Come with me back to Matthew
25. Matthew 25. Our Lord here gives another parable. This is referred to as the parable
of the talents. And a parable is an earthly story
with a heavenly meaning. We just heard our brother read
an earthly story to us. And it was given with a heavenly
meaning. In verse 14, our Lord said, for
the kingdom of heaven is as. He is about to give an earthly
story that represents the truth concerning spiritual matters.
The kingdom of heaven is as heavenly matters, the things of salvation,
what God requires, what God demands. So verse 14, he said, the kingdom
of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called
his own servants and delivered unto him his goods. And we'll
go ahead and look at this in the spiritual picture. This man
represents the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who finished his
work on earth and ascended back up to his father in glory and
sat down on his throne. His servants right here represent
His people. His chosen people who He delivered
His goods to. He wouldn't just deliver His
goods to anybody in the world. He delivered them to His servants. Verse 14 says, for the kingdom
of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country who called
his own servants and delivered unto them his goods. Verse 15 says, and unto one,
he gave five talents, a talent That was a large sum of money,
and in the center margin of my Bible, it gives an amount, 187L10S. I don't know how much that is.
I tried to study it, but that amount varied by reason. For some, it was like 100 on
the L, and for another place, it was 200 on the L. I don't
know how much it was, but it was a lot of money. It was a
lot of money. Verse 15 says unto one he gave
five of those five talents to another two and to another one
to every man according to his several ability. That means one's
own ability as much as each one could handle. to every man according
to his several ability and straightway took his journey. Now in that
we see the sovereignty of this man. This man who represents our Lord.
He didn't give everyone the same talents, okay? He distributed
as he saw fit. And can he not do what he will
with his own? He can do what he wants with
his own. That's what he wanted to do. Verse 15. Unto one he
gave five talents, to another two, and to another one. To every man according to his
several ability, and straightway took his journey. Then he that
had received the five talents went and traded with the same. and made them other five talents. He had five and he used them
and he invested them and he ended up earning five more. So he had five and he ended up
with 10. Verse 17, and likewise, he that
had received two He also gained other two. He put his to good
work and he earned two more. So he started with two and he
ended up with four. Verse 18, but he that had received
one Went and digged in the earth and hid his Lord's money. He didn't do anything with it.
He didn't do anything with it. He didn't work it. He just buried
it. It was given to him. And he just
buried it. Verse 19, after a long time,
the Lord of those servants cometh. and reckoneth with them." Spiritually
speaking, this represents our Lord's return, the day of reckoning. Verse 19, after a long time,
the Lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them And so
he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents,
saying, Lord, thou deliverest unto me five talents. Behold,
I have gained beside them five talents more. His Lord said unto
him, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been
faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many
things. Enter thou into the joy of thy
Lord. Verse 22, he also that had received
two talents came and said, Lord, thou delivers unto me two talents. Behold, I have gained other two
other talents beside them. His Lord said unto him, well
done, good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over
a few things. I will make thee ruler over many
things. Enter thou into the joy of thy
Lord. Then he which had received the
one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art in
hard man, a fierce, stern man. reaping where thou hast not sown,
and gathering where thou hast not strawed. And I was afraid
and went and hid thy talent in the earth. Lo, there thou hast
that is thine." He wasn't afraid unto wisdom. He was afraid unto
looking out for himself, covering his bases. He said, I didn't
do anything with the talent you gave to me. I didn't do anything
with it. I didn't do anything. Nothing. I didn't use it. I didn't put it to good work.
I did not invest it. I buried it in the ground. It was dead to me. I buried it
in the ground. It was dead to me. and I was
dead to it. And now here it is. That one
talent, right back to you. Verse 26. His Lord answered and
said unto him, thou wicked and slothful servant, thou newest
that I reap where I sowed not and gather where I have not strawed. Thou oughtest therefore to have
put my money to the exchangers And then at my coming, I should
have received mine own with usury, with interest. Take therefore the talent from
him and give it unto him which hath 10 talents. For unto everyone
that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance. but
from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which
he hath." He said, take that one talent from him that did
nothing and give it to the one that has 10 talents. For everyone
that hath gained, everyone that hath increased, it shall be given
to him. But he that hath not, gained
and increased. It's going to be taken away.
Take it away from him. In verse 30, he said, cast ye
the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now I have some really bad news
for all of us. And then I will go ahead and
tell you that I have some really good news for all of us. But
this message starts with some really bad news and I'm being
so serious. I have some really, really bad
news. Turn with me to Luke 17. Luke
17 verse 1 says, Then said he unto the disciples,
our Lord is speaking to his disciples, okay? He's speaking to his disciples. Verse 10. So likewise ye, when
ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you,
say, he's telling his disciples to say, you say, we are unprofitable servants. We have done that which was our
duty to do. But even after doing it, it was
unprofitable. That's all that we are, unprofitable
servants. Turn with me to Romans chapter
three. Romans 3. And I want to, while
you're turning there, let me just tell you this. I know that
we all would love to think that we're the five and five servant.
We read that and we would, everybody here would love to think, surely
I'm a five and five servant. But at least, at least, okay,
I'll give the whole situation the benefit of the doubt. I'm
at least the two and two servant. I have some really bad news for
everybody here. We're not going to find a scripture
in this book. You search it. You get in this
book and search it. You will not find a scripture
in this book that will tell us that we are either one of those
servants in our natural condition before God. You won't find it.
Look right here at Romans 3 verse 10. It says, as it is written
in this book right here, there is none righteous. No, not one. There is none that
understandeth. There is none that seeketh after
God. They are all All men, women, every tribe,
nation, kindred, tongue, every generation, start to finish. Adam till whoever the last man
standing will be. They are all gone out of the
way. They are together become unprofitable. Unprofitable. There is none that
doeth good. No, not one. Every soul here,
every soul on this earth, every soul that was chosen to be a
child of God. I'm talking about God's elect
people. Every soul is that third servant. You read that and you think,
man, I'd hate to be that third servant. Well, that's me. That's
me. That's what I've done. And that's
what you've done too. We are all that worthless, useless,
unprofitable servant. And there's only one end for
a servant like that. Strip him and cast him out. All right, now for the good news.
We're going straight into the good news today. I'm not dragging
the bad news out for 15 more minutes. Jesus Christ took the place of
His unprofitable servants. Is that good news? Jesus Christ took the place of
His unprofitable servants. Right here in Romans 3 verse
23 says, 4. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. Verse 24 says, being justified
freely by His grace through the redemption. Redemption. Think about that in light of
this story here. Through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus, whom God had set forth to be a propitiation. That means
a covering, an atonement. It means a bloody victim. whom God hath set forth to be
a propitiation through faith in His blood." I love this. To declare His righteousness
for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance
of God. To declare, I say at this time,
His righteousness. He's saying, in case you didn't
get it the first time, let me say it again. It's His righteousness,
His goodness, His good deeds, His good works. his usury, his
earning, that he might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Those first two servants,
the five and five and the two and two, which really they're
the same. They're the same. They were both
given an amount. It didn't come from them. They
were given an amount and they used what was given to them and
they both earned 100%. If my math is right, they each
earned 100%. That's a good number to describe
Christ. That's Christ, 100%. Given five, earned five, 100%.
Given two, earned two, 100%. So they're the same. Their works
are the same. Their earnings are the same.
They both represent Jesus Christ. That's Jesus Christ. Only Christ
has earned before God. Only Christ. Why two of them
then? We'll see. My favorite part of
the whole message. We'll see. Only Christ has wrought
good and perfect works before God. Only Christ. Well done thou good and faithful
servant. Behold my servant that did not
fail. that can only be said about Jesus
Christ. But in the mercy and the grace
and the love of Jesus Christ for his people, amazingly, he
traded places with them. When the time of reckoning came,
that was on the cross of Calvary. When the time of reckoning came,
Jesus Christ is the one who stood there before the judge in the
place of his people. Turn with me to the book of Philemon.
It's just before Hebrews, Hebrews 1. Find that and you'll find
Philemon. In this account here, a man named
Onesimus is an unprofitable servant. He represents all of God's people.
Onesimus, he represents all of God's people. He stole from his
master. He fled from his master. He was
worthy of death from his master. His master was a man named Philemon,
the title of this book. But Paul, representing the Lord Jesus Christ,
he stood in the place of Onesimus before his master Philemon. And
he made intercession for him. And he brought redemption. He
brought redemption to him. Let's read this, see in that
spiritual picture, all right? Begin in verse 10. Paul said,
I beseech thee. This is spiritually speaking
Christ, speaking to his father, Christ speaking to the judgment.
He said, I beseech thee for my son, Onesimus, whom I have begotten
in my bonds. Can't we see the cross in this?
I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds,
which in time past was to thee unprofitable. But now because
of me in my bonds, profitable to thee and to me, whom I have
sent again Thou therefore receive him that is mine own bowels. What he's saying is you are receiving
me when you receive him. I have traded standings with him. Deal with me in him. And deal with him in me. I beseech thee for my son Onesimus,
whom I have begotten in my bonds, which in time past was to thee
unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me, whom I have
sent again. Thou therefore receive him that
is mine own bowels, whom I would have retained with me, that in
thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel. But without thy mind would I
do nothing, that thy benefit should not be, as it were, of
necessity, but willingly. For perhaps he therefore departed
for a season, that thou shouldest receive him forever, not as a
servant, but above a servant, a brother, beloved specially
to me. But how much more unto thee,
both in the flesh and in the Lord? Listen to verse 17. Listen
to Jesus Christ speaking to God the Father. If thou count me
therefore a partner, receive him as myself. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth
thee aught, Put that on my account. I, Paul, have written it with
mine own hand. I will repay it." That's what Christ said to the
Father on our behalf. He said, if you count me a partner,
receive them as myself. and put everything they owe you,
everything they've done against you, every justice that must
come to them for their unprofitableness. He said, put all of it on my
account. And God the Father did. God the
Father counted Jesus Christ an equal partner and honored his
request of love. And he laid it all on him. And for His people's sake, God
the Father stripped Him. For His people's sake, God the
Father stripped Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. He stripped
Him. And He cast him into outer darkness,
the outer darkness of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Oh, the
weeping that took place at the cross for the sin of His people.
Oh, the gnashing of teeth, the gnashing of the teeth of sin,
the gnashing of the teeth of death, the gnashing of the teeth
of hell that God, our Savior, was thrust into for us. Turn with me to Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2 verse 1, it says,
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, unprofitable
disobedience. Verse three says, among whom
also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lust of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But
God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved
us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together
with Christ. By grace you are saved. and hath
raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the
exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through
Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. Wherefore, remember that you
being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that
at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ
Jesus, you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath
made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition
between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in
himself of twain one new man. So making peace. and that he
might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having
slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you
which were afar off and to them that were nigh. For through him
we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore
you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens
with the saints and of the household of God. and are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building fitly
framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, in
whom you also are builded together for inhabitation of God through
the Spirit." What does that mean? That means because Christ became
that third servant for us. We get to be that first servant
and that second servant. Because Christ made himself to
be that third servant for us. Because of that, we get to be
that first servant and the second servant. I'm so glad the Lord
gave three servants in this parable instead of two. I'm so glad because
Christ bore the reward of the third servant for us. We get
to bear the reward of the first servant and the second servant. What does that mean? In closing,
go to Isaiah 40. Isaiah 40, verse 1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity
is pardoned for. She hath received of the Lord's
hand double for all her sins. Double. Not only does she get
to be a servant whose talents, whose grace was doubled like
the five and five and the two and two, she gets to be two servants whose
grace was doubled. Everything doubled, doubled and
doubled. Lord, how do you want us to double
it? You double it in every way it can be doubled. You double
it. Oh, the unsearchable riches of
Christ. You tell her she has received
double for all of her sin against me. To him be all the glory for
everything he has credited to us. credited to us and everything
that we have received in Him. Amen.