#412 Does God Settle Accounts?

Part of the bonus material cell from this podcast are regular sermons from my friend Jim Buckman.

He's the pastor Stephen's Valley church in Nashville Tennessee. He's been my pastor for now, 20 years even though Grace them moved out to Montana a year ago Jim and I are in regular contact several times a week and is just a great friend and he's been a big part of me wrapping my head around the things of God in the midst of our creationists. You know he ever felt as a caregiver. Nobody's really seeing this are paying attention in certain gods, not seeing it only wears the justice where's the good and loving God and you're watching these terrible things in your having to deal with these harsh realities as a caregiver, and that's been my journey that I cattle the guide be the only one. So Jim has shepherded me through so much of this from hospital rooms to just sit in over a cup of coffee and just kind of in O'Hare some things out and I felt like that.

This message particularly would we would be meaningful to use a caregiver. The ever feel like God's noticing this he settle accounts is stewardship important. Do these things mean something in the economy of God for us as fellow caregivers.

And yes he does do all those things he settles these accounts. This is important.

He sees what's going on and this is meaningful and stewardship is meaningful for you and be you and me are you in a you in is for us so and what we do on the show as we educate, empower, and entertain and I told you was it let me handle the entertaining part.

You just keep educating about. I felt like this would be a very timely message for those of us who were in the trenches as caregivers and wondering how where is this going.

Is there going to be any type of of recognition affirmation, fairness, justice all those kinds of things.

I felt this would be important for us to hear his caregivers. If we get our hearts right, it gives the rest of us a fighting chance me the rest of our lives a fighting chance. You know like if my head and my heart spacer so squarely in my wallet, my relationships, my body, my job all those other things are in bad shape to their venison. Follow but if you get your head in your heart right and live peacefully with these things you give all the other parts your life a fighting chance in this, the overarching message of what we do here is planning a path towards healthiness for us as caregivers in today's message from Jim will help you do that and import your heart to a place of healthiness. Healthy caregivers make better caregivers Thursday about the starting arrivals to the 25th chapter of Matthew's gospel today we finish our series of sermons on the parables.

Much to my disappointment I hope it's to your disappointment as well have enjoyed refreshing myself for once again with these magnificent ways in which the Lord Jesus was able to communicate his word, availing it, availing the truth the unbelievers, but the revealing truth to his people were looking at Matthew 25 verses 14 through 30 of the parable of the talents today. Last week we looked at the first 13 verses of the chapter, the parable of the 10 virgins or 10 bridesmaids, five of whom were lies in five of whom were not wise. Five of them were foolish or foolish because they weren't ready for the coming of the bridegroom did real well or torches burned out. They want to purchase more the corner market and while they were gone he came and when he came in the event began, the marriage supper began, the door was shut to the everlasting dismay of the five foolish bridesmaids. This is a parable in force today tells us a little more about what it means to be ready when the look like I was a really mean to be ready for the coming day of the Lord. This the parable this morning, 10 that the talents as well as one last week are bit unusual in this respect. So many of the parables we've considered were addressed to to the religious authorities of the day they were a response to criticism from the church leaders of Jesus died this parable in the one last week are different and that they were addressed to the disciples, and so more specifically, perhaps on the others. This one today is addressed to you and me, so he who has ears to hear that in here thank you Lord for your word and we thank you for the chemo to the facts of your word. Your spirit leading us into truth and convicting us of sin and end righteousness and judgment and we pray this morning that your Holy Spirit will descend upon us in a new and fresh and powerful life giving way and the be our preacher and elitists get give us ears to hear, and that lead us in paths of righteousness for your namesake. Thank you for bringing us together today and we pray that we will suffer no more interruptions, but rather that things will open up more and more, and soon enough we will celebrate communion as we so often do in I will hasten the pace in those days, but nonetheless, we thank you for this time together, and the sweet fellowship that we enjoy through Christ our Lord in his name we pray.

Amen.

Matthew 25 verse 14, for it will be like a man going on a journey he called in his servants and entrusted to them.

This property 28 five talents, to another to another one, to each according to his ability. They went away.

He had were he who had received the five talents when it wants and traded with them and he made five talents more so. Also he you had the two talents made to talents more, but he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hit his master's money.

After a long time to master those servants came and settled accounts with them 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 his master said to him, well done good and faithful servant.

You been faithful over little house that you overmuch enter into the joy of your master, 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 his master said to him, well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little, I will set you overmuch enter into the joy of your master. He also who had received the one talent came forward saying master under you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not so, and gathering where you scattered no seed so I was afraid and I went and hid your talent in the ground here.

You have what is yours 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 then you ought to have invested my money with bankers and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the 10 talents for everyone who have will more be given, and he will have an abundance from the one who has not even what he has will be taken away and cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth men all flesh is grass and all its love and this is like the flower of the field grass weathers flower phase of the word of our God stands forever in a talent was worth a lot of money fact, one commentator speculates that one talent then was worth about $350,000 today.

Would you take that as a rhetorical question, of course, you take that end and spec we all would would be happy to have just one talent of the commentators by the way raise the amount even more. Raise the value of the talent above $350,000.

That said, I don't believe that were to limit the interpretation and application of the parable to monetary terms only. Certainly that's part of it, but rather, I think we do justice to the parable to see the talent not merely representing dollars and cents, but also privileges and opportunities that we have, to enter the kingdom of God and to serve our master and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and so that since this parable bears some similarities with yet another one that we study weeks ago the parable of the of the laborers in the vineyard. You may recall receive the same amount of pain. No matter how long their work. Some worked all day.

Some worked only one hour, but the owner gave them the same amount. And there were complaints about that. If you remember but the point of it all was that regardless of what they were paid.

It was a privilege and a high honor to serve in the Masters vineyard and not be left idle in the marketplace to talk this morning with the fact that God gives the talents and God settles accounts and God blesses faithful stewardship in that order. Beginning first of all with the fact that God gives the talents, verse 1528, five talents, to another two to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away this point, probably so obvious that it ought not to take any of our time this morning. Perhaps I shouldn't even know that mention this, of course, God gives the talents, but I've noticed we forget you notice that we have a nasty habit of somehow thinking that we just develop these talents and abilities and and successes and the opportunities and so forth. We like to. We like to enjoy little recognition don't way we we like to worship ourselves, truth be known and certain this is one way to do it, but the apostle Paul emphasizes this ponies is what you have that you have not received think of everything you have. Is there one item you can thank God that you have not received from the hand of our bountiful God. Every ability, every dollar we have in the bank account every friend we have every success, every blessing has come to us, not of our own merits, not of our own doing, but from the one who is the fount of every blessing is not the fount of most blessings and is not the fount of some blessings. He's the fabulous every blessing, and the author of every good and perfect gift that said, I quickly add that he does make distinctions among people.

According to the counsel of his own will. He has that sovereign prerogative to one he gave five talents, to another to into another one. No one was under blessed it was a great honor just to have one talent but he gave more to some fewer last two others. He doesn't give the same gifts to all of us and he doesn't give the same number of gifts to all which sometimes is hard for us to understand because we are Americans and we we believe in a democracy. We believe in fairness, we believe in equal opportunities for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness done with a fist ingrained into our bones ability to understand that God is not an American and is not president is not president God he's keen anything keeping them like any other king you've ever met or heard about he's king of all kings and Lord of all lords and he says things that Shaka sometimes.

Like Jacob, I love the knee. So I hated oh that's not my God, I'm going to worship, let me introduce you to the God of the Bible who summons you to worship him as he is the older will serve the younger.

He said well that doesn't sound fair doesn't sound right.

You remember the story of Joseph. God told Joseph that he was going to exalt him that his own brothers would bow before him, and even his father would bow before him, as it were, which earned him a rebuke from his father and the corset was sold into slavery by his brothers was God right is the ever not right. And sure enough a few chapters later what you find with the father and the brothers bowing before Joseph. Depending upon him for everything.

Sustenance in life and so the point is that God doesn't treat everyone the same.

He gave 151211 talent doesn't feel the same deck of cards to everyone. If I may use that metaphor and sometimes people complain loud and long about the fact that other people are better off and other people are more blessed than they are and jealousies can arise in the like. But God is the one who gives the talents of his sovereign prerogative to do so. According to the counsel of his own will, which by the way, does not ensure success as we define it just because you have five talents doesn't ensure any recognition or notoriety or success because that too belongs to God. Example how many of you have heard of Matthew Robinson. He was around 85 years ago. Great sprinter that help I don't see any hands Matthew Robin there's one good for you to meet you after the service.

Matthew Robinson broke the Olympic record in the 200 m in the 1936 Olympics, but you never heard of him because he didn't win the race that a measly 4/10 of one second he lost to Jesse Owens whom you have heard of right and Jesse Owens went on to live a life of great notoriety nobody's heard of for Matthew Robinson, whose brother younger brother by the name of Jackie. You have heard of who is in the major-league baseball Hall of Fame and broke the color barrier and so forth and here's a man who was blessed with many talents. Matthew Robinson nobodies hurt having lived a life of relative obscurity.

God gives the talents God gives the prosperity God gives the success or lack thereof. Secondly, God settles his accounts. Verse 19. Now, after a long time. The master those servants came and settled accounts with them is after a long time.

You notice that language in last regular member of the bridegroom. There was a delay in his coming. Both these parables are telling us the same thing that God's not in a great hurry to settle accounts that is patient toward mankind not desiring that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, but doesn't change the fact of the day will come when his patients will be exhausted, and he will finally settle accounts. I remind you of another parable, we studied the parable of the unforgiving servant. The poor fellow who accrued a debt of 10,000 talents at the big debt.

What happened, it must've taken a long time to rack up that kind of debt and finally the king came to settle accounts and he couldn't pay, so the king ordered he be sold, his wife, his children in order to pay the debt. The point is the time does come it. Maybe after a long delay. There may seem that way to us. He's all. He's right on schedule.

He's always on schedule, but to us it may appear to be a long time is always gone on a long journey that there's a delay in the coming of the bridegroom and because of these things human nature again has a bad habit of presuming upon God's patience and gambling that he'll never get around to settling accounts. After all, things continue on as I always have really not where is the promise of his coming. Things continue as they have since the beginning of creation and we assume it will just continue that way and we gambling will never get around to settling accounts and so the world mocks this the day of the second coming of Christ and scoffs at the other that that someday he will settle accounts and we will loss and before the judgment seat of Christ. I like the story of the farmer who was an atheist, hard-working, atheist, and enjoyed a great harvest one fall, and he bragged about it wrote the letter to the newspaper that lived in the rural community to the railroad I plowed on Sunday. I planted on Sunday are harvested. On Sunday, but I never went to church on Sunday yet harvested more bushels per acre than anyone else.

A few days later someone responded to tell that man God doesn't always settled his accounts in October and indeed he doesn't always settle his accounts in October but he will always settle his accounts.

It's not not a question of if it's a question of when and there may be a long delay they may not be for the 10 bridesmaids. It was that I was in it, the bridegroom came in for the rich fool who said to himself relax. You've laid up Apple goods for the future eat drink and be merry. It was that night that his soul was required and if you remember the story of the old King Bell Shatzer and Mills day it was that night as well. He saw the handwriting on the wall and he'd been weighed in the balances and found wanting. My guess is it will not be this night for you and me, but who knows the mind of the Lord boast not of tomorrow, and therefore were to live in a state of readiness for the coming day of the Lord. He will settle his accounts.

He does give talents and third, we see that he blesses faithful stewardship of what interest to us versus 20 and 21 and he had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more saying master you delivered to me five talents here. I've made five talents more his master said to him, well done good and faithful servant. You been faithful over little, I will set you overmuch enter into the joy of your master and I'll tell you, you will never hear more beautiful words than that. That should be that the cry of every heart in this room that when the curtain falls on our lives and the play is over, as it were. We passed through the pearly gates we get to hear these glorious words from the King of Kings and Lord of Lord looking us in the same well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master.

He said the same thing to the to the man who is given to talent. He was productivity he produced two more talents well done again. But to this third man who took his talent and buried it was not productive to playing it safe. Who tried nothing and gain nothing new, who didn't even invest his talent in the bank working like a little bit of interest. The words are not so beautiful. The horrible words words would never want to hear depart from me, outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth. These these parables contain great encouragement time and again but also great warning does come a day when the door is shut and the accounts are settled, Stewart have you and I been of all that is entrusted to us in this this man buried his talent did nothing with the great gift that God had given time and everlasting punishment was reserved for him. Most of you know Joyce would member of our church great English teacher in her day at Overton high school. Somehow we missed each other was for which I'm sure she's she's just glad I was not her student but she does not hesitate to give me assignments and so I been muddling my way through the Inferno and I'm in the depths of hell. I must tell you it's very's very slow going. I can't wait to at least get the purgatory and eventually to Paradise, but I did notice that the new scholars know more than I but in the early portions of the Inferno. Shortly after Dante pass through the gate of hell. He heard many suffering souls the rights here signs with lamentations and the loud moans resounded through the air pierced by Lodestar that even wept at entering various tons horrible languages. Outcries of low men. Dante asked Virgil his guide oh master. What is this I hear what race or these who seem so overcome with woe and Virgil answered fascinating words this miserable fate suffer the wretched souls of those who lived without praise or blame with ill band of angels mixed who nor rebellious proved nor yet were true to God but for themselves were only the words they pass their lives in selfishness and apathy and indifference to the will of God. And so the final question is, what have we done with what the Lord is given to us and we been indifferent to have. We been apathetic carefully, even if we just have one talent that's a great privilege and a great opportunity, much less five. Have we buried it. Have we used heavily. Have we hidden it or have we been productive as God given us money, right.

Well, no friends you to say.

Happiness is a positive cash flow is a lot of truth to that of her using it the right way. Are we using it the right way over using what God has given us to spread the gospel far and wide or just to build bigger bar for ourselves has given us the ability to preach and I'm not just referring to this kind of preaching that were all called to proclaim the good news. How beautiful are the feet of those who spread the good news and how shall they hear without a preacher, but have we preach the whole counsel of God unashamedly without bowing and cowering to the, the cultural idols of our day in order to tickle the ears of our audience. Have we present unashamedly or heavily compromised as God given us gifts of service wonderful thing to give a cup of cold water every done it in Jesus name, because we love our neighbor as ourselves or just to feel good about yourself, about children. Children are an unspeakable gift. Are they not have. We have a given those few years we have to raise our children that we been wise stewards of that and raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord or have we raise them in such a way as to been taught to be true to themselves only you come up with your own illustration.

Everything we have is come to us from God. So what have we done with merit hit our light under a bushel, or unashamedly preached and taught and lived and served for the glory of God in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ. This what it means to be ready to have our boots on, until the day we passed through the pearly gates seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness to seek him and find it only seek form with all heart. None of this apathy and now this indifference, someone writes a little poem, part of which says this, we are not here to play to dream to drift. We have hard work to do and loads to lift Sean not to struggle. Face it, it is God's gift.

For some reason reform people are afraid to talk about good works. Hospitals where we are afraid of being misunderstood. We love Ephesians 2 we love verse eight we love verse nine we forget about verse 10 that we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.

True faith works. True faith serves true faith breach is true faith shines.

Are you ready are you boots on how many of you know Ravi Zacharias but I get more hands on that you know he went through the pearly gates this past week in my humble opinion, perhaps a man without peer in terms of being an evangelist in the Christian apologist. In today's world is raised in India. Of course, send his ancestors were Hindu priests. He was raised in the Anglican church had no interest in the things of God whatsoever. As a young teenager's mother took him to a palm reader. Look at his palm and said you will not travel far or very much in your life. There is no future for you abroad when you 17 years old he tried to commit suicide and is in that hospital bed that he put his boots on and decided to serve Christ know the next 20 years, God exposes the folly of that palm reader by heaven and preach in Canada and the United States to military prisons in Vietnam to students in Cambodia and in one year alone. Of those 20 years he preach 600 times in over a dozen countries from England throughout Europe, Middle East and to the Pacific rim and that was just the beginning of a lifetime of international ministry with a mission of helping the thinker believe and the believer think it was a five talent man, at least, and he produced five more, and as a pastor, those pearly gates. He must've heard well done.

Which by the way can be translated as bravo that bravo Ravi well done good and faithful servant. He doesn't ask us to be Ravi Zacharias.

I'm relieved by that trust your relieved by that to but he does expect faithful stewardship of us and he promises to bless that to entrust even more to do so until the day comes, we passed through the pearly gates. This keep the boots on. Let us serve our master seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and let our light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to our father in heaven.

So helpless. Lord, thank you for the for the promise of these rich and beautiful rewards and just hearing the commendation from you, Lord, we we don't deserve it. We know that we yearn for it.

Nevertheless, and so please please help us.

We are prone to selfishness and the jealousy and apathy but help us to work and servant preach and give your glory for the growth of your kingdom. Fill us with your spirit.

We pray in because you were to come alive in us. Give us faith.

What we cannot see or understand. Give us passion for your purity that we may one day hear bravo well done good and faithful servant in Jesus name we pray. Amen