Sermons for the Month

"Being A Five-Talent Church - Getting Ready for Risk and Change"
DATE: November 17th, 2002
SERVICE: 26th Sunday After Pentecost
TEXT: Matthew 25:14-30
“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN

I believe that this is a five-talent church. By saying that I'm not saying that there are five talented people in the church. Oh, if it could just that easy! Oh, no, we are a five-talent church because we are so richly blessed with people, with abilities, with facilities and with resources. We are a five-talent church, and while that's a reason to rejoice it also means that more is expected of us.
And what is expected - by God - is NOT that we play it safe, or that we do that which is comfortable, or that we bask in the glow of what make me feel good or meets my needs. We have not been put in this place at this time to do only that which is convenient for us. Oh, no, as a five-talent church we are expected to do MORE, constantly MORE, not less, MORE. That's the joy and challenge of a five-talent church.
So, you may ask, what exactly is it that we are to do MORE of? The answer is clear; our job is to proclaim, to multiply the good new of Jesus Christ that has been given to us. In fact, that's what today's parable is about.
You know, when I've previously preached on this text I've always thought of the talents that were given by the master to his servants as either money or abilities that are to be used to further the church's mission. And, I think that's an accurate interpretation of the text. But, there is another way to look at it and that is to view the talents as the Gospel message itself.
That interpretation fits because as he tells this story Jesus is preparing to die. He is going away, as is the master in the parable. But, Jesus knows that he will one day return, so he tells this story and several others about being prepared for the master's return and making good use of the time while he's gone. They must not only cherish, but multiply the treasure that Jesus entrusts to them upon his departure. And what is that treasure? It's the Gospel message, the Good News of Jesus Christ. Those first Christians are being told that they must respond by boldly proclaiming the Gospel, even in the face of danger.
But this parable is not for those early believers. All Christians are given this treasure to manage. We all are expected to do something with it. Just keeping it to ourselves is not an option. And, more is expected of some than others. My interpretation of the parable is that everyone received the treasure, the good news of forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and a valuable treasure it is. But the first person was expected to do five times more with it as the third individual because that one had more ability and resources with which to work.
That's us - Faith Lutheran - we are the five-talent church. More is expected of us. We are to be like the five-talent servant of today's Gospel lesson, and not like the one-talent guy who had the treasure and was expected to do something with it, according to his ability, but did nothing.
One of the writers I read compared the verbs used for the five-and two talent servants and those used for the one-talent servant. The first two "went off at once" while the other "went away". The five- and two-talent servants "traded" and "worked" with the money that had been entrusted to them, while the one-talent servant "dug a hole". The first two "made" additional talents, but the one-talent man hid his. In other words, the first two are progressive while the one is regressive. It's important to note that the thing that got him into trouble is that he did nothing. In the treasure there was great potential for good, but the servant was too timid and too selfish to seek it. I agree with one of the commentators who said that if the servant had at least tried to use the talent, but the gain was small or non-existent, he would have been praised rather than chastised. But, he did not try.
So, as the body of Christ entrusted with the Gospel treasure, how do we respond? How can we be progressive for the sake of the Gospel, knowing that more is expected of us? I don't have all the answers to that question, but I can tell you that it will require risk and change. And, the challenge is to be able to talk about it, to share ideas and to create a vision, without being stopped by our own defensiveness, fear and, yes, stubbornness.
This congregation has done this in recent years - as is evidenced in the Light Service, in Explorer's Club, in the Soup Ministry - so you know how it is that the desire to multiply the Gospel can be blessed. But, we must ask ourselves, what's next?
Here are the type of questions we must address as five-talent church.

How can we best use our entire facility to meet the needs of a growing church? What needs to be moved or renovated or added? Answering that question will require risk and change.

What programs can we develop that will encourage adults to grow in faith and commitment? What is the vision for children and youth? What staff is needed to oversee these ministries? Answering that question will require risk and change.

What about worship, what we can be done at all three services to help people worship, hear God's word, and feel supported? Is our current worship schedule and format meeting those needs? Answering that question will require risk and change.

In every ministry - groups, teams, programs, the building itself - is every possible effort made to include rather than exclude. Answering that question will require risk and change.

That list could go on, and on, and on. Many of you have ideas concerning those questions, as do I. What I find, though, is that when I bring them up in order to gain more ideas there are a lot of "we can't", "we won't", "people wouldn't like", "I don't care as long as (usually finished with "you don't change what's important to me"), "it's been done and didn't work" responses. That's OK, that's a natural first response and it is how I respond to something new. It's even OK not to agree, as long as that's done is an open, productive way. But, all of that is OK only if the discussion continues in spite of our fears and our wants because the treasure of the Gospel must be multiplied and we are the people to do it.
This is a five-talent church, which means that no one is here to sit back and relax. Instead, our word is MORE, not less, but MORE since more proclaiming of the Gospel brings with it MORE of God's blessing.
AMEN