The Shrewd Manager

Good Morning Church! Glad to have you guys here today and I am glad to worship with you. I am glad to bring my heart into worship with yours to praise the Lord. Now, we are going to shift gears and focus in on the Word of God. We are going to be in this morning, if you would go ahead and turn over to , we will be starting in verse one in the sermon, but first I want to move to the challenge that Jesus gives His disciples in verse 13 and it says this in : Read

Pray

(volunteer) Hey, what’s going on this morning? How are you feeling today? I am glad! Look I just wanted to bless you a bit today and just offer up this $20 bill. Would you like $20? OK, so I will give you this $20 dollar. Put it out there, take it back. So what are you going to do with this money? Oh, OK, here you go, take it back. Well, do you think that is the best thing to do? Oh, OK, here you go. (Hold $20 really tightly) Take it back. What do you guys think, do you think I am freely giving this blessing to Him? Or is this more the way it should go. Here, I wanted to bless you today $20. (let it go with an open hand) You see the lesson we are going to learn today is about money. I know it stinks talking about money when in Service, but we are going to do it anyway, because Jesus taught about it. The person we are going to talk about today in this next parable is the shrewd manager. He had been a pour steward of his master’s money and goods. So he is going to be called to account for His actions. What we are going to learn is that we cannot love money, but God; we must be good stewards not for monies sake, but for the sake of ourselves and those who need Jesus Christ. It all begins in , will you follow along with me?

I. Explain the Parable – 16:1-8a

A. The manager

1. Obviously Dishonest

2. Must give an account

a. Even when fired

b. There will be an account

B. Action and Result

1. We must take responsibility

2. Our actions have consequences

3. Issues in California

a. Were not good stewards

b. God called us to discipline

C. What did he do?

1. Had to come up with a plan

a. Why

i. Did not expect to be fired

b. Did not have other skills

c. Had no one to rely on

i. No God, No plan

2. Built up personal credit

a. We do this all the time

b. Treating others with respect

c. Treating them kindly

II. Personal Application

A. Use Earthly Wealth wisely – Vs 9

1. Build up treasures in heaven

2. Build up people credit here

3. Don’t be Money stingy

a. People will question your freedom

b. People will be astonished when you give freely

c. Not talking about financial ruin

d. If someone asks, give freely

e. See a need, fill it freely

B. God will bless – vs 10

1. If we are kingdom minded

2. If not we will have it taken

a. Used at least 5 times in Jesus ministry

b. Don’t mishandle God’s Blessings

3. God is the provision

a. Don’t have to be like manager

b. We have a plan all the time

c. We act on that plan

i. Called faith

4. Surprised but not off guard

a. First we ought not be dishonest

b. Second we know God’s got this

c. We don’t have to worry

i. Stress cause can’t dig a ditch

or beg

ii. God provides

iii. We have been wise

C. Be trusted with stuff that doesn’t matter – vs 11

1. If we cannot manager ourselves

a. God wont trust us with others

b. God wants to bless

i. Have to act right

ii. Have to honor Him

2. Congregation is the same

a. Have to treat souls we have now right

b. Have to grow what we have

c. If we can’t handle this

i. Wont give us more

D. Don’t be a lover of money – Vs 13

1. How to you hold money

a. Dave Ramsey example

b. If we aren’t there we have to change

2. The money isn’t ours

a. Belongs to the Lord

b. Let’s us use it

c. Must use it right

3. We Trust in God not in money

a. Its on the money

b. Understand it isn’t the paper but God

i. God provides

ii. God blesses

4. How do I act

a. When I am asked

b. When I am challenged

c. When it is required of me

d. If I lose my job

5. Have to trust God

E. Don’t scoff at this teaching – vs 14

1. Take it serious

2. Understand it

3. Be willing to change

4. Make sure we deal rightly with our money

Conclusion:

If we are scoffing we have been challenged at the message. I know I am constantly challenged by the message of God. As I studied on this, I had to ask myself, where are my treasures. Have I been dishonest, do I love money too much? When I wake up do I have to worry about the bank each day or do I rely upon God to provide? I must stop asking how will I make it, and start asking how will God use me and my money today to bless the world. Stop focusing on the money and start focusing on God. When we do this, it not only takes away the stress and take away the worries, it returns my heart to God so that I can rejoice and give freely of my own. It allows me to become a great steward of God’s things and become a lover of God and not a lover of money.