Friday, October 7, 2011
What Jesus Said about Your Money, Part 16 of 31
TEXT: "So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home" (Luke 16:8-9).
IDEA: We are to use our position and our possessions to make friends who will welcome us into heaven.
PURPOSE: To motivate listeners to use their money and their opportunities to make eternal friendships.
Do you have any investments?
Where do you get advice about them?
Jesus gives us advice about investments. He warns against garments and money and real estate as the best investments. Listen to His counsel in Luke 16:9:
"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."
Jesus tells us that the best investment we can make is in friends. That’s shrewd.
I. People of the world know the value of friends. They are often of more value than money.
Politicians know the value of making friends. Their careers depend on it. Think of all the ways they do it:
Mark Hatfield remembers names.
Ronald Reagan spoke at all kinds of dinner
They made themselves available to their constituencies.
They pad bills with a little something for the home folks.
“All politics is local” said Speaker Tip O’Neill.
Business people know the value of networking. That is the “ultimate asset.”
It’s not simply what you know, but who you know that matters. Think how they do it:
They make visits.
They attend parties.
They send letters.
They make phone calls.
They send gifts.
II. Christians are to make friends who will welcome them into heaven.
We don’t make friends merely to see people become Christians. That is manipulation.
We all know at least one insurance man who was friendly and then dropped us because we didn’t buy a policy.
One of the things that we want for our friends is to share with them the best news we have ever heard and the best Friend they can ever know.
To makes friends means we should follow Jesus’ example.
