3 18 09 Stewards

Marty Sloan — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:01:56 +0000

In a nutshell – every aspect of our life is stewardship based, NOT ownership based. I am a steward of everything! Nothing, and that means nothing is truly mine! My very own life is not mine, it belongs to God! Enjoy these notes, think about your journey and lets enjoy together a great journey of Stewardship!

Stewards

3 18 09 HT PM

Luke 16:1-16

Luke 16:1 NKJV

He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.

Luke 16:2

So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

Luke 16:3

“Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.

Luke 16:4

I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’

Luke 16:5

“So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

Luke 16:6

And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’

Luke 16:7

Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

Luke 16:8

So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

Luke 16:9

“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when ◙you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.

Luke 16:10

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

There is a bit of irony in this parable, even in the irony there is insight, the rich man, first calls the steward into account – they he commends for what most would view an unethical practice. HMMM –

Throughout the parables of Christ and the Scripture as a whole, you cannot read them without coming to the conclusion that every person, believers and even non are stewards and not owners!

Definition - A steward is someone who manages another’s wealth (resources). He does not own that wealth (resources) himself, but he has the privilege of enjoying it and using it for the profit of his master.

Statements about Stewards –

1. The most important thing about a steward is that he serve his master faithfully

1 Corinthians 4:1 NKJV

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

1 Corinthians 4:2 NKJV

Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

2. The steward must remember that everything he has belongs to his master, not to him personally, and that they must be used in a way that will please and profit the master.

This particular steward forgot that he was a steward and began to act as if he were the owner. He became a “prodigal steward” who wasted his master’s wealth. His master heard about it and immediately asked for an inventory of his goods and an audit of his books. He also fired his steward.

Before we judge this man too severely, let’s examine our own lives to see how faithful we have been as stewards of what God has given to us.

To begin with, WE ARE STEWARDS;

1. Stewards of material wealth that we have

Whether much or little; and we will one day have to answer to God for the way we have acquired it and used it.Christian stewardship goes beyond paying God a tithe of our income and then using the remainder as we please. True stewardship means that we thank God for all that we have (Duet and use it as He directs. Giving God 10 percent of our income is a good way to begin our faithful stewardship, but we must remember that God should control what we do with the remaining 90 percent as well.

Deuteronomy 8:11 NKJV

“Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today,

Deuteronomy 8:12

lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them;

Deuteronomy 8:13

and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied;

Deuteronomy 8:14

when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

Deuteronomy 8:15

who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock;

Deuteronomy 8:16

who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end—

Deuteronomy 8:17

then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’

Deuteronomy 8:18

“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

2. We are also stewards of our time

Ephesians 5:15 NKJV

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

Ephesians 5:16

redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:17

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

· Circumspectly (Greek)= exactly, accurately, diligently

· The phrase “redeeming the time” comes from the business world and means “buying up the opportunity.” Time is eternity, minted into precious minutes and handed to us to use either wisely or carelessly. The main lesson of this narrative is that the steward, as dishonest as he was, used his opportunity wisely and prepared for the future. Life ceased to be “enjoyment” and became “investment.”

3. Stewards of the gifts and abilities

1 Peter 4:10-11 NKJV

¹⁰As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ¹¹If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

and we must use those gifts and abilities to serve others.

· The thief says, “What’s yours is mine—I’ll take it!”

· The selfish man says, “What’s mine is mine—I’ll keep it!”

· The Steward/ Believer says, “What’s mine is a gift from God—I’ll share it!”

We are stewards and we must use our abilities to win the lost, encourage the saints, and meet the needs of hurting people.

4. Stewards of the Gospel

1 Thessalonians 2:2 NKJV

But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.

1 Thessalonians 2:3

For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.

1 Thessalonians 2:4

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

Summary – Like this steward, we will one day have to give an account of our stewardship

Romans 14:9 NKJV

For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Romans 14:10

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Romans 14:11

For it is written:

“As I live, says the Lord,

Every knee shall bow to Me,

And every tongue shall confess to God.” ◙

Romans 14:12

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Romans 14:13

Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

Vance Havner often said, “God called us to play the game, not keep the score.” If we are faithful stewards, God will reward us generously, and that reward will bring glory to His name.

Marty Sloan - Living the Dream » Stewardship

3 18 09 Stewards