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Introduction - Talk about managing a business you own and one you don’t own.
Biblical example of a Steward/Manager.
Explain - Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his stuff - all of it except his wife.
Big responsibility.
Later - because of this small thing - one household, Joseph was made overseer of the nation of Egypt - second only to Pharaoh.
Same thing small or big he was responsible for someone else’s stuff.
With this message I will answer three questions:
What is a Steward?
2. What does Stewardship do for us?
3. What does Stewardship do for God?
What is a Steward?
Definition (OT & NT)
O.T. - Overseer - Hebrew, paqid, to assign a duty, responsibility or obligation to someone.
N.T. - Steward - Greek - epitropos - someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else (including subordinates); can refer to a high position in government.
Expand on the definitions.
b.
When did Stewardship begin?
Gen 2:15
The Garden of Eden was God’s garden - He put them there and asked them to take care of it.
c. Has it changed?
In a way YES! - the Apostle Paul said:
God still owns everything.
Everything we have came from God.
We need to choose how we use it.
Will it be for His glory or for our own.
Explain Stewards of the mysteries of God...
2. What does Stewardship do for us?
a. Strengthens Christian Character.
The purpose of a stewardship is to strengthen every believer in the local church.
Everyone, from little children should know how to handle allowance money, to retirees living on a fixed income, should know how to manage God’s resources.
Stewardship emphasizes that all money belongs to God.
If we realize we do not own our money, it is easier to give it away and give it back to God.
For example, if we drive a company car, we know that it is not our car, but is to be used for business.
God wants us to treat our possessions with that attitude.
God is letting us use the money He gives to us for His business.
A Christian’s business is God’s business.
Just as a company gives a sales person rules and limits on how the company car is to be used, God has instructed us on how to use our time, talent, and treasures.
Therefore, stewardship is about how to manage God’s resources.
A Christian is called to be a disciple, which means to live a disciplined life.
Because stewardship is management, or discipleship, it is an expression of the Christian life.
Stewardship does not just involve money.
It involves something deeper.
It involves a discipleship to Jesus Christ that can be expressed in the way we use our money.
b.
Increases obedience.
1 Co 7:19
So what matters is that we keep the commandments of God.
It takes time to learn the commandments of God, however, as you learn them you should be willing to keep them.
And as we continue to keep them we should be more willing and then become joyful in our keeping of them.
One of the commandments is to be a joyful giver. 2 Co 9:7 says:
Hands that give grudgingly are tight fisted miserly hands that don’t know how to obey.
However, cheerful hands are open hands.
Cheerful hands give willingly and have learned to obey.
The hands aren’t only open with the checkbook but with time, talents and whatever might be needed.
Be cheerful - have open hands.
c.
Allows us to share our blessings.
Who here believes they are blessed?
Let’s put our blessedness in perspective.
The annual income for the average African is about $9,000 US Dollars.
So, if your annual income is $10,000 you make more than the average person living in Africa.
If your income is at or above the median annual wage of $54,000 in the US you are very blessed.
That’s more than 5 times as much.
The question is - Do you believe those blessings come from God? Do you believe they are given to you for your use?
How many of you believe you should share those blessings with others or give it back to God? James 1:17 says:
The crazy thing is that some of us are blessed more than others.
Some of us make more money than others.
Some of us have more to give than others.
When the church began, in the early days, the new believers were so filled with joy that they were putting everything they had in a common pot so that no one would be without.
What would that look like today?
Could it work?
Did it work then - scriptures don’t tell us how that worked out?
But I have a story from one of the senior saints up in Auburn.
She told us the story of her being a part of a commune -
3. What does Stewardship do for God?
a.
We give back to God for His glory. 1 Peter 4:10 says:
(Manifold - various, diversified)
Like any investment-oriented businessperson, God expects a good return on His resources.
He has placed Christians in control of His business (think back to the garden - cultivate it and keep it).
If we look at one of the parables of Jesus, specifically the parable of the talents Matthew 25:14-28.
We will see that the Master was looking for a return on what He gave to each of His servants.
He didn’t expect any particular amount, He just wanted it used for His glory.
He even expected it of the guy that only received one talent.
In application, God created us in His image and likeness.
He has given us a good mind, strong wills, and the opportunities to make something of our lives for His glory.
God now comes and wants us to be accountable for our gifts and abilities.
Good stewardship would see all Christians have a good return of finances and other gifts to God so that the work of God may prosper.
If we never give back some of the blessings to God or use our time and talents for His glory we might as well be the guy with one talent who buried it so he wouldn’t lose it.
Don’t be that guy - God took his talent away and gave it to another.
b.
Teach Judgement.
(God teaches us to judge between right and wrong)
Christians should know that they will be judged, and that judgment is based on their stewardship.
In Jesus’ parables on this subject, the landowners judged their managers based on their faithfulness.
Because the owner delegated the vineyard to workers does not mean they owned it.
Even though the workers might develop an emotional attachment to the vines and the vineyard, the farm still did not belong to them.
Yet the workers always treated the farm as if it were their own.
The issue is always ownership.
Who owned the vineyard?
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