TEXT: Luke 16:1-15

1. This parable has been puzzling to many of us.

2. "The lord commended the unjust steward." It seems to put a stamp of approval on a

dishonest man.

3. The hero of this story is a trickster and a thief.

4. We need to realize that you can admire good traits of bad people. For example, you

can admire a thief’s careful and meticulous planning without approving of robbery.

5. As T.W. Manson put it, " there is a world of difference between saying "I applaud the

dishonest steward because he acted cleverly." and "I applaud the clever steward

because he acted dishonestly."

6. With this thought in mind, let's discover the practical relevance of this parable to our

situation as believers.

A. Steward was a servant placed in charge of an estate.

B. The dishonest steward had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar!

C. And as he began thinking about the possibilities open to him, the obvious options were

not very pleasant.

E. So, one by one he called his master's debtors and made each an offer he could not

refuse.

G. When the master learned what was going on, he reacted in a most unexpected

manner.

A. Diligence.

B. Looking to the future

C. Management of money.

1. May God help us to be diligent about our Christianity, to look ahead to the time of

   giving an account, and to be wise in our use of wealth.

2. Otherwise even dishonest stewards will rise up in judgment to condemn us for our

foolishness.