This morning I want to put a bow on our series, Margin, by examining Jesus’ words on the important subject of money. In week one, we learned the value of contentment. In week two, we learned the value of saving for a rainy day. Last week, we saw something of the joy of giving. Today, I want you to experience financial peace no matter how much or how little passes through your hands. Later this year, our campus will encourage everyone of us to go through something called Financial Peace University. Whether we have little of it or a lot, money has a powerful impact on our lives. And few areas of our lives can cause the stress that financial problems cause. Again, I want you to experience financial peace in your life.
Jesus loves to teach in parables as we’ll discover in Luke 16. Now, Jesus taught in parables to disarm his listeners, and by doing so He was able to penetrate any hardness of heart or resistance to what He is saying. A good story has strong characters and Jesus’ story has a despicable character for us today – a truly dishonest man. Jesus puts His arms around this dishonest man and tells us to act like him. Why? Because money is a test for every believer. Jesus tells us how we handle our money is a test.
Today’s Scripture
1 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ 5 So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:1–13).
Pay attention to the one, big lesson Jesus wants to teach you at the end of verse 11: “If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?” (Luke 16:11).
Earlier in this series, I told you there’s four things you need to concern yourself with money. The first is work because money comes from work. Second, you can spend money and most of us are really good at this. Third, you can give money which can impact people in need. Fourth, you can save your money. You can add a fifth option to this: using your money to secure equip your future. Your eternal future is secured by Christ and His rich grace. But you can use the resources today to furnish you eternal tomorrow.
Now, using money wisely is not about math but behavior. The difference between where you are and where you need to be is changing your behavior. By changing your habits, you can add margin to your life and reduce your financial stress.
1. A Story with a Twist
Out of all of the parables Jesus told, people find this one the most puzzling. The story begins with a boss firing money manager for mishandling his money only to have the same boss praise the same man for stealing his money! Anyone confused yet? Note carefully that Jesus is no longer speaking to the Pharisees (as He did in Luke 15) but now, He’s speaking to His disciples.
So Jesus is intentional in making sure that His followers hear this story.
1.1 Three Scenes
The story has three scenes. The first scene is the interaction between the rich man and his money manager (verses 1-2). The second scene is between the manager and the people who are in debt to the rich man (verses 3-7). And the last scene is the rich man’s surprising reaction (verse 8). But let’s walk through the story because I want you to feel just how surprising the twist at the end really is.
A rich man has someone watching over his estate – a common practice in Jesus’ day. Soon reports come to the rich man’s ears and they’re not good. It seems that the manager, the steward, is wasting his money. We’re not sure how this happens – is he in Vegas gambling? Or is the manager simply failing to work diligently to find the best price thinking the rich man has an endless supply of money? Either way, the manager is wasting someone else’s money. Notice this sentence: “And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’” (Luke 16:2) The rich man fires the manager, but he doesn’t do so immediately. The manager gets some time (weeks? days?) before his time at his job ends.
1.2 Fired from My Job
Have You Ever Been Fired? Don’t raise your hand, but have you ever been fired from a job? Did you know it was coming, that feeling in your stomach? You think, “They’re gonna come in and tell me to pack up my stuff and leave.” You are on the way out the door, the panic sets in: “What am I going to do. My next employers is going to call my former employers for a reference. What have I done? How will I feed my family?”
This manager is seized with panic when he thinks, “I’m going to have to go get a real job! I don’t want to dig ditches and I’m too proud to beg.” Soon a thought forms into a plan of action where he immediately goes and cheats his master out of more money. While the manager still has the accounting books, he runs off to several people who owe his boss significant money and appears at their doorstep.
1.3 Bargaining for My Future
Not one of these debtors wants to see the manager. They’d welcome him like you’d welcome the man who serves you an eviction notice. The men and women who owe the rich man would pay if they could but they have their bills too. But instead of demanding full payment, this soon-to-be-unemployed manager gives them a sweetheart deal. “Instead of paying $10,000, I have a beautiful offer for you today and today only… you pay me $5,000 cash and I’ll mark your debts paid in full.” This manager is clever. In the hours remaining at his job, he calls the next debtor, and it’s you. You answer the phone. Maybe you have a massive school loan to this rich guy. You get this call from the lender and he says, “We were thinking about it and we’ve decided today is your lucky day. We’re going to give you a discount.” “Really?” He says, “Yes, really. How about 50 cents on the dollar? We cancel half your debt, you send a check today.” You would say, “That’s fantastic. And to whom am I speaking?” “Oh, you’re speaking to Tim. And by the way, I’m looking for a job.” In the days he has remaining on his job, he offers 20% and 50% discounts on their bills.
1.4 The Rich Man’s Reaction
Now place yourself in the rich man’s shoes for a minute. This is the individual who oversees your retirement or your college fund for your kids. His job is to make sure you’re getting the most out of your money. And all of a sudden, you hear that you money manager isn’t doing a good job. Jesus doesn’t give us any indication that the manager’s been stealing. He simply hasn’t been doing a good job. He’s not been saving his boss money. Here’s the kicker: when the rich man finds out about his loss, he praises the man! If that isn’t surprising enough - Jesus tells His disciples that they should be like the shrewd manager.
“And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9).
Jesus is telling you that you should look past this life into the next life.
1. A Story with a Twist
2. Three Life Lessons
Jesus is giving a positive lesson from a negative example. Even sinners have something to teach us. Jesus puts a dishonest man in front of us in order that we learn how to manage our money: “The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness” (Luke 16:8a). Webster defines “shrewd” as, “…sharp or clever.” This manager is praised because he looked into the future with foresight – he made friends with the right people because he would in need very soon.
Learn three life lessons from this crook, will you?
2.1 Your Future Counts
This manager was dishonest but he also looked ahead: “The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:8-9).
This dishonest manager acted right away in order to guarantee his future.
2.1.1 Eli & King David
There’s a man named Eli in the pages of the Old Testament. Eli was a prophet and is no doubt with God in heaven above. Though he was a prophet to Israel, his family life was terrible. The Bible describes his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, as “worthless men” who “did not know the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:12). In one day his two wicked sons died and the Ark of the Covenant was lost in battle (1 Samuel 4). Just as the rich man told his manager, God spoke to the prophet, Eli: “Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager” (Luke 16:2b). Eli was saved but God found him to be a terrible manager of his family.
Or take the famous King David… he also was a manager. He soul is with God above because of His faith was in God but when it came to his family, he was also a terrible manager. When he saw the woman bathing nearby, he took her when she was another man’s wife. His family’s life was never the same and the nation of Israel was never the same. One sister was actually raped by her brother (2 Samuel 13)!
Both David and Eli were managers – terrible managers – of their families. Both men were saved but both men had to “Turn in the account of your management” (Luke 16:2b). But Jesus’ parable isn’t about managing families but managing money.
Remember this; “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).
2.1.2 Retirement Planning
This past year, I had a conversation with a Christian retirement planner – his name was Josh. He ran everything I had saved for retirement and everything I plan to save for retirement into a computer. They ran my finances and my plan for retirement in their model 1,000 times. The model essentially asked would I have enough money to retire on if I lived until eighty years of age. About half of the times, my wife were ok. So he recommended I make some adjustments in my retirement. And so I made some changes and a year later, I did a little better. I was really grateful for the counsel and for his advice because I needed someone to look at the future for me. When he encouraged me to look ahead to a day when I may not be able to work, his “future-thinking” assisted my short-sighted behavior. I bet some of you have done something similar. What does my money look like for my future?
2.1.3 Future-Thinking
But have you thought about how to use your wealth right now to impact your time in eternity? Just as this man dealt with the rich man’s money in light of his future, you are to deal with your money with your eternal future in mind. But Jesus isn’t speaking about your retirement or the next decade of your life. Jesus is speaking about your eternity.
You are to be motivated by the world to come: “Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ (Luke 16:2b) Money can be used as a tool for Christ and His kingdom. And after you are terminated, you can no longer work for your Master. After you die, you can send your wealth ahead of you to “make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth” (Luke 16:9b).
I want to be crystal clear about Jesus’ teaching about your eternal future. Jesus’ parable is directed toward believers – people who have trusted Christ and embraced the Son by faith. You CANNOT buy your way into heaven. The only purpose with deep enough pockets to buy heaven for you is Jesus who died for your sins. You CANNOT give money to secure heaven for heaven is secured this way: on screen: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). The only way to secure your eternal future is to trust the Lord Jesus Christ for your sins.
2.1.4 Heavenly Friends
And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9). But who are these “friends” that Jesus is speaking about here? These friends appear to be to believers in heaven who are there as a result of our ministry or whose lives we have touched in a significant way through the use of our material assets. Maybe you sent money to a missionary who relied on you to keep him or her in the field to share the message of the gospel. Maybe you sent money to an orphanage where house parents lovingly shared the message of the gospel. This dishonest man used his final days to win friends for his future and you are to have a strategy for your eternal future.
Jesus wants you to use your final days and your money to win friends for your future: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9). What does He mean when He says, “…they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9)?
Heaven will be a physical city and you I will have an eternal place to stay. People are going to Heaven before you and I arrive and they will welcome use from their “eternal dwellings.” Saved people will come from their respective eternal homes to greet and welcome us into our future homes. Isn’t that a wonderful picture! Who do you imagine greeting you on that beautiful day?
Again, keep your future in front of you!
God sees and God rewards His disciples who are generous with their money: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20).
Jesus wants you to see the “future-thinking” of this dishonest manager – to really look at it. Remember, my believing friends, that Jesus said, “I have gone to prepare a place for you” (John 14:1). If we follow through with Jesus’ construction imagery, then all believers are engaged in a sort of eternal building project. Again, salvation is secured by Christ’s efforts on the cross. But once we embrace Christ by faith, we can imagine that some of us are sending ahead sufficient materials for small outhouses, others for studio apartments, some for Texas-style ranch houses, and others for great big mansions. If we imagine that Jesus employs the angels in our heavenly building projects, we might envision asking them, “Why isn’t my house larger than this?” To which one the angels might reply, “We did the best we could with what you sent us.”
Again, this dishonest manager acted “right away” in order to guarantee his future. Jesus wants you to hate this man’s dishonesty but copy his future thinking.
2.1 Your Future Matters
2.2 Your Faithfulness Counts
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own” (Luke 16:10-12)?
2.2.1 Delayed Gratification
A few weeks ago, we talked about the concept of delayed gratification is a muscle each of us can grow. We delay our desires for an immediate reward to a later time when we received a greater reward. Jesus teaches us about faithfulness which is another way of saying, delayed gratification. Delayed gratification is when we delay our desires for an immediate reward to a later time when we received a greater reward.
2.2.2 The Marshmallow Experiment
In the 1960, a Stanford professor ran a series of phycological tests on hundreds of children. Most of the children were really young, between four and five years old. The experiment began by bringing each child into a private room, sitting them down in a chair, and placing a marshmallow on the table in front of them. Can you picture this in your mind? At this point, the researcher offered a deal to the child. The adult told the child that he was going to leave the room and that if the child did not eat the marshmallow while he was away, then they would be rewarded with a second marshmallow. However, if the child decided to eat the marshmallow before the researcher came back, then they would not get a second one. So the choice was simple: one treat right now or two treats later. The researcher left the room for fifteen minutes. Ladies, try this with your husbands later today, will you?
As you can imagine, the footage of the children waiting alone in the room was rather entertaining. Some kids jumped up and ate the first marshmallow as soon as the researcher closed the door. Others wiggled and bounced and scooted in their chairs as they tried to restrain themselves, but eventually gave in to temptation a few minutes later. And finally, a few of the children did manage to wait the entire time.
The really interesting part came years later. The researchers followed each child for more than forty years and over and over again, the group who waited patiently for the second marshmallow succeed in whatever capacity they were measuring. In other words, this series of experiments proved that the ability to delay gratification was critical for success in life. The children who were willing to delay gratification and waited to receive the second marshmallow ended up having higher SAT scores, lower levels of substance abuse, lower likelihood of obesity, better responses to stress, better social skills as reported by their parents, and generally better scores in a range of other life measures.
What researchers call delayed gratification, Jesus calls faithfulness. Faithfulness is the day in and day out doing the right thing that pleases the Lord. No fanfare, no newscasts, and no Instagram pictures needed. Instead, it’s just plain old faithfulness. Faithfulness is always fueled by delayed gratification. It’s the idea that I’m forgoing wealth and privilege in this life to add even more privilege and wealth in my future home.
What’s your strategy for building your eternal home? Here are three questions to ask yourself: 1)What kind of building materials are you sending to heaven ahead of you? 2)What needy person have you sacrificed yourself for? and 3) Who’s going to heaven because of your witness and your generosity?
2.1 Your Future Matters
2.2 Your Faithfulness Matters
2.3 Your God Counts
“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:13).
Here at the end, Jesus takes the dollar from your wallet and makes it stand up like a person, like a god. Jesus stands next to the god “money” and asks you, “Which one will you serve?” You see, there is long-term significance to your choices and behavior today. Money will fail you one day. Like the recession of 2007/2008, wealth will fail. Money is a great tool but a terrible master. It’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when.
2.3.1 Tithing Teaches Me to Live By Faith
Some of you say, “I don’t make enough money to tithe.” One time, Jesus said to a crippled man, “Get up and walk.” And the crippled man rose to walk though he hadn’t walked in his life (John 5:8). Jesus said to another man with a withered hand, “Stretch out your hand” (Matthew 12:13). Both command were beyond what either person could possibly do. Yet, at Jesus’ command the one man walked and other stretched out his hand. It was only after they obeyed that they experienced the miracles. You say, “I cannot walk and I cannot tithe.” Jesus says, “Take up your mat and walk.” Trust Jesus to do more with your money that you could by yourself. Would you do that? Trust Jesus to do more with your money that you could by yourself.
2.3.2 Tithing Pleases God
God told the ancient believers in Moses’ day, “Don’t appear before me with empty hands” (Deuteronomy 16:16). Tithing is an act of worship. Obedience pleases God even in the area of money.
Prove the Tithe Sunday
Let me challenge all the believers here: Sunday, February 2 is Prove the Tithe Sunday. Many of you were present last week but be patient with me as I walk us through this again. Let this be a holy moment for all of us, will you? Again, there’s a card in your worship guide and I want you to take this in your hand, if you will. Prayerfully consider what the Lord would have you do know that you hear God’s words on money. What would one Sunday look like if everyone gave ten percent of their income.
Sunday, February 2 is Tailgate Sunday and it’s going to be a great day. We’ll have former Baylor basketball player, Matt Sayman, will share his story of how the Lord moved his life to direction and purpose after a scandal on the Baylor Men’s team. We’ll tailgate throughout the facility, wear your favorite team’s jersey, and ask the Lord to bring people to faith in Christ. Don’t be afraid to invite your unchurched friends thinking I’m going to make a big deal about the tithe on that Sunday. Sunday, February 2 is going to work like an iceberg where we are going to prepare “underneath the water” and ahead of time. On “Prove the Tithe” Sunday, we will simply take an offering. What would one Sunday look like if everyone gave 10% of their income. Again, we’ll not make a big deal of the offering on Sunday, February 2 but I am asking you to really pause and pray right now. Married people, I invite you to join hands and pray together on this, will you? Use the card as your altar as you have three options:
Prove the Tithe card instructions...
1) Try giving 10% for three months.
2) Commit to 10% for 1 year.
3) Commit to above 10% for 1 year.
Take time to pray over this card, will you?
2.3.3 Tithing Breaks the Grip of Greed
Pastor Rick Warren says, you spell love G-I-V-E. Probably the most famous verse in the Bible is John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave his son…” The Bible says every good gift comes from God. We’re most like God when we’re generous, because everything we have is a gift. Giving breaks the grip of materialism in my life. My heart grows bigger when I give.
