Spending Our Lives Wisely

“SPENDING OUR LIVES WISELY!” 

BIBLE PASSAGE: Luke 19:11-26

INTRO:

In Luke Chapter 19, Jesus is going through Jericho on the way to Jerusalem to his last Passover and the crowds are growing larger in size.
They have been amazed as they hear Jesus confront and confound the leaders of Israel with His wisdom. They have seen Jesus heal a blind man, as well.
This parable in Chapter 19 has great significance because it draws us into an understanding of what God wants each of us to do with our lives. “Spending
our lives wisely” is the message of the parable!

READ LUKE 19:11-26 – The Parable of the Ten Minas

While they were listening to this, He went on to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave
them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

“But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

“He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained
with it.

“The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’

“‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’

“The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

“His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

“Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard
man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’

“His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in,
and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’

“Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

“‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

“He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

I. God Expects Us to Spend Our Lives Wisely

• The whole point of this parable is that God entrusts to us our heart, soul, mind and strength and expects us to use all these things for His glory.
• It is God who gives us our abilities, our capacities to learn and to grow and expects us to use that, as well, for His glory.

Luke 12:48 states “From everyone who has been given much, much will be expected.”

• The picture of the wise servant is one who received from his master and then he invested it. In other words, the servant did something with what he
  was entrusted, which produced something more.
• Though we don’t see specifically what he invested in, the idea is that he put it somewhere where it could grow and bear much fruit.

• The point is to be about our Father’s business with what He has entrusted to us. What is our Father doing? He’s changing lives and that’s what He wants us to be about, as well!

APPL – We also see that God gives spiritual gifts to the church; but for what reason?

Romans 12:6-8, We have different gifts, according
to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is
teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if
it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

• Every spiritual gift is given for the purpose of building up and edifying the church…FOR STRENGTHENING THE FAITH OF OTHERS! And isn’t it true
  that when we strengthen the faith of others, our faith, too is strengthened/encouraged!
• It’s all about being faithful to what God has asked us to do with our lives.
• Why are some people not making a difference and not producing godly fruit?

Luke 8:14, “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard the Word, but as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to maturity.”

James 4:3, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

• In this parable it’s also interesting that the master rewards the servants according to their abilities.
• We could be jealous over other people’s abilities, but it would just take away from the blessing of what we have been given. We can’t enjoy the blessings
  God has given us if we are jealous over what God gives others.

II. God Blesses Faithfulness

• This is one of those themes that we see over and over in the Word of God; that God blesses faithfulness!
• Here we see it again in this parable. The man entrusted his possessions to his servants and expected them to produce fruit with how they lived their
  lives. But then they must give an account, but also receive rewards.
• In this parable, the master accused the servant who hid his mina of being a worthless servant because he didn’t even do the simplest thing with what
  he had been given.

ILLUS: When the man hid the mina in a handkerchief, what then did he do with his time?

• Some people spend their life blaming others which is exactly what the last servant did.
• Others don’t do anything because they believe their life is of little value.
• But God gave us His Son, He gave us His Word, He gave us His Holy Spirit, and He gave us the very life we live! What more should He
  give?

APPL – We who have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and believed in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9) have each
been given, have each freely received, and have each been entrusted with the best, most valuable Mina possible here on earth…the gift of God’s salvation
through Jesus Christ! AND so the question is – How can we invest/multiply this “best gift of all” into people’s lives? Again, by being about God’s
business, the business of changing lives! Church family, people need that “Mina” that the Lord Himself has deposited in your heart.

Matthew 28:19, Jesus instructs us to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.

ILLUS: The NFL player/ ministry example. The Lord has gifted and has positioned each of us to have an impact on people’s lives.

• Church family, our lives are a vapor.

James 4:14 tells us that, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

• Time is fleeting as we see in James 4:14. Therefore, let’s be encouraged to spend our lives wisely by investing Christ in-us into the lives of others!

Matthew 10:8 says “Freely you have received so freely give away.”

• Let’s freely give away what the Lord has done in our lives by His grace!
• We may not fully understand what it means to have rewards in heaven, but there certainly will be rewards!
• LET’S DO what we see in Matthew 6:20…

Matthew 6:20, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

• And in so storing up for ourselves treasures in Heaven, we will certainly hear one of the greatest rewards we could ever receive from our Father when
  He will say

Matthew 25:23, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.”

PRAY/ACTION:

• Let’s commit to spending our lives wisely and being about the Father’s business of changing lives by freely giving away what we have each received in Christ Jesus.
• To become passionate about what the Father is passionate about…changing lives! The grace to be intentional with the gift of God in each of us!