2018 Regional Convention Program
Friday Afternoon
3:20 SYMPOSIUM: What They Risked; How They Were Rewarded
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Daniel 1:11-13; 3:27-29)
Aquila and Priscilla (Romans 16:3, 4)
Stephen (Acts 6:11, 12)
““Jehovah appreciates very much, those sacrifices that you make. How do we know? Well, turn with me to Proverbs chapter 19, verse 17. (Pause) It reads “The one showing favor to the lowly one is lending to Jehovah, And He will repay him for what he does.” Imagine, what a beautiful thought. Jehovah views the self-sacrificing efforts that we put forth on behalf of our brothers and sisters as actually being done to him. He says, “he will reply him.””
The Scripture at Proverbs does NOT say “actually being done to Him”. It doesn’t even suggest that a good deed done to a needy recipient is the same good deed done to God. They have to really bend that verse to make it say what they really want to say. It only says that when you do a good to a needy that it’s a plus toward God.
The principle of doing a good to a needy being looked upon as the same deed done to God is only found in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 where Jesus says “40 In reply the King will say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
So, in the Watchtower last week.
JESUS GAVE ENCOURAGEMENT
6. How does the parable of the talents provide encouragement? 6 Jesus imitated his Father’s example. The parable of the talents, given in Jesus’ prophecy about the conclusion of the system of things, encourages faithfulness. The master honored each of the faithful slaves with the words: “Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things. I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matt. 25:21, 23) What strong encouragement to continue serving Jehovah faithfully!
I say again, “There is no encouragement value to rank & file members unless this applies to them.”
Unless rank & file members are viewed as a “good and faithful slave” with the hope that they will be “appointed” and “enter the joy” because of their positive deeds done to the lowly -viewed as equal to Jesus- then there is no way the final sentence has any application.
What strong encouragement to continue serving Jehovah faithfully!