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- Born in the soul as a person who is consumed with the tension of what IS & what could be.
Someone dissatisfied with status quo.
- But more than that there is always a MORAL element to vision.
(Sense of conviction)
(Sense of urgency)
- A clear mental picture of what could be fueled by the conviction that it should be.
- Vision is a preferred future (a destination)
- A vision always calls for someone to champion the cause.

- Someone has to have the courage to act on an idea.

Review:

1. PASSION - Acts 1:1-3 "passion"= His sufferings/ cross - VISION evokes EMOTION
2. MOTIVATION - VISION provides motivation. Ps 16:9-11
3. DIRECTION - the most practical advantage of vision- (sets a direction for our lives)
* A road map… It simplifies DECISION making!
4. PURPOSE - Vision translates into PURPOSE

A. Talent - before it meant "skill" it meant "money"

1. Reps the largest UNIT of accounting in Greek currency - (10,000 denari)
2. One denari = a fair days wage (Mt 20:2)

Note: Multiply your daily wage x 10,000 - you discover the value of your "talent" / vision
$30,000 x (260 days) = $115 / day (times 10,000 = $1,150,000) x 40 yrs= $1.2mil
$40,000 x (260 days) = $154 / day (times 10,000 = $1, 540,000) x 40 yrs= $1.6mil
$50,000 x (260 days) = $192 / day (times 10,000 = $1,920,000) x 40 yrs= $2mil
* One talent = to a "LIFETIME" of earnings.

(A lot of money & a key point in this parable.)

Truth #1 - Your God-given design & uniqueness have a HIGH MARKET VALUE in heaven.
Truth #2 - God didn't give you a $2 or $5 skill.

* Consider yourself a MILLION dollar investment- multi-million dollar enterprise.
* God give gifts, not MISERLY, but ABUNDANTLY!
* Not RANDOMLY, but CARFULLY (Mt 25:15b) "to every man according to his several ability…"

A. Your talent is Unique for YOU

1. No one else has YOUR TALENTS. NO ONE!
2. God ELEVATES common-hood to matching your unique abilities with your custom-made assignments.

B. Two servants rewarded their MASTERS TRUST. (Mt 25:16-17)

1. The FIVE talent guy - gets 5 more - he jumped at the TASK
    - He pondered the options, crunched the numbers, took a gulp & took a PLUNGE!
2. The TWO talent man did likewise- he had only two but he PUT them to WORK
    Note: Both took RISKS
    They dared to FAIL.
    They took a chance- on what they knew & converted their talent into more- for their     Master

C. See the commendation & reward (Mt 25:21-23) same to both

Note: I jump ahead here to the Day of Judgment - will He say to you "well done"?
Maybe your dad never praised you, or your teachers always criticized you, but Jesus will applaud you - if you are faithful.

1. Well done "good & faithful" not "good & flashy, famous, not even fruitful.

Note: The two-talent servant who faithfully teaches SS receives the same applause as the five- talent evangelist that fills stadiums.
- Different fruit, equal praise!

The point:
Use your uniqueness / vision to take risks for God!
- If you are great with kids, volunteer work with them - SS, orphanage, missions trips
- If you have a head for business- start a business that will influence the lost.
- If vision is for the lost - get into action
- If God has given you a vision for the world get trained so you an get to the field.

* The only MISTAKE- is not to RISK making one.
* Such was the ERROR of the - One talent servant.

A. See the CONTRAST of the last with the other two:

1. The Faithful servant "went & traded" (v16) fearful one "went & digged" (v18)
2. The first two "invested" - the last on buried
3. The first two went out on a limb - the third hugged a trunk.
* He failed to benefit the Master with his talent.

Note: Many discover their "WHAT"
They may even luck into "where" to use their "what".
* But "why"? (Why did God pack your bag?)
* If your answer only involves you, you've MISSED the big reason, & you're making a big mistake.

* "Sin, at its ugly essence, confiscates heaven' gifts for selfish gain." Max Lucado
C.S.Lewis…"Sin is the distortion of an energy breathed into us --an energy which, if not thus distorted, would have blossomed into one of those holy acts whereof "God did it" and "I did it" are true descriptions. We poison the wine as He decants it into us; murder a melody He would play with us as the instrument. We caricature the self-portrait He would paint. Hence all sin, whatever else it is, is sacrilege."

B. The one talent servant didn't KNOW his Master - he used the same word "hard" (v25) as Jesus uses for the Pharisees in (MT 19:8; & Stephen uses for them in Acts 7:51)

* His sin was not MISMANAGEMENT but MISUNDERSTANDIING. (His master was NOT hard)

1. Jesus was gracious- He gave him a million dollar gift just like the other two.
2. He could have known the master- he could have asked the other two - but he didn't.
3. He never knew the Master's Passion, and the result was misuse of his talent and blindness to Jesus' vision for his life.

Conclusion: (Mt 25:26-30)

1. Who is the unprofitable servant?
The one that never uses what God gave them because they don't KNOW Him & His Vision for their lives.
2. Who is the Profitable servant?
The one that goes out on a limb & takes a risk, He invites you to dream of the day His hand is upon you & He says, "Well done thou good & faithful servant."