(Gary Carpenter)
"In the parable of the ten pounds we read:"
"Luke 19:16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds."
"Notice that this first class servant referred to the original pound, the principle, as "thy" pound. The servant had not partaken of the principle entrusted to him, nor the increase
gained by trading, for his own purposes."
"In line with the teaching, "Distinguishing Provision From Stewardship," this servant had a clear cut distinction in his mind between his own needs being met, and his stewardship of the Lord's pound. He did not mingle the two."
"Notice he did not say, "Lord, thy pound has gained ten pounds, less the portion I used to feed my family." No, he understood the difference between dining from the table of grace, and his stewardship of his Master’s pound."
"Notice also that this parable also illustrates the statement, "Exaltation regarding your stewardship of finances IS based, 100 percent, on your performance." The servants were exalted in proportion to the effectiveness of their stewardship. The better job they did in stewarding the Lord's money, the greater responsibilities of stewardship they were given. The servant who had gained ten pounds was given authority to govern ten cities:
Luke 19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
The servant who had gained five pounds was given authority to govern five cities:
Luke 19:19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities."
"It is imperative to notice that neither of these servants were "making a living" from the "gain" made by trading the original principle. They were not "eating" from this pool of finances.
So how were they eating? From the master's table of grace! Exaltation to greater levels of stewardship is based on performance. But performance never prevents a child from the right to dine from his Father's dinner table."
"It is interesting that we are given no example in this parable of a servant who traded the original principle and suffered the loss of it. Perhaps such a thought does not enter our Lord's mind, knowing He would send the Holy Spirit to assist these servants during His absence. We are told, however, the single action that will make Him angry concerning our stewardship
... TO DO NOTHING!"
"The startling thing is, it was not fear of loss that prevented the wicked servant from trading ... it was his attitude of heart. He did not understand what a "first class servant" is."
"Remember, from Luke 17:7-9, a first class servant is one who always puts the needs of his Master first! In the King James version, the wicked servant's response is recorded this way:"
"Luke 19:20-21 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow."
"He did not say he was afraid of disappointing the Lord if he lost the principle. No, that attitude, at least to some degree, is in the heart of every servant of the Lord who is called to trade finances in a risky market. Looking at precisely what the wicked servant said, he did not trade the principle because he perceived the Master as being one who "takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow."
"Gospel Entrepreneurs, God's Stewards of Kingdom Finances, are to be "profitable" to the Kingdom of God. We are not to be as the wicked servant and consider ourselves to be "for hire." We are unprofitable in the sense of, "I trade the funds entrusted to me in order to obtain increase for my Master's use in the Kingdom of God. I do this because it is my call. I am not doing it for personal profit. I am not doing it as a hireling. I do not expect a commission for my services, neither do I need one, for all of my personal needs are already available to me on the table of my Father's grace."
"We must make the distinction between being sons who dine at the family dinner table and our stewardship in the Father's fields. We dine from our Father's table because we are sons of God, by grace alone. We have no need to partake of the gain gathered by our stewardship in the fields."
Listen to its entirety at…
http://www.garycarpenter.org/KST3.html
"In the parable of the ten pounds we read:"
"Luke 19:16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds."
"Notice that this first class servant referred to the original pound, the principle, as "thy" pound. The servant had not partaken of the principle entrusted to him, nor the increase
gained by trading, for his own purposes."
"In line with the teaching, "Distinguishing Provision From Stewardship," this servant had a clear cut distinction in his mind between his own needs being met, and his stewardship of the Lord's pound. He did not mingle the two."
"Notice he did not say, "Lord, thy pound has gained ten pounds, less the portion I used to feed my family." No, he understood the difference between dining from the table of grace, and his stewardship of his Master’s pound."
"Notice also that this parable also illustrates the statement, "Exaltation regarding your stewardship of finances IS based, 100 percent, on your performance." The servants were exalted in proportion to the effectiveness of their stewardship. The better job they did in stewarding the Lord's money, the greater responsibilities of stewardship they were given. The servant who had gained ten pounds was given authority to govern ten cities:
Luke 19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
The servant who had gained five pounds was given authority to govern five cities:
Luke 19:19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities."
"It is imperative to notice that neither of these servants were "making a living" from the "gain" made by trading the original principle. They were not "eating" from this pool of finances.
So how were they eating? From the master's table of grace! Exaltation to greater levels of stewardship is based on performance. But performance never prevents a child from the right to dine from his Father's dinner table."
"It is interesting that we are given no example in this parable of a servant who traded the original principle and suffered the loss of it. Perhaps such a thought does not enter our Lord's mind, knowing He would send the Holy Spirit to assist these servants during His absence. We are told, however, the single action that will make Him angry concerning our stewardship
... TO DO NOTHING!"
"The startling thing is, it was not fear of loss that prevented the wicked servant from trading ... it was his attitude of heart. He did not understand what a "first class servant" is."
"Remember, from Luke 17:7-9, a first class servant is one who always puts the needs of his Master first! In the King James version, the wicked servant's response is recorded this way:"
"Luke 19:20-21 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow."
"He did not say he was afraid of disappointing the Lord if he lost the principle. No, that attitude, at least to some degree, is in the heart of every servant of the Lord who is called to trade finances in a risky market. Looking at precisely what the wicked servant said, he did not trade the principle because he perceived the Master as being one who "takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow."
"Gospel Entrepreneurs, God's Stewards of Kingdom Finances, are to be "profitable" to the Kingdom of God. We are not to be as the wicked servant and consider ourselves to be "for hire." We are unprofitable in the sense of, "I trade the funds entrusted to me in order to obtain increase for my Master's use in the Kingdom of God. I do this because it is my call. I am not doing it for personal profit. I am not doing it as a hireling. I do not expect a commission for my services, neither do I need one, for all of my personal needs are already available to me on the table of my Father's grace."
"We must make the distinction between being sons who dine at the family dinner table and our stewardship in the Father's fields. We dine from our Father's table because we are sons of God, by grace alone. We have no need to partake of the gain gathered by our stewardship in the fields."
Listen to its entirety at…
http://www.garycarpenter.org/KST3.html
