Humanitarian Operations

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Humanitarian Operations

Read Luke 16:1-13

Luke 16:1–13 ESV

He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

We are continuing our series on Tactical Grace

Say Tactical Grace

We are talking about how to live the Grace-filled life in light of the Grace that we’ve received in Jesus

Did you know that military organizations around the world, including ours here in the US participate in Humanitarian Operations

These are military men and women who we typically think of as warriors

Going into areas that are in need of help and bringing humanitarian aid

concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare.

This may mean airdropping food, helping dig wells, engineering projects that help the infrastructure of a city, medical aid

All sorts of stuff is done by people in the service to not kill, not invade, but to help and to build up

Why?

What is the point of a military getting involved with helping others by meeting their physical needs?

I’m glad you asked

According to the US Department of Defense

Humanitarian operations often result in lives saved and goodwill here and abroad. Additionally, these operations help build partnerships, particularly when nations participate in disaster response exercises before an actual disaster strikes.

Did you catch that

By helping people in times of need… even if and especially when it costs you something can actually save lives, promote goodwill, and build partnerships

I don’t know if you see the connections but we’re gonna draw that out a bit.

You are a part of the church militant, right?

That means as a member of the army of the Lord it is your responsibility to operate tactically

That is, all your actions need to be aimed at a point beyond the immediate

The things that we do now have consequences that echo into eternity

The way we do that is by first accepting and receiving the grace of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit

Then by extending that grace to others

Let’s jump into the text

So First i want to say that this parable isn’t an analogy for the father or the son and us

Most parables we see like the farmer and seed… the farmer is the Father or the prodigal son… we can draw analogous lines between characters

This parable works a little different.

Jesus is describing a common system in the first century called patronage

How this worked was you would do something for someone financially. Either loan them money or forgive a debt

This would put them in debt to you, and they would be obligated to return the favor in some way

The greeks called this friendship.

There were greater friends: the ones giving the blessing to others, and lesser friends: the one recieving the help

There were also equal friends who help each other out in like amounts. No person has more or less than the other

The manager made friends so that he could recieve patronage in this lifetime

being a worldly person, he knows how to use worldly wealth to set himself up to a comfortable position after he looses his job as manager

Jesus is calling us as Christians not to operate in this worldly form of patronage

but to take our cue from those who use their gifts in this life to help others for selfish reasons

We are called to use the wealth of this world to make friends… aka do for others who can’t do for us

In order not to reap selfish rewards but to build connections and to usher in the kingdom of God here but also to build up for yourself wealth in heaven

You have recieved eternal grace

Use temporal money to help people…to engage in humanitarian operations of grace

This will build connections with others

This is a way you can use the gifts that you have been given to sow seeds for the kingdom

When you are able to meet financial or physical needs you open up doors of opportunity for people to hear the gospel

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:7-11 that we can not out-give God

2 Corinthians 9:7–11 ESV

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

When we are generous… operating in humanitarian grace… that God provides seed for the sewer

It doesn’t say God provides the seed for the hoarder

Once you open up your heart to this, God’s resources aren’t limited

WE operate out of a scarcity mindset… that means there’s not enough to go around

If I help someone I’ll have less

God won’t look out for me

But what the word tells us is to give to those who ask

If you have it to give do so with a cheerful heart

Not out of compulsion

You can’t outgive God

Challange: tithe, help those in need,

Pray. If stinginess or fear of running out is something that you struggle with. Ask God to give you a boldness

And I’m not telling you that you HAVE to give or God’s going to be mad at you

But what the word says is if God is calling you to sew into the kingdom

Tithes offerings alabaster

Feeding the hungry

Blessing the homeless

Sewing into other ministries… God is going to provide that seed

So pray this week about how you can operate in humanitarian aid and seek to show tactical grace to someone in need.