Entrusting to the Faithful

The sermon opens with the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, where the master praises the servants who used the gifts entrusted to them to gain profit. The master's commendation—"Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord"—demonstrates that the issue is not the quantity of talents but faithfulness in using them. Both servants receive the same praise despite one returning five talents and the other two. This shows that God values faithfulness more than success. Paul also teaches the church at Corinth that "it is required in stewards that one be found faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).

The sermon analyzes the concept of faithfulness through two important elements: time and circumstance. Time is proven over many years, not merely days or weeks. Circumstance includes both favorable and difficult times, wealth and poverty, health and sickness. Vietnamese culture treasures faithfulness and loyalty, exemplified in legends and ancient folk songs such as "The Wailing Stone" and "Longing at Night". These works tell of women's devotion while waiting for husbands in war, illustrating perseverance despite years lost to youth. The sermon emphasizes that Proverbs 20:6 states: "Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?"—showing that faithful people are rare because many speak but few act, many try but few persevere.

The sermon provides three biblical examples of faithfulness. Prophet Jeremiah, called "the weeping prophet," served the Lord for 40 years with a message that went unheard, was rejected, beaten, imprisoned, lowered into a mud pit, sentenced to death, and witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem. Despite every adversity, he remained faithful to God and his calling. Timothy, Paul's beloved spiritual child, first met Paul during his second missionary journey in Lystra. Timothy's name appears in 10 of Paul's epistles (including Hebrews), and he accompanied Paul for 15 years through hardships, trials, hunger, beatings, imprisonment, and shipwreck. Paul praises Timothy: "I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state... you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel" (Philippians 2:20-22). Mark, writer of the Gospel of Mark, once abandoned Paul and Barnabas during the first missionary journey, but 15 years later, Paul wrote: "Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry" (2 Timothy 4:11). In contrast stands Demas, who also once served with Paul but ultimately "has forsaken me, having loved this present world."

The sermon emphasizes that Christ does not require starting with great and mighty deeds but with small, ordinary tasks. This teaching is exemplified in the story of Jesus sending two disciples to get a donkey for Him to ride into the city, or sending Peter and John to prepare the Passover meal. Jesus teaches: "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much" (Luke 16:10). Faithful tasks include learning God's Word, living according to His teachings, attending church, giving offerings, and witnessing—even if these are small, unseen, and unpraise actions.

The sermon concludes with the results of faithfulness through 2 Timothy 2:2: a four-generation growth model (Paul → Timothy → faithful believers → others). The sermon uses the example of grains on a chessboard to illustrate the power of exponential growth. If each year there is one faithful person, by the 16th year there will be 32,768 faithful people. Losing one faithful person means losing half the faithful in the future, but adding one faithful person doubles the total. The ultimate purpose is: (1) Be faithful in all things, small and large; (2) Focus on finding faithful people; (3) Help and train the faithful so they know how to live the faith, witness for Christ, and continue finding faithful people.