Pastor David Michael's Sermon from Sunday

Daily Devotion
The Parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30)
This parable, like all other parables, drives into our hearts a spiritual lesson that goes beyond the "physical" illustration. The story gives us an ability to grasp the spiritual or theological teaching at hand, also, it keeps these truths hidden from those to whom it has not been given, "So that seeing they may see and not percieve, and hearing, they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and thier sins be forgiven them (Mark 4:11-12)."
What do we find in this parable? A master who entrusts his goods to three of his servants. The servants are entrusted with the masters talents. We are told what each servant does. The master goes away for a long time and when he returns, he requires of the servants to give an account of what they have done with what has been entrusted to them.
Jesus is the Master, He is Lord. He has gone away at present. He says in John 14, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and recieve you to myself; that where I am, there you may also be." He entrusts us, as His servants, with varying measures of his gifts, whatever that may be: children, money, jobs, circumstances, friends, hunger, poverty, cancer, illnesses of different kinds. The list goes on and on. The question at hand in this parable is: "What are you doing with that which He has entrusted to you" Not, what are you doing with that which he has entrusted to someone else. If he has not given 10 talents to you, it is because he has determined in his wise council to give you what you should have.
Our eyes ought to be on what God has entrusted to us, and how we can be the best stuards we can. He will come again and require from everyone an account of what they have done. My children are learning- you will give an account to the Lord Jesus for what you do. You will give an account to him for what you have done with what he has given you. What you do with your mind, your body, your emotions, your heart...
Why are we giving such accounts? Why teach our children such things? Because all things belong to God. All things are His, "For from Him and through Him and to Him are ALL things..." I want my children to grow up with a theology which gives glory to God for all his gifts. They are being taught, if God gives us cancer in the family, it is in His wise council, "Don't waste your cancer!" Use it for the glory of Christ! If God chooses to bless us with a child who has a handicap- use it for His glory! If He gives us $200,000 a year use it for his glory! Because we will give an account to Him of all we have done with what He has given.
Oh, how I long to see my children, my wife, become more and more like the first two servants in this parable. They are the types of people who have truly "Tasted and seen that the Lord is good." I don't want them to say of our Lord, "I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed." Do you know what the Lord will say to them on that day? "You wicked and lazy servant...take from him what has been given to him...and cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teethe." And, "Depart from me you worker of iniquity for I NEVER KNEW YOU!" Oh, how I pleade with God that this would never be the case in my home. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Serve the Lord all the days of your life and be ready to give an account to Him on that day! Oh, be ready to give an account to Him!
Brother Jason