How many of you, remember when on the job, you was given a little bit of responsibility at first. AS time went on, and you demonstrated yourself well you was given more responsibility. Sometimes those responsibilities seem redundant and other times rather complicated. An example, some modern-day people would think from seeing on the surface, a farmer has a easy job. Just plant a seed, watch it grow and collect them. But you know very well there’s MUCH more to it than that. In our new home, we see painters and how they fluently do their job. Even though it may look easy, there is most certainly a lot of work, if done right! Look at first responders, our armed forces, our leaders, etc... We only see at times the surface of the hard work and talents that has been done beyond our viewing. Talents and gifts are like that! Every person on earth has them, yet, they are not used wisely at times. Sometimes, they are just ignored.
Charles Stanley tells a story where a young woman named Sammi had a real heart for God, and thinking she had a great voice to share with others in church, she auditioned. During the audition, Sammi couldn’t help but to belt out off notes that where sour and distasteful. In other words, Sammi could not sing! The worship pastor spoke to Sammi after the audition and asked some questions to try and help understand why she auditioned. After several minutes, the worship pastor discovered Sammie was musically inclined but by using the accordion, yet she always admired people who could sing instead. The worship pastor invited her to play the accordion on the next visit and long and behold, as Mozart was to the orchestra, Sammie was to the accordion. She played beautifully all the while glorifying God. After several weeks of playing the accordion in worship services and just bringing down the house, Sammi discovered her gift could be used in the right way, even though she didn’t think she would be good at it. Singing was not her gift, but the accordion was. She used God’s gift wisely!
Gospel of Matthew reading today identifies this question but not so much about our Job or Duty, but rather our Gifts and abilities which ultimately direct and affect our Jobs and Duties in life! This also includes our journey with Christ and our walk with fellow citizens. Let me say this that every aspect of our lives is affected and steered from our gifts and talents! The word ‘Talent’ here is used as means of coinage from the greek work ‘Talanton.’
Starting in chapter 24 verse 14, and I will paraphrase some. We see three SERVANTS and the man entrusted his property to them. Each servant was given a certain amount of money to be good stewards of ‘According to their each own abilities or gifts’. Two of the three did something very willingly with their money, they done things that gave them profit from what they had before. So basically they used the Gifts they had in the amount they had and gained from them. They didn’t just let these Gifts sit idle, it gains no value by not being used. The third servant, he did exactly that! No value was gained, as matter of fact the servant hid the talent that was given. So hear what the servant’s excuse was “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gather where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid and I hid the talent.” So lets visit this remark some.
Firstly, those who see God as a harsh taskmaster has never ‘truly’ discovered God’s endless joy that he provides, countless and humorous events in his followers lives, saturated gifts and blessings that go beyond both our understanding and what we deserve, Gods endless forgiveness, Love that never fails, and so many more things we could say couldn’t we!
So this servant was actually remarking in such a way that was not only ignorant, but lacked wisdom of his masters ‘True’ character. Do you know why that is?? LIVING IN FEAR! Fear drove this servant to hid the talent! Fear pushed the servant towards something that not only was untrue, but resulted in devastation of his own life and character.
So lets go back to the Master, hear the response! “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Does that make clear what I said earlier, knowing the masters true character the servant did not know?
Friends, obviously the master in this parable is God and each of us are to be the servants, or as Paul put it ‘A bond servant of Jesus Christ.’ Looking at this carefully, what abilities God has given to each of us bears merit and attention doesn’t it? The third servant was given ONE talent. Obviously that was enough for that persons abilitiy. So as the servant grows, so will the talents or Gifts and so on. You see the trend here! Regardless friends of your length of time on this earth, we each have something to give.
SO friends, it doesn’t just stop there! Yes you should now understand the importance of using our Gifts, but what about it?
Why apply it?
Let me try to declare to you friends, gifts of God are NOT to be used mockingly or deliberately to gain personal fleshly gain. It is design to grow you and the body of Christ in every aspect of the word. Gifts are design to work in believers to fulfill Gods purpose and possibilities in every single persons life. Epistle of Corinthians There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
These gifts Paul is telling us are related to spiritual gifts as the mission of the Christ and the church. Yes you may have a gift of music, but each of us also have additional gifts of ministry and the spirit. Did you know that? Gifts from the Holy Spirit, indwell every believer! So let me ask you again, are you using God’s gifts wisely? What are we to do with it? You may not understand it, comprehend it or acknowledge it, yet as a follower of the Risen Christ, we each are given His spirit in every aspect of the word.
These gifts, can be used in every area of Gods kingdom and purpose, especially in his church body such as Memorial UMC. Friends, each of you are the beacon of hope for this church. You have the ability and power to aid, teach, give and sacrifice according to Gods will for your life! The problem is, are you willing? If not, then why? What is too much to serve God? What is more important than serving Christ? I could be wrong, but some of the problem people face in serving Christ with gifts is the stigma that the world seems to try and embed in our minds that we can’t or we have nothing to give!
How many of you hear of Dr Seuss? What a wonderful set of books for children, and yet, there is a divine story behind the creation of one of the first books, Green Eggs and Ham. In 1960, two men made a bet for $50. The first man was the founder of Random House, Bennett Cerf, and the second was Dr. Seuss himself, Theo Geisel. Cerf made the bet that Theo would not be able to write an entertaining children’s book using only 50 different words. So after 200 million copies later, Dr. Seuss proved Cerf wrong! But the story doesn’t end there. During Dr. Seuss’s writing he discovered through this little bet, there was a powerful constraint. Our constraints or limitations are not the problem in creating a master piece. For instance, every artist has a limited set of tools to work with. Every athlete has a limited set of skills to train with. Every entrepreneur has a limited amount of resources to build with. Once Dr. Seuss figured out his constraints, he learned to work with that! That analogy alone make his books brilliant by honestly using the gifts and talents he had; not complaining if only he had more gifts and talents. He gave exactly what was given to him and he used it successfully.
You see friends, just as Jesus told the third man to use the talent given to him based upon his ability, so are we! Look at me! I am not pristine by any means; no movie star portray; I’m no comparison to other pastors or even you may know more about scripture than I do, but with what God has given me, I am trying to do His work with His gifts and talents given to me. This same concept is with you at this very moment!
In closing, when God has given us constraints like lack of wisdom, education, beauty, health, painful past, a besetting sin, physical disabilities, and so many other examples. What we need to do is totally and positively rely on God to show us how to use the gifts and talents we do have in order to do His work as He has called each of us to do. In other words, claiming you have nothing to give is not an excuse for God! So such thing!
I challenge you friends, reach out of your comfort zone, stretch beyond the boundaries of your existence while seeking Christ and exercising the gifts he has given you. Trust in him, search for him, ask for him and come boldly to the throne of grace whom will answer your requests that is in his will for you. Yes, these are dark and gloomy times it seems, but always remember, God has a purpose and plan, even when we don’t see it.
And remember, in just a few weeks, we are to relive a gift that God freely gave to us. Can you guess what gift that is? His son! We are to always remember, reflect and respond to His calling to use all our gifts and talents wisely to not only serve God, but to honor and worship Him. Amen.