Luke 16:1-14

Intro: I Came across a Quote that was in The Wall Street Journal that defined money as "an article which may be used as a UNIVERSAL PASSPORT to everywhere EXCEPT HEAVEN , and as a UNIVERSAL PROVIDER for everything EXCEPT HAPPINESS

1. When you read our Lord’s sermons and parables, you REALIZE THAT HE had a great deal to say about material wealth.

1. See He ministered to people who, for the most part, were poor and who thought that acquiring more wealth was the solution to all their problems.

1. There are Many today who live their lives under the very same assumption – if I just had a little more I would be happy !!!

1. Rockefeller was asked – How much money it takes to make a man happy? – answer JUST A LITTLE MORE

1. And In that portrait of the prodigal that Jesus gave / We saw a Contrast between the Younger Son – (the Prodigal) & his older Brother
2. The CONTRAST – pictured two opposite philosophies of life.

1. Prior to his repentance, the prodigal WASTED his life, but his older brother only SPENT his life as a faithful drudge.

1. Both attitudes are wrong for the Christian.
2. THE APPROACH that The Lord wants us to have as believers is that we are to INVEST our LIVES for the good of others and the glory of God.

1. This chapter emphasizes that truth: life is a stewardship, and we must use our God-given gifts resources & opportunities faithfully.

1. For that REASON alone we need to take heed to what Jesus says here in this CH. about the right & wrong uses of what we’ve been given! V. 1-2
2. So Jesus tells this story – note it wasn’t a PARABLE /so it was probably a true HAPPENING / perhaps – most knew about

1. Story about an UNJUST STEWARD

1. His master heard about it and immediately asked for an inventory of his goods and an audit of his books. & He fired his steward.

1. But Watch what this STEWARD DOES – V.3-8

SO HE COMES UP W/ THIS PLAN / He couldn’t change the past so he decides to PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE !! V. 4

4 'I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' ( In other words I need to MAKE SOME FRIENDS who will help me out when I lose my job)

7 "Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' HE CUTS EVERYONES BILL / Generous discount

1. He commends him- he admires him –not for his lack of ETHICS but for his CLEVERNESS IN PLANNING AHEAD
2. What this Steward did was establish some new friendships so that when he found him self out of a Job – these friends would take care of him

1. "I Helped you so now it is time for you to help me" / And his former boss – admired that CLEVERNESS IN PLANNING AHEAD

1. Now Here is what Jesus is saying : That people in the World are more wise in Planning for a TEMPORARY FUTURE – RETIREMENT /

1) Than the Children of God are in Planning for ETERNITY

The world is very aggressive in what it does to obtain temporal security & Riches / Investments / Advertisers / a lot goes into it

1. A lot of time/ a lot of thinking / a lot of effort / a lot of Planning / all for that which is going to fade away / how get MORE
2. They aggressively Plan for their Future here on earth /but the opposite is not true of many BELIEVERS

And Like the Steward in this story all of us are STEWARDS of what the Lord has given to us & we too will one day have to give an ACCOUNT/

1. We are stewards of the MATERIAL WEALTH that we have & one day

we are going to have to answer to God for the way acquired it / how used it

1. We are Stewards of our time – In Eph. 5 Paul Speaks of REDEEMING THE TIME

1. That Phrase PREDEEMING THE TIME – comes from the Business World & means BUYING UP THE OPPORTUNITY

QUOTE Time is eternity, minted into precious minutes and handed to us to use either wisely or carelessly

1. Christians are Stewards of the Gifts & abilities given to us by the Lord

1Pet. 4:10 Each one has received a gift, so minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

2. We are Stewards of the FRIENDSHIPS & Relationships that we have

A) (1 Thes. 2:4). But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

1. Dennis mother in law / His own Parents - Wants to see them go to Heaven /

A) Now after using the story of the UNJUST STEWARD as a backdrop

B) Jesus in launches into a DISCOURSE / A TEACHING on how we

need to be Preparing & Planning for our future in Eternity v.9-13

1. Some of you are Probably thinking – I think it is time to go / baby’s crying
2. Many People are very uncomfortable when this subject comes up in Church/ & I understand that

1. There are many so called MINISTRIES out there saying things like if you don’t give we are going to go off the air / shut down / close doors

1. They make God appear to be Broke - God is about to Go under – SAD /

1. Now Contrary to the way that some SO CALLED ministries portray Him God is not Broke /

GOOD THING TO REMEMBER – Where God guides God Provides

1. So if some so called MINISTRY is pleading w/ me to Prop it up so that it can SURVIVE - / I would say that God is not Guiding

1) And I don’t want to be helping to prop something up that God is not in

A) But at the RISK of being MISUNDERSTOOD – I realize that I have a RESPONSIBILITY TO this Congregation / declare whole Counsel Acts 20

B)That is one of the things I like about – Teaching verse by verse – is that

when these subjects come up /

1. it is only because this is where we are at in our JOURNEY through the scriptures /

1. To just SKIP over this would make me Guilty of not DECLARING TO YOU THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD.

Now I mentioned earlier When you read our Lord’s sermons and parables, you REALIZE THAT HE had a great deal to say about material wealth.

1. INFACT –Jesus had more to say about Money than almost any other subject
2. Did you know that one 6^th of Matt./ Mark & Luke’s GOSPELS & 12 of the 38 parables have to do w/ MONEY MATTERS

1. WITH MONEY & the STEWARDING OF MONEY – It was something that Jesus taught on a lot !!!

1. Why? Perhaps this is a REASON – Back in 1990 the RAN CORP. did a study where they discovered that the average American male

1. Spends 50% of his FOCUSED thinking time / thinking about money

1. How to get more / how to spend what he has / how he is going to pay the bills / should he switch jobs in order to make more

1. 50% of his focused thinking time spent thinking about money

1. Jesus knowing that would be the case – Spent a great deal of time instructing us in this area / IMPORTANT

1. When Andrew Carnegie the Multi Millionaire DIED – a Reporter asked his son – How much did your Dad leave Behind ? ALL of It !!!

B) See true – Can’t take it w/ you but you can send it ahead /

1. Can’t take it with you – though a guy in San Fran. Tried – knew he was dying so asked to be buried in his Lincoln Continental

1. What Jesus is saying here is to use your money to impact the Kingdom of

God / so that when you die & go to heaven – there will be those to greet you

1. Since 1990 – CCV – you guys – have invested over 1 million dollars in over seas MISSIONS

1. So when we get to Heaven – there are going to be people coming up to you & saying –

1. I am here because of one of your missions teams or Churches

1. When you give you are investing in the Kingdom of God – So that Scott & Mike can go out to High school Campuses / Charlie /Jason – Colleges

1. Bob can go out to Camp Pendelton / John can minister every Fri. TO THE HOMELESS

1. And in heaven there are going to be people coming up to you saying I am

here because of your Church – that ministry THANK YOU

2. Can’t take it w/ you but you can send it ahead – So make friends w/ UNRIGHTEOUS MAMMOM- MAMMON = MONEY

1. Why Did Jesus call it Unrighteous MAMMON ?

1. Paul told Timothy – that the Love of money is the ROOT of all evil

HEAVY THOUGHT that all evil has it’s root in the LOVE of MONEY

D) Listen Both Paul & Peter called money FILTHY LUCRE –

1. It is CORRUPTING & DEFILING if not used PROPERLY

1. So the key is to CONTROL it instead of allowing it to control You

1. Got there noticed the faces all excited – DISNEY LAND – WOW!
2. People from all over the World - / looked different – talked different
3. I thought you know this is going to be what it is like in Heaven – People from all over – the World – All going WOW I can’t believe I’m here!!!
4. Now by the end of the day – the Faces had Changed / after spending too much money on treat & food / after waiting in Long lines

1) The Look was one of - IS THAT ALL ? WAS THAT IT ? WAS IT WORTH IT ? THAT WAS DISNEYLAND ?

5. That is the typical reaction of when we look to earthly pleasures to bring a lasting Satisfaction – always come up short / LACKING /

1. WONDERING – Is that it !!!!

1. Not going to think – Man I could have had a new VCR / I could have had a bigger house / I could have had more clothes

B) No way – We will be saying WOW THIS IS BETTER THAN I HAVE

1. And there is going to be people who come up to you – I say I am here because of You / Because you gave !!!

1. So GIVING REWARDS YOU IN ETERNITY

1. Now I know that many of you desire to really be used by the Lord / you want to be used in a great way . That is a good thing

1. But notice what Jesus is saying here - If you are faithful in what is least – you will be rewarded w/ true riches

1. That which is Least is money –WHY? Because money is common to everyone / everyone has access to it !!

1. In fact if you make 15,000 dollars a yr. – between ages of 20-60 you will have made ½ a million dollars

1. If your annual income is $30,000 a yr. Made between 20-60 guess what

you have made over 1 million dollars

D) So Jesus says that If you are faithful in how you use money / rewarded

4. w/ True Riches – Spiritual MINISTRY & RESPONSIBILITY

1. D.L. Moody once said "I can tell more about a man’s spirituality from his checkbook / than I can from his prayer book"

1. See anyone can write flowery prayers / anyone can recite wordy prayers –

1. Where your Treasure is your heart will be there also / So sometimes our what & when we give can me a true Barometer to where were at.

1. People often say I want to do more for the Lord – Good place to start is are you already doing what the Lord asks
2. People who are unfaithful in the way that they use money will also be unfaithful in the way that they use true riches
3. So Giving RELEASES YOU IN MINISTRY / Shows you can be entrusted w/ Greater RESPONSIBILITY

1. What does it mean that we have not been faithful in that which was another mans ? / What I have is mine isn’t it ? / Wrong !!!

1. LISTEN What I have is the Lord’s – He has made me a Steward of all that He has given to me

B) So the real question "How much of my time and abilities and monies can I afford to give to God?"

1. THAT is NOT the way to look at it: "How much of what God has given to me do I DARE to use for myself?"

A) Prov. 3 9 Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

1. The First fruits – means – tithe / or a tenth in scripture – used in that way throughout the O.T.
2. The Lord says if you are not faithful in what I have given to you to use for me / how will you be entrusted w/ what is your own
3. But the Lord also promises that if you are faithful in what He has given you will be greatly blessed Mal. 3

1. The nation was holding back from the Lord – their first fruits & their special offering – that which was the Lords in the First Place
2. Now this is a Heavy thought that is being stated here that if I am not giving the tithe I am actually robbing God / it is His money
3. Now I doubt very seriously that there is anyone here who would even think about reaching into the offering basket & taking money out

1) And putting it into your own pocket – That is stealing

4. None of us would do that – but the fact is that if I don’t tithe I am doing just that / I am using that which is God’s for my own Pleasure

1. When I do that in Reality I am ROBBING GOD

1. Now Some of you – might be thinking wait Rob / tithing is a part of the Law & we are no longer under the Law /
2. So we are really not required to give a Tenth / or to give at all
3. STUDY YOUR BIBLE MORE / See Tithing is first seen before the Law

Abe meets Melch. & gave him a tithe – a tenth of all that he had / 500 yrs or so before the Law was even given / Tithing Precedes the Law

1. True it is in the Law & it is AFTER THE LAW
2. Luke 11 Jesus rebukes the Pharisees because although they paid their tithes / gave of the first fruits of their spices /

1. They neglected Love & Justice

1. Jesus said the First you ought to do / ( other words it is good that you are tithing ) but you shouldn’t have left the others undone

1. So Jesus commends tithing after the Law /

1. And Paul –also instructed the Corinthians to Bring their firstfruits (Tenth of Increase) into the storehouse on the first day of the week

1. To say that it is not applicable is to not fully understand the full counsel of God or early Church History

B) Notice the result of not tithing v. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For

you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.

 

2. Haggai Ch. 1:6, 9 describes what this curse was

Listen to the way the Living Bible reads : You put your money into pockets filled w/ holes/ Ever feel that way ? Holes in pockets

1. Now Check this out the Lord says – TEST ME – only place in the entire Bible where the Lord says – TEST ME / put me to the TEST
2. Bring your tithes into the Storehouse / Storehouse is the Place of congregational meeting / Place of meeting & dispersing

1. Same idea that Paul was referring to in 1 Cor. 16

1. Now Why does the Lord want us to Bring it into the Storehouse ? I don’t get any credit when I give here at CCV

1. There is no momentos/ no Plagues / not a part of 100 dollar club / not going to put picture on the wall or name in the Bulletin

D) I am not going to get a letter from the President / NOTHING

No one Knows / no one sees / I am giving to the Lord in total anonymity

1. That is the Key – GIVING TO THE LORD / & THE LORD THEN DISPERSING FROM THE STOREHOUSE AS HE SEE FIT !!

1. That is the tithe – first day into the storehouse – firstfruits of your increase – tenth of your increase

1. The offering is another story /giving above & beyond – wherever you want

1. But the tithe is the Lord’s first day into the storehouse where no credit given except from the IRS

1. Prove me & watch what happens – watch how I take care of your needs

1. See we can never out give God – so God says watch how I open up the windows of Heaven & Bless you

1. I can personally attest that this is true / Tithe God comes through check for 1000 dollars / houses /

1. Honor God w/ your Finances God will bless

1. Have to admit that there were times in Or. That it was hard / Church was small – I was a little more familiar w/ Finances

1. Times I knew that we didn’t have the money to pay rent / salaries & bills – so tempted not give

1. What if you knew that – Your company was going under / couldn’t afford to pay you this week – tempted not to give

1. Here is what is amazing – as we gave / God always came through / never missed a payment / never missed a meal

B) The Lord says watch how I will miraculously Provide – So Giving Rewards .. eternity / Releases you ministry/ Replenishes you financially

Lastly it RESHAPES YOU Internally V. 13 13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

1. Now that idea of Giving Cheerfully doesn’t get you off the hook

1. Some people use it as a scape goat I just can’t give because I can’t do it cheerfully

1. That just reveals that you need to grow up / Lord Change me / trust you

"If God is our Master, then money will be our servant, and we will use our resources in the will of God. But if God is not our Master, then we will become the servants of money, and money is a terrible master! We will start wasting our lives instead of investing them, & we will one day find ourselves "friendless" as we enter the gates of glory".

1. If we choose to serve money, then we cannot serve God. If we choose to serve God, then we will not serve money.
2. Abe /Melch / & Sodom / Protection