The Resolution of All Resolutions

Hello my friends Michael use of here. I just wanted to thank you for connecting with leading the way. Our entire team is wholly committed to passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth of God's word and it cannot be done without you learn more about what God has charged us to do around the world by clicking around LTW.org that's LTW.org. Thank you and may God richly bless you as you seek to serve.

Most of you probably all of you. I don't know have made some New Year's resolution and I know some people do all kinds of things. Some people who do make New Year's resolution believers read the Bible more probably spend time go to church regularly. I know some people want to lose 100 pounds and exercise more.

Get out of financial that the continentals whatever resolutions you have placed or committed yourself to. I think I am safe and say that there are very few, if any, would have made a New Year's resolution to plan for where they going to spend the forever. I think I'm safe in saying that very few people who actually send goals and relationship to their paternity and where they will spend eternity. I think there are very few people who would have sat down and asked themselves in the new year. How many people will be in heaven this coming year as a direct result of my praying. How are my goals this year are going to impact my total dwelling place, when I will be forever and ever. What is it that God would have me accomplish this year so that heaven my future home my permanent home.

My real home will be rejoicing today. I just doubt that many people would've made this kind of resolution and yet that's exactly what God wants every one of us to.

And that's exactly what God wants us to be thinking that is exactly the resolution that God wants to sell them and how what went with Michael what how do you know that.

Well I'm going to tell you, Jesus tells one of the most unlikely parables.

One of the most unlikely stories in the whole of the Bible. Why in order to shock us to him as between the eyeballs to wake up to realize to get our attention to know that that's exactly what he wants to get our generation to make this all the all important resolution and yet the better resolution of most people ignore. I was talking to a friend just couple weeks ago about Luke 16, the parable probably in your Bible is marked as the unjust steward one specific thing about this verbal. It is very Jewish. Now the whole Bible is from cover to cover, but this parable is very culturally Jewish. So if you cannot think some medically, you can have problem with this parable from the promise you. By the end of this message, you will be thinking Jewish you will be thinking somatic you will understand the very heart and the depth of what Jesus is trying to communicate in this parable. For every one of us. Verse nine altered on the line. Verse nine in your Bible to Luke 16 nine. It is the key verse of the whole parable Jesus said I will tell you use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves so that when it is gone you will be welcomed into their eternal dwellings. What is Jesus say is what is saying listen to PSA shortly as God himself. This age is coming to an end as surely as the word of God is true. The money that God has given you in this life. One day is going to lose its value as surely as God himself. All material possessions that you possess. Right now will amount to zero in the last day as surely as heaven itself. Your stocks and bonds.

Your real estate holdings.

Your investments will one day amount zilch. So what's the point. The point is this. What matters is what you do with your possessions in preparation for your permanent home in heaven.

What matters is that there is a way for you to type your possessions with you heaven. What a minute Micah covered it all my life. People say you can take it with you why I'm telling you now on the authority of Jesus again, as we say this thing actually. In fact, the apostle Paul when he was writing to Timothy in first Timothy chapter 6 verse 19 he said exactly the same thing like the preference down first Timothy 619.

He said the same thing all Paul: he called it up yourself a good foundation for eternal future on ask you this. Do you know why many Christians about the people out there, I'm talking about the body of Christ on them by believers.

Do you know why they think more about the earthly future than their eternal future. I'm in here it is. When you figure out 1900 I don't know some people know some people go doesn't really matter because even 100 years is like a drop in the ocean in relationship to what will you be living for a time at the hundreds of thousands of years is so minuscule in comparison to return the future and yet most Christians spend our time spend our energy spend money. Thinking about the future do not want to do that no one because they are influenced by the thinking of those without Christ more than there are influenced by the word of God. That really is no is a struggle, constant struggle Dana struggle sometimes it's minute by minute struggle, it's heaven. Jesus is saying where you going to meet people who will come up to you and say because of your resolution to see to it that the gospel is preached because of your resolution to see to it to support gospel preaching ministry because of your resolution to plan your giving for world evangelism because of your resolution and your commitment to sharing your faith with somebody else because of your diligent pricing and sacrificial giving. I am here in heaven today is what Jesus is saying in this parable. I all my salvation to Jesus Christ, but also owe something to you because without you I would not have heard the message of forgiveness and I would've not received Jesus Christ as the Savior of my soul and I would never admit it to happen. How come I wanted him to please when Jesus wanted us to learn this incredible lesson he gives us a most striking parable in order to grab our attention.

What Jesus wants us to learn from this parable is this that people here on earth are going to judge you on the basis of what you have read the text is right there they go to judge you on the basis of your net worth doing going to judge you on the basis whether you're a millionaire or a billionaire or whatever is the next one. That's how they going to judge you as how they going to say. Those I just heard the other day, somebody else is another city was out of town on this or have somebody building $20 million home is crazy is nuts to spend the kind of money on the house is going to be destroyed anyway. They talk about this how the world judges you see people standing take notice of you. But Jesus said how the people do but that doesn't really last you want to know how God really judges you, he does not judge on the basis of what you have judges on the basis of what you gain.

People always ask me only on your loan is and what your statement of net worth is a lessee. I calculate all the money that I've given through the years and I said no that's my network foster this one-stop banker. He laughed at me, but that's really my net worth is what I send on fraternity is not the few things I've got right here is not my network people judging what you have. Jesus said God is judge on the basis of what you gave really got a choice here. You can choose to be happy about how people judge you are you be happy by how God judges you, as earlier charts. It's your choice Kristin.

I wanted to listen to me. Your personal budget is a theological statement. I really believe that with all my heart your personal budget is a statement of belief your personal budget is an indication of whom your worship, your personal budget is a description of where your heart is and that is why 16 out of the 38 of the parables of Jesus have to do with handling of material possessions in all four Gospels, 1/10 versus 288 in all, deal directly with the subject of money. The Bible gives us 500 verses on prep lesson 500 on faith with more than 2000 versus on money and handling of money and material possession and to get some sanctimonious people shower us with their sanctimonious drivel and say old what Michael you should be document money only of your criterion.

Personal doesn't like the preacher to preach on money doesn't like teachers to teach on money that the very people who made God out of money. I remember a preacher from yesteryear, Clovis Chapel was great men of God's great Methodist preacher is to say I love the preacher money because I love to see the stingy suffered and the stewards rejoice. I love that man. I should preach only if you met a God out of money. We don't want to talk about it.

I wanted to listen carefully going to tell you if it was good enough for Jesus to talk about it over and over and over again. It ought to be good for you got to be good for me. How is Jesus suggesting that you make friends in heaven with your money. Now we are evangelical Protestants reform.

We don't believe that you buy your way into heaven. We believe that you can buy your salvation all the world, the we know you cannot buy Christ's forgiveness of your sins that all the money and will do that. We know that you cannot buy eternal life with him all the money in the welcome bio that we know you cannot buy people off, then how is the money going to make you friends in heaven. I want to tell you exactly how when you pull your energy when you for your time and your prayer and your money into gospel preaching ministry. You will not get your name in the town hall you not going to get your name on the big black but your investment is going to be used of God to bring the lost people to himself and the investment that is known to God is going to be pronounced on the public address system in heaven and all the people who have heard the gospel because of your sacrifices. I got a come up to you in the day you get to heaven and say God bless you, thank you. As we say in heaven they don't have so many grateful people you thinking you missing out on some cocktail party. You get an invitation.

My get six invitations a day because people so grateful that you and your love for them love for Jesus Christ.

You have made it possible for them to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether Jesus use this specific illustration to make this point. Listen carefully you see Jesus often used earthly examples to illustrate heavenly principles. Jesus knew that the people most people can relate to this man's shrewdness. Jesus knew that people most people can relate to this man's clever thinking.

Jesus knew that people most people can relate to this man's foresight and planning. Jesus knew that people most people can relate to this man's planning ahead and not living in a fool's paradise. And so Jesus said learn from a crook who is doing crooked things for his own earthly future learn from this cunning scheming man who only thinking of his few years on earth but instead you plan diligently for godly things, the godly way to achieve godly ends. So before I get carried away with an introduction only get to the message.

The three things I believe the Lord really wants us to learn from this parable. Number one that this crook faced reality hit all. Secondly, that he projected the future. Suddenly he acted upon his convictions wrong as they were they faced reality in Midsummer the Christians are really unrealistic and 1/2 people are just not realistic. No matter what they does not realize that not realistic about their own abilities is not realistic about their own expectations and not realistic about themselves. At least this rascal.

This crook was very realistic about himself.

It was very realistic about his condition.

He was very realistic about his expectations. Most Christians are unrealistic about life you want to know why they really are not there not realistic about this life.

Most Christians and I daresay I have fallen trap few times myself and tell you how they don't even think that they might not be around a year from now, we don't think we don't want to think that you could move Jesus lacking me with Jesus far sooner than we would want or expect they will think that they're going to live forever all intellectually. They now then I got a live forever, but they don't talk about it to know why because they had this mystical thing this pagan idea that if you talk about is going to happen to you missing the Bible says this appointed unto men to die once the data into going to go to heaven is written in heaven.

That date was written before you were born you can do anything about it. Jesus said who of you by worrying you can add a second to last weekend. So get that out of the way. Forgot about this pagan influence that we have in our culture. We are so influenced by pagan thinking and pagan thinking has influenced so many churches and so many Christian folks that we sometimes think like pagans instead of thinking biblically, so much so we so unrealistic about life that we talk about it as if it's going go on forever. It will, and so much that has happened that day in the average church in every body of Christ and the average believers that have ceased to talk about dotting current about our fantastic inheritance that is had been laid to us in heaven. We have ceased to talk about that on like this rascal. We don't want to face reality. But this man, and facing reality hit on. He made reality to fit his situation. This is what Jesus said in Matthew 620 but store up for yourselves treasures where the stock market lay up treasure for yourselves where in the bank now what treasures this talk about trunks now not talk about couple of dollars developing a plan on Sunday morning is all about prayers vast sums because that can be money can be energy because what is money. It is minted personality. He said in heaven. How by investing in evangelism and reaching of the unsaved on the loss by investing in ministries that are helping to change men and women's eternal future. That's a criterion is changing eternal future. So this crook not only face reality. Secondly, he looked ahead to be at the project himself in the life of poverty and unemployment deprivation, and he made provision for the future. I believe everybody should make provision for the future now hope that you will never walk out of here think a micro use of said I should make any plans for Martha with which I'm not saying that at all I'm saying. Also make plans for your eternal future. I want to challenge you in this new year. Take time every day to stick, if it's a moment.

It doesn't matter how long district can't project yourself and have you not want to have continuing the presence of Jesus and Satan. Although Jesus, I served with all my heart because likely to be here, Lord Jesus. I gave myself I give my all I've done. Your kingdom was everything to me, Lord Jesus, we try to be hiding from cement would I cited some homeless people in heaven. Homeless people in heaven. There's ones are really clawing their way rarely got in all calls that we bribed like Harry and save some people work will be like gold and silver to be purified and they're going to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus, visualize yourself and your loved ones love Jesus, who are with him and then visualize yourself with others, to be so grateful to you for your faithfulness for your planning for your diligence for your care and because of your faithfulness.

They made it to heaven. Think about that give a couple minutes a day increase it if you want to know the reason Ottmar business people is of the Gaullist plan to always plan, always planning, always looking and making some plans ahead. Unfortunately, there are so many people who don't think that it's important for ministries to plan. They think it's not very spiritual. I am convinced that planning that is done on the knees of prayer is very spiritual planning that is honoring to God and consistent with the will of God and the word of God is very spiritual planning that is expected of the supernatural intervention of God in every aspect of our lives is very spiritual planning that is faith filled God says very spiritual master this, what percentage of your investment is made in the place where you going to be spending your forever, what percentage look, I know people spend a lot of time planning for window and spend weekends. I know people who make a lot of plans for where the guns spend their vacation. I know people who make lots of plans of where the spindle retirement lesson if you do all of this and you neglect spending time to find out what you doing in terms of investing, of where your forever is he felt himself wanted to think about that for a long time, long time is not seen people who have left a fortune to their children and grandchildren and they ruling them. Jesus words to us today is this invest in eternity. Invest in eternity. This rascal not only face reality hit on this rascal not only projected the future, but thirdly this rascal acted upon his convictions long as they were in. If you are anything like me, he would get flabbergasted. Sometimes I get my reaction is so strong that I literally weep over the commitment of those who have a commitment to wrong things.

I really do I react with such passion about that that I feel such pain in my commitment to the relationship and then commitment, there are some who are deeply committed to wrong things they shame me.they shame you look at the commitment of the ICL beautifying many of the wrong things. Look at the commitment of the people of the American way. Who are committed to the wrong things.

Look at the commitment of Planned Parenthood who are committed to murdering babies and the mother's womb. Look at the commitment of those who kill and commit suicide for God causes.

I think Jesus would have said to us if he is walking walk down this aisle today and he comes up here on the parable who use would be different from this one who would use a parable of the hijackers in the suicide bombers conceived Luke be ready to lose their life for misguided cause.

How much more you know, eternal life through the blood of my blood shed on the cross should be committed to the gospel and the preaching of the gospel. Jesus said in Luke 1611.

So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches, referring to the riches of heaven are never some years ago somebody was going through a financial troubles of man. He said if I ever make $1 million.

I'm gonna tie. I left alone, no one is it we don't starve the dolly anger. Natalia Miriam, let me assure you, sure enough, you know what the problem is with all of us. The reluctant of the problems I really think it's a problem for all of us is that we fall in the trap of thinking that we own, what we have. We really do we fall in the trap of thinking that we are more than just managers entrusted Bob off and we miss out on many of the blessings allow me tell you something mentally idling blessings in the here and now the blessings fraternity and replete with you. Do not react to this message as the Pharisees reacted to Jesus's parable in verse 14 of Luke 16. Don't react that way is what the reaction of the Pharisees after they heard Jesus, he said, and the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, you notice he did not say they had money that were lovers of money, I let people have lots of money that lovers of money, and not let people have no money that lovers of money, a world of difference between the two and the Pharisees were lovers of money, and all these things and they scoffed at him, please don't scoff uncured for scoff at me, but don't scoff at the words of Jesus.

It is possible to scoff at Jesus all listen I know on the 21st century we read a little bit more polite than the Pharisees worded and we were kind of sanitizer thing would give it a spiritual space in the end.

Of course we make an excuse is that all this is unrealistic, involving so many good things I'm I give a lot of things and I do things I'm involving this noninvolvement health and rationalizing unit spiritualize it. Ask yourself the question is what I'm involved in changing the eternal destiny of people is what I'm involved in changing the eternal destiny of people with medically friends in heaven on my planning for my forever home and if so what are my plans this year. Next the years to come until Jesus comes back where he takes me home, whichever comes first.

Shall we pray father with that absolute faith and trust in your power and the power of the Holy Spirit.

I pray that you would come and penetrate every heart. Every mind, every soul father I pray that for the sake of the gospel in the sake of the kingdom, Holy Spirit move, but I thank you that you are the searcher of all of our hearts, your servant, Jeremiah said that the heart is deceitful and corrupt and cannot be trusted. But all God.

We know that when your light comes into our heart strictly excuse. And will respond to your voice. Jesus who said, my sheep will hear my voice and will recognize my voice my anything that I've said that is not of you, Lord Jesus be forgotten from the minds of all of us and only that which you want us to remember for eternity will remain. Father, I thank you that you always hear an answer our prayers because we praise him in faith in Jesus name