Lift Off
Key Scriptures: Matthew 25:14-30
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug 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 five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
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Lesson One: We will be judged by our work, not by our intentions
• Christ has modeled ‘finishing’ for us—and expects us to be ‘finishers’ of the work that he has given to us
Matthew 25:21, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
James 1:22, Be doers of the word and not merely hearers and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
John 19:30, When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
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Lesson Two: We will be judged by our faithfulness, not by our fruitfulness
• God does not compare our successes to the successes of others
Matthew 25:21, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
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Lesson Three: Fear causes us to get busy with ‘the comfortable’ and to avoid ‘the faithful’
• Faith produces action—fear paralyzes
• Faith trusts in Christ—fear trusts in the circumstances
Matthew 25:24-25, He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
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Lesson Four: God has given you something on this journey—but at the end of the journey, you’re going to give something to God
• Your life is God’s gift to you—what you do with it is your gift to God
Matthew 25:19, Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.