EXPONENTIAL REWARD
I want to start out with a question.... What if you knew THEN what you know NOW?
If you knew 1980...all in at Apple IPO $5,000 investment = approx. $2 million dollars.
They say hindsight is 20/20 but I’m here to tell you that with God’s Word, the future is just as clear as the past.
In week 1 I mentioned that one of the reasons we don’t experience Exponential life is most of us think ADDITION when God thinks MULTIPLICATION
I want to add another thought to this….
WHY DO WE OFTEN MISS LIVING AN EXPONENTIAL LIFE
BECAUSE WE ARE CONSUMED BY THE TEMPORARY RATHER THAN FOCUSED ON THE ETERNAL
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1-2
In fact…Jesus knew this would be an issue for many of us…He taught a parable to help us understand why eternal investment and focus are so critical.
In our time today, I’m going to ask you 2 major questions that could redirect the course of your life. Instead of living in the world of addition you can move into the kingdom of multiplication.
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paraphrase…
"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like...”
14"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.”
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours. But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Matthew 25:19-29 ESV
God is giving us insider information.
Remember the question that we started with…If you only knew then what you know now…. here’s a news flash…in this parable God giving you in advance the blueprint how your life on earth EXPONENTIALLY impacts eternity. He is allowing you to know now what you will know in the future.
LIVING WITH ETERNAL FOCUS, JESUS TAUGHT:
GOD OWNS EVERYTHING.
I’ve earned this… I’ve worked hard for this… I saved for this
For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. Matthew 25:14 NASB
This mindset is far more important that most of us realize. God, is passionate that we get this! He created us to be generous with what is His: He created us to be givers like He is. The problem is when you believe that you own everything you have, it’s almost impossible to let it go. It’s easy however to give what never belonged to you in the first place. I believe that is the primary reason God called us to honor him with the first 10th called the tithe
THE TITHE IS A DECLARATION OF GOD’S OWNERSHIP
One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy. Leviticus 27:30
Every time we get paid we have the opportunity to remind ourselves who the owner and provider really is. Some of you desperately need to be set free from burdensome idea that what you have is yours. That idea brings weight and bondage. The tithe is the bridge to freedom.
This verse is a powerful verse to remember…
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36 NASB – (In notes)
It's interesting to hear the voices of those whose belongings have been devoured by flames in the past week. I’m fascinated by those who say… yes… “we have lost everything, but it was all just things, we have what matters.”
HOW WOULD YOUR LIFE CHANGE KNOWING THAT EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GOD?
In this story Jesus is describing the kingdom of heaven and is teaching us that
1.) God owns everything and that …
YOU WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT
FOR WHAT? For what you did with what God gave you.
“Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.” Matthew 25:19 ESV
When I was a teenager my dad called me in and said he had something to talk about. But before I say anything…”is there anything you need to first tell me?” Unwinnable In the 50’s, 80’s, today….
This is nothing like the account that Jesus is talking about
- Partied way too much in college
- Cheated on your girlfriend
- Fudged on your taxes
For some of you, theological alarm bells may be going off in your head. The idea that my life will be judged feels contradictory to what I believe
- Doesn’t Bible say saved grace through faith...not works? Yes, it does
- Don’t we believe Jesus endured judgment and wrath on our behalf? Yes
- Doesn’t the Bible say there is no condemnation? Yes it does...YET...
2.) Judgements. Great white throne judgement where God separates those who followed Christ and those who didn’t. that is not this judgement. This judgment is specifically for Christians…
… Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” 12Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.”
Romans 14:10-12 NLT
Who is Paul writing to? Christians in Rome
Greek-Bema seat Judgement seat of Christ
When we hear judgement seat we think (picture of angry judge)
the better picture of the Bema seat of Christ is (pic athlete being awarded prize)
God is cheering you on…he is sitting at the edge of his throne planning and preparing for how to bless you for your faithfulness.
Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ' Revelation 22:12 NIV
HOW WOULD YOUR LIFE CHANGE KNOWING YOU WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT TO GOD FOR WHAT YOU DO?
When I realize that everything I have belongs to God and that I will give an account for what I have done with what I have been given it becomes extremely obvious that God is passionate that we are faithful stewards of what he has entrusted us…
TO BECOME A FAITHFUL STEWARD
WE SEE OURSELVES AS KINGDOM INVESTORS RATHER THAN EARTHLY SPENDERS
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21
Every second of every day we have a choice to spend what we have or invest what has been given us.
When we become spiritual investors, it changes us and exponentially grows Heaven.
How many of us are so enamored with the things of this world…we will get to heaven and discover that what we have spent or accumulated here is simply worthless there. It has no value
It's like buying the new iPhone and then there being no cell service
So what do we know now? We know that God’s exponential reward lasts forever. It is eternal.
But what do we do with what we know? Remember my opening question? If you knew then what you know now, how would you live life differently?
You are a ten talent person…planted in a 10 talent community of faith…placed in a 10 talent era of history.
Because eternity matters…because what we invest exponentially impacts eternity… because God’s exponential reward lasts forever, our one take away is this….
WE WILL HOLD NOTHING BACK How could there be any other response?
His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. Matthew 25:21