Skip to content Multiply Part 2 with Kenny Luck Feb 11 · 41 min ...more
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Introduction to Multiplying: The Parable of the Talents 0:00 Welcome to the men's global livestream. If you have a Bible, just hold a spot in Matthew chapter 25. We are in a series called Multiply. And just as a headline,0:12 when anybody multiplies anything, there's more of whatever that thing is, not less. And that's really the big idea of this series,0:24 spiritually. So when Jesus, in the context of talking about his return, is telling a story about a master that gives a significant amount0:35 of money to a few of his servants to manage while he is away and then returns to see what he they did with it. The headline is0:47 this, what did they do with what I gave them? That's the parable of the talents. A master gives his servants, a sum0:59 of money, pretty significant. And when he returns, he wants to know what did you do with what I gave you. And in part 1, we laid a strong foundation for the multiply series by going1:11 direct to the words of Jesus and unpacking that core idea to really see a fresh the master's heart and to see a fresh the1:22 servant who understood the master's heart. And in part 1, we identified 5 things God has entrusted us with that he desires for us1:35 while we're here on earth to multiply before he returns. And those are life, salvation, relationships,1:47 natural and spiritual gifts, and material resources. So now what we're gonna do in parts 2 through 6 is we're gonna keep unpacking Jesus's1:59 words. We're gonna look at each 1 of those areas and how we can multiply that specific area practically so that we can hear. Those same words2:11 when we meet the master face to face, well done, good and faithful servant. And to get us thinking in the right direction for part 2. I want you to to think2:23 tools, okay? You own some whether you have a full workbench and your whole garage is built around your drills or whether you have 1 of those little, you know, those little boxes of2:35 tools. Here's what is the common denominator. You have tools because they're created with specific jobs in mind. Right? I don't know about you, I love a good2:46 tool. Right? I even thank God. I don't know if you've done that, but I thank God for a good tool. Why? Because it saves me time, it saves me energy.2:58 It makes hard jobs easier. Right? Right tool, right job, right purpose, right, and you multiply3:10 that creator of that tool's intention. Right? I mean, I brought a couple props here. Hey, man. I don't gotta love that thing, man. And that gets into some places where you need to go. It makes3:22 turning that thing easier, and you don't have to break your wrist to get there. Right? I mean, who doesn't love a good exacto knife? I mean, come on. This thing, how much time and energy has that3:34 saved you such a precise line? Alright. But you know what? I think I think I think every man appreciates a great power drill. It's got the bits that come3:46 off and, you know, you got that little box with all the bits and I mean, how many pictures have you hung? I mean, can't do it without that thing. Anyway, enough about3:58 that. Here's why I'm doing this. The Bible says that you are his workmanship. Right? You're created for good works4:09 just like Cobalt, the designer of this tool has created this thing for some work. Just like Stanley creates this exacto knife created for specific work. And just like Bosch,4:22 the maker of this drill has created this drill for specific work. And just like there's nothing more frustrating than trying to use a butter knife to to get out a deeply embedded screw.4:34 Right? You, as God's workmanship, created with a specific purpose in mind, you're gonna be frustrated and you're gonna be unfulfilled when you attempt to4:46 live outside the creator's intentions. Right? So today, we're gonna talk about multiplying our lives through aligning our lives with the creator's4:58 intention. So as I discussed at the beginning of this session, let's go to Jesus' words, let's expand a little bit and unpack the multiply message again, and then we'll spend the balance of5:10 the session talking about how we multiply the life God has given. So if you got your downloaded notes, you're going to see the definition of multiply. It's a verb and the verb means5:22 this, to make more or become greater. Progressive growth in size, amount, or intensity. And so let's focus on Jesus' words5:34 that that unpack that theme. And we find those words in Matthew 25 and we're going to expand the verses that we cover, in today's session. Starts in5:46 verse 14, this time, and Jesus says, it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them, To the 1, he gave 5 bags of5:58 gold, to another 2 bags, and to another 1 bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received 5 bags of gold went at6:10 once and put his money to work and gained 5 more bags. The 1 with 2 bags of gold gained 2 more. But the 1 or the man who had received 1 bag went off, dug a hole6:22 in the ground, and hid his master's money. After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received 5 bags of gold brought the other6:34 5. Master, he said, you entrusted me with 5 bags of gold. See, I have gained 5 more. His master replied, well done, good and6:45 faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's6:57 happiness. So let's unpack sort of the expanded verses that we covered today. Let's unpack those simply and we're going to focus just on some new7:09 dynamics. And the first thing I want you to notice is that the proportion was customized. Alright. Now, I don't want you to think because 1 servant got 5 talents, 1 got 3, and7:21 1 got 1, that that is not a lot. Okay? 1 talent or 1 bag as the the Bible says is 63 pounds7:34 of a currency. So think 63 pounds of silver, 63 pounds of gold. So that 5 talent servant or7:46 5 bags, that's that's a lot of dough. K? 3 bags. Right? 18000 pounds of whatever and, and then even the the servant that7:58 got 1 talent or 1 bag, that's 63 pounds of gold. Let's put that in today's vernacular. That's almost 2000000 dollars at the current price of gold. And I think I8:10 think the lesson there is not every man has the same bank account or same profile, but what God allots to every man,8:22 it's still in his mind. It's a lot and has great value. So I just want you to pause and think about your life and think about the8:34 customized proportion of things that God has entrusted you with. Now whether you're the 1 bagger or the 5 bagger, it's a8:45 lot. Right? Number 2, what we see is private character recognized. You'll notice in the passage, he says, good servant. Well8:57 done. Good servant. You know what that's a recognition of? That's a recognition of character, and I want you to connect character with this multiplying servant.9:09 Who hears that? You wanna be a multiplier? Start developing some good character and you will multiply the life that God has given you. Right? And then third, you see private9:21 conduct. So he says, well done good servant, there's character, and faithful. Right? There's conduct. Coming out of that good character is this faithful9:33 conduct where just defined by the word faithful, he takes risks with what the master has entrusted him in order9:45 to multiply and create more with what he's been given. He's faithful to multiply, and I want you to connect those 2 words as well. If9:57 you wanna be a multiplier of what God has given you, then you have to be faithful to take some risks to multiply whatever it is that10:08 God has given to you. Fourth, we move from private, you know, character and conduct to public recognition. Write that down. Right? He's telling,10:21 well done. Okay. Now that's that's an attaboy. Right? And that's also indicative of what the master upon his return wants to say to everyone of his service.10:33 That's Jesus's heart. Jesus is not stingy with recognition. He just wants us to see us be good and to be faithful, to have character and have that10:44 character expressed in conduct that that shows that we understand the heart of the master. So there's there's public recognition. And then what's cool about this is there's also public10:56 promotion. Write that down. So not only is there tracking, right? Well done. But then there's this trusting, this new trusting which is I'm gonna put you in charge11:09 of a lot of things. And if you kind of watch the domino, even though the proportion is customized, right, each man is allotted and given things, Really what11:20 we need to focus on is, man, we gotta develop that character. That character is gonna be expressed in conduct, and Jesus is tracking. He's the master. He's tracking our character11:32 in conduct. And if our character if we develop our character and become good and that that character produces conduct that honors his heart, he tracks it and then he's gonna11:44 trust us with even more. You know, some of you are listening. You're like, gosh. Why hasn't god, you know, given me more? Or how come I don't have more influence? Or or how come11:56 I don't have, more responsibility? Or why don't I have that title? Can we just go to this text and just identify that, you know, before the promotion came,12:09 there was character and there was consistent conduct in that character. You know, some of you God wants you to hear this,12:20 where you're praying for more, you want that promotion, you want to grow, financially, but you know what it takes to do that and be a multiplier,12:33 for God, is it requires character, and conduct that can manage the weight of receiving more. So God may have12:44 you in a in a circumstance where he's he's he's developing your character first before he's gonna bless you with more because he he doesn't want the blessing to get12:56 you sideways in your relationship with him. He doesn't want it to send you in directions that that you don't wanna go. And, God's more concerned13:09 with your character than he is your comfort. So that's that's a a good lesson to see there. Now, in the Bible,13:21 you see, this theme of being careful with what you're given and making the most, and we see it in Ephesians 5. We're gonna put those verses on the screen. Let's read that together. It says13:32 this, so be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act13:44 thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. I love this verse because it sort of supports everything that Jesus is saying in13:56 the parable of the talents about character and conduct, and it it just it's so clear right here in Ephesians, like, be careful. Take care.14:09 To do what? To live intentionally. Right? You have 1 life. Live to multiply it. Live intentionally. Take care. Well, what does that14:20 look like? Well, make the most of it by understanding what it is that the Lord wants you to do. We're gonna unpack that even further, in14:32 today's study. So there's our let's look at the words of Jesus. Let's pull out some new dynamics related to the parable of the talents, and, let's get some strong momentum going14:44 for us in terms of multiply. Alright. We're going to we're going to transition and now move to that first area that we discussed in part 1 where we're going to talk about multiplying my lifeMultiplying Life: Aligning with God's Creative Intention 14:56 by aligning it with God's creative intention. You'll see that on your notes. Let's go back to a verse that we used in part 1. It's from Job 33 4. Let's read that15:08 together. It says, the spirit of God has made me and the breath of the almighty gives me life. K. So there is you and then there's15:20 your creator and the truth we're trying to connect is there's a there's a creative intention, right, behind him creating you. You're his workmanship, right?15:32 So now let's look at what you're created for, right? God's word declares, and write this down, it's your first big fill in under how you multiply your life. This is what you need to know. What's God's intention?15:44 Number 1, I'm created for his pleasure. Write that down. I'm created for his pleasure. In the book of Revelation, it it it talks about this in15:56 chapter 4 verse 11 says, you are worthy, oh lord our god, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and they exist16:08 because you created, listen, what you pleased. Isn't that a great thought? You know, when something is pleasing to anybody, it's satisfying a16:20 desire. And if you make the connection between you and you have a creator and he created you and he was pleased in creating you,16:32 what it means is, God wanted you created because it was gonna satisfy a desire inside of him.16:43 I know that's mind blowing and it should be. That every person that's alive right now, that God has created, it is pleasing that he created. It16:55 satisfy him. It satisfies a desire. God wants you. God wants every person you see created, and it's satisfying a personal desire that he had.17:07 Just press the pause button on that. So no matter where you are, no matter what you're going through, no matter what's happening around you in your circumstances, just know the17:19 fact that that you're alive and you're a living being, it satisfies a part of God's heart. Pretty cool. Now when we come into17:31 relationship with our creator, he deposits a couple specific things that are in line with that intention of pleasing17:42 him. We read about it in Philippians chapter 2 verse 13. It says this, for God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do17:54 what pleases him. Pretty cool. So God deposits a desire to please him, and he gives you the power to please him. Now some of18:06 us are running a little low on on the power thing. You know, maybe circumstances have beat you down. Maybe you're running a little low on on physical energy.18:18 Good. Because then you get to be the you're a candidate for power that's not yours. You're a candidate for supernatural power, and that supernatural power is going to,18:32 come in you and go through you so that you can do in this moment what pleases him. I wanna talk to some of you right now. You're on you're depleted. You're out of energy.18:44 Life's kicking you in the butt. Okay? I just wanna declare upon you power from Jesus, power18:56 from the Holy Spirit, power to do the next thing that pleases him. Not all the things, just the next thing that pleases him. And for many of19:08 you, you're hanging on by fingernails, and the next right thing is to try to get maybe your fingers on on the on the place in the cliff. Just get your fingers around just so you can hang on a little stronger.19:21 For others of you, that may may mean you gotta do something hard. For others of you, you might need to be obedient. For others of you, that may mean19:32 you you're gonna have that conversation. For for a lot of you, it means just being courteous when you're low and not projecting your fatigue physically or emotionally on19:44 other people. Why? Because you're created for his pleasure. God is gonna give you I declare in his name, God is gonna give you not just the power, but the desire.19:57 Your desire is gonna be refreshed, and you're gonna do the thing that pleases him. Now what we wanna cover lastly under this heading of, gosh, how do I multiply my life? I'll I20:09 multiply my life that God's given by aligning it with his creative intention. Number 1 creative intention is I made you to bring me pleasure. We see Jesus do that20:21 and we're gonna make a connection. We read about that in John 8 29 and 30. It says this, and this is Jesus talking, and the 1 who sent me is with me. He has20:32 not deserted me, for I always do what pleases him. Catch this. Then many who heard him say these things believed in20:44 him. Kinda cool. Right? The 1 who sent me is with me, hasn't left me alone, for I always do what pleases him. And even in verbalizing that, people20:56 go, Yeah. You do. You do please him. And they come to faith. You know, I'm I'm thinking about the greatest evangelistic tool is a life that consistently and in21:08 faith and obedience pleases God. Think about that. But what I want you to hear is each of these things that we're talking about in terms of multiplying our life by21:19 aligning it with our creator's intention. This first 1, I'm created for his pleasure, Jesus models that. Right? And what Jesus models for us is meant for us. In21:31 fact, God wants us to be like Jesus. So if this is Jesus and Jesus is in me, on an increasing basis, this will21:43 be me, and it's not contingent on circumstances. I'm gonna do the things that please God, okay? So you wanna know how to multiply your life? Well, you align it with21:55 the creator's intention, and the first intention God has for you is to bring Him pleasure. The second intention, write this down, I'm created22:08 to reflect his goodness. Wow. How many dads out there? Isn't that what we all want? We want our kids to reflect the best in us and mute the parts that are the worst in22:20 us, And when they reflect the best in us, that makes us jump for joy on the inside. It helps helps us kinda stick our our chest out and say, yeah, that's my boy. God feels the22:31 same way. Look at what it says in Ephesians 2 10. It says, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus, listen, for good works which God prepared22:43 beforehand so that we would walk in them. Okay? So there's the Creator's intention, and that's for you to give Him pleasure, and like the next domino falls, well, how do22:55 we give Him pleasure? Well, we give God pleasure by reflecting His character. Well, what's God's character? Well, God is good. So when we become good people on23:07 the inside in our character and that goodness is expressed in conduct, we reflect the goodness of our father, much the way a son,23:19 when he does the same thing, reflects the father in your family. We're in God's family, and we reflect the goodness of our heavenly father. Listen to what it says in first Peter23:31 chapter 2 on this theme. For god called you to do good even if it means suffering. Just as Christ suffered for you,23:43 here's your example, and you must follow in his steps. So I'm taking great pains to look at these intentions23:55 that the creator has for us and linking them to Jesus. And the reason I'm doing that is because if this is Jesus and Jesus is in you,24:07 then this is going to look more and more like you, right? Now again, on this point after, you know, I'm created for his pleasure and on this point of I'm24:19 created to reflect his goodness, listen to the words of Jesus talking to people. Right? John chapter 10 verse 32. Jesus said, at my father's direction, I have done24:31 many good works. For which 1 are you going to stone me? So again, Jesus models for us what is meant for us, that24:43 Jesus reflects the character of his father through his good works. And again, good works saves nobody. Jesus did all the24:55 work, but once we are saved, we transform into the likeness of Jesus, and Jesus reflects the good father,25:07 and we start reflecting the father through our good works. So you see that we have the pattern in Jesus of reflecting God's goodness. Again, Jesus what Jesus25:19 models for us is meant for us. So I'm created for God's pleasure. I'm created to reflect his goodness. And then third, the third intention is I'm created to fulfill25:31 his vision. And I want to I want to kind of paint a picture of this, from the Bible where you have a man and then you have God25:43 kind of walking a God's man, in this case it's Jeremiah, into this understanding. And I want you to listen for this understanding. Right? Jeremiah chapter 18 verses 1 through25:55 6. This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. Go down to the potter's house and I will give you my message. So I went down to the potter's house and I saw him working26:08 at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands. So the potter reformed it into another26:19 pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, can I, can I not26:31 do with you Israel as this potter does? Declares the Lord. Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.26:43 And I love that story because when God the potter enters the life of a man, something happens. There's a26:54 stopping and there's a starting. We stop living the life we think we ought to live. We we stop living the life we feel we deserve to live. We stop living the27:06 life we our feelings tell us or our fears tell us we should be living, and we stop living the life others feel that we should be looking. And we start living the life god27:18 created us to live and calls us to live. And when we do that, we demonstrate that we know the master's heart, and we multiply what the27:30 master has given us, our very life, and we're on our way to well done, good, and faithful servant. You see, the clay,27:42 which is you and me, is forming around the potter's vision, not the other way around. And and that's that's something that that we need to hear as god's man.27:55 That sometimes in our own minds, in our own hearts, we lift ourselves up. And just as silly as it seems for the clay to tell the potter how to shape28:07 it, that's what we do. The clay's job is to be humble in the potter's hand, you and I. The clay's job is to be28:19 flexible in the the potter's hand. The clay's job is to be teachable in the potter's hand. And and and another28:30 aspect that I love about what Jeremiah was shown by the Lord was when Jeremiah observes that the pot that28:42 he's observing the potter shape, the clay in it was marred. So that means that it was it was misshapen and it's like a piece fell off or something28:54 happened, but it was marred. And some of you watching this live stream today, you believe a lie. You believe that you're29:06 marred. Maybe there's some unresolved pain, or maybe there's some lie that you believe that is rooted perhaps in some trauma or some29:18 formation, and it it just it's so torn into your heart and spirit that that you feel like you're less than, or you feel like you're marred, or29:30 you feel like and you know what god is saying? It's alright. Because you know what? I'm gonna take that marred part of your life, that trauma, that29:42 abuse, that, injury where part of you died. God's gonna take that marred part, and he's going29:54 to re re reshape it, and he's gonna make something new out of you because he has a vision. He the potter can redeem even the marred things, and I love that. So you imagine this wheel spinning30:06 and something falls off, you know, just like like the wheels fall off your life or something happens, and then the potter just kinda catches it. And then the wheel is spinning, and then he just starts shaping it. And he30:17 starts redeeming it, and he starts repurposing it, and he starts transforming our pain into a purpose. And and maybe there's other people that that have been through something that we've been through. And as the30:29 potter has taken the marred places of our lives and reshaped it, we can then step into the life of someone who feels marred and broken, and it's fatal and it's final, we could say, no.30:41 God wants to use this for his glory. I love that. You know, Jesus, again, as we talk about how we are created30:53 to fulfill his vision, created for his pleasure, created to reflect his goodness. And in this, as we're talking about pottery and clay, created to fulfill his vision,31:06 sometimes that involves hard stuff. Right? Sometimes God's vision for us is not our vision. And we read about a moment where Jesus runs31:18 smack into a vision God has for him on earth that collides with feelings and collides with fear.31:31 And then we see him work through it and it's for us. We read about that in Matthew 26 verses 37 to 39. And I love that he did this in community. Listen, we'll rule the film. And31:43 he took with him Peter and the 2 sons of Zebedee and began to be grieved and distressed. And then he said to them, my soul is31:55 deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and keep watch with me. And he went a little beyond them and fell on his face32:06 and prayed, saying, my father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not as I will, but as you will.32:19 Wow. There's a there's a collision of vision right there. But Jesus models for his men that fears32:31 and feelings will not pollute God's vision for him on earth. And aren't you glad he didn't let fears or feelings pollute32:43 God's vision for him on earth, which involved suffering for God's glory. And because Jesus did not allow fears or feelings to cloud God's32:55 vision, for his experience here on Earth. We're all going to heaven. That that's what's on the other side of multiplying a life here on33:07 Earth like Jesus. That's what's on the other side of pleasing God. That's what's on the other side of reflecting the good33:18 character of the father through good works. That's what's on the other side of fulfilling his vision for your life. Not someone else's, not fear's33:30 vision, you know, not the vision, that your wounds suggest, but God's vision. I33:42 love that. And so when we when we when we see Jesus' battle for God's vision for his life on earth and we see him33:55 move to fulfill that vision. That's when what he does gets multiplied. He multiplies his life here on earth. Talks about that in Romans 5 19. It's not on your notes, but it says just as through the disobedience34:06 of the 1 man, many became sinners. So also through the obedience of the 1 man, many became righteous. See, the multiplying factor of allowing34:19 your God's vision in a moment, which looks like obedience in the moment, looks like faithfulness in the moment, looks like saying no to yourself to say yes to God34:31 in a moment and going against fears and feelings, the consequence of what is on the other side of that small axle of choosing to fulfill God's34:42 vision is monumental. And again, that's Jesus. Jesus is in us. Increasingly, this is us. So34:54 that's the what you need to know in terms of multiplying the life God has given you. What do I need to know? You're created for his pleasure. You're created35:06 to reflect his goodness. You're created to fulfill his vision. Now, what about the how? How do I live and please him? How do I reflect his goodness? How do I35:18 fulfill his vision for my life? Thank god Jesus kept it super simple. In fact, that's what the guys who were following him35:30 wanted to know the most. They're like, Okay. Alright. I'm in. Like, Where do I put my energy? And we read about that in Matthew 22. Let's roll the film on perhaps the35:42 greatest question ever asked. Right? Let's let's let's read Matthew 22 verses 37 to 39. It says, teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?35:54 And he said to him, you shall love the lord your god with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, you shall love36:06 your neighbor as yourself. On these 2 commandments depend the whole law and the prophets. Now, the question that was asked, you could rephrase it36:17 very easily. What he's really asking is, how do I channel my energy here on Earth prior to entering eternity with you? And then which is the greatest priority?36:30 What's the greatest commandment? And, you know, there was there's a lot of commandments, you know, at at that point. You know, there's a lot of commandments in the law. There's a lot of do's and36:42 don'ts. There's a lot of men taking the original do's and don'ts and creating thousands more do's and don'ts, and Jesus just goes distills, just goes, oh.36:55 And he said, you know what? Here's where you put your energy. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, whoever you're with, do that thing in that space,37:07 place, and context, which shows love for God or shows love for people. There's your filter. Put all your push all your chips to the center of the table on37:18 that and put all your energy into that, doing that thing in that moment, space, place or context that will show love for God and show love for people. There you37:30 go. 1 filter, a bunch of different expressions based on where you are, who you're with, what the situation is, what's going on, what the relational context is.Show more In this video 0:00 Introduction to Multiplying: The Parable of the Talents14:53 Multiplying Life: Aligning with God's Creative Intention37:42 The Simple Path: Love God and Love Others
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