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PASTOR WOOD’S Message notes

Message: November 15, 2020

Title: “The Real Difference”
Text: Matthew 25:14-30

Introduction: Cut out for the climb.

I. Part 1: The Contrast between believers and unbelievers.
A. The Master entrusted the servants with Talents each according to their abilities.
B. “Entrusted” is very different than “given”.
1. We are entrusted with our children to raise them in the Lord but they belong to the Lord.
2. We are entrusted with a marriage covenant but ultimately it is God who joins together.
3. We are entrusted with gifts of the spirit.
4. 1 Corinthians 6:20 also says we are entrusted with our bodies.
5. Ephesians 2:10 –We are entrusted with the opportunities to do good with our talents.
6. And yes, we are entrusted with incomes and jobs to support our families and support the ministry of the church.
7. We are all entrusted with faith—to store up treasures in heaven.
8. Entrusted means that it belongs to the Lord; its provided to do some good for us and for the owner.
C. By their actions you can distinguish the first two servants and the third.
1. eutheos poreutheis (immediately went out).
2. On the other hand, the third servant did not go; he apelthon departed—he went a different path. He went His own way.
3. The third didn’t fail, he just did nothing.

II. The third servant dug a serious hole for himself both physically and spiritually.
A. First, it wasn’t that the third servant couldn’t have done something to earn a profit but that he chose not to do anything for his master.
1. Notice that he is described as “the one who still had one talent.”
2. The third is still in the same state, nothing about this third servant has changed.
3. He did not act according to his ability.
4. He is joyless and complains about the master.
5. The third servant makes no such acknowledgement of anything entrusted to him by the master.
6. The master throws him out.
7. Those who despise the Lord will be thrown out. And what life they had in this world will be taken away from them as well.
B. “Good and faithful” verses “lazy and wicked”
1. Good and faithful apply to something useful.
a. Matthew 7:17-18
b. Luke 14:34
c. Luke 16:25
2. Good is useful while wicked is useless.
3. Philemon 1:11 Paul says, “Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.”
4. The relationship with the owner brings change in the servant.
5. We are called to be useful not useless.

III. Most of us this morning love Jesus, try a lot of things, but also mess up a whole lot.
A. When Jesus comes back and we stand before Jesus what will He see in us?
1. The centerpiece is that we do not lose sight of the Lord’s character and our identity in Him.
2. The key is that we continue to see the person of Jesus Christ in His cross and in His resurrection.
B. Some insight from Professor Gibbs’ Commentary on Matthew.
C. We all could be doing a lot better.
1. Even the disciples had this problem
2. We want to do better in those uncomfortable moments.
3. We want to do better when we see a need.
4. Sometimes we are not ready, selfish or are just not able to do it.
5. But Jesus doesn’t call perfect people, but sinful, imperfect ones to faith.
6. He came to the screwups and the lost causes, ate with them, and called Himself a friend of sinners.
D. Jesus invites his servants to “Come and share in the master’s joy.” What is this joy exactly?
1. Luke 15
2. Hebrews 12:1-3– “For the joy set out for him Jesus endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
3. My son’s heart: An example of shared joy.

Conclusion: The Lord is coming back with judgement and to fulfill His promises.

Taking it Home
1. Have you recently saw a chance to do some good and acted to do something? If not what stopped you?
2. What has the Lord entrusted to you that has blessed you the most? What makes it such a blessing?
3. What joy has the Lord share with you this week that you give thanks for?
Consider Reading: Judges 6-7 and notice how Gideon gained his courage to use what God had entrusted to him. You may also follow up with our online devotions on Gideon called, “When Facing Uncertainty.”

PRINTABLE PDF: MessNNov15.PDF

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