The Test of True Faithfulness | May 17, 2026 PM

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The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist

Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us

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message from God's Word will be a blessing to you.

I'm going to preach through Matthew.

I don't want to put you to sleep yet, but I'm going to preach

through Matthew 2420 and 25. I'm kidding.

I, I, I do want to reference chapter 24 because it kind of

sets the stage for it. And then we're going to go into

chapter 25 and I have just a, a short passage in chapter 25 that

I want to especially deal with tonight.

And so I'd like to go ahead and get started and kind of give you

the background, and then we'll get into that portion of

Scripture that we want to deal with in chapter 25.

So I want to call your attention first, the chapter 24 verse #1

and it says this Jesus went out and departed from the temple.

His disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the

temple. So I want you to get the picture

and the idea here that here we are in the last week before

Jesus is going to be crucified. You know, he's not in a panic.

Do you know that, that that God doesn't panic and and he has no

Plan B, He only has plan A and he's going to work that plan

out. No matter what we think or how

we feel about it, God's working out his plan his way and he

doesn't panic. You know what a good lesson for

us to see in the life of the Lord Jesus that he has all these

things taking place in his life. He's being betrayed by one that

he trusted the the chief priest and the scribes are plotting

against him. They want to take his life.

His own disciples are struggling with who's going to be greatest

in the Kingdom. Without even stopping for a

moment and thinking about I, I, I've been trying to tell you

this. I've been trying to get you to

understand this. My purpose in going to Jerusalem

is to die. They're thinking in their head,

we're going to Jerusalem. Everybody's going to want him to

be the king. We're going to get to be with

him. This is going to be great.

They're not getting it yet. And you know that even after the

after the crucifixion and he's buried and he is risen again

from the dead. Remember how that it took them a

little while to even wake up to the fact that he really did rise

again from the dead, just like he said, But once they got a

hold of that, their lives were totally changed.

It was different. And I'm going to tell us tonight

that when we get a hold of the fact that our Savior Jesus

Christ died on the cross, paid for our sins in full, but he

arose again the third day and he ever lives, we put our faith and

trust in him radically changes our lives.

We're not the same. We're just not the same.

We can't be. So they've walked out and and

they've looked at the Temple and they're impressed with the

Temple. If we had the time, we could go

back into the Old Testament, particularly into the book of

Jeremiah. And Jeremiah was the weeping

prophet. Jeremiah was warning them that

judgment is coming, judgment is coming, judgment is coming.

And they knit. They wouldn't listen.

They wouldn't listen. They kept saying to Jeremiah,

even though Nebuchadnezzar was at the gates, and even though

he'd already carried away some and they'd already witnessed the

northern Kingdom, Israel carried away by Assyria, they're still

not listening because after all, we have the temple.

We have the temple. And they would say that to

Jeremiah, the temple, the temple, the temple, because they

were so caught up in religious artifacts and religious trinkets

and, and religious items that they were forgetting all about

the God of the temple. Well, time progressed.

The the temple was destroyed, Jerusalem was dispersed.

Then they went back into the land and under Nehemiah and

Ezra, they rebuilt the temple, rebuilt the city walls.

Well, as time went on, we find that that the temple has been

modified by Herod and he'd been built up by Herod.

One of the things that Herod did was that he was a builder and he

did a number of things. Herod, Herod kind of, he kind of

walked the balance because he didn't want Israel.

They, they were such a, a kind of a rebellious lot against

Rome. And so he kind of worked to keep

the peace so that they wouldn't rebel against Rome.

And and yet he really didn't have a lot of sympathy for them.

And he wanted to, he, he was. So he's trying to walk this road

where he pleases Rome and he keeps the Jews happy at the same

time. So he invested a lot of money in

the Temple, but also around Jericho and some of the other

places throughout the land of Israel.

He built a lot of other things. He built a Colosseum like things

and palaces and so forth and built things, named them after

the Caesars and important people so that he could kind of

maintain that balance with all those things.

He'd invested a lot in the temple and if you've seen

pictures of Jerusalem and they, you see the Jewish people going

to the Wailing Wall and you see those massive stones there, you

got to think with me that that, that when the temple was, was a

built and established, it had to be a pretty impressive building.

We can read about some of the things about the temple

historically and, and, and we, we do get the picture that the

temple was something to look at. Herod invested a lot of money in

it. As a matter of fact, when Jesus

first came on the scene, one of the first things that he told

them was you destroyed this temple in three days.

I'll raise it up. Now he's talking about the

temple of his body, but they're looking around and saying this

building. Listen, it took them more than

40 years to build this. You're going to tear that down

and rebuild it in three days and not getting on later on toward

the end of his ministry in this time frame, Jesus said the same

thing again, Destroy this temple in three days and three.

And in three days I'll raise it up again.

And when they made their accusation to crucify him, when

they got the false, the false testimony about him, that's one

of the things that he said, you can destroy this temple in three

days. I'll raise it up again.

And that was one of the accusations again.

He's been blasphemed. He, they, he blasphemed toward

the temple. He blasphemed toward God because

he made himself as God and, and of course blasphemed the temple.

So the disciples have looked at it and they've said, look at

this. And Jesus says to them, You see

them seeing not all these things.

Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here 1 stone

upon another that shall not be thrown down.

You know, God's more interested in US and our worship of Him

than he is with what we have things.

It's easy to get caught up with things.

We, we live in a culture and I think it's probably normal

throughout the whole world that we're impressed with buildings,

we're impressed with things. And so, so there, you know,

there's some people who won't come here because they expect

that a church needs to be big. It has to have a paid parking

lot AC that works and we, and we have to have stained glass

windows. But that's not what makes a

church because the church is not a building.

The church's people. But we, you say the church, it's

almost always people think about some kind of a building, some

kind of a structure. But when God speaks about the

church, he speaks about people. And so they're, they're, they're

impressed with this, that they're, they're attached to the

temple. They're, they're still thinking

in terms of a physical Kingdom. And I certainly believe there's

a Kingdom that's coming and a physical, physical Kingdom

that's coming, but it's not here yet.

And the Lord is building a spiritual Kingdom because it has

to be built from the inside to the outside, not from the

outside to the inside. And Matthew chapter 6 and verse

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

#33 seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and

all these things should be added unto you.

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.

What's God concerned about? What goes on on the inside?

That's in the whole context of Matthew chapter 5-6 and seven,

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

which we call the Sermon on the Mount, where he gave

instructions about how how those that are part of his Kingdom

ought to live. People who have been born again

into his Kingdom how they how they ought to live so that that

that others recognize that we have a different king and we

have a different Kingdom and we have a whole different way of

living that that is is directed toward God.

So the glory and the beauty of the temple and yet there was

always about the person who resides there, which is God.

You know when you even when we talk about the church, the most

important person in church is the Lord.

It's about coming to him self will worship buildings.

All that God said was going to be destroyed.

It's important that our hearts that are attached to the person,

not to the building. So chapter 24, he begins to

instruct his disciples, there's coming a time when this temple

is not going to be there anymore.

There's coming a time when all this is going to be destroyed.

And then he begins to go into what I believe is the time of

the tribulation period when God, God will again begin to deal

with with Israel. The book of Daniel tells us

this, that that there will be a time that Israel will be set

aside. And that's now Paul spoke about

it in Romans chapter 910 and 11. And Israel as a nation is set

aside and God's working through New Testament churches.

But there will come a time when they'll work with Israel again.

And I believe that's through the tribulation period because the

tribulation period is going to be this.

It's a purging of Israel as a nation, but it's also God's

wrath and judgment on the earth because of their sin and

rebellion and refusal to accept him.

Good news is I won't be here. Then you say, well, you're

probably old and you've got die anyway.

If I was young, I still not going to be there because I've

been saved from the wrath to come.

I'm delivered from that. I, I won't have to face that.

So when you go through chapter 24, let me just point out a

couple other things to you. When we get to verse number,

let's go to to verse #35 of chapter 24.

And he said heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word

shall not pass away. He goes on to say, But of the

day and hour knoweth no man know, not the angels of heaven,

but my Father. Only this little side note here.

Nobody can predict the day when the Lord is coming.

A lot of them have. I can remember back in before

1988, which is probably a little time before some of you were

born, but before 1988. Guy wrote a book, 88 Reasons Why

Jesus is Coming in 1988. Oh, he didn't, you know, and

there, there have been others all along that have written

things about the expectation Jesus has to come on this day

while I was pastoring, I would get letters from guys that that

they, you know, we read and studied.

We've, we've, we've unlocked the keys to understanding the

Scripture and we know this and this is going to happen and

Jesus going to come here. I'm still waiting.

He hadn't come yet, and the reason he has it comes because

he is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish,

but that all should come to repentance.

I'm certainly glad of this. I'm glad that God delayed his

coming long enough for me to get saved.

I'm glad he delayed his coming long enough for some of my

family to get saved. And while I truly want Jesus to

come, today would would not be soon enough.

Yet the fact of the matter is I've I've got some loved ones

and some people I know who are lost and need to be saved.

I would hope there's enough time for them.

I would hope there's enough time for them.

Because the 22 important lessons that Jesus is going to teach

them about this is He already. We already mentioned this in

verse 36, the day and hour nobody knows.

Verse 42 of chapter 24 Watch ye therefore, for you know not what

hour your Lord doth come, and then he gives a little

illustration. Watch therefore, for if you know

for you know not what hour your Lord doth come, but know this if

the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief

would come, he would have watched and would not suffer his

house to be broken up. Well, that just makes sense,

doesn't it? If you know when the thief is

coming, then you just wait for him and you're standing at the

door when he or window when he tries to come in right, and you

let him know you're not coming in.

But thieves don't come when we know what they always come when

you don't know it when you least expect them.

So the warning is that we need to always be ready.

So he says in verse 44 of chapter 24.

Therefore be also ready, for in such an hour as you think, not

the Son of Man cometh, but verse #45 really sets the heart for

where we're going in chapter 25. And it's this.

Who then, as a faithful and wise servant whom is Lord, hath made

ruler over His household, to give them meat in due season?

Blessed is that servant whom is Lord, when He cometh, shall so

find doing. Verily I say unto you that He

shall make Him ruler over all his goods.

Do you see the importance of this?

That he said, Who then is a faithful and wise servant who's

taking care of the things that have been trusted into His hand?

Being a good steward, he's the one that I will make ruler over

all things. And when you go to chapter 25,

he starts with this. Then shall the Kingdom of heaven

be likened under 10 virgins which took their lamps and went

forth to meet the bridegroom. 5 of them were wise and five were

foolish. The story is this 5 wise, 5

foolish. They all had their lamps.

They all had oil in the lamp, but the five wise took extra oil

because they didn't know when the bridegroom and his party

would be coming. So they were prepared ahead of

time. How important it is that we keep

in mind that we're to be about the business of preparing for

that day when the Lord does come.

I don't know about you, but I, I want to be ready when the Lord

comes. I want to be watchful when he

comes. But it actually leads us to the

second story that Jesus told, and it's this found in verse #14

for the Kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far

country who calls his own servants and delivered unto them

his goods. So I want to speak on this, this

particular subject tonight. And it's this the fact of faith,

a test of character. The fact of faith a test of

character. If there's one thing that any

Christian can be, it is faithful.

You know, God doesn't call every Christian to be a preacher.

God doesn't call everyone to be a Sunday school teacher.

God doesn't call everyone to leave music there.

There are many different things that that God's people can do

and function in and be faithful to the Lord.

You don't have to be the pastor it you, but you can be a you can

be a faithful church member. You can be a a man that's

faithful to his wife and to his family that you teach them about

the Lord. You can be a mother that's

faithful to your children to make sure they're instructed in

the way of the Lord and that and, and, and there are so many

things that that can that we can be faithful in that is a gain

the approval of the Lord. The Kingdom of heaven is as a

man traveling into far country who called his own servants and

delivered unto them his goods. You know what?

Everything we have is a gift. Hey, come on.

The only thing I know when I came into this world, I came in

wearing cowboy boots. I'm pretty sure of that.

I, I mean, I, I don't know that I actually came in like that,

but I have pictures of me in the hospital and I, I think I still

have the boots, but I had a little pair of felt cowboy boots

that they put on me when I was born so that I would remember I

was born in Oklahoma. I haven't forgotten that, you

know, And I, so I, I, I came into this world with my boots

on. I've told my wife, listen, when

you bury me, please bury me with my boots on.

Make sure I have a pair of wool socks, 'cause my feet get cold

and put my boots on me. I want to go with my boots on.

But we didn't come in with anything and everything we have

is a is a gift that's been given to us.

And the reality is we're stewards of those things that

have been entrusted to our care. And this is a Sunday night

crowd. So the good thing is that most

everyone here and I, I don't know all of you and I don't know

all your background, but I'm going to assume most everybody

here is a believer, that you put faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

Your life has been transformed and changed by the power of God.

And so as a, as a result of that, then we, we understand

that we're now stewards of things, that, that God's put

some things in our hands and we need to be careful about those

things that we have. I would point out in verse #15

that he says this until 1. He gave 5 talents to another,

two to another, one to every man, several to every man

according to his several ability, and straightway took

his journey. God understands that He designed

all of us differently and we all have different abilities.

Now, in particular, if we were to talk about the subject of

talents, I, I, I look this up and when you look at the word

talent, it actually was a measure of money.

It's hard to kind of get a, a grasp of how much money that it

would have been, but I just tried to kind of get everything

as best I could on how much money that would be.

So gold is somewhere when I, when I wrote this down, it was

about 47. I think it's dropped to about

$4500 an ounce. When I was young it $35.00 an

ounce and to think of $4500 an ounce for gold just blows my

mind. Silver it's it was 69 and it's

probably down to 57 something like that.

But anyhow, a talent is about 60 lbs.

So by $4700 per per oz, 60 lbs is about four and a half million

dollars. That's not a little sum, is it?

So one got 10, one got 51, got one.

We don't, we don't all come from the same background and we don't

all have the same abilities and this we don't all have the same

opportunities, but all of us can be faithful with what God puts

in our hand. So when I, when I look at this,

I, I, I'm seeing that here are these people who had the

different, the different things and the, the different

abilities. And so it is that that here are

these men that that are given a great responsibility because

more than anything and more than just about the amount of money

that they have, it's about this, the preciousness and the value

of that which has been entrusted to our care.

The Bible says Liberty Baptist Church is the pillar and ground

of the truth. Is that not precious that we

have the Bible, that we have a responsibility.

You know why we have the Bible? Because they've been faithful

believers for over 2000 years that have kept it and pass it on

to the next generation and the next generation and our church

this year because we've been in the transition that that brother

Brett has now become the pastor and and I'm repurposed.

But but our our theme was second Timothy 22 and the things that

that was heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou

to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also Grace

Bible Baptist Church. We're there because there was

somebody that was faithful in times past that passed it along

to us and we have it and and my goal as pastor was to pass it on

to somebody else and that it would continue in the same way

in which it came. One of the great fears that I

had was that over the years, I, I, I, I was pastor for 43 years.

And in that 43 years, I, I personally witnessed churches

that I was, I, I, I was associated with that I knew

about. That turned from the truth.

They didn't hold the things that I was taught.

They didn't hold the things that were passed on.

And not only is it just that, but think about this, believers

in times past not only passed on to us the truth of God's word

and those kind of things, but they invested financially, they

invested time, they invested sacrificially for us to be where

we are today. I already told you that I, I

grew up in Oklahoma and we, we, at least the last time I was

there, I remember having this thing, if you walk by and you

see a turtle on a fence post, you got to figure this one out.

He didn't get there by himself. He got there.

He had help. He had help.

And the reality of life is that we, we, we all have, are here

because somebody went before us. We're here at Liberty Baptist

Church because there was somebody that went before us

and, and while we may not be able to go back and trace

everything, you know, everybody and all those things, the fact

of the matter is this, that we're here because some things

have been passed on to us for 2000 years.

And it's important for us that we are faithful in those things

that have been trusted to our care because they're valuable.

We're not just any church, this is Liberty Baptist Church there.

There are some things that have been passed on to us that we

need to be careful to hold on to, that we are true and

faithful to what God says in His word.

But I also think about this, the responsibility that every dad,

that every father has, listen, if you have children, is that

not a precious responsibility? What are we taught?

Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Some of you may be thinking, you know, well, you know, all the

time raising up my children, I was lost and I finally got saved

and I, you know, they, they grew up without all that, well, you

know what? Start with where you are.

Start where you are grandparents realize that grandparents have

unique opportunities to influence grandchildren for the

cause of Christ. We we have that opportunity.

We have that that that's been that great thing that's been

entrusted to our care and how important it is that we

recognize the great the great responsibility that is in our in

our hands. I don't know what it is for

Massachusetts. I'm going to guess it's a little

more for the for, for Massachusetts then it is for

Connecticut. But I think the median, the

median income in Connecticut is about $99,000.

And I think in Massachusetts is just a little over 100.

Some of you are thinking, man, I don't make that much.

I'm not anywhere near that. But that's what they claim is

the median household household income.

So you know, you think about a talent, you know, it's if a

talent is $1.4 million, one point $5,000,000.

And that is a that is a lot of years of life to come up with

that, isn't it? How important it is to recognize

that God has trusted into our care a profound responsibility

to take care of things that he has entrusted to us.

Liberty Baptist Church purchased with the blood of Christ the

importance to maintain purity of doctrine and practice.

We spoke about that this morning on the Sunday school lessons you

have, you're having a series of lessons about the cults and

false, false doctrine and false teachers that that, that come

along. And there there is a multitude

of them. Because the devil want, loves

confusion and he wants to do everything that he can to keep

you confused and always keep you guessing so that you don't live

with confidence insurance, but you always live with a little

bit of doubt. I want to tell you, you can have

confidence in the word of God. And I mentioned in the Sunday

school lesson this morning, and I think it's so important and

I'll mention again tonight, one of the best things you can do is

when you have a question and you have doubt, you get on your face

before God and say, God, I have this question, I have this

doubt. And I don't know what the answer

is, but I know you have the answer.

And so I'm going to go to church and I'm going to listen and I'm

not saying anything to anybody. And I'm going to wait for you to

put it on the preacher's heart to say something about it.

And I'm telling you, there been a multitude of times that I've

come into church and I've heard the preacher preach.

And as God gave me the answer and I'm able to walk out and

shake the pastor's hand and say, you know what, pastor, you don't

know this, but I've been praying about something.

And God gave me a very clear answer today.

And I walk out with a confidence that I prayed, God heard my

prayer. I walk out with a confidence

that God answered. I didn't get my answer from the

pastor. I didn't get my answer from

somebody else. I got my answer from God and I

and I'm I'm, I have a confidence and assurance and I'm willing to

stand for that because I know that God gave me the answer and

he gives that through the preaching of his word.

We represent him in the community and in the world and

what's given to us. Would you note this?

It says to 1 was given 5, to 1 was given two, and one was given

one. There's nothing said about what

they merited, because whether they got five or two or one, it

was all of grace and nothing here that they earned.

He called unto him his servants and He delivered to them as

goods, and they were precious goods.

And He didn't do it on the basis of merit, while He did do it on

the basis of his understanding of who they were.

It was all a matter of grace. Whether you got one, whether you

got 2 or you got five, it was all grace.

And so He gave them this and the great responsibility that we

have that not based on merit, but based based on what He sees

us and how that He designed us to have a part and that He

considers us to be valuable to do that, how we function.

You know, the, the church at Corinth struggled with this.

They were very gifted church. One of the problems they had was

that they were divided because somebody said, I got this gift,

I got five of them. And somebody over here said,

well, I, I only got 2. And somebody here said, well, I

just got one. And then, and so they were

divided on who had what gifts and whatever.

And the purpose of all those gifts was for the edification of

the whole church. You know, whether God's giving

you one gift or many gifts, it the purpose is to edify and

build up the whole church. Everybody not to use selfishly,

not just to use for ourselves, not to be jealous because

somebody got something that we didn't get.

My pastor used to tell me this. Every song leader thinks they

can preach and every preacher thinks they can sing.

I don't know some. I'm grateful for this.

I've known some. I've known some pastors who

could do both, and I've known some song leaders who could do

both. Most of us can, you know, most

of us, most of us can't we, we just have to stick to whatever

it is God called us to do. And then and then just just stay

with it. God and Wisdom saw what was

needed and put together. And I want to tell you this, God

makes no mistakes. So, so whatever talent, whatever

God is entrusted in your care, is, is not a is not a mistake.

It is important for us to optimize every opportunity that

the Lord gives us. Years ago, we had a man in our

church, Tony Pergoni. I'm so thankful for Tony.

There's a whole big story to all this about me going to Grace

Bible Baptist in Vernon, but Tony was one of my deacons.

We used to teach Tony that he didn't know which end of a

hammer to pick up and that whatever you do, do not allow

him to pick up a screwdriver, please.

When it came to working with your hands or construction or

doing things like this, you did not want Tony around.

Period. But I'm going to tell you what

if you needed paperwork shoveled, if you needed somebody

to go do this or to go do that, Tony was your man.

He had a unique ability to deal with people and to shuffle

through paperwork and find out things and do things like that.

He was invaluable to me. I got some other guys who could,

you know, handle hammers and screwdrivers, But when I needed

some paperwork done and some things like that, oh, man, I

Tony was the guy I trusted. His gifts and talents were

different than somebody else's, but he had an equal value.

I mean, there were times that, you know, I could, I could hire

somebody to do that. But there were some things in

the paperwork. I couldn't always hire somebody

to do that. I needed somebody that I could

trust and have confidence in to do that.

And I could trust Tony. I'm so grateful for him.

He added to me. Now look at verse #16 if you

would. Then he that received the five

talents went and traded the same and made the mother 5 talents.

Likewise he that received the two, he also gained the other

two. But he that received one went

and digged in the earth and hid his Lord's money.

Think about the response of these men.

Without without any hesitation, we find that the first man who

had five went and traded with the same and made them other

five. He just went to work.

The one who received two, what did He do?

Likewise the same. There was no hesitation, there

was no reservation, and what they needed to do, They simply

went and did the task. What were they faithful to?

The responsibility given to them.

They were faithful. But consider the last man in

verse #18 it says. But he that received the One

went and digged in the earth and hid his Lord's money.

You know, the fact of the matter is the first two guys, it's

going to take some courage. I mean, think about this, that

he that had the five went and traded with the same.

I don't know if you've ever done any kind of trading, but if you

do any kind of trading, one of the things that you realize is

that you could you could lose everything.

You could lose everything. So there, there there is a

little fearfulness in all of that because there there's going

to be some risk and, and it's going to take some courage.

And I think faith and courage go together.

And if there's a need today among God's people, it is for

some men of God and some women of God who will have the courage

to use what God has given them and to step out by faith, even

when it's not popular, even when other people are not doing it.

But I'm determined this I believe God, God's done a work

in my life. He's entrusted me with these

things. I'm going to put it to use.

Where would Joshua and the children of Israel be if the

priest had not stepped into the waters of Jordan?

They'd be still standing on the bank, wouldn't they?

Yeah, but what if God doesn't? What if God doesn't part the

water? Well, you could say a lot of

things about what if God doesn't?

What if God doesn't? What if God doesn't?

But what if God does? I'd like to be on the side that

says, see what God did? We trusted him, we believed him.

We took a step of faith. Now it's not just, it's not just

being risky and just kind of, you know, throwing things to the

wind and and saying, well, whatever happens just happens.

But it's, it's about a purposeful step based upon the

confidence that we have in God to step forth by faith.

These men had had courage, they had courage.

Jesus had the courage to leave heaven.

He had the courage to resist the devil.

He had the courage to wait long. Think about this, that all the

time that he's growing up, he knew his purpose in life.

But at the age of 30, he went to John the Baptist and was

baptized. Knowing this, that he only had

about three years, but he didn't get ahead of God and he didn't

get behind God. Courage, courage, courage from

others, courage for young men, courage really, if if you have,

if you have opportunity, if you have treasure, talent, What use

is it if we don't have courage to put it to use?

Jesus was always about this his Father's business and the

journey to Jerusalem, to the cross, to the crown of thorns,

the days of rejection. I, I wonder if I, I don't think

the Lord got discouraged because he knew, but there must have

been sometimes that I, I, I don't know whether God can get

exasperated or not, but you know, I've been trying to tell

you and I've been trying to tell you.

They've been trying to tell you and you still didn't get it.

But you know what? He just kept going because he

knew this. They would get it.

They would get it. Where would we be if Jesus had

given up on the 12? Where would we be?

Where would we be if they had given up?

You know, it took courage for them to continue on even in the

face of great opposition and the fear of what the as a matter of

fact, remember how when they got ready to go to Jerusalem, I, I

think it was Peter who said, well, let's just go die with

him. It is really the faithfulness

and small things when it seems that others face great battles

and are victorious, that we just stay faithful and that we see

that it is faithfulness in the small things that God rewards

into big things. You see, if we can't be faithful

with little things, who will trust to our true riches?

These men are sifted out, their character is tested.

Who will be faithful? You know, the Lord doesn't look

for who's the most brilliant, and God doesn't look for the

person that that is the most popular.

You know which one he looks for. A man that's the most faithful.

Amen. That's the one God's looking for

who will be faithful to me? Who will be faithful to me?

The easy way, The easy way is to take the shortcut.

The easy way is to wrap it up and bury it as the man did with

the one talent. That's the easy way.

There's no stress, there's no risk, there's no trouble.

But the truth is, he really didn't know his Lord.

You know, it strikes me that when we, when we get into the,

the next verses, we look down to a, to verse number verse #25

actually verse 24. Then he which had received the

one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee, that thou art an

hard man. Really, that's what you knew.

You knew him. You knew he was a hard man.

You knew that he reaped where he had not sown and gathered where

he'd not strawed. And I was afraid and went and

hit thy talent in the earth. And lo, here thou hast what

thine. Correct me if I'm wrong.

He just handed this guy in today's kind of money, at least

a million and a half dollars that he trusted him with.

And that's a hard man. Can you imagine working for

somebody and your boss walks up to you someday and he says, you

know what? I, I, I, I trust you and I'm

going to give you a million and a half dollars to take care of

for me. And I, I need you to take care

of it. I need you to, to, to watch over

it, to vest it, do whatever you're going to do with it.

I need you to take care of it. I'm going to be gone for a while

and I'll come back. That's scared the daylights out

of me for sure. I understand that.

But my boss being a hard man, that'd be the last thing I'd say

of him. He's trusted me with something

so valuable. He really didn't know his Lord,

and he made a wrong evaluation of him.

The fact is that the first two knew.

But after they did what he said, after they were faithful to it,

they knew him even greater, didn't they?

They really knew their Lord. Because it was after they were

faithful that they gained a great reward.

You see, an unfaithful man always looks into the darkness.

They always do. A faithful man looks into the

sunshine. You and I both know this.

You could have two Craftsman, 2 woodworkers who are who are

equally skilled Craftsman. Which one do you want doing work

for you? The one who's diligent to make

sure that no corners are missed but everything is exactly

square? Or the guy that slaps it

together and that's good enough. We just sold the church

Parsonage, but before we did a couple years ago we had a man

come in and redo our kitchen. When he started in the kitchen

he completely gutted it because we were all it's, it's 10 by 10

kitchen. You know from one wall to the

next wall. We were off almost an inch.

Some places it was 5/8 some places it was 3/4, some place

that was an inch. If you know anything about

construction and building, you know that you have you're going

to have problems making things square when you're off 5/8 or

3/4 of an inch or an inch in a 10 foot square building.

Not only was the floor off like that, but the walls were like

that. So he complete gutted it down to

the to the studs and then began to put shims in so that when he

put new drywall in was square. You know, when he got all done

with that, you could pour water on the countertop and it would

stay there. I was impressed.

Yeah, I, I took a level after he was all done.

I took my level and I walked all through.

I checked all the cabinets, I checked all the, all the

shelves. I checked all of it.

The bubble right in the middle. Everyone, everyone.

Now you know what? That's the kind of guy I want to

do my work. I don't want the kind of guy

that just hangs it and says it's good enough.

That's good enough, all right? Why?

Why should God accept somebody who says that's good enough,

that's good enough? God wants us pay attention to

the detail to be faithful. Which man is a happier man?

I'll tell you, the happy man is the guy that made everything

square and level because he went home and he knows this.

I did a good job and I'm not going to have the customer call

me and say, you know, my cabinet doors don't close.

I'm not going to have the customer call me and say, you

know what? This doesn't fit.

Now you need to come back and adjust this.

No, he said. You do it right the first time

and you make it. You make it, you make it right.

It's not the one who who who takes the shortcuts.

It's the guy who who deliberately, diligently takes

care of everything. And he pillows his head at night

knowing this. I did a true job.

I did a true job. Is it not pretty much everywhere

that it's the details that make a difference?

It is in the details, isn't it? Is it not in the details when

you look at your car and have the fenders fit together, is it

not in the details? Is it not in the details of

those things? We lose ourselves in shortcuts.

But I want you to note that here there is a reward.

For as we back up a little bit, we discover this in chapter 25,

verse 19. A long time the Lord of those

servants cometh and reckoneth with them.

And so he that received the five talents came and brought other

five talents, saying, Lord, thou delivers to me 5 talents,

Behold, I've gained beside them five talents more.

And the Lord his Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and

faithful servant that has been faithful over a few things, I

will make the ruler over many things.

Enter thou unto the joy of thy Lord.

And he also that received 2 talents came and said, Lord,

thou deliver son to me two talents, behold, I've gained two

other talents beside them. And as Lord said unto him, Well

done, good and faithful servant, that has been faithful over a

few things. I will make the ruler over many

things. Enter thou into the joy of thy

Lord. I don't know about you, but it

seems like I would whole lot rather stand before God one day

and hear him say the words. Well done, thou good and

faithful servant. Well done.

You've been faithful over a few things God didn't say.

I had to be smart. God didn't say I have to be

popular. God didn't say I have to have a

lot of money. God didn't say I had to have all

those things. He did say this.

If you'll be faithful, if you'll be faithful.

So the truth of the matter is when we set our heart, the

rewards were good and faithful. Faithful over a few things, rule

over many, but I think the greatest one is enter into the

joy of thy Lord. You see, faith is a matter of

character and faithfulness is a matter of character, and it is

the basis of reward. The world, the devil and flesh

will do everything they can to discourage us.

We live in a world that is looking for shortcuts and easy

ways to get things done, even in churches.

But we need to be settled at this That my Lord is worthy.

He's worthy. He's worthy of my best effort.

He's worthy of my best effort. I want to be able to pillow my

head at night and say, you know what?

I've done my best for the master.

I, I, you know, it's not what everybody else does, but I don't

have to do what everybody else does.

There may be others that it appears or shows that maybe

they've done a whole lot more than me.

But you notice that the the reward was the same for each of

these guys. Well done, good and faithful

servant. Well done.

You've been faithful over a few things.

I'll make you ruler over many. Enter into the joy of thy Lord.

Being faithful to the Lord Jesus is coming.

It's in the book. Part of being ready is being

faithful, Being faithful in all things.

Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of

Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing

to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us

know by contacting us at [email protected].

Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton,

MA. May the Lord bless you as you

grow in His Word.