“Entrusted With Much”
Because God Is Generous Series
Luke 16:1-13 (quotes taken from the NKJV unless noted)
Wakelee Church ~ November 7, 2004
Theme: We are called to be faithful with all the resources that God gives us.
Introduction – “I’d give more but…”
In a recent USA Today poll, people were asked to finish this sentence, “I’d give more, but…”
Their replies…
84 percent said they doubted their donation would be put to good use.
80 percent said job demands left them no time to participate.
79 percent said that they had no excess income to give.
70 percent said family commitments consumed all their extra time.
Most of us might have similar answers…right?
But suppose that no one gave? There would be no neighborhood sports teams for the kids, no parades or holiday celebrations, no blood banks to supply hospitals and not enough hospitals for everyone.
There would be no Salvation Army or Helping Hands to help the needy and no Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, among others, who shelter those who need to escape from our cold winters.
There would be no churches. Without money, none would be built, and without paid workers, none would function.
Now some would say that might be too dramatic. But, in reality, our giving does affect others. And more importantly, I believe how we give is a direct reflection on our idea of who God is.
When we say, “I’d give more, but…” what we are doing is making excuses.
Warrant Wiersbe said in his autobiography entitled Be Myself “If life is to have meaning, and if God’s will is to be done, all of us have to accept who we are and what we are, give it back to God, and thank Him for the way He made us. What I am is God’s gift to me; what I do with it is my gift to Him.” (source: www.sermoncentral.com)
Since we have been entrusted with much, we have been called to be faithful with that which we’ve been given.
This faithfulness is a product of understanding. The first thing we need to understand is that it is God’s resources, not ours, which enable us to give.
I – God’s resources, not ours, enable us to give.
This is the story of our unjust steward. Caught wasting his master’s goods and subsequently
fired, he knew that he needed someone’s resources other than his own to survive. Look at verse 3, “Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do…I cannot dig, I am ashamed to beg.”
His resolve was simple. By using what authority he had been given, he quickly made for himself a future by forgiving the debt of other masters, so that he would have some future.
It astounds us that his current master is not upset by this practice, which could lead us to assume that the steward was just forgiving the interest of, or removing his personal commission from, the debts which would leave only what was owed to the master by these others.
But in any case, this unjust steward knew that his giving would bring about what he needed. And so impressed was his original master that he was commended for dealing so shrewdly, even though he was still fired.
What does this story tell us?
First, I believe we can see a Master in this story that gives abundantly. Even in the midst
of all that he has given to this steward, and how this steward bundled his resources, this steward still receives his master’s commendation.
Second, we can see a steward who is transformed by his master’s giving. The unjust steward is commended and is now seen in a different light.
Isn’t this the story of Adam and Eve? Created to be stewards, they blew it and they paid the consequence living in the result of their sin upon the generations.
But after an all-giving, abundant God, gave His Son, a fundamental change occurred. That sin upon the generations was no longer mandatory. Through God’s goodness, through God’s ultimate ownership of everything, through God’s enormous abundance of generosity, by His grace, God gave us the ability to be transformed.
This is what Paul was saying when he wrote to Titus, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” (Titus 3:4)
By God’s giving from His abundance, we have the ability to transform. And by that
transformation, we become enabled to lead others to God’s abundance.
II – With what have I been entrusted?
But what tools get us there?
Three primary resources:
Time – Matthew 24:45-51 – story of the faithful and evil servant - God gives us the time we need to accomplish his will – it’s our choice how it’s used.
Talent - Matthew 25:14-30 – the parable of the talents – the servant who was giving five returned five more – the servant with two, two more – but the servant with one, buried it - God doesn’t give us our talents to bury them, but to invest them.
Treasure – Luke 16:10-12 – Here, God links trustworthy handling of this world’s wealth to our fitness for handling the greater riches of His kingdom.
Each and everyone one of us have been given each of these three. They have been entrusted to us. What we need to do is make the decision to use them.
III – What am I being entrusted to do?
Which leads us to the next question…
If we believe that it is God’s resources and that we have been entrusted with time, talent, and treasure, what are we to do with it.
Illus. - There a story of a man who once said, “If I had some extra money, I’d give it to God, but I have just enough to support myself and my family. In fact, if I had some extra time, I’d give it to God, but every minute is taken up with my job, my family, my clubs, and what have you—every single minute.” And the same man said, “If I had a talent I’d give it to God, but I have no lovely voice; I have no special skill; I’ve never been able to lead a group; I can’t think cleverly or quickly, the way I would like to.” (source: www.sermoncentral.com)
And God was touched, and although it was unlike him, God gave that man money, time, and a glorious talent. And then He waited, and waited, and waited, but the man did nothing with what God had given. So, after a while, God shrugged His shoulders, and took all those things right back from the man, the money, the time and the glorious talent and gave them to someone else.
After a while, the man sighed and said, “If I only had some of that money back, I’d give it to God. If I only had some of that time, I’d give it to God. If I could only rediscover that glorious talent, I’d give it to God.” And God said, “I think I’ve heard that before…”
(revised from “God is No Fool, by Lois Cheney, 1969, Abingdon Press, source: www.sermoncentral.com)
I see the major verse in our lesson this morning as that tenth verse. “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.” – Luke 16:10. This gets right into the how stuff.
We are faithful to God’s generosity when …
Work Vocationally…more than a job or a career, we honor God when we accept our work as a calling…when we love God and love others in the midst of what we do.
Ex. A janitor and the executive the janitor is cleaning up behind are both called to live vocationally! Our work matters to God, that’s why he’s called us to do it.
Spend Purposefully…as Christians, instead of concerning ourselves with having the next and best, we should strive to be content with all that we already have.
Ex. The couple we stayed with down in Pittsburgh during general conference.
Use Time Opportunely… search out God’s will, the more time we spend with Him, the more we will view time from His eternal perspective.
Ex. S. Trett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A restaurants, nearly 1,000 restaurants that generate $1 billion in sales – still teaches Sunday School every Sunday – still has all corporate-owned store closed on Sunday – low employee turnover rate of 4 percent.
Live Effectively…as stewards, it is not how much we give that determines our effectiveness, it is how we effectively use what we’ve been given that matters.
Illus. A boy told his father, "Dad, if three frogs were sitting on a limb that hung over a pool, and one frog decided to jump off into the pool, how many frogs would be left on the limb?"
The dad replied, "Two."
"No," the son replied. "There’s three frogs and one decides to jump, how many are left?"
The dad said, "Oh, I get it, if one decides to jump, the others would too. So there are none left."
The boy said, "No dad, the answer is three. The frog only DECIDED to jump." (source: www.sermoncentral.com)
Sound familiar? We are great at making inspiring decisions, but often times we only decide, and months later we are still on the same limb doing-nothing.
Closing – No servant can serve two masters…
“I’d give more but…”
How many people here have ever taken their kid’s to McDonald’s. Ok you’ve taken the fruit of your loins to the golden arches, you’ve forked over some of your hard earned wealth, received your dinner and now you have retired to one of the tables to indulge yourself in these culinary delights.
You begin this experience of excess when you realize that you’ve only ordered one large fries, so you reach over to junior’s side of the table and help yourself to one of the fries. When suddenly his hand is upon yours he looks deep into your eyes and says, “Don’t eat my fries”. His fries? His fries? Who earned the money for the meal? Who drove the car to get to the golden arches? Who ordered the meal? Who paid for the meal? His fries?
Been there, done that? Sure you have. But how often do we refuse to give God some of our fries? After all isn’t he the great provider of all our french fries?” Everything belongs to Him and is from Him.” (source: www.sermoncentral.com)
God isn’t looking for excuses. He hears plenty. What he’s looking for is some faithful stewards.
Three concepts to think about…
What do I spend the most time doing? Is that the focus on my life I wish to have?
What am I good at naturally? How am I being a good servant with that which I’ve been given?
Where is my heart at when it comes to giving? Where am I storing God’s treasure? (“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21)
One last story…
A number of years ago Orel Hirschheiser was pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. They had just won the World Series, & Orel had been named “The most valuable player of the series.”
One of the TV shows about the series showed him in the dugout just before the 9th inning started. He was leaning against the wall & his lips were moving. It was obvious that he was saying something to himself.
So when he was a guest on the Tonight Show, Johnny Carson asked him what he had been saying. “I wasn’t saying anything,” Orel responded. “Well, then, tell us what you were doing.” Finally Orel replied, “I was singing.”
“You were singing?” Johnny said. “I didn’t know you were a singer.” “Aw,” Orel said, “I’m not.” Johnny persisted, “What were you singing? Sing it for us now.” “Nah, I don’t want to sing.” But by that time the audience was chiming in with “C’mon, sing it, sing it to us!”
Finally, Orel Hirschheiser started to sing, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below.” And Johnny Carson was speechless. The whole audience was dead silent. Then one person started clapping, & soon the whole audience joined in applause. (source: www.sermoncentral.com)
It’s God’s abundance not ours. We have been entrusted with time, talents, and treasures so that we may be found faithful even in the least. God is generous. Thanks be to God.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, you have given us so much. Even when we act much more like a unjust steward, than a blessed disciple, you continue to give from your abundance.
Help us Lord, to understand what you have given to us. Help us, even more, when we struggle with what we are to do with what we’ve been given.
Help us to understand that stewardship is much more than just putting dollar bills into a plate…it’s realizing your generosity toward us…and, in turn, sharing that generosity with others.
In the name of Christ we pray…
Closing Song - #87 – What Gift Can We Bring
Benediction –
As we leave this place,
May our time be abundant…
May our talents abound…
May our treasure be purpose-driven…
So that in all things, our God may be glorified.
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit…Amen.
