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You're listening to Heed the Word with our pastor and teacher, Ken Davis. Pastor Ken is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro in Burleson, Texas. Please join us as we study the Gospel of Luke, verse by verse.

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Jesus is calling money least. Now in America, we think of money as most. We think of money as the supreme goal of our lives, right? Jesus calls it the least thing, the least important. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. And he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

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The Gospel of Luke is the third account in the Gospels of the life and teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As believers, there are few studies that will benefit us more spiritually than studying the life and teachings of the Master. We learn from the Scriptures that the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. In fact, if we're not careful, our longing for riches could cause us to wander away from our faith. So, as believers in Jesus, let us reject the love of money, of earthly riches, and seek the riches of God, which are righteousness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Don't forget to stay with us after today's message to hear more information about He the Word, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. But for now, please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, verse 8, as we join Pastor Ken.

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You know, the thing is, is what this guy was doing was wrong. It was unjust. That's why he was called the unjust steward, right? But his master, who was a worldly man, seeing what this unjust steward has done, commended him. It's important to note that the Lord did not commend him, but rather his Lord commended him, you see. So let's read on. So, verse 6. Actually, verse 7, excuse me. No, verse 8. We'll get there eventually. So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. Now, would you agree, though dishonest, what he had done was pretty shrewd. You know, I was talking to a co-worker of mine who knows uh this woman. I don't know her nor the company she worked for, and I prefer it that way. After I tell you this story, you'll know why. She was working for an accounting firm. And in one year's time, she embezzled approximately$28,000. Well, this$28,000 she used, among other things, to buy a Lexus. And at one point, she got caught. She had gone to court, had paid her bail, and she knew that the date of her trial was approaching. The only thing that she actually had that had any tangible value left was this Lexus. So she got some of her friends together, and she went out and had a huge party one night with them, and they took the Lexus, parked it under a bridge, and blew it up. She reports the car stolen, and the insurance company pays her$28,000. She takes the$28,000, pays back the company, pleads guilty, and got one year in jail. Now that was incredibly dishonest, but let's be honest. That was shrewd. Now, of course, if she gets caught again, you can add insurance fraud to what she did. That's why I told you I'm glad I don't know who she is or what company she worked for. But the fact of the matter is, is while it may not be right, was it shrewd? It was. Was it crafty? Oh yeah. And the master of this person here, the master of this unjust steward, says, Hey, good job, man. I wish I'd thought of something like that myself, is basically what he's saying. So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. And here's the point that Jesus is trying to make. You see, this is not a parable by example, okay? A parable by example is saying, let me give you an example of something that I would want you to be like. This is a parable by contrast. This is saying, look, the world is this way, but the fact of the matter is, you children of the light are kind of like this. Let me give you the example of what he's saying here. 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. Now, wait a minute. Is Jesus commending this unjust steward? No. He's not commending his actions. But what he is commending is the consistency of his thought. You see, this unjust steward was behaving in a manner that was consistent with his worldview. He was behaving in a manner that was consistent with his character and with his nature. And in the realm within which he operated, he acted very shrewdly. In the same manner, we, as children of light, within the economy within which we operate, need to behave shrewdly, not greedily, not evilly, but shrewdly, meaning we need to think about what we believe and about how our actions line up with what we say we believe. Jesus goes on to say this. Huh? What are you talking about, Jesus? This doesn't make any sense. Are you saying, Lord, that I'm supposed to use money to make friends for myself in the world? Well, when I fail, is the world gonna receive me into an everlasting home?

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No.

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Who is going to receive me into an everlasting home as a believer? The Lord is going to receive me into an everlasting home. So is the Lord saying then that I should use money to make friends for myself in heaven? Yeah. That's exactly what he's saying. Whoa, Ken, step back. What did you say? Yeah, that's exactly what he's saying. Now, lest any of you get freaked out, just with a show of hands, just for those who haven't been here for very long, how often have you heard me teach on money and on giving? Would you say very often, show of hands? Would you say almost never? Right? Can any of you, just out of curiosity, can remember even once that I've ever talked about giving or money or anything like that? Anybody even one time? No. Well, Greg remembers. And he's right, there was one time. The rest of you just didn't pay attention that day. I love y'all though, okay? Only once have I ever talked about it. Do you know why I've only talked about it once? Because in the last three years of teaching, it's only come up in the scripture once. But here it comes up again. And if it comes up, I'm gonna talk about it. And I'm gonna let you know what the Lord has to say about it because you know what? He's got a lot to say about it. You know, the longest chapter in the Bible has to do with the Word of God. It's uh Psalms 119. You know what the second longest chapter in the Bible is? It's Numbers chapter 6. And you know what it's about? Giving money. Jesus talked about money more than almost any other topic. He talked about why? Because it's the number one idol that people worship instead of him. That's why. The Lord told us, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. And the God that most people, particularly Americans, have before him is money. So what does he mean? Make friends for yourself of unrighteous mammon. Unrighteous mammon, for those of you who don't know, is money, right? In Matthew 6, 19 through 21, Jesus said, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. D. Al Moody said this I can tell more about a man's spirituality by looking at his checkbook than I can by his prayer book. Because anybody can write flowery prayers and use beautiful words. But when you look at where someone is spending their money, you find out where their heart is. You find out where their heart is. And where your treasure is, that's where your heart is going to be. Luke 16, verse 10. Jesus says, He who is faithful in what is least, what is least. Jesus is calling money least. Now in America, we think of money as most. We think of money as the supreme goal of our lives, right? Jesus calls it the least thing, the least important. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. And he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. If money is the most important thing in your life, then you are not serving God. If money has a hold on your heart, then you are not serving God. You can't. You cannot serve God and money. It's a fact of life. It's a fact of the spirit. Now I want to tell y'all something. I want to tell you the truth about tithing. Because we have been called to be faithful in that which is least. Now, a lot of people say, Ken, you know, tithing, come on, that's that's Old Testament, man. That's the law. And as Christians, we're not under the law. Right? We're under grace. I have an issue with that. Because you see, tithing, giving a tenth of all your increase to the Lord, did not begin with the law. But tithing predates the law. Turn to Genesis chapter 14. First book of the Bible. Law wasn't given till Exodus, was it? Exodus chapter 20, I believe. Now, you remember, Abraham and Lot had gone their separate ways. Lot had gone out and camped outside Sodom. Well, Sodom got into a bit of trouble, and these other kings came out and basically captured them all, Sodom, Gomorrah, and the other guys in the valley there, and they took Lot captive with them. Well, Abraham finds out that his nephew Lot is in trouble. And so he said, Hey man, he's family. You gotta watch out for family. And so he gets together his guys, the three or four hundred people he can there, and he heads out after these foreign kings. And he catches up to them, and through the power and strength that the Lord provided, sacked them, wiped them out, destroyed them, and captured everything back that had been lost. Well, about that time, Melchizedek, the prince of Salem, who many Bible commentators believe, and I agree, was a pre-incarnate manifestation of Jesus Christ. Hebrews talks about how Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. It says that Melchizedek was someone who had neither mother nor father. It also said that he was the prince of Salem. You know what Salem means? Peace. So he was the prince of peace. Well, who's the prince of peace? Jesus, right? So he comes out to him, Melchizedek, and what does he give to Abraham? He gives him bread and wine. Gee, what does that sound like? The Lord's Supper. And what does Abraham do? Genesis chapter 14, verse 18. Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of God most high. And he blessed him, he blessed Abraham and said, Blessed be Abraham of God most high, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be God most high, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him a tithe, that is a tenth, of all. Now, here is something that is so interesting. Right after Abraham has done this, up slithers the king of Sodom, and he's like, Oh, Abraham, Abraham, or Abram at this time, thank you so much for saving my people. I'll tell you what. Give me back the people, and all of the goods and the treasure is yours. And Abraham says, No. But I promised the Lord that I wouldn't take so much as a shoelac from you, so that you couldn't be the one to say, You made me rich. When we tithe, when we give to God that portion which he has told us is his, he protects us against the temptations of the world. You see, it puts us in right standing and in the right frame of mind regarding our finances, and when temptations come, we are guarded against those. I have an issue with something I just said, by the way, and I'll tell you what it is in a few moments. My next example, turn over just a few chapters to Genesis chapter 28. Again, this is prior to the law. Genesis chapter 28, starting in verse 10. Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night because the sun had set, and he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Now Jacob's on the run, right? He's left his mom and dad and his brother who wants to kill him, and he's headed back to the land of his mother, to his uncle's place, to find a wife for himself, ostensibly, but really to get the heck out of Dodge. Doesn't have a whole lot with him. In fact, later on we find out he crossed that river with nothing but a staff in his hand. So Jacob at this time is poor. He's got nothing. Right? We had an example of Abram who was rich and he tithed. Now we have an example of Jacob, who at this time in his life has absolutely nothing but the staff in his hand, even so little that he has to use a rock for a pillow. And we know the story that he has a dream, right? And in this dream, he sees the angels of God ascending and descending upon this ladder stretching down from heaven, which we find out later is really an example of Jesus. And the next morning he wakes up and he says this. Verse 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it. And he was afraid and said, How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. Then Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it, and he called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city had been loose previously. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, If God will be with me and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, is he asking for a lot? No. Is he asking for a Lexus? Is he asking for a Rolex watch? Is he asking for a bank account that's just overflowing? Is he asking for anything? He's asking for bread to eat and clothes to put on, the basic necessities of life, right? If he does that for me, so that I come back to my father's house in peace. Wow, bread to eat, clothes to wear, and peace. Boy, what blessings those are. Why would we long for anything more than that in the Lord? And yet we do. He says, So that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that you give me, I will surely give a tenth to you. So he says, Lord, right now I've got nothing, so there's nothing I can give. But of all that you give me, all that you give me, not most that you give me, not some of what you give me, but of all that you give me, I'm gonna give you a tenth of it, he says. And so my issue with what I said earlier was not that we give our tithe to the Lord, because we don't give anything to God. How could we increase anything that God has when God has all that there is? But we return the tithe to the Lord. I need a volunteer from the congregation. Can I have a volunteer, please? Anyone? Becky, you're closer. Greg, it's just because she's closer. So come here, Becky. I have money right here. Guilty Luker. Mammon. Put out your hand, Becky. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Thank you. Yeah. Put that towards healing hearts. May I have a dollar, Becky?

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Thank you.

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Did Becky give me a dollar? She returned a dollar to me. Becky, why were you willing to give me this dollar? Right. Why did I have the authority to ask for it? Exactly. Because I gave it to you, right? I gave you that money. And so for me to ask you to give me back what I've just given to you, is there any pain in that for you? Is there any loss in that to you? No, there's just increase, isn't there? Gain. That's yours. Everything we have. I bet you'll be quicker to volunteer next time. Everything we have. Everything we have. How much of what we have? Oh, come on. How much of what we have? How much? Everything. Every last bit down to the shoelaces on your foot belongs to God. And if he wants you to give him back just a little of what he's giving you, what is that to you?

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And yet we are so greedy and so faithless.

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Because we say, how can I give back to him when I have so little? If I give back to him, I won't have enough. Who is your source? Is he poor? Does he need your money? No. God doesn't need your money. Do you know that for the first eight months of this ministry, we met in a fellowship hall for free. For free. This ministry will survive if you give. It will survive if you don't give. But you know who won't survive if you don't give? You. Because when you fail to give back to God, when you fail to return to God, that which already belongs to Him, then you become an unjust steward. If you say, Oh, I'm condemned. I have to give it to the Lord.

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Maybe you just didn't understand.

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It's not about what you've done, it's about what you're going to do with the truth that God has revealed in and to you. Okay? Don't worry about what's gone before. That's under the blood of Jesus. But to whom much has been given. Much is expected. You now have this information. You may not thank me for having given it to you, but you now have it. John Corson in his application commentary puts it this way. Tithing precedes the law, is spoken of by the Lord, and is seen in the epistles. If you want examples, I can give them to you. They're in my notes. Tithing precedes the law, is spoken of by the Lord, and is seen in the epistles. Therefore, to say that tithing is not applicable in this dispensation is, I believe, a failure to understand the full counsel of Scripture and church history. How do we develop church doctrine? It has to be taught in the scriptures. In the Old Testament, we like to see it there. Or at least we like to see it in the New Testament scriptures that the Lord has spoken of it. The epistles need to address it and talk about it, and we need to see the example of it being practiced in church history, in the scriptures. That's how we develop doctrine. That's why we take communion. That's why we take the Lord's Supper, is because the Lord talked about it. In the epistles, particularly Paul wrote about it, and in the early church, we see that they practiced it. So those three things taken together are where we form the various doctrines that we hold to as being the doctrines of the faith. And tithing holds up to that criteria. Now, are there consequences for not tithing? Will you lose your salvation if you don't give your ten percent? No. Oh no.

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Because you see, we're not saved by what we give, we're saved by what he gave. Amen? But if we have been saved, then we will wrong to obey. And we have to understand that God is not walking. That whatsoever a man sows, that also shall he reap. Turn to Haggai chapter 1.

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Haggai chapter 1, starting in verse 1. In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, to Zerababel, the son of Sheltiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehazad, the high priest, saying, First of all, understand this. They had been sent back to rebuild the temple of God. But when they got there, there was so much rubble that they became destroyed to them and the work. And so each man is returning to his own house and building his own house. And yet the house of the Lord speaks, verse 2, the Lord of the same, his people said, The time has not come.

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The time of the Lord's house should be built.