Living Your Blessed Life (3)
Notes
Transcript
We are going to continue with our discussion on living your blessed life. This morning we are going to be discussing stewardship—We aren’t taking finances this morning, but who knows it may come up later.
Now you may not know this, but the original bible letters written in the bible didn’t come numbered, with headings, or with verses. That was added much later for ease of use. But I do love the title of this mornings verse:
Stewards of God’s Grace
Last week we learned that God’s grace isn’t just about the forgiveness of sins. It is so much more. Grace is God’s ability despite limitations to our own ability.
If you want to to turn your bibles to
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
There are several words here I want to break down.
First is gift. I will assume we all know what a gift is. It’s something given to us that we didn’t deserve or earn.
Like birthday gifts. I am finding they should really be given to the parents and not the children. Children do nothing and the parents should be celebrated for keeping them alive another year. but that’s a different story.
So we have these gifts that we did nothing to earn. Why do you we have them
To serve one another.
The gifts God gives you aren’t for you; they are to benefit others through you!
And it doesn’t matter what gift you have. I don’t know a surgeon who can operate on himself. Just as I still have to find a Mcdonald’s fry maker who can eat all the fries they make. We aren’t made to gorge ourselves on our gifts. They are meant to share. Being a pastor and preacher would be boring if I just preached in the mirror all the time. We must share the gifts we have.
You could eat all the fries, operate on yourself, preach to you yourself, or manage yourself, but is that stewarding your gift properly?
To understand this we must understand a few things:
steward- A steward manages something that isn’t theirs.
I am a steward of the church
You are a steward of your roofing business.
You are a steward of the things you make in job.
You are a steward of the money you make
You are a steward of the gospel
Being a steward means you manage a gift given to you.
You decide how to spend God’s resources.
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
We will have to give an account for how we used the gifts God has given to us.
Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
In order to please God we must be faithful with our stewardship. Or
We must use God’s things wisely.
We see this in the parable of the talents. Each one given different amounts and each one held accountable for what we recieved. I won’t be held accountable for Peckville Assembly of God. I will be held accountable for the Bridge Community Church.
You will be held accountable for the things entrusted to you. Like wise to those who are faithful more will be given. Why?
For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.
Two things we need to notice
Woe v. Reward.
The greek word for woe is Ouai which means
Disaster or horror
Distaster or horror comes if we don’t use our gifts for God. Look at the many secular artists/business people who have reaped negative rewards for using their gifts inappropriately.
Look at Ossy. He had a hige following for his singing ability and yet his brain is fried because of the drug abuse he spent his fortune on.
Nelly’s million dollar mansion is currently being sold for $600,000. Because it’s crumbling and in disrepair. Brittany Spears is still in the news to this day for being a disaster. How many child stars have struggled through their lives?
How we sow with our gift will be the ay we reap our gifts.
But if we steward our gifts properly God tells us there will be
Reward=gain
We will gain both here in the natural and in the spiritual.
We are told to store our rewards in heaven where rust and moth will not destroy and where thief cannot steal.
But our great God also rewards us here in the natural. If we are a pot poured out then we can receive more, but if we are standing pot, we a can only receive the amount in which we can hold.