Following Jesus

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Following Jesus in Lukes gospel
Handling money well Investing for eternity
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Post Easter Looking at the empty
cross. Fundamental thoughts on life and death
challenged.
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Jesus turning the world the right way
up. Re-evaluation on how life works and what is
important.
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What is our treasure? What is of supreme
worth? For where your treasure is,there your
heart will be also. Matt 621 In Matt 13 Jesus
expands on this. Pearl of great price Treasure in
a field A life worth giving everything for.
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The interesting thing is, it is possible to lose
your head and keep it at the same time! You lose
your head in your joy in knowing God and dont
care if people think youre crazy. Yet you are
probably at your sanest when you come to the
place where you abandon all else but your desire
for God. Once you have truly experienced the
anointing of the Spirit, your money, reputation,
love for the world, fear of what people will say
and so on all pale into insignificance. RT Kendall
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• The world tends to see treasure as wealth
  success.
• Jesus wants to undo the unhealthy grip these
  things can have on our lives.
• He wants to teach us to invest for eternity.

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What will be said at your funeral? Those
life-making decisions are made now. Psalm 9012
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a
heart of wisdom.
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Matthew 25 14 - 30

• 14 Again, it will be like a man going on a
  journey, who called his servants and entrusted
  his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags
  of gold, to another two bags, and to another one
  bag, each according to his ability. Then he went
  on his journey. 16 The man who had received five
  bags

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• of gold went at once and put his money to work
  and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one
  with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the
  man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole
  in the ground and hid his masters
  money.19 After a long time the master of those
  servants returned and settled accounts with them. 

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• 20 The man who had received five bags of gold
  brought the other five. Master, he said, you
  entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have
  gained five more.
• 21 His master replied, Well done, good and
  faithful servant! You have been faithful with a
  few things I will put you in charge of many
  things. Come and share your masters happiness!

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• 22 The man with two bags of gold also came.
  Master, he said, you entrusted me with two
  bags of gold see, I have gained two more.
• 23 His master replied, Well done, good and
  faithful servant! You have been faithful with a
  few things I will put you in charge of many
  things. Come and share your masters happiness!

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• 24 Then the man who had received one bag of gold
  came. Master, he said, I knew that you are a
  hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and
  gathering where you have not scattered
  seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid
  your gold in the ground. See, here is what
  belongs to you.

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• 26 His master replied, You wicked, lazy
  servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have
  not sown and gather where I have not scattered
  seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money
  on deposit with the bankers, so that when I
  returned I would have received it back with
  interest. 28 So take the bag of gold from him
  and give it to the one who has ten bags.

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• 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they
  will have an abundance. Whoever does not have,
  even what they have will be taken from
  them. 30 And throw that worthless servant
  outside, into the darkness, where there will be
  weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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Do you have sympathy for the last guy? Jesus
sets us up and then subverts our expectations.
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• Nothing we have is ours.
• v14 entrusted his wealthto them.Its all from
  God.We are stewards notowners.
• Ps 241 The earth is the Lords,and everything in
  it, the world, and allwho live in it.
• How will we invest whatsbeen entrusted to us?

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Investing in eternity is practical v 16 he went
at once and put his money to work How
did I invest what God gave me this week?
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• There is a cumulative value ininvesting small
  consistentamounts of time, energy moneyin one
  thing over a long time.
• Lots of small yeses over a long timemake a big
  yes. v19
• Like watering a garden
• There are rarely immediate consequences if we do
  this badly. But long term neglect sets in.

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• Neglect has a cumulative effect.
• This is never what we aim for
• Small things investedwisely grow and multiply.
• Fight against neglect.
• Fight against denial.
• Both bring spiritual and emotional loss. v30

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(No Transcript)
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• Dont let the bland interfere with the important.
  
• Most things that threaten our treasure arent
  evil. Just not worth investing in.
• Take a check
• Often what we think is our treasure isnt. We
  drift.
• Test check your diaryand your bank statement.

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• Some things we cant get back especially time.
• No guilt. Jesus is making all things new.
  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new
  creation has come The old has gone, the new is
  here! 2 Cor 517
• We will never regret investing in our marriages,
  children, life with Jesus. Or being generous with
  our money.

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• Wise investment brings us close to Jesus
• Share your masters happiness v21
• Knowledge of knowingwe please him. Well done!
  v21
• Checking ourmotives draws usclose to him.

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Kingdom investment multiplies This is the nature
of the kingdom. v16 17 God blesses what is
investedfor eternity.
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• We can be sacrificial with confidence.
• v24-5 Unlike the fearful man who dug a hole and
  hid.

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• Multiplication isnt just numerical
• Its also in influence and significance.
• Jesus tests us in this.
• v21 you have been faithfulwith a few things I
  will put you in charge ofmany things.

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When we are tempted to shut down or sign off
Jesus invites us to restart.
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From last week Jesus is looking for backbone
people. Hidden investors.
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Jesus is looking for people to unlock treasure in
others. What has God given you the key for, that
no one else has?
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Following Jesus in Lukes gospel
Next week Handling money well Growing in
generosity