Andrew Fountain - A modern take on the Parable of the Dishonest Manager
- Artist: Andrew Fountain
- Title: A modern take on the Parable of the Dishonest Manager
- Album: Newlife Church, Toronto
- Track: 17
- Genre: Parables
- Year: 2014-03-30
- Length: 32:23 minutes (12.97 MB)
- Format: MP3 Stereo 44kHz 56Kbps (VBR)
Link to Video:
A modern take on the Parable of the Dishonest Manager Full sermon notes - A modern take on the Parable of the Dishonest Manager
- Why does the master comment the manager?
- Why not just undo his changes after he is fired?
- How can this possibly be a good example for us?
- This is one of the hardest of all the parables
- People have struggled with it for 2,000 years
- I have a commentary that lists sixteen possible interpretations
- A lot of them are because the parable is a bit shocking
- Would Jesus really take dishonesty as an example for us?
- role of manager —total power of attorney
- Rule of reciprocity in many cultures, particularly that one
- If someone did something for you, then you absolutely had to return the favour
- Why could the master simply not have revoked the changes, or even punished the manager?
- This was the most clever part of the plan—the manager had turned him into a hero in the community
- Imagine the manager of the local Loblaws supermarket was about to lose his job
- For Christmas week, he donated 50% of the entire stock to the Toronto food bank
- He would be a local hero and could probably get a job with the city!
- Could Loblaws reverse that and get the money back?
- They have had wonderful PR through this
- To demand it back and send their trucks to collect it would be a PR disaster!
- Very similar to this story
- The master would be thought of highly in the community
- He would just have to pretend he had agreed to the plan and keep quiet
- He acknowledges what a brilliant plan it was, and how
- Living in a situation
- Suddenly realize that it is going to end soon
- Extreme measures are called for
- All assets are made use of to prepare for the future situation
- No unemployment insurance in those days
- There is a catastrophe coming
- Canadians very good at preparing for calamity (the most highly insured nation)
- We all have our carbon-monoxide detectors and don’t park in front of fire hydrants in case of a fire
- But what about the catastrophe of death and the day of judgement?
- Example of the flood and God’s provision
- That is a picture of what Jesus is providing
- Why not take advantage of it now?
- v.8 says “shrewdly” or cleverly
- Very clever plan
- The point is that people in this world are clever with their resources
- how much more should we be!
- What assets do you have?
- Money
- Time
- Abilities
- Herring fishing and long car trip
- Girl singing in the corner store, eventually a Christian bookstore
- 1950’s message of free grace was at a low ebb.
- Group of men from Oxford (inc. my dad, Iain Murray) gripped with the idea to start a Christian publisher
- Businessman felt he should give all of his profits to this venture
- Lord Radstock (Mayfield)
- Money
- Nobility
- Missions to Russia
- Woman who was shut in and wrote out Bible verses
- Rosalind Goforth
- trained as an artist here in Toronto
- Skilled at drawing portraits
- A meeting with a Chinese leader—suddenly had a creative idea
- Trapper John
- Ehud (left handed—a liability)
- Man who gave free driving lessons
- What are your assets?
- I have a lot of friends on facebook
- I can sell things on eBay (CRY charity)
- I can talk to people
- “Hold nothing back!”
Updated on 2014-03-30 by Andrew Fountain
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