Introduction

* Risks exists in almost all human activities.

* If given a choice, no one wants to take risk.

* Yet, people take risk because they yearn for the gains in taking those risk.

* Some are risk takers, yet some are risk averse. And they took based on their personalities.

* Yet, the Bible points us to “Faithful risk taking”.

Read <Mt 8:1-3>

1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

Read <Lk 5:17-20>

17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Read <Mt 15:22-28>

22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

The Similarities in the healing encounters:

1) Every healing (answer from God) involves some risk

2) Jesus responded to the individual’s faith—as it was manifested in risk-taking—by granting each what he or she desired.

3) No one can be half-hearted when they approach God in His grace

Read <Mt 25:14-20>

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.18 But the man who had received the one talent 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. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. 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 the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; 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 the one talent 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.25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent 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?27 Well 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 “‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Faithful risk-taking

1) The Faithful servants went “at once”

“It is by little procrastinations that men ruin their souls” ~ Charles Spurgeon

2) The Faithful servants faithful risk-taking endeavor reaps 100% returns.

3) The Faithful servants knew the Master differently from unfaithful servant.

When is risk taking foolish?

* When it has nothing to do with faith and obedience to God.