Make It Work!
(A Message to the Ministers)
(Preached Saturday Evening, September 26, 2020)
“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.”
(Luke 16:8)
Introduction
- Bill Gates – is a technologist, business leader, and philanthropist. He grew up in Seattle, Washington, with an amazing and supportive family who encouraged his interest in computers at an early age. When everyone else was sleeping, he’d be up early, at the crack of dawn, working on furthering his understanding and building his dream that so dramatically helped to fill the planet with the personalized power of a computers.
- Steve Jobs – the American businessman and technology visionary who is best known as the co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc, was born on February 24, 1955. Fired from Macintosh, he came back 10 years later with creativity and innovation that still, even today, continues to take the marketing world of technology by storm.
- Jeff Bezos – is an American internet entrepreneur, industrialist, media proprietor, and investor. He is best known as the founder, CEO, and president of the multi-national technology company Amazon.
- Jesus Christ – well, let’s see… What does the Bible say about his fame in the world (despite all that He has, does, and will continue to achieve)?
- “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:3)
The following are headings for the passages of Scripture found in the Gospel of Luke, chapters 15 through 17, given by Charles Caldwell Ryries, in his popular and very helpful Study Bible.
- Luke Chapter 15: “Concerning God’s love for sinners.”
- Luke Chapter 16: “Concerning wealth.”
- Luke 17:1-6: “Concerning forgiveness”
- Luke 17:7-10: “Concerning service”
- Luke 17:11-19: “Concerning gratitude”
- Luke 17:20-37: “Concerning the Kingdom”
- Etc., etc., etc.
I. Make it work for “the Lord of the Harvest!”
“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” (Luke 16:8)
- “And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” (Luke 16:9)
- “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” ( Matthew 9:36-38)
II. Make it work for “the children of this world!”
“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” (Luke 16:8)
- “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.” (Luke 16:10)
- “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:11)
III. Make it work for “the children of light!”
“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” (Luke 16:8)
- “And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” (Luke 16:12)
Conclusion
“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Luke 16:13)
“And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.” (Luke 16:14)
“And he said unto them,
- “Ye are they which justify yourselves before men;
- “But God knoweth your hearts:
- “For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15)
OUTLINE:
Make It Work!
“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” (Luke 16:8)
I. Make it work for “the Lord of the Harvest!”
II. Make it work for “the children of this world!”
III. Make it work for “the children of light!”
“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Luke 16:13)
WORSHIP:
Opening:
I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go (352)
Middle:
Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior (311)
Message: