Principals of Survival p1

Principals of Survival – Lessons from the unjust steward.

Luke 16:1-13

Fiscal Pragmatism

I.                   Money was an everyday part of the lives of Biblical saints.

Malachi 3:10 – The Jews were to bring all the tithes into the storehouse.

Matthew 17:24 – Peter is told to retrieve the coin from the fishes mouth to pay the tax.

Mark 6:36 – The disciples had 200 pennyworth of $ for food.

2 Corinthians 9:5 – Paul instructs the brethren at Corinth to prepare the offering.

II.                Is it always wrong to “love money”? 

"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:10, KJV)

Only the innate love of money is forbidden. Proper love consists of giving not taking.

III.             Money has a practical use that pays dividends spiritually.

A.    Using it for the benefit of others.

There is a distortion in the understanding of this principal currently. Just where do we draw the line for charity? Not one verse in scripture tells us to pay someone’s bills for them. Not one verse demands we bail people out of their own foolishness. But rather the scripture tells us to be content with food and clothing, and if we see our brother destitute of such things we are to give to them.

B.     Using it for the witness of God.

How important is the distribution of the gospel to us, will we give abundantly to its furtherance?

C.     Using it for the heavenly depository.

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:" (Matthew 6:19-20, KJV)

Normally viewed and taught as spiritual treasures the scripture should be taken literally to understand its context. We are therefore to use our earthen treasures for the kingdom of God!