Being Restored for Christ – It Begins with being Found (Part I)

Sermon Title: Being Restored for Christ – It Begins with Being Found

Good News Statement: God restores us by finding us

Summary: The following sermon is going to review the Parable of the Bags of Gold with the goal of spurring us on to use our talents for Jesus so that one day we might hear the words “good and faithful servant!”

Preached: Sunday, October 27^th, at Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Matthew 25:14-30: Today’s scripture reading comes from the Gospel of Matthew. In this section of Matthew’s writing we are reminded of the Parable of the Talents: no matter the size or amount of gift we are given, it should be used for the building up of the Body of Christ. Let’s read from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter Twenty-Five, and Verses Fourteen thru Thirty the hearing and reading of this scripture add understanding and meaning to your life.

 

The Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; ¹⁵ to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. At once ¹⁶ the one who had received the five talents went off and traded with them and made five more talents. ¹⁷ In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. ¹⁸ But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹ After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²² And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter, ²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. ²⁹ For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ³⁰ As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

 

The Word of God, for the People of God; And all God’s People said, “Thanks Be To God.”

 

Introduction:

Restoration: the act of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition. The act of restoration involves the process of repairing or renovating a building, work of art, vehicle, furniture, a church, and the list could go on. Restoration also involves reinstating a previous practice, right, custom, or situation. I’m sure many of us here have restored something in our life: whether it be a tractor, an old car, a piece of furniture, something within your house, or maybe you restored a relationship, your faith, your commitment to the church, or even your trust in Christ. Restoration is part of our life; and believe it or not, it’s part of our faith journey as well.

For the next couple of weeks, we are going to think about the concept of restoration through a faithful lens. Through this lens, the restoration upon which we will undergo is not physical, or emotional, nor mental. Rather, it will be a spiritual restoration that urges us to be found amongst the weeds and miry clay, to take inventory of our life and to see what is missing and what is needed to move forward, to remind ourselves that God has provided us a manual to read and study, and lastly the work of restoration is an ongoing process. Like the hundreds of pieces of furniture that I have recovered and restored, and like all the classic cars and tractors that have been restored and appear at car shows and tractor shows, we, too, need to be restored for Christ if we want to follow in his footsteps—preaching his word, saving the lost, comforting the hurting, and being a church mission bound and mission focused. Restoration is part of our faith journey, and today we embark on that journey to be restored for Christ. Do you need to be restored today? Our journey begins with allowing God to find us where we are.

 

Restoration Inspiration:

Before we get into today’s topic, I want to take a moment to explain what you will see on the altar-railing for the next few weeks. On the altar-railing, you can see a very small portion of my Hotwheel collection. As a matter of fact, what you see, in their original packaging, are first editions of Hotwheels produced in 2000. My eldest brother, Michael, bought my first Hotwheel for me when I was about the age of four for my birthday. From that moment on—for my birthday, Christmas, Easter, and even on random days—I would be given several Hotwheels. To this day, I have some Hotwheels that are in their original packaging, some on shelves, and a lot in cases. These cases can either hold twelve cars, twenty-four cars, forty-eight cars, and even one-hundred cars. To date, I have anywhere from 800 to 1,000 Hotwheels! I was even featured in the local newspaper back home when I was in elementary school for my collection. Collecting Hotwheels is what I did as a child and something that I wish to pass down to the next generation.

My collection of Hotwheels is what inspired this sermon series on Restoration. You see, not only do I have my Hotwheels, but I also have my father’s Hotwheels. My Hotwheels look like they have never been played with while my father’s Hotwheels are missing wheels, lacking their original paint color, the axels are bent, windows are gone, and some show remints of glue and tape. Looking at his Hotwheels and mine, I thought: “Are we ever too broken, too worn out, too fragile, too used to be restored: to be restored back to what we looked like before we allowed ourselves to be missing parts and pieces?” Through these Hotwheels, I hope and pray that we are encouraged—just like someone restoring an old car—to see where we’ve been while thinking about where we can go and the process it takes to get there.

 

Body:

The first step of the restoration process is letting God find you where you are. How many of you have a habit of losing things, things like a wallet, keys, a credit card, a pair of socks or earrings, or maybe your spouse when you take them to their favorite store? What did you do when you lost one of those? Did you just say, “Oh well, no problem, I can always get another one?” No, I believe you would search everywhere you had been until you found what you lost. I bet finding what was lost was the most important thing in your life at that moment.

God knows what it feels like to lose something. To find the lost, God even sent His only Son Jesus Christ to the world (John 3:16) to save and seek the lost (Luke 19:10). God is always searching for something, not because He can’t remember where He lost it; He knows where it is. He knows who we are, where we are, and what we need. He always finds us and brings us back to the fold. However, the question is, “Do you want to be found?” Do you want to remain broken with faded paint, missing wheels, and broken windshields, or do you want to be restored?

The parables of Luke 15 are called “the Gospel within the Gospel;” they talk about “lost and found!” In the first parable, Jesus talked about a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of his sheep strayed away from the flock and became lost. When the shepherd knew one of his sheep was lost, he left the other ninety-nine to find the lost one. During his search, the shepherd might confront deep ravines, hidden corners, steep hills, or even wild animals in the wilderness. But he certainly went through a trial to find the lost sheep. When he found it, he was so excited that he called all of his friends and said, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep” (v. 6).

We are sometimes like sheep, not necessarily because we are sinners. We get lost even without meaning to get lost. Like the sheep, we probably never look up; we only look down, just chasing after what we need for our daily life…and before we know it, we are lost! We went too far, and we don’t know how to come back. However, if we are like sheep, we know we will be found, not because we know how to come back but because a shepherd found us. Jesus is our Good Shepherd who always comes and finds us when we are lost. When we feel lost, that is our reminder it’s time to be found.

In the second parable, Jesus talked about a widow who had ten silver coins. When she lost one coin, she didn’t say, “Well, I still have nine others, so I don’t care about the lost one.” In Jesus’ day, one silver coin was worth a day’s wages. That is to say, one coin could feed the whole family for a week. That’s why the widow turned on every light in the house, swept the floor, and searched everywhere until she found it (v. 8).

We get lost just like the coin. The coin in this parable had been in a dark corner. Likewise, life sometimes takes us away into some dark corners. We feel alone and that nobody cares for us. Perhaps some of you have said in the darkest of moments, “I don’t deserve a happy life anymore; I don’t belong here; I am forgotten; No one is looking for me…” At times like that, we might feel home-bound, shut-in, or isolated from all the social connections in our communities.

But in this parable, Jesus tells us that God comes to find the lost. God knows us, God knows our hiding place where we slip into from time to time, God searches for us, and He won’t stop until we are found. In this parable, the woman turned her house upside down to find her lost coin. Why? Although it was a little coin, it was precious to her. Likewise, every one of us in this sanctuary, everyone in this world, is precious to God. All human beings are created by God, which means all are God’s children, so God would turn the world upside down to find the lost, even if it is only one soul in the world.

That’s exactly what God did. Through Jesus God turned the whole world upside down. The God of the universe came among us as a human baby named Jesus. He lived and died as one of us and stretched his arms out to us from the cross to welcome the lost, the least, the losers, and even the sinners. He sacrificed his life for all human beings, whether or not they deserve it. If we truly love this Jesus and want to follow his way we’d also stretch our arms to welcome anyone to us, even for one lost person, even for one lost sheep, and even for one lost coin. Jesus is willing to find us because he knows that when we hide, when we feel lost, when we feel like nothing is going right, he can find us and restore us. Before a car can be restored, it has to be found. Before a tractor can be restored it has to be found. Before a piece of furniture is recovered with new material it has to be found. We are the sheep; we are the coin, needing to be found today. But again, do you want to be found?

 

Movement One: Matthew 25:14-18 – Everyone is Given an Incredible Talent

I want to take this a step further. When we allow ourselves to be found, God through Jesus Christ reminds us of the talents given to us and the gifts that we have; and the these gifts and talents are going to be used to restore us.

Matthew 25:14-18, The Parable of the Talents, tells us, “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. At once the one who had received the five talents went off and traded with them and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.”

The first thing that I want to point out from these verses is that each of the servants were given talents—a source of payment—according to their abilities. 1 Corinthians 12 states that upon conversion the Holy Spirit gives the born-again child of God at least one spiritual gift that is to be used to accomplish divine tasks within His kingdom. Since nothing we have is our own except our sins and it is in His sovereignty that the Holy Spirit distributes gifts, one is not to covet the gifts or service of another for Christ.[1] One is not to see the service one is called to do as being too great for it is by the power of the Spirit that one does miracles in His kingdom. Likewise, one is not to see the service one is called to do as being too small for it is in the “little spheres of service” and in our weakness that God’s glory shines the brightest.[2] Simply put, God gives us what we need to be restored, to be reminded that He notices our works and our doings. Each one of us is given what each of us needs to come out of hiding. God is giving us what we need to be begin the restoration process. He has given us our gifts and our talents.

The second point that I want to make from the above verses is that the talents given are of enormous value! In the parable one man was given five talents, another two and one a single talent. While the NIV translates “talents” as “bags of gold” the Greek word used here is “tananton” which means a unit of weight. The bags given could have been filled with copper, silver or gold.[3] The servants took this enormous amount of money, took a risk by starting up new businesses and worked incredibly hard to earn more money for their master. Likewise, upon our conversion we have been given talents in the form of spiritual gifting that our master expects us to use by serving in His kingdom.[4]

With these gifts, we can be more than something falling apart, we can be something more than an object fading away, we can be something more than a car rusting and decomposing in the weeds. With these gifts we become the pristine and polished disciple that God made us to be. But if we simply continue to hide these gifts, these talents, then we are nothing more the sound of a rusty gate as Paul tells us (in 1 Corinthians 13:1, MGS). If we want to be restored, if we want our faith to be restored, if we want our church to be restored, then we must be willing to use what has been given to us—we must be willing to use our gifts. We must be willing to be found.

The final point that I would like to make concerning the above verses is that serving the Master is not an option but a daily requirement! In the parable the master went on his journey but gave the slaves no idea when he would return but merely that upon his arrival, he expected to receive a return on the monies he entrusted to them. Likewise, Jesus, who has gone to prepare a place for us, will one day return (John 14:3-4) and evaluate what we have done with our spiritual gifting that he has given us through the Holy Spirit. It is not enough for Christians to merely “hang in there” and idly wait for their Master’s return. Waiting for Jesus to return is never merely passive: it is active.[5]

Being found is not passive, it is active. It is active because it requires us to actively ask Christ to find us. Something that needs to be restored doesn’t just magically fix itself. Something that needs to be restored takes work, commitment, knowledge, and the use of one’s gifts. If you want to be restored, if you want your faith to be restored so that you begin to do and think about what God needs you to do, then actively pray to be found. Remember what Jesus told his disciples, “Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8). God wants to see how the gifts He has given you are helping you becoming restored. When He knocks on the door of your heart, he wants to see a heart actively working with the gifts that He has given it.

 

Movement Two: Matthew 25:19-23 – Some will be Found to be Fruitful

Second, some will be found to be faithful. Matthew 25:19-23 tells us, “After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’”

When God asks one to serve no matter how small or big the matter is, one to receive such a request with pure joy. To one who controls and sustains all things, seen and unseen, there is no such thing as a too “small” of service because He rewards based on obedience and faith, not size of divine assignment. Likewise, one should not see any service as “too big” for one to accomplish because in seeing it this way one falsely assumes it is through one’s own might and power that success in service happens. Since rewards for service are not based on the “law of works but according to the law of grace,” with thanksgiving in our hearts and overwhelming enthusiasm we are to approach our loving Master with confidence that our small “might” of service, when presented with obedience and faith, will be rewarded in the same manner as bigger acts of service!

Another thing that should be pointed out is that we are to see our service through the eyes of Christ! The master in this parable did not say “well done brilliant or distinguished servant” but well-done faithful servant. No matter how successful one may become, one must not forget “we are His workmanship, created by Him, and therefore to ourselves we dare not take a particle of praise.” Our labor when in Christ is never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58) and we simply do not how many seeds we have planted and watered or how much our “cups of water” (Matthew 10:40-42) have changed the hearts of many! We just do what the Master needs us to do.

Whether we do something that fulfills a need within our own congregation, or fulfills the need of someone or a family in the community, or we fulfill our own needs, it doesn’t matter if the task is small or big in the eyes of God. What matters is that we don’t shy away from the need presented to us and we fulfill it with obedience and faith and give God all the glory. God will give us what we need to accomplish the task at hand: He will give us five talents, two talents, one talent, or something else. It’s up to us to use what God has given us to make a difference—to realize what He has given us is enough to be found and enough to find others who are lost. Through your “talents” and “gifts”, God has given you something special that can change lives and continue to bring life to our church. Your gifts aren’t meant to be placed in a box or hidden in the weeds: they are meant to be seen, heard, and felt. As a matter of fact, it’s through the gifts that God has given you that Christ is able to find you. To be restored means to be found by the gifts laid upon your heart and to realize that any gift can make a difference.

 

Movement Three: Matthew 25:24-30 – Some will be Found to be Wicked

Third, some will be found to be wicked. Matthew tells us, “Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

From the above verse we learn about a great principle of spiritual life: while using one’s spiritual gifts leads to ministry development and growth, refusing to do so proves that such a person is not part of God’s kingdom. Fearing that his failure would incur his master’s wrath the slave, who was given one talent, chose to overlook his responsibility to his master by burying his talent in the earth where it would be unproductive but safe. The master called the servant who had one talent wicked because of his unjustified slander, laziness and lack of desire to serve. From this wicked servant we learn that “receiving God-given abilities is a responsibility that accompanies a right relationship with God.”

So if you are wondering if you are the wicked servant in this parable then ask the Holy Spirit and review the evidence: are you faithfully using your God-given gifts to build up the body of Christ and advance His kingdom? If you are then you are one of the good and faithful servants in this parable and you will receive even greater responsibility in heaven, but if you are the wicked servant all shall be taken from you and as the text tells us, you may experience the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (verse 28).

We are called to use our gifts. We are called to use our gifts in ways that build up the body of Christ. God wants to find you because He knows that what He has given you can and will build up the body of Christ in some way. To be restored means to be found—not as someone who enjoys the weeping and gnashing of teeth, but as someone who is a good and faithful servant. What are you using your gifts for? Are they known or are they buried?

 

Conclusion:

In conclusion, I can’t speak for you, but examining my father’s Hotwheels in comparison with my own, I can’t help but think about where I was yesterday, where I am today, and where I want to be tomorrow. I know my faith isn’t perfect: I’m missing a few wheels, my paint is chipped and faded, some of my windows are broken and cracked, there’s glue here and tape over there, and I have been left outside to endure the elements. However, with encouragement and determination I can become like one of the Hotwheels in the packages you see here: polished, like-brand new, ready for an adventure.

By allowing God to find me, my brokenness can be mended. By allowing God to find me, my hurting will be comforted. By allowing God to find me, my pain will be decreased. By allowing God to find me, the gifts which He has given me will be used to strengthen my faith. By allowing God to find me, I can become restored. And the same can be said by each of you.

Church, how can God restore us today so that we don’t ignore the gifts that He has given us but instead use those gifts to create a place and space where people want to come and worship, where people smile after having a busy week, where laughter is heard and praise is proclaimed? Church it’s time to let God find us and use us to find others. People of the church, do you need to be found by Christ? Are you using what God has given you? Even as a lost sheep, Christ will find you. Even as a lost coin, Christ will find you. Even as a broken-down and rusted car, Christ will restore and save you. If you want to be restored in Christ and for Christ, then you must allow yourself to be found by Christ. Once you allow that to happen, then the work truly begins. Let yourself be found so that you can be restored.

Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Dear God, find us today wherever we are. Find us so that we can fully use what you have given us so that we can be restored and so that we can help restore our church and our faith. In your mighty name we pray, Amen.

 

Benediction:

This week, I invite you to let God find you. Let God begin the restoration process so that when the time comes to do His work on earth as it is in heaven, you aren’t missing any wheels and your paint isn’t faded. What are you going to do so that God knows you want to be found?

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, go forth finding ways to be restored for Christ. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] … as the head of the body places value on faithful obedience, not on outcomes that are controlled and meant to point to the glory of the Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

[2] God’s expectation for those who were purchased by the atoning sacrifice of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) is that they might glorify His name not just with words but also with deeds in keeping with His will (James 2:14-26).

[3] If it was silver in the bags then they would have contained 6,000 coins weighing a half a million pounds. This would have been the equivalent of twenty years of wage in today’s dollars or about ¾ a million dollars!

[4] Do you realize that whoever believes and asks in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will do miracles greater than what Jesus did while on this earth (John 14:12-14)? And do you realize that the rewards for serving in His kingdom is not just storing treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21) but also the opportunity to serve in a greater capacity in His kingdom? What an honor it is to be entrusted with so much when we are but sinners saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9)!

[5] Salvation is not the end goal of a person’s life but the stepping stone to be empowered and invited to serve in God’s kingdom both in this life time and the next! Since we do not know the day or hour when the Master will return to be found faithful upon His arrival means planning for our glorious future by His side by serving moment by moment!