The Faithful Steward
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Luke 19:12-26
Luke 19:12-26
Key principle: Good and faithful steward is mindful that Jesus will return at any time; The faithful steward behaves like an accountable servant, held accountable for the care of God’s possessions
Stewardship: the process of being responsible with someone else's property while it is entrusted
Stewardship: the process of being responsible with someone else's property while it is entrusted
KEY POINT: Everything is God’s
The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.
God’s faith in us: provides us with good gifts
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
Know that YOU have been trusted by God to care for all that is His, until He returns for the Church.
What are those gifts?
Family, Church, Money, Giftedness - (all these vary in people)
Grace and Time - Both available to ALL (yes, some get more time, but we are all told return is imminent)
What are you doing with those gifts?
Jesus’s teaches in parables, about being good stewards while He is waiting to return
4 Key Aspects of Stewardship
4 Key Aspects of Stewardship
1 - Ownership- everything is God’s
1 - Ownership- everything is God’s
We are given the task to manage while He waits to return
2 - Responsibility - a matter of trust
2 - Responsibility - a matter of trust
You make the choice what you will do with the gifts
Guided by Holy Spirit and Biblical principle
3 - Accountability - answer for choices made
3 - Accountability - answer for choices made
You will answer for how you manage the gifts, the possessions you have been entrusted with
4 - Reward - God’s response to you
4 - Reward - God’s response to you
“Well done, good and faithful slave/servant
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Everything we do, we do with something that is from Him.
The “Biggies” we are familiar with, and where we have most direct impact
Money
Money
New Testament believers, guided to give generously, cheerfully, sacrificially
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,
The Macedonians were impoverished, and gave abundantly!
OT tithe - only a portion of the giving
TRUTH - a 10% amount of giving in any era, any culture, requires sacrificed
Question: What are you sacrificing because of giving to God, specifically financially?
Like every gift, all the money is already His, He is just entrusting it to you
To be responsible, accountable
Giving is a mindset, guided by the Holy Spirit
Remember Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
If you sincerely ask God for the desires He wants you to desire, including giving, you will do so.
Goal is not 10%. Goal is sacrificial, and 10% is a good standard from where to start.
And you cannot ever out-give God! He’ll make 90% go much farther than you could ever make 100% go.
ISSUE: I can’t afford __________ if I give the church more!
Sacrifice - Sure, realize what else you could buy with what you give to the church. Have that conversation with Him.
I know people driving old cars, wearing last year’s styles, because they spend money based on what’s left after giving to God
For those giving 10% or some other sacrificial amount
What are you doing with the 90%? That is still God’s!
How are you glorifying the Lord, magnifying His name, with what you are retaining?
Supporting family, vehicles, materials, health, etc. Does your spending reflect your love for Christ?
Principle: decide ahead of time what you will give, then stick to it, and watch God fill in what you think are the gaps. It’s called faithfulness!
God entrusted you with His money, He asks you to give a portion back to Him, sacrificially, generously, cheerfully
Family
Family
God gave you family, to keep it healthy, strong, reflective of Him
What are you doing for family?
Are you following the Biblical roles that are God-given? Serving? Loving?
What about parenting? Does your parenting make God look great? He has told us about discipline, correction, love, nurturing, spiritual training, and so on.
Is church, and relationship with the Lord, top priority for you and your family?
Don’t just nod…seriously, if someone asked your kids or others in your family how important your relationship with God is, and how that shows up with church, what would they say?
Activities, extra-curriculars
God gave you family - entrusted you
Responsible, Accountable
Church
Church
God gave the church, for believers to keep healthy and strong.
What are you doing for church?
Praying, witnessing, giving, serving, inviting...
How are you faithfully managing this resource, given by Him?
a) Just showing up, expecting it to be open, lights on, everything ready for you to enjoy?
b) Occasionally showing up, when it’s convenient?
c) Being a vital and crucial part of the growth here, engaging in the efforts to reach others?
How is God glorified, made to look great, by how YOU manage church in your life?
God entrusted you with church, to support it, carry on its mission
Responsible, Accountable
so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
Comparison to marriage- faithfulness
Jesus EXPECTS the church, who He died for, to be able to be presented to the Father holy, blameless
How are you helping the effort?
We could talk about government, jobs, health, etc. and apply the same principles. But there are two other key areas, given by God, where He demands our faithful stewardship.
Parable of the Minas… (recall parable of talents in Matthew 25)
Talents (a unit of money, symbolic of gifts from God) - vary from person to person
Minas (also unit of money) - each given the same
Grace
Grace
All are given the same grace, the same amount, amazing gift
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
What are YOU doing with the grace He has given you?
Does it govern all these other areas we’ve talked about?
Do you share that grace with others?
Does God’s grace show through you to others
Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
Sharing Christ, letting others know about Him, and His grace, undeserved as it is
Time
Time
All here have been given time, time to live for Him
That is what our life is about, fellowship with Him!
And for everyone, the time when Jesus returns, time applies to us all
So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.
The disciples asked Jesus “when” - He said, keep busy, stay faithful
CLOSE
The very gift of life, designed to be given back to the Lord, in full surrender
Surrender - give in, let Him control you, guide you
Jesus was the perfect example, and God loved you enough to give the greatest gift of all
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
How can you thank Him? Be faithful - in EVERYthing!
And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.