God's Plan is Better Than Yours!

If you have your Bibles, please take them and find Luke 16:14.  I want to share with you a message entitled, “God’s Way is Better Yours!”

 

We return to Luke 16 and our study of Luke’s gospel. If you were here last Sunday, you remember that were at the beginning of Luke 16 and the parable of the unjust steward.

 

That parable was addressed to Jesus’ disciples and encouraged us how to use money that God gives us in this life. Like the unjust steward, we should act wisely and responsibly by generously spending our money on others and planning for the future.

 

Some commentators believe today’s text is out of place.  However, it is the mention of money here in verse 14 that ties it to last week’s parable.

 

Before we read the text together, look at verse 16, and notice the phrase “kingdom of God.”

 

We have seen this previously in Luke’s gospel, and it has multiple meanings.  It can refer to heaven. It can refer to life on earth during Jesus’ millennial reign. 

 

It can refer to Jesus Himself.  It can refer to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

 

It can refer to the way Jesus’ followers live out their lives on earth honoring Him.  In verse 17, it seems to refer to both the gospel of Jesus Christ and how we as His followers are to live out our lives on earth honoring Him.

 

 

1. God’s Kingdom values the internal more than external, Luke 16:14-15.

14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 

 

Even though Jesus was previously addressing His disciples, the Pharisees heard the parable of the unjust steward.  Do you remember who these people were?

 

The Pharisees were male Jewish religious leaders who were experts in the Old Testament Law. They were assumed to understand it and how to apply it. 

 

They gave every outward appearance of being devoted followers of the God of Israel. However, their hearts indicated otherwise.

 

Jesus said they were lovers of money. Is that bad? Actually, it was. 

 

If you remember from last Sunday, I reminded you of 1 Timothy 6:10. Paul didn’t tell Timothy that money was bad. However, he did say the love of it was the root of all evil.

 

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

 

Because the Pharisees loved money, they didn’t like what Jesus had to say last week. Specifically, you can’t serve God and money. 

 

Consequently, they derided Him. They literally turned up their noses at Him.  Your translation may say they ridiculed Him.

 

Jesus responded to them in verse 15 by pointing out that God knew their hearts, and their hearts didn’t value what God valued. They thought money was an indication of God’s favor and blessing.

 

They were more concerned about their outward appearance than the condition of their heart. Jesus said that was an abomination in the sight of God.

 

The Bible is consistent. God and His kingdom have always valued the internal more than the external. 

 

Do you remember Saul and David? Israel demanded that God give them a king.  Do you remember why chose Saul? See 1 Samuel 8:4-5 and 9:1-3.

 

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 

 

Turn to 9:1. There was one candidate that caught their eye more than the others.

 

9:1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. 2 And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

 

If you know anything about Saul’s reign, you know it didn’t end well. In this, God let Israel have their way.

 

Do you remember when Goliath was taunting Israel? They almost overlooked David for the same reasons. See 1 Samuel 16:1-13.

 

1 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have [a]provided Myself a king among his sons.”  2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”  But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”  4 So Samuel did what the Lord said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”  5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify[b] yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.  6 So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”  7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have [c]refused him. For[d] the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  8 So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.”  And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not [e]sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with [f]bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

 

Brothers and sisters, more than your physical appearance and worldly success, how are fruits of the Spirit growing?  See Galatians 5:22-23

 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

 

 

2. God’s Kingdom will endure, Luke 16:16-17.

16 “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail. 

 

In verse 16, Jesus said the law and the prophets were until John. This is John the Baptist, and he was the last Old Testament prophet.

 

However, the Biblical record didn’t end with him because he was also the forerunner for Jesus. That means he announced Jesus and pointed others to Jesus as the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophesied about.

 

Since John arrived, the kingdom of God was preached. That is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and there were plenty who were excited about it.

 

However, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the Old Testament offered one way to be saved and the New Testament offered another. That is NOT true.

 

Sometimes we  think that only Jews were saved in the Old Testament. That is not true.  There were plenty of Gentiles who followed and were worshipers of Yahweh.

 

Sometimes, we think that people in the Old Testament were saved by keeping the Old Testament Law. No one was perfect then, and no one is perfect now.

 

Turn to Romans 10:13. This is a verse that we often use in personal evangelism.

 

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

 

We believe that Paul is talking about Jesus.  Call on Jesus, and you will be saved.

 

However, notice something unique about this verse.  Paul is actually quoting the Old Testament.

 

Did you know that? See Joel 2:32.

 

32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.  For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

 

In Joel 2:32, they were to call on Yahweh to be saved. Yahweh in the Old and Jesus in the New…we are talking about the same God and the same way to be saved.

 

God’s Kingdom endures. It doesn’t change, and it won’t fade away. 

 

It is here today and will be here tomorrow. That is illustrated in His word enduring. 

 

Not even the smallest Hebrew marking will change or fade away. The jot or tittle will endure illustrating the same is true for God’s Kingdom.

 

 

3. God’s Kingdom and plan are always best for us, Luke 16:18.

18 “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

 

Our text ends this morning on what you might think is an odd subject. Jesus spoke on divorce and remarriage.

 

However, in reality, He was continuing to expose the evil of the Pharisees. They believed that Old Testament only prohibited divorce and remarriage for women.

 

In other words, when they did it, it wasn’t adultery.  Jesus had something to say about that.

 

BTW…This is not Jesus’ comprehensive position on divorce and remarriage.  However, it is certainly representative.

 

God’s plan for you is to get married and stay married. You might think your life would be better if you weren’t married to your spouse, but God’s plan is better.

 

Here is one more thing before we leave here.  I don’t think the Bible teaches that if you commit adultery that you are living in the perpetual sin of adultery. 

 

Why not? Would the solution be divorce? Absolutely not. 

 

If you’re married now, God’s plan is for your to stay married. If you plan to get married, God’s plan is for your to find your spouse for a lifetime.

 

 

Conclusion

As we think about God’s Kingdom and plan this morning, consider these two invitations.

 

God has a plan to save you, and its better than your plan.  Will you call on Jesus today to save you?

 

God’s plan is for you to be connected one, single, local church, and commit your lives to it. Will you join EBC today and make that commitment?