how effective are we as christians

​Imagine you are at your own funeral and four people got up to speak about you: a
relative, a fellow church member, a business associate and someone from your
neighborhood. What would each of them say about your life? Thinking about this
may give you some perspective on your life.

Now think about what Jesus would say about your Christian life to this point.
What would He say about your faith? What about your accomplishments for His
Kingdom? Would He say that you have grown closer to Him every day?

Luke 19:11-27 says: 11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable,
because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom
of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a
far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his
servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I
come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do
not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the
kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called
to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first
came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he
said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very
little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying,
‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be
over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I
kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a
severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22
He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You
knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I
did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming
I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take
the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said
to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will
be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27
But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring
them here and slaughter them before me.’”

Jesus tells a story here about three servants to show us that God expects us to be
faithful with what we have been given. Many fears might keep us from using the
gifts God has given us though. Fear of failure, fear of ridicule, etc. It is when we
use our gifts that we grow. Jesus wanted to let His hearers know what they were
supposed to be doing in His absence. They were not supposed to sit around
waiting for Him to return. Rather, they were to be actively doing God’s work for
Him with what He entrusted to them. The day will certainly come when Jesus will
return. At that time, each servant must give an account for what he has done.
Only three of the ten servants are mentioned in this parable. These three fall into
two categories... Two who have made various amounts with the king’s money and
one who has not done anything with it. Here we are looking at the two who
traded and invested the money in such a way that they multiplied it. The first
turned the one mina into ten more. We are not to take this in a literal way, as
though he has led ten people to Christ. But, the meaning is that he has taken
what the master entrusted to him and used it well, multiplying it many times over
while awaiting His return.

The master commends him saying “Well done, good servant! Because you have
been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.” We should
not take this literally, that he will be over ten cities when this world passes. The
main idea is that the servant’s responsible use of the master’s mina will be
rewarded in the future kingdom. The servant has shown himself faithful in a little
thing. So, he will be faithful in much and so much is now given to him.

The master does not praise the second slave quite the same, but he rewards him
proportionately to his success. His mina has earned five more, so he is put in
charge of five cities. We do need to keep in mind that perhaps the difference in
results was due to factors beyond his control.

The first two slaves had made a profit with the master’s mina, but the third slave
had simply wrapped it in a handkerchief and he returns it to the master. He offers
an excuse that he feared the master. He accuses him of being a man who takes up
what he did not lay down and reaps where he had not sown. The master
chastised the slave for not at least putting the money in the bank, so that it would
have earned interest. Then he judges the slave by his own words. He takes the
single mina from him and gives it to the man who has earned ten more. To those

listening, he explains “I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. For the one who
has been unfaithful to his master all will be stripped away.
The question is, does this unfaithful servant represent a true believer who loses
some unspecified reward but, who is saved, as described in 1 Corinthians 3:15 "If
anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved,
but only as through fire." Or, is he a person who professes to know God, but by
his deeds he denies Him as described in Titus 1:16 "They profess to know God, but
they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good
work."

It seems to me that this third servant does not know the king. He wrongly thinks
of him as a harsh and “severe man” man. But in reality, he is very generous to
those that are faithful to Him. The third servant represents people who know the
God in that they are associated with His community and have some responsibility
in it. But their attitude shows that they do not see God as gracious and that they
have not really trusted in Him... These people are left with nothing at the
judgment. They will be cast out, because they never really trusted or knew God”
These harsh thoughts of God can be common for people who have not actually
put their faith in God. First, they misrepresent Him. Then try to excuse themselves
for not loving and serving Him”

Exodus 4:10-12 says: 10 But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not
eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am
slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made
man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the
LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you
shall speak.” Ezekial 2:1-7 says: And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your
feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me
and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son
of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled
against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.
4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you
shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ 5 And whether they hear or refuse to
hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been
among them. 6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their
words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not
afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious
house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to
hear, for they are a rebellious house.

Having read all of this, here are some final thoughts for you to consider...

What gifts has God given you that you can use for him?

What areas of your life have you been holding back? What can you do to invest
some efforts in these areas to grow and serve God better?

If you spent the next ten years of your life making these changes and using the
gifts God has given you, what would those same four people say about you? What
would Jesus say about you?