Risk

Today on Summit life pastor Jamie Greer talks about biblical risks when you invest something to run the risk of losing it altogether. Right. Maybe it's a better idea to cling to what you got maybe it's a better idea to hold tightly. Maybe it's a better idea to just know possess it and enjoy it for yourself. Hold onto it. This parable shows you that such a mentality is wicked to be obedient just to risk what you have for the kingdom of God with pastor Jeannie. I'm your host, smiling. The about you but whenever I've made a big change in my life. Things like starting a new business or moving to a new state getting married or having kids, there's always at least a little bit of fear that comes with it. Like, what if it doesn't work out with things just get harder or we end up losing everything.

Sometimes it's easier to just maintain the status quo right but today pastor Jeannie explains that if we want to do great things for God's kingdom involves some risk. The challenging conclusion of our series titled staying after Katie 25 verse 14 Jesus is telling a parable is set for the coming of the kingdom of heaven will be like a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted his property to one he gave five talents, to another to another. One talent, each according to his own ability. Then he went away. One commentator says you ought to translate that badge of gold 15 badge gold want to bash gold one bag of gold on bed no say in what they receive. Each received, according to his own ability to charge how much they got they were in charge of investing all that they had had received for 16 so you had received the five talents went once and traded with them and he made five talents more so. Also, you have the two talents made to talents more but you had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hit his master's money, not for a long time, the master of the servants came to settle accounts with them you have received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more say master you delivered to me five talents look here. I made five talents more for you is master said to him, well done good and faithful servant even faithful over a little.

I will set you overmuch enter into the joy of your master verse 22, when all he also who had the two talents came forward say master you gave me two talents. Look, I've made two talents more is master said to him, well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little. I will set you overmuch enter into the joy of your master the same exact statement he made much less for the master but he started with much less so he gets the same exact statement because he did with the first guy did and that is he invested everything he was given for the kingdom of the master verse 24 but he who had received the one talent came forward say listen, by the way, listen to the difference in tone and how he thinks about the master master. I knew you to be a hard man, reading what you did not. So gathering were you scattered no seed so I was afraid and I went and I hid your talent in the ground here.

You have what is yours but his masters answered him, you wicked and slothful servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gathered where I scattered no seed, you ought to have invested my money with the bankers and at my coming I should ever see 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 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 and cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This servant was condemned not for what he had done before.

What he had not done and I say that because most of us think of the concept of wicked we think of it in terms of people who break the commandments right to someone who murders that's breaking though you don't want a commandment so that makes a person wicked or somebody was sexual deviant or somebody who lies or somebody who in vessels, but here you see that wicked can apply just as much to a failure to invest your life to the fullest potential for the kingdom of God as it can to an egregious violation of the laws of God.

That's a very important and very sobering concept, wicked and worthless can apply every bit as much to someone who just fails to invest his or her life to its fullest potential for the kingdom of God as it does to someone who stands an egregious violation of the laws of God. What in this third servant investors died of gold wedding. This wedding invested by a gold I'm sure, but it's all risky is when you invest something you run the risk of losing it altogether right so maybe maybe it's a better idea to cling to what you got maybe it's a better idea to hold it tightly.

Maybe it's a better idea to just you know, possess it and enjoy it for yourself. Hold onto it. This parable shows you that such a mentality is wicked to be obedient to your writing things down job is down.

To be obedient is to risk what you have for the kingdom of God. John Piper wrote a book little scrollable called risk is right, in which he explains that throughout the Bible. Most believers fact look at it see that most of the Bible characters are put in situations where they are called upon to take risk for the kingdom of God and never really sure how it's going to turn out. For example, David and Goliath is one I've used with you before, but here you got David had no point in the narrative about David, is there a huddle where God tells David what's about to happen. You'll find Apple Davis saga. His what you knows me and not 1/2 foot giant, you're gonna face yet you little slingshot in your rocks and want you to sling a rock and hit him in the head. Don't worry about it I'll make the rod nowhere right in between that you helmet everything out getting you the cut is at all that's out in a good app that never happens.

David sees a giant that's not 1/2 feet tall. David thinks I think that that johnnies be put down on think on the gotta do it takes her slingshot is the only one not all Israel takes her slingshot and rocks and he walked out there and he put the giant down. He was unsure entirely of how that was going to turn out. He took a risk another one in the book of first Samuel, that's actually I prefer even more than the David Glass toward all anybody knows about it on the straight mystery Jonathan and his armor bearer attacking a garrison of the listing soldier. Jonathan was David's best friend Jonathan and his armor bearer are out. Cut your wandering through and they see this huge garrison of listing soldiers and little Ford up on top of bail and Jonathan says I think God wants us to take down a garrison of Felicity, but let me read to you. My favorite part of the story is how Jonathan persuades his armor bearer to go with them. Listen to this I can't summarize it is just too good when it's actually ready person reporting six. Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men of listings. Perhaps the Lord will act on our backups. Nothing can hinder the Lord, you know from saving further by me for my future. Perhaps if under armor bearer. I'm like, I'm sorry bro, if you're taking me out to attack an entire garrison of listing soldiers by herself. I'm to be more than your perhaps I do need something written down at the says this is the will of God. But they do it.

They took the risk and God gave them the victory. Queen Esther, if you know that stories remember this from Sunday school point*the Queen in a very pagan place, and she knows she's gotta take a risk to be able to save Israel. You know how it's going to turn out. You know how she we know she had no Esther 414 if I perish, I perish.

She has no idea but she knows that she is in this place.

In this kingdom take this risk and she does it. Paul's entire life was one risk after another.

Piper says this in his book.

Paul never knew were the next blow would come from everyday he risks his life for the cause of God, the roads were not safe. The rivers were not save his own people, the Jews were not safe.

The Gentiles were not safe. Cities were not safe. Wilderness wasn't safe. The seat wasn't safe. Even the so-called Christian brothers weren't safe. Safety was summarize it simply did not exist for the apostle Paul, the entire early church was an example of a generation who wrist every time they preach a sermon every time and in a convert every time a little prayer meeting every time he did a miracle they were in. They were putting themselves at risk to be put out of existence, because they were small.

No legal representation. Everything they did was a risk knowing that they could be snuffed out of existence by forces much more powerful than them say, but I want some time to guarantee God rarely gives his people. One by processes listen is the will of God that we be uncertain about how life on earth will turn out for us and that we therefore take risks for the cause of God.

What happens if you don't take risks for this parable shows you don't take risks parable tells you very plainly what happens during Old Testament example this think the nation of Israel who is about to go into the promised land in the survey sent out 12 spies through the spies come back Reggie 1212 and come back with different reports as a group, attended them in the group and Tim says hey there are giants in this place on me like big Manny like Giants like there twice our size we felt like Mrs. Lewis as we like grasshoppers next to them.

Whenever you got grasshoppers and giants going at it never works out well for grasshoppers this is bad and beyond the other two sponsored that's all true, but we think God wants us to take this place. He gave us his land that they we should go in there. Israel was persuaded by the 10 probably not permanently. They just thought hey, let's take a little time.

What kind of work of our resources a little bit come up with some strategy. Maybe forms of new weapons and they hesitated God's verdict on their hesitation was wickedness. In fact, is really interesting when God characterizes the report of the 10 spies he calls it a wicked report. Here's what's fascinating about that. Not a single word of what they said was untrue. Not a single word. It was weighted because it was not accompanied by a risk that says we will go in despite the danger and we believe that God will give us the victory God smoke, there's 10 spies with a plague. They immediately died and then Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and every single one of them died when I sing one of them. Saul, the promised land. See risk is dangerous in the kingdom of God but do not risk is even more dangerous because you are guaranteed the displeasure of the Almighty God.

So here's my question to you. What are the rest to which God might be calling you.

Maybe it's new ministry to God is put on your heart. Maybe it is to pursue adoption. Maybe it's a divinely directed career change. Maybe something that's maybe something little closer at hand. Maybe it's forgiving somebody maybe is to share Christ with somebody God's put it in you to do that but you know that you put a lot of risk to open your mouth and make that testimony maybe is to begin to reorder your marriage God's way to do it his way and if you're afraid it might be to just be obedient to God in your finances because every time we talk about this. You know in your heart that you want to be honoring God with your finances but your afraid it's not that your heart's not willing, it is what you like.

I gave God the firstfruits how I can take care of myself. You have to take that risk. Obedience always involves risk. Your choices are to obey and risk order disobey and live under the illusion of safety in the guaranteed anger of God will taken at risk produces fear doesn't write you know what the gonna parable said was 25 I was afraid. How do you overcome that fear you overcome that fear. The answer is revealed. I believe in the different attitudes. The servants have for their master. Once you invested their talents.

There filled with a sense of eager anticipation of the first to relight, but the third one euro the difference for your right I knew you were a hard man. He's even critical. You reap what you did and so I was afraid there two things, the faithful servant habit. The unfaithful servant did not number one.

The faithful servants of the trust in their masters goodness, and I gave them a freedom and a confidence in risky the apostle Paul who I told you was a risk taker. Here's how he described usual glimpse of them over the Romans exact, something else, but he just if you just go ask him why he took these kinds of risk. Verse 31 Romans eight what then shall we say to these things.

If God is for us to be against us.

If God is into these wrist and he's the one that I'm following who could possibly stand against McHugh did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all. We not also with him freely give us all things both.

I look when I was his enemy, God gave Jesus to die on the cross for my sin. God is that in heaven now, keeping score where I mess up we can pounce on the and and I like take you for mass me down and say you screwed up not get a chance to punish someone. God is he who shall bring any charge against God's elect. God is the one who would actually bring charges against me, but God is the one who justified me who is the one to condemn Christ Jesus as the one who died more than that he was raised is now the right hand of God interceding for me. Could separate me from the love of Christ will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or danger resort know all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us why because I'm sure that neither death nor life, angels, nor rulers. They present things to come. Powered height or depth, nor anything else in all creation could ever separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, Paul says I will risk if the cross reveals how God feels about me. How would I not feel safe jumping into his arms. If the cross reveals how God feels about the world. Why would I not ask God for great things. If the master is in control of the markets in the which I'm investing. Why would I not take great risk for the kingdom of God if I know that the cross is what he is invested in the world.

While I'm not ask God for great things. I wrote several years ago this thing that I use in my atomic article, the gospel prayer.

I talked to you a few years ago. The last phrase of the gospel prayer. Part four is this, as I pray, measure your compassion by the cross in your power by the resurrection which means I want to see my world to the lands of what Jesus accomplished on the cross and I want to start to ask God for things that are in line with the measure of the love that he demonstrated at the cross.

Once you begin to look at your worldview that lends are we asking for things that are worthy of the sacrifice that he made his best shirts dreaming in line with the greatness of his sacrifice to the size of our prayers match the size of his sacrifice. Do not insult his sacrifice to small dreams and we prayers the see the problem with our dream summit is not that they are two bigots that they are too small because Jesus shed his blood and he said if you just ask. I will give you what you ask people asked me out to be the nations as your inheritance, and so I don't think that we honor God would sit around and talk about just how to protect our church and how to how to preserve our children. Yes, I want to preserve our children, but I want to convert anybody else children to why because Jesus died for them. We serve a God who went to a cross.

That's his statement of love for the world and he raised from the dead.

We believe that he still speaks and dead people still come out of the graves spiritually. We believe he still gives sight to the blind. We still believe that he makes the lame in their hearts walked we believe makes them rise up and leap like a deer. We believe that he still feeds the hungry multitude. We believe that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. The problem is not that his compassion has dried up is that our faith is no longer in the goodness of the master.

So we will ask based on the goodness of the master and we will attempt great things for God. Mass is for you personally for you personally is what you're doing with your life worthy of the price that he paid arguing to get to heaven and feel like after you walk into heaven yeah what I did with my life was worth the cross. Maybe your retirement years with people here, over the age spectrum is how you're spending your retirement worthy of the price that Jesus paid. I believe that every single one of us is an amount to be in a mentality. Every one of us that says is my life worth the price that he paid him. I am best in a return am I giving this away because I believe that the cave at the Masters plan is the one that is important is what you're living for work, him dying for, not a hero complex is not a lust for adventure bravado, the need to earn God's will that lead people risk that a certain personality type is just faith in the ever loving, ever faithful son of God and we leap their trust in the master's goodness they had number two a desire to share their masters joint and desire to share their masters joint side about his return. They are excited about seeing his kingdom expansively risk so the master when he returns using two things. He gives them.

You see these greater responsibility when I five got 10 right and he gives them a greater share in his is a great word for Joyce the work horizon Greek evening carrot means the light share in the Masters delight now greater responsibility. I will confess to you, I'm sort of let you down. I do not understand or know exactly what it means when it says that those of us who been faithful here will get greater authority and responsibility. I don't know exactly what is talking about but I know that it's taught multiple places in the Bible and that those of us who are faithful with what God gave us here were not responsible for how much you gave us those of us were faithful to invest 100% of what God gave us here.

God gives greater authority and responsibility there. That's what happens then he gives him a greater delight was a joy that drove Jesus was in the heart of God. That is almost indescribable. Hebrews 12 to refers to it when it says for the joy set before him.

Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, what it means is that when Jesus was entered into the worst torture any human being had ever experienced.

Listen, he was driven by joy. There was a joy in his heart that caused the cross to seem almost meaningless. The joy was so overwhelming that even the greatest sacrifice felt like nothing you come to a point when you get saved we realize that the joy that was driving him was the joy of seeing you saved when you grasp that when you begin to follow Jesus. That joy begins to become yours. When that happens, watch your hold on your stuff loosens in your hold another people tightness because you begin to realize what Jesus died for you begin to realize the only thing that matters. How much have you leveraged for eternity. How much have you done without.

How much have you lived on less than your talents or treasure and your time and invested it for. The only thing about actually matters because the old, the master returns uses.

By the way to clear up something I said last week I gave the statement got only loves a cheerful giver as some of you asked this question to fair question. All of what happens when I don't feel cheerful and if our honest/week, I would've told you now them some a lot when I was when you don't feel cheerful.

Sometimes you get is an act of faith, knowing that one day I'm going to glad that I did.

Sometimes my heart is a feeling, but I cannot fast forward and say there is coming a day when the master returns and I'm glad that I invested who had life by faith believe that I'll be joyful and repent. I'm not joyful right now and ask God to change my heart right now and I'm giving I'm not happy, I'm angry and resentful, but I'm a do it because I believe that the master returns and one day I'm going to be glad Faith is living in a way, now that you know one day you will be glad you did. That's what faith is. So some church I ask you again what opportunities for risk. Do you have in the Bible the opportunities very, there were never the same. Rahab was a high despising David by John the disciple to be 5000 all different point is not always puts his servants in situations where they are called upon to risk risking what opportunities God is God during for many of you the real risk is more than writing a check is easy enough, the sidelines and engaging in ministry reaching out to a coworker going on your first mission trip. That's the risk. Are you ready to engage your listening to Senate life and today we've come to the end of the short but powerful series called staying faith. If you miss any of the messages in this study. You can find an online free of charge@jdgreer.com were getting ready to close the books on another year and quite frankly we need your help to finish well we know God will provide that. We'd love for you to be the one he uses to do that when you gave your helping more people hear the gospel in 2021 and seven reality Senate life is your ministry. In addition to a year-end gift. I also like to personally invite you to take your partnership to the next level this year by becoming a gospel partner gospel partner is someone who commits to supporting Senate life with an ongoing monthly donation.

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Jamie often talks about the importance of using our resources for God's glory and that includes the resource of turning this planner will help you stay organized and also includes Bible verses and a Bible reading plan to remind you to keep God at the center of every day. Ask for a copy of the 2021 Senate life, day planner, when you donate today by calling 866-335-5220 866-335-5220 request the planner when you give online Jamie Greer.com you can mail your donation request to cleaner write to Jamie Greer ministry, PO Box 12293, Durham, NC 27709 Molly benefits join us Tuesday at her into the season with some Christmas teaching methods, title here tomorrow Senate life