Profitable or Unprofitable?

Matt. 25:14-30

Matt. 25:30

30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Who is this unprofitable servant?

The One Talent Man!

Parable found in the context ofJesus’ teaching on the end of the world

In some of Jesus’ parables we are

challenged to be watching because Jesus is coming..

.now we’re told to be working.

  Not just looking for Him, but laboring for Him

“Kingdom of Heaven”

“Talents” - According to his ability

5 = 10 2 = 4 1 = 1

Master returns

Pleased with 5 and 2 talent men

There are 2 periods of time in this parable:

The present day of responsibility Jas. 4:13

The future day of accountability 2 Cor. 5:10

Why is this parable given?

To ascertain who is profitable

and who is unprofitable!

To begin with this morning, would you say that you are a profitable or unprofitable servant of the Lord?

He’s our King, and we are servants in His courts. Acts 2:47 Added to serve..

He’s the Lord, and it’s a privilege just to

Do HIS will…Mtt. 7:21-23;Col.3:17

Profit Seeking His Kingdom First

26 For what is a man profitedprofited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Are you seeking His Kingdom first? Or is it next to the last thing on your list???

Think of Esau…concerning his birthright

Genesis 25:32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to

die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

Do we give up what is valuable for us to satisfy ourselves at the present moment? The guy who just had to have his beer!

What about Judah and his brethren?

Genesis 37:26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

Sell him! Do we sell ourSouls because of envy andJealousy?

What about Samuel’s advice to the people..

1 Samuel 12:21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

Things that are useless, without any Value…. How many are giving up serving God for the

world…,

I John 2:15-18; Rom. 12:1,2 ,Col.3:2

What about the example of Solomon…

Ecclesiastes 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

When we come to the end of life, what Will we be able to view in our lives that really Mean something to God?

Solomon expands that thought in

Ecclesiastes 5:16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?

Work…working hard…for what? We leave it all behind!!

Jeremiah had this to say to the people:

.Jeremiah 2:8 The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

They didn’t pay any attention to God? They were unprofitable!

We are unprofitable too…

When we won’t listen, heed and obey God… We Sing: “ I Want to be a worker

for the Lord…” A beautiful song…but is it true with You? Is it true with me? Or do we just want to do His work when it is convenient for us??

Have God’s people changed todaylike Jeremiah said they had in his day?

Jeremiah 2:11 Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

Habakkuk sounds the alarm against idolatry….

Habakkuk 2:18 What profitethWhat profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

Just like Paul said to flee fornication I Cor. 6:18, so he says, flee Idolatry …Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from

idolatry!.....

Some are like the l talent man,no longer profitable because , like

Malachi 3:14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? Lk. 9:62

When something hinders our faithful service to the Lord, we need to do as the Lord said:

Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it it is profitableis profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

And the next verse says:

Matthew 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Get rid of anything that will cause your Soul to be lost! Listen to what the Lord says:

Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

What have we gained…? We lose the Most valuable thing that we have.. Acts 2:40 Save yourselves from this untoward

generation!

Some things you do will not profit you anything!

1 Corinthians 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

To practice a religion that is not acceptable to God—unprofitable servant!

Galatians 1:14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

Matt. 15:9

Paul’s advice to Timothy!

1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

We have now 24 hour gyms , 7 days a week… It is certainly good to keep in shape, to exercise, but do we give more time to bodily exercise than we do to ‘godliness’.

Which gives us a promise of life here and life to come!

God wants us to be profitable servants

Paul speaking of Onesimus .. Philemon 1:11 Which in time past was to

thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

He had been converted to Jesus by Paul. What a transformation he made in his Own life!. Shows it can be done!!

How will it be accomplished?

The Bible tells us : Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached,

as well as unto them: but the word preached did but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. them that heard it.

Do you know what that means? It means We have to put into practice what we hear, Believe it and obey it!

Listen to James

James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

James 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what what doth it profit?doth it profit?

Conclusion

Are you a servant of the Lord?

Are you a profitable servant?

Are you an unprofitable servant?

Saved to Serve

Psalms 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

“Kingdom of Heaven”

“Talents” - According to his ability

5 = 10 2 = 4 1 = 1

Master returns

Pleased with 5 and 2 talent men

Different Servants Use their abilities differently

Some to the full extent … Paul (2 Tim.4:7-8) Some to a lesser extent - John Mark (Acts 13:13; Acts 15:37-38)

For who can do a work well,

Which he hates to do?

Matt. 25:30

30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.