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Our sermon will be on Luke 16:1-13

We have a website: https://tahlequahworshipcenter.com/

We have started Wednesday Night service back up

We will have a work day on 3/6/2022

Prayer requests

Coleman Family

Georgey

Dorcas

Cristy’s Grandparents

Sandra

Roy and Nita

Ukraine

Songs

I Want To Know More About My Lord - 459 - Eb

I’d Rather Have Jesus - 400 - G

What A Day That Will Be - 693 - Eb

The Shrewd Manager

There is a well known pastor that worked as a Lawyer before he became a pastor.

He was still an intern when he was called into ministry.

One of the things he noticed about the other interns is that they spent all their time at work.

He only worked about 40-50 hours a week while they would often work 70-80.

Anyway, when he told his boss that he was leaving, his boss was ready to give him a job, not as an intern but as a full lawyer.

He said that in the history of his firm, there hadn’t been an intern that had actually made them money.

He made them money while working a normal work week.

His goal was to make money while still having a life.

We often lose our direction and we don’t see what the end goal is.

Today’s story is about a manager that remembered what his end goal was.

Luke 16:1–13 NKJV

1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ 3 “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ 5 “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. 9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? 13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

What kind of Leader is he?

Looking at this story, we can only see that the manager was wasting his possessions.

That is probably some type of goods. We don’t know what and it doesn’t matter.

The point is that he wasn’t doing his job.

One thing to note here is that if the manager was doing a good job, then the owner wouldn’t be looking to replace him.

I can’t help but think about politics.

Every 4 years, we are looking to replace our leader.

I large group of people are saying that the pres. is doing a good job and another large group are saying the opposite.

It applies to our work as well.

If people are not doing their job, they might get replaced.

In our story, this manager comes up with a plan.

What’s the plan? He’s going to go to people that owe the owner money.

He’s going to collect their debt at half what they owe.

Why would he do that?

What does he have to Lose?

Here’s the kicker, He’s going to be fired.

I don’t know if I can draw a parallel in our modern world.

In this case, if he gives these other people a discount, maybe they will give him a job.

What he is doing is planning for the future.

Now, I don’t know if I’ve ever preached on this scripture before.

Honestly, I don’t know that I ever fully understood it.

I remember thinking this is a weird story.

Who in the world would do something like this?

What was wrong was that I was missing the point.

The point is he was planning for the future.

That’s what most people today are missing.

So,

What should we do before we Leave?

Look at the world around us.

Everyone is pursuing their kingdom instead of the kingdom of God.

We see this everyday.

Look at the people chasing the stock market.

Or people working long hours to the detriment of their families.

The application for us is that we should be preparing for our next job.

This doesn’t mean that we don’t worry about our job in this world.

It means that we don’t do it and forget about our next job.

Bach, the famous composer always signed his music with SDG (or Soli Deo Gloria) To the Glory of God Alone.

A Cobbler (or shoe maker) went to Martin Luther after he was saved and said, “What do I do now that I’m saved?”

Luther said “Make shoes to the glory of God.”

That brings us to what’s going on in the world today.

We look at what’s going on in Ukraine and we can see what greed does to people.

Putin is not pursuing the things of God.

We need to pray for Ukraine.

Jesus ends all these thoughts in verse 13

Luke 16:13 NKJV

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

That word mammon means something precious or wealth.

We can only have one master.

Who is your master? Is it the world or is it the creator of this world?

While we are here, let’s get to work.

Let’s server the creator and not the creation.

Now, it’s time - Let’s pray for Ukraine.