The Shrewd Manager

Show me the money!

Jesus speaks more about money than any other “single” subject, about 1/6 of the Gospels deals with money according to Jon Courson. 12 of the 38 parables deal with money.

(Slide) 50% of the average american adult male time is spent on money

(Slide) How to make more

(Slide) How to spend less

(Slide) How to deal with what he has

(Slide) BUT STEWARDSHIP IS MORE THAN MONEY ISN’T IT?

has

(Slide) Lets’ read from pgs. 101-102 from Story Book (open Bibles to Lk16;1-13)

(Slide) So what do you see, what did you notice in the parable?

The Foolish Steward (vv.1-2)

(Slide) When you think about a steward what do you think about? What is a steward?

A steward is someone who manages another’s wealth. It’s not his but has the privilege of enjoying it and using it for profit for his master.

The steward is to serve his mater faithfully (look at (Slide)

1 Corinthians 4:2 NASB95

In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

What was the steward accused of doing (v.1)?

1 Corinthians 4:2 NASB95

In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

(Slide) What was the steward accused of doing (v.1)?

(Slide) What did the rich man tell him (v.2)?

This steward seems to have forgot he was the steward entrusted and thought he was the master and owner and could do as he pleased (another name for this could be the prodigal steward).

(slide) Beware before passing judgment on him!

We too are stewards and need to examine our own stewardship. How faithful are we with the things God has entrusted us with. Stewardship again goes beyond material wealth, but in whatever God has given us. We need to remember to thank God for all that we have been given.

(Slide) We are stewards of several things

(Slide) Our material wealth (see Deut8:11-18) - the benefits of using as directed by God is blessings, multiple you, increase your fruit of ground, oil, wine, grain, your herd, and your flock

(Slide) Our time (See Eph5:15-17) - we are to make the most of our time because the days are evil

(Slide) Our gifts and our abilities (1Pt4:10) - the gifts we have are for serving the manifold grace of God

(Slide) The Gospel (1The2:4; 2Cor4:7; 1Tim6:20; 2Tim2:2 and Jud3-4 - HE committed the gospel to us, we must guard it, we must invest it in the lives of others. For the enemy wants to steal it.

(Slide) The thief says, “What’s your’s is mine - I’ll take it.” The selfish man says, “What is mine is mine, I’ll keep it.” But the Christian must say, “What is mine is a gift from God - I’ll share it.” - author unknown

(Slide) As stewards we are to use our resources, our gifts, our abilities to win the lost, encourage the saints and meet the needs of the hurting people.

The Wise Steward (vv.3-8)

(Slide) What did the steward know according to (vv.3-4)? - His job was toast; he was too old to dig, too prideful to ask for help

(Slide) What was his solution (vv.5-7)? - Make friends from masters creditors

(Slide) What was the masters response in (v.8)? - commended him? What? why?

Let’s look at (v.8) the steward made the most of his time and the masters resources to make friends with the masters debtors so he had somewhere to turn when he lost his job.

He acted shrewdly (v

(Slide) More Shrewd than the people of light. -Jesus is telling them that the people of this world are more shrewd than the people of the kingdom of light. They use resources better for themselves than we do for the kingdom.

The Application Section (vv.9-13)

(Slide) Here Jesus uses 3-admonishments for us to learn from. but first, who is Jesus speaking to?

(Slide) WE need to use our opportunities wisely - one day our life will be over, no more opportunity to make money or use resources to further the kingdom of God so use your opportunity you have now, now!

Thoreau wrote “a man is wealthy in proportion to the number of things he can afford to do without.” - or Jacob Stam says “the only thing we know about sacrifice is how to spell it.”

What we invest today has spiritual dividends in the future!

(Slide) WE need to be faithful in what we have been given- Material things and Spiritual things go hand in hand and cannot be divorced from each other.

Why is the Lord spend so much time talking about money? Because money is not neutral it is basically evil, as he says “mammon of unrighteousness” - but if you use it for God it can be sanctified and He is glorified.

We cannot be orthodox in in our theology and and at the same time heretical in the way we use money - Warren Wiersbe.

We need to be faithful with what we are entrusted with now so we will be faithful with true riches in God’s kingdom

(Slide) WE need to be wholly devoted to God, be single-minded - we cannot love and serve two masters just like we can’t walk in two directions at the same time.

Jesus is demanding to be holy and wholly sold out for God -Mt6:33 says “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.”

Keeping God as your master than money is your servant, it will be used for the glory of God and you will be blessed by it.

(Slide) THE SUM OF THINGS

(Slide) Be a wise steward! There are souls to save, to win for Christ, our money, our gifts, our talents, our abilities and our time will help get the job done!