Taking Responsibility

Col 3:22-25

Welcome to stewardship days here at Mountain View Baptist Church! We are thrilled you have chosen to be here today. If this is your first time, we would love to connect with you. Please be sure to stop by our welcome center as you leave today.

Offering envelop explanation

Have you ever considered all the things God has given to you? Stewardship is managing what He has given to us. These things are not ours but His. To understand what things we are talking about, they can be broken down into three general areas: Time, Talent, and Treasure. God outlines these three areas in Scriptures because they are visible and manageable.

While you cannot stop, change, or control time, you can manage your priorities with the time God has given you. The talents God has given you, can be improved or developed for His glory when you make Him your priority. God has given the treasure or money for you manage and prioritize His money according to His will.

As we consider these three main areas in our lives, we have to also understand as stewards we are responsible to God on how we manage them. When a child goes to school, he or she has to learn responsibility for his school work. He should have learned some responsibility for his bedroom and the chores he has been given before going to school. He is given more at school for which he is responsible for and then as he matures, he is given more responsibility.

Being responsible is a major part of life. The Bible reminds us we are responsible for what God has given to us to manage

Luke 12:48 “But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”

Being responsible is the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or having control over someone. (dictionary)

We have a responsibility as a steward to manage what God has given us. There are numerous examples of people and groups being held responsible. Achan was responsible for his sin at Jericho (Josh. 7:14-15). Jonah was held responsible for his choice to run from the Lord (Jonah 1:7-8). The Levites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle (Numbers 18:5). The deacons of the early church personal responsibility for meeting some practical needs of the church Acts 6:3.

Even the world believes in responsibility. When given privileges or jobs or security clearances, you are responsible for the confidentiality. Even the liquor industry puts at the end of their advertisements to “drink responsibly.” When you are given privileges, you are reminded about responsibilities.

In Col. 3 passage, God is showing believers that they are responsible for the resources God has given them. God wants each of us to take our responsibility seriously. The time God has given us should be treated with great responsibility. God gives us directions on how to be responsible with what He has given to us.

Direction 1. . .

We are to obey

Servants of course in those days were slaves because they had become indebted. The work in agriculture was a way to pay off their debt to be free from the encumbrances. We are born in to this world in debt to God.

If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you are a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. To be a child of God is not being born into a Baptist family or a church member or take first communion. A child of God is a person who realizes he is a sinner and cannot go to heaven because of his sin. God convicts him of his sin and he turns from his sin to accept Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.

Have you accepted Christ today? Do you know for sure when you die, you are on your way to heaven?

Since believers are servants of Jesus Christ, we are to obey Him in all things. We are responsible to God ultimately. If God tells us, there should be no reservation. Ron Hamilton wrote a simple children’s song: “Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe. Doing exactly what the Lord commands, doing it happily.”

It is the Lord’s order, that, in whatever way He is pleased to make us His stewards, whether as to temporal or spiritual things, if we are indeed acting as stewards and not as owners, He will make us stewards over more.

George Müller (Philanthropist and Preacher)

Irresponsibility is the oldest sin.

God is telling us that our responsibility is to obey Him. However, human nature is to place responsibility on others and deny personal wrong doing. In the Garden of Eden, we learn the very first humans tried to shift the blame on being disobedient.

Genesis 3:11–13 “And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”

When God asked Adam why he sinned, he blamed God and Eve. When God asked Eve, she blamed the serpent. Their responsibility to be obedient is being excused because of others. Human nature says, if I don’t accept responsibility, I am not guilty of any wrong doing.

God has given us our time, our talent, and our treasure. He directs us on how to diligently manage these resources.

How are you managing your time? Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, That we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” God is saying we should use our time wisely so that we can honor Him. He is not saying we cannot rest, we cannot recreate because those are needed as well. However, we are to manage our time wisely by physical rest, mental refreshment, and investment into our spiritual life. Three services a week is not to much of an investment. If I am tithe my finances, I could tithe my time. 168 hours in a week means 16.8 hours is a good spiritual investment.

We are to use our talent for the Lord. As God has given talent to invest in His work, we should invest our talents. Are you investing your time in the Lord’s work? If you are a teacher, you should teach. If you are an organizer, you should organize. If you are helper, there are ample areas in the ministry where you can help.

Direction 2. . .

We are to be single of heart

Singleness of heart" refers to having an undivided, focused, and sincere devotion to a single purpose or goal, typically in a spiritual or ethical context. It signifies a heart that is not divided by conflicting interests, motives, or "double-hearted" concerns, but is instead wholly committed to serving God or a specific endeavor. 

‘singleness of heart’—melted into one in Christ Jesus. Authentic Christianity (1), 200

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Welsh Preacher and Writer)

If we manage our time well, we will have to say no to many things. In our age of technology and opportunities, you do not have to do everything. In fact, this is where we must choose the most important things in life. Priorities are the choices we make for the important things. The idea of singleness of heart in v. 22 means, we focus our energy and attention on the things the Master wants us to do.

We are the stewards of energy and attention.

Dr. Richard Albert Mohler Jr.

This can be challenging because of our visual world filled with attractive things the lure us to follow its prescribed offerings.

A one-hour television show typically contains   on traditional cable and broadcast networks, resulting in roughly 42-45 minutes of actual content. This usually breaks down into 3-4 commercial breaks, each lasting 2-4 minutes.

They are trying to convince us that life is not true life unless we buy their products. We can feel younger, look better, and be smarter when we have their products.

The more things we look after, pursue, and seek, the less time we will have to invest in the kingdom of God. 2 Timothy 2:4 “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” This verse reminds us that we are not to be entangled with the affairs of this life. This means there can be “things” that entangle us with our time and rob us of the time we can give to what the Master wants.

Psalm 86:11 “Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: Unite my heart to fear thy name.”

God tells us He wants our hearts to focus with a single heart on living to please Christ. Your heart is to be devoted to Him and Him only. Don’t let the world steal away your time from pleasing God. This means going to church and using your talent for the Lord.

Your __calendar_____ may look like this but God wants us to prioritize what is important. What is it we should do as opposed to what we want to do.

Direction 3. . .

We are to be devoted

The word heartily is the same word for soul or life. Paul is saying live in such a way that you do what Christ wants as His servant. Heartily then is not an action but a way of life.

The Master wants us to give our level best in everything we do for Him. Whether it be singing or playing a musical instrument, or teaching a class, or giving an offering, or leading a connection group or working in the nursery. Even when we worship, we are to worship heartily. Giving our attention and asking God to speak to us.

“He hath heartily desired to die for us—who would not heartily desire to live in Him? Christ is more eager to make us partakers of His benefits than we to receive them from Him.” Tauler.

Johann Peter Lange (Evangelical Theologian); Jan Jacob Van Oosterzee

Stewardship is the totality of the Christian life. It is managing the resources God gives us to please and honor the Master. It all starts when we accept Christ as Savior. Do you know Him as your Savior? What are you living for?

God wants us to be responsible with our resources. We are to use these things to honor and glorify Him. Families are to please the Master. This is our purpose and mission while here on earth. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

While the temptation to transfer the responsibility on others, God reminds us to be responsible with what He has given us. Do you need to decide to Obey God, or be more single hearted, or be devoted to God?

Why not let this be a new start for you and your family today?