September 28, 2008

• Heart Disease

  Luke 16:1-4 KJV  And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.  (2)  And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.  (3)  Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.  (4)  I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

  The steward is ripping him off. The steward knows he is in trouble.

  Luke 16:5-8 KJV  So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?  (6)  And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.  (7)  Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.  (8)  And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

  Apparently this steward had the ability to “forgive” his master’s debt. He had the ability to make a deal with a debtor and lower the amount that they owed.  Sometimes a bank or the IRS will negotiate with you to lower what you owe just so they get something out of you.

  Yes, the steward is hurting his master, but I don’t think he’s doing anything illegal. He is using what was still at his disposal, using the position of his job to endear himself to these people who owed his master so they would help him out later.

  wisely – phronimos – prudently, wisely; perhaps “shrewd” would be a good word.

  The lord wasn’t happy that he had been further ripped off by this guy.  He was commending the guy for being a shrewd operator.

  Luke 16:9 KJV  And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

  Don’t become slaves to what you resources. Use what God has given you wisely.

  Money can be at times a cause of “unrighteousness”, the “mammon of unrighteousness”.

  1 Timothy 6:9-10 KJV But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. {10} 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.

  It’s not money itself, but the “love of” money that leads to great problems.

  Money can be used wisely in a way that will work towards people coming into the kingdom. This happens through your personal use of money. It can happen as you help someone through your use of money. This happens as you support the church and other organizations that are influencing people for the kingdom.

  Luke 16:10 KJV  He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

  God’s promotion comes from faithfulness in small things. People who want to go places in their lives often have this idea that they can just start out at the top.

  Is a person someone you can count on in little things?

  How do they do in the “little things” in their life?

  If they don’t know the importance of being faithful in little things, they aren’t going to be faithful in the big things.

  Proverb 22:29 KJV  Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
  
  Zec 4:10 KJV  For who hath despised the day of small things?
  
  Jeremiah 45:5 KJV  And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

  Luke 16:11 KJV  If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

  True riches – Spiritual Resources

  God wants you to use your resources for His glory.
  
  Luke 16:12-13 KJV  And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?  (13)  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

  Be faithful in the things that God has put before you. Be faithful at work.  Be faithful in your ministry.

  As important as it is to the Lord that you use your money wisely, God wants you to serve Him, not your money.

  Luke 16:14-15 KJV  And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.  (15)  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
  
  2 Tim 3:1-2 KJV This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. {2} For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
  
  1 Tim 6:10 KJV 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.

  Why would the Pharisees turn up their noses at the teaching of Jesus? He had nailed them. They were convicted.

  There’s the old Eskimo saying, “Throw a rock into a pack of dogs, and the one that yelps out is the one that got hit”

  Sometimes it’s easier to stick our noses in the air and criticize rather than face the truth that I’ve got a problem and need to change.

  God’s standards aren’t like ours

  People admire things like money, position, and power.

  God has different standards

  Micah 6:8 KJV  He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

  We need to seek God and learn to value the things He values.

  Isaiah 55:6-9 KJV  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: {7} Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. {8} For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. {9} For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

  Luke 16:16 KJV  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

  With the Pharisees, they seemed to have the idea that you were either perfect like they were, or you were hopeless.  God’s message was that people everywhere should change their ways, to repent.

  Luke 16:17-18 KJV  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.  (18)  Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

  Jesus is dealing with their covetousness. Coveting money and coveting other people aren’t that different. It is all about covetousness.
  
  Luke 16:19-20 KJV  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:  (20)  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

  Is this a parable or not? Some have suggested that the language that Jesus uses is different than what He normally uses when He is giving a parable. He doesn’t start with, “the kingdom of God is like …”.  He also will actually give the name of one of the people in the story, something He never does in any of the parables. Why is this important?
  Because it is possible that what Jesus is going to talk about is not some kind of a made-up-story for the purpose of teaching a lesson. Instead, it might actually be a historical account of an actual event.

  Lazarus has to be laid there. Probably has trouble walking. He is covered in sores.

  Luke 16:21-23 KJV  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  (22)  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;  (23)  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

  There is no mention of Lazarus being buried.  It’s very likely that he, as a poor beggar, would have had his body simply thrown onto the burning trash heaps in the valley of Hinnom (called, Gehenna) outside Jerusalem.

  When a person dies, their spirit is separated from their body. The body goes into the grave, but the spirit will depart and go to another location.

  The rich man went to “Sheol” or, “Hades”.

  Sheol is a Hebrew word, meaning sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit. In the King James, the word is translated either “grave” (31 times), “hell” (31 times), or “pit” (3 times).

  Lazarus in Abraham’s Bosom.

  When Jesus rose from the dead, we believe a change of destinations took place for the dead. We believe that Jesus took all those in Abraham’s bosom with Him to heaven.
  
  Eph 4:8-9 KJV Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. {9} (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

  All those who have trusted in Jesus and have died since the time of the resurrection will go immediately into heaven, to be in God’s presence.

  Paul wrote about what he expected to happen when he died

  Phil 1:19-24 KJV For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, {20} According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. {21} For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. {22} But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. {23} For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: {24} Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

  He also said that to be absent from the body meant that a person was present with the Lord.

  2 Cor 5:8 KJV We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

  While a change took place for the righteous, the unrighteous still go to the same place.

  There, they are waiting for the day when they will be brought back to life and stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment, and sent forever into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20).

  Don’t miss the point of this verse. Both people died. The poor man died. The wealthy man died. Death has an amazing success rate. One out of every one people that are born, will die. There is no escaping it.

  Heb 9:27 KJV And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

  The question is not whether or not you will cheat death. The question is whether or not you will be prepared to go to the right place when you die.
  
  Luke 16:24 KJV  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
  
  Luke 3:6-9 KJV  And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.  (7)  Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  (8)  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.  (9)  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

  Jewish mindset was I am a Jew. I am going to heaven. That was false. Just because your father is a Christian doesn’t make you a Christian.

  The rich man was tormented.

  Ephesians 4:7-9 KJV  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.  (8)  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.  (9)  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

  Lower parts of the earth. Sheol/Hades

  Luke 16:24-25 KJV  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  (25)  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

  How was Lazarus saved? By faith. The rich man served money. Lazarus served God.
  
  Luke 16:26-28 KJV  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.  (27)  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:  (28)  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

  There are no more chances after death.  The gulf cannot be crossed.

  The rich man wants his family warned.
  
  Luke 16:29-31 KJV  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.  (30)  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  (31)  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

  Here, Abraham is telling the rich man that the witness in the Bible to his Jewish family is also enough.

  Jesus Himself would rise from the dead, and many would still not believe.

  The time to witness is now. After a person has died, it’s too late.

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