Before I Leave... A Life Well Lived
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Before He left, Jesus wanted to make sure that we understood that the expectation of Jesus' coming should determine how we live today.
The question is: How do I live ready in light of having to meet Jesus?
The answer is: I do business for the kingdom until He comes.
Doing Business Until Jesus Comes
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30 NIV)
The expectation of the day of Jesus' coming changes the way that you live today.
What was clear was that Jesus was communicating that He would be a long time in coming, and that while He was gone, He was entrusting His wealth to us to do business for His kingdom. He said that He is going to make a return, expecting to receive an increase on the investment that He has made in your life.
In today's economy, the amount that the wealthy man doled out would have been worth about $247,200 per talent, meaning that:
5 bags: $1,236,000 turned into $6,180,000 2 bags: $494,400 turned into $988,800 1 bag: $247,200 was buried and remained $247,200
As an investor in the stock market, you expect a return on your investment. Jesus is an investor and thinks the same way in regard to individuals and churches.
At the very foundational level, Jesus has made an investment in your life through the knowledge of God given to you through the Scripture, the Holy Spirit to regenerate and empower you as a Christian, and the church community through which you can grow and be on mission with others. He has also given you time, talent, and treasure that you are to put to work as a steward of His wealth. This includes your intelligence, your opportunities, your family, your relationships, your connections, your skills, your aptitudes, and your career. Jesus wants a return on all of them with each day being one wise, obedient effort built on top of another.
There were different amounts of gold distributed. Jesus is highlighting here that it is about being faithful with what you, not someone else, is given.
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:48 NIV)
To those who have more, more is required, because it is a stewardship. It is about reaching your God-ordained potential for service and leadership in and through the church to serve Jesus.
"With great power comes great responsibility." -Uncle Ben, Spider-Man
Does it matter what I do with my life today?
You are saved because of what Jesus has done for you on the cross, but you are rewarded by what you do for Him. Simple knowledge of God is not enough.
You should desire to have your life make great impact for the Lord Jesus Christ, through your family, through your ministry, through your giving, through your profession. With deep humility and a heart of service, God wants your life to leave an eternal mark on the world for the kingdom of Heaven.
What will eternity be like?
People who have been faithful to Jesus will be ruling over cities in His restored creation (Luke 19).
Is it works or faith?
It is your faith in Jesus, your high priest, who has made atonement for your sin, which leads to obedience to Jesus, the prophet, who points you to His word and expects, as a king, a return on His investment in your life by the works that you do as a son or daughter for your Father's kingdom. This is where your time, talent, and treasure come into play. How will you invest it to see people reconciled to Jesus and see His kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven?
The stone masons give us a clear picture of the mentality of stewardship when we see even work as worship: http://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLAD34E4565D1C69A5&v=a0PEkkGh2u8&feature=plpp
Downton Abbey is a a fantastic example of attention to detail in only eight episodes per season. It has become an international phenomenon, and should we not put the same effort into helping to make ready the wedding banquet of the lamb?
When you are introduced to the love of God and the truth of Jesus' return, it should provoke you to ask questions. Have you been hoarding that which Jesus wants returned to Him with interest? What have you done with your gifts, talents, and the knowledge of Jesus? Have you invested them in the church and others so that Jesus might see more people come to know Him? What have you been doing with the finances (gold) that God has entrusted to you? Have you been investing it for kingdom advance, or have you been wasting it? How have you utilized your time? Has it been invested or wasted?
Oscar and Kartika are a great example of this with their restaurant. (Pastor Rollan shared about an upcoming Easter fundraiser and soup kitchen outreach.)
You always start with faithfulness in small things to be given much.
Today marks the one year public anniversary of Second City Church! This establishment of this church and where Jesus wants it to go - it is no mystery about how it has or will continue to happen. It has been the story of God building a family through people who are faithful in church attendance, faithful in giving, faithful in inviting friends, faithful in meeting new friends, and sharing the gospel with both old and new, faithful in discipling and being discipled in places like community groups. (Several photos of the church's first potlucks, outreaches, baptisms, services and more were shown by Pastor Rollan.)
We praise God as the story continues with several more baptisms taking place today!
Verse 24 of Matthew 25 is a classic case of God's sovereignty message misconstrued and the understanding of God's work gone wrong.
How do I hide my talent in the ground? I live as a taker not a giver. My walk with Jesus is all about me and not what I can do to serve the church, the world, or the people in it. I am inconsistent with the things that I do, and Jesus ultimately will call me a wicked, lazy servant.
The unfortunate thing is that because these people have squandered the gifts, talents, time, finances, and resources that were entrusted to them, they get the same fate as the rebellious, thrown into Hell where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The waste of what God has entrusted to you is sin. There are sins of commission, what we do, and omission, what we do not do, though God says that we should. Both are judged, and God calls us to repentance in both.
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:17 NIV)
Your fear of failure, not knowing enough, or simply believing God will do everything Himself will not be an excuse. He meets those who step out in faith, provides resources to those who need it, and has told you to do business with what He's entrusted to you.
The question is: What has He entrusted to you?
Where have you been committing sins of commission? Where have you been content and deceived to think that you can commit sins of omission? Both can be rectified by going to the cross of Jesus in repentance today, but Jesus is saying it must be done.
Jesus does not dole out His property blindly. If you are faithful with what He has given you, He will give you more. If you are wasteful or bury it, He will take it from you and give it to others who are faithful. Which one will you be?
You should always be looking to advance, always looking to give Jesus a greater return on His investment in you. You have to know what matters to Him to make that happen.
The truth is that when you read this, it can become a tremendous weight if you don't first understand the sacrificial love of God revealed in Jesus. This is the theme of all of the Bible. God is passionate about you, pursues you, and has demonstrated His most ardent desire to be a good Father to you. He invites you into a living, dynamic relationship with Jesus, through which all of this becomes a delight. Because of the love of our Heavenly Father, it is a pleasure to bring Him glory as we bask in His kindnesses expressed through the cross, His constant provision for our lives, and His intimate care of our souls. It is through our daily time of being ministered to by Jesus that we see that He is gentle and humble of heart, drawing us into an easy and light yoke by His grace. We are through this able to flip the two-sided coin of devotion to God through adoration of Jesus on the one side, and the healthy fear of the Lord on the other.
It has been said that, "It's not a matter of the years in the life but the life in the years." This is a very true statement of my dear friend, Jordan Lewis, who recently went to be with Jesus. He knew the love of Jesus and was delighted to spend His life on Him.
I was always impressed with Jordan. He was one of the godliest young men I've ever known. The way he lived his life is the goal of every parent, minister, teacher, spouse, and friend.
Jordan began as shy kid. As he grew, there arose a mixture of boldness, kindness, and wisdom. Like Jesus, he grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and men (Luke 2:52). (Pastor Rollan shared pictures of Jordan throughout the years ministering and with his newlywed.)
Some highlights I remember from his life include him: - saying, "We're going to reach my school." He began a McDonald's Broughton High School outreach. - serving as Youth Band Leader. - acting as conscience and "Jiminy Cricket" of the group.
Everyone loved him - that infectious smile. He would always be so gracious to make you think you were the funniest thing alive.
I remember taking note about how clearly everyone saw what a special young man Jordan was, especially at his manhood ceremony. It seemed only appropriate that on his mission trips that followed, he was part of a swat team called the "Man Team," plus helped share the gospel with unreached people groups in Tanzania. (Pastor Rollan showed a picture of him leading the first villager from that tribe to Jesus.)
Jordan was always dropping a line, even as he graduated from college and began his career at a bank in Oklahoma. Because of his life and witness, many co-workers came to know Jesus there.
As he began his battle with cancer, he was the consummate host in his home, showing continual hospitality to those who only wished to care for him.
Jordan will undoubtedly be a part of the welcoming committee for all of us who proclaim Christ as Lord! Jordan lived in a way that he was ready to meet Jesus and set an example for us all.
May we all aspire to do as much to glorify Jesus in our lives as Jordan did in the time that he was with us. May we all live in such a way that we, too, will hear from King Jesus, "Well done good and faithful servant. Come and share in your master's happiness."
Second City Church- Before I Leave Sermon Series 2014