Give An Account

 

1.      If a person works at a job for 35 years.

2.      And their pay for this period equals $30,000 per year – never a penny more –

3.      The worker will earn over a million dollars in their lifetime.

4.      Some will earn 2 million dollars during their working years.

5.      Others earn three million or even more before retiring.

6.      Most sitting in this room will earn at least a million dollars during their lifetime.

 

I.   THIS FACT SHOULD NOT ONLY INTERESTE US, IT SHOULD CONCERN US.

A.     A few moments ago a parable from Luke Chapter 16 was  read.

B.     Jesus said that there was a man who was a steward.

C.     This man had been entrusted with material goods.

1.      You would hope that if you gave someone a large amount of money

2.      They would manage, invest, and treat it like their own.

3.      This does not always happen as Luke 16 shows.

D.     The steward in Luke 16 was asked to give an accounting of his skills

E.      It was time for the books to be examined.

F.      Someone wanted to know what this man had done with the money.

G.     This steward found himself in a bad position.

H.     The text tells us that he was going to be accused of waste.

I.        From what is said, this accusation was true.

1.      This man had been a poor steward.

2.      Because he could not defend what he had done,

3.      He started to make plans for a new life.

J.       If we skip down to verse. 10-12 we have some application: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.  11: If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit your trust to the true riches? 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s who shall give you that which is your own?

K. This information is very straightforward.

L.      People are either good stewards or they are bad stewards.

1.      If people cannot handle a little money.

2.      They cannot handle a lot of money.

3.      I have heard people say, “I could better manage my finances if I only had more money.”

4.      That statement is usually untrue.

5.      If people are wasters, they waste no matter how much they have.

6.      On the other hand,

7.      If people can take a little money and be a good steward,

8.      They usually have this same capability if they have much money.

M.   Luke 16 tells us that in life there are stewards.

1.      Some stewards have a little money to watch over;

2.      Other stewards watch over a substantial amount.

N.    Today we are going to apply the principles in Luke 16 to ourselves.

 

O.    One of the things to take note of is, “We are Stewards.”

1.      Each one here is a steward.

2.      We may not consider ourselves to be rich.

3.      We may see ourselves as being average.

4.      Perhaps we would hesitate to use the words, “middle class”.

5.      Some might even say, “I am poor.”

6.      No matter how much or little we have, we are stewards.     

P.      I would like to suggest that our stewardship is sizeable.

Q.    I would also like to suggest that one day we will be asked to give.

R.     More than one passage in the NT indicates this.

S.      We will be asked to answer for some things just like the man in Luke 16.

1.      I have often thought if appearing before God.

2.      We are told to do the same thing record in Luke 16.

3.      “Give and account of the wealth that we had”

4.      I have thought about what an average American might say:

5.      The scenario that comes to my mind is something like this:

6.      The average man in America says:

7.      “God, something’s wrong.”

8.      “I think a mistake has been made. I had no wealth.

9.      “God, I was not a rich man. I only made $30,000 a year.”

10.  “I believe that you must be thinking of Ross Perot”

11.  “I think your question is for Sam Walton. I wasn’t rich.”

12.  “I can’t be asked about stewardship; others- stewards.”

T.      I can for see some trying to make this argument.

U.     What if God were to make a reply which was along these lines.

1.      “You made a million dollars in less than 50 years.”

2.      “You owned a home. You had at least one car.”

3.      “You had the extras- boat, motor home, car,

4.      Stereo, TV, household appliances, indoor plumbing,

5.      You took vacations, you went out to eat, paid for and education

6.      You had enough $ to buy braces for your children’s teeth,

7.      You paid to go to the ball games and sporting events,

8.      You had money to buy decorations for the walls in your house

9.      You bought gadgets from lawnmowers to cameras…

10.  You were right.

11.  “Give an account of your stewardship”

                 

V.     When we consider that a million dollars will pass through most of fingers

W.   Accounting for how we spend this money is a sobering thought.

X.     We should be concerned about the subject of stewardship.

 

                  II. IF THE WEALTH WE WILL RECEIVE IS NOT ENOUGH TO CONCERN US, PERHAPRS A PASSAGE FR0M THE BIBLE WILL DO TO THE JOB.

           

A.     For those who turned to Luke 16, you might skip over 3 chapters.

B.     The Balance of our time will be devoted to Luke 19.

C.     This chapter begins with the story of Zacchaeus.

D.     After this story ends a parable is given.

E.      We will read this parable in sections.

F.      The first section will be verses:11-19 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. (12) He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far county to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. (13) And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy [Trade ye herewith] till I come.(14) But his citizens hated him, and sent a message[an ambassage] after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. (15) And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received that kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. (16) Then came the first, saying, Lord, they pound hath gained 10 pounds. (17) And he said unto him, Well thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over 10 cities. (18) And the second came, saying, Lord, they pound hath gained 5 pounds. (19) And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over 5 cities.

1.      10 servants each received a “pound”

2.      A “pound” would be equal to a few months wages for us.

3.      You might take your monthly income x 3

4.      In the first century, several months wages was about $20.

 

G.     These 10 men were told to “trade” with this money

H.     In other words, these men were made stewards.

I.        Notice that the giber of this money left (verse 12) – far country

J.       Eventually the owner of this money returned (verse 15).

K.    It is generally conceded that this parable represents Christ.

L.      Jesus went into a far country (heaven).

M.   At the proper time the Lord will return.

N.    At His return there will be an accounting/ reckoning.

O.    From this parable we may point out that Jesus knows what we have.

P.      As the “nobleman” knew how much the servants had,

Q.    So he Lord knows how much we have.

R.     The nobleman asked that the servants tell Him how they used His $.

S.      We don not know how all 10 or the servants did.

T.      The parable only tells us about 3 of the money managers.

U.     The first of these managers said ( verse 16), “I received one pound,

V.     I made ten more”

W.   This man was a good steward.

X.     The had a thousand percent return on the master’s $

Y.     The 2^nd man did not do quite so well, but most of us would like to.

Z.      This man said “ I had one pound and I made 5 more”

A.     This man had increased his master’s wealth by 500%.

B.     These men could come to the master and say, “ we were faithful.”

C.     “We used your $ responsibly, wisely, and faithfully,

D.     What will we say if we are asked about how we handled over a million dollars?
           1. We will be able to say to God, “ We were like these men?”

                     2. Will we say to God, “ We invested money in your service.”

                     3. “We now stand before you with our return”

5.      Because we were wise ushers of a million dollars or more,

6.      500 people heard the gospel; a thousand head it;

7.      10,000 heard it, or a million + learned about you.

8.      The physical realms, and here are the results.

 

E.      This is the type of report that we need to be able to give.

F.      How come? Verses 17- 19. (17) And he said unto him, Well thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over 10 cities. (18) And the second came, saying, Lord, they pound hath gained 5 pounds. (19) And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over 5 cities.

G.     Not everyone deals wisely with the money God allows us to use.

H.     This parable tells of another man.

I.        This man had just as much money as the others.

J.       Let’s see what he did with it. -  20. And here was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full of sores, 21. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

K.    How did heaven view this man’s lack of investment?

L.      Verses 22-24  22. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23. And in hell he lifted up his eyes, begin in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24. And he cried and said

M.    This is serious.

1.      This man, who did not lose the master’s money, was “wicked”

2.      The master was not grateful that the money was intact.

3.      The owner of this wealth was displeased.

4.      He didn’t want the money back: He wanted to see progress.

N.    Here is the point we may make from this:

1.      If God is displeased with a return of zero,

2.      What if people are spend thrifts?

3.      What if people use  money carelessly and wastefully and wrongly?

4.      If this servant was rightfully condemned.

5.      Poor money management is even worse.

O.    Most of us keep some kind of financial record.

P.      Our record keeping may be as simple as a checkbook to as elaborate as a computer system.

Q.    We are not the only ones keeping track of how we use money.

R.     God is also watching us spend what we have.

S.      All of our resources – our bodies, our time, our money…

T.      Heaven is watching how we use these thing.

 

 

CONCLUSION:

1.      When the day of judgment comes what kind of accounting will we give?

2.      Will we say that our time was used primarily for ourselves.

3.      Will we say that our bodies were used for ourselves.

4.      Will we say that most of our material wealth was for our own pleasure.

5.      Or, will we be able to say that what we had used to serve God?

6.      Luke 19 offers us a choice.

a.       Squander what we have on earth.

b.      Use our goods selfishly and live materialistic lives;

c.       This leads to a big fat zero in eternity.

d.      The servant who did not do these things but was simply inactive.

7.      The other choice we have is to use everything we have in service to God.

8.      What is the consequence of third choice?

9.      A man who had been given a few months wages was given 10 cities.

10.  Another man received 5 cities.

11.  Using every resource we have service to God offers a return like this:

12.  If  we are Christians, we need to give, serve, and sacrifice as much as we have.

13.  If you are thinking about becoming a Christian,

            14. You have an opportunity to share in a reward that you cannot begin to understand.