Series: What does it mean to put God first?
Sermon Recap
Matthew 25:14–30 reminds us that God has
entrusted each of us with resources, abilities, opportunities, and
responsibilities that are ultimately His. The servants were given different
amounts, but each was expected to faithfully manage what had been placed in his
hands. The faithful servants understood that what they received was not theirs
to simply preserve or consume; it was theirs to use for the purposes of their
master. The warning of the third servant shows that faithfulness is not merely
avoiding failure — it requires actively putting what God has given us to work.
And because the master eventually returned to settle accounts, Jesus reminds us
that our stewardship has eternal significance. We will not be held accountable
for having what someone else had, but we will give an account for what we did with
what God entrusted to us. The goal of stewardship is not to accumulate more,
but to faithfully invest what God has given us for His glory.
Matthew 25:14-30
14 “For it will be like a man going on a
journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one
he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his
ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at
once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also, he who
had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one
talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a
long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And
he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more,
saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five
talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter
into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came
forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made
two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter
into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who 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, 25 so I was afraid, and I
went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 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? 27 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. 28 So take the talent from him and give
it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be
given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what
he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer
darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The
Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Matthew
25:14-30.
Discussion Questions
- What has God entrusted to you that you sometimes view as simply “yours”?
- Why is it important that the servants were given different amounts?
- What does faithfulness look like when your assignment is different from someone else's?
- What does it mean to invest what God has given you?
- What keeps people from using the gifts and opportunities God has given them?
- Why should the reality of giving an account affect how we live today?
- What is one thing God has entrusted to you that you could use more intentionally for His kingdom?
- If Jesus returned today, what would you want Him to find you doing with what He has given you?
Closing Thoughts
Faithful stewardship means recognizing that
people are one of God's greatest assignments given to us. We are called to
invest in the people God has placed around us — not simply by meeting their
physical needs, but by helping them take steps toward Jesus. This may mean
slowing down to listen, walking with someone through a difficult season,
sharing what Christ has done in your life, or intentionally discipling someone
in the faith. Who is someone God has placed in your life that you can
intentionally invest in for the sake of the gospel?
END
Teacher Notes:
We've spent the last three weeks talking
about
putting God first.
We've talked about our possessions, our
giving, our trust, and the fact that everything ultimately
belongs to God.
Today, our lesson asks us to take
one last look at:
How do we measure a person’s life?
Jesus gives us the answer in
Matthew 25.
Matthew 25:14-30
14 “For it will be like a man going on a
journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one
he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his
ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at
once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also, he who
had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one
talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a
long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And
he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more,
saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five
talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter
into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came
forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made
two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter
into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who 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, 25 so I was afraid, and I
went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 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? 27 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. 28 So take the talent from him and give
it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be
given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what
he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer
darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Jesus deliberately tells us that the servants
didn't receive equal amounts. That keeps the focus from being on how much
someone has and puts it on what they do with what they've been given.
It reminds us that God doesn't give everyone
the same gifts. God's distribution isn't identical, but His expectation is the
same: faithfulness.
It shows that God measures faithfulness, not
possessions.
It means the person with less isn't less valuable. A person with one gift may be just as valuable to the body of Christ as someone with five gifts.
Faithfulness can look different from person
to person.
For one person, faithfulness may mean: Leading a ministry, teaching a class, giving generously, or starting something new.
For someone else, it may mean: Praying
faithfully for their family, encouraging a lonely neighbor, mentoring a
grandchild, sharing wisdom with someone younger, caring for a spouse, being
faithful in a difficult season, or simply being available when God opens a
door.
Different assignments. Same Master. Same call to faithfulness.
Faithfulness isn't doing what someone else is doing.
Faithfulness is doing what God has entrusted you to do.
To invest what God has given you means to
take what He has entrusted to you and intentionally use it in ways that serve
others, advance His purposes, and produce spiritual fruit.
Put it to work. The first two servants didn't simply
protect what they received — they used it. Investing means asking: “How can I
use what God has given me to make a difference for Him and for others?”
Invest your time → spend it encouraging,
serving, mentoring, or helping someone.
Invest your wisdom → share what you've
learned with the next generation.
Invest your experience → help someone avoid
mistakes you've already made.
Invest your relationships → introduce people
to Christ or encourage someone who is struggling.
Invest your influence → use your voice to
build people up.
Invest your resources → give generously where
God is working.
Invest your spiritual gifts → serve the
church and others.
Invest your testimony → tell someone what God
has done in your life.
Invest your prayers → faithfully intercede
for others.
Look for a return that matters to God. The servants' investment produced
something. In the same way, God wants what He has given us to produce fruit. Jesus
said, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing
yourselves to be my disciples.” - John
15:8 The "return" doesn't necessarily mean more money or greater
success. It might be a person encouraged, a relationship restored, a young
person mentored, someone coming to faith, a need being met, or another person
learning to trust God.
God doesn't give us things simply to possess.
He gives them to us to put to work for His purposes.
Jesus' words in Matthew 25:26 give us more
insight than simply saying the servant was "afraid." “You wicked,
lazy servant!” — Matthew 25:26 (NIV)
Jesus identifies the problem as more than
fear — it was unfaithfulness. The servant says: “I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the
ground.” (Matthew 25:25) Fear was his explanation, but Jesus' response was
“wicked and lazy.” That tells us his problem wasn't simply that he was nervous
about taking a risk. He allowed fear to become an excuse for doing nothing with
what his master had entrusted to him. Fear may explain our inaction, but it
doesn't excuse our unfaithfulness.
He had
been entrusted with something valuable — and he did nothing with it. God doesn't simply give us things to keep.
He gives us things to use. Our time isn't simply ours to protect. Our
experience isn't simply ours to enjoy. Our wisdom isn't simply ours to keep.
Our testimony isn't simply ours to remember. Our resources aren't simply ours
to accumulate. They are opportunities for faithfulness.
“Wicked” seems to address his attitude toward
the master. Look at what the servant
says: “I knew that you are a hard man…” (Matthew 25:24) His perception of the
master influenced his behavior. He apparently viewed the master as someone to
be feared rather than faithfully served. What we believe about God affects how
we respond to what God has entrusted to us. If I see God primarily as someone
waiting to punish me when I fail, I may become paralyzed. But if I understand
that He has entrusted something to me because He wants me to participate in His
purposes, I can step forward in faithfulness.
“Lazy” is especially significant. The word Jesus uses isn't simply describing someone who was physically tired. The idea is slothful, negligent, inactive. The servant didn't squander the talent on sinful living. He simply did nothing with it. That's sobering. Sometimes we think the greatest danger is doing something wrong. Jesus' parable suggests another danger: Doing nothing with what God has given us.
Some people don't use what God has given them
because they're afraid. Some because they don't feel capable. Some because
they're comfortable. Some because they've become discouraged. And sometimes,
quite simply, it's because they don't care enough to do anything with it. That's
uncomfortable — but I think Jesus wants us to wrestle with it.
God doesn't simply give us things to keep.
He gives us things to use.
The fact that the master eventually returned
changes stewardship from simply being about what we do with what we have - to living
with the awareness that one day we will give an account.
What we do today has eternal significance. Our lives aren't just a series of unrelated days. Every day is an opportunity to faithfully use what God has entrusted to us. That should affect how we spend our: Time, resources, abilities, relationships, opportunities, and influence.
Accountability changes how we view what we have. We aren't ultimately owners. We're entrusted.
It keeps us from wasting the opportunities we have today. Sometimes we aren't doing anything obviously wrong — we're simply not doing anything with what God has given us.
We don't know how much time we have. James 4:14 reminds us: “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” That's not meant to frighten us. It's meant to help us value today. Don't wait for the perfect opportunity. Don't wait until retirement. Don't wait until you're less busy. Don't wait until you have more money. Use what God has put in your hands today. If I knew I would give an account to God for how I used my time, gifts, relationships, and resources, what might I do differently this week?
Who do I need to encourage? Who do I need to forgive? Who needs my wisdom? What opportunity have I been putting off? What gift have I been burying? What resources could I use to bless someone else? Where is God asking me to be faithful right now?
We have spent much of our lives being measured by performance:
How well did you do at your job?
How successful was your career?
How much did you accomplish?
How much did you earn?
But eventually, those measurements become
less important. The question becomes: “Was I faithful?” Did I love God? Did I
love people? Did I use what He gave me? Did I encourage others? Did I pass
along what I learned? Did I finish well?
There's a scene later in The Bucket List where Carter asks Edward two questions.
These aren’t the questions that Jesus asks in
Matthew 25.
But they do make us think.
Jesus tells us that the Master will return
and settle
accounts.
He won’t ask you, how much did you have?
But He will ask you, what you did with what
He gave you?
When our life is measured, may we hear
those precious words…
“Well done, good and faithful servant!”
Matthew 25:21
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