Notes
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Philippians 1:6
God is relational. The work He intends for us is to be in a relationship with Him to do His work here on Earth until Jesus comes back. Part of that relationship, that partnership He wants to have with us, is trusting Him to develop us on the journey. The point of our development is to finish well.
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
“The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
“After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
“The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
“Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
“Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 25:14-30
This passage isn’t about working for our salvation; it is about working in our salvation. When we place our faith in Jesus, God doesn’t want to leave us how we are. When we remain faithful to God, and allow Him to develop us, we will finish well.
Here are three ways we can remain faithful and finish well:
1) Know the heart of God
Remember: God is relational. He created humanity, and He loves each of us. The reason Jesus came and died for us, and rose to display His power, is so that His glory can be displayed through us. He doesn’t care how far we have strayed; He loves us anyway, and will finish His work in us if we continue to develop our faith.
2) Know your purpose
What is our purpose? To multiply; to invest in the Kingdom of God and help it to grow. When we come to Jesus and receive new life through Him, we are also given a spiritual gift. The reason we are given these gifts is to be involved - to participate in His story.
3) Know the future is brighter than the present
It’s easy to look around at what is going on in the world and feel defeated, to become stagnant. Don’t let the current circumstances dictate your faith. Lift your eyes and lift your faith to the one who is ultimately in control.
Group Questions
- What is a personal relationship with God?
- How are you involving yourself in what God is doing in the world?
- When have you seen someone remain faithful to God despite their present situation?
- What does it mean to lift your eyes?
Prayer
Thank you for being a God who desires a close relationship with us. Continue developing our faith and our gifts so that we can do great things for your Kingdom.