Luke 16:1-13 "Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is"

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

Our passion is to experience and express grace.

Join us.

Turn with me, if you will, this morning to Luke 16, Luke chapter 16.

Luke 16 · chapter mention

Last week we finished up looking at one of the most beloved parables in all the Bible,

the story of the prodigal son.

And this week we turned the page to find another parable, but let's just say that it's a little

less beloved parable by most people.

This is a hard one.

It's a hard parable on actually two levels.

First, just understanding what Jesus means in this story.

It's the parable of the dishonest manager.

And yet the dishonest manager is commended?

What's up with that?

What does Jesus mean?

What does He not mean?

But then, on another level, once we do understand it, it's hard for us because it challenges our

hearts in ways that for many of us we'd just rather avoid.

Chapter 16 talks a lot about money issues, rich and poor.

But it does so not merely to talk about money, but really to address our hearts.

It's difficult.

Now, we must always listen to God's Word, every part of it.

But this week in particular, as I've been studying and praying for this, I feel like God has been

saying, I must really listen to this.

We really need to listen to this.

We have this tendency, I think, when we hear God start talking about money to shut down here.

But Jesus keeps bringing it up.

So let's listen to God's Word and then together ask His Spirit to give us tender hearts, to mold our hearts the way He wants to this morning.

This is Luke 16 at verse 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.

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 cannot be the manager any longer.

And the manager said to himself,

What shall I do since my master is taking the management away from me?

I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg.

I've decided what to do so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.

So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first,

How much do you owe my master?

He said, A hundred measures of oil.

He said to him, Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty.

Then he said to another,

And how much do you owe?

He said, A hundred measures of wheat.

And he said to him, Take your bill and write eighty.

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.

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.

If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth,

who will entrust to you the true riches?

And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's,

who will give you that which is your own?

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.

This is God's holy, inerrant, infallible, eternal word.

Let's pray and ask him to help us as we look at it.

Father, we are here this morning

to place ourselves under your word.

So Holy Spirit, as we look at it,

as we seek to understand,

as we struggle to obey,

would you break us?

Would you shape us?

Would you inspire us,

even inflame our hearts with passion and zeal for you and your kingdom?

Do that work in each of us,

and together as a group,

for the sake of Jesus, we pray.

Amen.

Proverbial wisdom tells us that money can't buy happiness, right?

But for decades, people have offered other reminders.

Money can't buy you happiness,

but it can buy you coffee.

Which is kind of the same thing.

Whoever said money can't buy happiness

simply didn't know where to go shopping,

Bo Derek once said.

You can't buy happiness,

but you can buy a plane ticket,

which is kind of the same thing.

See, there's a lot of things

that you can get really close, right?

What else?

Oh yeah, money, not happiness,

but it's much more comfortable

to cry in a Lamborghini than on a bicycle.

You can't buy happiness,

but real estate?

That's just pretty close, right?

And my personal favorite,

you can't buy happiness,

but you can buy donuts.

And there is the real answer.

Donuts, therein is happiness.

All of these things,

that people use this regularly in advertising, right?

Your money can't buy you happiness,

can't buy you love,

whatever it happens to be,

but don't get down,

don't get discouraged.

We chuckle at these,

but there's a lot of truth

in what they show us

about our hearts, isn't there?

I would say most American Christians

are functioning with this mindset.

The mindset that money can't buy happiness,

but we pursue it.

We cling to it.

We think about it as if it can bring us happiness.

We're seeking to serve God,

but we're trying to serve money at the same time,

which this passage tells us

in no uncertain terms

means we are not serving God at all.

Yikes!

And that can happen regardless

of how much money we have.

Whether we are clipping coupons

or buying real estate,

our hearts can start to grasp at money

and the seeming safety,

security, pleasure, control,

whatever it is that it appears to offer us.

And money may not buy us happiness,

but I think it is pretty good

at showing us where we think

happiness is found, isn't it?

It does that real well.

We use it to get what we value.

That may be donuts.

It may be clothes.

It may be education.

It may be an organization or mission

that you believe in and support.

But the title of this sermon

is actually kind of silly.

No one has to tell you

to put your money where your heart is.

You already do.

We all do.

That's why as Jesus talks to us

about money,

and actually it really is about

all our earthly possessions

and time and energy,

that's what He's talking about.

He's actually pushing towards our hearts.

Let's see how He does that.

Let's talk about the parable

for just a minute.

When you're studying parables,

it's helpful to remember

that they usually have

one primary point or meaning.

Don't look for hidden messages

under every stone

unless Jesus tells us to do so.

Let's review what happens in the parable

and then see how Jesus helps us

with the main point.

This manager has been entrusted

to steward all his master's possessions, right?

He's the guy who's been put in charge

and he's been mismanaging,

probably skimming off the top

for himself among other things.

And so he's fired.

There's no questions asked.

He's done,

but he's given a little bit of time

to update the accounts

and bring them up to speed

to turn them in before he walks off.

So he's stuck, right?

His job,

his influence,

his source of well-being,

they're all disappearing quickly.

Now caring for himself

is this manager's top priority, right?

He feels that he can't do that well

by manual labor for whatever reason

or by begging.

So he hatches a plan.

He's got this idea

of how he can take care of himself.

Jesus doesn't tell us for sure,

but probably what's happening here

is Jews were not allowed by law

to charge interest to other Jews.

And so what many people did

to get around that law

was work an extra fee

into the original bill.

Unethical,

but on the razor's edge of illegal.

Basically everyone did it.

And the manager

goes to some of these wealthy clients

and he lowers their debts

probably by that kind of interest-added amount

that would have been worked in.

And so two things happen.

What happens there?

His master can't punish him further

without exposing himself

for these unethical practices, right?

But secondly,

he's made some new friends.

He's got people

who might want to help him out,

give him a job,

a meal,

a bed to sleep in

when he loses his

and has nowhere else to go.

In his future,

he's going to be taken care of.

What a great plan.

Even his master says,

pretty sharp, man.

Good thinking.

I didn't see that one coming.

He commends his shrewdness.

Verse 8.

Now that word for shrewdness,

when we say shrewd,

usually means conniving, right?

Less than ethical,

which does fit here.

But it really means

wisely preparing or investing.

In other words,

carefully prioritizing

what one deems valuable or important.

It's used in parables often.

For instance,

the wise man who built his house where?

On a rock.

It was a shrewd,

a wise decision.

In other parables,

for people being properly prepared

for the coming of Jesus.

So the point of this parable

is not to say

the ends justify the means

or be dishonest

as long as you make more money.

No, no, no kids.

No.

The primary point of the parable is

it is wise and commendable

to use things of fading value

toward things of longer lasting value.

The manager's money and position

were fading, right?

And he shrewdly,

wisely,

used them to secure something

with ongoing value to him.

In this case,

his own protection

and provision.

Now Jesus has been teaching us

all through this section

as we've walked through

the Gospel of Luke

about the kingdom of God, right?

About the immense value

of the kingdom.

About its lasting value.

In fact,

its eternal value.

So Jesus is not going

to commend honesty.

Neither is he going to say,

look out for number one.

The manager's got his priorities straight.

That's exactly what

your priorities should be.

No.

He says this,

verse 9,

I tell you,

make friends for yourselves

by means of unrighteous wealth

so that when it fails,

as it will,

they may receive you

into the eternal dwellings.

Jesus makes the first

of his points of application

for us.

Invest eternally

in what truly lasts.

Friends,

welcoming you into homes

is only a picture

of being welcomed by God

into an eternal home.

An everlasting kingdom.

Jesus says his followers

could learn some things

from the people of the world,

right?

About how this principle

works out.

Again,

he's not commending

the methods

or the ultimate values,

but rather the consistent

strategic thinking

of the world.

Verse 8,

the sons of this world

are more shrewd

in dealing with

their own generation

than the sons of light.

What's Jesus saying?

He's saying,

why do the children

of God fail to invest

in what they believe

is truly valuable?

Everyone else seems

to do that pretty consistently.

They figure out

what their priorities are

and they work towards them.

They invest in them.

We say the thing

that we want most

to see happen

is the kingdom of God

advanced in this world,

right?

For people to come

to know King Jesus,

for Huntsville

to experience

the flourishing

of justice and mercy,

for the nations

to be transformed

by the power

of the gospel of grace.

That's what we say

is most valuable.

But do we invest

in that

like it's most valuable?

Do we employ

all the wisdom

and skill

God has given us

toward kingdom ends?

The manager used

everything at his disposal,

right?

To pursue

what was most valuable

to him.

Jesus says

to his followers,

you've got a kingdom

that really lasts,

that is most valuable.

Use everything

at your disposal

to pursue it.

Pastor Ross Lester

encourages us

to think of our money

specifically

as mission ammunition.

I like that.

Ammunition

for God's mission

in the world

that we can use,

he says,

to blow holes

in the gates

of hell.

I really like that.

That's good.

When you worship God

through giving

this morning,

you didn't just

check a box,

fulfill an obligation,

make a charitable donation

for tax purposes.

You blew a hole

in the gates

of hell

in Huntsville.

You blasted

through the gates

of hell

in India.

that's how you

invested

the resources

God had given

to you.

But it's not simply

about our money,

is it?

I mean,

it's not less

than that,

but it's so much

more.

Verse 9 again,

I tell you,

make friends for

yourselves

by means of

unrighteous wealth.

That word there

that's translated

unrighteous wealth

sometimes translated

money like in

verse 13.

It's the word

mammon.

It doesn't mean

wealth that you

got by dishonest

dealings.

That's not the idea.

It's a general term

speaking of

all your earthly

possessions,

all your worldly

wealth,

all the resources

you have in this

world.

Jesus is saying

use those

for eternal

purposes.

Use everything

you have

to pursue

things

that last.

The manager

used his position,

his connections.

Invest your time

to pursue

the eternal

souls of

men and women.

Invest your

relationships

to see

God's kingdom

come in

Huntsville.

Invest your

vacation time

to love

the least of

these.

Invest your

homes to

help people

experience

the gracious

welcome

of King

Jesus who

gives freely

and generously.

this leads us

to Jesus

next point.

We must

steward

faithfully.

Verse 11

if then you

have not been

faithful in

the unrighteous

wealth and

the mammon

and the earthly

resources who

will entrust to

you the true

riches and

if you've not

been faithful

in that which

is another's who

will give you

that which is

your own.

Jesus says all

those things that

you're to invest

for the eternal

kingdom you must

do it because

they're not

actually yours at

all are they?

You are a

steward that

God has

entrusted to

manage his

resources for

his purposes.

He's telling us

to be faithful

with that which

belongs to

another.

It's his.

That's what a

steward does

right?

Manages what

belongs rightly

to someone

else.

Is that how you

view your money?

Your time?

Your home?

Are they yours

or are they

someone else's?

I read this

week of a man

who bought a

new car only

to have it

crashed into

a couple of

days later

and he

responded,

well God

I don't know

why you want

a dent in

the side of

your new car

but you

certainly have

a big one.

John Wesley

once said

when told his

house was on

fire,

the Lord's

house burned

one less

responsibility

for me.

Now the

triteness of

those comments

can seem to

minimize

genuine

suffering

but

I use them

to the point

of how vital

it is

for us to

have the right

perspective on

who owns

our

stuff.

if everything

we have

is a gift

from God

and it's

merely entrusted

to us

then we must

ask the

question

perhaps different

from the

question we

usually ask

what does

faithful stewardship

of God's

stuff look

like?

Not how do

I want to

use it

but how

would God

want this

used?

That's the

heart behind

the leadership

of our

church as we

consider our

budget each

year and as

we in recent

months wrestled

through pursuing

the sale of the

White House

property.

How would God

want us to

use what He

has entrusted

to us?

And the

principle Jesus

teaches is that

we should be

faithful in the

small things like

money before

being entrusted

with true

riches.

Verse 11

In other words

if we as a

church don't

steward our

money faithfully

for God's

kingdom purposes

pointing all

our money there

why would God

entrust eternal

souls for us

to point them

toward Him and

His kingdom?

If we're not

even pointing our

money in that

direction.

But if we are

oriented toward

His kingdom in

the little things

what a great

pattern that sets

for us when He

entrusts a new

church plant

a new generation

of kids

a new revival

in Huntsville

to us

and we're looking

towards His

kingdom purposes.

God has entrusted

every one of us

in this room

with so much

hasn't He?

Do we long

for more so

that we can

pursue our

dreams of a

better lifestyle

a better situation

for our kids

a better

retirement?

Or are we

willing to say

enough?

God's given me

what I need

and whenever we

see more

we think

kingdom

whenever we get

more we think

others

we think

give it away

and we start

to get excited

as we see God

provide for us

and He does it

so richly

and so generously

and as what

He's given us

grows

we think

of the size

of hole

we're going

to blow

in the gates

of hell

right?

Isn't that

exciting?

Don't you want

to see what

God gives you

that way?

He entrusts to us

so much

and that's the

attitude He's

calling us to.

Martin Luther wrote

we must use

all these things

upon earth

in no other way

than as a guest

who travels

through the land

and comes to a hotel

where he must

lodge overnight.

He takes only food

and lodging

from the host

and He says not

that the property

of the host

belongs to Him

just so

we also

should treat

our temporal

possessions

as if they

were not ours

and enjoy only

so much of them

as we need

to nourish the body

and then help

our neighbors

with the balance.

Thus the life

of the Christian

is only a lodging

for the night

since we have

no continuing city

but must journey

on to heaven

where the Father

is.

Treat our temporal

possessions

as if they were

not ours.

Seems un-American.

Steward them

and why?

Why does He say?

It's because of

what's eternal, right?

We have an eternal city.

Another homeland

where my possessions

lie.

But Jesus has

one more point

and it

presses this

into our hearts.

He does care

how we invest

and steward

our money,

our resources.

But He especially

wants us this morning

to examine our hearts

in light of how we live.

Look at verse 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.

You cannot

serve God

and money.

God

and mammon.

Worldly pleasures

and possessions.

Notice

He doesn't

merely say

that you

should not.

You probably

knew that

before you came

this morning, right?

He doesn't say

you should not

serve

God and money.

He says

you cannot

serve both.

They are

mutually

exclusive

masters

because God

demands

wholehearted

worship.

He must

have

the whole

of my heart

or He has

none of it.

that's really

the crux

for many of us

I think

because we would

like to think

that we serve

God,

wouldn't we?

That He's the one

that we most

value.

But if we're honest

we'd also like

to think

that we can

manage

chasing our own

dreams

on the side

or

if we're more

honest

chasing our own

dreams

Monday through

Saturday

which is

more of a main

course than a side

but either way

God says

we

cannot

I've got to

believe there are

a lot of people

sitting in churches

like ours

who are not

serving

God

because they're

serving

mammon

earthly things

or

eternal

things

what do we

talk with our

spouses about

when we

get time

to talk

together

what do we

plan for

schedule around

and

prioritize

with our

time

what purposes

are we working

for during the

week when we're

not in this

building

what are we

most excited

to tell our

friends

or show our

friends

earthly

things

or

eternal

things

whom do our

hearts

worship

see this is

really where

Jesus wants to

go here

isn't it

you thought he

was meddling

when he reached

in and put his

hands on your

wallet

earlier

he wants to

reach through

that

to your

heart

to what you

really value

he wants us

to consider

deeply this

morning who

our God

truly is

who's the

one we

love

whose goals

do we

most pursue

whose

priorities

actually shape

how we

use

resources

you know

we won't

invest our

resources in

something that

our hearts

don't truly

value and

love

right

I love to

listen to

people who

love God's

kingdom

and have the

gift of

generosity

I love to

hear them

just brim

with excitement

and joy

over how

they were able

to free up

some extra

money to help

out a seminary

student in a

tight spot

how they were

able to restructure

some of their

assets to make a

special gift to

the church

how they were

able to

coordinate some

friends with

resources to

help someone in

need

there's this

joy there

because they

know they're

investing in

eternity

they know

they're stewarding

what God has

entrusted to

them for his

eternal purposes

and nothing

makes them

more excited

regardless of

how many

digits are in

your paycheck

or how many

dollars are in

your bank

account

would you be

willing to ask

yourself some

hard heart

questions this

morning

do you get

more joy

from buying a

new car

new clothes

or

from supporting

a global

mission partner

do you get

more joy from

an evening of

Netflix

a Saturday of

college football

or

an afternoon

spent listening

to the pains

of a hurting

friend and

praying for

them

do you get

more joy from

adding on to

your home

or having

neighbors

in your home

which

master

do you

serve

God

calls us

to serve

him

wholeheartedly

with every

dollar

with every

minute

with every

decision

why

because

his

kingdom

lasts

forever

one of the

reasons we

can't serve

God and

money

is that these

two masters

are so entirely

different

they promise

to provide us

some of the

same things

but they do so

through entirely

different means

listen to the

differences this

morning as we

close and

consider which one

you want to

serve

money says

you can't buy

safety and

security but

but you can buy

storm shelters

education for your

kids and insurance

plans and that's

pretty close

God says

safety

security

keep your life

free from love

of money and be

content with what

you have

for he has

said

why

why

how

can we avoid

the love of

money

God has said

I will never

leave you

nor forsake

you

so we can

confidently say

the Lord is my

helper

I will not

fear

what can

man

do

to me

how do you

pull your

heart away

from the love

of money

embracing God's

promise to be

with you and to

care for you

God offers

himself

always

with you

money says

the secret

to being

fulfilled

is to work

hard

get enough

sit back

relax

and enjoy

all the

benefits

of what

you've

worked

for

God

says

Philippians

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

in any

and every

circumstance

I have

learned the

secret of

facing plenty

and hunger

abundance

and need

I can do

all things

through him

who strengthens

me

and my

God will

supply all

your needs

according to

his glorious

riches

in Christ

Jesus

true

fulfillment

in him

money says

you can't

buy fame

and significance

but

but if you

get enough

of me

people will

eventually

respect you

and come to

you for help

and then you

will really

matter

you'll really

be somebody

God says

the Lord

is my

shepherd

I shall

not

want

I

shall

lack

nothing

you have

everything

you need

your 401k

might disappear

I will make

you lie down

in green

pastures

your home

might burn

you will dwell

in the house

of the Lord

forever

your body

may break

down

I will

never

let you

down

I will

always

be your

shepherd

you

shall

lack

nothing

which

master

do you

love

money

says

just a

little

bit

more

God

says

Jesus

paid

it all

it is

finished

give me

Jesus

let's pray

God

might we

see having

you

as the

one we

serve

and worship

as what

we truly

need

you know

the things

that turn

our hearts

even in

these moments

away from

you

away from

seeing you

as worthy

and valuable

and eternal

Holy Spirit

would you

fight for

our hearts

would you

push back

the evil

one who

would bring

things in

to kill

and to

destroy

and to

lie to us

and make us

believe there's

something else

that we really

need

to lie to us

and make us

think we can

have our cake

and eat it

too

we can

we can

serve God

on Sunday

morning

and there's

other things

we can chase

after at the

same time

father

our hearts

are

complex

they deceive

us

and it is

hard for us

to be

single minded

and wholeheartedly

devoted to

you

Holy Spirit

we need

your help

we ask

for your

help

would you

work

in our

hearts

for the

sake of

your kingdom

and our

eternal

good

give us

Jesus

give us

hearts

that long

for Jesus

more than

anything else

we ask it

in his name

amen

for more

information

visit us

online

at

southwood.org