Episodes
Sunday Jul 16, 2023
Sunday Jul 16, 2023
You Are Personally Responsible and Accountable to God for All He Entrusts to You
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
Who is going to be responsible? God wants us to take responsibility and accountability for that which He has entrusted us. Some would say: “God has not entrusted me with much.”. This person would be wrong! What about his life? What about Jesus Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) to make disciples? What about his children? What about his job? God has entrusted us with much, and God is holding us personally responsible and accountable for these trusts.
In Jesus’ parable from Luke 16 about the rich man’s incompetent manager, Jesus summarizes the meaning of His parable in Luke 16:9: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.". in Luke 16:12-13, Jesus summarizes His position regarding our responsibilities and accountabilities for His trusts given to us as well as the trusts of us given by others here on earth. Also, responsibilities are prioritized: “And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will 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 he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”. Jesus is, also, telling us that, if we cannot be responsible for earthly treasures, how can we be responsible for Spiritual Treasures.
As Christians, it is imperative that we put God first. If we don’t put God first in our lives, then, in a subtle way, we begin to resent God and His Grace. Proverbs tell us, in Proverbs 19:22, that the desire of every human heart is to love: “What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar.". Only Jesus can give us this “steadfast love”, winch is a Spiritual gift or entrustment from God. However, most of us go through our lives trying to find substitutes for God’s love to fill our lives; and we can’t find a substitute outside of God. Only God and Jesus can meet out heart’s need for “steadfast love”.
By the way, our earthly riches will not make it into heaven with us; only our heavenly or Spiritual Riches accompany us. We are responsible and accountable for all with winch God has entrusted us – both earthly and heavenly.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 16:1-15; Proverbs 19:22; Matthew 28:18-20; Psalms 124:1-8.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “When Jesus Asked You: “Whom do you say that I am?”, Did You Answer Jesus: “You are my God and the Lord of my Life!”?”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
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