Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
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Conscientiousness
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Shrewd Stewardship
You probably have noticed this emotional and moral roller coaster that the Gospel of Luke rides.
We like the parts when Jesus heals and loves.
We don’t like the parts when he speaks to us about our own decisions.
Maybe those sections are not for us!
But, you know they are for us.
Today’s topic will seem to be about money...
But money is not the topic...
Heart
This should not surprise us, it is a topic that Jesus addresses quite often.
But, you have to apply some wisdom to follow the first part of the story.
It is not easy to understand because we insert God into the story.
And perhaps we should pause before we do that.
Let’s look into this story and see what it has to teach us.
One of the first mistakes we can make is to insert God or Jesus in this story as the rich man.
This is a parable, but the parable relates to life on earth, in the system of Babylon.
The story is setup, so let’s see where we go from here.
How do you think this stewards master will respond?
It is pretty clever, right?
The rich man, the master, will be losing his profits.
You might think, “profits,” but yes, profits.
You see, when you owed a debt, the interest was often 50% sometimes less, sometimes more, depending on what was loaned and the lender.
The rich man is likely getting at least his principal back, so he is not out everything.
Let’s see how the rich man, the master, responds.
Luke 16:8–9 (BE:NT)
‘And the master praised the dishonest steward because he had acted wisely.
The master and rich man is impressed with the steward.
Because he acted wisely.
How can this be a parable about God or Jesus?
Have you ever heard of a time when God or Jesus praised something dishonest?
Wouldn’t that go against one of the big ten?
Do you see what I mean?
The rich man is not God.
The rich man is representative of the world and its system.
Jesus breaks into the parable to explain a principle.
What is the principle?
What did the dishonest servant do?
He took what belonged to the Master, gave it to the people in debt, and bettered his own situation.
His purpose was selfish.
And here is Jesus’ point...
****** SLIDE *****
So let me tell you this:...
What is the problem with this model?
What is the problem with giving away what you have to make friends?
The friends.
What if they don’t house you when you’re broke!
But what if....
What if he is not talking about money...
Where would you build a home that will last?
Is this parable about money?
Is this parable about wealth?
Yes, but not the kind of currency and wealth we think about.
What did Jesus say about where to store your real treasure, your real wealth?
You store it in heaven.
How do you do that?
Generosity.
Loving others.
And if we are not faithful in that, then we will be poor.
The point of this is not that God gives us money to give away, the point is God gives us love and we don’t give it away.
That is why he can say...
Notice the equation.
God and money.
Just like many, many people do today.
We don’t call it mocking, we call it investing.
We call it being wise and smart with money.
That is the hard truth.
Our believing loyalty is to money, things, this life, not to God, his principles, his ways, his love.
How do you do this?
Your wealth testifies to your goodness, your righteousness.
God finds it abominable.
Jesus is going to tie this back to the law, because this is not a new concept.
In other words, the ways of God, his purposes, his will, what he has said will happen.
His plan....will endure and will come.
The scripture testifies to this.
Jesus wraps this up with a closing statement that comes from left field.
It’s like it makes no sense being here...
UNLESS YOU KNOW THE SCRIPTURES...
Quick poll around the room...
Why is this here?
This whole section been about:
Loyalty
Stewardship
Believing in a coming kingdom
Working with real treasure
Isn’t it all about this...
Here is where we are going to wrap it today.
You must realize what you have been given
In order to care for it well.
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