Stewardship

July 26, 2009

Introduction

 

            The year was 1965 I was preaching for the Elam Road congregation with a Sunday morning attendance of about 300.  Things seemed to be going very well.  One day, one of the brethren came up to me and said, Harley, you are doing well, and everybody seems to like you, but I’ve noticed something about your preaching.  I said, yes, and what is that?  He said, you haven’t preached on giving since you have been here.  Try preaching on giving and see how that goes.

 

            Brother Shero was a wise man.  He was right about the subject of money and giving.  It has been a touchy subject for thousands or years.  Nothing has changed, and as we think of stewardship this morning, we are talking about giving by another name, but that doesn’t mean that now everyone will love what we have to say this morning.

 

            Where do we begin?  I think there are two key passages that I would like to address this morning as we begin our study of stewardship.  The first of these does not contain any form of the word steward, but I believe it is still about stewardship.

 

Body

 

I.          Are you caring for others as you can?

 

1. John addresses the subject as a matter of love.

 

(1 John 3:16-17 NKJV)  By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. {17} But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

 

2. James addresses it as a matter of mercy.

 

(James 2:13-18 NKJV)  For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. {14} What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? {15} If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, {16} and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? {17} Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. {18} But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

 

1.      James addresses the matter of pure religion.

 

(James 1:27 NKJV)  Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

 

(James 1:27 NCV)  Religion that God accepts as pure and without fault is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help, and keeping yourself free from the world's evil influence.

 

2.      But how do we accomplish this?

 

Most of us rely on the church to help those who are engaged in helping widows and orphans.  I sincerely believe that we, as a congregation, have a solemn obligation to take these needs seriously.  If we don’t, it seems to me we have an entire congregation that has not done a very effective job of reaching out to those who are in need.

 

a.        I’m reminded again of one of the verses that we began our study with this morning.

 

(1 John 3:17 NKJV)  But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

 

b.      How are we responding to those in need?

 

II.       What did Jesus say about stewardship?

 

A.    He told it by way of a parable.

 

(Luke 16:1-3 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. {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.' {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.

 

B.     What is the point of the parable?

 

(Luke 16:10-12 NKJV)  "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. {11} "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? {12} "And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?

 

1.      Isn’t He really saying that if we are unfaithful in the use of our money that we will be denied eternal life?

 

2.      Is Jesus really that concerned about how we think of money?

 

(Luke 16:13 NKJV)  "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

 

3.      The Pharisees got the point

 

(Luke 16:14 NKJV)  Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.

 

C.     In another parable, He assured us we can be lost over the use of our money.

 

(Mat 25:24-30 NKJV)  "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. {25} 'And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' {26} "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. {27} 'So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. {28} 'Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. {29} 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. {30} 'And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

 

1.      The man was irresponsible with his Lord’s money.

2.      He wanted to “play it safe,” but he was too frugal. 

3.      He lost his soul over money.

 

III.    Congregations gathered money for specific projects.

 

A.    Money, or food was collected for the poor saints at Jerusalem by Corinth.

 

(2 Cor 9:1-2 NKJV)  Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; {2} for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority.

 

B.     Paul was supported by the church at Philippi.

 

(Phil 4:15-17 NASB)  And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; {16} for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. {17} Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.

 

C.     As a congregation, we are stewards of what has been contributed by sacrificial members.

 

1.      It was given to do the Lord’s work.

2.      Let’s work to see that it is being used for kingdom work.

 

Conclusion

 

I.                   Are you a good steward of what God has given you?

II.                Have you given yourself to the Lord.

 

(2 Cor 8:5 NKJV)  And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

 

 

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