WEBVTT 00:00:06.640 --> 00:00:14.400 We are in the third part of our four-part series on entitled Until He Comes. 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:24.480 Voltaire, the French philosopher, said, Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:26.320 I like this quote. 00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:27.359 It's a good quote. 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:31.760 But I want to add one thing to Voltaire's statement. 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:35.760 Work spares us from distraction. 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:49.759 To our knowledge, what we have recorded in the Bible, this sermon, Matthew chapter 24 and 25, is Jesus' final sermon right before he heads to the cross. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:54.640 The Olivet sermon is known as the Olivet sermon. 00:00:54.880 --> 00:01:09.520 And Jesus spends 62 verses, the vast majority of this sermon, talking about encouraging humanity to be ready for his return. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:13.280 There's that saying that we should listen to people's last words. 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:17.120 And the last words that Jesus gave, some of those last words were encouragement. 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:22.240 His last sermon was encouragement for us to be ready for when Jesus would come. 00:01:22.639 --> 00:01:31.039 And last week we looked at some of the things that can distract us, that may distract us from good things that we often don't consider as distraction. 00:01:31.199 --> 00:01:38.159 These are good things, just the ordinariness of life, just the routine of life, which can feel good. 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:45.919 I'd have to tell you, my kids went back to school this week, and oh man, there was this routine of life that's gone back to normal. 00:01:46.639 --> 00:01:48.960 It's nice when you get into that routine. 00:01:49.520 --> 00:01:58.719 The Zinky family has a lot of folk here because Kirsten and Jeff are going to uh be getting married in just a few days or maybe a day. 00:01:58.800 --> 00:01:59.039 I don't know. 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:00.000 I think it's a day, right? 00:02:00.080 --> 00:02:01.039 It's tomorrow, yeah. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:02.639 And uh we welcome all of you. 00:02:02.800 --> 00:02:05.680 I'm supposed to be there, so I should probably know what day it is. 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:16.319 But uh, you know, one of the blessings of life is is is yes, there's the the honeymoon phase and everything, but also just sometimes that routine. 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:19.039 But sometimes those routines can become distractions. 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:22.319 Some of these blessings can become distractions in life. 00:02:22.479 --> 00:02:25.519 There's there's many things that can become distractions. 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:35.919 Well, today, as I said in this penultimate sermon of this four-part series, we're gonna talk about how to avoid maybe that distraction. 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:39.039 How can we avoid that distraction? 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:43.759 In this chapter, chapter 25 of Matthew, and if you have your Bibles, you can start to get them out now. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:49.039 Matthew chapter 25, uh, there are three illustrations that Jesus spoke of. 00:02:49.199 --> 00:03:00.239 We are going to narrow in on the middle illustration for this sermon, but let me give you kind of a singular survey and uniting aspect of all three illustrations. 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:21.919 In the context of this message and what I want to focus on today, one of the things that unites all three of these stories is the encouragement that Jesus gives, that we see from Jesus, that we have a task to do, that we have an assignment to undertake that we are to fulfill. 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:36.239 In the first parable, the bridegroom that is there in your Bibles, and we're not going to go through it, but the assignment for the ten virgins or bridesmaids, as we would call them, is actually to accompany, to accompany the bridegroom to the wedding. 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:56.159 We don't often, when we when we talk about this passage in the Bible, we usually focus on the oil, which is a good sermon, or we focus on how the the bridesmaids, the ten virgins, fell asleep, and that's also a good sermon, but we lose sight that all of this was in the context of a work that they were called to do. 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:56.639 Dr. 00:03:56.799 --> 00:04:00.879 Craig Keener wrote the following, one of my favorite uh commentators. 00:04:00.959 --> 00:04:05.439 He wrote, To participate in their friend's wedding was a great honor. 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:15.680 As virgins, these young women were in a sense practicing for their own impending weddings around the ages of 12 to 16. 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:25.920 But to have spoiled the wedding for her by failing to do their appropriate part was a great insult to their friend and to the groom and to the guests. 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:33.360 The the words that Keener uses there, I like in there, participate, practice, do their appropriate part. 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:36.159 These are all words of activity. 00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:53.279 In the last illustration that's here in the book of Matthew, chapter 25, Jesus clearly illuminates that the principle that we are to the principle that we are to be caring for those amongst us that are in need as we prepare for his return. 00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:56.319 Matthew chapter 25, verses 34 through 36. 00:04:56.719 --> 00:05:01.920 Come, you are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from that foundation of the world. 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:05.199 For I was hungry and you gave me food. 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:08.560 I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:12.560 I was a stranger and you welcomed me. 00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:15.120 I was naked and you clothed me. 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:20.719 I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison, and you came to me. 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:24.639 Here is the principle of all of Matthew chapter 25. 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:31.120 Waiting for Christ's return and being ready for it are not passive matters. 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:33.360 They are not passive matters. 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:39.680 We are not just to say, okay, I understand the truth, I understand Jesus' coming, so I'm just gonna sit back and wait on whenever that happens. 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:42.560 I'm not gonna, not gonna be a part of anything, not gonna do anything. 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:44.319 Maybe I'll show up at church once a week. 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:44.879 No. 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:53.279 Readiness for Jesus, waiting for Christ's return and being ready for that day are not passive matters. 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:56.959 Don't be distracted was the theme of last week's message. 00:05:57.040 --> 00:06:00.159 Don't be distracted by the good things, the things that we sometimes overlook. 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:06.399 The theme of this week's message, I would say, is readiness is demonstrated through activity for the Lord. 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:10.000 Our readiness is demonstrated through activity for the Lord. 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:13.680 So open your Bibles with me to the book of Matthew if you have not already done so. 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:25.920 The book of Matthew, and we are going to be in that middle parable in Matthew chapter 25, in Matthew chapter 25, and I'll begin in verses 14 and 15. 00:06:26.159 --> 00:06:35.599 And one of the things that we're going to see in this is in the parable of the talents, is that we learn that readiness looks like faithful working. 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:39.680 In the parable of the talents, readiness looks like faithful working. 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:42.959 Beginning in verse 14, and I'll read verse 14 and 15. 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:48.480 For it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:58.000 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, and to each according to his ability, then he went away. 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:03.680 Let's understand how powerful these verses are, these first few verses are. 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:10.079 First, by understanding what a talent is in the context of application for us. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:18.959 In this illustration, a talent, Jesus is referring to money and a significant sum of money, which we'll get to in just a moment. 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:29.199 But but in application, what Jesus is not just speaking about giving your money, he's also talking about all the other talents that you have in your life. 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:37.920 JC Rile, who is uh was a preacher and a commentator or a Bible scholar, he said, anything whereby we may glorify God is a talent. 00:07:38.159 --> 00:08:01.360 Our gifts, our influence, our money, our knowledge, our health, our strength, our time, our senses, our reason, our intellect, our memory, our affections, our privileges as members of Christ's church, our advantages as possessors of the Bible, or as possessors of the Bible, all of these, all are talents. 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:13.199 In other words, anything that you have, basically what he's saying in your life, any any opportunity, any experience that you have in your life, is an opportunity to be used for God. 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:18.879 Think of it like this any advantages you have are a talent. 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:26.319 And by the way, any disadvantages that you think you have can also be turned into a talent. 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:29.680 I was with a friend of mine, Ed, at a baseball game this week. 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:32.480 We saw his Orioles lose to the Yankees. 00:08:32.560 --> 00:08:33.360 I'm not happy about that. 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:35.519 I'm not saying that for anyone to cheer or anything. 00:08:35.680 --> 00:08:38.879 I prefer the Orioles over the Yankees as well. 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:39.680 But he was there. 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:54.720 We were there at the baseball game, and I've been going to many baseball games over the years with uh with Ed, and Ed always brings with him in a little bag that he carries, he brings with him uh steps to Christ, and he'll bring like toothbrushes and toothpaste and various other things. 00:08:54.800 --> 00:09:02.640 He'll put some money in the steps to Christ, and he, after the baseball game's over, as we're walking out, he'll hand these books to various people asking for money. 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:09.680 And he'll give them the money, but he'll also give them the book and he'll say, and he has a note that he's prepared in it that says, you know, I just want you to have this. 00:09:09.760 --> 00:09:12.879 And he says, if you don't want to read it yourself, please share it with someone else. 00:09:13.040 --> 00:09:13.920 Don't just throw it away. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:16.560 And so I said to Eddie, I've seen him do this for years. 00:09:16.640 --> 00:09:22.320 We've been going to baseball games together for years, and I see, and I said to him, I said, Hey Ed, when did you start doing this? 00:09:22.560 --> 00:09:25.440 And he tells me, you know, several years ago he started doing it. 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:32.000 He tells me now that he takes him on vacations and his vacations are so much better because he's giving out these books on vacation. 00:09:32.160 --> 00:09:35.120 I asked him if his wife does it too, and he said, She knows I love it. 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:41.280 I I don't know if that means she doesn't do it or but and I said, Oh, that's great. 00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:58.000 And then he said to me, he said, when people ask me questions about the Bible or about Jesus or whatever, I find that I get tongue-tied and and that I that I stumble over my words, and that I don't speak well in those moments. 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:01.600 And so this is something I can do. 00:10:02.400 --> 00:10:07.680 And I thought, you know, all the times I've heard people say, Well, I can't do this or I can't do that. 00:10:07.920 --> 00:10:10.800 Here he's something that could be looked at as a disadvantage. 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:18.000 He said, Okay, I can take this moment and I can turn it into an opportunity to use my talents for God. 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:20.720 And that's what he's done. 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:36.000 Your talents are the opportunities, whether from your advantages or your disadvantages, your opportunities in your job, your opportunities in your neighborhood, your opportunities, of course, in your home, your opportunities in your schooling. 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:40.480 Maybe there's people in your life that God has put in your life, and you're like wondering, why is that person there? 00:10:40.640 --> 00:10:45.520 Maybe God has some talent in your life that He wants you to use to bless them. 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:49.520 And of course, there are the spiritual gifts. 00:10:49.680 --> 00:10:52.560 Those are talents as well that God has given you. 00:10:52.879 --> 00:11:03.280 One of the things that the church, the global church, is going to be asking us to do is to use an opportunity that we have at our fingertips, all of us, to be witnesses around the world. 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:06.160 It's the initiative called One Voice27. 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:09.680 And you're going to be hearing about this a little bit more in a few weeks. 00:11:09.920 --> 00:11:42.800 But this is basically saying that that tool, that that device that you have and the social medias you have on there, whether it's LinkedIn or Strava, yes, exercisers, Strava is a social media, uh, or Instagram or whatever it may be, Facebook, whatever it is that you have, basically saying, I'm gonna take this opportunity to have, this it's not just gonna be a social thing for me, it's not just gonna be an entertainment for me, it's not just gonna be something that I can utilize my time or waste my time on, and it's very addicting, we all know that. 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:50.960 But I'm gonna use this as an opportunity to tell people about Jesus, to share Jesus with others. 00:11:51.280 --> 00:11:53.120 That is a talent. 00:11:53.600 --> 00:12:00.640 And I'm so we're not talking about skills, we're talking about talents, just the ability to do something for the Lord. 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:02.640 How did Ryle say it? 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:07.840 He said it like this anything where we may glorify God is a talent. 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:17.920 Anything where you may glorify God in the context of this message and this principle and the application of this message is a talent. 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:23.360 And each of you have talents that have already beg been given to you. 00:12:23.520 --> 00:12:26.160 Ephesians chapter 4, verses 7 through 8. 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:32.320 Paul was writing, he says, But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:39.600 Therefore, it says, when he ascended on high, he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men. 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:42.400 He gave talents to humanity. 00:12:42.640 --> 00:12:48.879 Ellen White, in her writing about this parable of Jesus in the great book, Christ's Object Lessons. 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:51.120 And if you've never read it, I want to encourage you to read it. 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:54.000 If you have it and you want to share it with somebody, I encourage you to share it with somebody. 00:12:54.160 --> 00:12:57.040 Christ's Object Lessons, she wrote this great insight. 00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:06.800 The gifts are already ours in Christ, but their actual possession depends upon our reception of the Spirit of God. 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:11.360 These aren't things that you have to say, well, I've I've got to figure it out. 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:14.560 I've got, they're already yours. 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:21.440 By the way, folks, just on a side note, some of us need to know this about salvation as well. 00:13:21.920 --> 00:13:25.760 The scripture says that Christ died for all of us once. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:30.080 In other words, salvation has already been given and extended to you. 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:37.200 Your salvation is not dependent on anything you do, but it's the reception of that gift that Jesus has given you. 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:43.200 The same thing that each of you have a talent, something that God can use to give glory and honor to Him. 00:13:43.520 --> 00:13:45.120 And you may say, Oh, I don't have it. 00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:45.920 No, you do. 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:49.200 It's just a matter of whether or not you'll receive that talent. 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:56.160 God has already given you that talent, just as He's already given you salvation as well. 00:13:57.680 --> 00:14:02.320 Now you may be a one-talent person, or you may be a five-talent person. 00:14:03.040 --> 00:14:10.320 The amount does not matter because actually both of them are extremely significant. 00:14:12.160 --> 00:14:17.120 Scholars state that a single talent was worth six thousand denarii. 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:20.400 A denari was one day's wages. 00:14:20.800 --> 00:14:25.200 So this was about six thousand days' wages. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:32.640 And I read many different commentaries on this, and and they they disagree on the exact amount of that is. 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:42.560 But the lowest number I saw is that 6,000 talents would be equivalent to about$350,000 in our modern uh monetary system. 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:47.760 Others say it's up to$1.4 million in our monetary system. 00:14:47.920 --> 00:14:49.280 I'm not gonna quibble. 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:52.560 Both those numbers are really, really big to me. 00:14:52.800 --> 00:14:59.360 It's gonna take me many, many years and not spending a single dime to have$350,000 on my salary. 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:01.440 It's probably for some of you as well. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:05.360 Either way, a talent is an enormous amount of money. 00:15:05.520 --> 00:15:16.640 And here is the point the immensity of the sum is intended to remind us of the preciousness of the gifts that God has entrusted to each one of us. 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:22.400 That sum should be like we can just read a talent, one talent, five talents, and not think anything about it. 00:15:22.560 --> 00:15:27.840 But the immensity of a sum to the original hearers, they would have heard this and thought, that's a huge amount of money. 00:15:27.920 --> 00:15:29.680 And God's given me that. 00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:35.680 And whether it be one or it would be five, it's an enormous amount of money. 00:15:35.920 --> 00:15:37.840 To one, he gave five talents. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:45.360 To another, he gave three, or to two, to another, one, to each according to his ability. 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:56.720 The opportunities that may open to any one of us as a follower of Jesus, as a disciple, those things may differ in character or in magnitude. 00:15:56.879 --> 00:16:00.879 It's according to whatever ability God's chosen to give us to. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:06.240 But they are all to be faithfully invested before the master returns. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:16.879 Whatever talent you have, whether you're a one-talent person or a three-talent person or a five-talent person, whatever talent you have, all of those are to be invested for God. 00:16:17.280 --> 00:16:19.200 And let's all be okay. 00:16:19.520 --> 00:16:25.360 Let's all be okay if we're one-talent people and someone else is a five-talent person. 00:16:25.520 --> 00:16:33.040 Let's not look upon them and say, well, I'm not a five-talent person, I can't do that, or have jealousies over those things. 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:35.600 Don't spend time worrying about that. 00:16:35.760 --> 00:16:40.320 Know that the talent that you've had is precious and indeed beautiful and wonderful. 00:16:40.560 --> 00:16:51.120 The summer I was in uh California and I was at a camp meeting in California, Central California Conferences camp meeting, Soquel, not SoCal, but SoCal, right there near Santa Cruz. 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:56.720 To me, it is the preeminent uh camp meeting in all of North America. 00:16:56.960 --> 00:17:06.079 And they have a they had a lineup of heavy hitter Aventist, famous Aventist people, as my sons refer to them as famous Aventist individuals. 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:15.279 And most of these individuals in this particular case are actually friends of mine, and in some cases, very close friends of mine. 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:25.359 And I was walking with one of my sons, and he asked me, How do all these famous Adventists know who you are, Dad? 00:17:28.159 --> 00:17:30.079 I see you get the implication. 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:36.799 The implication of that statement is Dad, you're not so famous. 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:39.679 So why do they know you? 00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:44.159 And I think to my son's credit, he's developing some social awareness. 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:56.000 I think to my son's credit, he realized the implication of this question too, and he quickly said, I think you would be famous too if you had chosen to be famous, which I also found was humorous. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:18:00.960 And I said, Thanks, son, but I said this to him I said, Buddy, it's not about choosing. 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:06.159 I said, I know these people, none of them chose to be well-known famous. 00:18:06.879 --> 00:18:15.119 They excel in the God-given talents and gifts that God has given to them, and He's given them platforms to use those, and they're doing so. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:17.519 Y'all, that is okay. 00:18:17.919 --> 00:18:24.000 If I'm a one-talent, or maybe to my son a half a talent person, that's okay. 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:30.480 And someone else is a five-talent person, all of it is a lot to Jesus. 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:34.799 All of it is an amazing gift to Jesus. 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:43.039 And as we see from this parable, God doesn't care if a person is one talent, has one talent or five talents. 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:51.279 What God cares about is if a person uses that talent that He's given them, whatever it may be. 00:18:52.480 --> 00:19:03.119 Jesus just wants us to use these, and our using of these in the context of Matthew 25 is an example of our readiness. 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:17.759 Readiness consists in having already faithfully discharged our responsibilities as disciples, whether they have been small or great. 00:19:17.919 --> 00:19:22.159 It is Jesus who allocates the scale of responsibilities. 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:27.039 Our duty is merely to carry out faithfully the role that is entrusted to us. 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:29.200 That's our responsibility. 00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:34.480 You have one talent, you have five talents, you have ten talents. 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:44.000 This side over here said yes and amen over here. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:47.359 This side didn't say anything, so I'm giving them one talent, I'm giving you twenty. 00:19:50.159 --> 00:19:51.279 Love y'all. 00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:56.159 It doesn't matter. 00:19:56.879 --> 00:20:02.399 Our our responsibility is are we faithful with what God has entrusted to us? 00:20:02.639 --> 00:20:10.240 The Bible says in verse 16, he who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 00:20:10.399 --> 00:20:13.359 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:19.119 But he who had received the one talent talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:24.720 Now, after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 00:20:24.879 --> 00:20:31.119 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, Master, you delivered to me five talents. 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:33.200 Here I have made five more talents. 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:37.359 His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:40.960 You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:43.119 Enter into the joy of your master. 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:48.799 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you delivered to me two talents here. 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:50.559 I have made two talents more. 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:57.519 His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. 00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:00.639 Enter into the joy of your Lord. 00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:13.279 He who 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. 00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:18.240 So I was afraid, and I went and I hid your talent in the ground. 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:20.960 Here you have what is yours. 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:27.439 But his master answered him, You wicked and slothful servant. 00:21:28.159 --> 00:21:31.119 Brothers and sisters, it's not a matter. 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:40.319 To be ready is not a matter of passively waiting, but of responsible activity for the Lord. 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:50.720 An activity that will produce results through the grace and the goodness of God in preparation of our coming King and our Savior. 00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:56.000 We are in this time of waiting right now. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:22:03.200 We are in a season of waiting, and no one knows the day or the hour that Jesus will return. 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:05.119 Not one of us. 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:11.919 But the period of waiting was not intended to be empty or mindless or inactive. 00:22:12.159 --> 00:22:22.559 The period of waiting is an opportunity to put to good use the talents that God has given to each one of us. 00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:31.599 Jesus ends this section here of the Bible saying something that we don't like to hear, but it's part of the text. 00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:42.639 And it says in verse 30, and he cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness in that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:55.839 The clear picture here is that the ones who use what God gives them, the talents that God gives them, as they wait for his return, are ready. 00:22:56.720 --> 00:23:09.279 And the ones who choose not to use those talents, who choose to allow them just to lay idle, are not ready. 00:23:09.919 --> 00:23:16.240 God expects returns on the talents that He has given to us. 00:23:16.639 --> 00:23:19.119 Now you may say, Pastor, don't teach salvation by works. 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:21.279 I'm not teaching salvation by works. 00:23:21.439 --> 00:23:30.399 What I'm teaching, what I'm teaching is that our work is evidence of the salvation that we have already received. 00:23:30.639 --> 00:23:32.000 That's what this says. 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:39.359 Our work is evidence of the salvation that we have attained through Jesus Christ. 00:23:39.679 --> 00:23:47.679 Ellen White said, let none of us suppose, let none of us suppose that they can live a selfishness not using talents for God. 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:52.480 She's speaking about this in the same context of the parable, the talents there in Christ's object list. 00:23:52.720 --> 00:24:01.439 Let none of us suppose that we can live a life of selfishness and then have, then having served our own interests, enter into the joy of the Lord. 00:24:01.839 --> 00:24:07.519 The words of a higher authority book, the Bible, of course, in 2 Corinthians chapter 8. 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:15.839 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:28.159 In other words, if you have something, your readiness is this uh is demonstrated by your willingness to give it, to share it, to pass it on to someone else. 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:48.960 So let me ask you, and let me ask myself, let's ask the Holy Spirit, even in this moment, to reveal to our own hearts, to reveal to us, are we utilizing our talents as a demonstration of our readiness for Jesus? 00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:54.000 When we look at our own hearts, do you see readiness? 00:24:54.480 --> 00:25:20.399 When you think about the talents that God has given you, and think again as talents as opportunities, when you think about the opportunities that God has given you in your workplace, in your home, in your neighborhood, in the random people you run into in life, if you think about those in your school, whatever it may be, as you think about those, do you see evidence of readiness as you're using your talents for God? 00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:22.879 If so, praise God. 00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:27.359 Say amen, Lord, and keep using them for your honor and for your glory. 00:25:27.919 --> 00:25:31.759 If not, then pray. 00:25:32.639 --> 00:25:39.599 And the prayer isn't, the prayer isn't, by the way, Lord, help me to work harder, help me to do better. 00:25:39.919 --> 00:25:52.799 The prayer is, Lord, I'm sorry that I've not appreciated what you've done for me in such a way to share that with others. 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:56.960 Lord, come into my heart and make it new. 00:25:57.200 --> 00:25:58.559 Make it yours. 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:02.240 Change me, Lord, from the inside out. 00:26:03.119 --> 00:26:13.039 Folks, if you try to demonstrate your readiness without having a converted heart, you'll just burn out. 00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:21.359 But something happens when you fall in love with Jesus and you just can't stop talking about him. 00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:26.799 Some people said to me, Pastor Chad, you talk about your kids a lot. 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:27.759 Do they mind? 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:29.679 Thus far, no. 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:39.200 But folks, half the stories I tell you about my kids, they're not even in my sermons. 00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:43.039 I tell you because I'm in love with them. 00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:50.960 And when I'm in love with Jesus, I'll be ready to use my talents for Jesus. 00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:57.759 And the only way I fall in love with Jesus is I say, Jesus, come into my heart and change me. 00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:01.200 Only Jesus can do that work in you. 00:27:02.399 --> 00:27:05.679 So don't go out there and go, I'm gonna try to research what my talent is. 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:13.839 No, go out there and say, Jesus, come into my heart today and tomorrow and the next day. 00:27:14.639 --> 00:27:15.839 And watch what happens. 00:27:15.919 --> 00:27:17.759 There's this little truth of the Bible. 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:21.359 By beholding, you become changed. 00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:29.119 So let us behold Jesus and watch how he uses our talents to change the world. 00:27:29.439 --> 00:27:32.319 Lord Jesus, we thank you so much for your grace, for your mercy. 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:35.200 Thank you for your goodness towards us. 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:40.399 Jesus, you have already given us the talents. 00:27:41.839 --> 00:27:56.720 We now ask, if we're not using those talents, that you will send the Holy Spirit into our hearts to remind us that we are deeply loved by you, that we are valued by you, and that you have saved us. 00:27:58.319 --> 00:28:08.159 Lord, and I pray that the goodness of God will transform us and motivate us, inspire us to share with others. 00:28:09.599 --> 00:28:13.839 I think of the statement that I read recently, Lord. 00:28:14.879 --> 00:28:24.799 It said, if we are corrected, connected, if we are connected with Christ, it doesn't matter if we're the poorest person or the most ignorant person. 00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:40.240 We will have power that will tell upon our hearts, that will change our hearts, and that you, God, will make us channels for the working of highest influence in this universe. 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:45.519 Jesus, but that all begins with you in our hearts. 00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:58.159 So, Jesus, my prayer right now is not that people go find some seminar to get better or go home and give themselves a pep talk. 00:28:58.639 --> 00:29:07.119 My prayer right now, Jesus, is that you will remind all of us that Christ in us is the hope of glory. 00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:09.039 Remind my heart that. 00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:11.200 Remind my brothers and sisters of that. 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:13.839 And may that truth transform us. 00:29:14.159 --> 00:29:15.359 In your name I pray. 00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:16.559 Amen.