SIGNS OF A SENSIBLE STEWARD
Stewardship is Lordship • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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In Luke 12,
Jesus teaches us
4 teachings on:
sensible stewardship
This past month
we have been talking
about Lordship.
Position Issue
Position Issue
Let’s review:
Last 2 weeks
Lordship settles
the POSITION issue
Who is going to be # 1?
Permission Issue
Permission Issue
Lordship settles the
PERMISSION issue
Who has a right to me and my life?
Profession Issue
Profession Issue
Lordship settles
PROFESSION issue
Who will enter the kingdom of heaven?
(“not everyone who says “‘Lord, Lord, but those who do the will of my Father.”)
Possession Issue
Possession Issue
Finally
Lordship settles
POSSESSION issue
Who owns the things in my life?
Luke 12 illustrates
the principles of stewardship.
Stewardship is
non-issue if you
settle Lordship.
If not,
biggest battle of Christianity!
If you missed
last 3 sermons
watch on YouTube
In Luke 12,
Jesus teaches
4 different signs
“sensible stewardship”
1. RESPONSIBLE
1. RESPONSIBLE
Luke 12:16–21 (ESV)
And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself,
--
‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul,
--
“Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you,
--
and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
To begin teaching stewardship,
our Lord gives us first
a picture of a man
who was very irresponsible.
This farmer.
Jesus says 3 things
about this man’s
irresponsibility.
(1). He was irresponsible to Himself.
(2). He was irresponsible to others.
(3). He was irresponsible to God
...
(1). He was irresponsible to Himself.
(1). He was irresponsible to Himself.
He thought that
He could make a life
of the things that he had.
The farmer was
irresponsible concerning himself.
He thought he could
live off the things of life.
Many Christians today
primarily focused on
careers
retirement
college
promotions
We have to work
pursue wage.
This man,
all consuming thoughts
provide for himself.
store up
Pastor John Maxwell has said:
‘When you store, You get no more.”‘
He was irresponsible
because acted like
he would live forever
only need to focus
managing finances.
What about you?
Has thoughts of your
financial condition
controlled your thoughts?
(2). He was irresponsible to others.
(2). He was irresponsible to others.
He didn’t think
how to help others.
Thought his possessions
were for himself.
Proverbs 22:9 (ESV)
Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed,
for he shares his bread with the poor.
Farmer thought
only of self.
Forgot that
God gives wealth,
to bless others.
D.L. Moody said that he was walking down the street one day and somebody gave him $5.00. He said, “‘brother Moody, you are such a great blessing to me.”‘ So Moody thanked him. And then Moody said, I hadn’t walked a block until I found somebody with a great need. So I reached into my pocket and passed that $5.00 on to them. I felt so good. I hadn’t walked another block until somebody came up to me and said, “‘Mr. Moody you are such a blessing to me,”‘ and gave me another $5.00. He said, I thanked him, and put it in my pocket. I didn’t pass that $5.00 on. And Moody said, “‘I never had anybody come and do it again.”‘
(3). He was irresponsible to God
(3). He was irresponsible to God
He did not realize
the uncertainty of life.
certainty of the judgment.
certainty of accountability.
He thought things
would continue as normal.
But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
No plan for
next life.
Invested only
current life.
If you died today...
Where are you investments?
So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
What does it mean,
to be not rich toward God?
Let me illustrate
A wealthy man had a dream. And in this dream he died. When he went to heaven, an angel gave him a guided tour. The angel showed him this magnificent mansion. The man asked, well. whose is this?”‘ And the angel said, ‘that is your gardener’s place.”‘ And that man said, Oh, this is great! If the gardener gets this one, I can hardly wait to see mine! He was getting excited. They went a little further and saw an even more magnificent mansion. He asked, “‘whose is this?”‘ And the angel said, ‘‘well it is a missionary who was in the field for 30 years. Serving God, and this is where he stays. “‘Oh, this guy, he can hardly wait. He was so excited. And then they came up to an 8’ X 8’ shack. And this guy says, ‘‘whose is this?”‘ And the angel says, “‘This is yours.”‘ Now this was a shack. No window. A little opening for a door with a cloth hanging across it. And the guy says, ‘‘wait a minute, wait a minute. My gardener gets a mansion. The missionary gets a mansion. What happened to me? And the angel says, ‘‘To be honest with you, we did the best we could with what you sent us!”‘
To be rich toward God,
means to
eternal issues.
time
energy
prayer
effort
money
“The cup most difficult to carry is not the cup that is empty, but the cup that is full to the brim. … Affliction and adversity bring disappointment and sorrow; but it is prosperity that is most dangerous to spiritual life.” — Ministry of Healing p. 211
“Often prayer is solicited for those who are suffering from illness or adversity; but our prayers are most needed for the men entrusted with prosperity and influence.” — Ministry of Healing p. 212
Most Americans
cups very full.
Compared to
world population.
First Principle
RESPONSIBLE
RESPONSIBLE
Second Principle:
RELAXED
RELAXED
And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.
Enemy of Stewardship:
Worry
Everyone is tempted to worry
Rich worry
how to manage things
(investments)
(business decisions)
Poor worry
how to get things
(food, clothes, housing)
(better financial condition)
For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
Look what Jesus says in vs. 24
Luke 12:24–28 (ESV)
Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
--
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you,
--
even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
Worry will give you
a false view of God.
That God can’t
take care of your needs.
He takes care of
the lilies,
the grass,
the ravens,
but not me....
Worry Worry
Lilies are beautiful - not me
Where will I live?
Will groceries hold out?
How about my retirement?
If I pledge to God,
will I have enough?
Foolishness...
We think about pie...
Only XX pieces
not God’s math!
Worry is sinful
because it causes us
to seek - wrong things.
And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
I like Matthew’s version:
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Seek First
put first...
Elijah and Widow eating last cake
And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son.
God’s solution to worry!!!
Put God first...
claim His promise
He will provide!
He may not provide
the way you expect
timing you expect
amount you expect
But He Will Provide!!!
Then jump down to vs. 34
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Heart of the issue
This is why
God cares about money.
Shows where heart is.
Where is your heart today?
Where is your money?
Where is your time?
Where is your energy?
God’s work?
Selfish plans?
A sensible steward is
responsible,
relaxed.
Why?
Because God is in control.
Next principle:
Steward is:
READY
READY
3. A sensible steward will be ready.
Now in vs. 35-40
Jesus shifts the emphasis
from being worried
about the present
to be watchful
about the future.
Luke 12:35–40 (ESV)
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.
--
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake,
--
blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Living a life
readiness
urgency
The fact is, the moment financial stability is assured, spiritual bankruptcy is also assured. — Mahatma Gandhi
Why?
because we can only
serve one master.
Table Installation
Do you believe
Jesus is coming
important for believers?
All Bible writers talk about
nearness of
Jesus return...
What would have
happened to them
they realized
2000 later
Jesus not returned.
Without life of urgency
never done mission work
“every creature heard gospel.
How?
filled with spirit
life of urgency!
They were ready!
How Ready Are You?
Is your life
a life of urgency?
There was a man named Stephen Grellet. "I shall pass through this world but once, and any good that I can do, or any kindness that I can show any human being, let me do it now and not defer it. For, I shall not pass this way again.”
We only have
1 life to live.
Slang phrase
young people
YOLO!
You Only Live Once
You Only Live Once
Interesting,
Satan used this
Do everything you want.
Saying is true
but,
if you only live once...
ought to consider
results of this life!!!
The wealthy man is not he who has the most money, but he who needs the least to live well and is happy with what he has and does. — Author Unknown
YOLO
YOLO
You Only Live Once
Live like
it matters
what comes next!
Summary
Sensible Steward.
Responsible
Relaxed
Ready
Finally:
REWARDED
REWARDED
The sensible steward
will be rewarded.
Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?”
You are talking
about others
right???
Typical human,
great sermon
my sister really needs
to hear this one!
Brother and Sisters
Today, words of Jesus
Are For You!!!
Next verse:
Luke 12:42–44 (ESV)
And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?
--
Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
He says,
Once I find
a man or a woman
who lets Me be
owner of everything.
I’ll give them
everything I’ve got.
I can hardly wait
to pour my blessings
true steward.
Ironic
if we try
to focus on getting
everything in this world
we lose everything.
But if
we try to let go
for Christ sake
He gives us everything!
Surrender
It’s worth it!
Final famous words:
Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple. — Jesus Christ
Appeal
Appeal