Sunday Setup – Matthew 25:14-30

[music] [music] [music] [music] Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] >> Hey, Cross Church family. [music] Welcome to the Sunday setup. This is our time each week where we digitally gather together in order to preview our passage that we're going to be preaching through this week. And our goal every Sunday is that we pray through that we praise through that we preach through so that we could put into practice [music] God's word. Well, today we start praying through this passage and we are wrapping up our series through the parables. And this is our very last sermon in this series and we're going to be in Matthew 25 uh starting at verse 14. And throughout this whole series, we've been talking over and over again, what does Jesus teach? And he's [music] been telling these stories of seeds and of treasures and of wheat and weeds and of fig trees. And here today we come to the very last one where he tells a story specifically about these men who have been gifted something who have been put something in their charge and how they are responsible for working it. And we pick up in our passage in Matthew 25 starting in verse 14. It says this, "For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent. depending on each one's ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately the man who had received five talents went, put them to work and earned five more. In the same way, the man with two earned two more. But the man who had received one, he went off. He dug a hole in the ground, and he hid his master's money. After a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five talents approached. He presented five more talents and said, "Master, you gave me five talents. See, I've earned five more talents. [music] His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master's joy." The man with two talents also approached. He said, "Master, you gave me two talents. See, I've earned two more talents." His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You are faithful over a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master's [music] joy." The man who had received one talent also approached and said, "Master, I know you. You're a harsh man, reaping where you haven't sewn and gathering where you haven't scattered seed. So I was afraid and I went off and I hid your talent in the ground. See, [music] you have what is yours." His master replied to him, "You evil lazy [music] servant. If you know that I reap where I haven't sown and gather where I haven't scattered, then you should have deposited my money with the bankers and I would have received my money back with interest when I return. So the talent from him and so take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. For to everyone who has more will be given, but the one who does not have even what he has will be given away from him. and throw this [music] good for-no servant into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and nashing of teeth. See, in this parable, this is a great one to wrap up with that we've been talking so much about what the kingdom of God is like, but here it really puts a practice into our hands of what we are responsible for. [music] And I want us to start as we start praying through this passage is we see in the beginning of this in verse 14 it says he called his own servants and he entrusted possessions to them. And I want us to think at the start of this before we can think of how we work for God. We got to think of what we have to work with. And we see that line. He entrusted his possessions to them. And I want us to start with a prayer of thanksgiving. is God. Thank you for entrusting me with God. Thank you for entrusting me with [music] maybe entrusting me with your job, with your family, with your friends. God, thank you for entrusting me with pray that prayer to our God. [music] [music] >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Lord, thank you for entrusting us the gifts that are in our lives. You have given us different abilities. You have given us uh [music] different resources, different places that you have planted us in our neighborhoods, in our careers, in our families, in our circles of influence. And Lord, [music] just let us be thankful for those things. Often times we we can overcredit ourselves thinking we have earned, we have earned, I [music] have gotten here, I have led myself to this place. But Lord, none of it would be possible without you. God, let us reinforce the principles of those in the vineyard that the vineyard is yours. All the work we have is yours, but you have entrusted it to us. And Lord, we not only thank you for what you have entrusted us to, but Lord, there's a responsibility that goes with that. And that leads into our second prayer poem. I I love as this passage continues in verse 15 at the very end. It is so convicting here. The one who had five, this is immediately he went there. There was no and maybe most of us aren't probably five talents if we're honest. Uh I wish I had five talents and we're going to talk more about that what that means. But immediately he went and worked. But what did he do? Immediately says [music] he put them to work. And that's and the same with two talents. He's put them to work. And that's I think the conviction for us in here in our second prayer prompt is we thank God for what he has entrusted us to. But then we also ask God that he join with us and push us and motivate us and show us the way that we can put his stuff to work. So here's our pro pray prayer prompt is God help me put to work blank. God help me put to work my gifting. God help me put to work my finances. God help me put to work my time. [music] God help me put to work my passion. God help me put to work whatever that is. God, help me put to work blank. Take some time, prayer that prayer of action to our God. [music] [music] [music] >> [music] [music] >> God, you are so good. Lord, you have put possessions [music] into our life that we don't deserve. But it's only by your grace because you love us, you have entrusted us things. But Lord, in what we have been entrusted, God, let us put it to work. Let us use our gifting. Let us use our time. Let us use our resources, our [music] money, God, the things you have put into our lives to do the work of the kingdom. God, thank you for Cross Church. Lord, just [music] ask that you start stirring this word of from this word of God, this word from uh scripture in Matthew 25. Let it just stir in our hearts [music] until we get to Sunday. Let us gather together. Let us be encouraged as we pray, as we [music] praise, as we preach, and Lord, all so that we can practice your word and see how it changes our lives and changes the lives of [music] those around us. We thank you for all this, and we lift it up in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you guys for joining us. We'll see you this Sunday. [music] [music] [music] Heat. [music] [music] Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] [music] [music] [music] >> [music]