Matthew 25: Part 5 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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Transcript

Good morning.

As we come to the end of the work week, I’m sure you’re happy about that. I just want to remind you what we’ve been looking at all this week, which is this great passage in Matthew chapter 25 in the Bible. And we start each day with this little devotional spot on the radio just to help you focus your mind on the things of God.

God wants to be a part of your life, and this passage that we’ve been looking at all this week is a reminder that our lives and each day in our lives and all the things in our lives have been entrusted to us by God, not for us to do whatever we want with them, but for us to live our lives in a way that really makes a difference, that really counts, that expresses God’s values and God’s heart, God’s care for the people around us, so that people see that God loves them and is involved in their lives by our involvement in their lives in the name of Jesus Christ.

And so I encourage you, be sure to focus your life today on the people around you. Who can you help today? Who can you give an encouraging word to today or maybe send a little note to that’ll brighten their day a little bit? And who can you speak to in a way that’s going to honour God today in your life? These are the things we should be thinking about every day.

Our relationship with God is not about religious activity. That’s what turns so many people off when all our Christianity is – is just religious activity and our lives are worthless. No, what God wants is for us to live lives that really demonstrate the difference He makes in our lives.

And so Jesus told this story we’ve been looking at all week, and I just want to go back and actually read the story with you again today.

He said, be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour – that is when he’s returning to this world to hold us accountable.

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He says, for it is just like a man about to go on a journey who called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them.

To one he gave 5 talents, and a talent is a weight of gold, a large amount of money. To another 2 talents and to another 1, each according to his own ability. And God doesn’t expect from you what some great famous Christian has been able to do with their lives. He expects from you what you are able to do.

Don’t worry about what you can’t do for God. Worry about what you can do for Him.

And he went on his journey. Immediately. The one who had received the 5 talents went and traded with them and gained 5 more talents in the same manner. The one who had received the 2 talents gained 2 more.

But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them, and you know it’s been a long time, but Jesus is still returning to this world one day, and He will hold us accountable for our lives.

It’s not a negative thing. It gives our lives great potential thinking about how we can use them for God.

And the one who had received the 5 talents came up and brought 5 more talents, saying, Master, you entrusted 5 talents of gold to me. See, I have gained 5 more talents. The master was really excited, just like our Lord will be when he comes back. Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.

The one who had received the 2 talents came up and said, Master, you entrusted me with 2 talents, and see, I’ve gained 2 more talents. And the master said to him, Well done. See, he wasn’t disappointed. He only had 2 instead of 5. No, he’s excited because he’s used what God gave him in a meaningful way in his life.

Enter into the joy of your master.

And the one who’d received 1 came to the master, and he told him – Look, I knew you were a hard man. I knew I’d be accountable to you. I didn’t want to lose the money, so I buried it in the ground, and here it is again. And the master was not happy with him. He didn’t want him to just bury it in the ground. He wanted him to get it out and use it in a way that would be meaningful to his master.

So think about your life.

Are you living in a way that you know will bring God pleasure and you will be excited to talk to God about your life when He returns at the end and if not – do something about it.

I’m John North.

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