STEWARDSHIP
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The steward
The steward
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Stewardship
Responsibility to manage all the resources of life for the glory of God, acknowledging God as provider.
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Stewardship
Responsibility to manage all the resources of life for the glory of God, acknowledging God as provider.
In USA today 50,000 self storage units, containing 2 billion square feet of locker space, 20 square feet of space for each of the 320 million Americans. In the 1960’s these sorts of units did not exist. Annually in dollar terms there is a 30 million dollar turnover. It is said in New Zealand that the average mans shed is 40% smaller than it needs to be.
Another example is in those fancy Christmas catalog's
Do you know how many are delivered in the U S each year Guess
13 billion.
Each catalog is designed for one purpose - to make you want stuff you do not have and to buy things that you do not need.
In the midst of this commercial bombardment it can be difficult for us as Christians to avoid the pressures of the world
We need to start with a reset button. To realize that none of us are called to be owners, - we are called to be managers
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and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.”
and
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
We are stewards and not owners. We need to begin with an acknowledgment that God owns everything. Absolutely everything we have belongs to God and it is our privilege to manage it on his behalf
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But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
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Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
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The prospect of the righteous is joy,
but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.
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Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
It is common in N Z for large companies with farming blocks to pay a manager to run them and in America there are 1000 estate managers looking after all aspects of large properties of the wealthy. they are fulfilling the role of a steward as outlined in the bible.
WE are stewards - all we have is from God and that includes more than our money and possessions
Our priorities of stewardship
Our priorities of stewardship
[A] STEWARDS OF THE TRUTH
[A] STEWARDS OF THE TRUTH
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On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.
All of us are entrusted with the Gospel we all have a God story to tell.
This does not just mean that we all become street corner open air preachers it may mean that we find positive ways or even humerus ones to quietly challenge another
imagine someone arriving at your place with a large truck of food. what would you do?
i have friends in Auckland, a wealthy couple who challenged the cocktail party comments about people living in Otara because they knew how biased and in some cases racist and in doing so challenged others about their faith
We don’t do the story telling very well it takes courage and determination and a great deal of prayer
One thing i like doing is going for a hair cut with Mary, for Mary leaves no doubt that she goes to church. I am always introduced to anyone in the shop as her Pastor
We can be stewards of the truth, and we can be
Stewards of time.
Stewards of time.
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Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
The Scriptures puts it best so here are some extra verses to give us clarity
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“Show me, Lord, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting my life is.
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Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
and .
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
It is of course a matter of personal choice as to how we use our time for God and in a way we are turning our time over to God. .
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
What should be true of us as Christians is that we should be looking everywhere to find more good in our hearts.
To do more good for others, to be a blessing to others, the more we put into our hearts - the more that can come out
I am going to hit the pause button as there is so much I have decided to preach the remainder as part two next week.