This morning, we continue our series on “The Parables of Jesus.” We will seek to glean “Pearls from the Parables.”
Before we get to the parable, let’s look at a scripture we have been looking at all year. This is something I believe the Lord wants us to meditate on.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us.
(Matthew 25:14-30 TPT)
14 “Again, heaven’s kingdom is like a wealthy man who went on a long journey and summoned all his trusted servants and assigned his financial management over to them. 15 Before he left on his journey, he entrusted a bag of five thousand gold coins to one of his servants, to another a bag of two thousand gold coins, and to the third a bag of one thousand gold coins, each according to his ability to manage.
16 “The one entrusted with five thousand gold coins immediately went out and traded with the money, and he doubled his investment. 17 In the same way, the one who was entrusted with two thousand gold coins traded with the sum and likewise doubled his investment. 18 But the one who had been entrusted with one thousand gold coins dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
19 “After much time had passed, the master returned to settle accounts with his servants. 20 The one who was entrusted with five thousand gold coins came and brought ten thousand, saying, ‘See, I have doubled your money.’
21 “Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you have been a faithful steward to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Enter into the joy of your Lord!” ‘
22 “Then the one who had been entrusted with two thousand gold coins came in and said, ‘See, my master, I have doubled what you have entrusted to me.’
23 “Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you were faithful to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Enter into the joy of your Lord!” ‘
24 “Then the one who had been entrusted with one thousand gold coins came to his master and said, ‘Look, sir. I know that you are a hard man to please and you’re a shrewd and ruthless businessman who grows rich on the backs of others. 25 I was afraid of you, so I went and hid your money and buried it in the ground. But here it is–take it, it’s yours.’
26 “But his master said to him, ‘You’re an untrustworthy and lazy servant! If you knew I was a shrewd and ruthless business man who always makes a profit, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? 27 Then I would have received it all back with interest when I returned. 28 But because you were unfaithful, I will take the one thousand gold coins and give them to the one who has ten thousand. 29 For the one who has will be given more, until he overflows with abundance. And the one with hardly anything, even what little he has will be taken from him.’
30 “Then the master said to his other servants, ‘Now, throw that good-for-nothing servant far away from me into the outer darkness, where there will be great misery and anguish!’ “
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. You must be willing to put in the work.
(a) People who are willing to put in the work do not procrastinate.
— The Bible says that as soon as the master left, the steward with five talents immediately went out to put the talents to work. I want to put emphasis on the word “immediately” from the perspective of getting to work!
— This man did not waste any time. He wanted to make the most of what he had been entrusted with. He was willing to put in the work.
(b) God can do more with you ONCE you get started.
— I am convinced that if this parable were to play out today, at least one of the stewards would have set around contemplating what he was going to do with the money. He would have studied the problem first.
— The stewards who doubled the money did not suffer from analysis paralysis.
— You can analyze, hypothesize, theorize, and strategize all you want, but at some point, you are going to have to get started!
— God can do more with you once you get started!
(c) The grace of God will empower you to do what you could never do without God.
— Once you launch out to actually DO or ATTEMPT what you believe God expects of you, you will be amazed at what you can get done. Because where your ability ends, God’s grace will kick in!
— God’s grace will empower you to do what you could never do without Him!
— God’s grace kicks in when you are attempting to do what He called you to do, especially when you are attempting to operate BEYOND your education and experience.
— God calls us to do things that we CANNOT do (with Him).
— This puts us in a position where we NEED Him (BTW, God loves it when we are in this position).
— When we are in this position, we must attempt what we believe God is leading us to do BY FAITH!
— When we launch out, IN FAITH, without wavering, without a doubt, attempting to do what we believe God is leading us to do, the GRACE of God will kick in and empower us to do things we have never done!
— When God calls you to do something that exceeds your education and experience, if you have the FAITH to attempt it, you will tap into the GRACE to perform it!
— God will give you the words, and He will perform the work (John 14:10).
(d) If you are willing to put in the work (BY FAITH), you will tap into God’s GRACE, and you will be amazed by the results!
— The connotation of the parable is that the two stewards who doubled the money (providing their master with a 100% return on his investment) had never done this before.
— When the master came back, you can sense the excitement in the two faithful stewards when they said, “Look, Master! We doubled your money!”
— The master in the parable picked three men from the group of his servants whom he believed were capable of financial stewardship. This is key. He chose them according to their abilities. He saw things in them that they may have not seen in themselves.
— The master did not give them an assignment based on what THEY THOUGHT they could do. He gave them an assignment based on WHAT HE believed they could do.
— Two of the three men came back with amazement. It’s almost like they were saying, “Look, Sir! We doubled your money. We did what YOU believed we could do. Now, we believe it, too! Thank you for seeing something in us that we did not see in ourselves.”
— This is what will happen to you the day you believe what God believes about you to the point where you are willing to attempt something that exceeds your education (what you have been trained to do) and experience (what you have learned over time).
(e) If you are not willing to put in the work, you will miss out on God’s best!
— Prepared blessings come to prepared people.
— God will not reward laziness!
— The unfaithful steward failed to see what the master saw in him.
— He was not willing to put in the work to develop himself or his mindset.
— The unfaithful steward missed the assignment, and he failed to tap into the grace of God to become what the master believed he could become.
Here are some ways this can apply to you today:
— God sees things in you that you do not see in yourself.
— God gives you assignments that help you to walk in the grace He already provided for you.
— If you accept the assignment by faith, your faith will tap into God’s grace, and you will do things you never imagined yourself doing.
— But you will never experience any of this if you are too lazy to put in the work!
— Many believers miss out on opportunities from God because they require WORK!
2. Your Mindset Matters in Stewardship and in Life!
(a) A positive (faith-based) mindset will propel you into action.
— The steward with five talents didn’t just act immediately; he did so because he had a mindset geared towards productivity and success.
— A positive (faith-based) mindset is often the precursor to positive action. Your thoughts can either propel you forward or hold you back.
— When you believe you can, you’re more likely to take the steps necessary to make it happen.
— Your thoughts control your life (Prof 4:23).
(b) A fear-based mindset leads to inaction and laziness.
— The unfaithful steward’s mindset was rooted in fear and misunderstanding of the master’s character.
— Fear can paralyze us and prevent us from taking the steps we need to fulfill our God-given assignments.
— A fear-based mindset will always limit your potential and keep you from stepping into the fullness of what God has for you.
(c) Renewing your mind to think and act like God is required to unlock your God-given potential.
— The Bible teaches us to renew our minds. This is not a one-time event but a continual process.
— A renewed mind aligns with God’s word and His promises, enabling us to see opportunities instead of obstacles.
— When your mind is renewed, you can tap into God’s grace more effectively, allowing you to do things you never thought possible.
(d) Your mindset determines your level of stewardship.
— How you think about what you’ve been given will determine how well you steward it.
— If you see your talents and resources as opportunities for growth and Kingdom advancement, you’ll invest them wisely.
— On the other hand, if you see them as burdens or something to be hoarded, you’ll miss out on the blessings of multiplication.
(e) A Kingdom mindset focuses on eternal impact
— A Kingdom mindset goes beyond just personal gain; it focuses on how your stewardship impacts the Kingdom of God.
— When you invest your talents wisely, it’s not just about you; it’s about advancing God’s Kingdom on Earth.
— This mindset shifts the focus from “What can I gain?” to “How can God use me for His glory?”
(f) Mindset affects your ability to embrace God’s grace.
— Your mindset can either open you up to receive God’s grace or close you off from it.
— A mindset rooted in faith and aligned with God’s word will allow you to tap into the grace you need to fulfill your assignment.
— Conversely, a mindset rooted in doubt and unbelief will hinder the flow of God’s grace in your life.
Here are some ways this can apply to you today:
— Your mindset can either help or hinder your stewardship.
— Take time to examine your thoughts and beliefs, aligning them with God’s word.
— A Kingdom mindset will not only improve your level of stewardship but also your overall quality of life.
— Remember, your mindset matters in stewardship and in life. Choose to cultivate a mindset that aligns with God’s word and watch how it transforms your actions and results.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
I am willing to put in the work for Your Kingdom.
I will not procrastinate; I will act immediately on what You have entrusted to me.
I refuse to suffer from analysis paralysis; I will take action today.
I believe Your grace will empower me to do what I could never do on my own.
I am stepping out in faith, beyond my education and experience, trusting that Your grace will kick in.
I am amazed by the results that come when I work by faith and tap into Your grace.
I refuse to miss out on Your best because of laziness or fear.
Prepared blessings are for prepared people, and I am prepared, Father.
My renewed mind sees opportunities, not obstacles.
I have a Kingdom mindset that focuses on eternal impact.
I am not just focused on what I can gain; I am focused on how You can use me for Your glory.
Living with this mindset, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
