Stewardship

Introduction

Thanks Ps Tom and Ev for having me there.

Continuing series on “More Blessed To Give”

Mistake many people would make is to first and foremost think this is about the money - but that would be a mistake.

I notice whenever churches to series like this they are easily construed as “money making” series - and this stops us from receiving somewhat.

Can I challenge us this morning to put money in the back of our minds. This is not about the money. Money is never the issue - when we talk about giving, it is always a heart issue.

And one of the heart issues that we need to talk about is stewardship.

Let’s talk about the Who’s it is before we talk about the What to Give.

Pray.

Segment 1: Stewardship is not Ownership

The first thing that must be addressed when we talk about Stewardship is basic - but often forgotten: Stewardship is NOT ownership.

Owners have Rights, Stewards have Responsibilities.

God is the owner of all things - and thus has a RIGHT to determine how they are to be used.

We are Stewards who look after the things of God, we have a RESPONSIBILITY to use his resources in a way that God ordains.

It’s so important to get this right because the entire premise of Christian living is that nothing is ours - EVERYTHING belongs to God, including our lives - and therefore we are Stewards for His purpose.

We don’t actually own anything - everything comes from God: Our gifts, our talents, our time, our money, our ability to work, the very breath in our lungs - God is the owner of all these things which he graciously gives to us.

Our task, therefore, is not to assert our will on how we will use these different things, it is to seek the Owner’s will about how all these things should be used.

1 Corinthians 4:7b “7b What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”

Paul is writing to the church in Corinth where there were some Christians boasting about their talents because of their positions and parties. So Paul places a powerful rhetorical question to them, “What do you have that you did not receive?”

The answer is obvious - EVERYTHING is from God, we have no right to boast.

This passage is a NT echo of ancient principles communicated in the OT:

Deuteronomy 8:17–18 “17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

Psalm 24:1 “1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,”

This is why money is never the issue when it comes to stewardship, it is a matter of the heart - whether we have the heart of a steward or an owner will affect the way we treat EVERYTHING in life.

Segment 2: Humility is the Heartbeat of Stewardship

How do we obtain the heart of a steward? It is revealed in this passage when Paul says “Why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”

Humility is the heartbeat of Stewardship.

It is only in humility that we can approach life through the lens of Stewardship. Humility is the first step that we must take - humbling ourselves to position ourselves as stewards.

It’s about recognising that we cannot boast about a single thing in our life because all of it comes from God.

The question we have to ask ourselves is: what areas in our lives do we claim ownership of? What areas in our life have we locked God out of? Which areas does God have no say in?

Maybe it’s our time - we get to use it however we want. Maybe it’s our money - we get to spend it on whatever we want. Maybe it’s our gifts - we get to use it on who we want, or whenever we feel comfortable.

What we may see in life as our RIGHT is actually our RESPONSIBILITY

Paul exhorts all of us to take on a renewed mindset: there is nothing we have that doesn’t belong to God. We are stewards in life, not owners.

ILLUSTRATION: Kid that eats the package

It’s no secret that I’m not phenomenal with kids. At central sometimes people try to pass me babies just to see what I will do. When I’m holding a baby it’s often not clear who’s more terrified, me or the baby. But I do enjoy watching kids live their life because it often reveals some of the flawed mindsets that we have as humans that we learn to fix as adults.

I have a lovely niece - Sharon’s brother’s daughter. She’s growing up now - don’t ask me how old she is I have absolutely no idea, but she’s about *this* tall - so attribute whatever age you need to. And I was trying to get her to give chocolate to her aunty Sharon. So I passed the chocolate to her and explain to her that this was for aunty Sharon, and then I would send her off. And you know how kids just think we’re like dumb? She would take this massive detour through the back of the house just so she could chomp on this chocolate before it ever reached Sharon. Which is hilarious because I could literally see Sharon from where I was sitting, and my wife remained chocolate-less.

This happened 2 times, each time I gave her chocolate and explained who it was for and got her to deliver it. Each time she would sneak somewhere and munch on the chocolate. I think the second time Sharon got like A piece of the chocolate. When I decided to confront her she immediately burst into tears and told me “BUT YOU GAVE THE CHOCOLATE TO ME. IT’S MY CHOCOLATE.” It’s almost like she had no concept of the fact that I gave her the chocolate with a specific purpose/task in mind. She immediately assumed that because I passed it to her, that made her the owner of it. But that’s not the case. Kids don’t really have a concept of the idea of Stewardship.

And we can often be like that with the things of God - the things that He gives us, the money, the time, the job, the relationships, the very breath in our lungs is not our own.

Just because God has passed it to us, does not make us the owner. Since we are not the owners we cannot impose our own will and purpose on our resources - they must be stewarded according to the purposes of the true Owner.

Segment 3: Managers of God’s Grace

Which begs the question - what is the purpose of the things that God has given us?

1 Peter 4:10 “10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:”

This passage isn’t even referring to money or wealth (although that can be inferred) it is in the context of time and talent.

The notion to catch from this passage is that stewardship is about serving, not storing.

It IS more blessed to give than to receive - because the gifts we have were DESIGNED to be given.

The question that God wants us to ask as stewards of His many resources - is never “how can I use this to better myself?” in fact that question is never asked in the bible. Paul even goes so far as to say in Philippians 2:3 “3 Do nothing from selfish ambition

The question that we must always be asking ourselves as stewards of God’s resources - is how can I use this to serve my brothers and sisters? How can I use this gift to serve the House of God?

Whether it is time, money, talent - these gifts have been given to us, as stewards, so that we can administer them to others.

And only when we meet that condition - does it say in the passage that we are GOOD stewards of God’s grace.

Segment 4: Stewarding the Season

You know I feel prompted to talk today about one aspect of stewardship that we can often overlook. And that is actually our ability to steward a season. That’s not something that’s talked about very often.

We talk about stewarding time, money and the like - but what about stewarding a season? How are you stewarding the current season that you’re walking through in life?

A passage that gives us a really good model for this is 2 Kings 4:1–6 “1 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing.”

This passage is about a Widow who finds herself in a terrible season - her husband has just died and she has a loan shark on her doorstep, waiting to take her children.

So often we can feel like stewardship is managing in abundance - that we can only use a season of abundance for God’s glory, that we can only give in seasons where we are doing well and thriving. But this isn’t true.

Here’s the thing though - you aren’t able to choose your season, but you are fully in control of how you steward it.

And Stewardship is just as much about being faithful in scarcity as it is in abundance.

Scarcity has never been an excuse for inaction, scarcity is never an excuse for a lack of stewardship on our parts.

So often we hear the excuses “I haven’t got much to give” “God hasn’t given me much” “I don’t know what I have to offer” - but these are not excuses for a lack of stewardship. Think of the parable of the talents.

In times of scarcity we can let fear kick in and our reflex is to hang on to the little that we have. But that is not good stewardship.

Good stewardship is trusting that God can multiply whatever you give Him - as long as you are using it for His purposes. Good stewardship is trusting that God can take whatever miniscule amount we can offer, and use it to do a mighty work. Good stewardship is knowing that we may be poor, but God is infinitely rich.

Notice what Elisha asked the widow? “What do you have in the house?” The miracle occured using what the widow already had.

God doesn’t ask you for what you don’t have - He asks you to steward whatever is already in your hands

Elisha didn’t give her money, he didn’t pay off the creditors, he sought to use what the widow already had - a jar of oil.

Sometimes we can waste our entire season just waiting on breakthrough, waiting for the next season to come, waiting for God to come good. But in doing so we end up neglecting the current season that we’re in.

But sometimes breakthrough isn’t in receiving something new, sometimes breakthrough comes from surrendering what you already have.

Just like the widow - maybe the materials for the miracle are already within our season, they’re already in your house, already in your hands.

Maybe you might be tempted to think - but all I’ve got is a small jar of oil, there’s barely anything left - I’ve got nothing to offer.

But the jar of oil that you’ve already got is all that God requires for the breakthrough. God will take that small jar of oil and multiply it until overflow.

What’s the jar of oil in your season? Is it your time, your money, your talents, your relationships, your job?

Good stewardship is not rushing through this season, it’s not waiting for the next best thing, it’s not forcing the breakthrough, it’s making the most of where God placed you. It’s doing the best you can with whatever you have right now. That’s the kind of stewardship that God requires to work the miracle that you’re waiting for.

ILLUSTRATION: GMC

You know - for those of you who may have heard my journey in ministry. Many people will point to FCC as the high point of my ministry life (they’re wrong, it’s HFTC baby!!) They’ll look at FCC and go - man that’s a BIG church, you were leading it - that has got to be kind of like the height of your ministry journey. Here’s the catch though, I wasn’t raised in FCC, I was brought in from the outside by Pastor Benny. And I can guarantee you that nobody would know the church I came from before.

It was a small chinese methodist church called Grace Methodist Church. We used to meet in a shed in forrestfield (and I’m not joking when I say shed, like the place had cows and sheep and the works). I ran the youth group, and we started with 8 kids. EIGHT kids, in a shed, middle of nowhere, cows and sheep. When I started I didn’t even want to do anything big, but my parents always told me that God had bigger plans.

And I remember praying to God - God there’s 8 kids here. I don’t have anything else, but I’m just going to love and serve these 8 kids like they’re my own family. And that’s what I did. And every year it literally doubled, 16, 32, 64, until we finally hit 100. 100 people in a shed in the middle of nowhere. The youth group was bigger than the main service of the church. How did I end up in FCC? We grew such a beautiful youth group that the SP’s daughter started attending our youth group - and that’s where PB got the idea to invite me to take their vacant youth pastor role.

As a steward - I didn’t do anything aside from care for what God had already given me. I just looked after what God had already placed in my hands. Those 8 kids were my jar of oil. God doesn’t ask you to steward what you don’t have - He asks you to steward what is already in your hands.

Segment 5: Obedience, Not Certainty

Do you notice how the woman was told to borrow jars before the miracle even happened? It’s not like she had an abundance of oil already that need to be contained in many jars. She had next to no oil, and Elisha was getting her to collect empty jars - this doesn’t make sense.

But that’s the thing - Stewardship is not about sense, it’s about obedience.

Just like what Elisha told this widow - the actions of stewardship don’t need to make sense, in fact by the wisdom of this world, they probably won’t make sense a lot of the time.

God telling us to give in scarcity flies in the face of common sense. If you are poor and tell people you are giving a large amount to church, then people will call you crazy.

If you really think about it - what is the sense of receiving a gift from God that you can’t use for yourself? That doesn’t even make sense. And yet that is the command. The gifts we have received are to be used for others, not for ourselves.

But that’s the thing - stewardship is about obedience. God designed the season, God understands the purpose, God knows how to navigate through it. What is required from us as stewards is obedience, not leaning on our own understanding - but trusting in His.

And I understand that this may be the toughest part of stewarding a season. I mean you’re collecting empty jars with not even a hint of God’s provision. It can be embarrassing, it can be nerve-wracking, it can be terrifying. But stewardship is about obedience - do what God is telling you to do.

Maybe it’s about staying in a place that God’s calling you to stay in despite the fact that it’s rough, Maybe it’s persevering in a relationship because you know God’s in it, even though you may feel like calling it off. Maybe it’s serving someone you have no desire to serve, or forgiving someone you have no desire to forgive, except for the fact that you know God is calling you to do so.

Whatever it is - Stewardship is about obedience, not about making sense. Good stewardship is obeying the voice of the Lord, to the exclusion of all other voices - including your own.

ILLUSTRATION: Joining HFTC

You know when Dan called me to come and take this church, it came so out of the blue. I had a million questions, things to ask, due diligence to do.

But if anyone here knows Dan - you’d know that Dan is very much a man of, how do I say this politely? He’s a man of hyper impatience. Dan wanted everything yesterday. He’s the guy that says it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission. He’s the act first, think later guy. I’m joking - sorta. I actually really admire him for it, he’s just ready, he’s always watching for what God is doing and wanting to capitalise on ANY opportunity God sends our way.

But I’m not used to that, I’m a planner, I’m a strategist - I like my due diligence and all that other nerdy stuff. So you can just picture what our conversation looked like when he was trying to convince me to take this church:

So wait - when did you want me to start? “What are you doing this arvo?”

ok… but then what will you do if I take Central? “I dno, we’ll figure it out”

Ok…so can you pay me? “Nup but we’ll figure it out” bear in mind at this point I had 2 other job offers both of which were ready and willing to pay me a good, secure salary. Both in organisations more established than HFTC.

But you know the wild part of the story? After Dan propositioning the job to us on a Thursday - we were due to visit HFTC for the FIRST TIME that coming Sunday. Never been before, had no idea what we were in for, had no clue what the church was going to be like.

And on that Saturday, one day before we were due to visit for the first time - God spoke to me in the morning. He said “Take the job”. I said but I haven’t even been to the church yet, I’ve literally never met anyone from this church before, except Char and James - what if it’s just a whole church of Char’s and James’?? jokes. He said - “take the job. What’s waiting for you there doesn’t matter - but your obedience does.”

And so against every reflex in my body - we called Dan and 15 minutes later we accepted a job in a church that we had never been to before, for a pay that was not guaranteed, in a community that we had never met. And you know what? It’s easily one of the best decisions of my life. No regrets - you guys are stuck with us for good.

Altar Call

God’s provision flows into what you make available.

Think about the woman pouring out the oil. When did the oil stop? When she ran out of empty vessels.

God will fill as long as we are empty vessels.