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"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'"
(Matthew 25:21)
Yesterday we discussed the words of Jesus in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). Three men were given talents (money) to invest for their employer. Two of the three did a great job with the money they had received; they actually doubled their employer's investment and received his approbation. The third worker, unfortunately, did nothing with the money and had no profit for his employer upon his return. He was thoroughly rebuked and received no praise from his boss.
"Live to be Missed" is the funeral sermon I preached for my friend and fellow pastor, James Tisdel. He lived out the three qualities that Jesus demonstrates in the Parable of the Talents: do good, be faithful, and serve others. Yesterday we looked at #1: Do good. Today, we will look at the next two.
2. Be faithful.
To be faithful is to be consistent. In the context of the story, this faithful worker took the money of his boss, invested it, and doubled its value for his boss.
Faithfulness is a beautiful jewel to behold. To see a man like Pastor James be a faithful husband for all those years, that is a blessing. When he experienced the greatest tragedy anyone can encounter, the death of a spouse and a child, he continued to serve and love God. He was a faithful pastor, husband, father, and grandfather. Was he perfect? No. But he was consistent, and he was faithful.
Billy Graham said that many people told him that he would receive a huge reward in heaven, but he replied that the person who gets the bigger reward is not the one in the limelight, but the pastor of a small church who faithfully executes his duties and faithfully serves the Lord.
3. Serve Others (verses 21 & 23).
Jesus commended him by calling him a good and faithful servant (doulos). This type of servant was really a slave, someone who had no rights and served another entirely.
The Apostle Paul wrote, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." (Philippians 2:2-3)
What awaits the followers of Jesus in eternity? All of those who live to be missed by doing good, being faithful, and serving well will hear these sublime words of our Lord: "I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." (Matthew 25:21) Increased responsibilities and endless joy await the faithful soul in eternity.
Are you living a life that will be missed? What will the pastor say at your funeral? Do you know Christ as your Savior and Lord? If not, surrender your life to Him even now and believe in Jesus for salvation.
I am praying for every follower of Jesus who reads today's devotional. My prayer is that you will do good, be faithful, and serve well. God bless you as you pursue the Lord and faithfully live for Him.
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