FBCWest 404 | The Parable about a Mismanaging Manager
Recorded On: 06/21/2020
Bulletin
FBCWest
June 21, 2020
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”
“Victory in Jesus”
Praise and Worship
SCRIPTURE READING – 1 Chronicles 16:28 - 33
“Miracle of Life”
“The Time Has Come”
“Control”
“With Everything”
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
SPECIAL MUSIC – By Pru Hungate
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“The Parable about a Mismanaging Manager”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“I Am Not the Same”
Acknowledgements and Announcements
Benediction “Won’t Stop Now”
Sermon Notes
Luke 16:1 & 2 Manager removed & accounting required
Luke 16:3 & 4 Fired manager develops a plan
Luke 16:5 – 7 He executes his plan
Luke 16:8 & 9 Master’s praise and instruction
Luke 16:10 – 12 Faithfulness in small things creates more opportunity
Luke 16:13 You cannot serve God and wealth
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
I am.
Keenly aware.
That as a person who.
Teaches the scriptures.
That I am held to a higher standard.
And therefore I.
Not only hope, I want to get it right.
A lot of pastors and preachers. Their style for preparing for the sermon is to prepare Saturday night.
And then give their presentation. And I'm not saying it doesn't work for them, and I'm not saying that their message or not better than mine, but i'ma tell you why what I do.
This message was prepared.
Two or three weeks ago.
After I gave the last message, I start thinking an meditating and rereading this passage.
So that I have little excuse.
To get it wrong.
I can't say well, I didn't have time Saturday night because something came up.
And I say that because what I'm going to.
Speak on this passage.
Is different than the commentaries that you will have seen different from the questions that you will have asked. And I'm not saying they're not legitimate questions, they are and will deal briefly with them.
But it seems that the commentaries which I look at after I think to make sure I'm kinda at least on the right.
Road is to look at them and there are times and this is one where in my not so humble opinion. I think they majored on the minors.
Just as last time we took a look at the three parables that Jesus taught.
That he is speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees and scribes and other religious leaders that I said.
I think everybody's got it wrong and you know that.
Pretty hubris of me to say.
The the.
Point of the Parables was not about the loss. Sheep was not about the loss coin. It was not about the prodigal son, but it was about God the father. The God seeks and receives those that are lossed and even those who have the wrong attitude. And so today is again one of those situations where I am going to depart from, or at least emphasize what they do not do. So if you disagree with Maine.
That you're right to have your opinion an.
In my humble opinion, had the right to be wrong, but will take a look at Luke Chapter 16 starting with verse one and two, and we'll go from there. We're just going to take a look at 13 verses.
Now he was also saying to the disciples, so I want you to notice the shift.
The previous three parables were given to the religious leaders. Those who just didn't see. Now he's turned his attention in his speaking to his disciples, so we need to remember that. So he's talking to his disciples, and then he says there was a rich man who had a manager and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. Now I want you to notice that the same English word, which is also the same.
Greek word that was used about the prodigal son who squandered his inheritance.
You see, this manager did ingest.
Do whatever he squandered his managers, his owners possessions.
And so that's the situation. It wasn't a matter of of.
Making greater terrible investments, he squandered it.
And he called him and said to him, What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manage are so he's fired. The mash goes.
Ever notice he doesn't offer defense? He just says you're fired? I've heard about it. Now you have.
Your cease to be employed, but you're going to render me in accounting of what you've done.
The manager said to himself, what shall I do since my master is taking the management away from Maine, I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg.
So he comes to a realization he goes OK. I used to have a cushy job. It was an office job. I get to get to be on the highest floor and lookout over the city. And it was cool. and I had air conditioned office. And now I've lost that job. And I'm.
I'm not strong enough to dig their, obviously not going to hire me for that, and he goes. In essence, I have too much pride. I'm ashamed to beg because what's going to happen is if he holds out that sign on the.
Exit of the 405 people going to say, but did you manage the rich guys money? So not only is he poor, but everybody is going to know who he was so he's ashamed of it.
So he knows he has a problem.
So what does he do?
I know what I shall do.
So that when I am removed from the management, people will welcome me into their homes. So it comes up with a plan. This is the plan and he summoned each of the one of his Masters debtors and he began saying to the first, how much do you owe my master? And he said 100 measures of oil. Notice it's not money, it's it's product.
He goes I own 100 over 100 measures of oil and he said to him, take your bill and sit down quickly. An right 50. He cut it in half.
Then he said to another, how much do you owe? And he said 100 measures of wheat, and he said to him, take your bill and write down 80.
Now I want you to 1st understand that he just gave 2 examples.
The mismanaging manager
did this to all the debtors.
Now, why would he do that?
We're going to see, but the reason he would do it is that you might give.
Forgive one or two people.
But the odds are greater if you forgive everyone that somebody is going to treat you well, that somebody is going to appreciate what you've done, and so his plan is and so.
His plan is in essence, to forgive so that when he's out of a job, people will look kindly on him and help him out in his master, praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly.
Now.
Here's the problem that everybody that takes look at they go.
Yeah, but.
He ripped off his.
The Master.
Well, he's worried about ripping off the master. He would have squandered the money to begin with. So little late to be ethical.
Next
I want you to notice.
That
Some people will say, Well, you know, it just bothers me that this guy is and that he's going to get praised for it.
So some people come up with an explanation and say well what he did. Was he reduced his Commission.
Now we lawyers call that assuming facts not in evidence.
There is nothing in this parable that says he did that.
He reduced the bill that is managed that the master was old.
And everybody, Yeah, but it's.
But I don't understand. I don't get it because we're starting to major on the minors.
The point isn't, here's the point.
And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relationship to their own kind than the sons of light.
The point is not that the Miss Management reduced all these things. The point is, is that the people of this world
know how to act in this world. But the people who are in the Kingdom don't have a clue.
He's saying This guy goes OK. I have a problem.
I can't work hard and I don't want to beg, so I'm going to forgive everybody so that when I forgive everybody, somebody or some, some buddies are a number of somebody's will treat me kindly and I'll have a decent life. He says he's acting shrewdly.
And you can see that in world even you can go to any.
Job you've ever had and some people act rudely inch true to me is a little kind of negative but it's also a sense of being keen or being.
Specific on on what you did your astute and what you're doing. And there are some people who they think their shrewd or astute and they're not. And I'll tell you why, there not because you know at your office or your workplace, there are some people who do what people call suck up.
Or the less nice term Brown nose.
And everybody goes. You're only doing that to get ahead. Well, that's not so shrewd 'cause everybody knows why you're doing it. And probably the boss knows why you're doing it. A shrewd person says, how is it that I get ahead? How is it that I become successful and they place their time and efforts in doing that? Politicians will act rudely. They'll see what the political winds are or what the culture is doing and they will jump out in front and say follow Maine.
Well, you don't have a clue before and you just want to get an deleted the pact or you'll have businesses who will act rudely and they will eliminate the competition so that they have no competition so that their business will thrive and succeed.
And Jesus is point is.
The people of this world.
Know how to treat one another. Know how to get ahead. Know how to do these things.
But the children of the light, the children of the Kingdom, just seem to not have a clue.
So.
I'm going to give you some clues.
We need.
And as I don't like the word shrewd, we need to act astutely.
So how is it that we act astutely well? I'm going to take one of these samples from this.
It's not so much about.
Money, but there are people.
Who have hurt you, who have wronged you who've done said or done all sorts of manners of bad things against you.
Be forgiving.
And that's true door student. A couple of reasons.
Number one if you are a forgiving person, odds are people that you have been being forgiving will also forgive you. Now there will be a couple of people who will hold on and won't be forgiving because you have. That's just kind of the nature, but when you're forgiving to everybody.
The odds are.
Most people are going to be.
See you as someone they want to be around. It's also in your best interest, and I'll tell you why.
When Jesus.
Was asked will teach us to pray.
Part of that prayer is.
Forgive us.
Our debts.
As.
The same as we have forgiven our debtors.
You see, we have a tendency to forget the tension. Yes, we are saved by Grace and by Grace alone, and that is the only way that we enter heaven. But we also are to hold and be held accountable for what we have done and gods as you want to be forgiven. Then you need to forgive. And so it is in your best interest to forgive not only because in God Forgives you, but because other people will see you as a forgiving and loving person, which is another.
Way to act astutely?
Be loving.
You notice Jesus.
Had all sorts of people who came to him.
Tax collectors centers
fisherman.
Even religious people.
Prostitute all those because they saw Jesus as a person who loved.
And not only did he love, he told us to love, and he told us not only to love our neighbor as ourselves, as the Old Testament says, and he told us also to love our enemy and to pray for those who persecute us. He told us to love.
Each other as he has loved us.
And given himself for us.
We need to act.
Astutely
and be loving?
To each other.
'cause as Jesus said, they will know that you are my disciples because you have love for one another.
And there all other kinds of ways that we can act rudely or astutely, and we ought to do those things.
Because it's the right thing. So he goes and I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of wealth, of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into eternel dwellings.
She's saying use your money.
To do good things.
So that when you do good things.
People will see you as a person who is a giver.
Now the interesting thing when Jesus tells us about giving.
He usually doesn't say well.
Give to give to, as he said previously, don't give to somebody.
Don't ask them to dine with you if they can turn around and invite you to their party, he says. Invite those feed those who cannot repay.
Acting astutely in spiritual matters is not investing in those who can return to you.
But investing in those who can't return to you because that's what your father does.
So when we do these things, when were forgiven when we're loving when we're giving? When we do these things then people will see that we are.
Disciples of the Lord, and that we are children of God.
It's interesting.
That the people of this world will act rudely.
To acquire things.
It will not last.
Bill Gates is a very rich man.
So rich that he give billions of dollars away and still have billions.
But there will come a time that he will not be able to take one dime with him.
I.
Well, probably have a better casket in me.
But we're both going to end up dead.
Unless Jesus comes first.
I don't know where his final destination is.
I don't pretend to be God. I don't tend to know.
But I know he can't buy his way into heaven.
Jesus paid it all.
And so.
We need.
To be those people.
Who are shrewd in our dealings in spiritual matters?
We should spend at least as much time.
On spiritual matters.
As we do temporary earthly matters.
Because let's face it.
Temporary is just that, temporary external is forever.
And so my reading of this parable.
Is not to be challenged with the ethics.
Of the manager.
And is not to be challenged by the praise.
Of the master.
But to see what Jesus is teaching you and me.
To be astute in spiritual things.
And then he's going to make it clear. In verse 13 he says no servant can serve 2 Masters where he will either.
I hate the one and love the other or else will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and well notice he didn't say. Well, you can serve God 80percent an and well 20percent or you can get close to 5050 or 99. One he saying it's.
It's one or the other.
You can serve wealth, or you can serve God.
By serving God he can give you well and I'm there are very few people I've known, but there have been some who have been.
Richer than most. They're not Bill Gates rich, and their belief that God bless them in finances so that they could bless other people with their finances, just as some people feel that they need to teach children Bible stories and whatever, so that they can invest their selves and make sure that that was his ministry.
But he acknowledged that God gave him the ability.
To make money.
Not for him to hold it.
Before him to invest it in others.
The scriptures say.
Which is often misquoted the scripture says the love of money is the root of all evil it doesn't say money says the love of money?
An money will have a way of corrupting us.
The shiny it allows us to get things that we ordinarily might not be able to get. It allows us to have positions that we might not ordinarily have, and so it's seductive.
And God knows that it's seductive.
So it says you need to serve me.
Or well.
Choose.
The mismanaging manager
chose.
Well.
And squandered it.
God is teaching us.
To be shrewd in spiritual matters.
Now.
He doesn't say this in this parable.
I'm going to bring it up anyway.
You are a manager.
God has given you things.
God has given you life.
God has given you blessings.
God is giving you homes and families.
And whatever else that God has blessed you with.
You take a look at this.
Person and we think about how unethical he acted.
How ethical are we acting but with God is given to us?
As even your breath is not your own.
It is given by God.
So.
We will be giving an accounting.
Someday.
For those of us who are believers, it's called the Bema seat.
And will be rewarded for those things that God has.
Determined that we have done because we sought his Kingdom.
And we will suffer loss.
For the things that we hoped.
To benefit ourselves.
Now the great thing about the Bema seat.
Is that you still get to go to heaven?
And being in heaven by the skin of your teeth is still better than not being.
You're saying?
But I'm here to say to me 3 fingers pointing back.
And do you?
If we are to give an accounting.
I don't have to head my hang my head in shame. And yeah, I mismanaged it.
I squandered it.
We tend to think that Heaven is the great communist state in the Sky.
For everybody.
Is treated the same well? If that's the case, why is there the bema seat? Why is there given crowns of gold, and why is there?
Things that we've done. Our qualified as gold and silver and precious stones versus wood, hay, and stubble.
There is an accounting that would be done.
So I'm here to tell us me an you church.
If Heaven isn't the great communist state index guy.
Why don't we become richer than Bill Gates in heaven?
Has Bill Gates can't keep it?
But when we're in Heaven, it will be for eternity.
I'm going to end on a joke.
There was a lawyer.
And a pastor who died.
And they both went to the.
Gates of Heaven in Saint Peter met them.
In Phase Saint Peter said I'll firstly escort you to your new abode.
So those will take the lawyer first so that it went to the lawyers in this.
A 37 bedroom mansion.
With more bathrooms than that.
Olympic size pool. Everything's in marble and gold is just beautiful. It has grounds that are Immaculate.
And same here goes. This is your boat.
So the lawyer goes and takes his place in his new home.
The pastor is excited as a lawyer got that I can.
Hardly wait to see what I'm going to get. So the Saint Peter takes the pastor.
To his abode.
Which is a studio apartment doesn't even have a whole bedroom.
Almost like a portal body, it's just it's bear.
Individuals wait a minute saying, but I don't get it. I served as a pastor for over 30 years. I didn't take much of a salary. I was always dealing with people and you know, the people are God or just difficult. and I dealt with them. I always dealt with him with a smile on my face. I don't understand why this is the lawyer. Get the mentioned and I get a studio apartment.
In Saint Peter says, 'cause the lawyer is the only one we have in heaven. We have hundreds of thousands of you pastors.
So.
I don't know what you're going to be entitled to it. I don't know what I'm going to be entitled to.
But I want to tell you this.
This be shrewd in our spiritual matters.
Let's think.
Just as a business person might think, How do I advance my business?
That we might think. How do I advance the Kingdom?
Yeah, I'm tired.
In his Sunday morning and maybe other shirts. And maybe I'm not, do you think the business owner says I'm tired? No, no, he's gonna go to his business and work it.
For those of you who love the.
Dallas Cowboys and I don't. But though for those of you who do, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, who is now a billionaire because he owns the Dallas Cowboys.
Said when you're the owner of a business, you will sweep the floors to make sure your business is successful.
We need to do that when it comes to the Kingdom of God. There is no job too low.
No job too high, no job that you're not qualified and no job that you are qualified when God calls you, he makes you able to do.
Be shrewd.
Think about the opportunities.
You see, my wife has an advantage over many of you. She's gotta put up with me.
So I'm pretty convinced that during the thousand year Kingdom she's going to get a nice house on the beach, someplace like a Malibu or whatever.
As I often say, I'll get a 711 in Barstow, but it's OK 'cause she said a bakers wear. Yeah well, Baker, feel sorry, get bigger. Well so is Barstow.
Sometimes that we don't know.
But be Shrew Vikene the astute.
In the business of God.
Because I may be wrong.
Heaven maybe?
The great communist state in the Sky.
But I do know.
That we will all given accounting before the Bema seat.
Therefore.
Let us.
Not be like the mismanaging manager who squandered the opportunity.
But it take it.
And invest ourselves our time, our talents to increase.
The Kingdom of God.
Because we are not the same having come into contact with Jesus.
We now have a different emphasis.
We now have a different goal.
The goal is not the bank account.
But to hear well done, good and faithful slave.
And all God's people said.