Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 15 NIRV, Ch. 16 KJV

Associate Producer

Sister Ann, Anonymous, Michael Haner

Podcast Introduction

It’s Gospels Saturday. We’ll read Luke 15-16. I’m calling this episode “Planning For Eternity.”

Comments on Luke 16:1-13

I don’t remember ever hearing a sermon based on this parable. It requires some thought.

There are three basic players in the story. The main character is the steward. Of second importance is the debtors, and finally we have the rich man.

It seems that the steward, who worked for the rich man as the manager of his possessions or property, had wasted the rich man’s goods. We don’t have any details, but we are told that the rich man called the steward to account for how he had handled his responsibilities. And the rich man told him that his services would no longer be required.

So the steward, knowing that he needed to make other plans for his future, went to the debtors with a scheme. If he could make friends with them, he would be able to at least have a roof over his head. So he had the debtors rewrite what they owed to the rich man, with substantially less than the full amount. In doing this, they were now in debt to the steward, and he could collect on that with favors from them.

When the rich man found out, he complimented the steward for being so clever in making a new plan for himself.

So the lesson in this parable is this: We will all be called to account for what God has given us. How clever are we with the time, talent and resources He has entrusted to us? Do we put as much thought and effort into building the Kingdom of God as we do to building a cushy life for ourselves? Which is more representative of true riches? Which will last longer? A boat, a fancy car and a big house? Or a deep and abiding faith in God, and a life of serving Him? 

Don’t misunderstand, beloved. One can be monetarily rich and still live a life in service to God. But with financial wealth comes great responsibility to use it for the Kingdom of God. When financial wealth becomes your primary motivation, God is no longer in the center of your life. As Jesus said in verse thirteen, “You cannot serve both God and money.” 

Let’s make it a point to see to it that when God calls us to account, we won’t have to be ashamed and afraid like the steward was. Let’s plan wisely for our eternal future.

Support

This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.

Transcript

Download .txt file.

Transcript not yet corrected.

Steve Webb 0:00
The steward, knowing that he needed to make other plans for his future, went to his debtors with a scheme.

Steve Webb 0:13
It’s the Lifespring! One Year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California and podcasting since 2004. I’m your OG Godcaster. Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. And over the years, I’ve also produced several other shows in the Lifespring family and podcasts. If you’d like to check them out there at Lifespring media.com, or music shows, interviews devotionals and others. Take a look. I am so Happy to be with you today. Thank you for inviting me along. Today is gospel Saturday, and our reading will be Luke 15 and 60. I’m calling this episode planning for eternity. Shall we get started with a word of prayer? Our Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for our time together today around your word. And we thank You, Father, for giving us your word. In it, you reveal yourself to us. We learn how loving you are, how much you care for us. I pray that as we read today, you would teach us touch our hearts. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. All right, let’s begin.

Steve Webb 1:17
Luke chapter 15. The tax collectors and sinners we’re all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were whispering among themselves. They said, This man welcomes sinners and eats with them. Then Jesus told them a story. He said, suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them? Won’t he leave the 99 in the open country? Won’t he go and look for the one lost sheep until he finds it. When he finds it, he will joyfully put it on his shoulders and go home. Then he will call his friends and neighbors together he will say Be joyful with me. I have found my lost sheep. I tell you it will be the same in heaven. There will be great joy when one sinner turns away from sin. Yes, there will be more joy than for 99 godly people who do not need to turn away from their sins. Or suppose a woman has 10 silver coins and loses one. She will light a lamp and sweep the house. She will search carefully until she finds the coin. And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors together. She will say Be joyful with me I found my last coin. I tell you it is the same in heaven. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who turns away from sin. Jesus continued, There was a man who had two sons. The younger son spoke to his father. He said, Father give me my share of the family property. So the father divided his property between his two sons. Not long after that, the younger son packed up all he had. Then he left for a country far away. There he wasted his money on wild living. He spent everything he had. Then the whole country ran low on food. So the son didn’t have what he needed. He went to work for someone who lived in that country who sent him to the fields to feed the pigs. The son wanted to fill his stomach with the food the pigs reading, but no one gave him anything. Then he began to think clearly again. He said, How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, but here I am dying from hunger. I will get up and go back to my father. I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and I have sinned against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers. So he got up and went to his father. While the sun was still a long way off, his father saw him. He was filled with tender love for his son. He ran to him. He threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, quack, Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattest calf and kill it. Let’s have a big dinner and celebrate. This son of mine was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost and now he is found. So they began to celebrate. The older son was in the field. When he came near the house he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants. He asked him what was going on? Your brother has come home the servant replied, your father has killed the fattest calf. He has done this because your brother is back safe and sound. The older brother became angry. He refused to go in. So his father went out and begged him but he answered his father, look, all these years I’ve worked like a slave for you. I’ve always obeyed your orders. You never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But this son of yours wasted your money with some prostitutes. Now he comes home. And for him, you kill the fattest calf, my son, the father said, You’re always with me, everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad this brother of yours was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost. And now he is found.

Steve Webb 5:21
Luke chapter 16. 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. And he called him and said unto him, how is it that I hear this of the given account of thy stewardship, for thou must be no longer steward? 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, I am resolved what to do that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lords debtors unto him, and said unto the first, how much was 1000 to my Lord? And he said, and 100 measures of oil? And he said unto him, Take thy bill and sit down quickly and write 50 Then he said to another, and how much Oh, was thou? And he said, and 100 measures of wheat? And he said unto him, Take thy bill and write for score. And the Lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely for the children of this world, or in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, make to yourself, friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, that when you fail, they may receive you unto everlasting habitations, He that is faithful and that witches least is faithful also in March, and He that is unjust, in the least, is unjust also in much if therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches, and if you have not been faithful in that, which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own, 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. You cannot serve God and mammon. And the Pharisees also who are covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God know if your hearts for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. The law and the prophets were until John since that time, the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the law to fail. Whosoever put away his wife and marry another committeth adultery, and whosoever married with her that is pulled away from her husband committed adultery. There was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen in fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full of sores and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. 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, and in Hell, he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and see if Abraham afar off at Lazarus in his bosom, 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. But Abraham said, Son, remember that that one I lifetime received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted, and thou are tormented. And besides 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 vents. Then he said, I pray thee, therefore, Father, that thou would send him to my father’s house. For I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets, let him hear them. And he said, nay, father, Abraham, but if one went under them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded the one rose from the dead.

Steve Webb 9:31
Let’s talk a bit about Luke 16. I don’t remember every hearing a sermon based on the parable we find in verses one through 13. It requires some thought. There are three basic players in the story. The main character is the steward. of second importance is the debtors. And finally, we have the rich man. It seems that the steward who worked for the rich man as the manager of his possessions or property had wasted the rich man’s goods. We don’t have any details, but we’re Hold that the rich man called the steward to account for how he had handled his responsibilities. And the rich man told him that his services would no longer be required. So the steward, knowing that he needed to make other plans for his future went to his debtors with a scheme. If he could make friends with them, he wouldn’t be able to at least have a roof over his head. So he had the debtors rewrite what they owed to the rich man with substantially less than the full amount. In doing this, they were now in debt to the steward, and he could collect on that with favors from them. When the rich man found out he complimented the steward for being so clever in making a new plan for himself. So the lesson in this parable is this, we will all be called to account for what God has given us. How clever are we with the time, talent and resources he’s entrusted to us? Do we put as much thought and effort into building the kingdom of God as we do to building a cushy life for ourselves, which is more representative of true riches, which will last longer, a boat, a fancy car and a big house are a deep and abiding faith in God and a life of serving him. Don’t misunderstand, beloved, a person can be monetarily rich and still live a life in service to God. But with financial wealth comes great responsibility to use it for the kingdom of God. When financial wealth becomes your primary motivation, God is no longer in the center of your life. As Jesus said in verse 13, you cannot serve both God and money. Let’s make it a point to see to it that when God calls us to account, we won’t have to be ashamed and afraid like the steward was, let’s plan wisely for our eternal future. Many of us have financial planners. Are you also planning for your eternity? You have comments or questions, call the Lifespring family Hotline at plus 1-951-732-8511 or send a comment or question via boostagram. Tomorrow will be a pistol Sunday and we’ll read Philippians three and four. We’ll also have a time of prayer. So if you have appraiser prayer requests, be sure to call it in at plus 1951732 at 511. Or go to prayer dot Lifespringmedia.com. Do it right now while you’re thinking about it.

Steve Webb 12:32
Tomorrow begins what is known as Holy Week, which is the time between Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday or Easter. Both of these days and Good Friday are almost universally observed in all Christian denominations, but the other days of Holy Week are also observed in some specific denominations. I’ll be taking a few minutes each day starting tomorrow, all the way through Resurrection Sunday to talk about the significance of each particular day. So in addition to the days I’ve already named, there is holy Monday, holy Tuesday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Holy Saturday. Be sure to be here each day to learn more. This is my favorite time of the year even more than Christmas because the resurrection is what proved that Jesus is God. Without this most significant event in human history. We’ve got no hope beloved. Hallelujah! He is risen.

Steve Webb 13:32
We have three associate producers to thank today First up is Lifespring family Berean, Sister Ann, who came in with a $100 donation. Thank you so much, Sister Ann. God bless you. And Anonymous came in with their weekly $22.22 cent row of ducks donation. Thank you Anonymous, and God bless you. And then Michael Haner came in with his weekly $7.77 cent Stryiper donation. Thank you, Michael. God bless you. Time, talent or treasure. That’s what makes this show possible. If the Lifespring! One Year Bible brings value to you, all I ask is that you return some of that value back to me in the form of time, talent or treasure. The amount is completely up to you and what the Lord leads pray about it. Would you ask the Lord what he would have you do and then just do it? To make a donation. Here’s where you go

Jingle 14:25
Lifespringmedia.com/support

Steve Webb 14:35
Thanks to Sister Denise Michael Haner Scott Snider, Jason Paschall, the creator of today’s show, art and Sister Brittaney. The team. And I believe that by the time you hear that you should have your copy of the newsletter in your email inbox. If you’re not yet subscribed, go to news dot Lifespringmedia.com and you’ll get on the list. And every week when Sister Brittaney sends it out, you’ll get your own special copy. And thanks to Today’s associate producers. Sister Ann, Anonymous and Michael Haner for helping to make this episode possible. And beloved, thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day. Until tomorrow. May God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye

Transcribed by https://otter.ai