15th September 2019, AM

Never know how long the way.

every guy WinStar if you don't know me, my name is Patrick. It is a blessing to be here to upload these slides always a thing called Proclaim. And so I logged out of my computer it show me. The last time I had logged into Proclaim was the 24th of March which have been the last time I spoke up there which was kind of cool to see because when I looked at the slides we were putting out a big ask for a pledge. And I think it said make Stanley happen. And it's so cool to see how God has has moved in the months to follow and really at what we talked about today is investing in eternity. And I think what we're doing at Hope city is investing in eternity. So thank you. It's it's fun to be along for the ride.

I was I was sitting down for dinner just a couple nights ago and it's really nice when an illustration just drops into your lap. So I sat down and for those who don't know me, I work for residence life for the University of Adam bra and one of the residents assistance sat down across from me. And I also got a PhD at the University of Edinburgh in the Divinity School studying Theology, and she looks at me she was packed and I ask you a question.

And then she asked me a question that is is it can cause a bit of existential crisis in any PhD student? She goes Pat How does studying Divinity contribute to society?

Add a bit of that that bite behind it like a bit of a bit of disbelief. Like how could this actually benefit Society? Of course behind that question was a particular system of evaluating. What is a value right? Why do you decide on a course is a philosopher that I am I so what do you mean by contribute? What do you mean by Society? What do you mean by Divinity? What do you mean by studying? Actually did ask those things.

In such moments could be really easy to get defensive. To try to jump to justifying what you're already doing part of the reason I'm studying theology is because I enjoy studying theology because I enjoy is that justification enough.

It's kind of hard to fault the question. I mean, how would you answer a similar question?

And one says it's a very good question and those more familiar with my academic Journey. May realize it's questions just like that that I'm asking myself that cause me to change my topic 6 times in the past 2 years.

It's a question that that's doesn't only played academics. It plays nearly everyone at some point in their life. You don't have to wait for the mid the midlife crisis either. You can ask the question while you're in the middle of a Daily Grind of your of your job or or maybe the young people here will ask you when they're sitting in Geometry. I mean am I right like who needs geometry? I mean, what what does a cosigner do for you? Unless your parents, you know signing a loan for your car?

Sorry, was that joke a bit obtuse.

I thought I was a cute joke.

So I'm going to beat of a tangent.

C geometry does have value standing up here bad puns all day long. She moving on. Why does it matter? I mean you could you could fill in the blank and ask yourself this question. Why does blank matter in the end? And how you begin to try to answer that question is going to tell you a lot about what you what you value. I need you jump to the amount of the amount of the Maya contribute to the economy. The best telling you deep down that is somehow somehow money that matters right now. Maybe it's because you money is a means to two people having better lives. So is it comfort that matters? Is it is it having nice things having luxuries that matter? If you're trying to justify the Arts, maybe you think it contributes to the good life, you know, too well being too to enjoyment. Harvey try to answer that question. It's going to come down to what do you truly value? Read ask question. Where does the rubber hit the road? I mean how to study in Divinity contribute to society. That's a question. I need to wrestle with. So today let's let's ask these questions lipid. Let's let them sink in. You know, what if need be let's have little mini existential crisis. It's okay to save space.

The Legacy we leave matters how we live matters. I was involved in a a college major for many years and other men who hit and run the minister for 20 years was moving on to a different Ministry. And in his last message. He gave us a car that looked just like this and I still keep it in my wallet today. It says make yours count and Zillow Dash. What does Blanks on either side are to give birth to whenever you die you make what's in between count? But if I'm going to make what's in between count, we need to know how to judge what the good life is. How do we even go about it? How can we tell? How do you determine the value of a life lived? With that? I would like to turn to Luke chapter 16 verses 1 to 15. I'm actually have lystra. Come on up. She's going to read this we could turn in your Bibles to Luke. 16 won to 15. I failed to save the page number. Do we have it here 1049 so you can turn their

Jesus told his disciples that was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him and asked him. What is this I hear about you give an account of your management because you cannot be a manager any longer the manager said to himself. What should I do now? My monster is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to take that. I'm ashamed to beg. I know what I'll do so that when I lose my job hair people will welcome me into their houses. So he called and each one of his master's. He asked the first how much do you owe my master? 3000 liters of olive oil he replied the manager told him take your bill sit down quickly and make it fifteen hundred then he asked a second and how much do you owe such a chance of wheat? He replied. He told him take your bill and make it twenty-four the monster commended the dishonest manager because he had asked to truly for the people of this world who are more shrewd and dealing with their own kind that are most people of the light. I tell you use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourself so that when it's gone, you will be welcomed into Eternal dwellings. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much and whoever is dishonest with very little but also be dishonest with much So if you have not been trustworthy and 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, one can serve two masters either you will hit the one and love the other or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve both. God and money the Pharisees Who Loved money could all this I was staring at Jesus. He said to them you are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your heart's what people value highly is detestable in God's sight.

It's rather interesting passage. Certainly one that Christians have wrestled with over the centuries.

Quick recap you have a man. Who's Miss managing? His boss's resource. He's a steward bailiff. He's put in charge of likely collecting the rent. That's due. This this rich man's likely a landowner which is why you see crops owed and Siri supposed to collect a percentage of them and perhaps he's marking them up as was the custom any time of the day to make a profit for himself, whatever the means his master is is displeased with him. And so he's getting his p45 or the Americans the pink slip. He's getting fired. Yes, I think quickly on his feet and it's his Focus quickly ships to while what's what's next for me and for clearly selfish reasons. He doesn't want to go and have to do manual labor. He's above manual labor. He's he's white collar not blue collar. Do you guys use those terms? I was getting nervous when I use American terms. Don't know if they Translate As Focus shifts to what's next and so what does he do? Well, he's a pretty clever guy. He uses his position to give a bunch of discounts to those who owe his master. So we see that it goes to the first and I'm sorry. I have the gallons measurements. I forget what the leaders was. I think it was three thousand but -900 gallons of olive oil and he cuts it in half slice an abscess 450 we're good. the next one thousand bushels of wheat

I'm not going 20% 800 your good. So what is he doing? He's he's buying good favor from his friends. Know what what's what's really odd about. This is the first time hearing this you probably heard this before but the first time hearing what would you expect us to do?

Dynamite my Tennessee Walker take the guide says rather dishonest, right? I mean, it's not clear whether or not you just simply giving up his own profits or not. Buy me a 50% discount. Shirley's got to be ripping off his master. What is Jesus do?

In the story the parable. He says the master praises the shrewd the clever, perhaps the dishonest manager. Why because you're speaking ahead? So what's the moral of the story cheat your way to get ahead?

You heard it here first. Jesus says cheat your way to get ahead. We would like to do pigeon hole now. You can feel those questions.

Obviously that should seem wrong to us and I want to challenge you guys sometimes when we encounter texts like this that don't make sense. We can perhaps far too quickly. Just explain it away, right? Oh, we know what Jesus really really man. And perhaps you don't I'll risk doing that today. Because I certainly don't think Jesus would say hey be dishonest.

It's a push back. If you think we're simply trying to explain things away too quickly. What is Jesus actually getting at here? I'll make an attempt you can certainly submit the questions in the pigeon hole, but I think the context around this as well as the other Parables he tells through the Gospel of Luke as well as the other gospels gives more context in what it means to manage resources. Well, he seems to be pinpointing this notion of cleverness of thinking ahead of making that shift when you when you when you try to evaluate how valuable your decisions are don't simply think of the hair in the know but think of what's next. What's what's to come what's going to happen after you get your p45 after you get your pink slip

Perhaps a key for this passages is the ending right here. It says what people value highly is detestable in God's sight. So there's two things I would like to do today. First. I would say we need to make sure we've shifted if you haven't already shifted our perspective and how we evaluate what we own the resources we have and I'm talking about time talents as well as money capital.

Anyway to make sure we're being clever being wise coming up with a strategy for how we use. It says we talk to these I would like to say first we need to be sensible. Now that might seem like a very odd choice of words be sensible, right? Because typically when you hear about be sensible, you know, it might be a speech or getting from your your father and mother for the first time were you thinking about what you need to go do what to major in what what job to take I can put Catherine as fun as if she got a be sensible talk or not, but I won't do it.

Oftentimes recycle what are you going to do with this? I need to make money. These are good questions right eye camera support yourself to care for a family if you want a family someday.

But the shift we need to make is what kind of sensible or being in so we can speak of two different kinds of sensibility. We can speak of a worldly sense ability to find us a way in which decisions in this life is all that there is this life is all that there is a lookout for my family. We can Define worldly sensibility in different ways. But what's key for world's worldly sensibility as opposed to Eternal sensibility is What's missing? The god's-eye View what God actually thinks of the situation when I say Eternal I know it can mean many different things. I want you to think of more of Simply more than simply what's next or what's to come. It's part of Eternity what happens after we die there's a serious consideration to do but it's all eternity. It's that which is ultimately meaningful. That would simply that which transcends the here in the know and has a forever value. Forever value as the forever value. Why is it important? Because if we simply think of it as what's to come next? Sometimes we forget about what's important now, right and you can make decisions that have forever value now like caring for those in need. Right, I mean rrrr commission as as Christians as follower of followers of Jesus in the simply to to tell people how they can get to Heaven someday, but it's also to care for them and they are in the know because it has forever value.

Sleep Journal is that which has forever value? So to be sensible is to act in ways that makes sense. When you consider from A god's-eye View what has forever value? Show me to quickly go through four principles for considering what has forever value three- one one positive.

The first is that stuff is temporary. I know that's not very profound. It's rather rather Common Sense stuff is temporary. We see right inverse one. It says that the the the manager was wasting the possessions. And so then we see inverse to a says you cannot be my manager any longer as you mentioned. He gets his his p45. He gets he gets fired release noticed that he's getting fired. Sometimes. It takes a significant event in our lives to make that shift to make that shift from Fisher in the now being blinded by busyness being blinded. What what needs to be done today what needs to be done tomorrow what needs to be done this week and something significant needs to happen to think about what actually has forever value. I was reading just this morning and evangelist by the name of Nick Hall tweeted. Just yesterday said my sister is dying of cancer. Two weeks ago. I was worried about my career. And now nothing else matters but my faith and family.

Lord help us count our days. Help us make our days. Try not to get too emotional up here, but I don't want to be transparent and vulnerable wrestled with whether or not to share this map here because I'm not seeking pity. I found out 3 months ago that my dad is dying. That radically shifted my perspective. But I want to see what's so important about digging into scripture in grounding yourself in these principles to think they're what has forever value cuz people respond to tragedy in different ways and simply because you encounter a tragedy does not mean you're going to have an eternal Focus. Read my first feelings or numbness. And I'm feeling like I'm losing an anchor in the world. It's uncomfortable. But sometimes we need something radical to happen to lose an anchor in the world to realize that we can ultimately be anchored not in this world, but the world to come.

stuff is temporary how do we internalize that how do we internalize it in? Today's society? I think we have a problem when sometimes a good problem. I mean I certainly wouldn't want it the other way. But not average life. We often are far from death. We often Living Country Comfort luxuries distracted from the reality of our own mortality. This year's inornate Memento Mori from the Middle Ages.

It was carried around by the wealthy. I'm am sure some just considered as a status symbol, but the meaning behind it was to be a constant reminder that you carried a round reminding of yourself on one side. You might look like you have it together. We're all Mortal. I'm at how rich you are no matter how many resources you have stuff is temporary. What kind of Memento Mori can you place in your life? We don't need to wait for these cataclysmic things to happen in our lives so that then we can reevaluate what has forever value. What can you do? Sometimes I worry in the modern Church. We've lost a rhythm of Lament. Internalizing the suffering around us in a ritual wake practicing the morning that we are in a broken world.

And when we lose lament, it's easy to forget what has forever value. What kind of rhythms of reflection can you place in your lives When you pray? How much of your prayers focus on those suffering around you?

How many of your prayers appraisal lament of morning of crying out like David of the songs of why is this world so broken?

Reginelli's discussions in small groups you can direct your attention to the scriptures and those that deal with laments like the Psalms of David. In what ways can we actually draw close to the reality of immortality rather than attempting to wall ourselves off from it?

Stuff is temporary. The stuff is not mine. I'm going to spend much time on this point. I know Matt give it a couple months ago on the parable of the rich man who had this huge. Crappie says he's going to Fillmore Barnes with right?

Dim the stuff is mine is stuff's going to give me security won't tell anyone. It's a gift from God and so it should be received with graciousness and graciousness should produce generosity. Ultimately, it's going to go away. It's temporary. Hopefully not ours. Stop is also supposed to be used. I want to say this. I don't mean it's just simply supposed to be consumed. I mean, it's supposed to be put to a purpose put to a person. So we actually see this manager do assure. We saw the manager. It wasn't his stuff. It was his bosses. We also puts it to use right now. He doesn't rather dishonest way. It seems to be to gain favor. He did it for selfish reasons. Why should we be trippin by selfish reasons? No, we should be we should be driven by by thankfulness. Our gratitude should come from. a realization of the graciousness of God she wants to to realize this what we hoard is Lord. What we hoard is Lord. Wish you later in text that you can no one can serve two masters you pick up a birth 13. You cannot serve both God and money. What we hoard is Lord. They might say what about savings? Isn't it? Responsible to save?

Yes. So what's the difference between saving and hoarding? shaving serve a purpose There's a financial advisor in the the US by the name of Dave Ramsey in regards to your feelings. If you know Dave Ramsey or not. I find his idea of a zero balance budget rather choose a concept that obviously is is out there besides him. But if the idea that when you make a budget you assign every dollar a place where it's going. Well, there's two savings this that's you don't have any money fall through the cracks are resources including time talents and money. What does it mean to have a spiritual budget that is science our resources to something specific. So what's the difference in courting and saving will Saving has a particular purpose related to the security for the sake of security? No, but for the sake of being able to sustain a healthy life so we can continue to do ministry for God. So we continue to the servant to act into tube to work toward those things of Eternal value. So that's a difference between saving and hoarding hoarding is the idea is as Matt said in the the talk a couple months ago and I just need a little bit more. I just need a little bit more you're you're you're watching your bank account and go up simply because it makes you feel better. I'm not going to sit here and try to tell you the line between how much is too much when it comes to your savings. That's something you need to wrestle with. When you when you when you engage with these text me think about what what's other Eternal value? What do I actually need? What needs could I be meeting instead?

Where is generosity come in? Don't you want to say this? I had three negative on a positive and we see this in the text as well. It's a particular one that will the master is commanding the dishonest manager.

It 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. What's the focus on what matters? These relationships we build. People are what is of Eternal value people are what is of forever value? So the question is, how are you investing in people? How are you investing in people? It's the bottom line for this talk to be sensible averaging our time talents and resources to win friends for eternity. We need to leverage our time talents and resources to win friends for eternity trying to buy them off like like they're just some kind of means to an end. No. Because we love them because we're driven by the core of the law, which is to love God and to love others the fact that it's the sensible thing to do is not make it the wrong thing to do. It's what's good for you. Jesus lays that out. This is what he's praised. He says even this dishonest guy is looking out for himself. Guess what? This is the incredible thing about the Christian story is what's ultimately right is also what is good for you beautiful set a problem. We can be driven by love and I'll turn it on when we love God and we love others because God is a good God. It is ultimately good for us as well.

So what does it mean to leverage your time talents resources fraternity as usual I went way over and so I'm just going to show you these things and not hold you up any longer. We're going to skip through right here when we're wrestling with this text. Urgent care just we can learn from people that non-believers for non-christians learn from them. I don't many churches that benefit from business ideas, but translate them adopt a worldly system that doesn't consider what has forever value translated privately through the law of love. And what does it mean to love people well,

Taking inventory. What are your resources? What what time do you have? What talents do you have? How much money do you have? Perhaps you can go home or in small groups night make a list of all your resources and then sit down. Brainstorm with each other get clever get creative and what can we do this Christmas? What can we do this week? What can we do this month to do something crazy outlandish to win friends for eternity. I don't even the street to do that. I mean am I not be crazy but invited me over for lunch is really a cool way to invest.

Finally get investing get investing. It's one thing to stand up here and talk just get going get investing. Don't don't be afraid to take risks. You see the dishonest manager. He had no guarantee that was going to pay off in the end. Why did he act because there's an urgency he had to time was short? I need friends who was fired. We need friends for eternity. So let's get investing. Let's act now. Let's make it it count. So these questions I'm going to pray turn to a couple discussion questions, dear Lord. Thank you for you are thank you for the opportunity to study your word to wrestle with text Lord. I couldn't do justice to this text today Lord, but but maybe focus on what it means to shift our our perspective to what has forever value. Lord may we be audacious and clever in the way in which we try to win friends for eternity Lord. Maybe I'll do it all through love. I praise your name. Amen.

you guys