Then he which had received the one talent came and
said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man,
reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where
thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the
earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and
slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed
not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest
therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and
then at my coming I should have received mine own
with usury.
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him
which hath ten talents.
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall
have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be
taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the
unprofitable servant into OUTER DARKNESS: there
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 25:24-30

1. People are sent into OUTER DARKNESS because
they DESPISE THE OPPORTUNITY they have to be
saved.
The man who received one talent received a great treasure.
Hearing the gospel is receiving a great treasure.
Unfortunately, some people despise the treasure of the gospel
that is placed in their hands. God wants people to hear the gospel
preached.
Some people hear the gospel once, some hear it five times
and some hear it ten times. You must make the most of the
opportunity that you have. Different people have different
numbers of opportunities to be saved. Some people have only
one chance to be saved. This may be your one and only chance
to be saved!
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance
and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God
leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and
impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against
the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment
of God;
Romans 2:4-5

2. People are sent into OUTER DARKNESS because
they ARE LAZY.
“Thou slothful servant,” said the master to the servant whom
he was about to send into outer darkness. People are simply too
lazy to pray, too lazy to go to church, too lazy to serve God and
too lazy to study the Word.
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse
to labour.
Proverbs 21:25

3. People are sent into OUTER DARKNESS because
they are WICKED.
“Thou wicked servant…” said the master to the servant whom
he was about to send into outer darkness.
Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why
shouldest thou die before thy time?
Ecclesiastes 7:17
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations
that forget God.
Psalms 9:17

4. People are sent into OUTER DARKNESS because
THEY ACCUSE the people who come to preach to
them.
“You reap where you don’t sow,” said the servant who was
sent into outer darkness. The servant could not do anything with
the talent because he was spending his time finding fault with the
master.
Instead of receiving the Word, some rather accuse the men of
God that are sent to them. The Bible declares boldly that salvation
comes to places where the accusations have been silenced.
Constant criticism of evangelists makes it difficult for them
to preach the simple gospel of Jesus Christ. They always have to
defend themselves instead of preaching the gospel that needs to
be heard.
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and
the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is
cast down, which accused them before our God day and
night.
Revelation 12:10

5. People are sent into OUTER DARKNESS because
they are full of FEAR.
“I was afraid and I hid myself,” said the servant who was
sent into outer darkness. Many people are afraid of change.
They are afraid of the unknown. They are afraid of leaving their
boyfriends, they are afraid of joining the church; and because
they are afraid, they hide. They don’t come into the open to
admit they are sinners.
You have to openly admit you are a sinner in order to be
saved. You have to overcome your fears if you want to escape
from outer darkness. Hell is full of fearful people. Fearful
people are ranked alongside with the abominable, the idolaters
and adulterers. Read it for yourself:
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,
and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Revelation 21:8

6. People are sent into OUTER DARKNESS because
they always feel that somebody is trying to CHEAT
THEM.
“You want to reap what you have not sown,” said the servant
who was sent into outer darkness. The servant accused his
master of reaping where he had not sown (which is cheating).
Some people feel they are so smart that they always know when
someone is trying to cheat them. Such people are “too clever”
for God Himself and usually end up in hell. There is a kind of
cleverness that is demonic, earthly and sensual. It emanates from
hell and keeps people away from God.
Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over
wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Ecclesiastes 7:16

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly,
sensual, devilish.
James 3:15

The Village of the Cannibals
There were five sons who lived with their father in a beautiful
mansion located on the top of a mountain. The eldest was an
obedient son, but his four younger brothers were rebellious.
The father had warned the sons about a dangerous river
nearby; but because the sons were rebellious they did not listen
to his advice and kept going to this river. Each day, the rebellious
children played in the river, swimming deeper and further each
time.
One day, the four rebellious brothers decided to explore the
banks of the river in a boat they had made. They did not know
that this was the most dangerous thing they could ever do on
that river. The river had carried away hundreds of people into
unchartered and unknown territories.
That day, they launched out on the boat, and were swept away
by the terrible currents that the river was known for. They fought
to retain their balance and to gain control but they were no match
for the raging currents of this powerful river. They held on to
each other for hours as the river carried them downstream until
it finally dumped them on the banks of a strange, unknown and
frightening land inhabited by cannibals and brutal man-eating
savages. For a long time the four children lay on the bank not
knowing what to do.
The days passed and they attempted to go back upstream but
the current was too strong. They also attempted to walk back by
the side of the river but the terrain was icy, slippery, mountainous
and impossible to climb. It seemed they were surrounded by the
tallest mountains in the world on every side. Soon, reality set in,
and they said to each other as the truth dawned on them, “We are
trapped. There is no way back.”

“We shouldn’t have disobeyed our father,” they admitted.
With the passage of time however, the sons learned to survive
in the strange land. They found fruits for food and learnt how to
make fire without matches. With time, they could kill animals,
eat the meat and use the skin for clothes. They determined not
to forget their homeland nor abandon hopes of returning to their
father. Each day they set about the task of finding food and
building shelter. Every evening they built a fire and told stories
of their father and older brother. All four sons longed to see them
again.
Then, one night, one brother failed to come to the fire.
The others found him the next morning in the valley with the
cannibals. He was building a hut of grass and mud.
“I’ve grown tired of our talks by the fireside,” he told them.
“What good does it do to remember? Besides, this land isn’t so
bad. I will build a great house and settle here.”
“But this isn’t a house, it is a hut” they objected. “It is a
disgrace to live in such a place.”
“What do you think our father will think of this?”
“But he isn’t here. He isn’t even near. Am I to spend forever
waiting for him? I’m making new friends; I’m learning new
ways. If he comes, he comes, but I’m not waiting forever.”
A few days later, two of the other sons abandoned the riverside
and followed their brother’s example to settle and to build huts in
the village of the cannibals. But the youngest son decided to live
by the riverside in the hope that he would one day be rescued.
One day, the youngest brother heard a familiar voice behind
him, “Father has sent me to bring you home.”
The youngest lifted his eyes to see the face of his older
brother. “You have come for us!” he shouted. For a long time
the two embraced.

“And your brothers?” the eldest finally asked.
“They have made homes here and married cannibals in the
villages around.”
“Take me to them,” said the oldest brother.
The youngest brother took him to the three other brothers.
But the three brothers were not happy to see them.
“Who are you? What do you want?” the brothers asked their
older brother.
“I have come to take you home,” said the oldest brother.
“No, you have not come to take me home! You have come to
take my mansion from me.”
“But this is not a mansion. This is a hut,” the firstborn
countered in amazement.
“It is a mansion! This is the best area in Cannibal Village. I
built it with my own hands. Now, go away. You cannot have my
mansion.”
“Don’t you remember your father’s house?”
“I have no father and I don’t remember anything,” he
answered.
Nearby cannibals who had come to witness the scene did not
hold their peace but joined in, “Don’t listen to this stranger. He
wants to take your mansion away from you. Send him away,”
they screamed.
The oldest son could not believe his ears: “But you were born
in a mansion in a distant land where the streets are made of gold
and where the modern lights never go out. You disobeyed our
father and ended up in this strange land. I have come to take you
home.”

But the second brother’s response was similar. “I don’t need
anything from you. I don’t need my father and I don’t need
anything he has. I am happy as I am and everything is alright
here.” But really, he was afraid of the river and he was afraid of
drowning.
He began hurling rocks at his older brother whilst the
cannibals screamed threateningly at him, “Send him away! He
wants to drown you in the river.”
The third brother’s response was equally discouraging. He
said, “It’s too far to walk. I have tried it before. It is impossible
to go back up that river.” But it was because he was the laziest
person in the family that he did not want to go up the river. Once
again the cannibals joined in to drive the oldest brother away
saying, “He is trying to seduce you. All he wants is your money.
Don’t listen to this evil man. Your father will kill you when you
get back. He has not forgiven you.”
In the end, only the youngest son followed the elder brother
back up the river to the father’s mansion. There he was received
with great joy but the other members of the household could not
understand why the other children had not come back to their
father

This is the story of the rejection of salvation by deceived men
filled with diverse excuses and accusations. Through diverse
excuses and accusations men have rejected the true salvation that
comes from their Father’s love. They never see the lengths to
which their Father has gone to get them saved.
One of the brothers thought somebody wanted to take
something from him. Another of the brothers was full of the fear
of drowning.
The other was too lazy to walk up the river.
What excuses do you have that prevent you from receiving
Christ today? Which of these excuses is going to lead you to
outer darkness one day?

7. People are sent into OUTER DARKNESS because
they are too PROUD to put aside their fears and
accusations.
Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and receive the
blood of Jesus Christ for your salvation.
Salvation Before Suicide
One day, I appointed a brother as a pastor. As I introduced
him to the congregation I noticed the tears streaming down his
face. I had appointed many pastors to the ministry but it was
unusual for anyone to cry during his appointment. After the
ceremony, I asked him why he was crying. He explained that he
had had many other brothers who were now dead.
“My brothers committed suicide before they could hear the
gospel. They were drunkards and one of them hanged himself
in the kitchen.”
He continued, “Before I met Christ I tried to commit suicide
three times.”

He explained, “Somehow, my attempts at suicide always
failed. That’s how come I am still alive. I was determined to try
a fourth time but before I had the chance to I found Christ.”
He went on, “I shouldn’t even have been saved. I am amazed
that someone like me should even become a pastor.”
This gentleman was grateful for the opportunity to serve the
Lord. His tears of gratefulness demonstrated that he did not
despise the great talent that the Lord had given to him.