Authentic Stewardship
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Introduction
Introduction
JUNIOR CHURCH DISMISSED
Glad to not have any of the issues we had last week.
We are going to be in the book of 1 Peter today. Chapter 4.
For those that may be new or haven’t been here in a bit, we are in a series called Authentic. We are looking at the NT church in scripture to see how we should model our lives individually and corporately to be Authentic NT Christians in the 21st century.
Today we are going to be exploring Authentic Stewardship. Now, if you’ve been around church long you may think that stewardship is only related to money.
That is an incorrect thought. Yes, we should steward our finances in accordance to the Bible which means we should be sacrificially giving by grace to church that God has us serving in and being served by. Yes, one day I may preach a message focused on what biblical financial stewardship looks like. And on that day some of you may feel more uneasy than you do right now even thinking about it.
But today is not that day. Yes, I will mention it during the message but that’s not our focus. So everyone take a deep breath and relax.
This morning we will be looking at Authentic stewardship through the lens of it’s all encompassing meaning and our ultimate responsibility as stewards.
Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
Our lives themselves are a gift from God. It’s been said that Life is God’s gift to you, what you do with it is God’s gift to you.
Again, I’m not going to te
Stewardship is a responsibility we all carry and we should be faithful in our stewarding of the provision God has given us.
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
When God gives us something valuable we are to steward it.
We are not to squander it, hide it, misuse, or abuse it. We are to steward it, manage it, use it properly.
I heard that there was a time when the chippens hill area (point to the left) I think that’s what its called, used to be all farm land. I’m sure there are many areas around here that are the same. Maybe some of you have worked on a farm before or have farmers in your family. I was surprised to find out that in the middle of the desert in Yuma AZ there was much farmland. To the point that I was told and believe it is the winter agricultural capital of America.
Think of those farmers though. The process begins when they obtain the seed right? Without the seed nothing could happen. They go to the store and buy the seed in the bag and then take it to their barn and leave it there.
Wouldn’t that be a waste? What if they took it and spread it out but didn’t water it? They allowed the seed to be damaged. That would be a waste right? What if they took the seed out and spread it but didn’t bury it and the wild animals came and took it?
We would say they wasted that seed right?
The Word of God, the love of God, and the Gospel of Jesus could all be represented by that seed. We are the farmers. Are you taking care of your seed or are you just leaving it in the barn?
As Christians in America where there is no persecution from government agencies for just talking about Jesus we find ourselves unwilling to do just that.
Notice verse 12 in 1 Peter.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
The fiery trial. These early Christians knew what persecution was. They knew what it was like to have to speak of Christ in whispers so as to not be killed by Nero and his spies.
There was risk in being a Christian during those times.
You may feel theres a risk of witnessing of Christ in todays culture. Afraid of what a person might say, what they might think.
Where there is no risk, there is no reward. If we are not willing to risk our own self image how can we say we would risk our lives if challenged to deny Christ?
1st century Christians might have been tempted to not witness. They might have been tempted to keep their seed in the barn for fear of death. let it not be said of us that we would keep our seed in the barn because of fear of mockery or loss of respect.
It’s my prayer that God does a work in the heart of our young people that will give them the boldness and courage to speak out about Christ in their schools. They will be a witness of Jesus and His love around their friends.
It’s my prayer that God would raise up a generation of young people through Liberty Baptist that will take a stand saying “I believe in Jesus, I believe the Bible, and I want you to know about Him.”
I believe God’s vision for this church and every ministry that operates under neath the umbrella of it’s name to engage the community with the gospel, equip Christians through Bible centered teaching, and empower believers to live out the gospel in their lives.
Someone stewarded the gospel for you…who is waiting for you to properly stewarding the gospel?
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
PRAY
Notice first the Ministry of the Christian
I. The Ministry of the Christian
I. The Ministry of the Christian
As Christians we have all been called to a ministry of reconciliation.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
When we put our faith in Christ we given the responsibility to properly steward that which God has given us.
All that we have is from God. All things are of God. Your time, your talents, your personality, your money, your car, your house, your clothes, etc.
Because of Jesus we are reconciled to God and called to the ministry of reconcilation of others. This is all possible by God’s grace.
A. By God’s grace
A. By God’s grace
By God’s grace we are divinely enabled to steward that which is been given.
Notice in “as every man hath received the gift.
What is that gift?
The Bible says in the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Salvation could be said to be that gift and it wouldn’t be wrong.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
ephesisans 2:8-9
Again we find salvation through faith is a gift of God but how do we receive this gift? By Grace.
Ultimately the gift we have recieved is the grace of God.
The grace of God to be saved. The grace of God to be born in America. The grace of God to have money, clothes, time, talents, cars, homes, etc.
The gift we have been given is the grace of God and when we begin to view all of our things through the lens of God’s grace we begin to see a few things.
The money in the bank…that’s not mine…that’s God’s. The truck I drive…that’s not mine…that’s God’s…The house i live in…that’s not mine…it’s the banks (ha ha)…No, that’s God’s.
And we realize that all we have comes from God we realize that it’s not ours to decide how to use. We don’t have the right to determine how to spend or squander the grace of God. He has already given us the instructions to steward it. He said it must be done…through His power
B. Through God’s Power
B. Through God’s Power
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Through our faith in Christ we have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God that comforts us and gifts us with supernatural abilities to accomplish the work of God.
Some of you are gifted in teaching, some in administering, some in serving. Whether God has gifted you to serve by vacuuming and mopping or by overseeing those who do, we should all be using the gifts God has given us.
What God has given us to steward He has provided the ability for us to steward.
Our church is blessed with many children in various department. We saw before school started the line of people that went across the front of this platform. Many of this kids or families with kids.
I thank God for those families. I thank God for each person and family unit that was represented in the pew whose children are out of the home.
No matter the age I want our church to be one that serves all. But why would God allows us to serve more if were not willing to sacrifice and serve the ones we have?
Not willing to teach, not willing to be in the nursery, not willing to clean, not willing to minister to or with someone because they are a little different.
Thank God for the men and women of this church who serve so many in so many different ways.
When God gives us gifts it is unwise stewardship for us to lay it on the shelf and let it go to waste.
There is a saying I want us to adopt as an unofficial motto around here. Every member is a minister. Say it with me “Every member is a minister.”
We are all ministers, servants....You know a word or term I hate…Reverend.
Part of my calling as a pastor is to equip you, the body of the church, to be ministers.
“But Pastor..aren’t you a reverend..” No. The word Reverend comes from a latin word that means “a person to be revered.”
I’m not a person to be Revered…Jesus is a person to be revered. He didn’t call us to be revered he called us to be ministers.
The word minister means servant. As a pastor I’m to be a minister. As Christians we are called to be servants.
It is only by God’s power in our lives that we can be humble ministers of the Gospel to the community and those around us. Properly stewarding the gift that has been given to us.
The Gift of the gospel is the message of the Christian.
II. The Message of the Christian
II. The Message of the Christian
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
If any man speak…let him speak as the oracles of God.
There is a focus here on a single message
A. A Single Message
A. A Single Message
The message of the gospel must be a spoken message. It must be communicated in more than just our lifestyles. I’ve heard stories of people asking Christians “what’s different about you” and I do believe we should have a lifestyle that allows us to evangelize others but the message we have been given to steward has been commanded to be communicated to others.
The message is a message we speak
-A message we speak
-A message we speak
We are to speak the oracles of God. The Word of God. The Gospel is the focus of each page of scripture. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
The power of God…When I read that, I understand it to mean that the power of God is the gospel. The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
All the power of the creator of the universe was demonstrated in a three day time period when Jesus died on the cross, was buried in a tomb, and rose again. With everything in the universe that he could have said “this is my power…this is what took me all that I am” If you will.
He said the greatest demonstration of my power is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why? Why did I do it? what was the point of demonstrating my power like this?
It was for you. It was for you to be reconciled to me. For you to know me. For you to know I love you. It was for you.
I d
God says “I’m defining my power by the act it took to bring you back to me because of everything I’ve created…you are the most important.”
The gospel is the death burial and resurrection of Christ. By faith in the gospel we can be saved. By faith in the gospel we can serve. By faith in the gospel we steward all that God has given us.
What better message could we spread with our mouth, with our social media, with our lives?
The mes
Definitely not the newest essential oils or news headlines. Those things may be fine in their own right but not to the neglect of the gospel message we have been so clearly called to make known.
It’s a message we are to speak and its a message we are to show
-A message we show
-A message we show
The gospel should change us. The gospel should grip our hearts in a such a way that it’s grip cannot be removed....
Let me get a couple kids up here. 6th grade and up give me two. Come on. Give them a round of applause. Ok, you two are going to represent the gospel for me. As the gospel you represent Jesus and all that He is for us.
Now, here is the heart of a believer. Any age, male or female, doesn’t matter. The gospel is the same for all of us.
This heart represent the Christian who is all in. This represents the person who has been washed clean, who has been accepted by Christ and understands His love for them. This heart is not ignoring the love of God but is open to the things of the Lord. Ready to be used.
Now, you take this heart and hold it open in your hand for a minute.
Now the heart you have. It’s a heart just this other one and it’s been made clean. But we are going to have your heart begin to fall away.
We are going to take it and allow it to be influences
This heart is one that is going back to its old life, this heart is a heart that’s not softened to the things of God, this heart is a heart thats covering itself with the things of the world.
Now I want you both to take the heart and hold it with an open palm.
Now at the same time I need you take both hands and squeeze as hard as you can. Representing the gospel taking hold of your life to be used of Christ. 1, 2, 3....
What happened? We see the heart that remained clean, that lived a life that was pleasing unto God and not going back to sinful lifestyles, not being influenced by the music, by the people, by the sins around it, was able to be used by God as it was gripped by the gospel.
The other heart, the one that had began going back to old habits, the one that didn’t want to live a life pleasing to God, the one that didn’t want to allow his conversation, his lifestyle, to be one that’s becoming of the gospel, wasn’t able to be used of God because of the the sin that was between him and God.
Round of applause.
Living a lifestyle pleasing to God isn’t an option for a believer…it is a command.
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
We give back according to that which he hath given us. We
It’s by God’s grace
When we choose not to we limit the power of God in our lives.
How can we do this? how can we keep our hearts ready to be used by God?
There’s a 17 year old lady by the name of Stacy Irvine who in 2012 was rushed to the hospital. She had swollen veins in her tongue and suffered from anaemia.
What might cause these symptoms in a girl this young?
It may have been the steady diet of chicken nuggets from McDonalds she ate daily from the age of 2.
Her diet affected her health.
You spiritual diet will effect your spiritual health.
When we show the love of Christ through our actions we earn the opportunity to speak the gospel to others.
The Message of a Christian through word and deed is a single message…the gospel. It is also a surviving message.
B. A Surviving Message
B. A Surviving Message
Throughout history the gospel has been fought against. The message of the gospel has been attacked by governments, religious leaders, and private organizations throughout history. Yet we see it has survived. How?
The same way the message of the gospel is survived in our lives, by the power of God.
Life can get overwhelming at times. Life can be hard. Life can toss you around like its the incredible hulk and then yell at you.
You can feel behind on goals, feel like you are not meeting the expectations of others or yourself, or maybe your behind on the savings or 401K, maybe your like me sometimes and feel that your falling behind as a parent because of everything going on.
Unfortunately the first thing that gets cut when we feel this way…is God. We begin to carve out time that we should be spending with God for something else.
Parents, what our children need more than a fun time and memory like that, is a memory and example of mom and dad choosing God over everything else.
It will be our example of trusting in God and obeying His Word that sustains them throughout life during the difficult times, not the fun things we did. Are we preparing this upcoming generation to live a life for pleasure or live a life that’s pleasing to the savior?
Easiest way to know the answer to that is to ask yourself…am I living a life that is pleasing to the savior or for pleasure? Because the next generation will model what they see in us.
I heard a story about 2 men that were delivering a couch. They get to the apartment complex and realize they have to deliver it to the 5th floor.
They begrudgingly begin lifting it up and carrying it up the stairs. As they get to the third floor one of them men says “hey…I’ve got some good news and some bad news.”
The other replies “start with the good news.”
So he tells him, we are over half way there…The other replies “and the bad news”
“We are supposed to be in the other building”...
See it doesn’t matter how much progress your making in life if your not making it up the right staircase. Goin in one direction as a family is great…but is it the right direction?
The ministry of a Christian is to reconcile the world back to Christ through the message of the gospel that is shown and spoken.
Lastly let’s look at the motives of a Christian.
III. The Motives of the Christian
III. The Motives of the Christian
Look at the second part of verse 11
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
A. The Glory of God
A. The Glory of God
When serving, when living, when sacrificing, when stewarding for the Lord make sure it’s done for the glory of God and not for your own recognition.
I’m thankful for many of you who serve, give, and love behind the scenes when no one sees.
Let’s make the question of our stewardship always be...”Who do I do this for?”
B. The Love of Christ
B. The Love of Christ
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
It’s the love of Christ that grips our hearts and motivates us to serve. His love is unwavering. His love is unchanging. His love is unconditional…our service should be the same. Our giving should be the same. Our witnessing should be the same.
C. The Existence of hell
C. The Existence of hell
The Bible speaks of a literal hell. A place of darkness and never ending torment. A lake of fire made for the devil and his angels.
Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. Let that be our motivation as well. Let us give so the gospel may be propagated. Let us serve so the gospel may be propagated. Let us witness so the gospel may be propagated.
If we believe in Heaven we must believe in hell. If we believe in hell then we believe people will go there.
My question for you is…who are you trying to pull out of hell with the gospel?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Are you here today and don’t know for sure if your going to heaven?
Are you here today and maybe never heard or never thought about life after death.
Maybe your hear and you’ve never heard the gospel before.
says that God loves you so much he sent Jesus to pay for your sins.
says we are all sinners. Jesus paid for all of our sins.
says that hell is what we get for our sin. But the gift of God that is freely given based upon your faith in him is eternal life.
With every head bowed and eye closed I want to know. Is there anyone here today that doesn’t know for sure they are saved. You don’t know Jesus. You don’t know what would happen if this was your last day on earth.
Would you raise your hand?
Jesus loves you, he died for you, if you will put your faith in Him to be saved, He will save you.
If you trusted Jesus as your savior this morning would you raise your hand? If you just got saved, would you let me rejoice with you?
Christians…how is your stewardship of God’s grace this morning?
Stewarding your finances is important and I pray each of us are giving back according to what God has given us based upon His love for us but what about the gift you’ve been given?
How are you stewarding the gospel?