Accountability

Luke 16:1-18

In 2006, the Ford Auto was struggling, losing billions of dollars. The market share was shrinking, because different divisions of the company operated in silos or had no communication between each other so financial decisions were being made without considering impacts on other departments. . Everyone did what they wanted to - there was no accountability. Worse yet the executive leaders hid any problems in fear of termination.

That’s when Alan Moo-lally became CEO & president, and he introduced

a weekly Business Plan Review meeting.

Leaders were to report the status in their department or projects using a simple color system:

Green = on track

Yellow = At risk, but a recovery plan exists

Red = off track and has serious problems

At first, all reports appeared green despite Ford still losing billions. But when an executive finally reported a red status,

Alan Moolaw-ly, praised the honesty, creating a culture of accountability and collaboration. So he asked the team how they could help solve the problem.

The room exploded with applause. Winston Churchill once stated:

The price of greatness is responsibility." — Winston Churchill

Alan explained "Facts first. Visibility creates accountability & Accountability drives performance."

And this is what the scriptures teach! That’s why it worked!

Romans 14:12 LSB

So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

This was written as an exhortation that believers will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Not for sin but for how we represented Jesus in this life!

For the last few chapters, Jesus has been teaching repentance or changing your attitude toward God’s love for all sinners. We don’t find Him, He finds us when we choose to own our transgressions and not justify ourselves by pointing out the faults of others.

The benefits of confessing that we need a Savior far outweigh being spiritually bankrupt and going at life on our own. Only when we humble ourselves before a holy God, can our sins be forgiven and we can receive the free gift of salvation and later on eternal life.

So as Jesus has been teaching the crowds He includes the disciples.

Luke 16:1–2 LSB

Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a steward, and this steward was reported to him as squandering his possessions. “And he called for him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

So here’s a rich man who owns some farmland.

In the first century, wealthy landowners owned large estates but lived elsewhere, so they entrusted a steward to manage his affairs. So they would entrust a steward to manage and oversee the production of product and then supply companies to sell the product to the common people. But if appears this steward was failing to do his job and the owner found out that he was squandering his possessions just like the prodigal son. So this reckless steward is called up to the office - vs 2

What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

So this steward was fired began to worry about what he was going to do. Yet he comes up with an idea.

Luke 16:3–4 LSB

“And the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. ‘I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship people will take me into their homes.’

The steward knows he’s canned so He needs to find employment. But he has to hand in a status report.

KIM: No unemployment checks, food stamps or free healthcare. So he decides to visit his master's customers and offer a discount on their bill in hopes of future employment.

Luke 16:5–6 LSB

“And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “And he said, ‘One hundred baths of oil.’ [That’s 580 gallons! That’s an annual production of an entire olive grove, so this was like Costco, Winco, and Walmart. Like an “Oil R us” of the day! The would sell this oil to the common people of Israel for cooking, food preparation, oil lamps, and personal care. The steward would billed these large distributors ahead of time - The bill was about a thousand denarii or three years of labor! That’s a lot of oil- So the steward billed him but had yet to collect” - verse 6] And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’

So this desperate steward slashes his bill half off! Thereby earning favor with this company and hopefully a new job. But he’s not done. He heads to the bread store.

Luke 16:7 LSB

“Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

100 kors of wheat is massive: 18 metric tons or 40,000 lbs! This was essentially a bread factory that traded in local markets. Flour, bread, animal feed etc..

So when this steward offered 20% off, I’m sure the company responded right away. And I can’t help to think these commodity distributors contacted the rich man offering thanks. So what happens?

Luke 16:8 LSB

“And his master praised the unrighteous steward because he had acted shrewdly, for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.

So the master commends his former employee for being shrewd meaning strategic, wise and practical in his thinking. But notice this steward was more shrewd in relation to his own kind than the sons of light Why? As believers we can let opportunities pass, or we can choose to ignore our talents, and even refuse to fix strained relationships because we feel the same urgency assuming God will handle it. But the unrighteous don’t have the same hope we do - so they’re more motivated to take chances to get ahead. That’s why most successful men are not believers. It’s not a slam but an observation.

Luke 16:9–10 LSB

“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves from the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will take you into the eternal dwellings. “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much, and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.

This statement has confused many people. Jesus redirects to his disciples to be shrewd and make friends with unrighteous wealth. How? Sowing and reaping!

1] Faith produces faith for greater things - But being a little unrighteous leads to greater unrighteousness.

Luke 16:11–12 LSB

“Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? “And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

In other words why not use your faith and unrighteous wealth to win friends and be shrewd so you can make a difference.

How can God entrust you to “true” riches if he sees no motivation from you?

Faith and wealth only work together are trusted with small responsibilities, only then will greater ones will come. Character is revealed in small things of life.

But if we squander our opportunities in small matters, we’ll be the same way in bigger ones.

Luke 16:13 LSB

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

So the rich man pictures God who gives us responsibility to steward His possessions “the souls of humanity” so we are accountable and we can use money as our servant to share the gospel, to help others, support the local church, missionaries, and other kind of opportunities to help. We hold onto to God tightly and our wealth loosely.

God is our master while money is our servant to get the gospel out to people who need the gift of salvation.

And in serving God, Jesus said in Matt 6:19

Matthew 6:19–20 LSB

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

What are treasures in heaven? Those ministries we supported exercising a little faith that grew and grew to offer the gift of salvation to the people who know they need it.

We’ve all seen what fame and fortune does to people. They’re happy for a while but soon they get depressed, sometimes suicidal, because money doesn’t fulfill but it can be used by faith - starting with a little you will end up with much!

JC Penney got saved during the depression and began by giving 10% of his income to God, but as his wealth grew, he increased his giving to 90%." Living on 10% Later called “reverse tithing”. This is just an example of a wealthy man who used money to enhance the kingdom.

Some may say “we’ll I’m a good person. I’ll take my chances” but without Jesus you have no chance. All other religions base salvation as something you earn.

But we must be shrewd, strategic, wise and practical in our thinking.

In Christianity, salvation is a gift, it has your name with a big fat bow wrapped around it!

So this morning I want to offer that gift. Jesus wants to be your closest friend and give you a brand new start. Why chase the temporal when you can receive the eternal? So what’s your status?

Green = on track, or Yellow = At risk, but a recovery plan exists or maybe Red = off track and have serious problems.

Think it over as we have communion and I’d like Elders Bob, Chuck, and his wife Marla to come up to serve communion and if you feel the pull to open this gift with your name on it tell them you want to meet after prayer.