Please note that this post is out of order – 11/22 is directly beneath this 11/15 post.
[You can find the FB Live video feed HERE [starts at 9:30, sermon begins at 20:00)]
[Donate to Lidgerwood Church HERE]
Mark Wheeler
Matthew 25:14-30
“What Do We Do with This?!”
11/15/2020
Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church
Welcome to Worship, Church!!! We enter this time together from all sorts of our own troubles and difficulties, worries and fears, pains and hurts, responsibilities and burdens, hopes and dreams; I invite you to be very present in this time of gathered worship and prayer – allow our Good Shepherd to share your yoke, and look to Him for strength and comfort.
And today we do something we’ve never done before – within the bounds of worship we also hold a Congregational Meeting. Congregational Meetings are for the members of this particular church to receive some information and to make some decisions – but we invite everyone – members and friends, in the building and from afar on your phones and computers, via Zoom or Facebook Live – to be a part of the whole service. When we get to the “business” of the Congregational Meeting there’ll be a few instructions – but what better way for visitors to see how a church functions than to watch how they make budget plans together?! [So, to be legal, our attendance shows 14(?) members in the room – that’s a quorum]
Welcome, Church! May the Peace of Christ be with you!
Let’s take a second to greet each other, and those in the room, look at the camera and say HI to your friends who are at home.
Welcome to this “gathering” in God’s name. We are assembled in NorthEast Spokane, WA, along with people from all over the world. We are very glad you are “here” with us.
For those who made it into the building this morning – thank you for wearing your masks and following the seating and walking protocols. We do this not to protect ourselves from others, but to protect others from ourselves. Because we love each other, we wear masks and keep distance to keep each other safe from this “invisible potential enemy”. The COVID numbers are still peaking in the greater Spokane area – let’s not give them an opportunity to climb even higher. Our Elders are listening to CDC guidelines and deciding on what seems best practices for each others’ safety. We love you, and we want everyone to be and to stay well.
Be filled with God’s Holy Spirit presence and power, in your homes, through your phones and computers, in this building here, and in your lives. Feel free to laugh at our efforts … and pray with us … and hear and be transformed by God’s Word.
Listen now and join in as newly re-comissioned Commissioned Ruling Elder Pastor Kathy Sandusky leads us in our Call to Worship, from Psalm 90.
Our song of praise today sings our praise to God! – Come We that Love the Lord – led by Julie on the piano.
Through the Written Word,
And endorsed by our spoken word,
May we know Your Living Word,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Think about some of the special gifts or talents God gave you. (Allow time.) Maybe God has gifted you with a musical talent like singing or playing an instrument. Some of you may have been given athletic skills which make you very good at playing a sport. Maybe you have intellectual gifts; so you do very well in school. Some of you may have artistic talents and can paint, draw, or sculpt. Some of you may be good at dancing or acting. Some of you have an innate ability to understand mechanics, or to crochet, or to create electronics…. This list of skills, talents, abilities represented even in this gathering is astounding.
No matter what gifts God gave you, I know He’s given each and every one of you at least one special gift or talent.
When God gives us a gift, He expects us to use it. He doesn’t want the gift to go to waste. God wants us to take that gift and use it to show others how great He is.
That’s what our Bible story is about today.
We have seen that Jesus tells many parables, stories that teach a lesson. Today, we hear Jesus’ parable usually called “The Parable of the Talents.” A “talent” however is not a skill or ability, a “talent” is a ton of money – so in the newest NIV they translated the word for “talent” with “bag of gold”.
Listen here to the Word of God … Matthew 25:14-30 …. —- [The screen will show this passage.]
25 14 “Again, it [the Kingdom of Heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability [as I said a minute ago, this version of the NIV changed the more common term “talents” to “bags of gold” – a “talent” was literally 20-years worth of salary for the average day-laborer – so “bag of gold” makes it easier to understand we’re talking about money, literally, not “skills” or “talents” – but the truth is, what we’re really talking about is anything given us by our Almighty and Generous God!]. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Jesus’ story starts with a man who went off on a long trip. Before he left, he called his servants together and gave each of them a part of his wealth to take care of while he was gone. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to a third he gave one bag. Then he left on his journey.
While he was gone, the servant who had five bags of gold worked hard and doubled his five bags so he ended up with ten bags of gold. The man with two bags also doubled his; so he had four. But the servant with one bag dug a hole and buried his boss’s money.
When the boss returned, he asked his servants to share what they did with the gifts he gave them. The boss told the two who doubled their bags, “Well done! Because you have used what I gave you well, I will give you much more.“
Then the third servant told the boss, “I was afraid, so I took what you gave me and hid it in the ground so that it would be safe.”
“You lazy servant!” the boss answered. “You could have at least put the gold in the bank so that I could have earned a little interest on it.” The boss took the gold from the servant and gave it to the one who already had the most. He explained, “To those who make what they have been given better will be given more. But from those who do nothing, theirs will be taken away.“
Sometimes we might think God hasn’t given us very much. We might even be tempted to hide our “talent”. But when we use our God-given “talent” to be all that God planned for us to be, He will give us even more!
This lesson reminds me of the actual event of the feeding of the 5,000 with the boy’s five loaves and two fish – such a little amount that he faithfully used – and they ended up with 12 baskets full of leftovers – He gave even more!!
What has God given you? What has He given us? What Will We Do with This?
Dear God, we thank You for the gifts You‘ve given each of us. We pray that we will be faithful in using these gifts to show others how wonderful You are. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As we move into a time of prayer together – let me talk with our kids for a minute – all-y’all can listen in:
Prayer Page – And now – call out a name, a place, a people, a situation, you are lifting to the Lord in prayer …. “Have mercy on us, O Lord.” [Lord’s Prayer] Amen.
Congregational Meeting to: [The screen will show this info.]
- Change the Bylaws to allow for simultaneous aural electronic participation and attendance in our Congregational Meetings (this allows people at home but with the ability to listen and speak during the Meeting to have their Votes also be heard and counted).
- Receive the 2021 Budget as decided by our Elders Council.
- Approve the Pastors’ Terms of Call.
So – first agenda item: to change our bylaws so people at home can vote on the third agenda item: [Check the screen ….]
(…3.8 Voting Qualifications – All Communicant members present (physically or electronically) are qualified to vote on ecclesiastical affairs; on corporate affairs of the church, only those who have attained the age of 18 years are qualified to vote. Additionally, to allow simultaneous aural electronic attendance during meetings, the Session will ensure the availability of the appropriate electronic or future technology equipment and a qualified operator designated. Technological attendance of the membership is the responsibility of the members and personal equipment allowing presence will not be supplied by the church. These accommodations will be provided for any Congregational Meeting for which such accommodations are requested. Voting by proxy is not allowed. …)
– Offering (4449 N Nevada St, Spokane, 99207 ; or click HERE) or text 833-976-1333, code “Lidgerwood”
Expedition Song – We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations! ….
Next Sunday, like we did today – please RSVP to us if you plan to attend so we can properly set up – and please CALL IN or email or text – so we can share with you what the plans will be – whether we will be allowed to continue to meet or not.
We close with this benediction. Repeat after me:
Grow in the grace and knowledge… Of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ… [repeat]
Empowered by His Holy Spirit… Be His people everywhere… [repeat]
And give Him the glory… Now and forever more…! [repeat] Amen
Resources:
https://sermons4kids.com/#sotw; “Parable of the Talents”
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