November 13-14, 2004, Luke 16:1-13; Selected

YOUR MONEY'S WORTH!
A STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS!

MY MONEY IS MY MONEY AND THE PREACHER AND HIS GANG ARE OUT TO GET AS MUCH OF MY MONEY AS THEY POSSIBLE CAN!

THREE PRESUPPOSITIONS:
A. THAT MY MONEY IS MY MONEY!
B. WHEN I GIVE AT CHURCH - I GIVE TO THE CHURCH!
C. I GIVE UP MORE THAN GAIN WHEN I GIVE AT CHURCH!

WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO SEE AS GOD SEES,
WE’LL BE ABLE TO DO AS GOD SAYS!

*** Luke 16:1-9 "Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.' "The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg --I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.' "So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master'' " ''Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied. "The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.' "Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?" 'A thousand bushels of wheat'' he replied.

'He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.' "The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." [New International Version]

WE CAN SEE OUR STUFF AS GOD SEES OUR STUFF:

1. BY SEEING THAT IT IS A TOOL!
*** Luke 16:9 "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." [NIV]

"HOW CAN I USE MY ______________ IN SUCH A WAY AS TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE FOR CHRIST?"

*** 1 Tim. 6:17-19 "Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life." [New Living Translation]

IF EVERYTHING I HAVE IS A TOOL WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO USE THAT STUFF SO THAT WHEN IT IS GONE, I HAVE FRIENDS TO WELCOME ME IN HEAVEN?

DO I SEE MY STUFF AS A TOOL IN GOD’S HAND?
_____ YES! _____ NO! _____ I WANT TO!

2. BY SEEING THAT IT IS A TEST!

*** Luke 16:9-10 "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 'Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.'" [NIV]

*** Luke 16:11-12 "So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?" [NIV]

GOD HAS GIVEN US HIS STUFF TO MANAGE AND IT IS A TEST TO SEE IF WE ARE TRUSTWORTHY OR NOT!

*** Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." [NIV]

*** Lam. 3:40 "Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord." [NIV]

*** Galatians 6:4 "Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else…." [NIV]

AM I PASSING THE TEST? ______ YES! ______ NO! _____ I WANT TO!

3. BY SEEING THAT IT IS A TITLE!
*** Luke 16:13 "No servant can serve two masters. The servant will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches." [New Century Version]

WHEN WE OVER-EXTEND FINANCIALLY FOR THINGS WE REALLY WANT = SERVING STUFF!

*** 2 Kings 17:41 "Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did." [NIV]

DOES THE WAY I USE STUFF INDICATE THAT GOD'S NAME IS ON THE TITLE OF MY LIFE?

_____ YES! _____ NO! _____ I WANT IT TO!

ARE YOU WILLING LIKE THIS SHREWD SERVANT TO USE YOUR TIME AND MONEY FOR THINGS ETERNAL?

"Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful."
1 Cor. 4:2 (NLT)