Don't Shrink Back!

Text: Matthew 25:14-30

Focus: Faith

Function: To help people keep on going.

Form: Story Telling

Intro:

I hope you don't find me bizarre or weird, but one of the foundational moments in my life happened while reading “The Hobbit” by J. R.R. Tolkien.

Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit, was a little guy with a lot of courage. He made sure that his life had meaning. And he was not afraid to take a risk.

He found out the hard way that he actually loved adventure. And, he let his life make a difference.

When I read that, I was in business. I was considering how much money I would make in my life. I had it all planned out.

And all of a sudden, it hit me, God may have something else in store for me.

When Challenges came into his life, he refused to shrink back.

This parable is a contrast between the one who shrank back and the two who had courage.

Dick France says the "parable takes up the question which that of the bridesmaids left unanswered: what is readiness? It is not a matter of passively waiting, but of responsible activity, producing results which the coming master can see and approve. For the period of waiting was not intended to be an empty, meaningless delay, but a period of opportunity to put to good use the talents entrusted to his slaves."

It is indeed, a segue from what it means to be prepared, to be ready.

I believe that more than anything, the concept is to be ready in the moment.

You know the story of the boy on the seashore after a strong wind blew thousands of starfish onto the beach.

He was picking them up and throwing them back into the water when a man approached him, saw the size and scope of the problem, realized that there was no way the boy could throw thousands back into the sea and asked the boy: “look at all these starfish, what difference are you really making?”

And you have probably heard the illustration. The boy picks up a starfish, throws it back into the sea and says to the man: “It made a difference to that one.”

God is with us and God will empower us to take action.

I loved the perspective that a saint gave me when we were ministering near Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Church was right along the interstate and we gave assistance to travelers. A lot.

At times, I was exasperated by the amount of help I was giving and what seemed to be to be an insignificant impact I was having.

I wasn't feeling sorry for myself. But the size of the problem reminded me that one individual like me, or a small collection of individuals like our Church could only help a few people.

Her comments were a contrast to statements by nay-sayers who would quote Jesus with the words “the poor you will always have with you.”

At times, the systemic problems of poverty, coupled with what is perceived to be, or actually is, abuse of the system can lead us to think: “why get involved, we will never, ever stop the problem.”

But that is not good thinking. As a urban black minister friend of mine would say: “That is stinkin' thinkin'!”

So this saint would remind me, all the time, “God has not called us to solve all of the worlds problems, but God has called us to take care of the Lazarus on our doorstep.” Luke 16:19-31

You know the story. A rich man didn't care for a poor man begging at his doorstep.

God didn't condemn him for not helping out all the poor, but God did condemn him for not helping the one poor man who was begging on his door.

Condemned.

But this passage isn't about condemnation, although it is there at the end of the passage in reference to the one who refused to use his gifts for God.

This is a passage about faith.

This is a passage about partnership with God.

God gives us gifts, talents and abilities for the building up of God's family.

God gives us gifts, talents and abilities for the restoration of the world.

God gives us gifts, talents and abilities for the healing of the nations.

God gives us gifts, talents and abilities for the coming of the kingdom of love and light.

God expects us to use them.

But we can be afraid.

Now, I am tempted to talk about signing up for worship and hymn leader.

But that would be very, very petty and manipulative.

God will call people to that ministry. And with that calling, God will give them the ability.

Don't do it because I plead. Always, Always. Every single time you do something. Every single time you respond to that prodding inside your heart placed there by the Holy Spirit. Every single time, do it because you have a spiritual, mystical, prayerful compulsion to do so.

I had a dear friend, a leader in the congregation who really cared for me and the success of my ministry. After all, if I succeeded, the church would succeed.

We had a Sunday Night worship service, bible study. It was fun, intimate and very different than the Sunday Morning worship service.

And he would say to the congregation: “We need to come to church to support our pastor.”

And I loved him and believe in the sincerity. So I never challenged him. But I sort of cringed because we are community, and all of us are part of this community, not just me.

In many ways, if the leader succeeds, then we succeed.

But, most churches grow in spite of the pastor.

I want us, in prayer and reflection to find God's calling in us.

I want our motivation to be about how God calls, prods, inspires, encourages and enables us.

And is because of the promise in the passage.

God will give you gifts for serving God and others.

He gave the gifts to three people. Two of them used the gifts.

Some gifts are visible. Some people are gifted for public ministry.

Others are not so visible, but they are just as valuable.

But the promise is gifts. It is repeated in 1 Corinthians 12. God gifts the members of His family with abilities, some of them seem very supernatural, others seem less so. But all of us, 1 Corinthians 12:7, have talents given to us by God for the purpose of being Jesus to this world.

I love my grandmother. She went home to be with the Lord just a few weeks before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

She had 6 children, but only got to raise 4 of them. Two died in the first grade, at different occasions at the bus stop before school.

Two of her other sons, my uncles, died from alcohol abuse.

All that is yet living is her oldest -my mom, and her youngest.

Grandma might have had cause, or the excuse, for bitterness. She could easily have been one of those Christians who buried the talent because life's demands just seemed way to hard for her.

It seems hard. And it is a risk. The one who buried the talent didn't want to take the risk.

My grandfather, grandma's husband, died while the youngest was still in High School. But grandma didn't quit.

She went to college, became a nurse. Worked a nursing career and then retired.

When she retired, she went to Sierre Leone Africa as a medical missionary. In Africa, she contracted a palsy virus that left her permanently paralyzed on her right side for the rest of her life.

She returned from the mission field with a permanent limp and a crooked smile.

But she didn't bury her talent.

One Mother's day, 20 years ago, she came to visit us at our Church.

I asked her: “Grandma, you have seen a lot, you have suffered a lot, you have endured a lot. Have you ever been tempted to give up? Do you still find yourself useful for God's kingdom?”

She didn't answer if she was tempted to give up. But instead, she said: “I can still be of use. Philip,” -she always called me Philip- “I have 186 people that I pray for, by name, every single day. And, by the way, you are at the top of that list.”

I really felt a loss when my Grandma died.

Pray for me.

You see, we can be tempted to bury our talents.

We get tired.

We want others to pick up.

And sometimes, we have to give up things.

Sometimes we have to make room for others.

But we can never shrink back in fear and not use the gifts and talents God has given us.

I remind myself every day, “God's plan for sharing good news in a world of suffering is us, the Church.”

So.

Like the Hobbit.

The Christian life is indeed a great adventure.

And when we risk it, by faith we get a bigger chance to see God's blessings.