A sermon by Pastor Brian Otieno who used the parable of the talents from Matthew 25:14-25 to illustrate how God expects us to use the gifts and opportunities He has given us. He lists eight things that can help us to mature and go to the next level in our spiritual journey: unconditional love, forgiveness, time, giving, money, communication, relationships, and home. The emphasis is that God is watching how we handle what He has entrusted to us and that we will give an account of our stewardship one day. It also encourages us to pray and seek God’s will for our lives.
— Transcription
“The Bible says in Matthew chapter 25 from verses 14 to 25 “Again it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave 5 talents of money to another 2 talents and to another one talent each, according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the 5 talents went at once and put his money to work and gain 5 more. So also, the one with the 2 talents gets 2 more. But the one who had received the one talent went off dug a hole in the ground and ate his master’s money. After a long time, the Master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The one who had received the 5 talents said you entrusted me with 5 talents I have gained 5 more. His Master replied, “Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things come and share your master’s happiness. The man with the 2 talents also came. Master, he said., you entrusted me with 2 talents see and I have gained 2 more. His Master replied, “Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master’s happiness. Then the man who had received the one talent came. Master, he said. I knew that you’re a hard man harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered. So, I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. So here is what belongs to you. His Master replied. You wicked lazy servant, so you knew that I harvest where I have not sown. I gather where I have not scattered seed. Well then you should have put your money on deposit to the bankers so that when I return, I will have received it with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the 10 talents. For everyone who has will be given more and you will have an abundance or whoever does not have even, what he has will be taken away from him. Throw that worthless servant outside into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
So how many of us in our entire life want good things? All of us want good things? How many of us want to be associated with nice people, good people, awesome people? All of us wow that’s good. We can read another verse, Ephesians chapter 5 verse 15 to 17, says “be careful then how you live not as unwise but as wise. Making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord ‘s will is Amen? So let us go to the Scriptures and when we go to the Scriptures, we have different people that were given names, according to how they live their life. So, we have somebody called Abraham after all, he went through. What was the general name that he was given? He was given the father of nations. We go to somebody called David, after all, he went through. He was called a man after God’s own heart. Then we go to Jesus. The 3rd person is Jesus, after he was beaten, he was crucified for our sins. He was called the Messiah, Christ the Messiah. Just an example again the 4th person because we have so many people. We have somebody called Paul, after he had done everything, he was later called the Apostle. So, what is the one thing that you are seeing from these people we are seeing that these people are devoted to God?
Number two, they went through a lot for them to be called the people that are called. That leads us to today, to get to know what that one look like in our entire lives. So, most of us want to be associated with good things, we want to be associated with nice things. Nice church, nice neighborhood, nice homes. But we need to do what we need to work for it. Nothing comes easy. The Bible says that time and chances have been given to all of us, so whatever you do with the time and the chance. It depends on what you want to do with that chance, one day we shall give an account of how we lived our life on Earth. So, what are some of the things that can take us to the next level as our theme for this year is the year of Re-digging and repossessing?
God wants us to Redig and to repossess. So, what are those things that we need to take into consideration that are going to help us to go to the next thing and to re-dig and to repossess? So, for me to know that you are ready for this, the number one thing, that is going to measure our ability or our maturity to go to the next level is what is called unconditional love. The Bible says in the book of First John Chapter 4 verse 19. “We love because He first loved us. We love Jesus because he first loved us now for us to go to the next thing. The Lord is not asking us to love the lovable. No, the Lord is asking us to love the unlovable. So, who are the unlovable? The unlovable are the people who treat you badly. They are unlovable people that look as if they don’t have a future. The people who are on the street. The children who are in the orphanages. Those are the people that God wants us to love, so he showed his love for us. Romans Chapter 5 verse 8, says that God showed his love for us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. So, all of us Christ died for us so that we may receive free gift of salvation and is also asking us to love unconditionally.
What does that one mean, you don’t have to put conditions in your love. So, we want to Redig and we want to repossess, we want to be associated with good things, for that to happen, we have to go the extra mile. The first extra mile is to love the unlovable. God is asking you to love your enemies. I don’t know which enemies you have, but I know the number one enemy that we have, that is being used by people Is Satan. So, the people that God is bringing on your way look as if they are destroying your life. Those are the people that the Lord is asking you to love. The second thing is an amazing thing which is called forgiveness. The Bible says in the book of Micah Chapter 7 verses 18 to 19, says “Where is another God like you who pardons the guilt of the remnant overlooking the sins of his special people?
You who do not stay angry with your people forever because you delight in sowing unfailing love. Once again, you will have compassion for us. You will trample on our sins and throw them into the depths of the ocean. God is asking us to forgive one another. So, when you go back to the talents, God has given each person, a chance and a time to stay here on Earth and do something with their lives. One day when He comes back, he’s going to ask us, “I gave you 5 talents, gave you 2 talents. What did you do with it? So, when you are in that process, one of the things that is going to help us to walk well in this is by forgiving one another. So let me show you something. I have something here, so this is your heart, does it look good? When your mom and your dad gave birth to you, you had a very beautiful heart.
Things start happening in your life. So maybe your neighbor throws stones at your mabati or someone steals your girlfriend/boyfriend, and you get angry. How does your heart look like right now? Is it good? Is it pleasing? That is why you come to church and when you try and pray, you feel as if nothing is happening. This is because you have carried so many things in your heart. But I have good news for you, the Bible says in the book of John, 3:16, that “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting.” John 1 4:19, says we love because he first loved us. The love of God is amazing and when God starts moving in your heart. You start removing things from your heart and you start allowing your heart to go back to the way it used to be. Even when your heart is like this, when Jesus has healed you, you will still have issues. But God has healed you and your heart will go back to the way it used to be and now God is asking you because I’m asking you to forgive because I forgave.
You also need to share the love of God with people. And sharing the love of God is so amazing because you enjoy it. God is asking, for us to redig, for us to go to another level. We have to forgive because he forgave us. We have to release our hearts; we have to allow God to minister to our hearts Amen. Usiweke watu kwa so please forgive. Number three is time. So, the Bible says in the book of John, 9, verse 4 “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent us. The night is coming when no one can work. So how do you see this? Number One. How do you get to the working place? When you go to work, at what time do you arrive? At what time do you come to church? At what time do you wake up to pray? At what time do you wake up to read the word? When you call for fellowship do you go there when they are saying may the grace of our Lord or do you go on time? So, time is one of the things that God is asking us to be faithful to Amen.
We have to be faithful to time because God has given us time and as we use time, we don’t know the hour or the next minute that the Lord is going to take us from the face of the Earth. So, we must make good use of time because time management is one of the keys that is going to help you to redig and to repossess. The number 4 is giving. The Bible says in the book of Acts 20 verse 35. “It is more blessed to give than to receive women’. Then Luke chapter 6 verse 38, says “Give and it shall be given unto you’ Amen. So, God is asking you, I know you have been giving but you still need to give more. Because God asks you to give because it is good to give than to receive. One of my leaders told me this because my work as a director is to make sure that I am raising funds for the organization. Number 2, I’m supposed to make sure that the team that you’re seeing here they are doing whatever we ask them to do so that we don’t become an NGO.
I was sharing with reverent that in Kibra we have 3000 plus NGOs, the meaning of NGO is a non-governmental organization. But if you go there, is Kibra changing? No, it is not and that is because the phrase has changed instead of becoming a non-governmental organization, it is nothing going on. So, we don’t want to be a nothing going on organization, we want to check and make sure that whatever we agree with the church we are going to do. If it is to help the Sunday school, we are going to help. If it is to go on missions, we’re going to mobilize each person to go on missions. So, we need to give, so when you are asked to give for a project don’t feel bad. Just give because somebody is asking you to give. How many of us in our entire life have never been asked by somebody to give something? Mtu ata hajawai kufikia, tafadhali niko na njaa nisaidie. Wakinanani washaiambiwa na mtu wamsaidie?
Yes, why, it’s because it is better to give than to receive because it is the Lord who rewards. Number five is money. So, Proverbs Chapter 13 verse 25, says this “The Russians eat their heart’s content.” This is one of the most sensitive things that people talk about, but money is good for us to talk about. So, somebody I think who is one of the comedians was called on Churchill live. I think his name is Professor Amor. He said that the government should tell us when the money has been released in the county so that we can be accountable to the governor. So, one of the things God is asking us to do is to be careful with how we handle our money. We want God to take us to the next thing. How do you handle the 10 bob God has given you? How do you handle the 1000 bob God has given you? How do you handle the 50 Bob God has given you? Some of us, God is looking at us, he wants to take us to the next level of receiving finances.
But how do you handle the 10 bob and the 50 bob wanting? So be careful, when you receive something from God be careful on how you use it because God is watching you and we can never lie to God. How many of us can lie to God? No one can lie to God. He is the one who knows you, He knows everything about you. So, when He gives you some money, make sure that you’re using it well. The next thing, number six is communication. The Bible says in the book of Matthew Chapter 5 verse 37. “All you need to say is simple yes or no anything beyond this comes from the evil one. We have to communicate, we have to tell people if it is a yes, it is a yes. If it is a no, it is a no. I remember when I was getting married. Looking for a lady is not easy, I waited for three years. Sahi ukiniangalia nimeendelea vizuri and next month date 7 we are celebrating 4 years of marriage. But before ifike hapo, ilikuwa ngumu. Three years, of waiting for somebody to say yes man to your marriage proposal is not an easy thing. I had to pray and even sweat. But I had to communicate.
So do you want to see God doing something in your life, you must communicate well. Come on my part, you are something to do. The second last thing is relationships. The Bible says in Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for a time of adversary.” I’m looking at relationships God has blessed you with so many relationships, but how are you using those relationships man? God has brought so many people into your life to help you. They are sitting just here. Somebody’s waiting to hear your story. Somebody’s waiting to hear what you’re going through, and they want to help you. But if you keep quiet your destiny helper will go and will not locate you. He may be here in the church, or he may be outside there, but relationships should be valued for us to be able to repossess and re-dig.
We must take care of the relationships that God has given to us. Don’t break the relationship quickly. Some of us ladies and gentlemen, those who are not married, God has brought so many people into your life, but you are still waiting for Alejandro, Alejandro will not come. Therefore, as you pray, you need to open your eyes.
The last one is home. I know some of us want to have our own houses. How many of us want to have our own houses like me? Ah, nice so how is the current house you’re living in? How are you taking care of that house? Are you sweeping it well? Are you keeping it well? Because we need to keep it well. God will give us that house that we want for ourselves but first we must take care of the one that we have It’s a rental place, maybe a bed seater, a two bedroom or a one bedroom.
But just know that you need to take good care of that house and one day God is going to do what do something. So, it is not bad to admire things. It is good to admire but put them in prayer and tell God, “I need a house like this, but before you Give me that house, let me take care of the house that I’m currently living in.” What is that one thing God is asking you to do? He has placed you here on Earth, He has given you strength, he has given you the ability, He has given you resources. He has given you children. He has given you everything. What are you doing with them? So, whatever we are doing with them, know that God is at work and is watching over you and you cannot redig and repossess when you don’t use the timing and season that God has given you well.