So after our interlude last week with Nick coming and speaking to us on justification, we're going to go back to the kingdom of God. I think this is the ninth or even the tenth in the series now of our thoughts together on this kingdom. Some of it's been about what Christ has been talking about in conversations, some of it and most of it has been about the parables that he speaks and we have another one that we're going to be looking at again this evening. We're carrying on from where we left off in Matthew chapter 25 and we're moving on from the parable of the ten virgins to the parable of the talents. Now these parables pretty much describe the same thing but it comes at it from a different angle. This is still talking about the coming of the kingdom. but one looks at persistently waiting and watching while the other is talking about actually the activity that should be taking place in between Christ going to his father and him coming back the second time. We heard last time how the five virgins who had oil were welcomed into the kingdom and those who didn't have oil weren't. and they didn't make it. We heard about the five virgins' preparation and their diligence, their steadfastness as we're looking at in the mornings. And those things were key. Those whose life was not filled with the graces of Christ through the Spirit, and that was the oil, they just were not ready. And the door was closed. And despite the fact they kept banging and knocking, saying letters in, those fatal and saddening words were spoken to them. I do not know you. So in this parable that we're looking at, Jesus gives more information as to what should be occurring during the time of the waiting for the bridegroom. What is it that those that have got the oil should be doing? What is it that all those that are professing to be Christian should be doing within that time? So again, in the parable of the talents, Jesus reiterates that there is a period of waiting. In the previous parable, we were told that no one knows the time nor the hour of the bridegroom coming. And in this parable, Jesus states that a man was travelling to his far country and that as he went, he got some of his property in the form of talents and he gave them to his servants and he left immediately. And when he came back, he was looking for a return on what he had given his servants in the form of talents. We should already know that Christ, through these parables, is talking about well-known scenarios. So when Jesus spoke the parables, he was looking at either things on the earth or things that the people would know about in order to give them an understanding of what he was trying to say. So in this time, it wasn't uncommon that masters would give their property to his servants and go away for a long journey And they would then be responsible for taking this money and turning it into a profit. And it used to happen. So Jesus was drawing on this symbol in order to make the point within this parable. And so, as we do with all the parables, we need to establish a few things before we go any further. The man who gave the talents in this story, the master, The one who went away for a long time. This obviously represents Christ. You don't really need me to tell you that, but we'll put it in our minds to make sure. The servants who receive the talents represent all professing believers. Emphasis on professing. All professing believers. A talent is a unit of weight, not a coin. So a talent is a measure of weight. And the talents varied in value depending on what the substance was that made the talent. So if it was a talent of gold, it would be worth more than a talent of silver. One talent of gold was equivalent to 20 years wages. That's just one talent. So five talents was worth 100 years worth of wage. So the person who had five talents was actually given something that somebody could live off for 100 years. That's how expensive and how valuable these weights were. The talents given to the professing believers do not represent their own natural gifts. There are some people who will expound this and they start talking about what it is that we can offer to God out of our own abilities and our own gifts. It's clearly not that because the master gives them the gifts to steward and take care of. All of the stewards the servants received something from the Master, every single one of them. All professing Christians have received from God in one way or another. And it's important that we understand this, that even those over the weeks that we've looked at who will be the tears or the bad fish, those that will hear those fateful words, they have participated in the light, and we'll look further at that later on when we reference Hebrews 6. They have been part and parcel of what's been going on, and they have, in effect, got some gift that they have been given to them. There was an expectation that all the talents given would be used to generate an increase. That was the expectation that the Master had when he gave these talents to his servants. And the day of this man's return was the day of judgment. All accounts were settled when his master came back. So we must see the emphasis that Jesus is making in this parable. Previously, in the parable of the 10 virgins, he was telling the people, a day is coming when I will return. In the meantime, watch and pray. In this parable, Jesus goes on to explain that the preparation and the watching is not just sitting back and doing nothing. That actually sitting and watching and praying involves work. J.C. Ryle said this in his comments, the practical lessons of each parable, that's the virgins and the talents, is the main point of difference. Vigilance is the keynote of the first parable. Diligence, that of the second. The story of the virgins calls on the church to watch. The story of the talents calls on the church to work. So I've entitled the sermon for tonight, The Kingdom is for Workers. The Kingdom is for Workers. Now we must ensure, and we've said this a million and one times, but just again to reiterate, this is not about salvation by works. This is about works that we do because of our salvation. And therefore, the kingdom is for workers. Those that have received salvation will work for the kingdom. James captures the reality of this parable in just a few words in his letter to the 12 tribes that are scattered abroad. He says that faith without works is dead. That's James 2.26. Faith without works is dead. We can profess and speak about our faith and our belief, but if we sit back and do nothing, then actually all that we're saying is just nothingness, deadness, and that's what James is saying. James also tells us in chapter one, verse 22, to be doers of the word and not hearers only. Those who hear only have a huge problem. They've heard about the light, they acknowledge it, but actually they're deceived. They've heard and they think that they're okay, but actually they're not. They're like the man who looks in the mirror, James continues on to say, and he sees what he looks like. He hears the word, but then when he turns around and walks away, He forgets what he looks like and he goes back to the man that he used to be before he heard those words. We must be doers of the word as well as hearers. So with this introduction in mind, let us examine this parable in more detail. And again, we're going to look at the famous three points. Firstly, we're going to reiterate what we said earlier, that the talents are given to all. The talents are given to all. It's plain within this parable and in life that we all have different gifts. We're all given different things by God. We've all got different responsibilities. Some have more than others. You know, to preach the word is a higher responsibility than to just read it. That's not exalting the preacher. That's just how it is. But he will be measured against his responsibility. We're all given varying gifts. And the more that is given, the more is expected. So it's all well and good for a man to desire to be a preacher, or a pastor, or an evangelist. But actually, if he's given that gift, then what he's given is huge responsibility. And we must bear that in mind. What this parable is not saying is that the man with one talent doesn't have any chance. What I mean by that is there is every possibility that those with five talents could have reacted the same as the man with one talent. And the man with the one talent actually could have done the same as the guys with the five and the two talents. This is not about how much was given. This is about what was done with what was given. And this applies to each and every one of us. I may be a pastor and a preacher, but we are all expected to act and work with what we've got. And this is twofold. Firstly, this applies to our own lives. As we've already stated, faith without works is dead and we cannot just state that we believe what the Bible tells us about God. We can't just walk around and talk the talk. We can, but it won't do anything to us internally. It won't change our lives. It won't make us a better Christian. It won't set us on the path and it won't help us to progress continually and steadfastly. We go back to that passage from Hebrews 6 that I mentioned earlier. The title of it, right at the very start in the New King James Bible, is the peril of not progressing. That's what Hebrews 6 is about. Now, Hebrews 6 has been a chapter that's been contentious for quite some time about, well, actually you can lose your salvation. It's not talking about that. There are those, it says, who have heard. There are those who have seen and have tasted. There are those that have been amongst the fellowship. There are those who have even partook of the Holy Spirit. And we're not talking about gifts. We're talking about sitting down in a church and seeing what's going off there, a salvation there, a baptism there, a life changed there, a healing there. They were part of it and they partook of the Holy Spirit. But actually, nothing in their lives. They were not progressing. They weren't changing. It was just their head knowledge. There was light. Yes, they'd received the light. They were part and parcel of the people who were listening steadfastly and continuing steadfastly. There were some there who were part of it, but weren't doing that. There was light but no heat. Light but no heat. The talents that God has given to us as individuals in a church must be used, put to work, to enable each and every one of us to move forward. Standing still is not an option for a Christian. We must develop. We are being changed always from one degree of glory to another and that must be evident to us and it must be evident to other people. So it's hugely significant, this passage, to each and every one of us, for our own lives. And as we've been discussing in the mornings, we have to continue steadfastly. We heard about the Apostles' Doctrine this morning. We must all be Bereans. People who study hard, read hard, question hard, chase hard, ask questions that are hard. Every one of us. Fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer, all essential. They're gifts. to every one of us and we must put them to work in our own lives. The one who doesn't put themselves to work with such things will find themselves burying and neglecting their gift and will find themselves in the same position as the man with one talent here, not only hearing the weeping and the gnashing of teeth, but partaking of it themselves. That is scary. The use of these things will produce fruit. It will produce progression of sanctification and holiness. And without them, the person is nothing more than a thoughtless professor of faith. No works to justify their profession. Now, we mustn't be scared of talking like this. There must be works to justify our profession. That's what James is saying. We're justified by our works, not before God, but about our profession. Faith without works means nothing. faith with works justifies our speaking of our faith. So secondly, this will affect the lives of others. We should be using our talent. Remember, this is not about our own gifting. Using our talent to affect other people's lives. If you carry on reading through the rest of chapter 25, you'll hear those who got rebuked by Christ for not feeding those who were hungry, not watering those who were thirsty, not clothing those who were practically naked because they had no clothes or the clothes were really poor, not visiting the sick and not visiting the prisoners. And the people turn around and say, well, when? When have we done or not done all these things? And Jesus said, well, when you've not done them to these, you've not done them to me. Now, this is not purely about meeting social needs. There is needs within our community and social needs, which as individuals and as a church, we should be partaking in. We should be a church and a people that meet those social needs, but this is more about a person's spiritual need. We must use everything that we have that God has given us, the experience of our salvation to the degree that we can, to shed abroad this wonderful message to those who are hungry, those who are thirsty, those who are sick, those who are not clothed, those who are sick, those who are prisoners in a spiritual sense. That's part of us using our talent. We're not in this just for ourselves. Not saved just for me. Again, we'll use the word, we are saved for purpose and we are here to preach this gospel to all people. We don't wanna hear these words. Depart from me, you cursed into the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Assuredly, as you did not do to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. That's what is in store if we do not work with the talent that we have. Secondly, there is a reward. There is a reward. And there is a reward for each of these servants. Two positive rewards, one negative. Firstly, let's look at the reward for the two who worked. Now we know that each had different amounts of weight, of talent. One had five talents, one had two. But as we read, their reward is exactly the same. Exactly the same. Read it again when you get home. Welcome in to your Lord's joy. You will be a steward over much. That's what they both get. But as we stated earlier, this reward is not based on the amount that these two actually turn their talents into. If it was, then one would receive more than the other. The person who had ten talents would get more than the person who had two and turned it into four. So this is not based on their outcome. What this is about is faithfulness. About picking up what it is that they had and going and doing something with it. It's probable that these men recognised the same thing as the man who was given one talent, that this man was a hard man, reaping where he had not sown and gathering where he had not scattered seed. However, these two recognised the responsibility they had and knew that they must put the talents to work and have them produce some interest or some benefit or some fruit. So we must concede that actually the fruit doesn't matter here. If the person with five had only managed to get to seven, his reward would still have been the same. If the person with two had only got three, the reward would still be the same because it was about the faithfulness and not the amount that they had done. And as we said, their reward was well done. Not well done entrepreneur, struggling to say that word, but well done good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord. You have been faithful in little, little, a hundred years worth of money. You have been faithful with little. I will make you ruler over many things. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6 verse 3, do you not know that we shall judge angels? What we have waiting for us in heaven is not fully explained. It's not fully revealed, but there is a reward for those who are in Christ. And we will be classed higher than the angels who are sitting with him right now. That's a phenomenal thought. But secondly, there is a negative reward. We know from scripture that the wages of death is sin. That's an example of the negative reward, the wages of sin, which is death. And it's the same sense here. There's a reward in a negative way for this lazy and wicked servant. What he had, the little light that he had would be taken from him. But not only that, something far worse than that. He will be stripped and cast away into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. And we've heard that week on week. We should be building a picture now of what the current church is, what the church has always been. that there are people who will receive reward positively and people who are just professors who will be cast out into eternal darkness. That leads nicely into the third point. There will be a day of reckoning. So just like the return of the bridegroom in the parable of the 10 virgins, where we are assured that the bridegroom will return, here the master comes back and it tells us that accounts are settled on his return. A day will come when we are judged and rewarded according to our works, as spoken of in Revelation 20 and Matthew 16. A day is coming when that will happen. when we are judged for what we have done with our profession in Christ. Remember, we're not talking about salvation. We're talking about our profession. The works will show whether we're saved or not. There will be no excuse on that great day, none at all. There is a judgment before us all. This is J.C. Ryle. Words have no meaning in the Bible if there is none. It is mere trifling with scripture to deny it. People don't like to hear about this. They don't talk about it much anymore. There is a judgment before us according to our works. It's certain, it's strict, and it's unavoidable, says Ryle. High or low, rich or poor, learned or unlearned, we shall have to stand at the bar of God and receive our eternal sentence. What's he going to say to me? What's he going to say to you? based on what we've heard this evening, based on what we've heard over the last eight or nine weeks. Friends, there will be no arguing back before the Holy God. We won't be able to put a hand up and say, yes, yes, but sir, God, who is the judge of all the world, a judge who can only judge rightly, will judge us in that manner. Now as we read at the back end of this parable, the lazy servant, he tried to justify himself. He said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, he's trying to excuse himself through fear. And I went and I hid your talent in the ground. Look, it's here, it's yours, have it back. You've not lost anything. Have it, it's yours. What was his master's response? Yep, well done. At least you've not lost it. Come on, I'm really proud of you. No. You wicked and lazy servant. Listen to what he says. And this applies to all professors. If you knew all of this, listen, If you knew all of this, then surely you should have worked all the more to deposit the money with the bankers in order that I received back my own, but with interest. If we're sitting here tonight, professing that we are Christ's, professing that we've received this salvation, then the reality is that we should be working all the more to deposit the talent that he's given us. If not, then we need to worry. Because what we're saying is we're no different to this lazy and wicked servant who are just here, who are speaking words, but not living the life. not changing inwardly in ourselves, not trying to share the good news with others, not trying to do all of those social things that we've talked about. This is a man who's just in it for himself. All those who profess Christ must work with what they have faithfully. That's what this parable is telling us. It'll be no good on the judgment day for us as Christians to say, well, I knew it, I've read it, I've understood it, I've accepted in my mind that it's the truth, but never did anything with it for ourselves or for others. Won't cut it. That's what this parable's telling us. He will turn around and say to us, it's no good you knowing. You should have been doing. You knew you had to. The Lord Jesus Christ gave his commandments and they were this. Love the Lord your God with all your heart. Love your soul with your mind and your strength Love your neighbour as yourself. And it's given each and every one of us who profess Christ, everyone who profess Him, the knowledge and the ability to do that. Remember, we're not talking about people who don't profess Christ here. We're not talking about those people who call themselves atheists. We're not talking about the people who haven't come through these doors or through any church doors. We're talking about people who profess Christ. That's what this whole thing's about. It's not talking to the world. I've given you, you've heard it. You've heard the man behind the block of the wood week after week after week. What have you done with it? That's what he's gonna ask. What have I done with it? I gave you the talent, but you buried it. You trusted in yourself. Depart from me. That's a possibility, and it should shake us from our apathy and our sleep. The kingdom is for workers. Matthew 24, verse 46. says this, blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find him so doing. May God help us in these things. Amen. Let's pray. Father, the more that I bring and read these things each week, the more challenging it becomes. And I'm thankful for that. Thankful that your word gets us to examine ourselves and to check where we are. We don't want to be like the five virgins coming banging on that door. We don't want to be getting there on that day and saying, look, I've had this talent and I've kept it for you. We want to be sure of our salvation, not in what Christ has done, we're absolutely 100% sure in that, but in what it means to us. Father, I pray, not just for the people here this evening, but for everybody who attends this place, that we will know, that we will know, that we will know that we are saved by Christ and that our lives will show it, both inwardly to ourselves, and in the way that we treat others, not just in the church, but outside of it. Lord, would you help us? Would you help us to put this talent that you've given to us, this wealth of the gospel, this knowledge of your son, Jesus Christ, these words that are preached to us by varying men, these words within your book, the Bible, the prayers that we pray, the hymns that we sing, Lord, let them not just be words, Let them be written on our hearts and lived in our lives. Lord, we plead with you that you would carry on working in us and that we would know, that we would know, that we would know. Lord, do we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.