I invite you to stand out of respect for the reading of God's word. As they heard these things, Jesus proceeded to tell a parable because he was near to Jerusalem and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said, therefore, a nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling 10 of his servants, he gave them 10 minus and said to them, engage in business until I come. But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him saying, we do not want this man to reign over us. When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him saying, Lord, your mina has made 10 minas more. And he said to him, well done, good servant, because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over 10 cities. And the second came saying, Lord, your mina has made five minas. And he said to him, and you are to be over five cities. Then another came saying, Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief. For I was afraid of you because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow. He said to him, I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant. You knew that I was a severe man taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank? And at my coming, I might have collected it with interest. And he said to those who stood by, take the mina from him and give it to the one who has 10 minas. And they said to him, Lord, he has 10 minas. I tell you that to everyone who has more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God abides forever. Amen. You may be seated and let's pray. Heavenly Father, open your word to us. Help us to understand and not just merely understand, but Lord, help us to believe and to trust and to put our confidence all the more in you. Lord, teach it to us even through this difficult parable, a parable that shines the light of your word forth. We pray this all in Christ's name, amen. When I was back in school, I used to have this recurring dream, a dream that I'd wake up from over and over again. And kids, maybe some of you have this dream or adults, maybe some of you can remember this particular dream. I'll tell you what it was. In the dream, I woke up and went to school, but as soon as I walked into the classroom, the teacher announced that it was that day when the biggest test of the year, the final exam was happening. And dread just filled my heart because I realized I haven't studied at all. I didn't know about this exam. I didn't even think about this exam. And so there I was, you know, in, you know, in my dream tossing and turning as I thought about how awful it would be To be told, today's the day of the final exams, and guess what? Books are closed, it's time for the big study. It's time to see whether you studied. Oh, it's such a relief to wake up and say, okay, it was just a dream. It was just a dream. But what if it wasn't? What if there really was a final exam? And what if that final exam was today? And guess what? It's not just in science or history. It's an exam of your entire life. It's an exam where Jesus Christ, the great Lord and creator of all things, the sustainer of all things, stands before you and says, what did you do throughout your entire life? What did you do? What did you do with the life you were given? Now that's a final exam that Jesus says will happen. And he says, it's not one that you don't want to be unprepared for. And so he does prepare us. That's what's happening in this parable is he's actually teaching us about that exam that is to come. And I just want to start off reassuring every Christian in this room, that if you are found in Christ, you are justified in him. What we mean by that is that you are covered with the righteousness of Christ. You are clothed with his righteousness. You are safe in him. But we're gonna see that Jesus says there is still an examination of the master where he looks even at his servants and says, enter into my glory. But let's talk, what did you do with my gospel? What did you do with your life? And so we're gonna see this unfold and we're gonna see it unfold through this parable, a parable that speaks of the king's mission, the king's investment and the king's assessment. the king's mission, the king's investment, and the king's assessment. So first, as we start to prepare ourselves for that final exam, we need to understand why Jesus is telling us this to begin with. Why is he speaking this parable and why is he giving this parable to this particular people? Well, Jesus tells us in verse 12, the beginning of the parable, a nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. As soon as Jesus' listeners would hear this, they knew what he was talking about, because it was a custom in their day, when a king died, his eldest son inherited the kingdom. But that kingdom wasn't officially his until he traveled all the way to Rome. I mean, that could be weeks or months journey, traveled all the way to Rome to that far country, stood before the emperor and the emperor says, yes, take, rule, you are king over your land. And the people in Jesus's day, as soon as Jesus talked about a nobleman going into a far country, they thought of their recent headlines and they said, you know what? He's talking about something we actually know about. He's talking about Herod's son, Archelaus. Now in Jesus' day, Herod's son, King Herod died, and his son, Archelaus, inherited the kingdom. And so Archelaus went into the far country to receive his kingship, to stand before Caesar Augustus, the great emperor, and be told, yes, rule, you are king. But guess what was waiting for Archelaus when he arrived in Rome? There was a delegation of citizens from Judea, of Jews, who had gone and said, had appealed to Caesar, we don't want this man to be king. Don't put him over us. He's cruel, he's brutal. Don't make him king. What's happening here as we weave all this together? Jesus is talking about a nobleman. He's talking about Archelaus, but he's ultimately talking about himself. and his kingdom. He's setting his disciples straight about two truths about his kingdom that they keep missing. Two truths that help us to start to prepare for that final exam. Now, first of all, What is Jesus teaching his disciples through the beginning of this parable? He's teaching them that his kingdom, his rule and reign, isn't going to come immediately. It's only going to come in stages through this long journey that the king is going to take. Look back at verse 11. You'll see that right away, Jesus is entering Jericho. He's only six hours away from Jerusalem, where we know he's going to suffer and die. But as his disciples get closer and closer to Jerusalem, that capital city, guess what they start to feel in their hearts? Excitement. Maybe this is really the time where Jesus will become king and overthrow our oppressors. Maybe this is the time when he brings in the kingdom and power. And guess what Jesus says? You've misunderstood the nature of my kingdom. I am going to bring in this righteous rule and reign, but I'm only going to do that starting with the weakness of a cross, starting with a weakness of rejection, and then going to the full glory of the kingdom when I return. You know, that's where we're sitting right now is in between the time of Christ's death and resurrection, and then when he's gonna come again. But there's another subtle correction here because he's telling his disciples, look, the kingdom isn't going to come without rejection. Next week, we're going to hear preach the triumphal entry where everyone's clapping and cheering and Jesus comes in and they think everything's great. Well, guess what? Those same people are going to crucify Jesus, the Lord of glory. And Jesus says, I want you to understand one thing. I'm going to be rejected like Archelaus. There is a delegation that is coming to oppose me. And that's how my kingdom is going to come in its glory. John 19 five, the Jews cry out, we do not want this man, this Jesus to reign over us. Caesar alone is our king. And so here's the point. King Jesus is on a royal mission. It's a royal mission that's pictured in this parable. What has he done? He has come and he has passed through death and an empty tomb. And then he has ascended into the courts of heaven before the God and father who has entrusted with him a kingdom. And he is going to come back to claim that kingdom in all its fullness. And until then, guess what? We wait and we work. Jesus, has gone to claim that kingdom, but he is a wise king, far wiser than Archelaus, far kinder and good than Archelaus. And Jesus has gone to that far country, but he has not left things unprepared in his home country. Because what he's done is he's even been working to establish that kingdom while he's gone. The king has put his servants to work. And we see that here in verse 13, that the king has left us with a generous investment. Verse 13, calling 10 of his servants, he gave them 10 minus. And he said to them, engage in business until I come back. Now here we are, we are those 10 servants. Remember when Jesus is speaking in the parable, he's using a picture of who we are and what's happening right now. We are those 10 servants. And he's given us a mina, which is about three months wages. Now, we know we haven't actually been given a literal mina, you know, a piece of gold, that amounts to, I don't know, $4,000, $5,000. What is this mina that King Jesus has entrusted to us while he is away in the far country claiming his kingdom? It was interesting. I think we could start to understand what this mina is when we think about how this parable is actually different than the parable that we call the parable of the talents in Matthew. Now, do you all know the parable of the talents in Matthew? In that parable, the king or the master gives to his servants. different levels of gifts. To one, he gives a bunch of gifts, and to the other, he gives just a little bit. And we understand in that parable, Jesus is talking about different gifts that he gives, different talents and abilities that he gives to his people. But in this parable, you notice the difference? He gives everyone the same amount, one minor. I think the key here is that that one minor that we all have is what? It's the gospel. The good message of the king, the message that Jesus, his kingdom is already breaking forth through his death, his resurrection, and his ascension. The good news that there is a kingdom that is only gaining more and more strength. The good news that a new creation, a better story is breaking forth in this dark world. And so we all have that one message. Think about that for a minute. Think about the youngest and smallest disciple you know. And then think of the most skilled theologian whose books are on your, maybe your shelf. You know what they have in common? They all have the same gospel, one gospel. Isn't that, Beautiful if you think about it. Isn't it humbling that every Christian, every disciple that has ever been called by the name of Christ has the same gift entrusted to them by their master. And not only that, they're given the same charge. Go, engage in business until I come back. Engage in business until I return. You see, in 1 Timothy 6, we read this, Paul called the gospel, the good news, a deposit. He uses those financial terms, right? Something that is entrusted to you by Jesus and his apostles while they are away. And you are given this command, put that deposit to use. Engage in business until the king returns. What does that look like? Be Christian entrepreneurs. Be spiritual capitalists, you could say. Put the gospel to use. And here's what that looks like. It looks like applying the gospel to your own life. Investing, Christ investment in your own life. You know, if you, what does it look like? when you invest your money. It looks like you make a conscious effort to take from what you have and to set it aside so that it multiplies and grows and takes root in your bank account, and not only your bank account, but also your mutual funds and stocks and whatever out there. It actually multiplies in the market. Well, when you invest the gospel in your own life, It starts to change and multiply in your life. How does this good news of what Jesus has done actually change the way that you live? Ask yourself that question right now. How does the good news change how you live? Well. For starters, the gospel turns us away from investing our time, our talents, our energies into worthless things, things that will fade away, things that distance our heart from God, and it causes us to invest our time and our talents and our resources in the things of God. And as we do that, maybe you're hearing the sermon right now. what the gospel calls you to do. You are hearing a sermon right now, in fact. The gospel says, when you invest in the gospel, you take the words you're hearing and they don't just bounce off your ear or roll over your heart. They actually hit home and you apply them and you say, huh, I see a way that I can follow Jesus more today than I did yesterday. I see rebellion in my life, waywardness in my life that I can address today in small but sure ways. And guess what happens as you start to do that? The gospel multiplies and takes root in your life. It's like you become a different person more and more and more so that someone says, you know, You started off believing such a simple and a small message about Jesus, but it has changed you in radical ways. That's what the investment power of the gospel does. And so you're supposed to apply the gospel in the Christian life. But guess what? You're also supposed to share the gospel. What did I preach about two weeks ago? That Christ has made an investment in us. So we're supposed to invest that investment in other people. That's what Jesus says. Take that message that he's given you, that deposit, and don't just lock it away. Don't just hide it under a handkerchief. Take it and tell people about it. And you can do that in natural ways, you know, in conversations that come up with your friends and family who say, what's all this? What are you actually doing on Sunday morning when you go to church? And you have the opportunity to boldly talk about Jesus. And then to say, do you know the Savior? Do you know the Savior? That is investing the gospel in the lives of others. And if you've ever started to talk to others about Jesus, if you've ever been bold about that, then what you see is a beautiful and amazing thing that the gospel starts to take root and multiply and grow exponentially. You see how When you start to open up the scriptures and talk to people about the promise of the gospel, lives start changing. And so the gospel starts with you. It starts with this small change in one sinner's life, and then it multiplies and multiplies and multiplies and multiplies. That's amazing. Guess what? That's not your ability. That's not you. That's the gospel. That's you saying, wow, God, look what your mina has done. Look what your gospel has done. It's multiplied, it's powerful. And so I ask you, what are you doing with the gospel? Where are you investing the gospel in your life and in the lives of others? Are you faithful with the deposit entrusted to you? One more question. What will you have to show when Jesus comes again? What return are you making in God's investment? Because here's the final point of this sermon. Jesus is coming back for his final assessment, final exam time. Revelation 22, 12 says this. Revelation 22, 12. Jesus says, behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay each one for what he has done. I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. What do we say at the very beginning of this sermon? There is that very real truth that we are justified in Christ alone. Our works cannot get us into heaven. Only faith in Christ, who alone can take our sins and nail them to the cross and rise again and give us that newness of life. That's the only way that we can enter into the kingdom. But as we're entering into that kingdom, there is that very real moment that the scriptures talk about where Jesus says, Christian, what did you do with my Mina? And he looks at all peoples and he says, let's look over your life. What was your life like? There will be three evaluations on that last day. We will fit into one of these categories. As you're listening to these, ask yourself, which one do I fit into? Because every human being has ever lived will fit into one of these three categories. Right out of the parable, first of all, the faithful stewards in verse 16. Jesus, they come up, they come rushing up to Jesus. Jesus, look, look at what Jermina did. I started off with one mina and now I've got 10. And Jesus says, well done, good and faithful servant. That is 1000% profit. Go rule over 10 cities. 10 minas, go rule over 10 cities. And another man comes rushing up. Jesus, look, look at what your mina did. I started off with one and now I have five. Jesus says, You have five minus, go rule over five cities with me. Well done, good and faithful servant. You see the reward for faithfulness, the reward for good stewardship. What is it? What is the crown that we receive in glory? It's an opportunity for more faithfulness, for more service. And if you say, well, that's not really what I want. You know, I kind of want Jesus to give me all those, you know, I just want him to give me something different of a reward. Maybe, you know, endless PlayStation time or something like that. then you're not really getting it. Because what Jesus is saying is, if you really understand the joy of serving him and loving him, then you'll understand that what you want is more of that. Jesus, I love seeing your mind, your money, your investment do incredible things. Work through me so I can see even more incredible things done. That's what stewardship is like. The reward for faithfulness is more opportunities. And so I ask you this, will Jesus find you faithful on that last day? Will he find that you have multiplied and invested his minor, his gospel deposit? Or will he find you like the unfaithful steward? That kid who's caught by surprise on the day of the final exam, who heard over and over again that it was on the syllabus, who heard at the beginning of every class, don't forget about the final exam, and yet he shows up. And there it is. It's time, and the books are closed. And what does he say? Look at all the ways he goes. Look at all the things he says to go out of his way. It's kind of humorous, but it's not. Jesus says, and what profit did you make? And he says, oh yeah, I, yeah, the mine, I got it. It's right here. I tucked it away in my handkerchief. And Jesus sees right through everything this man says. First of all, he sees his laziness. He didn't even bother to put this minet in a bank so it could, at the very least, trickle out interest. He just left it in its useless, good-for-nothing, worthless place, tucked under a handkerchief. This man is lazy. He's also careless because anyone could have stumbled upon that minet and stolen it away. You know, even the Old Testament says, if you're entrusted money by your master, you bury it if you're not putting it to use. He didn't even do that. He just kept it wrapped away in a handkerchief. Not only is this man lazy and careless, he's also ignorant. He does not really know the king. Because you see what he said? You know, here's the reason I didn't invest your money. It's because, you know, you're such a mean guy. I knew you'd come back and you'd call me to task. And I knew that you demand money that wasn't even yours. You didn't even use it. This man doesn't actually understand the king, does he? He doesn't understand that what the king has entrusted with us, with him is such a beautiful responsibility, such a beautiful task. He doesn't understand the power of the gospel either. It's not really his minor. It's not really his success. It's the Kings. And because of this, Jesus takes away his mina and he gives it to the one who has 10. And everyone in the room, Jesus, that man has 10 minas, why give it to him? And Jesus lays out the principle, use it or lose it. I've given you, I've given you this gospel deposit. If you don't use it, You lose it. It goes to someone else. Now, is this man a Christian? Is he supposed to point us to a Christian? Is this someone who barely squeaks through the doors of heaven? When we take everything that the scriptures say, I believe that we can say, that the Christian who is touched by the gospel and knows the king, every Christian knows the king. They see yield out of the gospel. They see a yield. And so I think what's happening here is we're seeing that there will be those on the last day who have this surface level connection with the king. They've heard his gospel, they claim it, but they don't really know the king. and they aren't really producing fruit. And so they lose everything, everything. And then finally, there are those who receive the assessment that they are rebels who have rejected the kingdom, rejected the gospel. And they received that fierce judgment from the king. And so I asked you this morning, what will Jesus say of you when he returns? Will he find you faithful? Will he declare you wicked for not putting the king's resources to use? Will he declare you a rebel of his kingdom? The message you need to hear is that it's not too late. It's not too late to submit to the king because he's still in the far country. He's still about to journey back. Now is the time to invest the gospel. Now is the time to bow your knee to the king if you have not, because there is coming day when it will be too late. When the books are closed and the exam begins. Does that make you nervous when you hear that? Well, let me close with a great word of comfort. And here it is. It is a great comfort. to know that that judge, that examiner on the last day, he will be none other than our Lord and Savior. This is Jesus we're talking about. This isn't some scary teacher in third grade. This is Jesus who, even as he spoke the words of this parable, went to the cross to die for sinners, to be buried for sinners, and to rise again to give them newness of life. This is not a severe and harsh taskmaster. This is not a cruel king. This is not Archelaus. This is Jesus. And remember that everything that Jesus does is by his grace. Even the rewards that we receive on the last day, all of it is by his grace. You know, you can see that. Ask, imagine what that man who received charge over 10 cities because of his 10 minus. What was he thinking when he heard those words of the master? Rule over 10 cities. I think the first thing in his mind was, Lord, what did I do to deserve this? I had 10 minus 10 cities, you know, the entire Miami Valley. That's amazing. There's a sense in which the reward is proportionate to what the servants have done, but there's another sense in which it is so mind boggling Jesus has given these servants far more than they ever deserve, far more than they ever worked for, far more than they ever asked for. And I think it'll be that way on the last day, that when Jesus gives us beautiful responsibilities to rule alongside of him, to serve alongside of him, we'll say, Lord, I didn't even do anything. I just spoke your gospel and it multiplied. I just prayed, and you did the work. This is all of your grace, God. I don't deserve to be even in your kingdom, let alone to receive a reward. That makes me want to serve the master more, when I think of his grace, when I think of who he is. That makes me want to serve Jesus all the more. What about you? Let's pray. Heavenly Father.