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Empowering multimedia ministry for bold Christian living: Weekend Messages, Deep End Podcast, Deep Dive Bible Study. Tim Hatch, Lead Pastor, Waters Church, 26 years of pastoral ministry, book author.
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0:29 Good evening, Waters Church. Good morning, Waters Church. Good afternoon. Whenever you are watching this message, I'm so glad to be able to bring this message to you through the wonders of technology, and I'm0:41 excited for today's message. I hope so far in all of our locations, you've already felt the presence of God. And if you're here for the first time, it is my prayer that it is not the last time, but that you come on0:53 back and make Waters Church your home church. And everyone who comes regularly at all locations said Amen. Amen. Yes. Okay. Tuesday1:04 night, this Tuesday, I'm so excited, we have team night at every location. We have team night in North Attleboro, Woonsocket, down here in Florida in1:16 Apollo Beach, and we want you to be there. 6 PM, there's food and a chance to meet some great new people, And then we're gonna take and separate you out and train you on1:27 how to run cameras, to help minister to kids and teens, maybe to mix up 1 of our amazing coffee drinks or greet, park. Believe it or not, there's a skill.1:39 There's a method to our madness. We want you there. There is nothing better in life than to serve the purposes of God. And if you're looking for a way to get to know people at Waters Church, can I tell you1:51 that this is the best way possible? You will start putting yourself in a place where you're shoulder to shoulder with some of the best people on the planet, the Serve Team members2:03 of Waters Church. Can I get a good amen from everybody out there? Amen. Amen. Amen. We thank God for our serve team members, and we want you to be a part of it. Okay. Speaking of serving, let's get into this2:15 message series for the second to last time. 2 more weekends, and we're gonna talk about last days. So last days, part 4, here's the message, good and faithful.2:27 Good and faithful. And we're in Matthew 25, and I want you to turn in your Bibles to Matthew 25. Make sure that you bring a paper Bible to church. Come on, somebody. You need to have a paper Bible2:39 in your hand. Mark it up, underline, circle, highlight, because a worn out Bible is in the hands of a life that's not worn out. Amen. Amen. Amen. And then if you don't have the paper notes or if you're watching this2:50 online, get to Waters Church dot guide because all the notes are there under the tab called, today's message. So you can take notes digitally, but we also give you notes in house on the half piece of paper.3:03 Let's get into this. Let's remind ourselves of Matthew 25. Matthew 25 is on the heels of Matthew 24. And Matthew 24, when it comes to the last days,3:15 gets all the headlines. Because in Matthew 24, Jesus talks about what? He talks about earthquakes. He talks about famines, pestilence. He talks about the the disasters that are gonna come upon the world. He talks about3:27 how nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And he talks about that there will be 2 women grinding grain, 1 taken, 1 left. There'll be 2 men out in the field, 1 taken, 1 left, 2 in a bed, 1 taken, 13:36 left. And those are exciting, if not kind of alarming texts. They're they get the headlines. They get our attention. They're all about what to look for. And I believe there's a 23:48 part interpretation of that prophecy in Matthew 24. There is the immediate interpretation, which happened already in AD 70 when the Romans came in and sacked the city of Jerusalem, and we talked about it in part 1.4:00 But there's also the ultimate fulfillment of Matthew 24, which is when Jesus returns for the last time and establishes his kingdom on this Earth. And we are waiting for that time, and we wanna be ready for that time. And4:12 we talked about that last time. But here's here's what Matthew 25 says right at the beginning. And I I mentioned this last week. I just wanna remind you this week. The very first line, the very first word in Matthew 254:24 is what? Then the kingdom of heaven will be like. Because here's what Jesus is saying. There's wars, rumors, and wars. There's tribulation. There's trouble. There's nation against nation, and all these kind of things.4:36 Then in the midst of all of that, the kingdom of heaven will look like this. And so last week, we talked about this. What does a last day's church look like? We talked last week about4:48 the idea. Answer number 1 last week was a last church looks ready. But here is today's message, And I want you to write this down in your notes. What does a last church last day's church look like? Number4:59 answer number 2, faithful. Faithful. Somebody say faithful. Faithful. Yeah. Faithful. Okay. I don't want you to miss what Jesus talks about here because he is5:11 unpacking in 3 stories in Matthew 25, 3 separations. 3 stories in Matthew 25, 3 separations. The first 1 last week, 10 virgins,5:23 5 wise, 5 foolish. And at the end, they were what? Separated. And now he's gonna talk about 3 servants. 2 got busy and were faithful.5:35 1 got fearful and was paused, was was stalled out in life. And those 2 were separated from the 1. And then next week, the sheep are5:46 separated from the goats. So what you're gonna see, Jesus says, in the last days is you're gonna see that not everyone in the church is actually part of the church.5:59 Not everyone that comes to your small c church building is part of God's big c church body. And what you have to understand about6:11 Matthew's gospel is that Matthew is constantly showing us that Jesus is constantly separating. He's constantly separating the frauds from the faithful. In fact, you can go through the back book of Matthew.6:23 He talks about good soil and 3 bad soils. He talks about houses built on sand. Not Matthew. Jesus talks about this. Houses built on sand and houses built on the rock. He6:34 talks about the narrow gate and the what? And the wide gate. He he talks about the wheat and the tares. Matthew 13. Last week, the parable of the virgins. This week, the parable of the6:46 servants. And here's what the question is for us today. Are we part of the faithful, or are we part of the frauds? Are we part of the faithful, or are we part of the frauds? I I was thinking about a story6:58 about a man who got promoted to CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and he really got this job through some kind of just almost luck, and he didn't feel like he was really, you know, the7:10 the he really deserved it. So so he had to kind of, like, fake that he was really he he belonged there. So first day in the office, he gets in the office, and he sits behind his desk, and he feels overwhelmed by the7:22 responsibility and opportunity. And a man knocks on the door, and he wants to look busy right from the get go. He wants to look like he's ready to go. And so he quickly picks up the phone, and he7:34 starts talking. And he face felt like, yes, mister president. Right away, mister president. Our cup and the man comes through the door as he's saying, yes. Right away, mister president. I will be on that immediately. I7:44 look forward to seeing you at the next budgetary meeting at the White House. Thank you. Yes. Good day, mister president. Hangs out the phone. He says, yes. What can I do for you? And the man who came through the door7:53 said, I'm just here to hook up your office phone. Yeah. Yeah. That's called being a fraud. That's called faking it. Here's what God wants. He wants us to be real. He wants us to be8:06 real in the church. He does not share these parables to scare us. He shares these parables to prepare us. And every good Christian, listen to me very carefully, every good Christian is doing the8:18 necessary work to check their heart to make sure that they are in the faith. In fact, it says that in first Corinthians, test yourselves, examine yourselves to see you8:30 are in the faith. In fact, the whole book of the New Testament, the collection of books in the New Testament is really a call for us to say, am I really in this, or am I just dangling on? Okay. Let's get into the text.8:41 Would you stand with me at all locations? Matthew 25. Standing with me for the reading of God's word, here's what it says in verse 14. For it will be like a man going on a8:53 journey who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To 1, he gave 5 talents, to another 2, and to another 1, each according to his ability. And then it says this, he left.9:05 He went away. He who had received 5 went at once and traded with them, and he made 5 more. So also the 1 who had 2 made 2 more. But the 1 who had received 1 talent went and dug9:17 in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the 59:29 talents came forward and said, master, you delivered to me 5 talents. Here I have made 5 more. And his master replied, well done, you good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with little. I will set you over9:40 much. Enter into the joy of your master's happiness. Says this in verse 22. And he who had the 2 came forward and said, master, you're you delivered to me 2 talents, and here they have9:52 made 2 more. I've made 2 more. His master said to him as well, well done. And the title of my message, right, good and faithful servant. Enter. You have been faithful with little. I would trust you with much. Enter into10:03 your master's happiness. He also who had received the 1 talent came forward saying, master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering10:15 where you did not satter scatter, seed. So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.10:27 But his master answered him, you wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I have not sowed or scatter seed. Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, And10:39 at my coming, I should have received what was mine and some interest. So take the talent from him and give it to the 1 who has 10 talents. For to everyone who has,10:51 more will be given. Listen to that line again. For to everyone who has, more will be given. But him who thinks he has, even what he has, will be taken from11:03 him. And cast that worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is god's word. Can we pray together? Father, thank you for the11:15 opportunity to hear your voice. We know, Lord, that these words are not, the words of a man, but these words are inspired by the by by the holy spirit. We ask that I will do the very best job11:27 that I can making these words clear to your people. May these words inspire us to love you, follow you, serve you, and may they help us to see11:38 Jesus. In his mighty name, pray, and everybody said Amen. Amen. God bless you. Have a seat. Have a seat. So last week, what does the last church last day's church11:50 look like? It looks ready. Ready for Jesus' return. And I asked you that question last week. Are you ready? But this week, I'm asking you this question. Are you faithful? And I believe that Jesus teaches12:02 us these 2 stories back to back in Matthew 25 because they have everything to do with each other. Faithfulness has everything to do with readiness.12:13 What I'm trying to say is that there's more to being ready than just showing up, than just being aware that Jesus is coming again. He12:25 doesn't want you just aware. Doesn't just want you awake to the fact that at any moment Jesus could come back. He wants you active in the mission. What I'm trying to tell you is that being12:37 ready is not passivity. It's not just going to church and just thanking God that you can go and just leaving. No. No. There's activity to be12:49 had in your life. How many of you like going to the dentist? Exactly. No 1. I hate going to the dentist.13:01 And I hate going because I know that every time I go, I go every 6 months, and that's wonderful. Yep. Good for me. But every 6 months I go, and I know that I'm in for a13:13 question I'm not ready for. What's the question? What do you think it is? Here's the question. Have you been flossing daily?13:25 I am can I tell you honestly? Never ready for that question. Now I I brush daily. I do because, you know, brushing doesn't take that much work. It's a stick. You stick it in your mouth. You're done.13:38 Okay? Well, you do more than stick it in your mouth. You know what I'm saying. Anyway, flossing. You gotta take the wire You you gotta take the floss out. You gotta cut it. It always shears on me. It always frays, and13:49 then, you know, you gotta wrap it around your finger. It takes it takes energy. It takes effort. It's it's exhausting. And here's what happens with me. I leave the dentist every 6 months, and I go 214:01 straight weeks flossing daily, and then I give up. Anybody with me on that? And I get back to the dentist 6 months later, and I have to do the whole rigamarole, the whole routine again. Do you do you14:13 brush daily? Yes, sir. I do. Do you floss daily? No, sir. I don't. Like, that's that's my life. Here's what I'm trying to say is there's a difference14:24 between being at the dentist and being ready for the dentist. There's a difference between being at church and being ready14:37 to be a church. There's a difference between believing in Jesus and being ready. At the end of Matthew 24, Jesus talks about the servants. He says,14:49 there's 1 who thinks, oh, my master is taking a long time, and he begins to beat the other servants, and he begins to take advantage of his opportunity. And then there's 1 who's ready to receive his master, and and Jesus14:58 says the 1 who's ready, who has done his job well. And I love the passage because it says, blessed is the 1 whom the master finds working when he comes back. I've I've just I've adopted that text as my15:10 theme text lately. Adopted that text as my theme text lately. Like, Lord, there's gonna be trials in my life, but I wanna be found working. There's gonna be up opposition in my life, but I wanna be found working. There's15:20 gonna be people who question me and doubt me and criticize me and hate me, but I wanna be found working. I mean, am I talking to anybody in this room today who knows that it doesn't matter what other people say about15:31 you? It doesn't matter what people think about you. It doesn't matter what the world does around you. It matters that the fact that God God's word is inside of you, and God's g God's son is for you,15:43 and God's purposes are ready for you to walk in, and you've gotta do what God has called you to do and not worry about what everybody else thinks. I mean, that's where I am15:55 in my life. It's like, you know, you get to a certain stage where you just don't give a rip anymore about what other people think. You just wanna please Jesus. And I think that that, my friend, is the ultimate sign of16:06 spiritual growth. You don't care anymore. How about what others are doing around you? You just want to serve Jesus. And I'll tell you something. Nothing is16:18 more liberating than that. Nothing is more freeing than that. But here's what I wanna unpack for us, this idea of faithfulness. You see, we've got this16:30 wrong assumption about faithfulness, that faithfulness means that I just keep believing. No. No. That's that's only part of it. Faithfulness means that I keep16:41 working, that I keep active, that I keep myself spiritually flossed. Hallelujah. For when16:53 Jesus comes again. And, again, Jesus does not share these stories about what the church is gonna look like at the end time to scare us, but to prepare us. So let's talk about faithfulness. 3 points, and then we're done.17:03 Number 1, faithfulness. Write this down. Faithfulness understands I am God's servant, I'm entrusted, and I'm empowered. Write it down. Faithfulness understands, I am17:15 God's servant. I am entrusted. I am empowered. And that's the first thing I saw on this text that just jumped out to me. Because the man was going away.17:27 The man represents God, and he leaves his property. Right? Here's what it says in verse 14. Let's read it again. For it will be like a man. This is it. What what what will be like a man? The kingdom. The kingdom of God17:39 will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. This is an amazing passage right there because there's this big quest in our country, big17:51 quest in our world about people finding their identity. And I don't know if you're watching what I'm watching, but it's getting crazy with the people and identity. Everybody has a18:03 different identity. Everybody wants to go, their identity, their gender, their their self image, their sexuality. And the reason why this is a simple answer. The reason why it's18:14 getting so crazy is because people are completely cut off from God who is truth. And so when you are not tethered to truth, you will fall18:26 for lies and deception. And this quest for identity, unfortunately, seeps into the church. But let me let let me just say something to you, church. We18:38 don't have to ask what's our identity. We never do because god has unpacked it for us in his word. Jesus has let us know18:50 fully who we are. And here's the first thing that every Christian should embrace as their primary identity. I'm a servant. I'm a servant.19:02 You know when you read the Bible, the New Testament, everyone who was close to Jesus had no problem calling themselves servants. I think about how they write their letters. Most of the19:14 New Testament is letters from those who walked with Jesus to those who would follow Jesus. And it's amazing how often the people who were closest to Jesus love to embrace the19:25 identity of servant. I give you James, the brother of Jesus, who opens his letter to the church. He says, James, a servant of God and of19:37 the Lord Jesus Christ. I think of Paul the apostle who served the Lord so faithfully. Almost every letter opens up like Philippians 1 1. Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ19:49 Jesus to the saints who are in Philippi. Or Romans chapter 1, Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus. We don't have to ask what our identity is. We are told, we are20:01 given clear evidence that to be close to Jesus is to embrace the idea that I am a servant.20:13 Man, do we get this wrong in the church. Because there is a lot of Christians who believe that the longer I serve, the longer I'm in church,20:25 the more recognition, notoriety, and higher status I should receive. People get a kick out of the fact that I say, you don't have to call me pastor Tim. Just call me Tim.20:37 I'm just a man. I'm a servant of Jesus Christ. My pastor is my Pastoring is my function. It does not have to be my name. I don't have to broadcast20:49 all of my accomplishments to you. Always be leery, my friend, of Christians who immediately have to hand you their spiritual resume with talking about how big their21:01 ministry was and how great their teaching was and how long they've been a Christian. I mean, always be careful because my bible tells me that the closer we get to god, the more we embrace the21:13 servant nature of Jesus. You're a servant. You know, I was, researching why people go to church today. Pew Research has this21:25 study, recent study. The study was the top 10 reasons why people will go to a church. Let me give you the reasons. Top of the list, to become closer to21:37 God. 81 percent of people said to become closer to God. Number 2, so their children will have a moral foundation. 68 percent said that. Number 3, to become a better person. About 70 percent, 68 percent said that.21:48 Number 4, comfort in times of trouble. Number 5, to, they want to have the sermons teach them something. Number 6, to be part of a faith community. 7, to continue their faith22:00 family's religious tradition. Number 8, they feel obligated to go. Only 31 percent said that. Number 9, to meet new people or socialize. About 19 percent of people say that.22:13 Number 10, to please their family, their spouse, or their partner, about 16 percent of people said that. And I read that list. Those were the top 10. Does anybody see something22:25 missing in the list? Where is the the reason to going to church be? I wanna22:36 serve others with what God has given me. Where is that on it's not on the list. Do you know why? Because unfortunately, Americans are more often like their secular American Christians are more22:48 often like their secular counterparts than Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I have not come to be served, but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many. He said to23:00 the disciples, I have washed your feet. I have shown you that this is what we're all about. We're all about serving each other. So what I've done for you, do likewise and serve 1 another. He said the greatest among you23:12 will be a servant of all. Instead of obsessing young people about your identity according to the world standard, measure your identity by Christ standard, and ask23:23 yourself, am I growing more and more into a servant of God, looking to serve others with the gift God gives me, or am I more interested in being praised and23:35 congratulated for the things in my life? You're you're you're a servant. Secondly, you're entrusted. Back to the to the point. Right? Entrusted. He says that he entrusted his property to23:47 them. Here's what that's saying. Everything you've got is from God, and God has chosen to give you what you've got. And that's23:59 not to be taken lightly. Do you have health today? God gave you that. Do you've got money in a bank account somewhere? God gave you that. Do you have abilities, some kind of ability? You don't have to24:10 be an astrophysicist, but do you have abilities? God gave you that. I mean, think about the things that you've got, and this is what you've gotta look at in your life. That's from God. He gave that to me.24:22 And then I'm empowered. Right? That's the third part of this point. I'm empowered. He gave them according to their ability according to their ability, verse 4 15. So so here's what24:34 what what the scripture is teaching is that you've got what you've got because God knows that that's what you can handle. Some of you gotta get this in your spirit because you're constantly thinking about, I need that to24:44 be happy. I need that to be happy. I need to get to this point to be happy. And and here's what God's word is. Might not sound nice. It might not sound pretty, but it's necessary. Maybe you're not ready for that. Maybe24:56 if you got that, it would crush you. Maybe that weight of expectation would demolish you, and so God is doing right now with what he's given you, maybe the little bit that he's given you right now, is he's starting to25:08 train your muscles, your spiritual muscles, your mental muscles, your emotional muscles, that so that you can start to grow and get stronger for later responsibility.25:19 I love the the I love David. David is 1 of my favorites in the Bible because David, man, he was a good man, a man after God's own heart, but he also blew it. And you watch his whole life unfold. And how many of us can25:31 relate to David? Because you know, we we love the Lord, but we blow it sometimes, and and David blew it. But at the end of his life, he was filthy rich, filthy rich. And he set up Solomon, his son, to build the temple,25:44 after he was gone. And so he got gathered all of his money, and he poured all of his money into the temple project. And it says this in first Chronicles 29 2. David says, I have25:55 provided for the house of my god as far as I was able, the gold for the gold things, silver for the things of bronze for the things of bronze, and it and he just goes on. And he talks about all the money, all the goods,26:06 all the resources that David, this filthy, rich king, gave to the temple project. And you think, David, man, alright. You're bragging about all your giving, but but no. No. No. No. No.26:18 Look what he says in verse 16 of that same chapter. He says, oh lord our god, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name, it comes from your26:30 hand, and it's all yours. Like like and he'll say it later. He'll say, because that's all we've got. Everything we've got comes from God. And I think about it. You mean, you want God to use you?26:42 You want God to bless you? Do you want God to anoint and succeed your gifts? Start identifying them for what they are,26:53 his. They come from him. It's a test. It's an opportunity. It's it's a grace of God for you to use what he's given27:05 you. And then and then live with this in the back of your mind, that 1 day, God will judge how you used your gifts. Second Corinthians 527:17 10, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. In other words, of you gotta get this right now in your spirit. I am27:28 being tested with what God has given me in this moment. And there's good news for that, and we'll get to that later in the message. There's good news for why you're being tested right now later in the message.27:40 But first, let's get busy using what God's given us. Okay? Here's point number 2. I want you to write it down. Point number 2. Faithfulness focuses on my call, not comparison.27:53 Faithfulness focuses on my call, not comparison. Now now what I mean by that is to dig into verse 15. Because verse 1528:04 says, to 1, he gave 5 talents. To another, he gave 2 talents. And to another 1, each according to his ability. And then he went away. Now ladies and gentlemen, God28:16 is not a socialist or communist. He just isn't. My friends, I have bad news for everyone who's under the age of 25.28:28 No. God does not practice equality for all in all things. It just no. It's not in the Bible. Peter had his opportunities. John had28:39 his opportunities. David has his opportunities. You know, Jotham had his opportunities. Samson had his opportune and they're all different. And they're all and the and listen. I28:51 say this because the sooner that you can get over obsessing about what everybody else has, the faster you can get busy with what you have.29:03 I'm telling you, stop wasting your time worrying about 5 talent people if you're a 2 talent servant. And stop worrying about 2 talent people if you're 1 talent servant.29:15 Just be grateful. By the way, a talent was an exceedingly big sum of money. Don't think that this is ability. The word in Greek is talenton, talenton. It's a money amount.29:27 It's not about ability. But, you know, ability money can produce ability. Anyway, look at the first 2 servants. Verse 16. He who received the 5 went at once. Now if you've got your paper29:39 notes out, can you just circle went at once? He didn't waste time. He just went. He went at once, and he traded with them. And he got busy, and he earned 5 more. And also verse 17, the the 1 with 229:51 made 2 more. But the first that I get troubled by is verse 23. I'm sorry. No. Verse 18. He who had30:03 received the 1 talent went and dug a hole and buried his master's money. Now now when the 2 come back to the master, the master comes back, and they come to him to settle accounts. Both30:15 men received the same condiment con commendation. Verse 23, his master said to him, well done, good and faithful. You've been faithful over little. I will entrust you with much. And I think about that. They got 530:26 talents, which in God's economy was not that much. In our economy, a talent I read this in 1 of my commentaries. If you adjust for inflation, it's about 1 talent it's about 1900000.0 dollars.30:38 I'm like, think about that. 1 talent. 1.9. So 1 of these guys has almost 20000000 dollars, and God's word to him is even faithful with little. Look. We look at 20000000 people 20000000 dollar people, we think, wow. Look30:49 at all that money. But can I tell you that in the economy of God, it's nothing? God freely scatters his gifts. And and I think about what's the difference between the 5 talent guy and the 2 talent guy and the 131:01 talent guy? Because the 5 of the 2 go and get busy and and double it. And the 1 talent guy you know what his problem was? I think I think his problem was that he was so busy comparing himself to the 5 talent and 2 talent31:12 guy that he just got paused. He got stalled out. He got he got he got insecure and unsure of himself. How many young people31:24 right now I'm talking to you right now. You're in college. You're so insecure, and and you're unsure. Or you just recently graduated. You said, what am I going to do with my life? I don't know. Do I even belong? It looks31:35 like everybody else around me is is ahead of me. But listen. If you just got out of college I I'm writing about this in my new book. That life is like college because you come into life like a31:46 freshman, knowing nothing and getting beat up by everybody. Then you become a sophomore. Eventually, you figure out how to avoid the fights and you know, avoid the places where people are gonna beat you up. Then you31:54 become a junior, start to figure out things. You start to own the place. Then you're a senior. You're like, alright. I'm ready to go. Well, that's life. Life is like that. And so some of you, you just graduated college.32:03 Can I tell you something? You're a freshman in the school of life, And so you're gonna get knocked around a little bit. You start learning how to be a sophomore over time. It takes about 5 to 10 years. It does. Because I32:15 was there. Okay. Takes 5 to 10 years to figure out, okay. Don't go down that hall because the seniors are waiting to beat me up. Like, you need to learn, like, those skills. You need to learn how to avoid the fighting32:24 areas. Then you become a junior, like, wait a second. Now, I'm I'm the guy who who could beat a couple people up. Alright? But if you're a Christian, don't do that. You use your you use your ability for good. And then32:33 when you're a senior, you're like, I think I'm ready to go. The Lord can take me now. Like, you know, that's life. That's life. It's a picture. Life is like a long college experience. So if you're a freshman, stop32:45 freaking out about all the what all the juniors and seniors have. You know, you you you gotta get busy where you are. Where you are. And here's that here's what I know about the Bible. Here's what I know about God.32:58 He doesn't need much to do great things through you. Think about Moses showing up at the burning bush, and Moses has all the excuses why god cannot use him. You you just serve somebody send33:09 somebody else. Lord, I'm not able. I can't speak. I don't got the gifts. And at 1 point in Exodus chapter 4, Moses says, but what if they don't listen to me? What if they don't listen to my voice? He could just say he's33:21 just a total freshman. And the guy's sad thing is he's 80 years old, and he's got a freshman mindset. He's 80 years old at this moment. He's thinking, oh, I can't. I can't. I mean, somebody has never grown. And God says33:33 to him, what is that in your hand? And the answer is what? A staff. A stick. A stick. The guy says, I'll take that stick, and I'll deliver my people through that stick.33:45 It doesn't matter what you have or don't have. It matters what you do with it. And I think about this guy burying his talent in the ground.33:58 Burying it. How many Christians are burying what God gives them? Because they're so obsessed with comparing what God gives them to what God has given others.34:10 And and here's the thing. This little device, which I know I just encouraged you to open and use to get to the notes, but but bear with me for a moment.34:22 You have endless opportunities through social media to measure through this little lens, this little mirror, this little window. It's a window. To measure through this window34:33 every other person on the planet against yourself. You know, we wonder why kids are more depressed, more lonely, more isolated than ever before. Because they're paused they're34:45 paused by spectating and people watching. You you gotta turn it off. You gotta get busy with your life. And here's the thing, everyone's Instagram feed and34:57 Twitter feed and all that kind of stuff, you understand that they're just posting their highlights? They're just posting their their great moments. They're not posting the the the the the time they overslept and35:09 got to the office late. They're not posting the fight that they just had with their 10 year old kid. They're not posting the fact that their boss just reprimanded them over some miserable failure at the office. No. So35:20 stop comparing your private regular moments to someone else's highlights. You gotta stop it. You gotta grow past that or you'll35:32 bury yourself. You'll bury yourself in the ground of other people's gain. Here's a pro life tip. Every once in a while, like to throw these out in the message. There's always someone35:44 who's better than you and more gifted than you. Get busy anyway. Amen? Come on. That that deserves a good amen. Can I get a good amen? Yeah.35:56 There's always gonna be someone with more money than you. Always is gonna be better looking than you. Someone that's, you know, got more talent than you, sing better than you. Work harder than you.36:07 I mean, get36:08 busy. Well, if they work harder than you, then they probably should have more than you, to be honest with you. But but look, here here's my point. Don't obsess about where you are in the hierarchy.36:20 And I thought, let's do some math for a moment. Guy with 5 talents. Right? That's that's big. 5 talents. Second guy got 2 talents. He listen to the second guy. Second guy in this story, he I36:31 I like I wanna be him because 5 and 2, 2 and 5, 2, did you know 2 is less than half of 5? It's actually 40 percent of36:43 5. The third guy got 1. 1 compared to 2. 1 compared to 2. 1 is 50 percent less than 2. Now I know that 1 is 80 percent36:55 less than 5. I understand that. But he's closer to the 2 town guy, and he has only 50 percent less than his closest associate. But this guy, number 2 guy, 2 town guy, he's got only 4037:07 percent of the guy next to him. And he doesn't let the fact that he has proportionately less than 1 town guy to him stop him from moving.37:19 Is that clear? Did I make that clear? I'm sorry. It's math. I get it, but you don't understand. What I'm trying to tell you is he just got moving. He just got moving even though in comparison to the37:30 closest guy next to him, he was at 40 percent. You know what he did? He put the phone down. He said, enough is enough. I'm tired of Instagram. Let me get busy. Let me get active. I love what Ephesians chapter37:42 5 verse 15 says. Paul says this, look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, harkening back to those 10 virgins. And then he says this in verse 16, making the best use of the37:53 time because the days are evil. Somebody say because. Because. You know, I used to read this text, and I used to say, oh, I know what that that text in Ephesians 5 means. That means take you know, be careful38:05 because he says it right there. Look carefully. Look look but but it's not being careful. It it the word in Greek could be translated be be strategic. You know, there there's a difference38:17 between being careful and strategic. The another translation is look circumspectfully. Like, look at the whole picture before you just jump into something. Like, be careful. Like, that's what he's talking about. And then38:29 this line, making the best use of time. Other translations say, taking the most of every opportunity, and then this word that I just had you say, because the days are evil. Now I38:41 used to read this text so wrong because I used to think this text is saying, well, because the days are evil, be careful. Because the days are evil, don't do anything. Because the days are evil, play it safe. That's38:53 not what he's saying because he just unpacked in Ephesians 1 to 3 all the ways in which we're blessed and empowered and full of God and filled with Jesus, and we're the head not the tail, and we're blessed with39:05 every spiritual blessing. And if God is for us, I mean, who could be against us? And here's what he's saying. Look. The world is full of evil. So get busy with your opportunities because you are God's people. YouShow more
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