Freedom through Faithfulness part 1 Owner and Manager

Freedom in Faithfulness: Experiencing True Financial Freedom through Biblical Stewardship-Part1

The Owner and the Manager

During one of our Bible studies someone said to me “i know you don’t like to talk about money” Which I don’t but that I should probably teach on it. And when I really thought about it I realized that i have never done a comprehensive teaching on the subject of what the Bible says about handling earthly wealth. I mean, i have mentioned the principles here and there but never laid it all out in a series. and So I am going to share what with you what the scriptures teach mostly from the new testament and I will share with you what I have learned along the way and hopefully you will find it helpful in your daily lives. When you become a Christian there is a completely different perspective that you gain on the world and since finances is a big part of our lives its important that we know God’s view on our time, our abilities and our financial resources.

I am going to start this series by sharing with you one of the strangest and more difficult parables that Jesus taught. Because I think it open you up to a new way of thinking about God and our role in his kingdom.

Luke 16:1–15 (NLT)
Parable of the Shrewd Manager
Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. 2 So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’
3 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. 4 Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’

5 “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ 6 The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’
7 “ ‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’
8 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.

9 Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.
10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?
13 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

What is this parable all about?

Admittedly on the surface it sounds strange that Jesus is using the dishonest person to illustrate something about the kingdom of God and how we should act. obviously He is not saying that we follow the example of the shrewd manager. but he makes several points that we need to pay attention to.

First, i think we need to understand the historical context. Today if we worked for someone and collected debts we would be paid a fee or a salary but back in these days a tax collector or a debt collector would simply charge more than was owed to the owner. they would deliver the taxes or the debt to the owner or govt official and pocket the rest as their fee. this is why tax collectors were so hated because often they took advantage and often charged more than was reasonable.

So in this case the Steward or manager was not really looking out for the owner’s interest. and when the owner decided to fire him he most likely cut his fee out completely and just collected what was due to the owner or at least most of what was due. by doing this he probably expedited his collection which would have impressed the owner but he would still be fired his because he was untrustworthy.

Jesus does two things in this parable he makes a comparison, how we are like the manager, than he makes a contrast how we are not like the manager and then he follows us with 3 quick lessons. so lets get right into it.
I. Recognizing the Reality of Stewardship (v. 1–2)

The NLT uses the word manager which simplifies it for modern readers but kind of loses the full meaning. He was a steward or a manager over the owners household.

Think of the Show Magnum PI. Where we see the owner of the estate is never seen but Higgins is a steward and she/ or he depending on which version you watched manages and runs the entire estate, and she has use of the cars, and everything on the estate but she is not the owner. 

in this parable God is the owner and we are the manager of his estate.

• Everything we have is temporary and entrusted by God.(our finances, our time, our abilities)
• We must give an account of our management one day to God (2 Corinthians 5:10).
• Application: How am I managing what God has entrusted to me?

II. Using Resources with Eternal Perspective (v. 3–7)

• The manager acted shrewdly with foresight, securing relationships for his future.
• Jesus emphasizes the shrewdness, not dishonesty, as a quality to emulate (v. 8).
• Shrewdness =is having discretion and insight. –

let me give you an example. years ago when i was working in computer sales there was an opening for management and people were getting promoted that had been there not as long as i was. one day one of the managers just stopped showing up for work. i wont get into the details but i saw an opening. an opportunity, i voluntarily took on his duties without being asked and before i left work set my schedule and reports on the bosses desk.  the next day i was recommended for the ,management training program. and I was actually put ahead of someone else. I wasn’t being cunning or deceptive i simply saw an opportunity and went for it.

• What Jesus was saying is that while wordily people seem to be shrewd in networking and making deals and trying to secure their financial future we should display that same shrewdness is trying to get as many people to heaven as possible.
• Application: Jesus said we should use use our wordily wealth to get people saved and into the kingdom of God how do we do that
• how we can fund God’s kingdom
  • Start by giving where your equipped. -The Church
  • Find missionaries or evangelist that you can support
  • Buy Bibles or gospel tracts and give them away
  • help people who are in need inside and outside the church

III. Faithfulness in Small Things Leads to Greater Trust (v. 10–12)

• Whoever is faithful with little will be faithful with much
• Money is a testing ground for greater spiritual responsibility.

IV. Serving the Right Master (v. 13)

• You cannot serve both God and money (Mammon).
  • It is easy when you begin to experience financial blessing to be lured into materialism and forget the God who provided you the wealth. Always guard your heart.
• Prioritize devotion to God above material wealth.
• Application: Examine your heart—who or what truly guides your decisions and actions?