Stewardship

13 Stewardship

1 Timothy 6:6–21 LEB

But godliness with contentment is a great means of gain. For we have brought nothing into the world, so that neither can we bring anything out. But if we have food and clothing, with these things we will be content. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge those people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all evil, by which some, because they desire it, have gone astray from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains. But you, O man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patient endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I command you, in the sight of God who gives life to all things and Christ Jesus who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you observe the commandment without fault, irreproachable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will make known in his own time, the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of those who reign as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords, the one who alone possesses immortality, who lives in unapproachable light, whom no human being has seen nor is able to see, to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen. Command those who are rich in this present age not to be proud and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in God, who provides us all things richly for enjoyment, to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, sharing freely, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the future, in order that they may take hold of what is truly life. O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Turn away from pointless empty talk and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, which some, by professing it, have deviated concerning the faith. Grace be with you all.

The word steward means a personal slave. A steward was a caretaker of all his master’s belongings. He did everything in the name of his master. He would always seek his master’s honor. He never did anything for selfish reasons or satisfaction.

1. THE FORSAKING—vv. 6–10

2. THE FOLLOWING—vv. 11–16

3. THE FINDING—vv. 17–21

Stewardship is more than paying tithes. When paying our tithes, we are only giving to God what we owe Him! Why not give God a tithe of our time? The love of money and material possessions has led many away from God.

Croft M. Pentz, 150 Expository Sermon Outlines, Dollar Sermon Library Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1972), 17–18.