From His Heart

Speaker 1

You know, it is said that life is made up of opportunities. Opportunities. Chances to step up, chances to make a difference. Doors that God opens for you and me to step through. So what do you do when opportunity knocks?

Speaker 2

Thank you for joining us today on From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Schreck. Eve, who today will clearly remind us that God has entrusted each of us with time, resources, and abilities not to hide or hoard, but to use them for His glory. Today we'll be asked to seriously consider this question: What are we doing with what we've been given?

The lesson today explores the parable of the talents, encouraging believers to live with purpose and courage as good stewards of God's gifts. The lesson is called "Buried Talents" from the new nine-message series that we've been in all this month, entitled "When the Son of Man Comes: A Study of Matthew, Chapter 24 and 25."

Now, this series is also our gift of thanks to you for your support this month of any amount to the ongoing outreach of From His Heart Ministries. Just go to fromhisheart.org to make your gift and receive the copy in the format of your choice.

Now, though, we hope that you'll open your Bible to the Book of Matthew, Chapter 25, and let's go see how valuable it would be to dig up and use your buried talent.

Speaker 1

Now we're in a series on the Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24:25. We're coming toward the end. So this is what the Scripture says. Matthew chapter 25, I'll begin in verse 14. Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins. And he continues on verse 14 for it. The kingdom of heaven is just like a man about to go on a journey who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his own ability, and he went on his journey immediately. The one who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained five more talents. In the same manner, the one who had received the two talents gained two more. But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

Now here's our big question for today. What are you doing with what you have been given? So three discoveries from this parable. Discovery Number one: God entrusts a certain amount of talent to each one of us. And "talent" is in italics because when we think of talent, we think of some special ability that you have—a talent to sing or a talent to play an instrument or whatever your specific ability might be. But in the parable, that's not what it means. A talent was a unit of weight. And when it says that the master, who's on a journey, entrusted his own possessions to them, a talent was money—60 to 80 pounds weight of money. In this case, it would have been silver. One guy gets five bags, 60 to 80 pounds of silver. The other guy gets two bags of silver, and the other guy gets one bag of silver, 60 to 80 pounds. It says he gave that each according to his own ability.

Now, the word "ability," dunamis in the Greek, means power, might, strength, capability. And that was the master's prerogative to dole out his possessions the way he saw fit. Now, it's a fact of life that some have more abilities and opportunities than others. But that's okay; it's the master's prerogative. He doesn't make us all the same. You know, some people are smarter than other people. Some people have brain smarts, and some people have street smarts. Some people are good with numbers, and some people are good with words. A lot of times, somebody can excel in a certain field, and they think that covers every other field. So just because you're great at brain surgery doesn't mean you're necessarily great at being a politician. It doesn't mean you're necessarily great at fielding questions and answering things on the floor, as so many of those politicians have to do. That's a different skill set.

I had never forgotten that. I remember talking to Dr. Richard Land one day. Richard Land was president of a seminary—a very, very smart guy. I asked him this question: "Dr. Land, let me ask you, who do you know that you would say is really, really smart?" I loved his answer. He said, "Jeff, people are smart in different ways. Some people are really smart with numbers. Some people are really smart in business. Some people are really smart when it comes to reading people and how to deal with people." And so God doesn't make us all the same. Some have more abilities in certain areas than others. Because they have more gifts, talents, and abilities and capabilities, they're given more and more opportunity when you have those things.

Some say, "Well, sounds like God is not very fair. Why does he give this guy five talents and this guy two talents and this guy one talent?" The guy that had one talent, I could see where he was; he felt ripped off because he didn't get as much as the other guy. Well, listen, here's what the Bible says in Luke 12:48: "To whom much has been given shall much also be required. And to whom they have entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." God is fair. If he's entrusted you with a lot, he is going to expect a lot from you. If you're a five-talent person, well, God expects a five-talent return. If you're a two-talent person, he expects a two-talent return. If you're a one-talent person, he expects a return—a one-talent return. And some have more abilities and opportunities than others, but everyone has something entrusted to him or her.

Now, when you think about a talent—60 to 80 pounds of probably silver—because gold would just be such a huge amount of money. So the master entrusts his possessions. Some translations use the word silver. A talent, if you put it into 1st century terms, was equal to 600 denarii. A denarius was the wage of a soldier for a day's work. A common worker would make 300 denarii a year. So a talent is 6,000 denarii. That's 20 years' wages for a talent. Now, if you put that and just do the math real quick in your head—say a guy makes $50,000 a year. $50,000 times 20 is a million dollars, right? I think I did that right. People are smart in different ways; I'm not smart in math, so I think that's right. So that's a million dollars.

When the master gives out and entrusts his possessions to these guys, in the parable, we put it in today's terms. One guy gets $5 million, one guy gets $2 million, one guy gets $1 million. Well, that million dollars is not chump change. It's not like, "Here's 50 cents." No, you have a sack of silver coins, 60 to 80 pounds worth. That's equivalent to 20 years' wages. You have a million dollars. Everyone has something entrusted to him. So what are you doing with what you've been given?

Now, I love the story of Fanny Crosby, the great hymn writer and poetess of yesteryear. You know her story where she was a healthy little girl, but a quack doctor provided the wrong treatment for her and burned out her eyes with some hot mustard poultices they put on her eyes because he thought that was going to help her with some kind of problem she had. Well, it made her go blind. Fanny never complained about her blindness. In fact, she wrote this little poem: "Oh, what a happy soul am I. Although I cannot see, I am resolved that in this world contented I will be. How many blessings I enjoy that other people don't. To weep and sigh because I'm blind, I cannot and I won't." And God used her in great ways, even though she had lost the gift of sight.

So, God entrusts—very first discovery—he entrusts a certain amount of talent to each one of us. Second discovery: God expects us to use what he has entrusted to us. He expects a return. This man obviously expected a return. "I'm entrusting my wealth with you—five talents, two talents, one talent." The inference, as recorded in Luke chapter 19, is this: "Do business with this until I return." Hey, here's my wealth, and I'm entrusting it to you, and I want you to use it. The Bible says in 1st Peter 4:10, "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

So in the parable, he goes, he entrusts his wealth, and he went on his journey. Verse 15, verse 16: "Immediately, the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained five more talents. In the same manner, the one who had received the two talents gained two more. But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money."

Speaker 2

Hmm. Was that a good idea? A selfish idea? A person who was scared, who didn't trust God to use his or her talents for God's glory could be these reasons or many more.

But God didn't create us to bury our talents, but to use them for his glory. And that's why we, you and me, were created.

We know that because, as C.S. Lewis implied in his teachings, no other animal or insect or breathing creature knows they were created.

Speaker 1

But we do.

Speaker 2

We know we were. And that also demands a reason for that knowledge we have that to serve God who loves us and created us and died for our sins. What a gift. We have to use our talents for the kingdom.

Pastor Jeff will elaborate a bit more on this in just a moment, but a reminder that today's message, "Buried Talent," is one of nine in Pastor Jeff's new series, "When the Son of Man Comes," a study of Matthew, chapters 24 and 25, where Jesus prophesied his return, detailing the signs and the promise of his second coming. In it, you'll discover how this promise gives each of us and all of us hope, urgency, and a guaranteed confidence as we wait for his glorious return.

This new series is our gift of thanks to you for your support from His Heart this month of any amount. We hope you'll request it when you make that gift and call 866-40-BIBLE (866-40-24253) or go online to fromhisheart.org. Again, the name of the series is "When the Son of Man Comes." It's available on a USB flash drive, CDs, DVDs, or as an MP3 download of your choice.

What did Jesus say about the end of the world and his glorious return? Learn about it all in this series we're offering today. Thank you for helping us reach with the good news each and every day that God loves you.

Now here again is Pastor Jeff Shreve to continue this lesson, "Buried Talent."

Speaker 1

God wants us to work with what we have. He wants us to use what we have been given. And the five-talent guy and the two-talent guy, they both acted the same. Immediately, they went and took the Master's money and began to trade with it, work with it, invest it, and use it. They used it wisely and faithfully. Now, God wants us to do that. He wants us to work and to labor. Jesus said in John, chapter nine, verse four, "We must work the works of him who sent me. As long as it is day, night is coming when no one can work."

There's an old saying I learned in college: you make hay while the sun's up. You have to do your work while there's daylight to get your work done. Debbie was always great with the kids because she is very disciplined. One of the things I love about Debbie is her discipline. She would teach the kids discipline. They'd come home from school, and she'd say, "The first thing we're doing is having a snack, and then we're doing our homework." They would all sit down to do their homework because Debbie said to the girl, "Listen, once you do your homework, then you can play, but you don't come home and play and then wait and wait and wait. Then you're tired, and your homework's due." She said, "No, we knock out the homework first."

So, God wants us to work and to labor and to trade and to use the gifts, talents, and abilities he's given us for his glory. Here’s a big question: Are you working with what you have? Are you using your gifts, talents, abilities, and the resources God has entrusted to you for the Master? You know, everything belongs to God. The earth is the Lord's (Psalm 24) and all it contains. You and I don’t own anything; we’re just stewards, just managers of his possessions.

This is a great parable that teaches that the slaves didn’t own anything; they were just managing the Master’s possessions. So, God expects us to bring a return. He expects us to work with what we have. What he doesn’t expect from us, and what he doesn’t want us to do, is to bury what we have. And that’s what the one-talent guy did.

Now, we don’t know everything about what was going on in his head. But maybe when the Master met with those three guys, they were all in earshot. They knew what the others got. He could have thought, "One talent? Well, I’m as good as that five-talent guy. I’m as good as that two-talent guy. Why did I just get one talent? What am I supposed to do with one talent? One talent isn’t anything." And he was comparing. Perhaps it’s easy to do, right? We’re not to do that. We sing that song, "Count your blessings, name them one by one," but we tend to compare our blessings.

Speaker 2

Blessings.

Speaker 1

You compare your blessings, you're going to get yourself in trouble. Because comparison either makes you proud—"I have more than you do"—or it makes you ungrateful—"Well, you have more than I do. That just stinks. I'm getting ripped off here." So we live our lives, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. Whatever God does for somebody else, that's their business with God. My job is to just use what God gave me.

But this one talent guy dug a hole in the ground and he put the master's wealth there. He put that sack of money there. And that was common in that day; they would bury things in their property for safe keeping. You know, we have some of these treasure maps that you've seen in movies before. X marks the spot, and it's by this tree. You go six paces, turn left, and go to the rock, and whatever it's going to be under there. They kind of did that, and they would bury their wealth. That's what this guy did—he buried his wealth.

Now, when the master entrusts his wealth to you, and like I said, this guy doesn't have nothing. He's got a million dollars. But if you bury it in the ground, you can't trade with it, you can't invest it, you can't buy and produce. It's doing nothing for you. Sadly, there are a lot of believers who have been entrusted with a spiritual gift. As each one has received a spiritual gift, employed in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God, they're not doing anything with it.

Maybe they have been given a gift of teaching the Bible, but they're not teaching the Bible; they're not teaching anyone. Maybe they've been given a special gift to communicate the gospel through song, but they're not singing; they're not doing anything with it. Maybe they have a business mind that God has blessed them with, and they can produce a lot of money, but they're not giving any of it to the Lord's work.

Speaker 2

Work.

Speaker 1

Or they're just burying their talent in the ground. I like this quote from Zig Ziglar. He says this: "You are the only person on earth who can use your ability. I can't use your ability. Only you can use your ability. That's what God has given to you." Have you been burying your master's treasure, his talent in the ground? It's a serious question because discovery number three is that God will one day settle your account.

It says in verse 19, "After a long time." This is an indication that the time between Jesus' first coming and second coming, from our perspective, is going to be a long time. From God's perspective, it's not. Because with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some men count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. However, from our perspective, one day is not like a thousand years. One day is like one day, and a thousand years is like a thousand years.

And so, after a long time, from our perspective, the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. It was a day of reckoning, and the big question is, "What did you do with what I gave you?" The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, "Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents." His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master."

The one who had received the two talents came up and said, "Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents." His master said to him the same thing: "Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master."

Now remember this: For those who use what God has entrusted to them, we call them the faithful because Jesus said, "Well done, good and faithful slave." The faithful will be greatly excited and greatly blessed when the master returns. They're excited because they know they haven't been resting on their laurels. They know that they have been busy working. They're waiting for his return, yes, but they're working until he returns. They are doing business with the master's resources that he has entrusted to them. They are making hay while the sun's up.

And so when the master comes, they can't wait to show him. You know how little kids are; they get so excited about things. They can't wait to show you certain things. Now, I've talked a lot about my grandson Jack. I just love little Jack, and I love all my kids and grandkids. But there's something about little Jack. You know, he's the one that shaved his head so he could look like his Gigi.

Well, we’re going to Houston over July 4, and Jack sometimes doesn't sleep very well. Jack is getting ready to be four years old, and then Chase is two, and the baby is only four months old, little Drew. So they're up. Amy and Travis are up with the baby because he's only four months old. But sometimes Jack reverts to babyhood, and he's up too. And so then they're up with both of them.

So I just said, "Listen, when I come, I'll stay in Jack's room. I'll sleep with Jack." And Amy said, "Well, we don't have a bed for you there. Jack's got this little small bed; you wouldn't fit in there." And she said, "Well, maybe I'll get Jack a bed. This would be a good time to."

Speaker 2

Get Jack a bed.

Speaker 1

I'm gonna get him a trundle bed. Jack doesn't know what a trundle bed is, but he's telling everybody under the sun, "My Gigi's coming to sleep with me in my new trundle bed." And he just can't wait to tell somebody. Well, my Gigi's gonna come and say, and he showed me. He got his mattress, and he showed me. He thought that was a trundle bed. You know, he's just on his mattress, and I'm ready for Gigi to come. He's just excited to show me his room, to show me his trundle bed for us to be together.

Well, when you have something, you want to show it off, you know? It's like, "Lord, look, look, look what I have. You gave five talents to me; here are five more. You gave two talents to me; here are two more." So the faithful will be greatly excited when the Lord returns, and they will be greatly blessed. "Master, this is what you entrusted to me, and look what I did with it."

Now it's not about, "Look how great I am, master," but "Look what I did for your glory." Because I wanted you to be glorified when you came. I wanted your wealth and your resources to grow. And they're so blessed, both of them together, the five-talent guy and the two-talent guy, because they hear the same commendation: "Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master."

And they got affirmation, commendation, and then promotion. "I'm going to put you in charge of many things because you're faithful with a few things."

Speaker 2

Theologically, this verse teaches and reminds us that God values faithfulness over apparent size or impressiveness. What matters is using what he's given: gifts, opportunities, resources, and gospel truth in obedience and trust.

Well, you've been listening to From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve today. We're right in the middle of the eighth message out of nine in the series "When the Son of Man Comes." The lesson today is titled "Buried Talent." This series is our gift of thanks to you for your support of any amount to From His Heart this month. To find out more, call 866-40-BIBLE (866-40-24253) or go to fromhisheart.org. We simply can't thank you enough for being obedient to God's impression on your heart to support this ministry, from which Pastor Jeff receives zero income; he is our chief volunteer. God bless you.

Well, this has certainly been an engaging study from Matthew chapter 25, but there's much more to be covered on the next broadcast. After a brief review, Pastor Jeff will continue the lesson, so make sure that you're with us then.

And remember that From His Heart is the listener-supported broadcast ministry of Dr. Jeff Shreve, who has been called by God to speak the truth in love to a lost and hurting world. Join us for part two of the message "Buried Talent" on Friday, when we'll again open God's word and share real truth, real love, and real hope—real from His heart.