Title: The Year End Report We Need to Submit
Today’s passage is about the parable of the master who has gone away and calls his 3 servants, each according to their own ability and given them each 5, 2 and 1 talent respectively (Matt 25:14-30).
He doesn’t give much instruction about what to do with the talents. The ones with 5 and 2 talents began trading, make profit, and doubled the amount. The one who received 1 talent misunderstood the master’s intention and he buried the 1 talent. When the master returns after a long time, their faithfulness is measured and revealed.
First, we look at the servant with 5 talents. God gave a startup capital of 5 talents and the servant immediately began trading and earn an extra 5 more talents (Matt 25:16). When the master returned after a long time, the master was pleased, and this servant enter the joy of the Lord (Matt 25:21).
God gave another servant a startup capital of 2 talents and the servant too, began trading and earn an extra 2 more talents (Matt 25:17). When the master returned after a long time, the master was pleased, and this servant enter the joy of the Lord.
The last servant was given a startup capital of 1 talent by God, but the servant buried the talent and did nothing to it. When the master returned after a long time, the master was not pleased, and this servant was cast out into the outer darkness (Matt 25:30).
Likewise in year 2022, we were given talents by God. Some have more talents; some lesser. However, one thing that we were given is same amount of time. Did we make the best of the time given to us? Did we get the best of the talents given to us? Did we make the best of our faith given?
As we approach the end of year 2022, are we in profit of at a loss? We need to submit the year end report to God. Just like the servants with 5, 2 and 1 talent, God has given us 365 days and talents to each and everyone of us. And after some time, the master will return. Are we the profitable servants or are we the unprofitable servants?
If we ask a dying person what they want, it is never about money, fame, or honor. They want time. Time equates to life. Time is life (Eph 5:16). As we think about year 2022 account settlement, and year end report, let us also think about what we have gained spiritually (Rom 6:23).
In the beginning of year 2022, God gave us the Word, God gave us faith. And this faith is given by God as a gift (Eph 2:8-9). Rom 10:17 tells us by hearing the Word of Jesus we attain faith. Where is the place where we can earn more faith as a gift of God? It is the church. It is at the church where we can receive the Word, and by receiving more Words, we will gain more faith.
Sometimes our faith is buried somewhere, just like the 3rd slave with 1 talent. We bury our faith after Sunday, and we go back into the world, and we commit sins in the world. Did we buried our faith, or did we immediately seek more Word in the church of God every single Lord’s Day?
The master gave the servants the talent, so that the servants can earn more talent. God gave us the Word, so that we can earn more Word and gain more faith.
However, James 2:17 says faith without works is dead. It needs to be activated, carried out through works. The faith that we received, give forth works. When we have the faith, we will automatically have the works naturally and this works in return, perfect our faith, makes our faith alive (James 2:22).
Abraham’s faith was shown and proven through his actions of sacrificing Isaac (James 2:21). Abraham symbolized Faith; he believed in God. Isaac symbolized Obedience, as he was obedient to be sacrificed to God. Jacob symbolized action, as he took action to receive the promise of God. To enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we need Faith, Obedience and Action!
Secondly in this report we must record our expenses of love. Spiritually, our expenses are the Work of God. The Faith that we receive will results in Work of God. The Work of God is love.
As we receive faith, we start giving thanks to God. Because we love God. As we receive faith, we start giving tithes, because we love God As we receive faith, we start keeping Lord’s Day and serve in the church, because we love God. As we receive faith, we start evangelizing our neighbors, because we love our neighbors. As we receive faith, we start forgiving the trespasses of our neighbors, because we love our neighbors. And these works of loving God and loving our neighbors, are the spending of love. As we receive faith, we need to do the work of God. We need to spend our love for God and for our neighbors, our family, and people around us. Being circumcised means nothing unless faith is working through love (Gal 5:6).
We shall love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength and all our mind. We shall love our neighbors as ourselves. If we do the work of loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves, then we will enter the kingdom of heaven.
Senior Pastor said the deepest Word that you can ever hear or ever have, is about LOVE. The deepest truth about the Word is LOVE. 1 Cor 13:1-2 tells us that even if you understand all the mystery, understanding and knowledge, but if you don’t have love, it is nothing.
Lastly, we need to submit a year end report that have a profit. We record the faith that is being earned this year. We record expenses of love, the work of love that we have spent this year. Lastly, we need to have a profit. This profit is a profit of hope.
This hope is a hope of eternal life and transfiguration. This hope is the hope that we will enter the kingdom of heaven.
Conclusion
Let us not lose hope, and immediately seek the Word of God, seek God’s forgiveness, and seek God’s help so that God will allow us to earn more faith before the end of the year, allow us to spend more love to God, our neighbors, our family, and our friends. Let us seek to be a profitable servant, pleasing in the eyes of God. As we approach the new year of 2023, I pray that just like the servants with 5 and 2 talents, we will immediately do business with the talents that are given by God and earn even more profit for God.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 