THE OLIVET DISCOURSE. Matt. 24, 25.

August 19, 2020

WHEN SHALL THESE THINGS BE? WHAT SHALL BE THE SIGNS OF THY COMING AND THE END OF THE WORLD? Matt. 24:3-13, Mk. 13:3-13, Lk. 21:7-19, 20-24…4

Key: SCHAFF: “When the Lord open his mouth, we should open our ears and hearts”

THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS….2 Matt. 25:14-30

We as believers in Christ, and His ‘own servants’ must bend every energy to promote his course in the world, since he has committed to us talents to be used in his service. “In the case of failure to improve our talents, many or few, complaints against Christ will be a poor excuse, only aggravating the offence. To do no good in the world, to be simply useless and worthless, is to sin grievously against Christ; and only by incessant efforts to do good can we avoid doing positive evil.” Broadus John A. “Slothful professors, that are afraid of doing too much for God, yet hope to come off as well as those that take so much pain in Christ service.” M. Henry

  1. Matt. 25:24-25. “…I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown… And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: …”
  2. “It is common for people to make a very light matter of that which will be their condemnation in the great day. 2Pet. 3:3-5, 2Tim. 4:3-5, Gen. 19:14, Ps. 73:11, Is. 5:18-23.
  3. ‘Thou art a hard man and I was afraid.’ “Good thought of God would beget love, and love would make us diligent and faithful but hard thoughts of God beget fear, and that fear makes us slothful and unfaithful.” M. Henry. Matt. 12:34-37, 1Jn. 4:19.
  4. Matt. 25:26, 27 “You wicked and lazy and idle servant…” Pro. 10:5; 23:21; 6:10-11; 19:25.
  5.  The lazy and idle servant is a wicked servant in that he refused to listen to the cry of those suffering. 1Tim. 5:13, Pro. 18:9, Ez. 3:7-8, Pro. 24:11-12. God will never promote lazy people. “Slothfulness makes way for wickedness, all become filthy” ‘To do no good is to incur very serious blame’  M. Henry.
  6. “Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed… you should have invested my money in the Bank…” God has sown in us and gave us talents not only to keep but to improve. If we cannot improve it for whatever wicked reasons, we should give to those who will make gain with it.
  7. Matt. 25:28-30. The total loss of all he has, and his talents given to another Ps. 109:8, Act. 1:20, and his final doom in outer darkness.