Sermon Notes 01-18-09

January 18th 2009 “A Wise Investment”
Jesus told his disciples: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in 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.” Luke 16:10-13

1. Do you get much “junk mail?”
Every week I get at least two or three opportunities to invest in some “hot” deal!
Today I want us to look at God’s “Hot Deal,” His financial plan, God’s Investment Strategy!

Jesus spoke to those who would listen in parables!“Parable” Gr. maw-shawl' A pithy metaphorical statement; a proverb.

Parables utilize picture stories; such as metaphors or similes!
Jesus used them all the time! The Wiseman who built his house upon the rock; the sower who planted and received a hundred fold!
Parables are used to help those who hear to understand more clearly—Parables are kind of like our Icons on our telephones.

3. Did you know that one out of every six verses in Matthew, Mark and Luke deal with either money or material possessions?
Jesus spoke more about money than He did about Heaven!
Jesus spoke more about money than He did about hell! I wonder why?
I think it’s because God knows the tremendous influence and power money has over our lives!

4. Did you know that according to a Recent Gallop Pole,that 56% of all divorces in America occur because of financial tensions!
How many of you have learned from experience that if you don’t manage your money it will manage you?
Money is a “test” according to the Bible! Luke 16:11 “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”

God’s Plan:
1st The Accountability Part!

A. Luke 16: 18 “The people of this WORLD are more shrewd than the people of the Light.” is one of the most misunderstood parables in the Bible!
Many think when they read it, that it looks like Jesus is commending dishonesty!

Jesus says: v18 “The people of this WORLD are more shrewd than the people of the Light.”
Jesus is saying that “the people of the world are better money managers than the believers are!”

C. Jesus in this parable is not commending this man for being dishonest but He does say there are some things he did that we ought to learn from!Luke 16:1-2 “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’s this I hear about you? Give an account of your management because you cannot be a manager any longer.

Manager Gr. awb a father, a chief, principal.
Last week I told you that God is the “Owner” and “Creator” of everything!
We don’t really own anything—Everything is “On Loan From God!”
We get to use His stuff for—20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, or even 90 years and then we leave all of His stuff behind!

We are to “subdue” the world and manager; be the steward of His creation!

Accountability—the Bible says: Luke 16:1 “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management”“Account” Gr. Logos: a story, a version, description, explanation!”

One day everyone is going to have to “give an account” as we stand before God and He will ask me what I did with His stuff! Romans 14:12 “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

E. In this Parable of Luke 16—the man was a crook! The manager knew he’d lost his job because of his dishonesty, so he plans to deceive the Owner!

Luke 16:3-7 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg—4I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ 5“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6“‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’ 7“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 eight hundred.”

He’s cheating his Master out of 50% profit on the first guy and 20% profit on the second guy!
Why did he do this?
He was making friends with these guys so that when he was on unemployment, these guys would take him in!
But if they wouldn’t take him in—in the future, he could blackmail them!
v.8 says: “The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly.” He doesn’t commend him for dishonesty but he does say he was smart!
What did this guy do that was “smart?”

He’s looking ahead!— v.4 “He said, ‘I know what I’ll do when I lose my job here so people will welcome me into their home.” He has a plan!

Many Christians today only live in the here and now!
Many Christians are doing absolutely nothing when it comes to financial planning!
They don’t look ahead! They don’t plan ahead!
Jesus is coming back and I won’t have to worry about my future! Wrong!
Jesus is saying here—“In light of the time you have in your life, you ought to look ahead, you ought to plan ahead and you better do it while you’ve got the opportunity!”
This is the formula that Jesus gives us for the management of our money!

God’s Plan:
2nd The Purpose of Giving!

A. Luke 16:9 says: “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”
That’s a shocking statement!
Can you buy your way to heaven?
Pay for your salvation?
Bribe God to get into heaven?
What is Jesus saying?

The greatest use of your money should be used to get people into HEAVEN!The Results of Giving Money! When you give to the Church’s ministry, when you give to the Lord’s work—two things happen!

1st I help people come to know the Lord!
Every ministry should have one reason for being—reaching people for Christ!
Children’s Church—children for Christ!
Youth Ministry—youth for Jesus!
Men’s Ministry—men for Jesus!
Women’s ministry—women for Jesus!

2nd Second reason I give is that I will get eternal reward!

You see, we are going to spend a lot more time in eternity than we will here on earth! Matthew 25:21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
In the parable that Jesus gives us in Luke 16, Jesus says, “..so you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”
If you gave to a ministry, if you tithed to the church that a person got saved in, you were a part of his salvation!

This goes along with the Scripture in Matthew 6:20-21 “Store up for your selves’ treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”“rust do not destroy”af-an-id'-zo: to disappear or vanish away; to oxidize!

“rust” or oxidize—disappear or vanish away!”
Buy a car—it gets old and rust away!
But: Invest in eternal things, ministry, people, souls, THEY WILL LAST FOREVER in haven with you!

Illustration: Did you know that there are companies that make suits to bury people in—burial suits! Do you know the difference between the suits we buy a Gottschalk’s and a burial suit? The burial suit has no pockets! You can’t take it with you! But you can send it on a head of you!
Invest in something that will outlast you!

God’s Plan:
3rd The Principle of Blessing!

Do you want to be blessed? I want to be blessed!
A. Luke 16:11 “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”
Jesus is saying: “I use money to test you!”
My guess is that 80% of the Christians I know don’t know or obey this principle I’m talking about today!
This is a God principle—v11 “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”

Illustration: Have you ever heard anybody ever say, “When I make it big, I’m really going to start giving faithfully?” God says, “Who are you kidding?” If you’re not

The Bible is very clear here: “Clearly it says, what I do with my money determines how much God can bless me and my family.” v11 “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”“True riches” al-ay-thace': not concealing!Matthew 25:23“23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Fact is: God is interested in how we use His money, how we spend it, how we save it, and how we give it!
How I use His money determines how God can trust me with His money!
I believe that many Christians today don’t understand this principle—v11 “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”
This statement if understood can be the greatest key to unlock God’s abundant blessing in our lives!

This is the “Principle of Blessing!” Being “trustworthy in handling what God has given to you,” will be the key to being “trusted with true riches!”

This principle affects every area of your life: Financially, Emotionally, and Spiritually!
You can’t say to God: “You can have all my life and then close off the backroom of your life!”

Jesus summarizes it all up in Luke 16:13 “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.”

Have you ever tried to work for two bosses?
That’s a fiasco—trying to please two different guys at the same time!
It’s like trying to date two different women or men at the same time, it’s called, “Two Timing!”

B. Jesus lays it out in black and white! 13 “No servant can serve two masters.”
“Masters”: Who or what is the MASTER in your life?

Jesus said: “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.”