Management Training

Posted by Chris on January 16, 2005 under Sermons

Last week we affirmed that the mission of the church can only be God’s mission. We have noother mission than God’s mission. We affirmed this: that this is the church of Christ and he mustbecome greater with no emphasis on us. All that we do and all that we are is by God’s handmoving among us. He secures our future, he saves – we are merely servants of the gospel.

Now, if that is the case. If we are truly striving to be about his mission in every way, what on earthshall we say about the various ways that we spend our money and time? What shall we say aboutthe many wonderful resources that we acquire and manage? How do we manage earthly mattersand spiritual matters at the same time – especially if everything is mission?

Read Luke 16:1-13

If you have ever heard of the hard sayings of Jesus, then this is one of them. This story iscontroversial in the history of the church. It is a tale of thieves and scoundrels. And in itsconclusion, Jesus seems to be noting that there’s some worthy lesson in the action of the clevermanager. [Stories about clever rogues are not unique. Everybody loves Robin Hood because hesteals from the rich and gives to the poor. But however heroic we make him, he is stealing. Heis breaking the law.] The commentaries give so many different views on this text that it is nearlyconfusing. There are attempts to clean this story up, but they always seem to miss the point …

The point is in verses 8 and 9 when Jesus says, “For the children of this age are more shrewd indealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” Jesus is taking a tale about thechildren of this age and placing it in contrast with the kingdom. If the scoundrels, rascals,tyrants, and desperate citizens of this present age have the imagination and determinationto further their causes, then how much more imagination and determination should we havefor the cause of the kingdom?

The controversy about this text mirrors the controversies we have about use of resources andwealth. This saying may be a hard saying not only because it seems that Jesus is applauded ashady character, but because this parable calls us to a singular devotion and commitment thatseems radical and extreme against our thinned out religious traditions. That happens when weview our faith as static and completed rather than viewing it as mission and journey. WhenChristianity is a matter of correctness and formality it becomes a bureaucratic game that attemptsto balance the status quo. It becomes nothing more than a set of rituals that really do not makea difference …

[William Wallace became a thorn in English King Edward I’s side because he didn’t subscribe to the legalformalities of warfare. For him, this wasn’t a game for nobles and lawyers. Wallace wasdetermined to win freedom from England at all costs and would not stop until they executed him. There were no compromises.]

Our controversial little story from Jesus is intended to stir us to thought and press us to makesome important decisions. The story raises two key questions that force us to align ourselvesin the kingdom or the world …

First question – Who do you serve? We need to be clear and certain in this choice. In urgenttimes we cannot be patient with split decisions or wavering. “No one can serve two masters. Foryou will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannotserve both God and money.” – v. 13

For all the shame of it, the dishonest manager was clear about his master. His “boss” in the storywas a means to an end. Don’t assume that this manager was in any way particularly loyal to thiswealthy lord. No, the manager’s “lord” was his own self. He serves “mammon,” and even if theBig Boss was going to fire him, then he was going to use the Big Boss to provide for his future. As a servant of mammon [or his own selfishness] he will do whatever it takes to fulfill his causeand other “so-called lords” will not deter him. He is undistracted!

Kingdom ethics are very different for the children of light, but we need to have a higher level ofloyalty for our Lord is much greater and more worthy. The parable calls upon us to move from thelesser to the greater: If the children of this age are so determined and undistracted in their serviceto a false Lord, why aren’t we, the children of light, all the more determined and undistracted inour service to THE Lord?

Second Question – How will we use the resources we have been given? If our answer to thefirst question is that we serve God, then that determines how we will use what we’ve been given. It is an issue of faith and trust. Listen again to the little proverbial statement Jesus makes and hisapplication: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoeveris dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthyin handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (v. 10-11)

Sometimes you have to appreciate the enemy’s style. (When an opposing team scores in abrilliant way you have to tip your hat).
The crooked manager is good at something. He’s a good embezzler. Why didn’t he just take themoney and run? Because he sets up a situation in which he cannot lose. If the Big Boss kickshim out of the house, he has new friends who owe him favors. Yet, by being generous andforgiving debts to the Big Boss’ clients he has won their favor for the Big Boss. The Boss hasgreat honor and satisfied clients. He stands a chance of getting in good with the Boss – and if theBoss cans him, then the Boss loses honor and favor among his clients. When the little plan isover, the Boss decides that he wants someone this clever on his team – even if it means riskinga little embezzlement.

Again we are called from the lesser things (little, filthy lucre) to the greater things (much, trueriches): If the children of this age know how to be creative, imaginative, and bold in usingresources for their unrighteous efforts, how much more creative, imaginative, bold and risky shouldwe be for the sake of the kingdom? Don’t misunderstand, I am not saying we should adopt theethics or the tactics of the children of this age, rather I am saying we should outthink them, out riskthem, and outwork them. We can develop our own creative ways of using “stuff” for God’smission.
Too often our concerns are not about ethics and mission. We are more frightened about makingmistakes. We are more concerned about offending our sensibilities. We are limited in our visionand stalled to comfortable inactivity because we think that God has no hands but our hands to dohis work on earth – or we think that God has no pocketbook but our pocketbook. This lack ofimagination and action allows the children of this age to outdo the children of light.

I recall a conversation in the mid-1990’s with church leaders who were certain that the Internet wasa passing fad. One lone voice was trying to convince them that they needed to see the kingdomopportunities with this new form of communication. I would say that the lone voice won out. Idon’t think that conversations like that happened among the opportunists in the porn business. One of the first industries to make major use of the Internet was the porn industry. Some of thechildren of light avoided the Internet because of it.

Why do we let them claim turf that rightfully belongs to our master? Why aren’t we bold enoughand determined enough to establish our Lord’s presence in the midst of hell’s territory? Are wetoo timid or effete? Do we think that it would scandalize God or send the wrong message? Godoffended the sensibilities of religious nobles when he set up shop at the intersection of Sin andShame and chose a cross as his sign. . . his message was clear!

William Willimon tells the story of a Florida church that had once been a great congregation in theheart of the city. But the city changed and the neighborhood declined. The congregationdwindled and the membership was made up of those who commuted from the suburbs. Thecongregation soon had a problem with vagrants and homeless men around the old churchbuilding. They dirtied the place up and on a few occasions they broke into the church building. The congregation put locks on the doors but the vagrants broke the locks. So a meeting was heldto discuss better security and bigger locks. What could they do to keep these homeless peoplefrom damaging their building?

Someone moved the question to a vote and that night they left the doors wide open. Twentyhomeless men showed up. There were all sorts of problems – the kind that require creativethinking and imagination and clever action I am sure – but in time the church worked with thesehomeless people and people realized how new life had come to this church.

Jesus said, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, youwill be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” (16:9)

In our service to God’s mission as saved people how are we going to be faithful with the lesserthings? Will we be distracted by our sensibilities, our traditions, our nostalgic past or ourpresupposed future? Will we be distracted by our allegiance to comfort or fear? Or will we befaithful in the things of this world that all belong to God – yes even what is in our own bankaccounts, every penny of it – and will we serve our God so faithfully, creatively, and boldly thatsome of the children of this age may just be drawn to the light of reflected off his children.