As we come to the scriptures this morning, we're back in the gospel of Luke. It's been a great week for me, Bible study wise and preparing for this message. I really had kind of a good time studying it. How many of you guys remember the show, 24, you know, with Jack? And obviously they are often they would start the shows previously on 24 and they'd kind of give you enough information to bring you up to date so that what you were going to see made sense. You kind of knew what was going on and it was a way to help you feel the stress and the urgency of the situation and how is Jack going to save the United States this time. Well, I don't want to stress you out at all with an introduction to what we're going to read today, but previously Luke had a lot to say and it's important for us to understand the context even before I read to you this morning. In chapter 9 and verse 51 of Luke, he tells us that Jesus set his face resolutely to go to Jerusalem. It was time for him to go and to give his life as a sacrifice for the redemption of his people and Jesus went there knowing that that was going to happen and going there to fulfill the scriptures and let that happen. And Luke records things from that verse to Jesus coming and giving his life, not necessarily in chronological order, but in thematic order and yet at the same time, always with that picture of Jesus is going to die in Jerusalem for the sins of this people. Now, starting in chapter 14 and verse 25, from that to this text we're looking at today is really, I believe, one context. In 1425, we learn that there's crowds of people that are with Jesus presumably or perhaps all on their way in pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover. And hearing about Jesus, they have calmed maybe some to be healed, maybe some just to hear his teaching to confirm what they've heard. For various reasons, they're still crowding around Jesus and he begins to teach. And in 1425 and following is that very difficult teaching of our Lord Jesus, where he says, if anyone wishes to come after me, he must hate father and mother and sister and brother and children. Yes, even his own life. And if he's not willing to give up all that he possesses his very soul, he's not that person is not worthy to be my disciple. Very strong teaching there at the end of chapter 14. And then chapter 15 comes and the first three verses tell us that the tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus. And it's as though they heard this call of our Lord and they were like, well, that makes sense to me and they were coming to Jesus grateful that he would have anything to do with them. And the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, they did not like this at all. In fact, they make the accusation. This man, this teacher, this rabbi, he receives sinners and eats with them. And so we have three parables, two small ones and one rather large parable where Jesus defends his ministry. You remember the lost sheep, which is valuable and precious to the Lord. And when that sheep is found, that lamb is found. The shepherd rejoices, the lost coin, valuable to that woman. She searches everything and finds it and rejoices and the lost sons and Jesus is defending his receiving sinners and eating with them by saying, I am the good shepherd. I love my sheep. They are valuable to me. I am like the woman who loves, who wants this coin. It's my treasure. You are a treasured possession before God Himself. And he delights in you. And then with that parable of the prodigal sons, Jesus says, look, it's the older brother's job to seek out the younger brother. You older brothers should be seeking the Lord. And I, their older brother, am seeking the Lord. You should be rejoicing and celebrating that God is coming. Now Jesus defends Himself to the Pharisees. The crowds are there. They are listening. The disciples are there and they are listening. But he is speaking to the Pharisees. Now in chapter 16, as I read these first words in the NIV, they are a little weak to us. In the New American standard, my favorite translation, I went with NIV this morning because I think it reads better overall. A few little glitches I will point out along the way. This is one of them. It just says Jesus spoke and it looks like a whole new context. But in the original language, again, the NAS brings this out a little better. And also Jesus was saying to the disciples. And in the tense of the verb, the language that is used shows that it's the exact same context. In fact, if we read one verse further into verse 14, it would tell us that at the teaching of the disciples, the Pharisees scoffed, they mocked. They don't list. They turn up their nose at what Jesus has to say. So they are there. And as we read this paragraph, or this section of scripture, it's important to keep in mind that Jesus is still teaching. There's probably a multitude, tax collector, sinners, people from all over, disciples, Pharisees, teachers of the law. But he's focused in on his disciples. And he wants to continue to teach them based on this whole event. The disciples are hearing it all. And this has specifically said to them. And now listen, as I read to you what God's holy word says. And as Jesus teaches his disciples. Jesus told his disciples. There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, what is this? I hear about you. Given account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer. The manager said to himself, what shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I am not strong enough to dig. And I am ashamed to beg. I know what I'll do so that when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses. It's just a little side note. If you know this story, you know where it's going. He's going to be called the shrewd manager, the shrewd person. And we are called to be shrewd like him in his thinking. And this verse I just read is where we see something of the shrewdness. We'll see how it works out in time. But he's thinking, OK, I'm losing my job. I don't want to dig my back's not into it. And, you know, what is it? I'm ashamed to beg. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Here's my idea. And he wants to be received by some people by these people who he's going to talk to. So, verse 5, so he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, how much do you owe your master? 800 gallons of oil. Olive oil, he replied. The manager told him, take your bill, sit down quickly and make it 400. Then he asked the second, and how much do you owe? A thousand bushels of wheat, he replied. He told him, take your bill and make it 800. The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly. Or the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, you will be welcome into eternal dwellings. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. Whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So, if you have not been trustworthy and handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own, no servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other, you cannot serve both God and money. This text divides easily into two parts, versus one through eight, as the parable that he teaches to the disciples, and verses nine through thirteen, is his direct teaching or application of the parable, or based on the parable, what he wants his disciples to know. And as I looked at the text, I thought it might be helpful for us to first look at foundational truths that every Christian should know. I believe they are in this text, they are presumed understood. Not only that this is the foundation from which Jesus is teaching, but that Jesus understands his disciples know this. Every good Jewish person, every believing Jewish person in Jesus' day knew these foundational truths. And every Christian today should just know these, they are foundational, so we will run through them rather quickly in order to build upon them from Jesus' teaching in verses nine through thirteen. So the first one is this, God is the owner of all things. We saw it in our call to worship this morning. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it, he owns it all, it belongs to him. We saw it last week, Deuteronomy 10-14, to the Lord your God belongs to the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth, and everything in it. It's just rather not something we should question. And to tie it more closely to Jesus that, of course, he would assume this in his teaching. Remember, I said the context probably starts at chapter 14 in verse 25, where he gives that call to be disciples, to love God more than mother, father, sister, brother, sibling, children, even your own life. He says in verse 33 of chapter 14, as he sums up that teaching, so then none of you can be my disciples who does not give up all his possessions. The Greek doesn't really say possessions, it says something like all your substance, your whole everything about you. It's all encompassing. Everyone understood that, so that's something we should just know. And I think we do, we're saying it, we give the butthione, we're stewards of what you have given to us. So the next one moves us, too. We are stewards. We are stewards or managers of God's stuff. That seems, again, right on the surface of the text we're looking at. And it's certainly taught throughout the scriptures. If it all belongs to God, then what we have is a stewardship. And the scriptures make this plane in a lot of ways. I think of Psalm 8, where the Psalmist says, when I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon, and the stars, which you have said in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him, you made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands. You put everything under his feet, all flocks and herds and beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea and all that's women, the paths of the sea. Mankind in general has general oversight of what God has said. And specifically, the things that we own, the things that we have care for, belong to God, and we're managers. We're stewards, a manager, maybe comparable today as something between a trust officer and a personal assistant. Some folks have these personal assistants, they keep the calendar, they figure out what the person should wear, maybe go shopping or take care of little doodads and such. A trust officer, I know about this, my mom has one of these. In fact, she just fired one and hired another one. They manage the wealth that she and her husband had accumulated and as a widow, this money is kind of put in a trust, some manager keeps it and she gets a monthly stipend and information about how it's going, how fast is she burning through it, will it last however long and such. And that's the same kind of idea, that's that stewardship, they don't own this stuff, but they certainly manage it. They make decisions day by day and with authority say this goes here, this goes there so on and so forth in the name of the owner. So God is like the rich man in this parable and we are like the stewards. In fact, we are the third point no better than the dishonest manager. We are like the dishonest manager. And you know, it's interesting, this is a parable, I listen to at least two, maybe more sermons on this particular parable and you know the commentaries will say this two, this is a difficult parable to understand. And it's funny, it's no more difficult than the prodigal son, we're able to say okay, God is the father with two sons and God is the good shepherd and God is like the woman who lost the quotas son. And we come here and we say, what is he talking about? It's not difficult to understand just difficult to accept. But it wasn't for Jesus and there's no, there's no like animosity in his voice when he talks this way. We don't have to go back too far. In chapter 11, where he teaches about prayer and we have Luke's version of the Lord's prayer, you remember we spent a lot of time the last fall talking about prayer and what Jesus said there and as he applies this prayer to his people, he says this, if you've been being evil, know how to give good gifts. How much more will your father in heaven give what is good? It just rolls off his tongue in love without any animosity. Well of course everyone knows that. We should know that. It really helps us to understand the parable and it's true and it's why Jesus can use an unjust manager because we are like that. And it is unjust. It's unjust or unrighteous would be literal dishonest. This is it all the way through this passage. That's the second place where I think the NIV, at least it's consistent in saying dishonest but the word is unjust or unrighteous. And we're just like that and God loves us. They're the disciples. They're the tax cutters and sinners who are coming to Jesus. Everyone should know that. And the Pharisees should understand, look, you've been forgiven too, buddies. What's your, why are you on a high horse? Anyway, that's what we're like. And Jesus is pointing that out. And then finally, this fourth foundational thing is God will call us to account for all things. And this is, you know, it's just understood that God is the judge of all the earth. Abraham understood that when he was interceding and talking to God in Genesis 18. Some 50 in verse four, speaking of God, he summons the heavens above in the earth that he made judges people, his people. Too many quotes. I won't bother. It's just clear in the scriptures. But I do want to give you one from the Apostle Paul because I think it's important to us. First Corinthians 3, 11 through 15. And again, for believers, this is incredibly important. No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. Those who are in Christ Jesus, those are the people he's speaking about in this first Corinthians 3, 11 through 15. If anyone builds on this foundation of Jesus Christ using gold silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is because the day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire. And the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what has been built survives, he will receive a reward. If it is burned up, he'll suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. Do you see? He's in Christ. He has nothing to lose in regard to salvation, but somehow there's a giving an account. And what he does in this life will be seen to be like gold or silver, precious stones or like wood or hay or stubble. Four foundational teachings, by the way, that these are foundational. You really don't have to go past the first three chapters of the book of Genesis. It's the creation story in the beginning. God created the heavens and the earth. God made man in his own image in his own likeness and told him rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living thing. In chapter three, when they had fallen, what is it that you have done? And the accounting begins. It's common knowledge. It's foundational. And so let's look at how Jesus takes this story, this parable, and teaches his disciples. There's three points we'll look at today, three important things. The first one is use your wealth to make evangelistic friendships. This is exactly what we're taught in verse nine. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourself so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into your eternal dwellings. You remember the shrewd manager. I'm losing my job. I don't want to dig. I don't want a bag. I can't dig. I don't want a bag. I know what I'll do so that when I am fired, people will receive me into their home. In all shrewdness, he takes his managers stuff and the bills and under the authority and in the name of the owner, the rich man who represents God. He says, how much do you owe? Kenneth Bailey helps us as a scholar who understands Middle Eastern culture, both present and historical. He tells us two things that are incredibly important for us to understand. First of all, what he says in the name of the manager or the owner makes the owner look good. That should be assumed. He makes the owner look generous and being generous was highly valued in that culture. For the owner to go back and say, that guy was ripping me off, you owe me this much. The owner would make the owner look stingy and not generous and he would lose face in his community simply by not being generous. And secondly, to be taken advantage of by your number one manager, so to speak, the one who is in control of your stuff, would also cause you to lose face. So for the manager, he loses face in two different ways. He represents his master in such a way that the master looks good, the master looks generous. And when Jesus applies this, he's saying, look, he obviously says, you know you're not supposed to sit and you know you're not supposed to be unjust. Why is it that people who make no claim to Christianity are shrewd enough to know how to use stuff in a way that's helpful? And Jesus is telling us very clearly, use remember, unless so then the sum up of being a disciple so then unless you're willing to give up all that you have to follow me, you're not worthy to be my disciple. Oh, you're my disciple. Okay, this is how I want you to use your wealth. I want you to use it to make friends so that God looks good and generous and he is and you look when some and are well received. That's how we're supposed to use the stuff God gives us. That's Jesus's teaching to his disciples. That's one reason why we have an oil change ministry. One of the complaints are oil change ministry for those of you who don't know four times a year, three or four times a year in the spring summer and fall. We invite single moms. This would be good to know if you didn't know it single moms to have the oil change in their car free of charge and we'll check all the fluids and break lines and you know we've bought tires for cars or fixed things because it was just too dangerous. And there's no charge and there's no obligation and there's no strings attached. It's just using wealth to make God look good. We're doing this in the name of Jesus Christ because he loves you. And it doesn't hurt for us to look like God's servants who care either. Roe v Wade, abortions become legal in this country. Long time ago now, 78, 1977, 70 what? 73, sorry. We have people fighting to change that law half for years and it's not working. Again, wise and shrewd Christians have tried all sorts of ways to at least if we can't stop that at least minimize it. Defining what life looks like looking for parental consent, all sorts of legal actions that way. But I was just so impressed by the report this morning and the reminder really of a group of people who are giving their time. Based on the resources of God's people to show God's love that he is generous, that he is kind, that he does care. And that we his people who serve in his name are when some in the way we talk about the love of Christ. What a wonderful opportunity you have been given today to think about. But another place where you can volunteer your time, your resources, whether it be finances or gifts or counseling or just showing love, just helping out. To make friends that changes who's in heaven or leads people to a heavenly dwelling. That's what Jesus is talking about. That's what he's calling us to. The second thing that Jesus seems to point out is in the second point, your faithfulness here matters there versus nine, I'm sorry, versus 10 through 12. Whoever can be trusted with very little can be trusted with much and whoever is dishonest or unrighteous would be a more literal translation with very little will also be unrighteous with much. Well, if you've not been trustworthy and handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches. And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you your own, give you property of your own. Let me just make some distinctions that are, I think, important for everyone in the room, whether believe or unbeliever. Okay? The scripture's teaches that we will, every human being will give an account to God. The God is the judge of all the earth. And there are exactly two ways to stand before God. You can stand before God and be judged justly and righteously on your own before Him. You need to know that if you choose that, he knows the thoughts and intentions of your heart. He knows the idle words that you have spoken. He knows the good that you yourself think is good that you have not done. And he knows the bad that you know is bad whether he says it or not that you have done. And you will be judged and condemned. And how is a just place? The other way you can stand before God is on the basis of a substitute. God is still just. He still punishes every wickedness. But he accepts the substitute. And according to the scripture that is Jesus Christ. That's why Jesus died. That's why Jesus set his face resolutely to go to Jerusalem that he could be the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. And you can either stand before God with Jesus as your substitute whom God has provided or by yourself. Now, the difference between being a hesitate to use the word Christian, it's become so watered down. But the difference between a follower of Christ, someone who has been reconciled to God by faith in Jesus Christ, and everyone else is that Jesus is the substitute who justly receives God's punishment for their sins. Let me say if you are here as one unreconciled to God, God is not unjust. And he takes no delight in the death and punishment of those who have sinned. And therefore commands turn back, turn back, turn to Him. Why will you die in your sin? His terms are very easy. It's received Jesus. Receive Jesus. If you receive Jesus, you receive the substitute for your sins and your sins are forgiven. If you say, okay, so my sins are forgiven, but Mark, I haven't done enough. I haven't done enough good things to earn a reward. I'd still be unworthy to be before Him in heaven. Well, you receive Jesus who not only died for your sins, but who fulfilled all righteousness as your substitute. And you stand righteous in God's sight because of that. Receive Him. If you say, well, can I receive the forgiveness of sins and the righteousness as Jesus of my substitute without receiving Jesus? No. You either receive Him as Prophet, Priest, King, Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Deliverer, or not at all. But receiving Him, you have life in Christ Jesus. Now, the amazing thing, and here's where I want to put some clarity, is God is just in that. And somehow, for those who are in Christ Jesus, who sins are forgiven, who are delighted, and there is some reckoning, some judgment where we will give an account. That's what the text is talking about, isn't it? Faithful and little, trustworthy and a little, you'll be trustworthy and a lot. Unfaithful and a little, unfaithful and a lot. Remember, wood, hay, and stubble, gold, silver, precious stones. It'll be revealed by fire. I don't understand how all that works, but it's clearly laid out in the scriptures in various places. Here's another parable where Jesus talks about that. A man of note, this is Luke 1912 and following. A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed King and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minuses, put this money to work, he said, until I come back. But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, we don't want this man to be our king. He was made king, however, and returned home. And when he sent for his servants, to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained, the first one came and said, sir, your mine has earned ten more. Well done, my good servant, his master replied, because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter. You hear the similarities? Take charge of ten cities. I don't know what that means. I don't know what it looks like in heaven that we will be entrusted with more valuable stuff. It's clearly taught that the stuff that we have now is less important, but it's not trivial. And what we do with it now matters there. What we do here matters there. And so Jesus teaches us to live that way. And there's one more point, it's this. You are not able to serve both God and money, verse 13. And just to kind of sum up Jesus' teaching on this, I want you to see that the main point is verse 9. Make friends with the user worldly wealth to make friends for the sake of the kingdom, to make God look good and your self look when some with the idea of them receiving this generous king. And then the teaching under that that kind of says how important this is, is you got to be faithful in this little thing of the money, the stuff I've given you. And then the final thing to impress about the importance about this is, look, you also need to know, you're just not able to serve two masters.
And money is a great tool to be used for the glory of God, but it's a terrible idol that will destroy your soul. You cannot serve God in money. And so turn to Him and use what He has given to you. Trusting in His righteousness with Jesus as your prophet, your priest, your king, your lord, your savior, your deliver, your redeemer, in whose name we live and breathe, and hear His word. Let's pray. God make us to be faithful stewards of all that you give us, the glory of your holy name. Amen.