The Shrewd Businessman

Guest (Male): Welcome to Leading the Way. This is the media voice of Bible teacher Dr. Michael Youssef, heard and seen across six continents, heard on the radio, seen on television through satellite and a host of growing digital platforms, too. All right, when you're planning your holidays and vacations, a lot of effort goes into researching that destination, right? Topics like where to stay, how to get from place to place, amenities you'll need, sites to see, and also how much is it going to cost. But when it comes to our eternal home, heaven, we don't really give that much thought, even though there was great sacrificial cost put toward that special place. So coming up next, Bible teacher Dr. Michael Youssef offers a challenge to divert your attention from the things of this life and concentrate on investing and planning for the next one, eternity. He does this by looking into a parable that Jesus shared about a shrewd businessman, a man whose life offers lessons impacting eternity. So listen with me to this episode of Leading the Way audio.
Dr. Michael Youssef: Let me retell it to you in the vernacular. A company owner CEO decided to hire a manager or so, chief operating officer to run the day-to-day operation of the company. And so the CEO noticed that this CEO basically was goofing off, as we would say. He was goofing off. He was not turning up on time, late for meetings, he didn't keep the books in good order. He was playing golf all the time, if they played golf back then. He was padding the expense account and he was kind of falsifying his monthly reports. And finally, the CEO's patience ran out with this guy. He ran out with this shenanigan. And so he decides to confront this guy, the manager, and the confrontation did not go very well. And so the owner said to the manager, buddy, I'm going to have to terminate your employment. You have two weeks to turn over the books and turn over the accounts, turn over everything. And so the manager thinks for a minute and he says, well, being a shrewd guy, quick on his feet, and he says, well, if I look at my 401k, this retirement account, it's not going to last me for even a year, let alone the rest of my life. There is no way that's going to be enough. I mean, he was living in luxury, going to get manicures and hair stylists and leased Mercedes and health club dues, you know, he just kind of living it up. He's not ready for manual labor. In fact, I think some of the younger generation think the word manual labor is the name of the Mexican Prime Minister. So what does he do? He basically visualized himself as going through life of homelessness. He was going through life of poverty. And he didn't like it at all, neither would I. So he devised an ingenious, if not a crooked, plan. He still has the accounts, he still has the books and his possessions, and he got all the company ins and outs of the finances. He knew who owes what and how much and and so he calls each one of the debtors together. He brings them in one by one. He doesn't bring them together in a big meeting because that would be a problem. But he brings them on one by one and he gives each of them a substantial discount courtesy of his boss's bank account. Now you have to understand back then, back then, usury. You know what I'm talking about usury? Do you know what I'm talking about? Usury is not like interest that we get interest money in the bank and stuff like that. Usury, that is why it's really outlawed in the Bible. And God said don't do it. Don't do it. But sometimes these usuries and the people with money give to the poor who needed it, they can charge upward of 100% So imagine a guy hurting and needing $100 $100 these sharks. Basically we lend it to him, but as long as he paid it back as 200. Let's just put that in the back of your head as a a little bit of a freebie on the house. It's a cultural thing. That's why the Bible outlawed it in the Old Testament very clearly. And so what this man literally was doing, he was taking off the usury and charging only the principal. That's what he was doing. Now do you understand it in context? And so I said to the first one, how much do you owe? 100,000. Well, just sit down and make it 50. How much do you owe? Well, 200,000. Well, sit down and make it 100. The third and the fourth and went on and on and on. Everyone, as I said, was given a wonderful, generous discount courtesy of his boss. All along he was thinking, man, this generous gesture is going to endear me to them. This make these people owe me big time when I'm out of here. I mean, these people are indebted to me for life. Man, when I get out of work, I'm going to set back and collect. I owe yous. I'm going to sit on the beach and clip coupons. Meanwhile, the company owner, the CEO, gets wind of this new shenanigan that was going on and on the part of this outgoing manager. And he becomes furious. I mean, you can understand it, can't you? And now he's more determined than ever to get rid of the rascal right away. But at the same time, he kind of this owner becomes a little bit philosophical. Even though he was furious, but he gets a little bit philosophical and he begins to think of the ingenuity, if not the crookedness of this deal, of this manager's advice. And so he actually deep down secretly part of him admires the rascal for being forward looking, for having foresight, for having vision for his future. Now some of you are saying, okay, Michael, Michael, Michael, I understand that. I understand this is what happened first century Palestine. I understand that. But why on God's earth is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, would tell this unlikely parable in the scripture? Why? You know what? That is a great question. I am so glad you asked it because I want to answer it. It's a great great great great question. And here's what Jesus is saying to every genuine disciple. Now this is not to somebody who doesn't know Jesus. This is for disciples of Jesus. If you have never committed your life to Jesus Christ, he wants you first. He wants your soul. He wants your heart first before he wants what's yours. So he's speaking to every serious minded Christian, every serious minded disciple of Jesus. And he's saying, look at that crook. Look at the crooked means by which he planned his future. Look at how meticulously, but crookedly, he planned his earthly future. Look at his commitment to taking care of number one and his earthly well-being. Now think about how much more thoughtful, caring, intentional should you be about your eternal future? That's what our Lord is saying. Think about how much more diligent and deliberately and highly organized your plans should be for where you're going to be spending eternity, not just few years, but forever and ever and ever. I know there are some people who spend more time organizing their annual vacation than thinking about heaven. I know there are a lot of people spend a lot of time organizing their retirement and there's nothing wrong with that, but they spend time pouring into their retirement hours and hours and hours and nothing and no time, no plans, no decisions about where they're going to be spending thousands and thousands and thousands of years. And Jesus is saying if this crooked man who had enough sense to plan his earthly future, how much more should be the true children of the living God plan to where they're going to be spending their forever? Or except God's children will be making their plans by righteous means. They'll be making their plans not through crooked means. Here's what Jesus is saying, learn even from this crook who had done crooked things for his own needs. And for only few years of life, learn from this crooked man who cannot see past his nose. Learn to be shrewd in the use of your time, in the use of your talent, and in the use of your treasure for your eternal future. Learn and be wise in investing all that God has placed in your hands for your eternal future. Learn to invest all the resources that he has placed in your hands where you'll be living forever and ever and ever and ever. Learn to invest in ministries that will bring people to Christ. Learn to invest in things where it's going to be waiting for you on the other side of heaven when people going to come to you and tell you how grateful they are for you and in your investment. For that reason they are in heaven. Learn to invest in gospel ministries that will bring salvation to people whose gratitude to you for that investment will go on and on and on and on for all of eternity. I know and you know there's just a lot of talk about the loss of value of the dollar, right? Some people actually predicting that in the next few years the dollar will be worth half of what it is now. Now there are people who are investing in gold and silver and hedging and so the value of the dollar I understand that's fine, that's wonderful. But I can tell you on the authority of Jesus the Christ that your dollar that you send unto heaven will never never never never lose its value. Think about this. Think about this. When you go to heaven, all of your money, all of your possessions, all of your stocks and bonds and your real estate or whatever it is you invested in will lose its value 100%. He can use it up there, but what you invest now in the work of Jesus here on this earth will be multiplied exponentially in value in heaven. I have a friend some years ago when Cuba just opened up. When he was in Cuba, he changed the local currency hundreds and hundreds of dollars. I don't know how much exactly. He said, you know, I came back home and open up my briefcase and there's all this money, Cuban money. He said in Cuba I could have bought a lot of things with that. In America, was worthless. Couldn't do anything with it. I couldn't do anything with it. Now beloved, listen to me. In the same way, when we cross over to the other side, we will discover that our money that we left here on earth cannot be used there. It can be used there. That is money that we could have invested in the work of God while we living. Money that could have been invested in ministries that met spiritual needs. Now it's worthless in heaven, worthless. I've heard it. You've heard it, too. You can take it with you. Actually that's wrong. Did you know that? It's wrong. According to Jesus right here in Luke 16, that's wrong. He is saying you can send it on ahead. You can send it on ahead by investing in ministries and in the kingdom of God. Okay. After this brief introduction, I am going to come to the message. Three things. And the Lord Jesus Christ is saying to us, saying to every disciple of Jesus Christ, he is saying, be wise. Be wise. First of all, be wise in facing reality. Secondly, be wise in projecting the future, eternal future. And thirdly, be wise in acting upon your conviction. Okay, let's look at these very very quickly, very quickly. Be wise in facing reality. Society now is made of people totally unrealistic. We have politicians who are totally unrealistic. We have media that might as well be living in an alternate universe. They unrealistic about their ability, they're unrealistic about their expectations. Too many people are waiting for their ships to come to port when they have never sent any ships out. Just think about this. They think they're going to get everything free free free. Yeah, right. And Jesus is saying to his disciples, if this crook was realistic enough about the reality of his future, if this crook was realistic about his world, how much more how much more should you, who know and love the Lord Jesus, how much more should those who actually know that they are going to be spending eternity in heaven with Jesus? And if you know for certain that you are going to spend eternity in heaven with Jesus, then the question should be, what plans am I making with that reality in mind? Do your life plans reflect that reality? Are you writing your personal budget with that reality in mind? Are you managing your earthly resources with that reality in mind? Be wise in facing reality. Secondly, he said be wise in projecting the future. That's the eternal future. There is everything right about projecting your eternal future. Everything right about it. Question. Are you going to have friends in heaven? No no no. I'm not talking about your church members, your friends in the church, your friends in the Bible study. I'm not talking about your loved ones. I am talking about people whom you have never seen this side of heaven. Will they be your friends in heaven? I am talking about those names that you have never heard this side of heaven because that's what Jesus is saying, not me. But because of your investment, they'll be waiting for you in heaven. Say thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Try this sometimes, okay? Try to do this. Close your eyes. Whether when you're having your devotion and spread time, whatever, just close your eyes and visualize yourself face to face with Jesus. I do that regularly. Then visualize yourself face to face with people from every corner of the globe. By then they will know your name. In heaven they will know your name and you will know their names who will come to you and say because of your investment in the work of God, I am here in heaven today. And so be wise and visualizing your eternal future. This crook visualized poverty and unemployment and homelessness and he did something about it. Crooked as it was. We have the chance to do something that is righteous, holy, and glorious. Be wise in facing reality. Be wise in visualizing your eternal future. Thirdly, be wise in acting upon your conviction. You see there are a lot of well meaning people around. All their intentions are so good. They do nothing about it. There's no secret if you heard me long enough to know that I get absolutely flabbergasted that the jihadis who are willing to blow themselves up for a diabolical cause. I look around and I become equally flabbergasted in our culture, in our country, in our culture in the West. Christians who know the truth, yet they squander their biblical convictions on life's trivia. But when I look at the commitment of those who are spearheading some of the most godless causes, some of the most godless legislations, I look at those who are working day and night and lobbying for immorality and for the destruction of biblical morality and for the destruction of our families, those whose lives calling is the destruction of the Christian family. And I must confess to you, I hang my head in shame. When genuine believing Christians who have known and experienced salvation sleep in on Sunday morning or complain because they can't get this or they can't do this. And forever this evil forces working day and night the redeemed of God are indifferent. And when I see this, I want to say with Jeremiah, all that my head is water and my eyes a fountain of tears so that I might weep day and night. And when I see the church more concerned about being woke, social justice, Marxist ideology, then they are concerned about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to say with Isaiah, whoa. It's me. I often wondered if he's telling this parable in the 21st century, I wonder what he would say. I personally believe would have said, look at the jihadis, look at the atheists, look at the agnostics, look at those who worship the environment and secular humanists, look at their commitment to their causes, look at the forces of that are working day and night seeking to confuse and hurt our young children. Look at their willingness to invest of themselves and learn from them. Look at them. And you can do no less for the kingdom of God than they are doing for their evil causes. Don't do less for my church. Don't do less for my saving of souls and saving of the loss. Don't do less for the great commission. Don't do less for your eternal home, for your eternal home. Look at verse nine and I'm going to conclude with it. Jesus basically saying, now I tell you, make friends for yourselves in heaven. That's what he's talking about. He's not talking about going out and buying people. That's what the celebrities do. They go out and buy people with their money. That's not what he's talking about. He said make friends in heaven by means of unrighteous money, basically whatever resources you have so that when you don't have them anymore and in heaven you won't, they'll welcome you and invite you in their dwelling places. Jesus is saying, beloved, listen to me. The time to give is now. The time to give of yourself is now. The time to invest yourself is now. The time to serve is now. The time to put yourself out for Jesus is now. For in eternity, this is the only place where you will get compounded interest. I hope everyone at the sound of my voice will ask themselves the question, what am I giving to? What am I giving to you that my non-Christian friends cannot give to? Am I giving to secular education? Well, they can do that. Even more. Am I giving to social causes? They will gladly do that and more. Am I giving to the environmental causes? My goodness, they will do that and more. Your non-Christian friends do not and cannot give to the kingdom of God. They cannot give to the kingdom of Jesus, but you can. Beloved, listen to me. Jesus did not praise a crook. Let me repeat this. Jesus did not praise a crook, but rather he is using earthly example to teach us an eternal principle because only you can hear from the lips of Jesus those wonderful words that I can't wait to hear whether be in an hour or in 10 years. Well done. Say it with me. Good and faithful servant. May the Lord imprint us words in the cortex of our brains and a fold of our hearts.
Guest (Male): Will you hear those words? Well done, good and faithful servant. Maybe you've benefited from a conversation with a Leading the Way pastor or counselor. We've made that easy. Just fill out a contact form at ltw.org/jesus. Our ministry team members are so happy to connect with you and speak to you about anything.
Dr. Michael Youssef: Hello friends. Socialists and Islamists are winning positions of political power at every level. Radical ideologies, once enemies in our culture, are now marching together. What can be done? In my book An Unholy Alliance, I explain what these radical forces are, what their strategy is, and also give you the 1,400 year backstory. Many people are entirely unaware of that is shaping today's headlines. Get my book An Unholy Alliance. It will open your eyes and give you practical ways to make a difference for Christ.
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