Living For Christ In This World! Series

There are a number of major truths in our Christian faith. In preparation for our message today, let us note and always remember 3 major truths:

1. You and I are fearfully and wonderfully created by God!

God exists and He created everything including all people!

2. All people, including us, have disobeyed God.

3. God loves every person.

The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son describe a loving God. We continue the lessons from Jesus Christ as He tells the parable of the shrewd manager in Luke 16.

Before reading our passage, let us note a few things to help us understand the lesson:

v1: lesson was for the Disciples (followers of Christ)

v2-4: manager was not immediately fired

v8: rich man was likely not a godly person

v10-13: most important verses (look at it now…)

v14-15: shrewd manager represented the Pharisees who Jesus reprimanded

Read along with me now the whole passage; Luke 16:1-15….

Let us summarize the story. The manager was not fired yet but before he was fired he made deals with his master’s clients!

Why did the manager do that? Look again at v4…..

And we read what he did in v5-7: and so,

Before losing his job, the manager made deals with his master’s clients in the hopes of getting selfish favors back from those clients.

Even as Christians, many of us do this, don’t we? It is part of our sinful human nature, we do things for others to get favors back. Sadly, even Christians do things for God to negotiate with God. Instead of doing things for God out of love, we do things to demans something from God. Remember, God is our Creator, we are the created; we can not demand anything from God. God already knows what’s best for us!

Now, what do we note in v8? The master commended the shrewd manager. Why would a master commend a dishonest, shrewd manager??

The rich master was likely shrewd and dishonest himself!

Jesus then explains the lessons in v8-13. In order to make sense of it all, we need to look at the main points of Jesus.

v8b: People in the world treat each other shrewdly better than Christians.

v9: Jesus encourages friendships in the world with heaven in mind.

v10-12: A person’s integrity and honesty will reap benefits.

v13: One must decide on one master to serve (either God or self).

And in v14-15, we note that the Pharisees, the religious leaders, were still criticizing Jesus, and so, Jesus responded to them. Basically, Jesus told them that what is important is what God sees in people’s hearts! This reprimand to the Pharisees actually sums up the lesson in this passage; and we must keep always keep this in mind. We cannot hide anything from our Creator God; He knows our hearts.

What was the main lesson from Jesus to His disciples?

Disciples of Christ are to live in the world with a focus on heaven with the following in mind:

a. Many people in the world will live shrewdly for their own gain (be careful of partnering with them; this is why God instructs Christians in 2 Corinthians 6:14 to not be yoked with unbelievers). God knows our hearts!

In this world, whether in marriage or in business, we are to be careful who we partner with, but it does not mean we are not to be friends with people. As a matter of fact, our Lord Jesus encourages us to befriend people, but with heaven in mind. Why do we do what we do? There should always be a connection with God. God knows our hearts!

b. With ALL resources available to us, even from non-believers, we are to friend people for the glory of God, not for selfish gains. What resources do we need to have friends??

Material things are necessary here on earth and they are only evil when not used for God’s glory.

Examples…. Money, music, technology, buidlings….

Material things are necessary here on earth and they are only evil when not used for God’s glory. How do we keep this straight?

c. Always remember that God knows our hearts and so we must always choose Jesus Christ to be Master of our everything! Is Jesus Christ Master of everything in your life? Take a moment to quiet your heart before God, take an inventory of things you have and do, place them at the feet of Jesus Christ.