Series: “Summer Stories” Sermon “I Was Afraid”

Sermon: I Was Afraid ( Parable of the Ten Talents)
Sun. Aug. 14th, 2022
Impact Church London

Recap: Foundations Matter – The wise person builds their house upon the Rock that is Christ. This is not about building your life on religious works, but about what gets built in your life when you are built in him, on him, and drink that water that comes from him. 

1 Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV)
“…and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

Colossians 2:6-7  (KJV)
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

Intro: I Was Afraid 

Parable of the Talents as told in Matt. 25:14-30.

Fear can do some weird things to you. There are some weird fears out there! 

Arachibutyrophobia: (Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth) …

Arithmophobia: Fear of numbers

Ablutophobia: Fear of bathing

Nomophobia: Fear of being without your mobile phone

sandarakinophobia: Fear of the colour orange 

Plutophobia: Fear of money 

What about fear in relation to God? What is the fear of God anyways? 

Proverbs 14:27 (NKJV)
“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.”

Proverbs 19:23 (NKJV)
“The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will not be visited with evil.”

Proverbs 9:10
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

The fear of the Lord in the NT:

Philippians 2:12 (NKJV)
“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;”

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV)
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

Hebrews 12:28 (NKJV)
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

Proverbs 8:13 (NKJV)
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.”

But it is possible to do so in joy, not misery and grumpiness.

Isaiah 11:1-3 (NKJV)
“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord…”

Hebrews 1:9 (NKJV)
“But to the Son He says… “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

Jesus delighted in the fear of God, hated evil and loved righteousness, but the result was the oil of gladness!

Corporate benefits:

Acts 5:11-16 (NKJV)
“So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people… 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women…Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

Acts 9:31 (NKJV)
“Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”

Psalms 118:4 (NLT)
“Let all who fear the Lord repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.”

Amazing contradictions, but that’s because the fear of God allows for an appreciation of his love, grace, and forgiveness, it doesn’t inspire effort,  religious grumpiness or works. It is a manifestation of the Spirit of God that we receive, we don’t work up (as are all its benefits).

Many confuse the fear of God with the fear of torment and end up seriously weird and religiously uptight, or shut down completely to the fear of God and its benefits.

The fear we are not to have is the fear of torment! 

1 John 4:18-19 (NKJV)
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”

Parable of the Ten Talents: Or the scared servant!

The two who doubled their masters’ money got blessed:

Matthew 25:21 & 23 (NKJV)
“…Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” 

But the fate of the one who buried his talent was different:

Matthew 25:26-29 (NKJV)
“You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

What was his problem?

Matthew 25:24 (NIV)
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’”

“I was afraid!” 

Matthew 25:26-27 (NKJV)
“So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.”

The problem was not that the servant didn’t know the master. He did and the master affirmed his knowledge. What was wrong was that he related to his master through the fear of torment and being punished. That fear will shut you down, where as the spirit of the fear of the Lord will release you. 

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Context is the application of gifts ( the use of the talents)!

2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NKJV)
“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands… “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 

1 John 4:17-18 (NKJV)
“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Proverbs 28:1
“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

Acts 4:29-31 (NKJV )
“Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”

By the grace of God we are those who are going to hear on that day that the master comes looking for a return on what he deposited within us:

Matthew 25:23 (NKJV)
“‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”