Marks of A Grace-Giving Steward

In Luke 12, Jesus illustrates for us some of the marks grace giving. And Biblical stewardship of our time, talent, and resources is never a problem once we are willing to follow the Lord’s commands and even brings us joy when we understand that He owns it all. Grace giving is nothing more than managing what God has given us for His glory. As Luke teaches us in our text, he gives us four marks of a grace-giving steward.

1. A Grace-Giving Steward Models Generosity (vs 13-21)

Luke 12:13-21 TPT

[13] Just then someone spoke up from the crowd and said, “Master, you should compel my older brother to divide the family inheritance and give me my fair share!” [14] Jesus answered, “My friend, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” (KP: Jesus was refusing to play into this man’s greedy heart.) [15] Speaking to the people, Jesus continued, “Be alert and guard your heart from greed and from always wishing for what you don’t have. For your life can never be measured by the amount of things you possess.” [16] Jesus then gave them this illustration: “A wealthy land owner had a farm that produced bumper crops. Every year the harvest was so great it filled his barns to overflowing! [17] He thought, ‘What should I do now that every barn is full and I have nowhere else to store more? [18] I know what I’ll do! I’ll tear down the barns and build one massive barn to hold all my grain and goods. [19] Then I can just sit back, surrounded with comfort and ease. I’ll enjoy life with no worries at all.’ [20] “God said to him, ‘What a fool you are to trust in your riches and not in me! This very night the messengers of death will demand to take your life. Then who will get all the wealth you have stored up for yourself?’ [21] The same thing will happen to all those who fill up their lives with everything but God.”

Jesus begins by painting a picture of a man who was greedy – a farmer. Jesus’ narrative gives us 2 things to learn about greed:

Focuses us on the gift instead of the Giver – v.16, 20-21

He was ALREADY wealthy! It wasn’t a NEED for him.

Makes us into a reservoir instead of a river – vs 17-19

Luke 12:17 TPT

He thought, ‘What should I do now that every barn is full and I have nowhere else to store more? (KP: Look what our thoughts do…)

**PUT UP ON SCREENS:**

“Watch your thoughts, [they become your beliefs; watch your beliefs;] they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” 

― Lao Tzu

KP: His THOUGHTS eventually cost him his life!

Two Wolves:

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Complaining is prayer in reverse. It reveals that I’m losing the battle over my own thoughts.

2. A Grace-Giving Steward Exhibits Tranquility (vs 22-34)

Luke 12:22-34 TPT

[22] Jesus taught his disciples, saying, “Listen to me. Never let anxiety enter your hearts. Never worry about any of your needs (KP: The farmer was wealthy already, remember. He didn’t NEED all of what he had been blessed with.), such as food or clothing. [23] For your life is infinitely more than just the food you eat or the clothing you wear. [24] Take the carefree birds as your example. Do you ever see them worry? They neither grow their own food nor put it in a storehouse for later. Yet God takes care of every one of them, feeding each of them out of the abundance of his love and goodness. Isn’t your life more precious to God than a bird? Be carefree in the care of God! [25] “Does worry add anything to your life? Can it add one more year, or even one day? [26] So if worrying adds nothing, but actually subtracts from your life, why would you worry about God’s care of you? [27] “Think about the lilies. They grow and become beautiful, not because they work hard or strive to clothe themselves. Yet not even Solomon, wearing his kingly garments of splendor, could be compared to a field of lilies. [28] If God can clothe the fields and meadows with grass and flowers, can he not clothe you as well, O struggling one with so many doubts? [29] I repeat: Don’t let worry enter your life. Live above (KP: eagle) the anxious cares about your personal needs. [30] People everywhere seem to worry about making a living, but your heavenly Father knows your every need and will take care of you. [31] As you passionately seek his kingdom, above all else, he will supply your needs. [32] So don’t ever be afraid, dearest friends! Your loving Father joyously gives you his kingdom with all its promises! [33] “Now, go and sell what you have and give to those in need; you will be making deposits in your account in heaven, an account that will never be taken from you. Your gifts will become a secure and unfailing treasure (KP: or “where thieves will not steal, nor moths can destroy”), deposited in heaven forever. [34] Where you deposit your treasure, that is where you fix your thoughts—and your heart will long to be there also.” (KP: Your beliefs will follow your thoughts.)

***Show eagle and snake pic***

The battle in our minds cannot be fought on the ground. For on the ground, we are in the area where the enemy is the strongest. But, at the same time, neither do we shy away from the battle completely. Instead, we indeed DO fight the battle, but we are to war as the eagle does with the snake and ‘rise above,’ as these verses state. Through Jesus, we are more than conquerors! (Romans 8:37)

Jesus gives us an illustration about worry. The farmer THOUGHT to himself, thus became worried about a problem that didn’t exist (he was actually blessed to be a blessing; to be a RIVER not a RESERVOIR). When God is in control, OUR needs are His problem; when I am in control, my needs are MY problem! What happens to any reservoir when it loses it’s supply? IT DRIES UP!!

(we create problems we don’t have - thoughts)Worry is deceptive

(we devise trouble we don’t want - health)Worry is distractive

(we build barns we don’t need - resources - wasted time)Worry is disruptive

3. A Grace-Giving Steward Is Prepared Consistently (vs. 35-40)

Jesus shifts the emphasis from being worried to being watchful about the future. He’s saying a grace-giving steward will understand eternal things and be ready for the coming of Christ and live for things with eternal value. We are to be in a constant state of preparedness. This is how we “fertilize/grow” our faith. We stay “awake” and listening for His voice.

Luke 12:35-40 TPT

[35] “Be prepared for action at a moment’s notice. [36] Be like servants anticipating their master’s return from a wedding celebration. They are ready at a moment’s notice to unlock and open the door for him. [37] What great joy is ahead for those who stay awake and wait for their Master’s return! He himself will become their servant and wait on them. [38] He may appear at midnight or even later, but what great joy for the awakened ones whenever he comes! [39] Of course, if they knew ahead of time the hour of their master’s appearing, they would be alert, just as they would be ready if they knew ahead of time that a thief was coming to break into their house. [40] So keep being alert and ready at all times. For I promise you that the Son of Man will surprise you and appear when you don’t expect him.”

4. A Grace-Giving Steward Serves Faithfully (vs 41-48)

The grace-giving steward will be rewarded by how he stewards the Master’s resources.   

Luke 12:41-48 TPT

[41] “Lord,” Peter asked, “does this apply only to the twelve of us, or is it for everyone else as well?” [42] The Lord replied, “A master will delegate authority in his house to a trustworthy and thoughtful manager who understands his master’s desires. And the household manager will serve others what they need at exactly the right time. [43-44] And whenever his master returns, he will find that his servant has served him well. I promise you, the master will reward him generously and he will be placed as an overseer of everything he owns. [45] “But what if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master delays his coming, and who knows when he will return?’ Because of the delay, the servant elevates himself and mistreats those in his master’s household. Instead of caring for the ones he was appointed to serve, he abuses the other servants, both men and women. He throws drunken parties for his friends and gives himself over to every pleasure. [46] Let me tell you what will happen to him. His master will suddenly return at a time that shocks him, and he will remove the abusive, selfish servant from his position of trust. The master will punish him and assign him a portion with the unbelievers. [47] “Every servant who knows what pleases his master yet does not make himself ready and refuses to put his master’s will to action will receive many punishing blows. [48] Every servant who does not know his master’s will and unwittingly does what is wrong will receive a less severe punishment. For those who have received a greater revelation from their master are required a greater obedience. And those who have been entrusted with great responsibility will be held more responsible to their master.”

To receive and to be entrusted are two different things. God GIVES (we receive) resources (food, money, revelation about Scripture, wisdom, etc.), that we, in turn, become grace-giving stewards over by multiplying those resources in an OBEDIENT fashion according to Godly principles. But He ENTRUSTS us with PEOPLE (responsibility/leadership) which holds us to an even higher standard than our fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus. We become grace-giving stewards of this by using these to lift up and care for His Church as a whole. The former is more for the individual, while the latter is more for the whole. That is why pastors should not be hired to DO ministry, but to EQUIP YOU to do ministry. It’s not an abdication of responsibility on our part to do this, but it most assuredly is on the part of the church body to NOT do what you have been equipped and tasked to do by your pastors.

Drills down in reverse order:

Fruit: Greed

Stem: Worry

Fertilizer: Unpreparedness

Root: Unfaithfulness

And the cycle will continue downward as though down a drain.

So when we are a grace-giving steward:

Our faithfulness produces preparedness

Our preparedness produces tranquility

Our tranquility produces generosity

Our generosity produces a (or an even better) …which produces more faithfulnessgrace-giving steward

And the cycle starts all over again!!!