Charlotte’s Hope Church
Matthew 14 & 25 The Unopened Gift
If you want to know who God is, look at Jesus.
If you want to know what it means to be human, look at Jesus.
If you want to know what love is, look at Jesus.
If you want to know what grief is, look at Jesus.
And go on looking until you’re not just a spectator, but your actually part of the drama which has him as the central character.
N.T. Wright
Matthew 14:22-27 ESV
Matthew 14:28-32 ESV
Jesus makes an open invitation to everyone who wants to step out in faith and experience something more of the power and presence of God. His is an INVITATION TO GROW!
Peter’s experience is a picture of doing with God’s help what I could never do alone.
When we talk of following Christ, we are called to WALK BY FAITH. We are not called to be risk takers for the sake of risk, but rather, ADVENTURERS who live in the moment of EXTREME OBEDIENCE.
Accepting Christ’s invitation to Walk with Him means:
· Facing your fears and choosing to not let fear have the last word.
· Discovering and embracing the unique calling of God on your life.
· Experiencing the power of God in your life to do something you would not be capable of doing on your own.
1. God is the LORD OF THE GIFT.
James 1:17 ESV
We serve the Lord of the Gift. He can take five fish and two loaves and feed the multitudes. The Lord of the Gift can take two mites given by an impoverished widow and make it the lead gift in the whole campaign. The Lord of the Gift can take a stuttering fugitive named Moses and defy a world-power dictator and his army. The Lord of the Gift can go from a blood stained cross to an empty tomb. The Lord of the Gift can take twelve bumbling followers and create a community that has spread throughout the world with a dream that refuses to die. He is a surprisingly resourceful person, the Lord of the Gift. He can take what you have to offer and make a difference that matters for eternity. John Ortberg
The opportunity was for ALL of the disciples but only one OPENED THE GIFT – Peter.
Peter wasn’t looking for a GUARANTEE, just an OPPORTUNITY.
By their inactivity, the other disciples treasured SAFETY OVER GROWTH. They are like believers today who don’t seek a MISSION unless there is a GUARANTEE.
Matthew 25:14-15 ESV
EVERYONE RECEIVES A GIFT!! This is not a story of some being gifted and some not.
· We are called by God
· We are equipped by God
· Every gift is chosen by the giver
· No one decides on his or her giftedness
· All have the choice to step out and use their gift to impact this lost and broken world.
KEY: I must come to prize and appreciate what the Lord of the Gift has given me and use it for His purposes.
Matthew 25:16-18 ESV
2. God is the Lord of the SETTLED ACCOUNT.
Matthew 25:19-23 ESV
Matthew 25:24-30 ESV
Why did the servant bury the gift?
Cost of COMPARISON
The Lord of the Gift is very wise. He knew exactly what he was doing when he created you. He is well-pleased that you exist and He has entrusted to you everything you need to fulfill the purpose for which you were created.
Why did the servant bury the gift?
Cost of FEAR
Isaiah 43:1-3 ESV
Why did the servant bury the gift?
Cost of COMFORT
3. God is the LORD OF THE REWARD
What has the Lord of the Gift given you that needs to be invested in the Kingdom?
Do you know the one thing that you believe God placed you on this earth for?
What is your willingness to take risks that require more power and wisdom than you know you possess?
It’s not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of great achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. So that his place will never be with those cold timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt