Are You Ready For Maximum Blessing?

Parable(s) of Unjust Steward & The Rich Man and Lazarus
Luke 16

v 1-3
1 Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. 2 "And he called him and said to him, `What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' 3 "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; I am ashamed to beg.

Joseph was Pharaoh’s manager
Genesis 41:44 ….without your permission no one shall [do anything] in all the land of Egypt

The Pharisees –
- had been given a stewardship
- had been entrusted with the scriptures
- had been put in charge of teaching, shepherding and comforting His sheep
But instead –
- they took care of themselves
- they partook of the fruit of labor they did not perform
- pretended to be lovers of God and His law
- they neglected and, in fact, despised God’s lost sheep.

God is watching how we invest our time, talent and treasure.

Max out your resources for God!

V 4-9
4 `I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.' 5 "And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, `How much do you owe my master?' 6 "And he said, `A hundred measures of oil.' And 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?' And he said, `A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, `Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8 "And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. 9 "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.

Jesus uses ‘unrighteous’ illustrations to teach a specific principle:
- unjust judge contrasted with God (Luke 18)
- likened his second coming with a thief (Matthew 24; 1 Thess 5:2 (Paul))
- told His disciples to be wise as serpents (Matthew 10)
- unjust manager to illustrate business shrewdness and forethought
Unbelievers use their resources in a way more consistent w/ their principles than Christians.
Use your resources with an eye to the future, as the manager did.
Use your resources for the purpose and glory of God.

Jesus points out that unbeliever’s all too often exhibit more forethought, wisdom, prudence, dedication and determination in the way they pursue their various interests than Christians do.

Football fan –
- forsake family and friends for game
- Sit in rain to watch
Fisherman -
- spends $1000’s on equipment
- Studies to learn –
o Lake
o water temp
o fish behavior patterns
Unbelievers -
- work hard for promotion
- devotes time and money to favorite charity
- attempts to rally others around his favorite cause or political party

Christians (often) -
- only attend worship services if nothing better to do
- skips church at the slightest hint of inclement weather
o Hebrews 10:24-25a ...let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together
o Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to communion and to prayer.
- devotes little (or no) money to spiritual interests
- spends little (if any) money on study tools
o Matthew 6:21 …for where your treasure (money) is, there your heart will be also
- spends little time in personal Bible training or study
o 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent (study) to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
- performs job duties as if they were menial
o Colossians 3:22-24 Slaves (servants, employees), in all things obey those who are your masters (employers) on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
- seems to lack passion for salvation of souls

It would be well if the children of light would learn dedication and commitment from the men of the world, and would as earnestly pursue their better object.

V 10-12
10 "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. 11 "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? 12 "And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

He who does well and maxes out with what little he has at the beginning will also do well if he is given more
God will not go into abundant blessing mode with you unless He knows you can handle abundant type blessings.

The measure we use will be the measure that will be measured back to us.
Malachi 3:10 …test me!

Do I surrender my entire life over to God the Father and go w/ His call and plan for my life or do I make my own calls and go after what I want?

The world is charging ahead with determination and careful calculation. They will stop at nothing to reach their goals and fulfill their dreams. Surely those who are called to and want to live for the glory of God should be as determined and diligent as they are.

V 13-18
13 "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. 15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.
16 "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17 "But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.
18 "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

Pharisees were sticklers for the forms of godliness, but were the bitterest enemies to its power.
They justified themselves before men! (v 15)

V 19-23
19 "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 "And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all thing to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

The sin of the rich man was his self-centered, deliberate oversight of Lazarus. We are not told that he did Lazarus any intentional harm.
The Pharisees could not serve God because they were servants of themselves.
The manager could not serve his master because of his love for money.
We cannot serve God and anything or anyone else!

V 24-31
24 "And he cried out and said, `Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' 25 "But Abraham said, `Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 `And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' 27 "And he said, `Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house-- 28 for I have five brothers--in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 "But Abraham said, `They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 "But he said, `No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' 31 "But he said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.' "

The day is coming when those who now hate and despise the people of God would gladly receive kindness from them.

Parable of the Fig Tree

Parable of the Fig Tree
Luke 13:1-9

Matthew 3:10 The axe is already laid at the root of the trees, therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Vineyard owner - God

The vineyard - Jewish people.

The coming of the owner for fruit - desire of God that they should produce good works.

The barrenness of the tree - the wickedness of the people.

Vineyard keeper - the Savior

Notice four things:
1. God’s expectation of fruit
2. God’s demand for justice
3. Christ’s intercession on our behalf
4. God’s patience

If those who enjoy the means of grace neglect them, and bring forth no fruits of holiness, God, in due time, will remove all such blessings from them, and leave them to endless barrenness and death. Family Bible Notes

…he seeks evidences of their getting good by the means of grace they enjoy. Leaves will not serve, crying, Lord, Lord; blossoms will not serve, beginning well and promising fair; there must be fruit. Our thoughts, words, and actions must be according to the gospel, light and love. Matthew Henry Commentary

Vs 8-9 Intercession

Ready or Not

Parable of the Watchful Servants/Wise Steward
Luke 12:35-48

John 14:2b-3a …I go to prepare a place for you. If I go…I will come again!!

Matthew 24:32-51

1 Thessalonians 5:2b …the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
2 Peter 3:10a But the day of the Lord will come like a thief…
Revelation 3:3 So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. [Sardis]
Revelation 16:15a Behold, I am coming like a thief…(Armageddon)

Daniel 12:1-2
Revelation 20:11-15

…...even so come, Lord Jesus

Who IS My Neighbor?

Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37

This parable arrests 2 issues in the human heart:
1) Spiritual Pride
2) Racism

V 29 - Luke 16:14-15 Now the Pharisees…were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. And He said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts…

V31-32 – No less than 12,000 priests & Levites lived in Jericho
Deuteronomy 21:1-9
- Official religiousness often kills common humanity.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
- In the priest and Levite the lawyer saw the picture of his own life, for he saw in them those who knew the law, but did not practice it.
- There may have been many excuses for this neglect of the wounded man: danger, hate, dread of defilement, expense, but Jesus does not consider any of them worth mentioning

V 33 – Samaritan – Despised Race –
½ Jewish, ½ Gentile, ½ idolatrous, ½ orthodox

Proverbs 11:17 The merciful man does himself good, but the cruel man does himself harm.
Matthew 25:31-46 (To the least of these)
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

What is mercy?
eleos, el'-eh-os - compassion (human or divine, especially active)
American Heritage Dictionary
1. Compassionate treatment, especially of those under one's power; clemency.
2. A disposition to be kind and forgiving:

DON’T Just Add Jesus

The Parable of the New Cloth/New Wine
Luke 5:36-39 /Mark 2:21-22 / Matthew 9:16-17

Context: v 31b-32
It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

Ruin the new
Instead of fixing the ‘tear’ attempting to ‘add’ religion will only make the tear worse.
Old and new won’t match
Don’t patch religion onto your old life

Product will be lost
Container will be ruined
Don’t pour Jesus into your old life

Examples of people who tried to add Jesus to their old life:
- Simon the sorcerer
o Acts 8:9-23
- Judas
o John 12:1-6
- Unbelievers
o Titus 1:15b-16

Jesus in Hebrews

1 God’s final revelation
a. Hebrews 1:2a
2 Heir of all things
a. Hebrews 1:2b
3 Creator of the world
a. Hebrews 1:2c
4 Radiance of God’s glory
a. Hebrews 1:3a
5 The exact imprint of God’s nature
a. Hebrews 1:3b
6 Upholds the universe by the word of His power
a. Hebrews 1:3c
7 Made purification for sins
a. Hebrews 1:3d
8 Sits at the right hand of the Majesty
a. Hebrews 1:3e
9 God enthroned forever with the scepter of uprightness
a. Hebrews 1:8
10 Worshipped by angels
a. Hebrews 1:6b
11 His rule will have no end
12 His joy is above all other things in the universe
13 He took on human flesh
14 Crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering
a. Hebrews 2:9
15 Author (founder, originator) of our salvation
16 Made perfect in obedience by suffering
17 Destroyed the one who has power of death (the devil)
18 Delivered us from the bondage of fear
19 A merciful and faithful high priest
20 Made propitiation for sins
21 Sympathetic because of His own trials
22 Sinless
23 Offered loud cries and tears with reverent fear, and was heard!
24 Became the source of eternal salvation
25 Holds his priesthood by virtue of an indestructible life
26 Intercedes on our behalf to the Father
27 Will appear again to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him
28 The same…yesterday…today…and forever!