Facing Reality

Galatians: Rescued & Recruited - Week 5

Pastor Wes in Week 5 of the Galatians: Rescued & Recruited series centers around the importance of facing reality, forming a plan, and taking action in our lives as individuals and as a church community. He begins by commending the congregation for their transformation and impact on others, encouraging them to continue multiplying in God's kingdom.

The core of his message is illustrated through a story from Luke 16 about a dishonest manager who, despite his faults, faces reality, forms a plan, and takes immediate action to secure his future. Pastor Wes unpacks this story, highlighting the manager's proactive approach and the commendation he receives from his master.

He then challenges the congregation to reflect on how they face reality in their own lives, emphasizing the importance of forming concrete plans and taking immediate action. He acknowledges the tendency to spiritualize problems instead of addressing them directly and urges the congregation to overcome this by partnering with God in their journey.

In conclusion, Pastor Wes draws a parallel between the message of Galatians, which calls for humility and mutual support within the church community, and the story of the dishonest manager, emphasizing the transformative power of facing reality, forming plans, and taking action together.

This message encourages you to embrace vulnerability, seek support from one another, and trust in God's guidance as they navigate life's challenges and opportunities.

Luke 16:1-18

Parable of the Shrewd Manager

16 Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. ² So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’

³ “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. ⁴ Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’

⁵ “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ ⁶ The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.^a]">[a]’

⁷ “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.^b]">[b]’

⁸ “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. ⁹ Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.^c]">[c]

¹⁰ “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. ¹¹ And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? ¹² And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?

¹³ “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.

¹⁶ “Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in.^d]">[d] 17 But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to be overturned.

¹⁸ “For example, a man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery. And anyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”

Did you like Galatians - Rescued & Recruited – Week 4? If so, check out more of our Sunday teachings here.