Sermon Cloud

Faithful Service And Amazing Rewards Luke 19:11-27

The parable was clear to Jesus’ hearers. Jesus was going away to receive a kingship. When He returned, He would establish His kingdom. Until that time His followers were to fulfill the responsibilities He gave them. On His return He would reward the faithful servants and His enemies would be judged before Him.

I. Two Keys To This Parable

The image Jesus uses here would be familiar: Herod the Great (40 b.c.) and his son Archelaus (4 b.c.) had to go to Rome to receive the right to rule Judea. There was a delegation of 50 Jewish men who when to Rome to say the people did not want him to be ruler. He received the affirmation anyway.  Anyone in Judaea, on hearing the parable, would immediately remember the historical circumstances on which it was based.

A. They Were Near Jerusalem

He was preparing them - Saying Goodbye.    Jesus was informing them of His departure. There was trouble in Jerusalem which they were not willing to understand or believe.

John 14:27-29 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. 29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.

B. They Thought The Kingdom Would Appear

1. This Parable Is Different Then The Parable Of The Talents

In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 the servants received different amounts. In this parable all of the servants received the same amount.    It is interesting to note that the word talent has been adopted into English to mean ability.  But in this parable each one is given the same amount.  A Mina (3 months salary) is given to each of the ten servants.

So what deposit have we as Christians received that is the same for all of us.

The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

1 Thess. 2:4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

1 Tim. 1:11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

So,    The Gospel Of Jesus Christ - How do we invest it?

(Living It, and Sharing It)

II. Two Types Of People In This Parable

A. Those Who Reject the King's Authority

Sheep and the Goats Matthew 25 (After the Parable of the Talents)

B. Those Who Willingly Serve The King

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Helmut Thielicke  "The splendor of the cities committed to them will be far less important than the fact that now they are the viceroys of the Lord and therefore among those closest to Him and thus will always have access to Him and be able to speak to Him and tarry in His presence at all times.  Their reward is that in the end the Lord will receive them with honors, that they will be priviledged to speak and to live with Jesus forever.  For heaven does not consist in what we shall receive, whether this be white robes and heavenly crowns or ambrosia and nectar, but rather in what we shall become - namely, the companions of our King."

III. Two Types Of Servants In The Parable

A. Those Who Do Not Believe He Is Coming Back

The servant buried the mina because he did not really believe the King was coming back. But he did not spend it. It was kept just in case the King did come back.  - Fire insurance...

B. Those who Believe He Is Coming Back As King

- Faithful In Little Things -

God is testing men with routine opportunities to advance His Kingdom. the gospel. We need to put the priorities of our lives in place. Starts our commitment worship Him each week by faith.

Jesus was faithful to the family God put him in. Of his thirty-three years of life Jesus spent thirty in Nazareth. Had he not been faithful with the tasks of the carpenter’s shop in Nazareth and the obligation of being the breadwinner of the family, God could never have given him the supreme task of being the Savior of the world.

- Rewards -

The reward that the faithful servants received was not one which they could enjoy by sitting down and folding their hands and doing nothing. One was put over ten cities and the other over five. The reward of work well done was more work to do. The greatest compliment we can pay a man is to give him ever greater and harder tasks to do. The great reward of God to the man who has satisfied the test is more trust.

The parable concludes with one of the most important laws of life. To him who has, more will be given; from him who has not, what he has will be taken away. If a man plays a sport and goes on practicing at it, he will play it with ever greater efficiency; if he does not practice, he will lose much of whatever knack and ability he has. If we discipline and train our bodies, they will grow ever fitter and stronger; if we do not, they will grow flabby and lose much of the strength we have.

If we really strive after God's will in our lives goodness and get a handle on temptation, fresh new power for sharing the gospel will open to us; if we give up the battle and take the easy way, much of the spiritual power we once possessed will be diminished and we will slip from whatever height we had attained.

There is no such thing as standing still in the Christian life. We either get more or lose what we have. We either advance to greater heights or slip back.