TOPIC: UNFAITHFUL STEWARD
TEXT: LUKE 16:5-7
''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 measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.''
Man owes God a debt to live in the image and likeness of His Son: this obligation must be fully discharged by man; what is it to give account on the last day, but to explain how much of conformity to this image of His Son was achieved by us? What responsibility are saints, especially ministers, saddled with, but to read and explain man's debt to God to him, and how it could be paid? A faithful minister of the gospel trades with sermons that are stuffed with divine influence capable of making men see themselves as debtors to God; and also putting into their hand heavenly crafts, whereby their debt could be made good. Alas! many saints have demanded of men less than they owe God; standard of holiness has been bent; the cost of following Jesus has been revised and edited by unfaithful ministers, who observe men's faces, and eye their purses. A faithful steward of God's graces and mysteries, is one who, by diligent study and observation, understands how much each of those under him owes to God, and help same to discharge his debt. It concerns us then to be strict and diligent in setting before men their obligations to God. We must strive to bring men face to face with God's demand over their lives! He whose debt to our Lord is 'An hundred measures of oil' must not be made to pay for fifty measures of oil: that which is God's, must be given to Him: thus must a faithful minister insists on men. Friends, if any apostle come to you and say, 'Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty measures of oil instead of an hundred measures, contrary to what you owe the master, give him not your ear: for such has a quarrel with his master and already on his way out of his stewardship, and would to be a burden to you after his final dismissal. Seek out and love any man that states the truth without fear or gain.