Steward Leadership - Parable of the Talents Part 3

       This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

In this new year, I have begun a new series on the subject of steward leadership. One author defines a steward as “someone who manages resources belonging to another person in order to achieve the owner’s objectives.”

Today we continue our study of the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30. In my two previous episodes, we looked at seven principles from this story. Today, I want to explore some things we do not see in this parable of Jesus.  

As we begin, I want to share a very important point.  Steward leaders lead with humility.  

Now, here are some observations of what do not see from the steward who began with five talents and ended with 11.  

* He did not chastise or criticize the servant who handled his one talent poorly.  The “faithful” steward left it to the Owner to declare that one “wicked, lazy, and worthless.” Sometimes we as humans encounter the temptation to pass judgment on others, and we must be very careful about this. We need to leave it to the Lord and to those in authority over us to deal with those who fail to meet expectations.

* Secondly, we do not see the servant with 11 talents gloat over the one with four. You may recall as I said in my last podcast that the servant who received five bags and the servant who received two bags heard the same commendation from the master. ‘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!’ I will again emphasize that we must avoid the trap of comparison with others.

* Lastly, I appreciate the example set by the servant with 11 talents.  There is no mention of chest-thumping (we see this all too frequently by athletes) or calling attention to himself. Consider these words from Jesus in Luke 17:10.  “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”  

There is no place for self-promotion in these words of Jesus.

While the servant who ended with 11 talents received commendation from the Owner, he remained a servant.

As steward leaders, we must maintain a humble posture, always realizing that all that we have, and all that we are, belongs to our Owner, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In our next episode, we will continue our study of steward leadership. This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.

The Train and Multiply Pledge

 

       Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

The New Village Church Planting ministry begins when a VCP trainer gathers

disciples to plant churches in villages that do not have churches. The trainer’s

goal is to gather 15 men and women who are faithful, available, and teachable.

These faithful, available, and teachable brothers and sisters commit to four

years of learning in the training center about how to plant churches. But they

commit to much more than learning. They commit themselves to the Lord’s

work: to work hard to multiply disciples, leaders, and churches.

Village Church Planting students probably remember the Train and Multiply

Student Pledge they made when they first started in the training center. But,

let’s take a moment now to remember that pledge which is written on page 24-

32 of the Train and Multiply booklet called “Pastoral Worker Training and You.”

As I read, identify the point that is most meaningful to you and the pledge that

is most difficult for you to consistently keep.

The Train & Multiply Student Pledge:

With God’s help, I pledge myself to:

* Love Jesus Christ and give first priority to obey all his commands.

* Teach others to obey all the commands of Jesus.

* Care for my family with sincere love (Ephesians 5:25-33).

* Pray continually for those I shepherd, my coworkers, and those who still need

Christ.

* Work hard with others in loving harmony, especially my church, and keep my

T&M trainer informed of my activities (Romans 12:9-11).

* Give of my time and money to extend Christ’s kingdom wherever he calls me

to go (Matthew 28:18-20).

* Trust in God’s power to enable the church to grow and reproduce (Mark 4).

* Seek to obey the requirements for leaders of the church as described in 1

Timothy 3:1-7.

* Explain the Gospel with zeal, love, and clarity so that people will believe in

and obey the Lord (Matthew 28:19-20).

* Seek to raise up new, healthy churches that will multiply, especially in areas

where there are none (Romans 15:20-21).

* Be willing to suffer for Christ (2 Timothy 2:3).

* Follow the advice of my trainer, faithfully fulfilling all my assignments in

work and study.

Which of these points is most meaningful for you today? For me, it is the first

point, “Love Jesus Christ and give first priority to obey all his commands.” This

point gives me great clarity about how I must live my life. It protects me from

temptation and it clarifies when I need to confess and repent. I love it because

it guides me as a disciple of Jesus.

What is the hardest pledge for you? For me, the hardest is, “Be willing to

suffer for Christ.” I don’t like to suffer. I try to avoid suffering. But I know that

as a follower of one who endured the cross for me, I too am called to suffer.

Even so, this pledge challenges me so much.

As you commit yourself to the training of disciples to plant daughter churches,

let me encourage you to show them this pledge. Ask your disciples to seriously

consider it and commit to it by faith. God is delighted when his children

commit to obey him, to proclaim the Good News and “To seek to raise up new,

healthy churches that will multiply, especially in areas where there are none.”

I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Train&Multiply