Traveled - A Lifestyle of Service - Mark 10 and Matthew 25 - January 16, 2011

Bible Study – Traveled – A Lifestyle of Service – January 16, 2011

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled “The Roads Less Traveled.”
Our scripture is Mark 10:42-45, Matthew 25:19-21, 29, 34-40.

We have studied unity, humility and today we study service. We have to be careful when we consider serving and not to mistake serving with earning or working for our salvation. When we talk about serving, it is obedient service as led and guided by the HOLY SPIRIT. This can only come from a person who is a Christian and has yielded his/her life to the leadership and guidance of the HOLY SPIRIT. Seek first the relationship with CHRIST and then allow CHRIST through the guidance of the HOLY SPIRIT to lead and guide you to what HE wants you do to serve HIM.


Can you serve in your own strength? YES!!! But often when we do, what we do becomes drudgery. This is not to say that when we obediently serve and in the perfect will of GOD that it will be a piece of cake. But when Christians have the right relationship with CHRIST, when serving gets tough, the HOLY SPIRIT empowers and strengthens them because they know they were called to do what they are doing. Christians are still housed in a physical body which is subject to all its frailties.


Our study today is on a lifestyle of service.


Let’s Read Mark 10:42-45:
42 Jesus called them (HIS disciples) over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their men of high positions exercise power over them. 43 But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be a • slave to all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”[13]


JESUS’ disciples James and John had just asked JESUS when HE came into HIS glory to establish HIS kingdom, to let one sit on HIS left and the other on HIS right. They thought HE would establish an earthly kingdom and they wanted to be part of HIS earthly rule. It is likely that James and John were JESUS’ cousins. Their mother, Salome, is thought to be Mary, the mother of JESUS’, sister.


When the other ten (10) disciples heard what James and John were trying to do, they became indignant. JESUS had to take action. So HE called them together and said what we see in verse 42.


JESUS, in essence, said, “You know how the Gentile community operates. Once they obtain positions of authority they use their position of power to dominate those subservient to them. You see how the Romans rule over you. But this way of ruling is the wrong example for MY kingdom. My kingdom is not about power but about humility and service.”


JESUS said, if you want to be important in MY kingdom you must have a servant’s heart and be a slave to others. JESUS liked the title of “Son of Man.” It referred to HIM as a human, yet GOD. HE made it clear that HE did not come to earth to be served but to serve and to give HIS life to redeem those who would believe in HIM from the slavery of sin. Just as a slave had to be redeemed from his/her master, all humans must be redeemed from the slavery of sin.


Those who want to be great in the Kingdom of JESUS must die to self and serve others as directed by GOD through the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT.


Again, this is impossible to accomplish in our own strength. It requires the right relationship with CHRIST which will allow the HOLY SPIRIT to help Christians grow and mature Spiritually. This will allow GOD to manifest HIS power through them as HE directs.


Let’s read Matthew 25:19-21, 29: (The complete Parable is copied at the end of this lesson. Theses verses are the focus verses.)


19 “After a long time the master of those • slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I’ve earned five more talents.’ 21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful • slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’


JESUS had been teaching about HIS return to earth after HIS death, resurrection, ascension, second coming and eternity. HE had given a parable, which is a story which may be true or fiction but it is an earthly example to explain a Spiritual truth. HE had given a parable about ten (10) virgins which emphasized the need for Christians to stay prepared because they never know when the bridegroom is coming.


This scripture is a parable about a man leaving for an extended journey. He entrusted three (3) slaves with three (3) different sums of money called talents. The man distributed the money based upon his assessment of their ability to manage the money. We are not sure how much a talent was worth because it was valued by a certain weight of gold, silver or copper. But a talent was a large sum of money. The man gave one slave five (5) talents, one slave two (2) talents and one slave one (1) talent. The slaves knew that the man expected them to invest the money and earn him more money. So as soon as the man left two (2) of the slaves went to work and put the money to work. However, one (1) slave dug a hole and hid his talent in the ground. All the slaves knew their master and what HE expected.


After a long time the master returned to settle accounts with the slaves. Our scripture is an account of them giving a report to their master on what they had done with the money HE had loaned to them. We see that the ones who earned money gave it to their master. Their master in turn told the slaves who earned money – Well done – Good – Faithful slave. As a result of their faithfulness HE put them in-charge of more things – share in their master’s joy!!! There is nothing better than hearing “job well done” and the experiencing the joy that comes with that knowledge. When we are pulling for our sports teams and they win the game, we rejoice but when you are the person that scored the winning point that is over the top joy.


The slave that hid his talent and returned it to his master was rebuked for his laziness and the talent he had been given was given to the one that had the most money. JESUS ends HIS parable with verse 29.


Verse 29:
29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.


JESUS summed up the parable by making it relevant to judgment day. Christians have been given certain gifts. A gift is something that is not a natural talent. A gift is something that our Master gives to each of HIS children to use according to HIS purpose. JESUS entrusts gifts to HIS children for them to invest while HE is waiting to return to earth or they come to heaven to join HIM. HE expects HIS children to invest their gift according to HIS will, purpose and plan. We say immediately. “How do we do that?”


You know what I am going to say. We must be in right relationship with CHRIST. When Christians are in right relationship with CHRIST, they are in the center of GOD’S will.


The beauty of using the gift or gifts GOD has given you is that HE gives the increase. As Christians faithfully use their gifts, HE increases them so that they can serve HIM more.


Christians will be held accountable for the obedient use of their gifts. Will we hide our gifts in the ground or will we use them as the HOLY SPIRIT leads and guides us?


Some may fill frustrated and say, “But I do not know what my gift is?” Ask CHRIST to help you build a relationship with you and reveal to you the gift or gifts HIS has given you to use according to HIS purpose. Often, we look for big things but in our next scripture we will see how HE measures obedient service.


Let’s move to our last scripture which deals with final judgment.


Let’s read Matthew 25:31-46: (Focus verses 34-40)
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the • Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels[6]with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations[7]will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left.

34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’ 40 “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’


41 Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take Me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe Me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of Me.’ 44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

CHRIST is the King. There will be a day of judgment. CHRIST will be the judge as represented by the Shepherd separating the sheep, true believers, from the goats, pretenders/unbelievers. HE will separate the true believers as represented by the sheep to HIS right. The pretenders/unbelievers will be separated to HIS left.


The King then tells the believers how they ministered to HIM without them knowing it. HE was:


- Hungry and they fed HIM
- Thirsty and they gave something to drink
- Stranger and they took HIM in
- Naked and they clothed HIM
- Sick and they took care of HIM
- In prison and they visited HIM


The true believers were puzzled because they did not know when they ministered to HIM. Then the King makes the connections, “When they did these things to the least of HIS brothers, they did them for HIM.”


Here, we have to be careful that we do not equate doing with earning our salvation. Doing unto others is the result of having the right relationship with CHRIST. Doing is the result of the fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT working in their lives. Doing was a natural result of them being grafted in the true vine, CHRIST. When you do something out of love and a pure heart, it is the natural thing to do and it is no big deal. It is a part of doing what comes naturally.


These who were helped were truly in need. They could not help themselves. Helping is great but enabling someone to remain in the condition they are in is not the right thing to do. That is why Christians must be led by the HOLY SPIRIT as they serve those in need.


The sheep were given eternal life and the goats were given eternal punishment prepared for the devil and his angles. The unbelievers questioned, “When did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked, sick or in prison?” The believers obediently served whereas the unbelievers were oblivious to the needs of others. The unbelievers were focused on their own selfish needs and desires. They had closed their hearts to GOD and had never experienced the rebirth in their spirit and could not discern true needs, which includes both physical and Spiritual needs.


Some unbelievers think that by building charities and giving to various charities will earn them a place in the heart of GOD. These are good things and society benefits but do not be fooled. Good works will not get you to heaven. It is Satan’s lie. Give your heart and life to GOD through CHRIST and become a sheep, a true believer. The rewards are eternal. There will be payday some day, be ready by asking CHRIST to forgive you for your sins and to come into life right now!!!


Matthew 25:14-30: The Parable of the Talents


14 “For it (the return of CHRIST) is just like a man going on a journey. He called his own • slaves and turned over his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents;[3] to another, two; and to another, one—to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, 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 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I’ve earned five more talents.’ 21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful • slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’ 22 “Then the man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I’ve earned two more talents.’ 23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful • slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’ 24 “Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a difficult man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy • slave! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27 then[4]you should have deposited my money with the bankers. And when I returned I would have received my money[5]back with interest. 28 “ ‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30 And throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’