Book of Luke - Ch. 16, Vs. 1-14 (03/07/2004)

Luke 16 Luke chapter 16 verse 1 how to deal with money properly or you could say is money evil and He said also unto his disciples.

There was a certain rich man which had a steward and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods and He called him and said to him.

How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship for thou thou mayest be no longer the steward

Then the stewards said within himself what shall I do for my Lord taketh away from me the stewardship

I cannot dig this guy was not a ditch digger. He was a you know, it's this this guy

Was an accountant and an economist and he liked to work behind the desk with an abacus

He did not want to be out doing manual labor, isn't that hilarious to read about that somebody this long ago thinking this way

I Cannot dig to beg I am ashamed I'm resolved what to do.

So he went home and he finagled didn't he men are good at that, aren't they? All men have been born with a finagler

It is what causes you to try to figure out things How do you dig your way out of this how do you keep from having to dig ditches that's what it's all about I Am resolved what to do

That when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses so he called every one of his

Lord's debtors unto him and he said unto the first how much owest thou unto my

Lord and He said a hundred measures of oil and he said to him take thy bill and sit down quickly and write fifty

Then said to another how much do you owe and he said a hundred measures of wheat and he said take that bill and write four score and the

Lord Commended the unjust sir steward because he had done wisely

For the children of this world are in their generation or in their age

Wiser than the children of light And I say unto you

Make yourselves friends. Now. This is the one you would reread several times figuring out if you read every word, right?

I Even looked yeah, I was studying this on my computer Bible and I thought well, okay, they've

They've messed a word up I'm gonna look in my Bible and I looked in my Bible and it was exactly right as it should be of course

And I said unto you make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness

That when ye failed they may receive you into everlasting habitations Now you figure that verse out

That verse takes some thought It just doesn't sound right now

Let's go back for a minute before we get to this verse Verse 8 is troubling as well

Verse 8 and the Lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely for the children of this world are in their age

Wiser than the children of light Does that feel good when you read that Now let's go back and examine what has happened here

Okay, the rich man heard a rumor or an accusation against the man that was his accountant

And his bookkeeper and the man that watched over his fund his fund manager Kind of like Martha Stewart, I guess and Did you know that her accountant?

I mean her broker went to it's gonna go to jail with her He was on trial with her or broker Wow, pretty spooky

Now Anyway He got accused of Wasting the master's goods.

Now if you look that Greek word up wasted It really doesn't mean wasting like we use it today.

What it means is he separated some off For himself, that's what it means. He means separated.

So he had been accused of Funneling some of the funds off into one of his own bank accounts

Yes Now whether he did this or not, we can't tell from this story. It doesn't say

Just says he was accused of it and the master was so angry. He's fired him. Anyway, he didn't wait to check it out

He said you're gonna have to give a count though So he said bring the books and see if we can tally them up and see if they're balanced

So he was going to make him prove prove it, but he fired him before he made it prove it in that interesting so now this steward

Began to think about he began to finagle. He said now if I get fired I'm gonna have to dig ditches or do manual labor and that's not what

God called me to do So he tried to figure out a way now. Here's what he did he went to the several of the people that owed money to his master and Let me find this little phrase here

Okay Look at the end of verse 4 I'm resolved what to do

So that they may receive me into their houses Now this man was attempting to do what?

What was he attempting to do as they?

He wants them to be happy with him so that he might be able to live in their house and keep their books, right

Now does that seem honest For a man that's what you're saying isn't it seem natural for a man to do this.

Okay now Don't you isn't it surprising? He pulls this thing off and he gets these guys to go and look what they owe

And he said you don't have to pay all that. We're gonna give you a discount here. You just pay half of it We'll be fine.

They don't know that he's already been fired They think he's representing the master so they do it and they send the money

Now the startling thing is that when the master observes all this? He considers that to be wisdom that this that this servant came up with a wise

Idea and he admired him for this. Well, why could that why would that be? What what how did it benefit the master that he did it

Instant cash flow Because these guys may have been deadbeats. They've been holding out

Weren't paying him and so he got some a good amount a large amount of money and brought it to the master

All at once it here, you know You know, we're probably never gonna collect all this but we did collect this much and the master was pleased with it

I think that is a interesting story I'm not gonna show this one to Marty But anyway

The Lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

What does that mean? The unsaved generally if you look at them as a whole or better business people than Christians you look at it as a whole and And Well, look at how he did it a

Christian wouldn't think to do it this way he would say that's not honest He would not it.

Well, I don't think it would have Probably entered the mind of most of us to try to deal with this problem this way, but but it is true

But I love what brother Otis teaches that the lost people are out there Selfishly trying to make millions and all they're doing is putting stuff on the shelves for God's children to have when they need it

That's a great teaching So it's okay if they're wiser than we are They're the ones putting all the stuff out there that we need and we have it when we need it

All right now This word wiser is pro nemos, which means they're more thoughtful and they're more discreet and It implies a cautious character.

So they're more careful with their money than a Christian A Christian just gives his money to whoever needs it

You know if he's right with God he shares and the lost guy does not do that. He builds on his money

He invests it and builds and builds and builds into the billions All right now verse 9 and I said unto you make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness

This this verse is the one that is very difficult So that when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitation.

He's trying to make it. I shouldn't say trying to he is making a point with the illustration now

And I don't believe you would ever understand this verse if you didn't have other scriptures

You know how we say one of the points of Bible interpretation is let the Bible interpret the Bible So, let me take you to 1st

Timothy chapter 6 to clear this up, you know, I think it does answer it Because the mammon of unrighteousness is money

That's talking about money So he says to us Jesus is telling us as Christians to make ourselves friends of money

So that when we fail They may receive you into everlasting habitations

Now he I've read a couple commentaries on this thing to to try to get a clue and I read

J. Vernon McGee And it didn't help me as much as finding 1st

Timothy chapter 6 did but what he said was The mammon of unrighteousness is money which you can figure that one out

But he said when they fail that's reference to physical death. Now, I don't know how you prove that that's just McGee's idea

When he tries to interpret this difficult verse at least he didn't leave it out of the commentary like they usually do he put it in There and he says to fail means to die physically so McGee said that if you

Use money wisely and according to God's principles when you die And you'll be able to go to heaven and there'll have actually be some rewards in heaven for you because you used money wisely

I think he was very close. Although I can't prove when you fail means when you die physically

But when you read 1st Timothy 6, it really adds up listen to what it says

Charge them that are rich in this world In other words admonish them that are rich in this world that they be not

High -minded don't be prideful because you didn't make that money on your own You think you did but you didn't ever in 1st

Timothy chapter 6 verse 17 You know, what did I say verse 1 all right 1st

Timothy 6 17 Did you find it? Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high -minded

Don't be prideful about the fact that you made money because God did that you didn't do it nor trust in uncertain riches

Realize that you may have a billion dollars, but it's not guaranteed to be there the next day Many things can happen to take that money away

But trust in the Living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy

Now that tells you right there money and things are not evil in and of themselves God gives us money and things to enjoy

It's all about attitude and worship, isn't it? What do we worship? Do we worship those things or the one who gave them to us and that's what determines whether it's evil or not

That they may do good that they now look why does God give riches to a

Christian if he chooses to do that He tells us right here so that they may do good that they may be rich in good works ready to distribute

Willing to communicate communicate means to share the money with other brothers and sisters in Christ who have need

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may hope lay hold on eternal life

That indicates to me J. Vernon McGee was very close on His assessment because where it says in the study that we're doing today

It says make friends of money so that when you die, I guess I don't know. I guess he may be proper properly right there

You'll be received into Everlasting houses. In other words, Jesus is going to be the master that takes you into his house at that time

Isn't it when we died? and So if we've used the money and the talents that God has given us to do good with and to we've been ready which means quick to distribute give it to others who have need and Willing to communicate and there's the difference between a wealthy lost person the wealthy

Christian The wealthy lost person hoards that money and bills on it He just wants more and more and more for the sake of money

The safe person when he finds himself with a lot of money immediately begins to look who needs some of this and he gives it

Away, and there's the difference. Oh Timothy keep that which is committed to that trust avoiding propane propane vain babbling now he

Relates this to spiritual Now, let me show you how this works together I'm gonna give you some points that I gleaned from this and we'll be through number one

If God gives you money don't be high -minded about it because you didn't earn it. He made he gave it to you

He made it possible for you to have the ideas Whatever to be able to earn that money

Secondly don't trust the money once he gives it to you. Don't trust the money trust the

God the God Your God who gave it to you thirdly Recognize it is God who provides it is not money.

It is God who provides for our needs not the money For use it for good works

Fifth be ready to give it away to proper uses six Got a misspelled word there.

Oh Supposed to say this says th ie. That's a weird word this

If you do this, it stores up treasures in heaven So that the whole teaching in this the whole teaching in this

Let me just let the Bible read it to you. Let me I'm going into verse 10. Listen, this is kind of He that is faithful in that which is least now.

I'm back. Let's see. I'm back in Luke now Okay, we're back in Luke 16 10 he that is faithful in that which is least that's the money

See we think money is the big thing God calls it the least But if you're at least faithful with it if he gives you money and you're faithful with that money

Which to God is a little thing if you're faithful in the least

He will be faithful in much. That's the spiritual ruling that you get to do in the next world

You will rule and reign with Christ if you will be honest with the little things

Which is the money he gives you the talent he gives you here and you're a good steward of it Then when we die and we're with him in heaven, he will put us over much which is spiritual ruling with Christ and He that is unjust in the least is unjust in much

So if you if you're not honest with the little things like the money For example, you owe somebody and you don't work towards paying that off Then you're not faithful in the little things

So we should always pay our debts back Now notice one teaching here. It doesn't say you got to pay him back back exactly what you owe.

Does it? It is certainly Fair with God if you go to your debtor and you negotiate with him and say

I don't think I'll ever be able to pay this Would you accept half of it in cash right now if he says, okay, you are free and God's for that.

Isn't that interesting a Lot of the people that teach on finances quote from the Bible don't teach you that they'll teach you gotta pay every penny back

That's not true. You owe every penny But if you negotiate with your debtor and say look, it's just a burden on my family that your interest is so high

I've probably already paid you back everything I owed you in interest So would you take half if I could pay you cash today and just put this behind if he says, okay

It's okay with God That's right here in the Bible So be wise if you get an opportunity to pay your debts off by paying two -thirds of it instead of all of it do it

That way as long as he agrees and he's okay with it Okay, if if therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, that's the money

Who will commit to you your trust the true riches? that is the spiritual ruling and have in the heavenlies and If you have not been faithful in that which is another man's

Who shall give you that which is your own? So if you don't pay your debts back God is not going to give you money to have for your own if you can't take care of another man's money

So so here This stores up treasures in heaven. If you deal with this properly

This also applies to spiritual gifts and then another point be faithful with that, which is the least that's money

And then God will trust you with his important things ruling in the spiritual realm Pay back your debts though It is okay to negotiate before God will give you your own money and then verse 13 and 14

No servant can serve two masters You read those what is it going to teach you don't love the money

Don't love the money No man can serve two masters. He'll either hate one and love the other else he'll hold the one and despise the other you cannot serve

God and money and The Pharisees also who were covetous heard all these things and they derided him

They said that's the most ridiculous teaching I've ever heard that amazing

They couldn't handle it. All right, let's pray

Father we thank you for your word. We thank you for The fact that the Word of God teaches us everything we need to know for all areas of our life help us to be

Wise and our use of the things that you give us and the money that you give us help us never to lose to love the things

Or the money but to love you the giver of it Help us to be wise stewards as you prepare us for whatever role we shall play in eternity with the