August 17, 1992
Falmouth
                           September 20, 1992 am

Text: Luke 16: 1 - 13
     Lay Reader

Title "A Servant Named Shrewd"

Theme: Contrasting the Everlasting Faithfulness of God with the
Impressive Shrewdness of Worldly Wisdom to see that it is
impossible either to "outsmart" God, OR to be disappointed with Him
when we trust the simplicity of His Promise of grace.

Sermon: (Narrative/)
     "This person is "just a little bit" off course. His kind is
not easily detected in "others"; but in fact remnants of him lurk
in our own thinking somewhere (?)

Shrewd is convinced that faith is real  [But Shrewd is also
convinced that he is an exception; that in some matters- which he
decides upon- it is all right to depart from the Master's will]

Shrewd is forward looking - nothing wrong with soaring ambition
[but Shrewd is not FAR enough forward looking]

Shrewd bargains away from the total surrender Shrewd says "I'll..
     Build a hospital ...
     Underwrite a scholarship ...
     Make a benefit appearance ...
      ... certainly one doesn't really have to give all to God!


Shrewd missed the point entirely.

Dealing with God is a LOVE business!

Can we cheat just a little in our LOVE relationships?
Unfortuneately, most people DO!
Still

 (10) the character is built on INTEGRITY-- to be just a little
dishonest is to miss God's will altogether.  We don't have to serve
God with perfection; we do have to be honest with Him.

     We serve God by LOVE, for LOVE-- and not by shrewdness.

"Nice try, Shrewd!"