you will be rewarded…

compensation.  if i use my talent wisely i will be rewarded.  matthew 25.23 (niv), his master replied, “well done good and faithful servant! you have been faithful with a few things, i will put you in charge of many things.  come and share your master’s happiness!” look at the rewards you could have. 

1) affirmation.  well done good and faithful servant!  how would you like to get to heaven one day and have GOD say that to you?  “good job!  you did the best you could with what you had! good job!”  that’s what i’m living for.  not for anything else. i’m living my life for an audience of one.  i want to stand before JESUS CHRIST one day and have him say, “well done, bill you good and faithful servant.”

2) promotion.  you've been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things.  I’ll give you greater responsibility.  you’ve used what you had, I’ll give you greater responsibility.  the bible teaches that earth is a testing ground.  the amount of time on this side of eternity is nothing compared to the amount you’re going to spend on the other side of eternity.  how you use your life during this time will determine what GOD entrusts to you later on.  if you’ve been faithful in a few things, you’ll be given much.  you’ll be given more or less responsibility. 

3) celebration.  come and share your master’s happiness!   it’s party time in heaven.  celebrate.

the fact is the happiest people in the world are those who are giving their lives for the purpose that GOD made them.  GOD made you for a ministry.  GOD has a ministry for you that is based on who you are.  we’re all part of the body of CHRIST and it’s all important.  it’s like a jigsaw puzzle. 

just a thought from the front porch…

doing your best…

matthew 25.14-15, 19 (niv), again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.  to one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.

GOD says, “it all belongs to ME.  I’m entrusting it to you for 50, 60, 70 years.  you’re to use what I’ve given you and one day you're going to give an account of whether you used it or not. I’m going to ask you ‘what did you do with what you were given?’” it's wrong to not use your talent, to just bury it.  playing it safe will not work. 

now which person is most likely to do nothing?  the five talent person, the two talent person, or the one talent person? 

the one talent.  that's true today, too. 

many of you would say this, “because i'm not a superstar i won't do anything.”  people say, “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing perfectly.”  i hate that sentence.  i say, “if ministry is worth doing, it’s worth doing the best you can whether it’s perfect or not.”  if you say, “if i can’t do it perfectly, i won’t do it” then you’re never going to do anything.  nothing in this world is perfect.  you need to step out in faith. 

i meet a lot of bored CHRISTians.  same place, same thing.  the CHRISTian life is not a relationship, it’s a routine for them, a ritual.  why?  nine times out of ten, the reason people have lost their spark is they’re sitting on the sidelines.  they’re playing it safe.  they’re not using their talent.  they’re spectators while the game is being played – the game of life.  GOD says that won’t cut it!

just a thought from the front porch…

some life principles…

JESUS told the story in matthew 25 – the story of the talents.  and in it JESUS gives seven life principles. 

ownership.  everything i have belongs to GOD.  verse 14 (niv), again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 

allocation.  GOD has given me some talents.  the word “talent” comes from this story.  verse 15 (niv),  to one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.  it used to be the word “talent” simply meant money. it was about $1,000. 

the bible tells this story of the master who goes away and he says, “i'm going to give my servants some money to take care of.”  he gives one guy 5 grand, another 2 grand, another 1 grand. 

we’re all given different amounts.  we all have talents.  we all have different talents.  everybody gets something but nobody gets the same thing and the amounts are different. 

the point is there are no non-talent people.  a talent is anything that GOD has entrusted with you.  ability, strength, skills, physical health, family, children, opportunities, business situations, brains, personality, the fact that most of you were born in a free country – these are talents that GOD has given us.

romans 12.6 (niv), we have different gifts, according to the grace given us.  you didn’t deserve it.  GOD just gave it to you. 

accountability.  GOD expects me to use my talents.  HE’s made an investment in my life and HE expects a return on it.  HE wants me to make the most of whatever I’ve been given. 

verse 19 (niv), after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts.  

this is a story that’s a parallel to the fact that one day, we’re going to give an account to GOD for our life.  one day GOD is going to do an audit on your life.  that’s one audit you’re not going to miss.  HE’s going to ask you this question.  “what did you do with what you were given?”  you need to be prepared to answer that.

just a thought from the front porch…