Faithfulness - It's not what you think
Fear is what keeps you from developing the Talents that God gave you. Fear of conflict, Fear of Failure, Fear of criticism. Fear of the unknown
In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus tell us a parable about a Master and his servants. Two servants took a risk and invested the money and doubled it. These two servants moved against their fear and the result was fruitful. They put themselves out on the limb were they were bound to fail unless God moved on their behalf and they doubled their money. Notice that the Master said "Well done my good and faithful servants. You were FAITHFUL a few things, I will put you in charge of many things"
One servant returned what the Master had given him and said '...I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' Fear is faith in the wrong thing. The servant was afraid (was a chicken, was scared) that he would fail and that he would lose money. He had faith, not that he would succeed, but that he would fail.
The servants that were called Faithful where those who took a risk, moved against their fear in faith and increase what had been given to them. They were called faithful or full of faith.
The servant that was called Unfaithful didn't take a risk. He was immobilized because of fear and he didn't increase what had been given to him. He didn't have to use his faith because he was scared he would loose what he had. He did lose what he had, not because of the risk he took but because of faith he did not use.
Pastors, we have had the wrong definition of Faithful. We think being faithful is being true to the scripture and continually do the same thing for a long period of time. But is this Jesus' definition? NO! Jesus said that unfaithfulness was due to being afraid to take risks, of being fearful of failure and being unwilling to trust God to do the impossible.
Why. Because if you are not taking risks then you are wicked and lazy. In other words you are not using your faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Everything that you do that is in faith is pleasing to God. Everything that you do without faith is not pleasing to God. How many things have you done lately that were pleasing to God? How many things have you done that were unpleasing to God? Have you been Faithful or Unfaithful? Have you taken a risk or not?
In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus tell us a parable about a Master and his servants. Two servants took a risk and invested the money and doubled it. These two servants moved against their fear and the result was fruitful. They put themselves out on the limb were they were bound to fail unless God moved on their behalf and they doubled their money. Notice that the Master said "Well done my good and faithful servants. You were FAITHFUL a few things, I will put you in charge of many things"
One servant returned what the Master had given him and said '...I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' Fear is faith in the wrong thing. The servant was afraid (was a chicken, was scared) that he would fail and that he would lose money. He had faith, not that he would succeed, but that he would fail.
The servants that were called Faithful where those who took a risk, moved against their fear in faith and increase what had been given to them. They were called faithful or full of faith.
The servant that was called Unfaithful didn't take a risk. He was immobilized because of fear and he didn't increase what had been given to him. He didn't have to use his faith because he was scared he would loose what he had. He did lose what he had, not because of the risk he took but because of faith he did not use.
Pastors, we have had the wrong definition of Faithful. We think being faithful is being true to the scripture and continually do the same thing for a long period of time. But is this Jesus' definition? NO! Jesus said that unfaithfulness was due to being afraid to take risks, of being fearful of failure and being unwilling to trust God to do the impossible.
Why. Because if you are not taking risks then you are wicked and lazy. In other words you are not using your faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Everything that you do that is in faith is pleasing to God. Everything that you do without faith is not pleasing to God. How many things have you done lately that were pleasing to God? How many things have you done that were unpleasing to God? Have you been Faithful or Unfaithful? Have you taken a risk or not?
