Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional as we continue in our Luke, Exploring Who Jesus is series. Today, from Luke 16:11-12, we reflect on how our use of money is a measure of our hearts and our ability to handle greater gifts and influence in The Kingdom.
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‘So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?’ (Luke 16:11-12)
1. Be Trustworthy in handling ‘worldly wealth’
Following on from yesterday, Jesus continues to speak of the growth in gifts and influence for those who will be faithful with the little things. He calls us to be ‘trustworthy in handling worldly wealth’. This is about our use of money. It’s called by this negative term ‘worldly wealth’ because it’s the thing that the world often put their faith in. Christians are not to put their faith in or be devoted to storing wealth. Rather, we are to handle it, even if our small amounts are small, in service to God and His purposes. So, the first question is, are you devoted to using your money to serve God and is this seen in your generosity?
2. Use ‘true riches’ for The Kingdom
Jesus then speaks of those who are faithful with ‘worldly wealth’ receiving ‘true riches’ and ‘property of your own’. Jesus is referring back to this Parable of the Shrewd manager. This manager is not trustworthy with the master's wealth and so ends up with nothing. He is like too many of us who use God’s wealth like it’s our own rather than belonging to God and we being His stewards. Jesus is promising us that those who will serve God with the wealth and opportunities that He gives will be given greater and greater gifts and influence in the Kingdom of God.
This is not a promise that we will all receive bursting bank accounts, private jets and be like Bill Graham! But this is a promise of increase is it not? Our attitude is to be faithful with the little things. Faithfully invest the money and gifts that God gives, and let Him decide on the measure of increase that He decides to give. But this is a law of the Kingdom and it is a law of life generally - anyone who is wise with the small things will experience increase. Our use of money is a measure of our hearts and our ability to handle greater gifts and influence in The Kingdom.
Let’s pray together
“Father, I see that you want me to be trustworthy in handling money. Help me not to put my trust in money, but to use it in your service. May you be pleased with my heart and so as to be trustworthy of greater things in your service. Amen.”
Community Group Notes
This week is SIV week (Serve, Invest and InVite week) for us at CCP. Therefore, please try to spend a good amount of time reflecting and praying about this.
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
This week is SIV week (Serve, Invest and InVite week) for us at CCP, and so our study will focus on this theme.
On Sunday our message from Luke 16:1-15 was entitled: ‘The Law of the Little’ - How using the little that God gives is a vital law of success.
Please read Luke Luke 16:1-15 and discuss:
Here, from the use of this Parable of the Shrewd Manager, we learn that sometimes the worst people can be our best teachers because sometimes the worst people are better and more ’shrewd’ at getting what they want than are ‘the children of light’ - Christians. If we want to help to bring our community to Jesus, what things do we learn from this manager in order to effectively do this?
Regarding, principally money, we are told to faithfully steward the, maybe little, that God gives to us (And thank you for your generous giving at the recent gift days!). In regard to ’SIV’, how can we make the most of the little things in order to help to bring people to Jesus?
We are told to be careful not to allow money to become our master. How will idolising money make us ineffective at sharing the gospel and distracted from Serving, Investing and Inviting?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
SIV - Spend some time together talking and praying about who and how you are seeking to bring your community to Jesus.
Let’s pray together: Pray for one another out of our study together and for anything else for which people would like prayer.
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