Children Of This World Wiser Than We. The master told this guy he was really slick. The guy acted shrewdly with money! He was a brilliant crook. How can this be? Jesus answered The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. They shouldn’t be. We need to learn how to handle finances.
Are The Children Of This World Wiser Than We?
by Delbert Young
Children Of This World Wiser Than We
Scriptures: Philippians 4:19, Luke 4:18-19, LUKE 16:1-15
Would You Want To End This Year With More Abundance Than You Ended Last Year?
Believers Experience The Same Financial Difficulties As Do Nonbelievers
Most believers experience exactly the same financial difficulties as nonbelievers experience. This is true even though the scriptures tell us our God shall supply all our needs.
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
The Bible teaches our supply for our need is in the riches in glory. Does that mean that God will drop hundred-dollar bills out of the sky? No, it means the principles of riches are in his glory. Acquiring and applying the principles of his glory will absolutely supply our needs.
The majority of this church family and most church families experience financial pressure. That is not God’s intent. Our lessons are targeted at adjusting our understanding so there will be a difference–a good difference. All that is required is adjusting our attitude. Are the children of this world wiser than we?
God Has Not Called Any Believer To Poverty. Not Having Money (Poverty) Is Not A Sign Of Spirituality.
Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Why would Jesus preach the gospel to the poor if being poor was spiritual? We sometimes justify our lack of money to being tested and tried. Though tests do help get us back on track, the primary reason we experience what we call tests is because we have violated God’s ways, messed up, gotten away from his principles, and now are experiencing the harvest of that violation. We call that a test. The reason most believers experience financial problems is because they have not activated God’s principles as have many people far from god. Are the children of this world wiser than we?
Learning Gods Abundance Has Much To Do With Attitude. What Is Attitude? Belief, Point Of View, Mind Set, Opinion
Before A Person Can Experience Financial Liberation That Person Must Experience Mental Liberation. So Many People Are Slaves To Debt Which Only Requires A Mental Liberation To Be Set Free.
Every situation is different. Every individual is different. That is why he gave one ten talents, one five talents, and another one talent (Mat 25:14-30). However, he did expect the same results from each. He expected each to take the talents given and increase.
LUKE 16:1-15
What Is A Parable
We want to look at a parable that Jesus told. What is a parable? A parable is a simple story illustrating a spiritual lesson. In this section of Luke, Jesus is teaching a series of parables. He is in teaching mode. He is not angry, and He is teaching kingdom principles to people. Also, He has told the parable of the “great supper,” “lost sheep,” “pieces of gold,” and the “prodigal son.”
Before we look at it, we need to point out this is not a parable about believers. In fact, his point is the opposite. It is a parable about a dishonest man functioning in the world system. The man in this parable is a thief, not a believer. He is a child of the world (Luk 16:8). There are truths we can see for believers, but the parable’s point is about the children of the world. Are the children of this world wiser than we?
Luke 16:1 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.
The man is being terminated from his job.
Luke 16:4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 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.
Let’s get a fix on what Jesus is teaching. This is a parable about a dishonest man. This dishonest man is called a steward. The steward was responsible for managing his master’s business. First of all the man had been accused of wasting his master’s goods. We would call this embezzlement.
The parable is to teach believers a principle. This dishonest steward saw he was going to be terminated. Before the word got out, he called in those owing money to his master and told them if they would pay him now he would cut their bill drastically. It is what happened. The dishonest steward then took the money and secured his future. Now look at the response of the master.
Luke 16:8 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.
(NIV) Luke 16:8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
The master told this guy that he was really slick. He had acted shrewdly! The man was brilliant. How can this be? Jesus answers this for us by saying, The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
What is Jesus teaching in this parable? Jesus is saying that nonbelievers know how to function in their kingdom better than believers know how to function in our kingdom. Children of this world understand how to operate in their world. Children of light do not understand how to operate in their world. Does Jesus say that? Yes, he does.
The bottom line is if you or I are to be blessed in the kingdom of God, we must operate in the ways of his kingdom. The principles of the kingdom must be applied. When we refuse to do this failure will happen.
If we want a Godly spouse and a blessed successful marriage, then we must obtain a person who meets the requirements that he lays out for his kingdom. Those principles are laid up in glory If we want a blessed home then we must establish our home by the methods he lays out for his kingdom. If we want children who are successful, serve the Lord, and live blessed lives, then we must raise them in the methods he states for his kingdom. If we want financial abundance and liberty then we must ascribe to the principles he lays out for his kingdom. Because we refuse to do this then we constantly find ourselves in failures. Are the children of this world wiser than we?
The Kingdom Message Is More Than Eschatology
Jesus said this man truly knew how to function in his kingdom. The kingdom message is more than having a correct scatology. The kingdom message is a message of victory and overcoming. The sad thing is that many who preach it can’t take dominion over a sink full of dirty dishes or a bag of garbage. We have difficulty taking dominion over our weight or disciplining our children or being the head of our homes and having our homes as a witness of Jesus. The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.
Luke 16:9 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.
(NIV) Luke 16:9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
fail – 1587 ekleipo {ek-li’-po}
from 1537 and 3007
(1) fail
(1.a) to leave out, omit, pass by
(1.b) to leave, quit
Jesus Christ says, “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness.” What does that mean? The NIV translation says “….use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves….” Jesus is saying secure your future. Make certain of your future that when this dimension is over we will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Jesus says there is some link between the way we use money and everlasting habitations. Jesus says using money properly has something to do with being welcomed into eternal dwellings. Is that true or not true?
The Greek word ekleipo (Strong’s #1587) is translated fail by King James in Luke 16:9. The word means to leave out, pass by, leave, quit. We see our English word eclipse in ekleipo. When we surpass this life there is an eternal dwelling. Somehow properly using money in this time has something to do with our eternal dwellings.
That thought is very different, isn’t it? It does away with the poverty equals spirituality message. Somehow we have the idea that believers are supposed to be poor. Having money is a sign of worldliness we are taught to think. Well, that is not the way Jesus thought. He said, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness.
Let’s see now if this interpretation is in context with the remainder of what Jesus says.
Luke 16:10 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.
Have you ever heard that before? Have you ever heard someone say, “He that is faithful in little will be faithful in much”? What is this in reference to? The answer is finances, money, wealth. The Lord determines how we will handle big money by how we handle small money. How we handle money determines the true riches we will be entrusted with.
Luke 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Can we see the connection between being faithful with our money and being given true riches? I have told you this before, but I attribute my blessed life in every area to three principles. I have maintained a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and I have always been faithful to the house of the Lord. Also, I have consistently tithed, given alms, and given offerings. Because I have been faithful in the unrighteous mammon the Lord can now trust me with the true riches.
I strongly suggest if your life is not blessed in some area that you investigate and see if you are maintaining a relationship with the Lord, faithful to the house of the Lord, and making giving a priority in your life.
Luke 16:12 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.
The Lord does balance his parable to be sure we see the proper priority. We must be faithful in that which is another man’s. If we are the Lord’s then all that we have is actually the Lord’s. But sometimes we get too excited about our money and allow the money to become master. We become confused about who the real master is and we begin to serve the money. We begin to hold to the money rather than hold to the Lord.
You may think I am making this up, but I have actually seen people leave this church because they did not want to tithe. They would never say that. Their spoken reason was always me or you or some unimportant reason. The truth is they loved their money more than they loved Jesus. They decided to hold on to the money. These justified themselves, but they may have been Pharisees heading for hell.
Luke 16:14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
(NIV) Luke 16:14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.
Luke 16:15 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.
I have watched and heard people justify their own selves by saying things about me or this ministry. In their heart, they simply wanted to hold on to their money. I have watched these lives go downhill. Their families and finances crumble. I have even seen death.
Someone would say, “You are only saying this to get us to give more so the church can have more money.” No, that is not true. The church is in the best financial shape it has ever been in. We are a blessed ministry. We own our property, and we pay our bills on time. Also, we have money in savings and a healthy checking balance. People love to do business with us because we pay and we pay when we are supposed to pay.
The reason I taught this is to show us the link between money and true riches. I want us to see there is wisdom in the kingdom of God linked to money. By properly using money in this kingdom we insure our future and when we eclipse this life we will be welcomed into eternity.
The vast majority of believers do not experience the abundance that the Bible teaches. Yes, God does bless us. Yes, we make it through. But getting bye is not God’s intent for you. The Lord’s desire for you and me is to have life abundantly. He wants his ministry blessed. He wants his people blessed, and He desires you to shine financially.
Luke 16:8 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.
Do we know how to operate in our kingdom financially? Or are the children of this world wiser than we in their generation? Do we know and operate in kingdom principles concerning finance?
Luke 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
(NIV) Luke 16:11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
Do we see that if we are not faithful with worldly wealth we cannot be trusted with true riches?
Children Of This World Wiser Than We
Children Of This World Wiser Than We
Other Related Sermons:
Mammon Or God – How to See the Supernatural
Making Money Work For You Audio
I Am Rich sermon notes audio video
Principle Of Testing Part 2 Audio
Also see: