Can He Depend on You?

Date written: October 28th, 2006
Scripture ref: Matthew 25:19-30

SUBJECT: Christian Duty, Christian Living

TITLE: Can He Depend on You?

PROPOSITION: Can Jesus depend upon us as his servants? Can he depend upon us to 1) Help the needy? 2) Live for Him? 3) Teach the Gospel?

Objectives: Each should know their responsibilities as Christians to help the poor, live in a Christian way, and teach others the gospel.

Aim: That each would understand that while God does not depend upon us in an existential sense, he does depend upon us, by his choice, to do what he commands us to do.

INTRODUCTION:

1. Read: Matthew 25:24-30

2. About the Text:

1) We all recognize our text as the end of the parable of the talents.

2) The parable teaches that each individual is responsible to God for the abilities he or she has.

3) We thus learn that we need to use those abilities in order to be pleasing to God.

4) Unlike the one talent man, we need to be concerned about taking what we have and using it appropriately.

3. We have a song in our song book, ?Can He Depend On You??

1) This song speaks about the idea of responsibility.

2) We need not fool ourselves that God has REAL dependencies upon us.

3) Rather, we must embrace the truth that God has, by choice, decided that He is going to depend upon us for some things.

4) Let’s discuss some of these things.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

DISCUSSION:

I. Can He Depend on You to Help the Needy?

1. Consider Proverbs 3:27-28 ?Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.?

1) This is just one verse among many that teaches us to help those who are in need.

2) It teaches the principle that we ought to give to those who are in need when they are in need as we have the means to so help.

3) Here is the Bible’s clear teaching on helping those who are in need.

2. Jesus taught that we always have opportunity to help the poor and thus we should. ?For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always? (Matthew 14:7).

3. Paul said regarding the apostles desires of him, ?Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do? (Galatians 2:10). Hence this is a doctrine of the apostles.

4. 1 Timothy 6:17-18 ?Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.?

5. Ephesians 4:28 ?Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.?

6. How do we do this?

1) We can, first of all, ensure that our giving is what it needs to be.

2) A portion of our budget goes to help those who are less forunate.

3) We must also personally reach out to those in need and help them out of our pockets.

4) It’s not enough to say, ?Let the church do this work for me.?

7. Can He depend upon us to help the poor?

II. Can He Depend on You To Live for Him?

1. As Christians, we have been redeemed from the consequences of our own sins.

2. As a result of that redemption, we have an obligation to the redeemer.

3. Paul writes, ?And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again? (2 Corinthians 5:15).

4. Galatians 2:20 states, ?I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.?

5. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 states, ?For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.?

6. The way that we live our lives is the greatest aspect of what it means to be a Christian to others.

7. They may hear the words that we speak.

8. But they WILL see the things that we do.

9. Paul said, ?Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ? (1 Corinthians 11:1).

10. How do we do this.

1) By being faithful in our jobs.

2) By abiding by the laws of the land.

3) By keeping our lives pure and simple.

4) By keeping a guard on our tongues.

5) We simply cannot afford to be bad examples to others.

11. Can He depend upon you to live for Him?

III. Can He Depend on You To Teach His Message

1. One of the last things Jesus said to his disciples before he ascended is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20. ?All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.?

2. Throughout the entire book of Acts, Christians go into the world and teach and preach the gospel.

3. Acts 2 records the preaching of the gospel among the city of Jerusalem.

4. Acts 8 records the preaching of the gospel into Samaria.

5. Acts 10 records the expansion of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles.

6. It went all the way to Rome. Luke recorded of Paul in Acts 28:31 ?Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.?

7. Acts 8:4 says, “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”

8. We need to be about the Lord’s business.

9. We have several tools here to do that.

1) We have DVDs.

2) We have CDs.

3) We have the Internet.

4) We have correspondance courses.

5) There are those here who will gladly have personal Bible studies with others.

6) We have opportunities in the community to meet new people and get to know them.