{"id":1546,"date":"2002-11-10T20:53:33","date_gmt":"2002-11-10T20:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/?p=1546"},"modified":"2020-12-02T14:37:30","modified_gmt":"2020-12-02T14:37:30","slug":"unwrapping-gifts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/unwrapping-gifts\/","title":{"rendered":"Unwrapping Gifts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Matthew 25:14-30<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

November 10, 2002<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The birth of a child is a tremendous gift, to the parents, grandparents, and the world. Next Sunday, Joy and I along with our family will celebrate the birth of our granddaughter, Evelyn Grace in Boston. Evi will be over one-month old and it will be her \u201ccoming out\u201d party to officially meet the world. We\u2019ll eat red-dyed eggs to symbolize the happy gift of life. We\u2019ll taste fresh ginger to assist the new mother to restore her yin and yang. We\u2019ll give Evi her first haircut symbolizing the daily activities of long life. But the most exciting part of next Sunday\u2019s party will be imagining and dreaming about what Evi will become when she grows up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In each child is placed the seeds of possibility. To raise a child in a loving and nurturing environment is to unwrap a portion of that gift each day. Every morning reveals for the new parents some new aspect of the child\u2019s personhood. \u201cShe\u2019s beginning to look more like Dad or Mom, she has Mom\u2019s frown or Dad\u2019s hands.\u201d There is the growth of innate abilities and the development of yet to be known talents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The life of a child is full of promise. If the child grows to make the most of his or her talents and abilities, some level of greatness will be achieved. If Evi grows up to become the President of the United States, this grandfather would be very proud!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parable of the Talents<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

This familiar parable speaks of a situation filled with potential like a baby is filled with seeds of possibilities. The master gives to each servant a certain amount of talents or money. Each has the potential to invest, to capitalize, to earn both interest and the master\u2019s good approval. Each has the possibility of serving the master so that when he returns, he would say to them, \u201cWell done, good and trustworthy servant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But one does not fulfill his potential. He was given a single portion of talent. He doesn\u2019t think he is capable of investing even that. He\u2019s afraid so he buries the talent and returns it unharmed, but undeveloped. Fear robbed him of his potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s like if the gifts given to Evi were never opened. If Greg and Heather don\u2019t take the time to unwrap them, Evi would never get the chance to wear her new clothes or play with her new toys. But more symbolically, the dreams and hopes of those who gave the gifts in the first place reflected in these gifts are left unwrapped. These possibilities for Evi may never be realized if they don\u2019t unwrap the gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developing Our Gifts<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

According to Scriptures, God has endowed us with some gifts worth developing. We may not have the same gifts. We may not have equal gifts. And sometimes, unexpected circumstances can get in the way of developing our gifts all together. The son of a former colleague was born with a brain tumor. He lived only a few days and died before he could say \u201cMama\u201d or \u201cDaddy.\u201d But we all have equal opportunities, at least as we are born, of being something more than an undeveloped mass of tissue and bones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We, who grow and develop into the people, God designed us to be, have the potential to put our gifts to good use. The development of our talents is an unwrapping of our gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For we do not know, until we try, how well coordinated we are, how musically we hear, how strongly we lift, how caringly we listen, how well we write, how articulately we speak, how inspiringly I preach. Each new discovery about what we can do is a discovery about what God had in mind when God made us. The Psalmist said, \u201cFor it was you, God who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother\u2019s womb.\u201d (Ps. 139:3<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every time, we unwrap the gifts that God has given to us, we see the potential that was there. To our great surprise, we discover that we are the gift! Wow, look at me! Who we are made to be is up to God. But how we use what God designed, is entirely up to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today the Nominating Committee will be meeting to recommend persons to serve as officers and board and committee members. This is one of many ways that you can unwrap your gift for service to God. We can use our talents to benefit the world, the church, and humankind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking Risks<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

In the parable, we can see that unless we take some risks, we would never grow or develop our gifts. The first two servants most likely engaged in some risky money ventures that doubled their master\u2019s money. They played the market and their investments paid off in due time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the third servant did everything he knew how to ensure his master\u2019s money would not be lost until he returned. There was no FDIC insured accounts. No safe-deposit boxes. In ancient days, the only secure place to protect valuables was to put in a lock-box and buried it. My mother told me she buried gold coins behind some bricks in her house in China. It was safe, secure, out of sight, and the only one who knew its location was the one who buried it. When I went back to the old house a few years ago, I couldn\u2019t find the gold coins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, the third servant actually did a pretty good job, fulfilling his obligation to protect his master\u2019s money. He was being prudent and trustworthy. In fact, given today\u2019s stock market, he did better than most of us here! He returned every single cent upon his master\u2019s return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, why was the master so harsh with the third servant? The master was angry because the servant took no risk. He was paralyzed by the fear of losing a single cent. He was trying to avoid failure. He wasn\u2019t irresponsible, nor was he wasting his master\u2019s money; but the servant was only excessively cautious. So cautious that he was afraid to do anything at all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a story about two seeds lying side by side in the fertile spring soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first seed said, \u201cI want to grow! I want to send my roots deep into the soil beneath me, and thrust my sprouts through the earth’s crust above…I want to unfurl my tender buds like banners to announce the arrival of spring\u2026I want to feel the warmth of the sun on my face and the blessing of the morning dew on my petals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so she grew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second seed said, \u201cI am afraid. If I send my roots into the ground below, I don\u2019t know what I will encounter in the dark. If I push my way through the hard soil above me I may damage my delicate sprouts\u2026what if I let my buds open and a snail tries to eat them? And if I were to open my blossoms, a small child may pull me from the ground. No, it is much better for me to wait until it is safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so she waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A yard hen scratching around in the early spring ground for food found the waiting seed and promptly ate it. The moral of the story is: \u201cThose of us who refuse to risk and grow get swallowed up by life.\u201d There\u2019s no future!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Parable of the Talents teaches us to not play it safe! When we play it safe by burying our talent in the ground, we can\u2019t get to it when we need it. Our talent is stuck in the ground and becomes fossilized. While the world is changing up here and there are new demands for new talents, your fossilized talent remains buried deep in the ground! The one who plays it safe loses when the future arrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You would think that the two faithful servants who doubled their talents would get a bonus or an extra week\u2019s vacation. Instead, they were given even more responsibilities. Competence is rewarded with more confidence. Our talents are rewarded with even more talents when we take the risk of using them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We see this in the business world. Ironically, the most successful businesses are those that have the most failures. How can this be? Because the most successful businesses are those who take the most risks. They may have more failures than their competitors, but they have more successes too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless we try out for a position on that sports team even with the possibility of not making the team, we would never get the chance of knowing what winning is like. Unless we audition for that lead in the play and run the risk of not being chosen, we would never know whether we can act. Unless we run for class office with the chance of not getting elected, we would never know whether we have leadership gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless we put our name up for a promotion with the possibility of being by-passed by another colleague, we will never discover the other skills we may have in the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless we serve in the many positions of leadership and responsibilities that the church offers you to live out your discipleship in the world, you will never know your God-given talents. And God may not have the opportunity to give you even more talents and responsibilities!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless our Greg and Heather let Evi put strange things in her mouth or let another adult hold her (like her grandpa!) or when she turns 5 and they send her off to school, Evi will never realize the gifts that God has designed in her. She will not have the chance to unwrap her gifts for the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gift of Faith<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith. When the Lord returns, he doesn\u2019t want to hear his followers declare, \u201cLook, everything is just like it was when you left!\u201d Growth requires change, change involves risk, and risk requires faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The greatest gift given to God\u2019s people is the gift of faith. It is a gift that the world desperately needs. When we look out into the world and see the many human needs facing us today, we don\u2019t just throw up our hands and give up. As God\u2019s people, we have talents to share. We teach English to new immigrants. We mentor a youth struggling to get through these tough teenage years. We bring in canned goods to help those who have less. We pray for those who are sick and in grief. We get involved with our communities to reduce alienation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We do these things because of our faith in God calls us to use our talents to make a difference in the world. We have a responsibility to share our faith, to broadcast it, to spread it around. When we share our faith in God, it\u2019s a gift that will grow. And when the Lord returns and asks us what do we have to show for our faith, God expects that we have taking some risks to tell others about Jesus is Lord! Jesus makes it clear in this parable that the one who develops neither talents or faith is a servant that the kingdom of God does not need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Talent<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

I know some of you are saying to yourself, \u201cI don\u2019t have any gifts. And if I have a gift, it\u2019s not worth much!\u201d We might be thinking to ourselves that there are so many other people with more degrees or more important jobs or went to better schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With all these gifted champions, we say, \u201cWhat is a moderately gifted person like me going to do?\u201d So we defer and let someone else do the job. We bury and hide our talents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of us see ourselves as the servant who was given just the one talent. So we hoard the talent in fear of losing what little that we have. We grossly underestimate the size of our God-given talent and we decline any invitation to use that one talent as we should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why the master was so angry with the servant with the one talent was that the master entrusted him with something precious. The master expected the talent to be used. If nothing were at stake, the master would not have been so upset. But, something great is at stake. What\u2019s clear is that the master relies upon this servant and that even his single talent is crucial to the master\u2019s household.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is like the kingdom of God, Jesus says. To each, something is given, whether small or great. But each is trusted and each is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All we need to remember is what Jesus did for us. Jesus took his entire collection of talents and risked it all on the world. He unwrapped his gifts on the cross and today, we are still receivers of those gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is at stake is the worth of each of you here today. You have been given a talent, perhaps two or maybe even five talents. How many or whatever talents we have, God is saying that something great is at stake. It\u2019s you. It\u2019s me. It\u2019s our granddaughter, Evi. We have all been given talents. Let us use them and be a part of God\u2019s kingdom!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gracious God, thank you for giving to each one of us gifts and talents to use for your kingdom on earth. Grant us confidence and the willingness to serve in your name. We praise you, one God who have given us many different gifts. In the name of Christ who gave his life so that we may have everlasting life, we pray. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Matthew 25:14-30 November 10, 2002 Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco. The birth of a child is a tremendous gift, toContinue readingUnwrapping Gifts<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[11,12],"class_list":["post-1546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-donald-ng-sermons","tag-fcbc","tag-matthew"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1546"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2383,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1546\/revisions\/2383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}