Tag: Evangelism

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Trusted with Little, Trusted with Much

Summary of my sermon, based on Luke 16:1-13. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on March 22, 2026.

In Luke 16, as Jesus continues His journey toward Jerusalem, His focus begins to shift. Knowing His time on earth is drawing to a close, He delivers urgent, essential teachings to His disciples—similar to a king offering his final instructions. During this time, Jesus shares what is arguably one of His most difficult teachings: the Parable of the Dishonest Manager.

The story introduces a manager caught wasting his wealthy master’s possessions. The word used for “wasting” here is the exact same Greek word used to describe how the prodigal son squandered his inheritance. This manager has committed a fireable offense. Upon learning he is about to lose his position, the manager panics. Knowing he is not strong enough for manual labor and too proud to beg, he devises a shrewd plan to secure his future. He summons his master’s debtors and drastically reduces the amounts they owe.

At first glance, this action seems to be further theft. Why, then, does the master eventually commend the dishonest manager for his shrewdness? To understand this, we have to look at the cultural context of first-century debt. It is highly likely that this manager had been engaging in usury—charging exploitative, exorbitant interest rates, a practice strictly forbidden in the Old Testament. When he slashes the debts, he is likely not cutting into his master’s principal, but rather removing his own illegal, inflated interest. In a moment of desperation, he forsakes his worldly greed to build goodwill and secure a future for himself once he is fired.

Jesus is not praising the manager’s dishonesty; He is highlighting his shrewdness. Shrewdness simply means exercising judgment with a clear understanding of the consequences. Jesus makes a profound comparison: “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8, ESV). If worldly people exercise such deliberate judgment and urgency to secure their temporary, earthly futures, how much more should believers—the sons of light—exercise intentional judgment to secure eternal outcomes?

This brings us to Christ’s primary application regarding our attitude toward money. Jesus tells us to make friends by means of unrighteous wealth so that we may be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Wealth itself is morally neutral; it is simply a tool. However, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Jesus is urging us to hold our wealth loosely. Instead of hoarding it or using it for reckless living, we are to be generous, using our worldly resources for eternal good—such as supporting evangelism and bringing people into the family of God.

Furthermore, this parable teaches the principle of faithful stewardship. Jesus states, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much” (Luke 16:10, ESV). If we properly manage the resources God has given us, He can trust us with greater responsibilities. This is not the manipulative transaction taught by the prosperity gospel—where people give solely to receive a material blessing in return. True biblical stewardship means giving generously and cheerfully, recognizing that everything we have belongs to God.

Jesus concludes with an absolute truth: “No servant can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:13, ESV). We must decide who sits on the throne of our hearts. Money is a terrible master, but it is a highly useful servant. Let us exercise true spiritual shrewdness, utilizing the time, resources, and wealth God has entrusted to us not to build a temporary earthly kingdom, but to invest deeply in the eternal kingdom of God.

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Seeking the Treasure of Lost Souls

Summary of my sermon, based on Luke 15:1-10. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on March 8, 2026.

Today, we are looking at Luke 15, which contains some of the best-known teachings of Jesus, including the parable of the prodigal son. However, before getting to that famous story, Jesus tells two shorter parables that perfectly set the stage: the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin. These two parables provide essential insights into evangelism and what it truly means to seek the lost. To understand them, we first have to understand the situation that prompted Jesus to tell them.

Luke tells us that tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus, and the Pharisees and scribes grumbled, saying that He receives sinners and eats with them. Jesus was speaking directly against the religious leaders of His day who were ignoring and ostracizing entire groups of people. Tax collectors were despised as corrupt traitors who extorted their fellow Jews on behalf of the Roman Empire. The group labeled “sinners” included those living in overt moral failure, but it also included people who were ritually impure due to sickness or disability. Instead of helping these marginalized people find restoration through the grace of God, the Pharisees acted as gatekeepers, completely shunning them.

Unfortunately, this holier-than-thou attitude can still be found in some churches today. There is sometimes a bias that assumes people who look, dress, or speak differently do not belong. But Jesus made His mission clear: it is the sick who need a physician, not the healthy. A church must be a place of healing for those on the margins of society. I remember ministering to a homeless man in Fort McMurray who used to sleep inside bank ATM vestibules to survive the brutal winter. When he came to our church, he clearly did not fit the mold of a typical youth group member, but we welcomed him, ministered to him, and shared the gospel with him. While we must maintain a robust, correct theology, we must never become an exclusive social club that loses its heart for the lost.

Jesus illustrates the effort required to reach the lost through His parables. He describes a shepherd who leaves his ninety-nine sheep in the open country to go after the one that is missing, not knowing how far he will have to travel. He also describes a woman who loses a single coin in her home, lighting a lamp and diligently sweeping the house until she finds it. Both stories emphasize the immense effort and distance we must be willing to cover to seek out lost souls.

Today, that distance is rarely physical. With the world coming to our cities, the distance we must bridge is often one of worldview and culture. Sharing the gospel effectively requires us to understand how different people perceive sin and salvation. In a guilt-based society, like the classical West, sin is breaking a moral law, and Jesus pays our legal debt. In an honor-based culture, which represents much of the world, sin is public shame and broken relationship, and Jesus takes our shame to restore us to honor. In a fear-based society, sin is enslavement to dark forces, and Jesus conquers the powers of darkness to set us free. The gospel never changes, but we must put in the hard work of contextualizing it so people can truly understand their need for grace.

When the shepherd finds his sheep and the woman finds her coin, they immediately call their friends and neighbors to rejoice. Jesus tells us that, in the exact same way, there is immense joy before the angels of God over one single sinner who repents. To the world, one sheep or one coin might not seem incredibly valuable, but to God, every lost soul is a profound treasure. As believers, we must dedicate our lives and our churches to seeking out that treasure, putting in the diligent effort to bridge the gap and share the restorative love of Christ with everyone around us.

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Mission That Depends on God

Summary of my sermon, based on Luke 10:1-24. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on February 16, 2025.

As Jesus sends out the seventy-two in Luke 10, we’re reminded that just as they were called, empowered, and sent, so are we. It’s not just the original twelve disciples or trained preachers who are expected to carry this message—every believer is part of God’s plan to bring the Gospel to the world.

Jesus made it clear: the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. That truth still stands today. We live in a world full of people searching for hope, peace, and truth. Yet so often, we hesitate to speak the name of Jesus, unsure of what to say or afraid of how we’ll be received. But we’re not alone, and we’re not expected to go in our own strength. Jesus gave his disciples authority—and that same spiritual authority is extended to us through his Word and Spirit.

At the same time, we must recognize that sharing the Gospel is not optional. It’s part of who we are as Christians. Evangelism isn’t just for the specially gifted; it’s for all believers. Whether we feel confident or not, we are called to prepare ourselves so we can share the good news clearly and boldly. Whether through structured tools like “The Four Spiritual Laws,” “Romans Road,” or “Way of the Master,” or simply learning to articulate our testimony and the Gospel story, we are responsible to be ready.

And let’s not fall into the trap of thinking we can “just live out the Gospel” and not speak it. That popular quote—“Preach the Gospel at all times; use words if necessary”—while often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, doesn’t line up with the biblical model of evangelism. The Gospel is a message that must be declared, not just demonstrated. Our lives should reflect Jesus, yes—but the power to save comes through the Word proclaimed.

Jesus warned that the mission wouldn’t be easy. He said he was sending his followers out like lambs among wolves. That image isn’t just poetic—it’s real. Evangelism often invites resistance and even hostility. But still, we go, not because we are strong, but because Jesus is worthy. He equips us, and he sustains us.

That’s why prayer is such an essential part of the mission. Jesus instructed his followers to pray earnestly for laborers. That prayer applies to all of us. We pray that more people would be raised up for Gospel work—and we pray for ourselves, that we would have the boldness and opportunity to share. Gospel ministry is not powered by personality or strategy alone—it is a Spirit-led work that begins with prayer.

Some are called to full-time evangelistic or missionary ministry. And yes, Scripture affirms that these workers are worthy of their wages. Sadly, we’ve seen that truth abused by prosperity preachers and televangelists. But in its right context, it’s a good and biblical thing for faithful evangelists and missionaries to be supported financially. As a church, supporting Gospel workers should be part of our regular worship and giving. It’s not just a nice thing to do—it’s essential kingdom work.

Rejection is also part of the journey. Not everyone will respond to the Gospel with joy. Jesus told his followers to shake the dust off their feet when towns rejected them. He also gave a sobering warning: those who reject the message of Christ face a judgment more severe than Sodom. That’s not meant to scare us—it’s meant to motivate us. Eternity is real, and separation from God is the most terrifying outcome imaginable.

But the message doesn’t end in judgment—it ends in joy. The seventy-two returned with stories of victory, of demons cast out and hearts changed. Jesus celebrates their success but reminds them of the deeper source of joy: that their names are written in heaven. That’s the true treasure. We rejoice not just in the fruit of ministry but in the grace of our salvation. We serve not to earn anything, but because we’ve already been given everything.

So let this be our focus: we are God’s people, saved by grace, called to proclaim the Gospel, equipped with power, and destined for eternity with him. Let us prepare, let us pray, and let us go.