Two Year Gospel Study Week 39

Luke 16:1-13. Jesus warns that no one can serve two masters. Will you be devoted to God - or to "stuff?" This Parable of the Shrewd Manager is one of Jesus' most controversial parables and one of the most difficult parable to understand. Join us a Pastor Dodge digs deep into this parable and pulls out some amazing nuggets of the wisdom Jesus is sharing in the challenging parable. Luke 16:8, Jesus says, "For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourself, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." What Jesus is saying? He's saying that many times unbelieving people are very shrewd in their daily dealings. They look out into the distance, rather than being preoccupied with the here and now and the immediate. This manager recognizes that he was soon to be out of a job and he had a limited window of time left. So he willingly sacrifices his own commission, in order to ingratiates himself with his masters debtors so that he makes sure that in the long run, in the future, blessings like employment would come. Jesus is saying, "God's people need to take that to heart." Because you see so often we get so preoccupied with what is going on in the moment that we forget our eternal destiny. So often we become so overwhelmed by the events of daily life. Maybe you're going through something like that in your life today, where all sorts of things have piled up suddenly and that is all you can see. What Jesus is saying is remember your ultimate destiny. If you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, if you trust in Him and He is your Savior and your Lord then you know that our ultimate destiny is not to rest 6 feet under. It is not simply to try to make it through the next years or decades of our lives. Our ultimate destiny is to be with the Lord forever. He has made us His managers. Do we understand this? Everything we have comes from God. We so often like to pat ourselves on the back and talk about our accomplishments, of what we've accumulated and what we've done. But the book of James tells us, "Every good and perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of the heavenly lights." Nothing that you have or that I have is something that we earned or deserved. It is a gift. Our talents, our abilities, intelligence, riches, you name it, everything ultimately is from God Himself, and we are simply the managers of what He's given us. Jesus is encouraging us to manage wisely. Learn from this shrewd but disreputable character who had enough foresight to realize the future is more important than the immediate. Do not confuse the gift with the Giver. Understand God is the giver of everything. We are to use everything in a way that gives Him glory. Be generous. Put your faith in the living God into action by being generous toward others. It is what Jesus taught over and over again. In the gospel of Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." What Jesus is telling us is that everything we have comes from Him. As individuals who realize how much God loves us, who are repentant before Him, realizing we don't bring anything to the heavenly party. God has done it all. He has given us everything including His only Son Jesus. God offers life forever, by faith in Jesus, and He promises that He will even reward me, sinner though I am, for following Him and trusting Him. He wants me to use everything He's given me, wisely. We so often hoard what we have, but we are called to keep in mind our futures and give with in a manner that shows where our eyes are, on the reward of a future with God forever, because the Father gives us every good gift, everything we have is from Him, so now we are simply His managers and as His managers were are to be: -- Generous in helping others -- Generous in sharing our faith -- Generous in calling people to a knowledge of the living God -- Trustworthy in the way we deal with others -- Trustworthy in the way we relate to God -- Trustworthy in the way we use the resources, abilities, skills, gifts, finances, time, opportunities we are given -- Devoted to the Living God -- Reflecting God's Love, Mercy, Purity, Goodness, Faithfulness - Not to earn anything, but instead because we've been given everything, including salvation! -- Be generous because God is generous. -- Be trustworthy because Gos is trustworthy. -- Be devoted to God because He's devoted to us! At the end of time, Stuff doesn't last, it doesn't remain, but GOD DOES AND PROMISES DO! He is calling us to repentance and to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, The One Who Is THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL!! And this is the One we serve! https://www.awakeusnow.com The Parables of Jesus is part two of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. Jesus is known for telling some of the greatest stories ever told. In telling these stories He uses the form of a parable which is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus' parables resonate in every culture and in every generation around the world. This study is great for large group. small group or home group Bible study.