Sons of Eternity Not Slaves of Money

Sermon 68 in Series

Luke 16:1-13

[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.” (ESV)

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.  How has Luke emphasized money/possessions up to this point? Why do you think Jesus had so much to say on this topic?
2.  In the parable, why is the dishonest manager commended by his master? What is the shrewdness that Jesus is calling his disciples to in vv. 8-9?
3.  How does this passage emphasize stewardship? How are we tempted to view the things we have as our own rather than God’s?
4.  How does worldly wealth fail us? In what ways do we wrongly trust in it?
5.  What does it look like to think in terms of investing in the life to come / laying up treasure in heaven? How does this involve others?
6.  How does Jesus compare worldly wealth to small things? By contrast, what are the “true riches”?
7.  Why is it the case that we cannot serve both God and money? How are believers pulled towards love of money, and what are some repercussions?

References: Matthew 21:1-11 (corporate reading); Luke 15:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; Ephesians 5:8; Matthew 6:20; Luke 12:33; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Timothy 6:10, 17-19.