Wise Life Management
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· 355 viewsIf we are to be wise managers (stewards) of our lives, we must plan for eternity, make heavenly friends by using the resources we've been entrusted with to bless others, and make sure that we are serving the right master.
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Transcript
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MAIN IDEA INTRODUCTION: Stewardship- a woman
There was a man who worked all his life and saved as much as he could. He loved money more than anything.
Just before he died, he said to his wife, "When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me." His wife promised she would.
At his funeral, just before the undertakers closed the casket, his wife put a box in the casket. The undertakers shut the casket and rolled it away.
The wife's friend said, " I know you weren't foolish enough to put all that money in there with that man."
She said, "I can't lie. I promised him I would put that money in the casket with him."
"You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him?" her friend asked.
"I sure did," said the wife. "I wrote him a check."
Ugandan man
The question is what do we do with what we’ve been given.
PARABLE EXPLANATION- Summarize-
PARABLE EXPLANATION- Summarize 1st 7 verses.
PARABLE EXPLANATION- Summarize 1st 7 verses.
“The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted astutely. For the sons of this age are more astute than the sons of light in dealing with their own people. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous money so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings. Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. So if you have not been faithful with the unrighteous money, who will trust you with what is genuine? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own? No household slave can be the slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t be slaves to both God and money.”
READ VERSES 8-13
Pray
Pray
3 Questions we are wise to ask ourselves:
3 Questions we are wise to ask ourselves:
Am I planning for eternity? (v. 8)
Am I planning for eternity? (v. 8)
Important to plan ahead illustration. me packing for minneapolis,
“The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted astutely. For the sons of this age are more astute than the sons of light in dealing with their own people.
Read v. 8 a
v. 8a READ IT and ask “The master praised the manager… Why?”
“The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted astutely. For the sons of this age are more astute than the sons of light in dealing with their own people.
lk 16
v. 8a Ask “The master praised the manager… Why?”
The unjust manager is not praised for his crooked ways, but he is praised for the way he assessed his situation and planned ahead.
The unjust manager is not praised for his crooked ways, but he is praised for the way he assessed his situation and planned ahead.
Important to plan ahead illustration. I’m not always great at planning ahead. My wife is a planner and me packing for minneapolis, Also insert a meme here. or children getting dressed for outdoors.
Like the manager, we should recognize...
Like the manager, we should recognize...
Like the manager, we should recognize...
Like the manager, we should recognize...
our unfaithful stewardship
the coming day of accounting
a lamentable future unless he acted.
Like the manager, we should plan now.
Like the manager, we should plan now.
The unjust manager is praised not for his crooked ways, but because of the way he planned ahead.
For salvation
For heavenly blessings (even for those already saved).
Worldly planning is prevalent, Eternity planning is rare
Worldly planning is prevalent, Eternity planning is rare
Read v. 8b
“The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted astutely. For the sons of this age are more astute than the sons of light in dealing with their own people.
v. 8b - sons of this age vs sons of light. -
Planning ahead is
Planning ahead is
This is why Jesus uses the example of an unrighteous steward…because he wants to us to see how wrong it is that worldly people often spend more energies preparing for their worldly futures than heavenly people spend in preparing for their heavenly future.
Illustration on earthly retirement which is very temporal, while neglect for eternity. use the argument for retirement mutual funds. have this now, or invest and have this later.
There is a greater ROI on your tithe than on anything that Bank of America can sell you.
v. 8b DEALING WITH OWN PEOPLE .......So the “sons of light” were more astute in the way they planned for the future, but Jesus points out specifically that this is the in the way they deal with people. This lead us to verse 9, where we
Am I making heavenly friends? (v. 9)
Am I making heavenly friends? (v. 9)
What do you think of when you think of heaven? Funny Do you think of the heavenly city, food, worship,
This is the EXPLANATION of the parable. Jesus is teaching here.
This is the EXPLANATION of the parable. Jesus is teaching here.
The unjust steward made friends for himself so that he would be welcomed into their homes later.
Transition to verse v. 8b DEALING WITH OWN PEOPLE .......So the “sons of light” were more astute in the way they planned for the future, but Jesus points out specifically that this is the in the way they deal with people. This lead us to verse 9...
v. 9 READ IT
And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous money so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings.
v. 9 READ IT
unrighteous money- money is not unrighteous in and of itself. Jesus is keeping with the parable he just taught. In the parable, the money was “unrighteous” in the sense that the manager used unjust means to gather the money in. Jesus does not desire that we make money unrighteously, but rather refers to it as unrighteous in the sense that it won’t last, it is temporal and worldly, it will fail.
What do you think of when you think of heaven
Wise management of one’s "worldly resources” results in...
Wise management of one’s "worldly resources” results in...
We should make friends through our use of “unrighteous money.”
We should make friends through our use of “unrighteous money.”
friends
the love of money is. . Jesus calls it unrighteous here, simply to point out that money is temporal and worldly.
being welcomed into eternal dwellings (this is the EXPLANATION of the parable)
No amount of friends will gain you access to heaven. Jesus has already made it clear that “He is the door of the sheep.” (). this is not being welcomed into heaven but into “dwellings” (plural). So Jesus here doesn’t seem to be speaking of entrance into heaven, but rather, by speaking of having friends and being welcomed into “dwellings,” Jesus is reminding of the reality of the relationships believers will have in heaven.
k 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: x
the word dwelling, σκηνή, is used in to refer to tent, used twice in this verse. (for “dwelling” and “live with them. “God’s tent is with humanity, and He will pitch a tent with them.”
Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity,
and He will live with them.
Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:
Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity,
and He will live with them.
They will be His people,
and God Himself will be with them
and be their God.
They will be His people,
and God Himself will be with them
and be their God.
Robert Mounce quote on
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 21
3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: x
Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity,
and He will live with them.
They will be His people,
and God Himself will be with them
and be their God.
Robert Mounce quote on Rev. 21:3
What Are We Waiting For? A Commentary on Revelation Revelation 21
This is the essence of heaven—not streets of gold or elaborate mansions of glory. Unbroken fellowship is the central feature of the eternal state.
This fellowship is not just with God, but Jesus indicates that it will be with other people as well. our friends.
Invest temporal resources into everlasting relationships.
Are you making heavenly friends?
Randy Alcorn- Our "friends" in heaven appear to be to those whose lives we've touched in a significant way on earth. They will apparently have their own "eternal dwellings." This fits the Bible's portrayal of heaven as a city....Christ promised to prepare for us dwelling places in heaven (). , then, may literally mean these eternal dwelling places of friends could be places to fellowship and/or reside in as we move about the heavenly kingdom.
Bongani in South Africa
Amanda connecting with M-Fuge leader.
Who has impacted you that you will one day invite your dwelling?or more importantly, Who have you impacted that will invite you into their dwelling?
Am I serving the right master? (v. 13)
Am I serving the right master? (v. 13)
To plan for eternity, you must make sure you are serving the right master.
v. 13 Read it
Serving two masters is not possible.
No household slave can be the slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t be slaves to both God and money.”
one will be ultimate and lead you to compromise in other areas.
Negative Example of Pharisees- they would say that God was their master, but Jesus is telling them that they were trying to serve two…they were “lovers of money.” This love of money led them to compromise some of the teachings of God, such as His teachings on divorce, because they desired to please people.
We must...
We must...
Recognize Jesus as master
Serving two masters is not possible.
-one will be ultimate and lead you to compromise with others.
Negative Example of Pharisees - they would say that God was their master, but Jesus is telling them that they were trying to serve two…they were “lovers of money.” This love of money led them to compromise some of the teachings of God, such as His teachings on divorce, because they desired to please people.
Recognize ourselves as a steward/manager
-A steward recognizes that everything is owned by his master
-Stewardship is not Saving.
Seek to be found faithful
v. 10-12 Read it.
Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. So if you have not been faithful with the unrighteous money, who will trust you with what is genuine? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?
-Faithful Stewardship is not hoarding of goods, it is using the resources at the master’s pleasure.
-For faithful stewardship of life there is a reward.
Conclusion:
Are you managing your life well?
How am I managing?
How am I managing?
It’s stressful to try to serve two masters.
One master holds the future. All eternity is in His hands.
Gospel and invitation to greater faithfulness.