Purpose in the Kingdom

Sermon: Purpose in the Kingdom
Bible Passage: Matthew 25:14-30

1. How must believers live in the time between the absence of their master [Jesus] and His return?

2. Two possibilities: live to please the master or live with fear and excuses

(a) During the time when the master is physically absent, the servants must work not out of obligation but out of love for him (vv 14-18)
(a1) Pleasing the master upon his return is the primary goal of the first two servants
– No sooner they received, they began to work (vv 16-17)
– Each one gained hundred percent (vv 16-17)
– The first two servants worked in such a way that there was no difference between their and master’s property
– They considered the mission of their life was to please their master
– Until the master arrived, the first two servants put their best effort to make the master happy—in spite of the master’s delay
(b) During the time when the master is physically absent, the third servant did not work (verse 18), because …
(b1) He did not think high of his master (verse 24)
(b2) He was gripped with fear of the master (verse 25)
(c) When the master returned, he acted in two different ways
(c1) He was happy with the first two servants (vv 19-23)
– The master’s happiness was not because they doubled his wealth, but because of the servants’ attitude toward him
(c2) But, he was unhappy with the third servant (vv 24-30)
– The master’s unhappiness was not because he buried his wealth, but because of the servant’s attitude toward him
(d) The master elevated the first two servants but demoted the third servant [this is a parable, therefore, one must not give too much significance to promotion and demotion]
(e) Jesus teaches that believers need to relate with God out of love and not out of fear
(e1) Know your theology so that you will not relate incorrectly with God
(e2) Shift from self-obsession/correctness to really loving Jesus

Takeaway

Make transition from living for yourself to living for God through Jesus [which is the work of the Kingdom of God]