew that their sins were forgiven. 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:30.639 They had repented of their sins, they'd asked Jesus into their heart, and they knew that Jesus was the Lord of their life. 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:33.120 And so that's a beautiful conversation. 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:37.440 It's a beautiful confession, and my prayer is that everybody here has done that. 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:40.799 That you all know Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:45.120 That's the spiritual kingdom we get to enter into. 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:49.679 But obviously, with the disciples, there's something more. 00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:52.799 They're saying, but Jesus, the temple. 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:56.080 Like what you said it's all gonna be broken down. 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:57.600 There's something different gonna happen. 00:12:57.679 --> 00:12:59.039 There's signs of your coming. 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:01.039 What does that coming look like? 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:04.240 And so Jesus tries to explain it to them. 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:18.080 And again, a little later on the day of ascension in John in Acts chapter 1, some of you will remember the conversation that the disciples are saying, Okay, Jesus, before you leave, are you now going to establish your kingdom? 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:28.240 And Jesus says to them, it's not for you to know, this is typical Jesus, it's not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in his own authority. 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:44.720 But, you know, while you're waiting, this is where we come into the talents, but while you're waiting, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:45.600 Amen. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:14:00.399 And so, and so, and then we know Pentecost happens ten days later, and all of a sudden the church is born and the birth of the Holy Spirit and and uh and the and the church moves forward, the servants of God move forward. 00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:02.879 So that's all a bit of a backdrop. 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:09.279 But it's important, you know, and it's a lot, but it's important to understand the the talents. 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:11.679 So God gives us these talents. 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:12.320 Why? 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:22.000 So that so that we would be faithful in using the talents he has given us for his kingdom, to be faithful till he comes. 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:36.080 And so, if I were to give you like a main point of this message, it's this the main thrust of this chapter is will Jesus find you faithful, me faithful, with what he's given me? 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:40.080 Faithful in action, faithful until he returns. 00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:45.919 The readiness of being faithful is not a matter of sitting on the couch and waiting for Jesus to come. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:48.879 That is absolutely not what he's meaning here. 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:56.399 He's saying, be faithful in your service, be faithful in what I've given you, be ready when I come back. 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:04.240 And there's a very sobering, touching passage that Jesus gives in Luke chapter 8 and in Luke chapter 8. 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:06.320 Um, it's remaining faithful. 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:13.360 He says, Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, some of you will know this line. 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:18.320 It says, Will he really find faith on the earth? 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:21.279 Will he find anyone faithful? 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:29.039 You and I can do a quick little calculation of how the world's going right now, and it's like, hmm, it's not so good in some places. 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:32.480 It's not good in North America, it's not good in Canada. 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:36.559 But but there are faithful, and that's what Jesus is looking for. 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:43.120 That's what God's waiting for, he's wanting us to remain faithful till he comes. 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:50.799 So, uh, as we carry on, one more piece of context, sorry, but one more piece of context is to understand the talents. 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:52.639 We've been given talents. 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:54.720 He gives his servants talents. 00:15:54.879 --> 00:15:56.000 What's a talent? 00:15:56.159 --> 00:15:56.960 Good question. 00:15:57.200 --> 00:16:07.039 A talent is no, it says a little talent in the passage, but a talent was one talent is worth roughly 20 years of wages. 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:08.960 20 years of wages. 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:13.120 So if you're making 100,000 in a year, okay, let's just take our congregation. 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:21.440 And if you're making$100,000 in a year, 20 years of salary would be roughly$2 million. 00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:22.320 Thank you. 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:23.120 Calculate. 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:24.960 I wasn't a math guy. 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:25.279 Okay. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:26.240 Okay, two million. 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:31.120 So if your two talents would be four million, five talents would be ten million, right? 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:33.279 So it's not a small little piece of change here. 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:35.039 We're talking big. 00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:38.320 He's he's given every servant these talents. 00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:39.919 One, two, five. 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:47.919 He could have used seven, three, but but he's giving everyone talents to use those talents for his glory. 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:49.600 So let's break this passage down. 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:53.840 Looking at chapter 25, beginning at verse 14. 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:55.840 Here's the first point. 00:16:56.080 --> 00:17:01.440 The Lord trusts his servants with his talents. 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:05.039 Okay, so just so we understand that. 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:08.240 He it he goes, okay, I've got to pick it up. 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:14.880 The kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country who called his own servants, delivers his goods to them. 00:17:15.119 --> 00:17:24.079 To one he gave five towns to the other, two towns to the other one, one, to each according to his own ability, and immediately he went on a journey. 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:28.319 So the man, whether you want to call him Jesus or not, that would fit. 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:34.640 But I mean he's gone, and he's left his servants with talents and no small amount. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:38.480 So he trusts his servants with his talents. 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:43.119 Notice that he says, take care of my wealth while I'm gone. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:44.319 Whose wealth is it? 00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:47.200 It's not my wealth, it's his wealth. 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:49.279 All right, take care of my wealth. 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:54.000 So it's important to notice that not every servant is given the same amount. 00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:59.279 One servant receives five, one servant receives two, one servant receives one. 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:10.559 Verse 15, it tells us that these talents, these sums of money, this currency, were given, and it says, according to their ability. 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:13.680 So it's not like Jesus makes mistakes. 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:26.240 Jesus knows you, and he's gonna give you a certain amount of talent, currency, knowing that you're capable of it, and he says, now take this talent and do something with it. 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:29.680 So everybody gets okay, what they are capable of. 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:36.160 Let's remember this morning that everything that we have belongs to God. 00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:42.000 Now, this is a mind-shattering thought, and it takes a little bit for us to get through this. 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:58.960 But let's remember, and as you get older in the Lord, you you learn it better, I think, that everything I have, everything I own, everything is God's. 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:05.839 It says in John 1, James 1, 17, every good and perfect gift comes from above. 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:09.039 It comes down from the Father of lights who does not change. 00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:16.480 So just as the Master gave of his possessions to his servants, so also God gives to us generously. 00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:24.480 He gives us his grace, he gives us his mercy, he gives us these talents for his glory and his kingdom. 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:31.279 Let's remember that all that we have comes from God, and that is everything we have comes from God. 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:33.279 We have nothing to boast of. 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:34.400 We own nothing. 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:37.440 Now, this is hard for us in North America, right? 00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:40.000 We work hard to own everything. 00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:43.680 My house, my car, my land, my property, my investments. 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:45.519 It's mine, it's mine, it's mine. 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:45.839 Right? 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:47.200 There's some movies about this. 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:48.640 Uh it's all mine. 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:50.319 But it's not yours. 00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:52.799 Like biblically, it's God's. 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:59.839 1 Corinthians 4, 7 says, What do you have that you did not receive? 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:01.359 Good verse. 00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:04.480 What do you have that you didn't receive? 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:06.720 So that's a key for us to remember. 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:09.839 Everything we have comes from God. 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:16.559 Now, also notice that God gives out of his generosity according to his wisdom and his discretion. 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:23.039 As we see in this parable, the man gave to each servant according to their ability. 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:26.400 Now, how does God know that? 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:30.240 Like, how does God know that you're good about with this kind of stuff? 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:32.640 And how does God know that you're good with that kind of stuff? 00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:36.960 And how does, well, I think we can answer that question pretty easily, right? 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:38.640 I mean, God made you. 00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:41.680 God knew you before you were born. 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:51.200 So that's why if you want to look in the Psalm 139 passage again, it's a great passage, but that passage is all about he knows you in your mother's womb. 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:54.240 Actually, he knew you before you even got into the womb. 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:54.799 Okay? 00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:56.160 He knows everything about you. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:57.680 He knows your life. 00:20:57.920 --> 00:20:59.279 He knows your first breath. 00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:01.039 He knows your last breath. 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:01.839 Amen. 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:03.119 I mean, this is God. 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:06.160 And so, like, I mean, how does God know what I'm capable of? 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:08.319 Uh He knows you. 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:09.920 Okay, He's got you. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:17.359 He knows if you're good with math, He knows if you're good with science, He knows if you're good with literature, He knows if you're good with a voice, He knows if you're good with an instrument. 00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:19.359 Okay, God knows it all. 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:20.960 Every life is different. 00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:22.799 That's the beauty about all of this. 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:24.480 Every life is different. 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:32.720 God knows it all, which means also that there's no, there should never be something called comparison. 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:36.880 I want to say comparison comes from the devil. 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:43.200 Because we tend to we tend to look at other people and say, but look at them. 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:45.759 They've got all of this and they've got all of that. 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:49.119 Or I'm not nearly like that person, right? 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:55.039 And we tend to grovel and wallow in our in our agony because we're not as good as. 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:56.799 Don't compare. 00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:59.759 This is this parable is like don't compare with. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.079 Whether you're a five-talent, two talent, one talent, ten talent, three, doesn't don't compare. 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:05.279 Don't compare. 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:12.880 Just look at what God has given you, because you know what God has given you, and then use that for his glory. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:22.799 In the parable, three different servants are expected to do something with talents that they're given, that they're entrusted with, to invest and to be wise with. 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:29.920 And as a result, we see different outcomes tied directly to what they did with what they were given. 00:22:30.079 --> 00:22:37.200 So let me just give you a story, which was just a neat story, but I think it just circulates, it promotes this. 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:40.400 It's a one-talent person, okay? 00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:42.319 His name is Antonio. 00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:44.400 Don't start smiling because you know the story. 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:45.839 Okay, just be quiet. 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:46.400 Okay. 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:49.759 Antonio wasn't like the other boys. 00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:52.480 He wasn't athletic and strong. 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:54.640 He wasn't even musical. 00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:56.240 I laughed at this point. 00:22:56.400 --> 00:23:01.839 Because his voice was high and squeaky, he did not make the tryouts for the boys' choir. 00:23:03.440 --> 00:23:07.839 When he took violin lessons, this is absolutely not applicable to Emma here. 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:15.200 Okay, when he took violin lessons, the neighbors persuaded his parents to make him stop because it was so loud and terrible. 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:16.880 Okay, this is Antonio. 00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:19.839 But Antonio still wanted to make music. 00:23:20.079 --> 00:23:23.519 His friends made fun of him because his only talent was whittling. 00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:25.440 He liked to whittle with wood. 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:27.440 Okay, poor little Antonio. 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:33.440 When Antonio grew older, he served as an apprentice to a violin maker. 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:39.839 His knock for whittling grew into a skill of carving, and his hobby became his profession. 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:49.759 He worked patiently and faithfully, and by the time Antonio died, he left over, oh, about a thousand violins in the world today. 00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:57.359 Well, there's not a thousand left, each one bearing his name, Antonio Strativarius. 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:05.279 You know, you can buy a you can spend$20 million on a Strativarius violin. 00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:08.640 The cheapest would come in at around three or four million dollars. 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:10.880 There's about 600 left in the world. 00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:13.119 This is Antonio. 00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:20.000 He couldn't sing, he couldn't play, he couldn't preach, he couldn't teach, he wasn't strong like the other boys. 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:25.519 But his responsibility was to use what God had given him. 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:30.240 So he uses whittling ability to make violins. 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:31.359 Can you believe it? 00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:32.240 What a story. 00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:34.880 So that's just one gift person. 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:37.920 So God gives us gifts. 00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:39.279 That's my first point. 00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:43.920 So God, the Lord trusts his servants with his talents. 00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:47.599 Second point is this verses 19 to 25. 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:49.599 The man goes on the long journey. 00:24:49.759 --> 00:24:50.880 Finally, he comes back. 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:55.200 He wants to see the outcome of the talents he's given him, given to his servants. 00:24:55.359 --> 00:24:59.680 So this is the Lord will hold us accountable. 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:02.640 The Lord will hold us accountable. 00:25:03.359 --> 00:25:06.960 Jesus is teaching something to his disciples and to us. 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:19.359 Each of us is going to be held accountable by God for how we manage the talents that He has given us. 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:24.079 Accountable for the return that He obviously hopes to see. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:30.160 He comes back and has a visit with each of the servants and said, okay, what did you do with what I gave you? 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:32.079 So he's going to hold us accountable. 00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:44.079 And here's the thing: God is going to hold each of us accountable or responsible for how we handled that finance, that currency that he generously gives us. 00:25:44.400 --> 00:25:54.160 So what I'm sure you're already doing, maybe about five, ten minutes ago, is you're starting to think about okay, what currency did God give me? 00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:57.279 What talent do I have? 00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:00.319 So I want us to think about this for a minute. 00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:04.799 I can use the word talent or I can use the word opportunity. 00:26:05.519 --> 00:26:15.200 So so if I use the word opportunity, it might be have I taken the opportunity God gave me to take good care of my spouse? 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:17.440 Okay, that's a talent. 00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:19.519 Take care of my family. 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:22.720 Take care of the car I have. 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:27.680 I could drive my family, but maybe I can drive other people's places and use my car. 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:29.920 Do you have a home? 00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:36.640 Has God, do you ever sense God saying, you know, can you can use your home to give somebody a room? 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:52.880 Or to give the homeless some space or to take care, okay, so so car, home, family, okay, all of these are opportunities, the neighbors, the voting privileges, the education he's given you, the gospel sharing opportunities, the finances. 00:26:53.039 --> 00:26:55.279 Maybe you you were born into wealth. 00:26:55.680 --> 00:26:56.799 Some people are. 00:26:56.960 --> 00:27:06.240 Okay, so so how are you using the wealth that God has given you as a talent to bless others and see that expand? 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:13.359 As I was thinking about that, let me just share a couple of things that came through my mind as I was thinking about this. 00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:19.440 We've been watching a video series with about 11 churches through every time zone. 00:27:19.599 --> 00:27:27.759 So these two guys lived in 2025, started in the first time zone, roughly Fiji, went all the way across to Alaska. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:30.720 They visited 11 different churches in different time zones. 00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:43.119 And what was amazing is not only was it beautiful, different languages, different peoples, all worshiping God, all serving Jesus, but almost every church had a like you could see a talent. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:54.880 So so the church in Zambia saw all these children whose parents had died through AIDS or war, and so they created an orphanage and a school for these kids. 00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:56.720 Wow, what a talent. 00:27:56.880 --> 00:28:01.519 The church in Poland right now, you can imagine Poland is right beside the Ukraine. 00:28:01.920 --> 00:28:06.240 So they're refugees fleeing Ukraine, the war, the bombing, the Russians. 00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:06.960 Okay. 00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:11.759 So this church in Poland decides to, have we got any space in the church? 00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:13.519 You know, can we make a room? 00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:17.680 Well, they have over 60 refugees in their home, in their church. 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:23.440 They've created bathrooms and made bedrooms for all these families to use their building. 00:28:23.599 --> 00:28:25.039 These two guys in Casablanca. 00:28:25.200 --> 00:28:27.839 Casablanca, you're not allowed to have buildings and churches. 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:28.799 It's illegal. 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:33.440 You can have a house church in your apartment, but you can't have a church building. 00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:41.759 So these two guys, there is a Bible study home group meeting, but these two guys also put their voice to broadcasting. 00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:46.960 And so they have a radio station and they proclaim the gospel on the airwaves. 00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:48.079 That's what they're doing. 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:49.519 So all these different things. 00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:50.640 And I could go on. 00:28:50.960 --> 00:28:59.359 When we were in Uxbridge, there were a couple of guys, teenage guys, who liked bikes, and they would do all kinds of crazy things with bikes. 00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:09.680 But they like bikes enough that they thought, you know, maybe if we collected bikes and bike parts, we can send them to Africa for kids who need bikes. 00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:13.039 So they started a ministry called Afrocycle. 00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:19.599 We've got two friends of ours who uh recognize a need for women in Oshawa today. 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:22.640 Uh poorer on the poorer side. 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:26.880 And so they created a thrift shop called Beautiful Threads. 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:28.400 Has anybody been there yet? 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:33.599 We can all go to I can't go, but women can go. 00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:34.720 My wife goes. 00:29:34.880 --> 00:29:38.319 And and Beautiful Threads is a store that they've created. 00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:43.039 These women are gifted in clothing, gifted in looking what's fine and nice. 00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:48.799 They have a beautiful store on the main street of Oshawa selling clothing to women. 00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:51.039 Like, okay, so I could go on. 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:55.519 So, so what gift, what opportunity. 00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:57.359 Uh, you know, I could go on. 00:29:57.440 --> 00:30:06.400 There's a woman, um, I belong to one board called Scripture Gift Mission, and there's this one lady who's our accountant, and she's been our accountant. 00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:09.359 She's just a mom with kids, but she's an accountant. 00:30:09.440 --> 00:30:14.160 So she comes and offers her services to be the accountant for our board. 00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:15.759 Stuff like that. 00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:22.000