Principles of Stewardship

In October 2009, the FAA revoked the licenses of two Northwest Airlines pilots after their airplane flew for 91 minutes out of contact with the ground and overshot their destination city by 150 miles. The revocation took place because of recklessness caused by “inattention.”

Airline pilots must direct their aircraft safely from Point A to Point B. However, these pilots had their personal laptops on in the cockpit and were researching job conditions and scheduling rules brought about by Northwest’s recent purchase by Delta Airlines. They wanted to know how their job situations were changing. While that is understandable, that was not their assigned task. They took their eye off their primary responsibility and gave their attention to something of lesser importance.

Keeping the most important thing a priority is important for everyone, not just airline pilots. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

I know many here today have flown in airplanes before…some of you fly airplanes for a living. Pilots accept a great responsibility when they sit in that cockpit.

Think about this with me from the passengers point of view — your pilots are not paying attention to what is going on around them and when they finally land the plane you are 150 miles from your destination. Thankfully you landed on the runway and not in the ocean. Your pilots deemed their job status more important than your safety and your plans. If you are flying on that plane you assume that pilot will take their responsibility seriously and you will arrive safely and in the place you desired to land.

They lost sight of their greatest responsibility and made something else a higher priority. Thankfully no one was harmed in that situation, but their lack of focus and effort to fulfill their responsibilities cost them everything.

They were entrusted with many lives and considered something else a higher priority.

With that in mind let’s continue our series on Stewardship.

Foundation of Stewardship

Last week Pastor Matthew kicked off our new series and dedicating the month of January to Stewardship…the messages this month will focus on challenging us in the arena of biblical stewardship…stewardship is not just about how you handle finances…biblical stewardship applies to a multiplicity of avenues.

I Cor. 4:2 is the foundation for stewardship

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1 Corinthians 4:2 NASB95

In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

the key word is faithfulness, trustworthy…we all have been charged to be a trustworthy steward.

In Bible times, because of limited means of travel, householders, men who owned large farms and/or livestock, would often be gone from their land for long periods of time. In their absence they would appoint one of their servants to manage the business (land or farm). This person was expected to perform just as the householder would if he were there.

The Greek word for steward is literally “a housing one.” One who is entrusted with his master’s household and was to consistently manage it in the master’s absence.

A steward is one who has been given a trust…or maybe better, someone who has been trusted with something.

Right now our children are meeting in kid’s zone worship…the leaders there are stewards…the wonderful childcare workers changing your child’s diapers and wiping their noses are stewards…you’ve entrusted them to care for your children so you could worship in here and listen to the Word of God being taught.

Some of you own businesses and you have managers…you are a manager…if you were using NT terminology you would be a steward.

All of Us Are Stewards!

A concise definition would be:

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“God-given responsibility with accountability!”

As we will see here this morning you have no choice in the matter…the question is, are you a good one or a poor one?

The challenge today is for you to become a better one!

Stewardship is a concept that includes all areas of life, not just money … one’s health, one’s mind, one’s gifts, one’s abilities, one’s family, one’s time, and one’s possessions.

We have to ask ourselves have we become like those pilots by focusing on the wrong things?

Have we lost sight of our responsibilities and now we are distracted by other priorities?

With that in mind please turn in your bibles to Matthew 25:14-21 and keep your finger there and also look at Psalm 24:1-2

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Main Point: Faithful Stewards Are Active Stewards

Good stewardship takes work…it is not a passive endeavor. To help us understand this more I want to challenge you with 4 principles of Biblical Stewardship.

Seek to answer the question “What do I need to know about stewardship to make me a better steward?”

My prayer is that we will remember these principles and it will motivate us towards greater levels of faithfulness.

The 1st principle of Biblical stewardship is:

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1. God owns everything – I own nothing! – Psalm 24:1-2; Matt 25:14

Let’s look at Psalm 24:1-2 first.

Ps 24 1-2 “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers.”

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God Really Does Own Everything!

The Earth belongs to the Lord (v. 1a).

None of us have ever made claim to owning the earth…it is God’s planet we cannot make any claims of ownership…that ought to impact how we treat this planet…It is God’s and God’s alone…he entrusted it to us to take care of it...

But the second half of v. 1 is another story.

2. The contents of the earth belong to the Lord (v. 1b).

We often take our view of stuff much like the seagulls in Finding Nemo… “mine…mine…mine” It is so easy to view things as “mine” ,“I own them”, “I don’t want anybody messing with my stuff.” “I worked hard to get what I have”.

Yet, here is what remembering that God owns everything does … it frees you from all the energy it takes to protect your stuff.

Well God’s ownership not only extends to the earth and to the contents of the earth but also to...

3. The people on the earth belong to the Lord (v. 1c)

Men this specifically ought to have a huge impact on us as husbands and dads...That means that your spouse belongs to God, your children belong to God…they are not yours to control…they belong to God and have been entrusted to you by Him to faithfully and biblically steward...Even you … you are not your own.

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1 Corinthians 6:20 NASB95

For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Romans 14:7–8 NASB95

For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

You belong to God. God has the right to change or to direct your path at his calling.

If we are not careful, we spend our time in worry and fear that what we cannot control will not happen.

God owns everything...He owns you. He owns your intellect. He owns the land. He owns the business you work for. He owns this church. He owns it all.

James 1:17 supports this as well...

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James 1:17 NASB95

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.

Acknowledging that God owns everything (including me) and I own nothing requires me acting like God owns it all and I just steward whatever he gives me.

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God Owns Everything because he is the Creator (v. 2)

That means He is sovereign and can do what He pleases with His creation, including you and me.

That also means we are sustained by Him making us completely dependent upon Him.

He alone has all the authority over everything and how it is to be used.

Turn to Matthew 25:14 — Read

Jesus is speaking in a parable here...The man, representing God, entrusted HIS possessions to them.

Which leads us to our second principle...

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2. God Entrusts You With Everything You Have — Matthew 25:14-15

Jesus uses the illustration of the master going away and giving three servants a portion of his wealth to manage…they each were given a considerable amount of money

Entrusted = to give over to someone to keep

Talent = weight = talent of silver, or gold, this was a lot of money = by implication it also applies to gifts and responsibilities too! (Remember this is a parable, not a mathematical equation so we are not going to waste time trying to define the exact amount given to each person.)

What has God entrusted to us?

Here's a little homework assignment…over the course of this month, make a list of at least 25 things God has entrusted to you…maybe you're a 2 talent person, maybe you're a 5…that's not really the point…because the text is clear…

Matthew 25:15 - "each according to his own ability"… the master saw something in each one that determined what he would give to them.

Here are a few categories…want you to notice on this list that I have intentionally left money off (Lord willing we are going to talk about that on another Sunday this month) this list to simply show you that stewardship is more than just managing your finances…God has entrusted you with those as well and you need to manage them for his glory!

God has entrusted you with:

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His image -- therefore you have opportunities to reflect Him every day

A heart -- a part of you that no one else knows -- and you can fill it with truth and worship and adoration for Christ -- God trusted you to direct my heart well…

A mind -- and you can choose to think thoughts that are true and lovely and honoring to Him…

A tongue -- in a country where there is freedom of speech -- you can say anything to anyone at anytime -- God has trusted you with that…

The people around you

…your parents if they are still living -- God entrusted those persons to you…if you're married -- obviously your spouse -- and before you say -- but he's/she’s imperfect -- don't forget -- God trusted you with that too…your children…your neighbors…your co-workers…every one of those relationships is part of a trust…the people who make ODBC their home church.

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Your gifts and abilities

your organizational skills…your musical talent…your gift of mercy…your ability to teach…your love of children…

Your church

…your time spent praying for your church, serving, promoting unity, caring for one another, doing your part to be a covenant community

The opportunities around you

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The way you respond to what has been entrusted to you reveals your relationship with the master.

Please notice the significant contrast between the way the first two servants related to the master and the way the third did…

Notice what the master says to the first two...Matthew 25:21…well done…good and faithful…that indicates a good relationship...

but what about the third slave?... Matthew 25:21

The master had given each of these servants a trust…he didn't have to do that…he responded favorably to the first two, but to the third one he was not willing to except the excuses he said, even if that was the case, you should have at least put what you had been given in the bank and earned some interest…here’s the point of what happens here...

People who have a wrong view of the master will never be motivated to practice faithful stewardship from an amazed and thankful heart.

faithful stewardship -- even when it is hard and sometimes heartbreaking -- flows out of a heart that truly believes our sovereign master is good…and often it's in the midst of suffering that He can be especially glorified…

How thankful are you for the gospel…you know, often when you read the word entrust in the Bible -- it has to do with us being entrusted with the good news of Jesus Christ…

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1 Thessalonians 2:4 NASB95

but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

1 Timothy 1:11 NASB95

according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

God owns everything I own nothing

God entrusts me with everything I have

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3. You Can Either Decrease or Increase What God Has Given To You, He Wants You To Increase It. Matthew 25:16-18

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Evaluate Your Rate of Increase Based on What Was given to You, Not Someone Else.

this passage is given with the intent that each of us would ask – which of the three servants am I like?...I want to hear the words “well done” from Jesus at the end of my life…certainly not – “you wicked lazy slave”…

so this parable leads to self-evaluation…but we have to be very careful how we do that…

The master purposely entrusted different servants with different levels of gifts and responsibilities.

if we slow down to think about this even for a minute, that principle stands out…and why is that important?...we can’t compare ourselves to someone else and make a determination about how well we’re doing…because everyone of us is different…

2 Cor 10 12 “For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.”

2. The potential reward is the same.

what is the difference between the commendation that the “2 talents into 4 talents person” received compared to the “5 talents into 10 talents person” received from the master?...absolutely nothing…

they weren’t compared to one another – they were evaluated on their faithfulness to what had been entrusted to them as individuals…

They were each rewarded for their FAITHFULNESS, not just the RESULTS!

Not saying the results are not important. God does want results.

The results were the exact same = the 5 talents were doubled…the two talents were what? DOUBLED — the exact same result

and did you see – even in the way in the talents were initially distributed…it was based on their own ability.

so the point is – as you think about this principle of stewardship – don’t evaluate how you’re doing by looking at some one else

The results are dependent upon God working through your investment of time, talents and treasures that HE GAVE YOU TO USE!

3. This truth cuts both ways.

If you’re a “2 talent into 4 talent person,” don’t diminish what God is doing in and through you by comparing yourself to a “5 talent into 10 talent person.” Don’t get discouraged and give up!

If you’re a “5 talent into 5.5 talent person,” don’t become overconfident because you’re accomplishing more than the “2 talent into 4 talent person.” again...2 Corinthians 10:12

that’s not to suggest that we shouldn’t try to evaluate ourselves now…but that we shouldn’t put too much stock in that because we tend to get that evaluation skewed…

but the overall point is – compare yourself to what God has entrusted to you – not to someone else…

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Live With a Sense of Urgency

Note the word immediately. (16-17)

D.A. Carson wrote, “The point is that the good servants felt the responsibility of their assignment and went to work without delay.”

Not out of a sense of guilt or raw duty but of anticipation of the joy that comes from increasing.

these faithful stewards were simply functioning in a way that is consistent with the character of the God in whose image we’re made…

They didn’t look around and say I’ll wait until things improve around here to see whether or not I want to invest any time or treasures.

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The faithful steward who gets this sense of urgency does not wait to be asked, they immediately get to work seeking to increase what has been entrusted to them.

Stop for a moment and consider the ministry of ODBC…do you have that sense of urgency when it comes to what God wants us to accomplish with what He has entrusted to us?

We are closer now to our Master’s return than we have ever been...

What would “increasing” look like for you?…are you willing to accept greater responsibility because there is a sense of urgency to what God wants to accomplish in/through our church family…

for some of you – that means taking the next step of accepting ministry responsibility…and joining with us as a member, then getting involved…there are needs in our Kids Zone worship, in our Youth, etc., in the days ahead we will be looking at avenues to help you get engaged in works of the ministry… please come talk to me, to Pastor Matthew, to one of the Elders, and let’s sit down and have a conversation about what you could do to increase your involvement in God’s work here!

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Understand that Advancement Comes to Those Willing to Work and Risk.

Meaning of the word “traded.” – engage in activity that involves effort, work

D.A. Carson - “NIVs ‘put his money to work’ does not mean the servant invested the money in some lending agency. Rather he set up some business and worked with the capital to make it grow.”

Notice the contrast between the servants

The first two went to work immediately on increasing…they traded and made

The third dug a hole and hid it

In looking at the first two servants, how long were they willing to do this?

it started with immediately…and went till when? — (19) — the master came home…do we get the picture here?

there is no question about the fact that

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God has designed stewardship to involve extended effort on the part of His people for a long, long, time.

you know, it’s not easy to take ministry risks…and it’s not easy to do it over and over…but that’s exactly what the Lord calls upon us to do…

What risks are you willing to take for the kingdom? What risks are you willing to support with your time, your talents and your treasures...

Today you are going to be voting on the Financial Plan — I believe God wants us to do more, but that means we have to be willing to risk ourselves and our treasures to accomplish what we know God wants for us and in us and through us.

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4. God Can Call You Into Account At Any Time, It May Be Today — Matt 25:19 - 30

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A. He will reward the faithful.

Three rewards are given here:

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Praise filled approval — well done…we can stay the course because we are focused on His pleasure, not everyone else!

Greater responsibility — God wants us to keep taking on more responsibility as we grow in our faithfulness to use what He entrusted to us.

Eternal joy — Jesus will do whatever it takes to get His servants to glory so they can enjoy Him.

B. He will judge the faithless.

The third servant made excuses for his lack of service.

It was the master’s fault.

You are too harsh, mean, a cruel and merciless character. You exploit the service of others (harvesting where you have not sown)

This was the same master that wonderfully rewarded the first two.

His view of the master was skewed

I was afraid

He is rationalizing and seeking to justify his lack of service.

He is more fearful of displeasing the master than he is delighting in pleasing him so he does nothing.

Now notice the master’s response.

Jesus is using sarcasm here: if what you say is true, that I am cruel and unjust, there still is no excuse. You would have at minimum invested with the bankers so that when I came I would have received my own with interest…I am not the one who is flawed, it is you.

The master uses the servants own words to prove his guilt.

Regardless of what he thought about the master, the servant still had a responsibility to his master. By not doing anything with what was entrusted to him, he earned the master’s judgment…he is called wicked (worthless) and lazy.

Three fold judgment

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Receives no praise

No further work or responsibility (all is taken from him and given to the first servant)

No joy in the master’s presence.

Good stewardship of the little things leads to greater privilege and responsibility. Poor stewardship leads to losing what you have.

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C. Be ready, it could happen today.

Matthew 25 19 ““Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.”

emphasis on after a long time — the servants had no idea when their master would return

Larger context of this passage is the Olivet Discourse…the disciples ask Jesus how will they know when his kingdom was coming...Jesus lays out the plan for the Jews, the Gentiles, the Church and the World...

Just like in the parable of the 10 virgins — Jesus point in all this is be ready

Matthew 24:42 ““Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”

Matthew 24 44 ““For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”

Matthew 25 13 ““Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”

Implications

Faithful, biblical stewards do not store up for themselves, instead they are motivated to work for God by their joy of pleasing Him.

Holding everything with an open hand frees you to see everything as a tool to bring glory to God.

God wants you to be faithful with what He entrusted to you, not someone else.

Honestly evaluate where you need to work at increasing what God has entrusted to you and go after it!