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Matthew 25:14-30

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14“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.

15To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

16The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.

17So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.

18But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

20The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21“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!’

22“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23“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!’

24“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

25So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?

27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.

29For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

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1)       According to what Jesus said in verse 14 what will the kingdom of heaven be like?

o   It will be like a man going on a journey, who

§  Called his servants.

§  And entrusted his wealth to them.

 

2)       According to what Jesus said in verse 15 how did the man entrust his wealth to his servants?

o   To one he gave five bags of gold.

o   To another two bags.

o   And to another one bag.

o   Each according to his ability.

 

3)       According to what Jesus said in verse 15 what did the master do after entrusting his wealth to his servants?

o   He went on his journey.

 

4)       Whom does the master represent?

o   He represents Jesus.

 

5)       Whom do the servants represent?

o   They represent Jesus’ disciples.

 

6)       What does the master going on his journey signify, given that the master represents Jesus?

o   It signifies Jesus going back to the Father.

 

7)       What do the bags of gold represent?

o   They represent spiritual gifts.

o   That

o   Jesus entrusts to his disciples.

 

8)       According to what Jesus said in verse 16 what did the man who had received five bags of gold do with the money?

o   He

§  Went at once.

§  Put his money to work.

§  And gained five bags more.

 

9)       According to what Jesus said in verse 17 what did the man who had received two bags of gold do with the money?

o   He also gained two more.

 

10)   According to what Jesus said in verse 18 what did the man who had received one bag of gold do with the money?

o   He

§  Went off.

§  Dug a hole in the ground.

§  And hid his master’s money.

 

11)   According to what Jesus said in verse 19 what did the master of those servants do after a long time?

o   He

§  Returned.

§  And settled accounts with his servants.

 

12)   What does the master returning signify, given that the master represents Jesus?

o   It signifies the second coming of Christ.

 

13)   What does the master settling accounts with his servants signify, given 2 Corinthians 5:10?

o   It signifies Jesus holding every individual disciple accountable for what they have done with their spiritual gifts before the judgment seat of Christ.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud 2 Corinthians 5:10 that says,

+++++++++++++++++++++

10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

14)   According to what Jesus said in verse 20 how did the servant who had received five bags of gold settle his account?

o   He brought the other five.

o   That

o   He had gained.

 

15)   According to what Jesus said in verse 21 what were the master’s commendation and reward for the servant who had gained five more bags of gold?

o   Well done, good and faithful servant!

o   You have been faithful with a few things.

o   I will put you in charge of many things.

o   Come and share your master’s happiness!

 

16)   How much will the servant be put in charge of in comparison to what he had gained?

o   The servant

§  Had been faithful with a few things.

§  But will be put in charge of many things.

 

17)   According to what Jesus said in verse 22 how did the servant who had received two bags of gold settle his account?

o   He brought the other two.

o   That

o   He had gained.

 

18)   What commendation and reward did the servant who had gained two bags of gold receive from his master in comparison to those the servant who had gained five bags received?

o   Both received the same

§  Commendation.

§  And reward.

 

19)   What was the reward the master distributed to his servants based on, merit or faithfulness with what each had been given and why?

o   Faithfulness with what each had been given

§  Because these two servants had been equally faithful in doubling the money.

§  That

§  They had been given.

§  Even though each had been given different sums.

 

20)   What is the reward Jesus will distribute to his disciples based on, merit or faithfulness with what each has been given?

o   It is based on faithfulness with what each has been given.

 

21)   According to what Jesus said in verse 24 what was the servant’s accusation of his master?

o   He accused his master of being a hard man.

§  Harvesting where he had not sown.

§  And gathering where he had not scattered seed.

 

22)   According to what Jesus said in verse 25 what did the servant choose to do based on his assumption of the reality of his master?

o   So he

§  Was afraid.

§  And went out.

§  And hid his master’s gold in the ground.

o   Now he was returning to his master the exact sum of money.

o   That

o   He had been given.

 

23)   According to what Jesus said in verse 26 what was the master’s characterization of the servant?

o   Wicked, lazy servant!

 

24)   According to what Jesus said in verse 27 how did the master chastise the servant for his failure?

o   The servant should have put his master’s money on deposit with the bankers.

o   So that

o   His master would have received it back with interest.

o   When

o   He returned.

 

25)   According to what Jesus said in verses 26 and 27 what did the master base his chastisement of the servant on?

o   He based it on the servant’s accusation of him.

 

26)   What does the servant choosing not to do something as easy as putting his master’s money on deposit with the bankers indicate?

o   It indicates that the servant was completely unfaithful with what he had been entrusted with.

 

27)   In what way was the servant’s accusation of his master wrongful and hypocritical?

o   The master had actually given the servant one mina

§  That could be used for making money.

§  Which debunks the accusation.

o   It was hypocritical for the servant to accuse his master of making no investment while expecting a return.

o   When

o   He himself did not put the money on deposit with the bankers.

 

28)   What does the servant choosing to dig a hole in the ground in verse 25 in order to hide his master’s money indicate, given that putting money on deposit with the bankers was less trouble than digging a hole in the ground and hiding the money?

o   It indicates that the servant was intentionally sabotaging his master’s estate.

 

29)   Why did the servant’s assumption of the reality of his master not drive him to be productive with the money he had been given?

o   It is because the servant

§  Did not really believe what he said about his master.

§  And was simply using his master as an excuse for his conduct.

 

30)   According to what Jesus said in verse 28 how did the master deal with the wicked, lazy servant?

o   The bag of gold was

§  Taken from him.

§  And given to the servant who had ten bags.

 

31)   According to what Jesus said in verse 29 what was the master’s principle in the way he was dealing with his servants?

o   Whoever has will be given more.

o   And they will have an abundance.

o   Whoever does not have.

o   Even what they have will be taken from them.

 

32)   Why did the master give the bag of gold to the servant who had ten bags if we look at it from the perspective of productivity?

o   The servant who had ten bags would

§  At once put the extra bag of gold to work.

§  And gain another bag.

 

33)   What does the servants using and not using the money entrusted to them to make more money signify, given that the servants represent Jesus’ disciples?

o   It signifies Jesus’ disciples

§  Using the spiritual gifts.

§  And not using the spiritual gifts.

o   Entrusted to them to build up the kingdom of God.

 

34)   What does the servant who had ten bags of gold being given the extra bag signify, given that the servants represent Jesus’ disciples?

o   It signifies disciples

§  Who have been faithful in using their spiritual gifts.

§  And who discover that they actually have more spiritual gifts.

§  That

§  They could use.

 

35)   According to what Jesus said in verse 30 what was the master’s final assessment of the wicked, lazy servant?

o   A worthless servant.

 

36)   According to what Jesus said in verse 30 what was the master’s final verdict on the worthless servant?

o   Throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness.

o   Where

o   There will be

§  Weeping.

§  And gnashing of teeth.

 

37)   What does the servant who chose not to do anything with what the master had entrusted to him being thrown outside,  into the darkness signify, given that the servants represent Jesus’ disciples?

o   It signifies disciples

§  Who chose not to use the spiritual gifts entrusted to them to build up the kingdom of God.

§  And who are thrown into the fire of hell.

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Matthew 25:14-30

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