The Kingdom - Money Matters (Luke 19:11-27)

We’ve spent time discussing how our finances impact the kingdom of Heaven.

They reveal the our heat and how we feel about God’s authority.

Matthew 6:21 NASB95

21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We are stewards of God’s $

Steward - Some entrusted with another’s wealth or property and charged with the responsibility of managing it in the owners best interest.

Being left at home to clean my room.

There is only one way to feel confident in this scenario. We must make the decision to do well with what we’ve been given.

The Lord has given man a purpose for $.

What do we need to know?

Luke 19:11–14 NASB95

11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12 So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. 13 “And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’ 14 “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’

1. We are held accountable to God’s possessions.

Jesus and His disciples are in the house of Zacchaeus.

In Jericho (17 miles from Jerusalem)

The disciples were wondering what Jesus was going to do upon their arrival to Jerusalem. Would He round up the nation of Israel, become their ruler, and overcome Rome?

Things would turn out this way and much different.

Jesus was aware of their thoughts and told them this parable.

The nobleman would leave on a long journey to determine his authority in the kingdom.

He would go to their headquarters to be inaugurated to the kingdom.

Herod had to go to Rome to be made king of Jerusalem.

There was no title of king until it was made official.

He left each of his servants with 10 minas.

Roughly 3 month wages for a day laborer.

Not a ton of money.

He left them with the $ to test their faithfulness.

He promised to come back.

Citizens of the kingdom would not want Him.

The reject His ideals.

My parents had values others didn’t understand.

Jesus wan’t talking about an earthly kingdom. It was the kingdom that we look forward to.

He’s left every person a short time to live on this earth promising to come back.

Do we view our $ through a kingdom mindset?

We can’t count on the world for this. In fact, we have to reject this world.

Just because most of the world rejects the coming kingdom and its values doesn’t mean that we can afford to.

We have $ and possessions for a purpose and we will be held accountable.

That includes how we use them.

Luke 19:15–23 NASB95

15 “When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. 16 “The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’ 18 “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ 19 “And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 “Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 “He said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23 ‘Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’

Luke

2. Faithful stewardship is rewarded.

The nobleman, having gained full authority returned to his servants.

The first man had a 1000% increase and recieved authority over 10 cities.

The second man had a 500% increase and recieved authority over 5 cities.

Both we commended and promoted in the kingdom.

The reward is not rest, but the opportunity for wider service.

The third did nothing with the $ but lay it in a napkin.

He didn’t even do the minimum.

His motive was fear.

The slave was judged severely.

If the servant really believed the master, he would have at least brought them to a $ table.

Instead, he did nothing.

It gives me joy as a father to reward my children. Lemonade stand.

We each have an opportunity to please God with what we’ve been given.

Use our funds for God’s glory.

Generosity to our church and people.

Bless our family with kingdom experiences.

Leave our children an inheritance.

That’s not the main point though.

The true reward from the nobleman would come in the kingdom.

A 1000% increase from 10 minas wasn’t enough to by a house in a city.

In the kingdom, being faithful in the small things is enough to have authority over 10 cities.

The way Christians steward their resources will determine their responsibilities in God’s kingdom.

Way more valuable than earthly $.

Luke 19:24–27 NASB95

24 “Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 “And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already.’ 26 “I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 27 “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”

Luke

3. We are called to grow God’s possessions.

The nobleman removed the minas from the slave who did nothing and gave it to the man who had grown them 1000%.

Jesus is not saying that the rich will get richer and the poor more poor.

Two lessons:

The person whose abundance shows that they have been made good use of what he has will get more.

The person whose lack, like the third person who made not use of their opportunities will lose what little they have.

People do not stand still in the Christian life.

Investing in things that don’t bring return.

There are 100 reasons people will give you not to invest in the kingdom of God.

Only one voice will stand through it all.

We get out of debt, live generously, and live outside of ourselves simply because we believe God.

You cannot fail when it’s all done for God.

Question everyone should ask:

“Am I using the $ God has given to further His kingdom?”

Interpret this correctly.

God is not angry with you for enjoying things.

Do you budget though?

Is your enjoyment getting in the way of being responsible?

Do you have margin in your budget to bless people?

Are there places in your life that cause you to spend sinfully?

Are you settling?

There must be a purpose behind every transaction and investment.

When we do it with a kingdom purpose, we are making a safe and solid decision.

When we are selfish, we are revealing our true heart and nature.