THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS 

Join us as I explore the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25:14-30. We discuss the importance of stewardship and the responsibility we have over the gifts and abilities entrusted to us by God. Discover the significance of using our talents not just for personal gain, but to bless others and further the Kingdom of God.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to the Parable of the Talents
• 5:00 Understanding Stewardship and Responsibility
• 10:00 The Importance of Utilizing Our Talents
• 15:00 The Consequences of Fear and Laziness
• 20:00 The Call to Action: Serving Others with Our Gifts
• 25:00 Conclusion: Striving for Faithfulness in Our Calling

Chapters

• 0:00 Reading The Parable Of The Talents
• 4:45 Why Jesus Uses Parables
• 10:45 What A “Talent” Really Means
• 18:00 Natural Gifts, Spiritual Gifts, And Purpose
• 26:30 Character, Capacity, And God’s Allocation
• 34:00 Gifts For The Profit Of All
• 41:00 Trading Your Talent In The Marketplace Of Life
• 49:30 Celebration, Condemnation, And Eternal Rewards

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

I wanna share with you guys uh the parable of the talent. You know, one of the parables of Jesus spoke about the parable of the talent and um the context in which we're gonna examine this uh scriptural reference. It's gonna be in Matthew chapter 25 verses 14 to 30. So if you have your Bible, just join with me in Matthew 25, 14 to 30 so that you can follow along. Jesus is trying to convey the kingdom of God through using parables. And one of the parables to illustrate the kingdom of God is the parable of the talents. And I believe this parable highlights stewardship and the utilization of our talents. So we're gonna read the actual reference in Matthew 25, verses 14 to 30. I'm just gonna read the entire verses and then we're gonna break it down.

SPEAKER_02: 1:06

It says, For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country.

SPEAKER_01: 1:20

That's interesting. Call his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two and to another one.

SPEAKER_02: 1:40

To each according to his own ability, and immediately he went on a journey. Verse sixteen. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also, but he who had received one went and darked in the ground and hid his Lord's money. After a long time the Lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. Verse 20. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Look, I have gained five more talents besides them. His Lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful over few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord. He also who had received two talents came and said, Lord, you deliver to me two talents. Look, I have gained two more talents besides them. His Lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord. Wow. Verse 24. And then he said, then he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours. Wow. But his Lord answered and said to him, You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, interesting, and gathered 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 my own with interest. Interesting. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has ten talents, for to everyone who has more will be given, and he will have abundance. But from him who does not have, even what he has, will be taken away and cast, and then cast this unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and garnishing of teeth. Oh my god. This is a very interesting parable. Especially us as ministers. We are um managers, because another word for stewardship is management. Whatever you and I we possess belongs to God. You know, talents, my definition, is the goods that God has delivered to each one of us inside of us. That is why if you look, if you look at the um the pronoun his mine, it shows possession that whatever we have, God owns it. So that is why we have to be very, very careful that this talent that I have, it's not my own. So I can't just do whatever I want to do with my talent. These talents have been given to me to make them useful, to profit the body of Christ, to profit my family. This talent God has given to me, it's not just for my own personal use, it's not just for my own gain. We are being blessed with talent so that we can be a blessing. So everything that we possess belongs to God, and God one day is gonna we're gonna settle an account with God, and we're gonna hear from God. Either we are faithful, good and faithful servant, or we are lazy or wicked. That's gonna be the feedback when we stand before God regarding our talents. That God is gonna give us a feedback, either well done or poor job, either good and faithful servant or wicked and lazy servants. And I pray that that will not be our portion. Now let's break it down. Um why why why does Jesus Christ speak in parable?

SPEAKER_01: 6:55

So parable is it's pretty much uh an illustration to convey common life experiences, which is what Jesus has done. And also one of the definitions of a parable, it's an earthly story with an heavenly meaning. So Jesus Christ uses parables to to demonstrate and show us and reveal to us spiritual heavenly meaning.

SPEAKER_02: 7:18

So he's taking the day-to-day um interactions, the day-to-day elements, the day-to-day items, the day-to-day things that you and I would relate with, especially during his time to relate spiritual truth, to relate heavenly vision to the people. And that is why he used this talent to illustrate that hey, this is how the kingdom of God is. It's like a man entrusting his goods to his servants. Again, we as ministers, we are called by God and we belong to God. Just as our talents belong to God, just as we as believers, we have been redeemed by Jesus Christ, we are not our own. So we don't really live our life on our own. Honestly speaking, we as Christians, I can't even talk about we as ministers, we are not on our own. And when we are servants of God, everything that we do for God is for God. God is in charge, is in control of our time, of our resources. That is why sometimes when we're asking God, I want you to bless me with this, God is always having in a mind, okay, if I'm gonna bless my daughter, if I'm gonna bless my son, how they're gonna use that blessing, how they're gonna be a blessing. So we need to have this in our minds that whatever it is that we're asking God for, whatever it is that we possess, it belongs to God. And it's not just for us, it's to be a blessing to others, it's to be a blessing to others because God is the king and he wants his kingdom to reign, and we have to acknowledge him as a king. So when he gives a parable about the kingdom of God, pretty much Jesus is trying to highlight in our hearts that he is the king, he wants to reign not just in heaven, he wants to reign, not just on this earth, he wants to reign in our own personal lives. And the reason why Jesus uses parables is because Jesus didn't want the kingdom of God to be so obvious because sometimes in life we take the things of God for granted, you know, because oh, they're foolishness, you know. Why why why should I believe on a dying man on the cross and he resurrected? And when I believe in this dying man on the cross and he resurrected, my sins are forgiven. Oh my god, to the Greeks, this is foolishness, this is nonsense, but these are eating truth. The cross is the power for salvation. So Jesus uses parables to to disclose spiritual truth to his disciples, to those who are willing to follow him, and those who were not willing to follow him, he doesn't disclose or explain the parables. And we read the book, the gospel of Mark, chapter 4, verse 10 to 12. Let me read that quickly. Because after he gave a parable, the disciples were like, Ah, Master, why are you speaking in parables? It says, But when he was alone, those around him with the 12 asked him about the parable, and he said to them, To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. That's why Jesus speaks in parable. Because when you oh God, the Bible says that we have to be heavenly minded. One way to be heavenly minded, we have to seek the things above, and another way to be heavenly minded, we have to set our mind on the things above. So the things above, they're not gonna come cheaply, they are expensive, they are treasures, they are mysterious. That is why Jesus speaks in parables, not in plain languages, because he said those who are interested, those who want to seek God diligently, diligently, committedly, intentionally, definitely, God will reveal the mysteries of the kingdom. But those who just take God for granted, dishonor God, discredit God, don't believe in God, they doubt God, they are faithless, unbelievers, Jesus will speak in parable. But to those who are outside, all things come in parables.

unknown: 11:16

Wow.

SPEAKER_02: 11:17

So that sin they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand. At least they should turn away from their sins and their sins be forgiven. Now, what is talent? Talent is actually money, it's a scale of balance, it's it's currency. So the talent that you and I will possess is our currency in the marketplace and the workplace of life. So the spiritual gifts and the natural gifts, the abilities that God has endowed in you, they are your currency for trading in the marketplace of life. Life is a marketplace of transactions, life is a place of exchange, give and take. Even in relationships, is give and take. You're working for your bus by offering your time, your skill sets, your knowledge, and in return, your bus compensates you. So life is an exchange. So God has given you something to exchange with, and that is your talent. So the actual definition of talent in Greek, it's it's the scale of a balance. Something that you weigh, it's currency, it's money, it's goods, goods, because that's what Jesus said that the man came and then he uh he delivered his goods to his servants. So your talent is your currency, your talent is your goods, your goods that is the actual sense, but to convey it more in a way that you can understand it is your natural aptitude, your natural skill, your natural abilities that God endowed in you, or the gifts, the spiritual gifts. And there are two types of talents, two types of talents. Number one, your talent is that innate ability embedded within you when you were formed by God, when you were created by God. That is what we call your natural talent at your physical birth. At your physical birth, God gifted you innately, it's inside of you. So you cannot go to the market and buy talent. You cannot ask your pastor to give you talent, your natural talent. You cannot even ask your mom to give you talent. Since today is our children's um ministry, that is why I encourage us as parents, don't try to make your child to be something that they're not. Instead, go to their creator, God, what talents have you placed in my daughter? What talents have you placed in my son? So that I can help earn those skills, I can help cultivate those talents, I can help develop them. If your daughter inside of her, she she has this passion, this potential, this sense of fulfillment that whenever I interact with people, I want to help them, I want to lead them, and she sees herself becoming a prime minister, don't you dare trying to distract them or deny them or detain them or deter them into something else, into becoming a nurse, into becoming a doctor. But when you know deep down within themselves, they want to be oppressed, they want to be a leader, they want to be a minister. You're playing with God, you're interfering with God. And many parents have done injustice when it comes to the abilities of their children. Sometimes they think that it's it's a learning disability or mental health. Your children are not going to be alike. They all have different talents, naturally speaking, and then another talent that you and I we possess. This talent is given at our second birth, that is our spiritual birth when we become born again. So unbelievers only have one talent that is their natural abilities. In it, embedded gifts at their natural natural birth. When you now become a believer, you have two talents. You have your natural abilities, and you also have your spiritual and your supernatural abilities, and down in you there are divine gifts at your spiritual second birth. So we as believers, we have two responsibilities, we have two places that we have to serve. We have number one, our priority to serve the kingdom of God, number two, to serve society. Like I was teaching the other day on Friday that when you and I we are art are heavenly minded, guess what? We shall become heavenly useful, uh, artly useful because Jesus was so much heavenly minded in three years, he was able to accomplish so much for humanity, and that the greatest accomplishment is salvation. So, we as believers we have two essential responsibilities. Number one, we have to prioritize working for God, using our spiritual gifts for the church to edify the church, to build up the church, to advance the kingdom mandates, and number two, to be artly useful because the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10, for we are his workmanship. Wow, how can you be a workmanship of God when you're talentless, when you're giftless? There's no way. So, for you to be God's workmanship, God has embedded in you natural talent that you can use, God has endowed in you spiritual gifts. It says, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Wow, you and I we are created for good works, for good works for the kingdom of God, for good works for our families, for good works for our employers, for good work for Uganda, for good work for Canada, for good works everywhere we go. We should be impactful, we should be influencing with our talents. The cause of the talents, we need to know our hymn of using our talent. What is the cause of using your talent? Jesus said in Matthew chapter 25, verse 14, for the kingdom of heaven. God has given you a talent that is not your own. He didn't initiate that talent within you. God gave it to you, so it belongs to God. So God is saying to you and I dad, I want you to use your talent for the cause, for the advancement, for the promotion of the kingdom of heaven. That's how Jesus started his parable about the talent for the kingdom of heaven. That should be your intention. Why are you using your talent? Now we live in a world with ministers. We are using our talent for our own glory, we are using our talent for our own gratification, we are using our talent for our own enrichment. That is how we manipulate people. Oh, you know what? I'm gonna prophesy into your life, but you have to sow a seed. Oh my god. Jesus asked the Pharisees a question: Is it lawful to do good and to save life? Our talents are given to save life and to do good. Again, when you use your talent for others and for God's glory, that's what that's where your greatness is. You will be blessed in return. You will be blessed in return. Jesus said that when you when you die to self, you will leave. But us as believers, we want to leave, but we don't want to die to self. We want to live to self. We're so selfish, even in ministry. It's all about us. Jesus said, I've come to serve, not to be served. So your talent is given for you to serve, not for people to serve you. That is why in Africa, our leaders, they are they have this talent. Their leadership talent is to be served, but not to serve. And as a result of that, there's no prosperity in the land. When you're making decisions from financial aids that they receive from IMF, all these international uh trade organizations, they use that money just for their own political parties, they don't enrich the nation as a whole. Pastors, ministers, they use that that blessing that God has given them in the ministry for their own houses, for their own fancy cars. I'm not against you. If you work hard, you deserve it. But if that money is coming from the church, use the resources for the church to enrich the church, to enrich God's people. So the cause of your talent is for the kingdom, amen. And then the color, the color, the color here is it's like a man, a man traveling to a far country, and this man is Jesus. This man is Jesus. So we have an identified intention, the motivation, the reason for you to wake up every morning to wake up on Sundays. No what I cannot wait. I am part of the praise and worship team, I am part of the prayer team. I'm gonna go early in the morning because people are waiting to eat of my fruit of talent. People are waiting to be blessed by the gift that God has given me. People are waiting to receive the message that God has put in me. People are waiting to see the deliverance of God in your lives. Do you know the saddest thing why Jesus said you are a wicked and a lazy servant? It takes wickedness for you not to utilize your talent. It takes laziness for you not to utilize your talent. Do you know why some of us we're not blessed? We don't have influences because number one, we are so selfish that our talent is just for our own, and we are so lazy. You see, God, it's a talent. Another thing for talent, a talent is not just the it's not the finished product, it's actually the raw material. God does not give us the finished products, He gives us the raw materials. Now it is up to us to cultivate that raw materials, do that work, my uh raw materials into work and process for them to become the finished product. But us, we want the finished diamond, we don't want to go through the process of our fruits of our talent becoming too useful. That is why character matters. That is why you have to cultivate your lifestyle. It's not just talent that will take you that will take you to the top. What's gonna maintain you, what's gonna sustain you in the top is your character, your majority, your mindset. A poor man can receive millions of dollars, and that poor man can lose that money because they have not developed the inner capacity in their mindset and their and their habits of financial management. That is why a rich person can lose money and and they're able to make it again. Because why? They have already cultivated, developed the mindset of money, and they have the character of money. Don't just pray, oh God, give me money, money. Say, God, give me the character to handle money, God give me the the mindset of success. Because you can God can God can take you out of Egypt physically, but Egypt is still in you mentally and emotionally. So we need to structure our prayer lives that God make me to become successful, not just to have success, make me to become because when you are success itself, anything that you do shall prosper. So the caller here is Jesus, he is the giver because he says he called his own servants and deliver his goods to them. Before Jesus can call you, he had to test you to see if you're a responsible man or woman. Do you know that most of the disciples of Jesus, the 12 disciples, all of them were preoccupied, none of them were lazy, some of them were fishers, men, uh features of men, some of them were uh uh fishers of fish, some of them were tax collectors, some of them were brilliant scholars. Paul was a was a religious scholar, Luke was a doctor. So Jesus is looking for diligent, hard-working men and woman who were already preoccupied to say no what I can trust this lady, I can trust this man because they're so diligent in what you're doing. Because the kingdom of God is not it's not it's it's hard work, ministry is hard work. Our Musumba has to wake up every morning ever since she started this prayer altar. She has to wake up every morning to pray. Ministry is not cheap, ministry is work. We want the glory, but we don't want the story. We don't want to go through the trials and jubilations of ministry, we want the triumph. So Jesus is the giver here of your talents. Now, the called. The cult are his own servants. You are the called minister, you are the gifted minister. Anyone that is called by God is talented. Anyone that is called by God is gifted because there's no way you can stand in front of people without any gift. There's no way God will allow you to stand before his people with no impact, with no anointing, with no spiritual gifts. But God will ensure that he endows you with the necessary gifts based on your own abilities and based on his grace. Look what it says, called his own servant. For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country. Who called his own servants? These are the called. When he called his own servants, he didn't leave them empty-handed, he delivered his goods to them. So the goods belong to them, the servant belongs to him.

unknown: 25:09

Wow.

SPEAKER_02: 25:09

So child of God, we as believers we don't belong to ourselves, we belong to Jesus Christ, and our gifts belong to Jesus Christ. We are not on our own. Paul says, It's no longer I who lives, but Christ that lives in me.

unknown: 25:23

Wow.

SPEAKER_02: 25:23

If you have this mindset that Jesus said, Abide in me and I abide in you, without me, you can do nothing.

unknown: 25:30

Wow.

SPEAKER_02: 25:31

So for you to be God's workmanship created in Christ for good works, you have to be in Christ. You have to be possessed by Jesus. So we see the allocation of gifts according to their own ability. I'm like, God, what do you mean according to their own ability? So you so you're giving, allocating to some five talents, to two uh uh uh uh two talents, to another person one talent. Is it why why are you doing it like that? The Bible says according to their own ability, you have a role to play. If you want more for God, show that you want more for God. Oh God, the kingdom of God is mysterious, the kingdom of God is a treasure, just like Jesus said, it's a treasure, it's not going to come cheap. The Bible said the kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violence takes it by force. You're not gonna be able to cast out demons if your prayer life sucks. There's no way. Jesus said the gifts we're given, the talent we're allocated according to their own ability. Your ability is not just your your your your your strength, it's also your capacity, also your maturity, your character plays a role in you having the fortitude. God looks at your experiences. If I entrust this woman, this man with this, are they able to withstand the pressure? Because, oh my God, the more influenced you are, you become a target of the gates of hell. The more influenced you are, you become a target of destruction. Because you are making impact, you are saving lives, you're doing good because Jesus was so influential. Oh my god, he was a target of all these religious leaders. The Sadducees, the Sahindrians, the Pharisees, they were constantly attacking Jesus, they were constantly opposing him because he was a man of influence. So God is not going to entrust you with a greater ministry, with so much talent, with so much gift, and you don't have the maturity, you don't have the ability, you don't have the character, you don't have the capacity to handle what God has given you. Stewership, management at your own pace. God will look, okay, my son here, I need to grow him more. I need to put him, I need to allow him to go through many trials, so that when I when I add more gifts in him, he has the the spiritual stamina, he has the spiritual maturity to handle these things. That is why God allows you and I to go through problems. That is why God allows you and I to go through bad experiences, so that those bad experiences can become our ministry. You cannot tell a poor man how to be rich if you were not poor before and now God has made you rich. For a rich man to tell a poor man, a rich man who has never been poor before, to tell a poor man, hey, I can help you as a poor man how to be rich. A rich man will not be able to do it convincingly. A rich man will not have that conviction, that compassion, that courage, that faith to believe that ah, this poor man can come out of poverty. That is why children who are raised from a rich home, they take their riches for granted. And when they lose their riches, it's hard for them to get it back because their parents were the ones who work hard. But somebody who was once poor, when God has made them rich, when they see a poor church, when they see a poor sister, number one, they will have compassion. That's why Jesus Christ had to come, because Jesus Christ is filthy rich. Jesus Christ had to come to understand us, our poverty, our spiritual poverty, our physical poverty for him to understand, ah, my son is poor. Me too, I went through poverty when I was on this earth. You know what? I'm gonna give him my riches. So that is why God allowed our experiences, and those experiences can build our mental, spiritual fortitude that will increase our ability to acquire more from God. So your gifts, it's your capabilities, and your grace is the capacity to handle and to use your gifts. Let me say that again. Your gifts are your capabilities. Your grace is the capacity to handle and to use your gifts effectively. So your gifts are your Capabilities, your grace is the capacity. That is why Paul will constantly say, God has gifted me based on his grace. Because you need the grace of God to handle the gift, or else that gift will kill you. And if you're not careful, anointing can ruin your life. Anointing can ruin your life. Child of God, we should rely on the grace of God because our gift, if we're not careful, can place us in dangerous places. Paul says in Romans chapter 12, verse verse 6 having the gifts defined according to the grace that is given to us. Let us use them. So our gifts are given according to the grace that is given to us, according to the spiritual capacity, to the mental capacity, to the maturity and the character. You know what? You can handle 10 talents. I can trust you. You were faithful in leading uh two people in operal ministry. You were faithful in going from door to door, families to family. No, I can trust you with entire Canada. God is not going to entrust us with Canada if God cannot entrust us with the individuals in Canada. It doesn't work like that. God is a God of principle. It says in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 7, but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. So it is the Holy Spirit that manifests the gifts. And it's for what? For the profit of all. Keep that in mind. Your gift is for the profit of all. Don't use your gifts just to profit you. If you have this wrong intention, oh, I'm going to be a pastor, I'm going to be a singer so I can profit from it. I'm going to monetize my talent, especially your spiritual. You can monetize your natural talents. No, that's your natural talent. But to monetize your spiritual talents, the only way you can preach, people have to pay you. Ah the only way you can sing, people have to pay you. Hey, may God deliver you. May God have mercy. When the Bible clearly states that your talents are given for the profit of all, those in church, for your wife, for your husband, for your children. Our Musumba says something on Monday that her talent is working for her, not just working for church. And she's using her talent of praying to pray for our family, to pray for our children, to pray for the church. Holistic. And 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 11, it says, But one and the same spirit works in all this, distributing to each one individual as he wills. It's the Holy Spirit according to the grace of God, according to his manifestation, according to our own abilities, according to his will. So God has a role to play in terms of the dimension, the measure, the level of talent you receive. Sometimes it could be our own abilities, sometimes it could be just by the grace of God, sometimes it could be by the will of the Holy Spirit. And look what it says in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 11. And he himself gives to some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. Be careful. If God did not give you the you can I think Muslim said that you can have the gift of prophecy, but you might not have the office of prophecy. That's another topic of discussion. You can have the it does not mean that because you have gifts, God has called you to open your own church. That's where many, many, many gifted people get it wrong. Just because they are gifted, they think that automatically now they are leaders. A gift does not make you a leader. Because if that's the case, look at all these celebrities that we watch. Beyonce and everybody else. Look at the type of music that they put out here. They're not leaders, they're not leaders. Leaders, we don't equate leaders with talent, we equate leaders with positive, good impact and influence like Jesus Christ. We equate leaders with service. These liberties, we worship them, they are gods. They're not leaders. So don't don't don't get it twisted thinking that oh now you are you can pray 24 hours, now you can prophesy. Now you want to play in the role of an office, of a prophet, of a pastor. You are you you are pretty much setting the problem for yourself. If God has called you to become an evangelist, stick to it. If you want more, God, I want you to hire the prophetic as well. If God has called you to be a pastor, stick to it. Don't be envious, don't convert anybody else's gift or office. If God has called you to be a teacher, focus on that and work on that effectively, enjoy it and serve people with that. And then their contributions. But they are mainly to serve others. Yes, it's true that you can use your gift for your own self-service, but the intention of God giving you those gifts, those talents, is to serve others for his own glory. We are blessed when we when our gifts bless others. So the purpose of serving with our gift is for the profit of all and to benefit all. Just as we have read in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 7. Now, the contribution. It says, Then who had received the five talents went and traded, traded them and made another five talents. So this man, this servant that was given five talents, again, like I said, life is a trading place, life is an exchange. Your talent is your currency of exchange. So what this servant of God did was he traded, meaning that he utilizes his talent, he uses talent, his service talent in the marketplace. It could be maybe you're in when you read the book of um the gospel of Luke, it says it went to the bank and traded. In our case, we right now, I'm using my my my gifts to teach you guys the word of God. Musumba is using her gift to preach, to teach, and to pray. That is what she's doing. She's trading her talents. So this five talents went in and she traded her five talents, and she was and he was able to obtain five more talents. He was able to get more. And then the two talents did likewise. He had received two gained more. So the two men that received two talents from Jesus Christ went into the trade of life and he was able to obtain two more talents, two more money, two more fruits, two more opportunities. And then the servant of God that received one talent now. Look, but he who had received one went and dug it in the ground and hid his Lord money. Like I said, talent is currency, talent is money. So this one person sometimes when you have one talent, you you say, okay, God, you give Sister A five talents. She can sing, she can pray, she can teach, she can speak in tongues, she can. Oh God, this talent, this woman is talented. Instead of you to focus on yourself, you allow jealousy, you allow envy, you allow grudge, you allow malice, you allow hatred. When God is saying that, but I know, but I gave you that one talent. If you're faithful in that one talent, let me see what I can do. Ken and Abel, because of talents. God said, you know, again, if you do well, I can I can recognize your work, I can recognize your hustle, but Ken deceive his own brother because of jealousy. So if you're not careful, when we start to compare and compete with our talents, that is why I said if you're an apostle, be an apostle. If you're a teacher, be a teacher. If you're a singer, be a teacher. Don't try to be like somebody else. Be yourself and be comfortable in what God has given you. So this one talented man is so wicked that he dogged the ground. Can you imagine you dig your own talent that is meant for people? Do you know that our purpose in life, if it's not utilized, if it's not fulfilled, people can actually be destroyed? Because that person's blessing for healing, it's in your hand. We want God to come down and do all the work of healing, all the work of teaching, all the work of preaching. When God is saying that I have called my servants to carry out these functions of healing, teaching, preaching, delivering, leading. But you, God has called you to lead, but you're there digging your talents, putting it on the ground. And people are saying that, oh God, raise a leader, raise a leader. But God said, I've raised a leader among you. Oh God, shut that up. I've raised a leader among you. But that leader, is that that leader is bewitched, or that leader knows that they are they are called to be a leader, they have not developed themselves and they're wasting time, they are procrastinating. Child of God, we need to take our talent because our talent is confined by time. Our talent, our gifts have to be used within this time frame that we are here on earth. So there's no way you can procrastinate. That's why Jesus says, Seek me first, my kingdom and my righteousness. Stop procrastinating over God. I'm here in Canada, let me make money. And then later on, when I'm in my 30s, when I'm in my 40s, I have time to serve you. Lie, lie, because you don't know when you're gonna go. How would you serve God now? Multi-tax, balance, work for for for Caesar, work for God. But you want to work, you want to spend all your life, not even in your own calling. You don't even find fulfillment in what you're doing. Every day you're stressed. That is why you come to this prayer altar so that God can take your stress away. But the solution is stay within your talent. There's no way you can take a fish and allow that fish to dwell in the land. That you will kill that fish. Because that fish was not created to strive to succeed in the dry land. But when you put a fish in the domain of their own in the waters, that fish will excel. It's like our talents. If you put somebody in the wrong place, in the wrong position, and they're not gifted, they're not talented, they don't have that passion, they don't have that sense of meaning. Oh boy, you're just here wasting your life and adding stress to your life. That's why Jesus said, My body is light, my yoke is easy. And the burden and the yoke that we carry from Jesus is the goods that Jesus has delivered us. It's the goods that Jesus has delivered us. So when we contribute our talents, we are compensated. Child of God, your talent, God ensures that our talents, when they are used, when they are served, we are rewarded in return. You are a blessing to be a blessing. When you are a blessing in return, other people will bless you. That is why our talents is the currency of exchange in the marketplace. Right now, let's say all of us we use our talents. Some of you guys can sing, some of you can heal. If I need healing, I will go to you, my sister, for you to heal me. Because I don't have all. Only Jesus was everything. Paul said we know in parts. I don't have none of us have the fullness of grace. Only Jesus has the fullness of grace. Some of us we have one gift, some of us we have five gifts, but we don't have the fullness of everything. That is why we are interdependent. Our talents are interdependent. I need something from you, you need something from me. Amen. We're almost done. So Matthew chapter 25, verse 16. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded it. It's just to show that when we contribute our talent, we are compensated. So the five and the two talent servants traded your talent in the marketplace of life. Our gifts are meant to be exchanged to contribute to others' lives and receive compensation from the contributions of our gifts. There's going to be a conclusion of your life. There's going to be a conclusion of your life where you're either going to be celebrated or you're going to be condemned. According to this passage that we have read. At the conclusion of your life, when you stand before God, God is going to give you feedback. God likes to give feedback. Remember when He when He created the universe, He said, This is very This is good. After He created the light, this is good. After He created vegetation, this is good, the plants, after He created the animals, oh, this is good. After He created the stars, the moon and the Sun. Oh, this is good. Oh my God. When he came down to the image and likeness bearer of God, he said, This is very good. Child of God, you are very good. You're just like God. You are creative. You are powerful. Oh my God. That is why God does not want to waste the talent that He has put in you. Because He knows your potent. He knows your capacity. He knows what you're capable of. It's you and I, we are the ones that underestimate ourselves. I would say this to any one of you don't ever let any human being underestimate you. I don't care about your current situation. No human being should conclude on you. Because they might know your yesterday and see your today, but they don't know your tomorrow. They might know your yesterday and see your today. They don't look nothing like a child of God, but they don't know your tomorrow. But if you put your trust in God who knows your tomorrow, who specializes in taking what has been debased, despices, despise those who have been so proud, is able to exalt the humble, is able to lift up the poor. So don't ever let anybody diminish your glory. Don't ever let anybody undermine your efforts. It doesn't matter how small it is, be proud of it. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, who believe in your talent, and they're helping you to cultivate your talent. Because at the end of the day, we're going to stand before God. Our gifts are to be used for a limited time. And that is my prayer that child of God, that God will open our eyes to know the urgency. Do you know why when you read the book the Gospel of Mark, the phrase immediately, the word immediately, immediately, immediately, because Jesus wanted to use his talent, his gift in an urgent matter. Because he only had three years to leave. Some of you, if God opened your eyes to see the day you're going to die, you take your life very seriously. But you don't know. So don't procrastinate. The Bible said, and in the end time, use be wise to use your time wisely. So we're going to stand before God. Two things are going to happen. Either we're going to receive celebration or we're going to receive condemnation. Look what it says to the five talents. So he who had received five talents came and brought five others, saying, Lord, you deliver to me five talents. Look, I have gained four more talents besides them. Wow. I utilized my talent. I fulfilled my purpose. My ministry was fruitful. Here I am, Lord. Then the Lord said, Hmm, well done. Well done. Wow. Claugh for you. Again, people might not clap for you. It's okay. Your family might not clap for you. It's okay. The church might not clap for you. It's okay. You might not have uh uh celebrities on on social media, you might not have like a fan or followership, it's okay, but guess who you're serving? You're serving God, it's for God's glory. That day, oh my god, the angels will be clapping for you. The angels will be your number one fan. Wow, thousands of angels said, Oh my god, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, uh um, charity for your talent, thank you, Justin, for your talent, thank you, Ruth, for your talent, thank you for your talent. He said, I have gained five more talents, and then Jesus will say, Well done. Good and faithful servant. Wow, good and faithful servant, those who use their gifts. Jesus considers them as good. You're a good person when you're leading people to Jesus, you're a good person coming for this prayer altar, you're a good person serving in the church, you're a good person interceding for your children, you're a good person praying for your husband, you are a good and a faithful servant. It takes goodness and faithfulness because at times things are gonna be hard. But as long as you're faithful and serving your gifts, people are gonna betray you, people are not gonna appreciate you. It's okay. Continue to do good, continue to be faithful. You were faithful over a few things. Now I will make you ruler over many things, enter into the joy of the Lord. Wow, at the end, what you're gonna receive is a celebration from Jesus, and then God is gonna entrust you more with more things. Child of God, when we go to heaven, we're not just going to heaven to worship, we're actually going to heaven to worship and to work. To work, God is gonna enlarge our responsibilities in heaven. We're gonna be in charge, we're gonna be in charge. That's gonna be our reward to be in charge, to lead. That's why the Bible says Jesus Christ is the King of Kings, is the Lord of lords. Amen. He's the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. And then not only are we gonna receive the reward of leadership, we're also gonna receive the reward of joy.

unknown: 46:48

Wow!

SPEAKER_02: 46:50

Wow! Right now, you're getting that satisfaction, that sense of meaning whenever you utilize your gifts. But you're gonna receive more when you're with the Lord, you're gonna receive more when you enter into the joy of the Lord. Because guess what? You carry the burden of the Lord that is so easy, you carry the yoke of the Lord that is so light. Now the two talents said the same thing. Also, he who had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Look, I have gained two more talents beside them. His Lord said, Wow, and not again. It it doesn't matter the dimension of talents. Those who receive one, two, I believe that the one, if the one would have utilized your talent, they would have received the same celebration, they would have received the same feedback. So the feedback is the same, the reward is the same, the rest is the same. It's just on earth that we receive different gifts, but but the feedback will be the same. We're not gonna hear, oh well done for you. Oh, so so so somehow well done. No, it's gonna be the same because for the two talents, Jesus said, Well done, good and faithful servant. That's what you we want to hear. That's what you want to hear with one talent, that's what you want to hear with two talents, that's what you want to hear with three talents. You have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things, enter into the joy of the Lord. Again, it's the same celebration, the same feedback, is the same reward, reward of leadership, and it's the same reward for rest. Not the one talent, it's excuse. Oh my god. Then he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man. Yes, you see, like I said, God is a businessman, God is an investor. God is an if you have if you're God, God is a businessman, God is an investor, is looking to see where he can invest to reap rewards. So make your life investment worthy, if I may use that word, make your life investment ready. Make your life so that God can say, I can invest in this, in this, in this, my daughter, I can invest in this, my son. He said, Master, you are a very hard man. Yes, you don't joke with God because God, God, God gave those talents because he's expecting for you to come and report back to him. He's expecting accountability and responsibility from you. So we think that just because we have ministry, we're not gonna even give an account to God. It's a lie. We are responsible to serve our our our calling, our gifts, and we're gonna give an account to God for the souls that God has entrusted in us. Reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. Ah, I was afraid and I went and I hid your talent in the ground. Look, dear, dear, you have what it is. Hey, look, Jesus, Jesus was so Jesus is so bold. He said, Okay, you wicked and lazy servant. You see, sometimes Jesus is one of the most straightforward men of God. Jesus is straightforward. He doesn't joke around. If you're messing up, he will tell you straight in his face. He doesn't beat around the bush, he will tell you that you are wicked, that you are lazy, and then he will console you after. He said, You wicked and lazy servant. The two things that can make us to fail in life is wickedness and laziness. Wickedness is a sign of failure. Laziness is a sign of failure. When you're a wicked man, when you're a lazy man or woman, you are failed in life. Wicked and failed and lazy, those two combinations. Wicked, that is life is all about you. Wickedness is not just you doing things to people, that's one thing. But wickedness is also selfishness where life is centered around you. Everything is about you, about you, about you, about you, about you, about you. That's wickedness. And then when you're lazy, you're free to walk thinking that oh everybody should serve you, everything should come easy for you. He said, You knew that I reap where I have not sown. This this wicked servant knew the Lord. He said, You knew, don't try to make excuses. You're not gonna stand before God and start giving excuses. That's why God is bringing this message now. We have no excuse. Because we know what God has told us in his word, and gather we have not scattered. So you have to have the put is Jesus saying that you must, you should, you should. I'm demanding you, I commanded you, I commissioned you, I called you, I graced you, I gifted you, and here you're giving me excuses. Excuses that day, it's not it's not going to be tolerated. Don't go there standing before your maker. Oh, God, you know, ah, I think Uganda was not very conducive for me to become a doctor. Uh Mosuven did not allow me to do certain things. It's a lie, it's a lie. It can be anywhere in the world when you know your talents can be utilized. There's no excuse. Oh, god, I didn't have people to follow me, that's why I couldn't preach. No, start preaching to your children. There's no excuse. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers. Ah, I had expectations of your of you, of your talents. I give you my goods and I'm expecting a return. You ought, it is your responsibility. And I told you that you're gonna give an account to me after. At my coming, I would have received back my own with interest. You know what? You're a wicked and a lazy servant. You see, Jesus attacked his character. Jesus attacked his character. Jesus celebrated the character of the five and the two servants. He says, good and faithful. He didn't say it didn't really mention the talent. His focus was not really on the talent, his focus was on their character. Their character to this other person, you are wicked and you're lazy. Your character sucks. So God is more concerned about what you and how we are becoming, not just what we are doing. Because what we are becoming plays a tremendous role in what we're doing for God. If our hearts are clean, our minds are pure, then why are we using our gifts to do good and to save life? God will recommend our character. God will commend our character. If we don't have character, our character is laziness, complaining, grumbling, God will call us wicked and lazy. So your fruitfulness in others, that is your impact and influence, your fulfillment in life, that is your meaning and satisfaction, your faithfulness to God, that is for God's glory. In summary, to finish this up, is that failure to use our gift stems out of fear. That's what we can learn from this one talent man. He said, I was afraid. Child of God, I want to encourage you, don't be afraid to use your gift. Whatever opportunity that our pastor gives you, take a step and do it. Conquer that fear. Don't allow wickedness to get into your heart. Don't go into ministry or use your gift out of greed, out of competition, out of jealousy, out of comparison. For sure, don't be lazy. Don't be lazy. Life is work. Ministry is work. You have to walk, you have to study the Bible, you have to cultivate your singing gifts. If you don't follow these principles of being faithful and good, guess what's gonna happen to you? God is gonna remove what he has given to you, and God is gonna damn you, he's gonna cast you, he's gonna see you as an unprofitable servant, useless, worthless, wicked. And guess where you're gonna end up in hell? And the key to success, the key to our greatness is this in Matthew 25, verse 1, that's where I'm gonna stop. For everyone who has, this is the key to our success. More will be given, and he will have abundance. But from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. So, what you have, the little that you have, when you use it, when you maximize it, guess what's gonna happen? More will be given, and you will have abundance. Remember the principle in Genesis that God bless us to do what?

SPEAKER_01: 54:56

To be fruitful, multiply, fear, subdue, and dominate. That is the blessing from Genesis that Jesus said, I've come to give you life and life in abundance.

SPEAKER_02: 55:09

Father God, I thank you for this word. Your people have heard, oh God. Help us not to waste any time, help us not to procrastinate. When you called, help us to say yes, Master, yes, Papa, yes, Lord. In whatever little way, oh God, when you call me to serve, help me to serve, to do with all my heart, all the abilities you have given me with the right intention to save life and to do good. God bless you. Thank you so much for your precious time. I don't take you guys for granted. Thanks for listening.