Stewardship

Intro

[Thank worship team]

Good morning Bethel Church, and good morning to our network of rural churches that are joining us live on YouTube. And if you are new here, I want to extend a special welcome to you. If you would, there are “Connect” cards in the seat in front of you. If you would fill that out there or at the Welcome Center outside of the sanctuary. We even have a free gift for you if you are new to Bethel. We would love to get in touch with you and discuss how to get connected to our church family.

Announcements:

Financial Peace University - Andrea Twedt

Discover Bethel - A three-week group for people who are newer to the church, hosted at Pastor Richard’s home. We will talk about how Bethel functions in disciple-making, get to know each other and share desserts. Sign up at Welcome Center or online by scanning the QR code.

Today we will be continuing our study of The Generosity Factor. If you are reading out of the Bibles in front of you, our passage can be found on page 830. If you do not have a Bible, please stop by the Welcome Center and take one. It is our gift to you.

TRANS: Pray

Opening Hook

Remember when you were a kid, old enough to stay at home by yourself, and you realized, “mom and dad will be home soon.”

That thought was either good news or bad news. Perhaps you were like me. My parents never let us be at home alone without giving us a job. “Why can’t I play with my legos in peace?” I would think. No we would have something to clean, put away, organize, etc. And me, being the oldest and wisest, would forget to do it until they were about to be home.

“mom and dad will be home soon” was a thought of terror. I’d feel my heart leap into my throat, and I remember jumping to action. “maybe they would give me partial credit? Do they accept a B or C grade on this task?” I remember trying to get it all done before they got home. Or worse, I remember hearing the garage door open before I had the change to scramble. Then the thought wasn’t, “they’ll be home soon.” It was, “they’re home!”

But I remember times when I decided, “you know, I’m going to clean up first. Then I’ll play.” Those times went better for me. I actually enjoyed the playing because nothing was hanging over my head. Then when I had the thought, “mom and dad will be home soon” it was just a passing thought, not one of terror. In fact, I could look forward to them coming home soon, because I knew I had done what they asked me to do.

Perhaps you relate to me. We have plenty of other opportunities where this kind of thing happens. A boss asks you to finish something by a deadline, your spouse asks you to complete a task over the weekend, you promise your kids that a toy will get repaired. The deadline comes, the person checks in on you, and the only question that matters is, “have I done what I needed to do?”

The Christian life is this way. Jesus will one day return, and he will ask us “what did you do with what I gave you?” This moment is referred to as the final judgement.

Living with the End in Mind

The looming judgement evokes in us either joy or fear.

I sense that even in saying the word “judgement” there is an unease that filled some of our hearts. Yet for others, there is a joyful anticipation. I think some of that reaction comes down to my opening illustration, we know that Jesus will return, and he will ask us that question.

Now before I move on, I want to anticipate a question some of you may have. There is a false expectation that Christians will not be judged. This is in one sense true and in another sense untrue.

All people will experience judgement, but Christians will experience two. This is because there are two questions, and the second question only applies to those who have been born of God (as I mentioned last week. By believing in Him, having eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord).

The First Judgement

Jesus will ask something like, “why should I allow you into heaven?” The non-Christian will point to their own effort and sense of goodness, but they cannot tip the scales, because God cannot be in the presence of darkness. They are relying on their own “righteousness,” but the Christian will point to Jesus and say, “because He paid for my sins and gave me His righteousness.” Those who have the righteousness of Christ, their names are written in the book of life, and they will enter glory.

The Second Judgement

But the second judgement is in regard to stewardship. “What did you do with what I gave you?” and this question is what sets up the parable

TRANS: This question sets up the parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25 starting in verse 14. If you have your Bibles, we will be on Page 830.

Matthew 25:14 ESV

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.

Generosity and Stewardship

We are not owners, we are stewards.

Matthew 25:14

Who is the man in this parable? It is God, because there is only one true “owner” in this world. And who are the servants? Us. But this framing attacks our human sensibilities directly to the heart, because we think of ourselves as the owner. We notice it even in the way we talk.

We talk about…

Our house

Our car

Our kids

Our retirement

Our talents

Our passion and dreams

Our timeshare in Northern Minnesota but we can never get there because work always gets in the way… Too specific?

But God is the owner. We see this throughout the scriptures.

I want to do something. Close your eyes, and listen deeply as I read these passages. Receive them and allow it to reorient your heart so you are the steward and not the owner:

On God being the Owner

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

Deuteronomy 10:14 “14 Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.”

Leviticus 25:23 “23 “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me.”

1 Chronicles 29:11–12 “11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.”

Job 41:11 “11 Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.”

Psalm 50:10–12 “10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.”

Haggai 2:8 “8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts.”

So what is our role? It is to be a steward of God’s stuff.

Randy Alcorn, author of many books but this comes from “managing God’s money,” says this,

In the financial world, a good investment manager doesn’t do with his client’s holdings what he feels like. Why? Because he knows those assets don’t belong to him; they belong to his client. Good stewards always act in the owners’ best interests, consulting and listening carefully to the owner in order to understand and implement his investment priorities.1

1 Randy Alcorn, Managing God’s Money: A Biblical Guide (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2011).

When we see ourselves as a steward, that reshapes how we see “stuff.” We are managers of abilities, resources, and time that do not belong to us. They are a gift from the owner.

TRANS: But Jesus continues…

Matthew 25:15–18 ESV

15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.

Stewards are given the different amounts.

Matthew 25:15-18

Equity vs equality

We have a big conversation in our culture right now. It is recognizing the “unfairness” that not everyone has the same amount. You’ll hear about “inequality” and “inequity,” pointing to specific policies that would supposedly help resolve this. It is ironic when some point to Jesus when they push their vision of utopia, because they ignore passages like this.

In God’s economy, not everyone gets the same. Not everyone starts from the same place, not everyone will end up with equal amounts. Look how Jesus is distributing these talents “to each according to his ability.” What does that mean? It means that God decides who is capable of what. All we can do is decide what to do with what we are given.

One servant ended with 10, another ended with 4. That’s not equal! But you know what? Both doubled it. But the one dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.

The question is not, “what did others get?” But “what did I get?” When we focus on others, we miss the point of what God has asked *us* to do. All I can do is focus on what God gave me, and seek to be a good steward of that.

TRANS: Then the master returns, and we see that each servant must share with him what they did...

Matthew 25:19–30 ESV

19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Stewards will give an account.

Matthew 25:19-30

Irresponsible people are blame-shifters. They talk about “fairness” and “unreasonable expectations” and “you are just so mean.” “You don’t even work hard others work for you” (You sow where you did not scatter) But see the real issue going on in this third servant… “so I was afraid.”

Fear led to inaction.

Yet the “failure” of the bad slave consists not in any loss of money, but in returning it without increase. It was not that he did something wrong—he simply did nothing. This is, then, apparently, a parable about maximizing opportunities, not wasting them.1

1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 951.

All people are given God’s stuff, the question is “what will we do with it?” You are either faithful, or you are wicked.

In the next passage, Jesus explains the ending of the parable. “When the son of Man comes in his glory.” meaning, the master returning is the second coming of Christ. So he separates the sheep (those who belong to Christ) from the goats (those who do not). The sheep inherit the Kingdom, and the goats are cast into eternal fire.

Our lives reflect whether Jesus is our Lord or not. Disobedient lives reveal a heart-condition. It is not that works make you worthy, it is that works reveal our allegiance.

TRANS: This parable puts life into perspective. We are a steward, not an owner, we are each given different amounts, and we will give an account regarding what God gave us. This leads to a natural question…

Application

Ask the Lord, “what do you want me to do with your stuff?”

Sometimes putting something in negative terms helps clarify the question. At the same time in asking “what do you want me to do with your stuff?” ask “what would be sin for me if I don’t do it?”

Faith does not excuse us from doing good works. Rather, faith propels us into good works. And these good works we do as a follower of Jesus will be seen and rewarded.

What does this story have to do with generosity? Because when we are generous with time, talent, or treasure, we are not in a sense “giving” but returning.

Consider being generous with money. We think to ourselves, “here is some of what I have and I will give it to God.” But, isn’t not ours in the first place. Let’s say you give 10%, a tithe (and we’ll talk about tithing in this series, if that is for New Testament Christians or just under the old covenant), the other 90% is God’s too. But He’s letting you manage it so you can meet the needs of your family, plan for the future, etc.

Consider being generous with time. We think, “I don’t have time.” Well, God does! God has all the time in the world. “Yes but I don’t” you might say. So let me tell you how this goes.

I feel prompted by God to do something.

I ask, Ok, but what gets cut?

Everything that I’m doing feels unworthy of being cut.

I’m stuck.

But what if instead of asking “what gets cut?” We ask, “what if I don’t do what I’m feeling God prompting me to do?”

Key insight: When our calendars are full, our hearts often miss what God was trying to fill. (repeat) Busyness often crowds out Kingdom work. So rather than asking “what do i cut?” first, ask “what is Jesus inviting me into?” Because if you answer that question first, the second question takes on a different flavor. Perhaps still a hard question to answer, but one that you are willing to answer rather than getting stuck and missing out.

Consider being generous with your talents. Perhaps you don’t even think you have talents. But here’s what I know: the people who think they have no talents are not looking at themselves, they are looking at others. In comparison to *that guy,* I have no talents. Well, on some level, sure. “In comparison to Tom Brady, I have no talents with throwing the football.” Yeah, I could see that. But you know what? I still play catch with my kids. Because I am good enough at throwing a football to benefit them in teaching them, and I am good enough at throwing a football to enjoy time with them.

I think many of us count ourselves out because we’re not one of the best of the best. But Here’s a much more important question, “with the talents I have, would my local church or community benefit from me utilizing them?”

You know what we are finding as a church staff right now? We are seeing a need yes for kids volunteers, yes for coffee makers, yes for those kinds of things. But we are also seeing a need for people who are wired to create organization. I’ve been saying “we need people who delight in spreadsheets!” Because there are a few teams who need that kind of person to help the whole become better.

Did you know that the church in America is experiencing a watering down and fading away of good teaching? I think this is a downstream effect of not raising up good quality teachers who stand on the Word of God. We need teachers, which is why we have our teaching cohort starting tomorrow.

Ask the Lord, “what do you want me to do with your stuff?” And see what He says.

TRANS: And we ask this from the same reality that those in the parable lived under…

Live with expectation of the Master’s return.

Remember my story from when I was a kid, “mom and dad are coming home soon.” This is a small shadow compared to “Jesus will return.”

For some of you, that is a fearful thing. The thought of Jesus returning makes you anxious and afraid. You feel like being a good steward is a lot of pressure that you may not live up to. You are tired of “trying to please Jesus” and you are getting burnt out.

But living with this expectation is not meant to be pressure, it is meant to refocus. Jesus is coming back, he will ask us what we did with his stuff. But the looming judgement is an event that is different for those who are in Him vs those who do not know him.

1 John 4:15–18 ESV

15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Faithfulness is an overflow of being deeply and perfectly loved. Faithfulness is not about earning love, it is a response to love freely given.

John is saying that when you are abiding in Him, when you remain in his love, when you have a deep sense of security that comes from trusting that Jesus loves you (as we talked about last week in John 3:16), that creates confidence for the day of judgement. Jesus’ return, the Master’s return, is a day we get to look forward to as his servants — as his stewards.

Conclusion :

Pray

Talk About It/Think About It

What does it look like to live today in light of the day we will give an account to God?

When you think about standing before God one day, what emotions surface—anticipation, anxiety, motivation, or something else? Why?

In practical terms, what’s the difference between seeing yourself as an owner versus a steward?

Why do you think Jesus highlights that the servants received different amounts?

How does comparison sabotage faithful stewardship?

What does it mean that the master “settled accounts” with his servants?

Reflect on the two applications, what steps can you take to steward God’s stuff more faithfully?