Luke 16: There's a Great Change Coming

Our speaker during Family Bible Hour was Mr Jim Stahr. It's always a tremendous blessing to have Mr Stahr and his wife Betty visit our congregation.  Mr Stahr's message was based on Luke 16.  Another title for Luke 16 is "There's a Great Change Coming". Note also that when a parable begins with the words ...There was a certain man... it is probably a true story.  Here is a summary of his message ---

Parable of the Unjust Steward (verses 1-12):

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 thee?  give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest 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 lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?  And he said, an hundred measures of oil.  And he said unto him, take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.  Then said he to another, And how much owest thou  And he said, An hundred measure of wheat.  And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.  And the lord commended the unjust steward,  because he had done wisely:  for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light...

Lesson -- There was a change coming in the life of the steward. He looked ahead, and made a wise decision concerning money. The application for us today is to use money wisely in winning souls for Christ. Examples include supporting missionaries, buying tracts to give away, and staying  out of debt to support evangelism.

Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (verses 19-31):

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and 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 seeth Abraham afar off, and 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...Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou  wouldest 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 them hear them.  And he said, Nay, father Abraham:  but if one went unto 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, though one rose from the dead. 

Lesson -- The rich man was foolish and unprepared, though there was a great change coming in his life (death).  God holds us accountable with what we do with His Word.  We cannot see the Lord now, but we must believe by faith.  Beware that though this is a parable, it does not mean that it is fiction.

Mr Stahr's excellent  message, in full and in context, is available on DVD.  Please see Romy.