LUKE 16:1-13

 LUKE 16:1-13

This parable follows the parable of the lost coin, sheep and the lost son. JESUS spoke these to the Pharisees and scribes about the tax collectors and the sinners. This brings to light the value of souls and Kingdom perspectives.

 He also said to His disciples: 

This parable JESUS directs to His disciples who were following Him. Therefore it is relevant to those of us who have decided to follow the LORD. 

"There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 

I need to put myself in the shoes of the steward, to be able to learn the lessons taught here. A steward is a servant who has a responsible position and on whom his master places reliability and from whom his master expects loyalty.

The rich man is: things depicting the world and its systems which is also referred to as mammon. If we are not materially profitable in this world, we would be considered by the people of the world as ‘wasting his goods.’

We are stewards of the LORD in His eternal Kingdom. GOD expects us to be profitable in His Kingdom by reaching others with the Gospel and building others in their faith. We must also use all our resources and possessions for Kingdom profit. We must give of our time, energy and skills and money to meet the needs of servants of GOD and ministry work. We should also give to the needs of the poor and needy.

So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' 

Stewardship - All of us have various responsibilities in this world to use our life - time, talent and resources responsibly to benefit ‘the world’. This could be through a secular job adding value to a company or through our knowledge and skills adding value to the world. “Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward” are the words the world will say to us when our lives become unprofitable to the world because of age or disability. One day the world will consider us more as a burden and as ‘wasting his goods’!

We have a responsibility to be profitable for the Kingdom as we live for the LORD and the LORD has promised to meet all our needs. Matt 6:33. It is not only ‘doing’ but being salt and light through our attitude and love that we serve the LORD. Therefore even in old age or through disability, we can still bring profit to the Kingdom of GOD.

 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,

Psalm 92:12-14

We must realize that when we are called home to be with the LORD we can no longer be steward and each one of us will be called to give an account of our stewardship before GOD.

Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' 

Like the wise steward, we must say within ourselves that our stewardship in this world will come to an end one day. Whether it be at retirement from work or at death. We must give thought to our future and our eternal destination right here and now.

Our loyalty must shift from mammon to GOD like the steward.

So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' 

This steward spent his time and energy to earn a living by serving his master. He was probably a debt collector for the rich man who was his master. He was squandering his masters money by helping himself to it while also pressurising the debtors to pay their debts. He was secure in the favor of his master until he was found out. Then his loyalty shifted to the debtors and he decided to get their favor to secure his future at the expense of his master’s profit!

We may have been secure in this world while serving mammon and earning our living. When we realise this life will come to an end one day, and we will be called to give an account to GOD. to Whom we are indebted and owe Him our very life! He is our Master and whatever we may do, we must seek profit for His Kingdom. Therefore we must use our position, possessions, resources, skills, time and energy to see souls won for Him and discipled to follow and serve Him. Our loyalty must shift from mammon to GOD. Even in secular work, our purpose and motive should be Kingdom profit.

Are we praying and interceding for our work mates?

Are we a witness for the LORD through our attitude and behavior?

Do we take every opportunity to make JESUS known?

 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Luke 16:13

Debt and Debtors:

Like the steward, we are debt collectors for the Kingdom and proclaim the Good News of the Gospel, letting people know their debt towards the LORD and bringing them to salvation in CHRIST. We must let people know that one day each one of us ‘can no longer be steward’ when we die. On that day we will stand before GOD to give an account of our life on earth. JESUS CHRIST made a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled to GOD so that we may not perish in hell but have eternal life in Heaven with Him! 

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

As JESUS gave His very life as a sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness and salvation of our soul and rose again from the dead and ascended back to Heaven, we owe our very life to Him. This we fulfil by surrendering our life to Him and receiving the Holy Spirit to come into our life. We must allow the Holy Spirit to live through us.

 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.

Isaiah 43:1

 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

John 14:23

 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 3:16

 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

Mark 8:34-38

We would be unjust and cheating, if we tell people anything less than the truth. The truth is that all of us owe our very lives to the LORD JESUS! We should be loyal first of all to the LORD and then to people. We cannot soft-pedal the Gospel for our benefit or to gain favor from people.

In one sense, we are like debt collectors for the LORD, the debt being souls! 

 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.

Proverbs 11:30

In doing this, we are securing an eternal home for ourselves and for those souls won into the Kingdom of GOD.

 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Matthew 10:16

So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Luke 16:1-13

CROSSROAD

 CROSSROAD

Vaccination or No-Vaccination?

When you are at the crossroad, follow the cross.

Decisions are not easy most of the time.

Direction needs to be a clear sign.

The rationalization of the mind may be different to the way of the Spirit. Therefore after working things out with your mind, you have to yield to the Holy Spirit.

The cross is the way of the LORD JESUS. As His followers, we must follow the cross. That means denying my 'self' and laying down all that means 'life' to me.

This begins with my thinking. I have to be renewed in my mind.

My soul needs to be subject to the Spirit. Then I can willingly not only bow my head, knees and my body to the LORD in worship but also prostrate my body, yielding and surrendering my whole life towards unquestioning obedience to the LORD! This means speaking, working and walking in step with the Holy Spirit.

The LORD is interested in the motives of the mind and in the attitudes of the heart. He doesn't just see what we do, but why we do it and with what attitude we do it.

The commandment is, "Love one another as I have loved you."

How did JESUS love us?

He gave up His life for us on the cross.

checklist

Am I doing this to justify myself?

Am I doing this to protect myself?

Am I not doing this to justify myself?

Am I not doing this to protect myself?

Am I making this decision because of my love for the LORD?

Will the LORD'S name be glorified through this decision?

Will others benefit and be blessed through this decision?

 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, 

let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 

Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, 

and then He will reward each according to his works.

Matthew 16:24-27

 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.

Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, 

and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 

Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. 

Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. 

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. 

Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 

He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; 

and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. 

He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; 

and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 

For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 

For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. 

Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, 

that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? 

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 

For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, 

And every tongue shall confess to God." 

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 

Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, 

not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way. 

I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; 

but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 

Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. 

Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 

Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, 

but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 

For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace 

and the things by which one may edify another. 

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. 

All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 

It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles 

or is offended or is made weak. 

Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. 

Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, 

because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Romans 14:1-23

 Stand fast therefore in the liberty 

by which Christ has made us free, 

and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 

Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, 

Christ will profit you nothing. 

And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised 

that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 

You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; 

you have fallen from grace. 

For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, 

but faith working through love. 

You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 

This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 

A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 

I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; 

but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. 

And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. 

I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off! 

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; 

only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, 

but through love serve one another. 

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 

But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Galatians 5:1-15

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, 

but a new creation.

Galatians 6:15

In the spiritual realm, the only division is:

those who have JESUS and those who don't have JESUS 

in their lives!

Virus or no virus

vaccination or no - vaccination

is not the issue in the Kingdom of GOD!

 He who has the Son has life; 

he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:12

 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, 

and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
John 17:3

 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, 

and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. 

And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, 

"Are You for us or for our adversaries?" 

So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." 

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, 

"What does my Lord say to His servant?" 

Then the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, 

"Take your sandal off your foot, 

for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

Joshua 5:13-15