Bible Text: Matthew 25:14‑20 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: End Times
Are We Responsible?
Why is there something in us that wants life to be fair all the time?
But LIFE isn’t fair
IRRESPONSIBILITY will eat a hole in your soul like acid.
Benjamin Franklin: He that is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else.
The issue isn’t how to make life fair. The real issue is what we’re going to do with the hand we were dealt.
As Believers in Jesus we highly value giving of our time (schedule), talent (abilities) and treasure (finances).
Jesus understood the potential seduction of material things and the liberation that comes through our right handling of our possessions.
500 verses on prayer and faith.
2000 verses on money and possessions.
16 out of 38 parables are about how we handle our money.
1 out of every 10 verses in the Gospels (288) deals directly with how we gain, save and use our possessions.
Matthew 25:14‑30
We have Biblical Responsibilities
Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a trip. He called together his servants and gave them money to invest for him while he was gone. He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last — dividing it in proportion to their abilities — and then left on his trip.
The man = Jesus
Journey = time He is away from earth between his first and His second coming
Servants = Believers, visible church with whom He has entrusted responsibilities.
We all have been given kingdom RESPONSIBILTY according to our God given ABILITIES.
The emphasis of this parable is upon common accountability. We all have different individual abilities and therefore different levels of responsibility but the SAME ACCOUNTABILITY!
The point of the parable is: What does each servant do with what he/she has been given?
Accountability
The message of accountability is not equal return; it is a measure of individual effort according to each individual’s ability
 
As believers in Jesus Christ we all have different capabilities and opportunities and we will produce different results while working with equal faithfulness and devotion.
We are Responsible for God’s Assignment
The servant who received the five bags of gold began immediately to invest the money and soon doubled it. The servant with two bags of gold also went right to work and doubled the money. But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money for safekeeping.
Maximizing Opportunities
We are held Responsible for how we invest in God’s Kingdom
After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.
You were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things
Enter into the joy of your lord
If you cannot do the LITTLE things right, you will never do the BIG things right.
Luke 16:10 If you are faithful in little things, (then) you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.
This servant who hide his talent did not know the Lord
…a hard man, reaping where he had not sown, gathering where he had not scattered…
We will receive a reward for our RESPONSIBILITY and consequences for our IRRESPONSIBILITY
Take the money from this servant and give it to the one with the ten bags of gold.  To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Everybody has something to INVEST in God’s Kingdom
Accountability and Judgment
After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
One day we will have to give account for our life and the investment of our resources
The bottom line is this: to whom something is given—regardless how great or small—something is required.