Welcome to Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church 

Where the love of Christ builds a harbor of acceptance, inspiration, 

Fellowship, service and joy. 

You enrich our worship with your presence. 

"When we say welcome we mean it!"

Sound Recording only - Podcast

It is not possible to pass the collection plate at our live home church.

  We do need your contributions.  Please sent your check, made out to Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church to:

Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church

c/o Monty Rice

1298 Warren Rd.

Cambria, CA 93428

 If this is your first time here, WELCOME. 

If you have a prayer request, please send to:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church-PCUSA 

2700 Eton Rd. • Cambria, CA 93428 

Call or text 805.395.1521 

Info: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. website: www.safeharborcambria.org 

The Gathering 

Prelude Deborah Farrand 

At the tolling of the bell, please quietly prepare your heart for worship. 

Meditation Music Deborah Farrand 

Welcome and Announcements 

 † Call to Worship
Leader: This is the day.
People: This is the day the Lord has made. We rejoice in it.
Leader: This is the day.
People: This is the day we enter into the Lord’s house.
Leader: This is the day.
People: This is the day we enter into His courts with praise and thanksgiving.
Leader: This is the day.
People: This is the Lord’s day. This is the Sabbath. This is the day we worship
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

† Prayer of Adoration (In unison from 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 )

We are not in darkness. We are children of the light and children of the day. Let us not be like others who are asleep. Let us be alert, sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet. God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that we may live together with him. Let us encourage one another and build each other up. Amen.

†Hymn of Adoration # 634 To God Be the Glory

Prayer of Confession (In unison)

Generous God, we are a blessed people. We’ve had full lives, we have this holy space and time, we have shelter, you have provided ways to cope during a pandemic, we live amidst beauty, you have given us fullness. All blessings flow from you and we have been entrusted with much. God of justice, examine us in the light of a world with hunger, homelessness, desperation, oppression and loneliness. God of hope, are we your agents, are we your eyes, your hands and hearts? Do we put our arms around your world? Do we embrace those with the burdens of life? Do we uplift? Do we share? Do we carry others to you in prayer? And now please hear our personal prayers of confession... (In unison) God of Mercy, make us more like Jesus, more worthy of the gifts you have given us. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon New Creations in Christ

†The Sharing of the Peace

The Word

Hymn of Preparation #452 Open the Eyes of My Heart

Leader: Listen for the Word of God.
People: Our ears are open and our hearts are ready to receive.

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Sermon: Put It to Work Rev. Eugenia Gamble

Hymn of Response #700 I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me

The Prayers

Call to Prayer: Hymn #466 Come and Fill Our Hearts with Your Peace

Prayers of the People
The Lord’s Prayer

Response to Prayer Hymn # 43 You Will Dwell in the Shelter of the Lord
Prayer of Dedication
The Parting

† Hymn of Parting #526 Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ

† Charge and Benediction 

 After the service, we hope you will join us for Virtual Fellowship Time.

CURRENT PRAYER LIST 

Members of our community that are lonely, hungry and sick.

If you would like to support the work of Safe Harbor Church financially: 

Tax deductible checks may be made to Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church. 

During our period of isolation, please mail checks to: 

Monty Rice 1298 Warren Road Cambria CA 93428 

WHEN WE SAY “ WELCOME! ”, WE MEAN IT! 

 The Responsibility of Disciples…..Matthew 25:14-30…..November 15, 2020

14“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Background: Today’s text continues the theme of the end times that begins with the story of the ten bridesmaids at chapter 25:1-14. In that text we are encouraged to be ready for the return of Jesus. While similar in focus, today’s passage centers on the responsibility of disciples while we wait for Jesus’ return. The community into which Matthew recorded this story expected Jesus to return to them in the near future. The problem was that they had been expecting this for some time. Why the delay? They understood the delay to be so that they could accomplish the work of mission and the spread of the gospel to all people. They believed that Jesus would come when they had finished their work. This parable of Jesus reinforced for them, as it does for us, that we have work to do for the kingdom of God. It is not a parable that indicates salvation by works, however. The emphasis is on the gracious unmerited gift of the master and then, the servants’ joyful response.

Stewardship: The issue in the parable of the talents is not money per se. The issue is how the individuals used what had been given to them. The parable is
incomprehensible until we understand that the money that each servant was given was GIFT pure and simple. The money was never their own for their own use. It was never something that they earned or deserved. It was graciously entrusted to them to be used to further the interests of the master. That understanding is at the heart of all Biblical stewardship. Everything is a gift entrusted to us to further the master’s interests.

Word Study

Vs. 14 – a man – a symbol for the Son of Man, the Messiah.
Goes on a journey – Jesus is trying to prepare them for his departure. By the time Matthew wrote his gospel, his community had been experiencing Jesus’ physical absence for many years.
Slaves – those whose purpose is to do the will of the master.
Property – all the master’s possessions, everything of value.
Vs. 15 – talent – This was BIG money. One talent probably equaled 6000 days pay. Many believe that the talents represent both financial blessing, abilities and skills. God certainly blesses us in many ways, but this word has nothing to do with the word talent as we usually use it today. It represents money, power and the capacity to get things done.
Each according to his ability – this phrase indicates that the distribution of talents was decided according to what each could manage. The master in the story was setting his servants up to succeed.
Vs. 16 – went off – the tense here indicates immediacy. The servant started to work with what he had been given right away and with great urgency.
Made – lit. gained or earned. Remember that in this story the earning of the servants’ labor belongs to the master. The labor is in response to the trust that the master had in the servant. It is not for personal gain.
Vs. 18 – dug a hole – a common practice for hiding valuables.
Vs. 19 – after a long time – Jesus reinforces here that the wait will be lengthy.
Vs. 21 – in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master – the reward for faithful service is increased responsibility and the indescribably joy of fellowship with the Lord. These words indicate that the servant is invited into the household of the master as kin.
Vs. 22 – the reward for the servant with two talents is the same as for the servant with five talents. The issue is not how much money each made for the master. The issue is what each did with what he had been given.
Vs. 24 – 25 – Master, I knew that you were a harsh man…..so I was afraid – Here is the basic problem. The third servant had a faulty understanding of the nature of the master that led him to be ruled by fear rather than gratitude.
Vs. 25 – have what is yours – the talent is returned unused.
Vs. 26 – you wicked and lazy slave – fearful preservation of the status quo is an improper response to the generosity of the master.
Vs. 29 – This very harsh verse attests to a deep spiritual reality. Faithfulness leads to increased blessing. Unfaithfulness results in the loss of even one’s initial blessing.
This is especially true in the presence of unbridled fear. Fear robs us of blessing and renders us incapable of contributing to the work of the kingdom.
Vs. 30 – worthless – this word really means useless in the sense that the servant did nothing to further the kingdom’s goals.
Outer darkness….gnashing of teeth – Matthew’s favorite symbol for judgment.

Questions for Personal Reflection
1. Ponder what it means to think that what you have is given to you in order for you to serve God. How might you do that more faithfully?
2. How does it affect you to think that God intends for you to be successful? What does that success look like for you?
3. Faithfulness needs to increase. How can you be apart of the increase God wants in our community?