Stewardship

Intro...

“I have made many millions but they have not brought me happiness.”

John D Rockeffeler; founder of Standard Oil; 340 billion (inflation adjusted)

“The care of 200 million is enough to kill anyone. There’s no pleasure in it.”

W.H. Vanderbilt; railroad tycoon; 350 billion (inflation adjusted)

“I am the most miserable man on earth.”

John Jacob Astor; real estate developer; 300 billion (inflation adjusted)

“I was happier when i was doing a mechanics job.”

“I was happier when i was doing a mechanics job.”

Henry Ford; Founder of Ford Motor Company; 200 billion (inflation adjusted)

“Millionaires seldom smile”

Andrew Carnegie; industrialist; 372 billion (inflation adjusted)

I want to look at a teaching of Jesus… a couple teachings of Jesus this morning…

we will “revisit” those quotes.

(NIV)

The Parable of the Sower

4:1–12pp—; 4:13–20pp—;

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,

“ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

SEED… WORD…

VERSE 15 - 18

Focus here with me on VERSE 19…

DECEITFULNESS.. of what??

How is wealth deceitful?

Look with me at another teaching from Jesus…

(NIV)

Treasures in Heaven

6:22,23pp—

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Verse 24… can’t serve two masters.

cannot serve both God AND money...

BUT....

Money.... here in this verse.. originally… Greek...

was the word.. MAMMON

Cannot serve both God and MAMMON.

What is Mammon???

Mammon… aramaic word Mamonas

means wealth, material blessings.

But goes further than that… Mammon was ALSO the name of a Chaldean God. Their “God of riches”.

Jesus used this word on purpose… look what he says again.. can’t SERVE both God and Mammon.

There’s an evil spirit of Mammon, wants to set up as God/Idol in YOUR life.

How??? By promising you only what God can Give you.

“More money would make you happy…”

Peace, joy, power, significance, security, better life.

God of Mammon will get you to serve him by seeking wealth, materialistic, worldly wealth over everything else.

So now look back with me at what Jesus said in .

(NIV)

19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

What chokes out the Word?

DECEITFULNESS of wealth....

deceitfulness defined as - PURPOSELY misleading.

Mammon, Idol, God… PURPOSELY lies, misleads, you to believe that all thats standing between you and the life you want/deserve is MORE MONEY!

Remember.. Jesus said can’t serve both God and Mammon.

Why? Mammon is wanting to be an idol.

why??? Jesus told us in that also.

(NIV)

19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Fruit… (show whatever you brought from the house)

is something good… beneficial… pleasing…tasty… healthy… that comes from something else.

Fruit that we eat… always comes from something else… from a plant.... seed.

choke ou

Word of God… meant to bring fruit to your life… fruit of joy, peace, courage, patience, love, self control… good things that should mark and bless our lives. bless us and those around us.

BUT… not wealth… but the DECEITFULNESS of wealth will grip its ugly/nasty hands around the plant/word/our life and choke out the fruit.

you can sit on these pews all day… even hear the word of god. but if you leave here pursuing wealth/worldly status/financial promise ABOVE all else you will never see the fruit that God has meant for you to live with. It will be choked out!!

Notice what i said… wealth is not the problem.... if you have a hefty checking account… doesn’t mean you cant be fruitful....

IT’s when the DECEITFULNESS of that wealth… lies… cause you to pursue it above all else…

(NIV)

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Jesus says seek FIRST… FIRST.... FIRST.... his kingdom!!

Let me show you what Jesus said about this seeking first and fruit....

(NIV)

3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Remain in me.. “seek me first”

not mammon

serve God.

Won’t be choked out by lies of the world. empty promises.

Instead… you will bear MUCH FRUIT.

VERSE 8 “THIS IS TO MY FATHER’S GLORY, THAT YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT, SHOWING YOURSELVES TO BE MY DISCIPLES.”

WOW!!

So let me get on a soapbox....

Why do church’s talk about money so much?

“HERE WE GO, TOLD YOU HE WOULD TALK ABOUT MONEY”

Listen… 15% of Jesus’ teaching was on money. more than heaven and hell combined

Why? You just heard it.

He don’t need your money… he’s concerned with you heart.

Dish network, internet, restuarants… all they want is my money…???? But we say it about church.

Only second sermon since ive been here in a year on money. Not bragging. im embarrassed by that. Convicted. Should be more. it’s a huge part of our lives and Jesus was so concerned about it throught the Word.

So what’s the answer to all this… funny you should ask.. Jesus tells us… stick with me. never going to look at finances/money the same. I believe it.

(NIV)

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

25:14–30Ref—

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

Notice… HIS PROPERTY.. not ownership.. but management.

(NIV)

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it;

(NIV)

Everything under heaven belongs to me.

God… OWNER OF EVERYTHING!!

(NIV)

15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

years wages… 50,000

250,000… 100,000.... 50,000

owner has right/stewards have responsibilities.

What’s he entrusted me with?

Check this… hire a financial advisor, give them a certain amount of my money.

manage this for me. I have goals, want kids to have college fund, retirement, want vacation money.

that financial advisor may have goals, desires, wishes. Nothing wrong with that.

But when it comes to MY RESOURCES he better adopt MY PRIORITIES!

“seek FIRST”

If we aren’t putting God FIRST in our finances then we are NOT being the steward he’s called us to be.

Everything we have comes from him. We are to first and foremost work/live for the Glory of God.

(NIV)

16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

Stewards had to give an account because they were accountable to the owner. As we will and are with God.

(NIV)

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Enter the what? Joy!

Blessing follows obedience, faithfulness.

(NIV)

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS.

blessed/judged according to his faithfulness.

we all the time say “if only i had more i would do this”

it’s not about what you “would do” with what you dont have.

It’s about what you ARE DOING with what you do have.

Didn’t matter that one was given 250,000 and the other 100,000… received the same reward because they were faithful with what they had.

(NIV)

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.

Look what’s drove him.... FEAR!!

When FEAR drives us… its impossible to live in obedience to God.

Obedience to God is always going to require faith over fear.

FEAR… DECEITFULNESS.... HOW WILL YOU EVER GET BY?

GOD…

So Pastor Dustin… great and all…

fruith, mammon, deceitfulness, chokes out fruit,

answer is to be a steward.

But how?????

(NIV)

8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

WOW!!!

Tithe means tenth…

First fruits....first 10%.

How??? 10… first thing i do is give 1 to the storehouse where my family gets fed. Where is that? right here!

Spiritually fed. this is your storehouse.

There’s a promise God makes.

Verse 10 again.

WOW!!

“See if i won’t”

Obedience is the Pathway to blessing!

Good father never rewards disobedience… because teaching… how to live.

Testimonies all over this room.

Wow… what a Word from God.

either our life can be lead by Mammon, fruit choked out by fear and deceitfulness.

Worship him this morning by our giving…

I beg you… if you think we are begging and plotting for your money… i beg you please don’t give… and keep coming. You’ll quickly find out we treat you just like everyone else. It’s between you and Jesus.

Your pastor don’t receive a commision or a percentage… fixed salary.

Obedience to the Word. Blessings on you finances, home, marriage, job, everything. God’s word is TRUTH.

OLD TESTAMENT ONLY....

(NIV)

23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

wow! Tithing is the floor.

Offerings/missions/ go above and beyond.

“This week going to give my tithes to the BGMC” no, no, no. Not Biblical. BGMC giving, other giving is on top of the tithe.

Listen to me this morning… blessing… “according to their abilities”. Ability to steward. Why would God give us more if we have never proved we will steward and work for his kingdom with what we have? Pastor… Church growth… why would God bring more people into the ministry if you aren’t feeding them the Word? Stewardship! What we do with what God has given us.