Tidbits
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Playing it Safe? Think Again.
Playing it safe will eventually kill you.
“What! What you talking about?”
Let me share what I learned Sunday from Pastor Ken’s message. For Christians, we are all very familiar with the parable of the talents. In summary, the master gave servent#1 5 talents (a form of money), servent#2 2 talents, and servent#3 1 talent. Servent#1 and servent#2 invested their talents and doubled it but servent#3 hid the talent in the ground. The master was happy to receive servent#1 and servent#2’s gain but called servent#3 “wicked and lazy” for his action. I have always wondered whether servent#3 really deserves the title wicked and lazy because servent#3 knew there is cost involved in investing the talent and might loose the talent had he made the investment.
Servent#1 and servent#2 see the master’s generosity in them because slaves does not deserve and cannot own property but the master was willing to trust his property to his servants. Thus the two servants did not simply play it safe and risked and invested what their master gave them and doubled it in return. Servent#3 missed the point that the master was generous and had entrusted him with his property, so instead of investing in it, the servant play it safe and hid the talent.
What does this have to do with anything? First of all, servent#3 portraits the Pharisees, a group of self-righteous scholars who cares more about one’s ability to keep rules than helping others. Just like servent#3, they wanted a religion where they can control and feel safe. Not only did they not share their religion with others but they also hid the religion. What’s even worse is that they added more rules to make it even more difficult for people to find this religion. So can you see how this relates with a church? If a church is inward facing and only concern about its need rather than the people's need, then it will begin to atrophy and decline. After all, the church is not just about a building structure but rather about the people in it. What God wants is for us to invest in the people around us instead of being self-seeking. And risking for the Kingdom brings about the Master’s pleasure.
Same goes for us. Sharing the Gospel cost time, resources, money, and etc… God can do much a better job in sharing the gospel than us. I mean He can basically make everyone believe Him if He wants to but yet He entrust us with this job! What a great honor and privilege! What keeps us going even when we feel we can no longer go on? The master took a great cost and risk to invest in us as He hung upon the Cross.
So what do you say?
Do you want a religion where you can control, feel safe, and never do anything wrong? Or do you want to take risk, invest in people, shed the self absorption, and care and love others just as your Master has done for you?
Playing it safe will eventually kill you.
“What! What you talking about?”
Let me share what I learned Sunday from Pastor Ken’s message. For Christians, we are all very familiar with the parable of the talents. In summary, the master gave servent#1 5 talents (a form of money), servent#2 2 talents, and servent#3 1 talent. Servent#1 and servent#2 invested their talents and doubled it but servent#3 hid the talent in the ground. The master was happy to receive servent#1 and servent#2’s gain but called servent#3 “wicked and lazy” for his action. I have always wondered whether servent#3 really deserves the title wicked and lazy because servent#3 knew there is cost involved in investing the talent and might loose the talent had he made the investment.
Servent#1 and servent#2 see the master’s generosity in them because slaves does not deserve and cannot own property but the master was willing to trust his property to his servants. Thus the two servants did not simply play it safe and risked and invested what their master gave them and doubled it in return. Servent#3 missed the point that the master was generous and had entrusted him with his property, so instead of investing in it, the servant play it safe and hid the talent.
What does this have to do with anything? First of all, servent#3 portraits the Pharisees, a group of self-righteous scholars who cares more about one’s ability to keep rules than helping others. Just like servent#3, they wanted a religion where they can control and feel safe. Not only did they not share their religion with others but they also hid the religion. What’s even worse is that they added more rules to make it even more difficult for people to find this religion. So can you see how this relates with a church? If a church is inward facing and only concern about its need rather than the people's need, then it will begin to atrophy and decline. After all, the church is not just about a building structure but rather about the people in it. What God wants is for us to invest in the people around us instead of being self-seeking. And risking for the Kingdom brings about the Master’s pleasure.
Same goes for us. Sharing the Gospel cost time, resources, money, and etc… God can do much a better job in sharing the gospel than us. I mean He can basically make everyone believe Him if He wants to but yet He entrust us with this job! What a great honor and privilege! What keeps us going even when we feel we can no longer go on? The master took a great cost and risk to invest in us as He hung upon the Cross.
So what do you say?
Do you want a religion where you can control, feel safe, and never do anything wrong? Or do you want to take risk, invest in people, shed the self absorption, and care and love others just as your Master has done for you?
I say let's do the later :p It can be quite risky/tiring but the result can be so much rewarding. Plus, it's a lot more fun, and God is on your side if you let Him lead.
that's why eveyrone should join sfc (or kfc, afc, bfc, cfc....etc) :p