Luke 16:1-9 (11/6/24)

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Luke 16:1-9 (11/6/24)

Using Money

November 6, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 16:1–9

* God wants us to use the things of the world to influence others.

* He wants people to have a relationship with Him.

* Wealth is one such worldly thing we can use to accomplish it.

* Jesus told a story to make His point.

* vs 1-8 - read all verses in NAS.

* The verb for “shrewdly is epoiesen.

* It means “creative activity.”

* This is not just performing a routine task, completing an assignment, or getting the job done.

* This is brilliance manifested.

* Skip Moen - “Christ’s point is that men who are savvy about the ways of the world often show greater imaginative execution than those concerned about following God. Yeshua uses this man’s unconventional action to highlight the necessity for thinking outside the box regarding Kingdom work.”

* vs 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.”

* Bible Knowledge Commentary - “The disciples’ wise use of wealth would help lead others to believe the message of the kingdom and bring them to accept that message.”

* Henry Fielding wrote, “Make money your god and it will plague you like the devil!” Jesus said, “Make money your servant and use today’s opportunities as investments in tomorrow’s dividends.” Be a wise steward! There are souls to win to the Saviour, and our money can help get the job done.”

* Here are three ways we can use money to make friends (bless others):

* 1) Generate it - you cannot bless others if you have nothing to bless them with.

* Yes, you can give of your time, but in this instance, Jesus specifically talks about blessing people financially.

* You need to get good at something, making yourself valuable in a particular niche, so you can generate money!

* 2) Give it - you must have a heart to help others.

* When you're willing to give to those who can't give back, it reflects the heart of God to those people, and He will richly reward you for it.

* Maybe not financially, but certainly with peace.

* 3) Grow it - Once you’ve generated money and given money (tithe first) you can grow your money so that you have more to give.

* Three ways to grow your money:

* Work for it - you become valuable and make money through your work.

* Other people work for you - create a business and hire employees (this gives them an opportunity to make money).

* Put your money to work - actively invest your money so that it grows.

* When you generate money, give it, and grow it, God will reward you for using it for kingdom impact.

Luke 16:27-31 (11/13/24)

November 13, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 16:27–31

* I heard a well-known pastor say that we should “unhitch” the Old Testament from the New Testament. * He believed the only thing that matters is the resurrection of Jesus. * I understand what he’s trying to do, but the phrase “unhitch” is devastating to Biblical truth. * Why? Because the Old Testament is all about Jesus! * The OT is Jesus concealed. * The NT is Jesus revealed. * If people aren’t willing to accept the Bible as a whole, which is the NT and OT, then they won’t be persuaded, even by the resurrection. * Just look at this conversation between Abraham and the rich man. * Jesus was showing that there is life after death. * And that our faithfulness here determines our experience there. * vs 27-31 - NAS * The rich man essentially said, “Please convince my brothers to get right with God so they don’t have to come here. If they see someone come back from the dead, they will believe.” * Abe responds, “If they don’t believe the Old Testament scriptures that point to the Messiah, then they won’t believe EVEN IF SOMEONE WERE TO RAISE FROM THE DEAD!” * He was alluding to the resurrection of Jesus! * Listen to what the Evangelical Commentary says about this: * “This suggests that the message of Jesus does not invalidate Old Testament revelation. The rich man, however, protests that the Scriptures are not enough. They need the definitive proof that a resurrection would provide. Abraham retorts that this is incorrect. Those who do not put credence in the Scriptures will not be persuaded by a resurrection. Certainly Jesus’ resurrection was in Luke’s mind when he wrote this. The point of the last part of the parable is clear. No miracle can convince anyone of the credibility of the kingdom message. The Scriptures are sufficient for salvation, and those who reject their message will rationalize miraculous phenomena as well.” * Tony Evans - “If one will not believe God’s Word, a miracle will not convince him. Though Jesus had performed countless miracles, still the Pharisees refused to believe he was the Messiah. And while he would rise from the dead, even that miracle would not persuade them. Their hearts were hard. They were unwilling to believe.” * Jesus Himself, after His resurrection, used the OT to reveal the truth about the Messiah. * Luke 24:27 - “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” * The point is this - the OT and NT should remain hitched and we should study both of them with a heart of full surrender.

Luke 17:10 (11/13/24)

November 13, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 17:10

* One of our core business principles is this: * “Give more in value than you take in pay.” * Our goal was to underpromise and over-deliver. * This would give customers a great experience and keep them coming back. * EX: Zappos - 2nd Day delivery was really overnight. * EX: Lagniappe - a French word meaning “a little extra.” * As believers, we need to give a little extra to those around us so they have a good experience with us. * This will get them to want what we have. * Jesus taught the principle of a second-mile mindset. * Matthew 5:41 - “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” * The first mile fulfills our duty, but the second mile fulfills the law of love. * If Christianity is to spread, believers must give more than expected! * Now, in Luke 17, Jesus gives another parable that takes this concept one step further. * vs. 7-10 - “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that, you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” * In the KJV, the word “unworthy” is “unprofitable.” * Jesus says we are "unprofitable" when we do only our duty. * Essentially, if we don't go the second mile, then we are unprofitable! * We must do MORE than our duty if we want God's love to manifest through us. * Going the second mile - doing more than our duty - is what God desires of us. * What can you do in your marriage, family, and work to go the extra mile?

Luke 8:45 (11/6/24)

November 6, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 8:45

* My wife is reading this great book, Your Body Keeps Score. * It’s about how your body speaks to you. * What happens to you in life will affect your physical body. * The thoughts you think and the experiences you’ve had all take a toll on your body. * So when you feel something physically, you should pay attention to what it is because your body is talking to you. * Jesus paid attention to what His body told Him. * He was on His way to heal a 12-year-old girl. * A woman with a 12-year sickness touched His cloak in faith. * Jesus responded: * vs 45 - “And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.” But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.” * Jesus was so in touch with the Holy Spirit that He felt power come out of His body. * And, because He was so in tune with His own spirit, He knew it had to do with His healing power. * KEY - the same Spirit that lived in Jesus while He was on the earth lives in us. * And we can listen to our bodies just as He did. * EX: B&B book story. * I felt a pit in my stomach having someone help us on this book. * Until I decided to write it myself - the pit went away. * Now, when that old familiar feeling comes around, I ask myself, “What am I NOT doing that I should be doing?” * When I discover what it is, my simple action toward the thing is what removes it. * Our bodies keep score. * It’s time to start paying attention.