Becoming an Effective Steward

February 21, 2010 by PastorDave.

#379, Becoming an Effective Steward, Pastor David McIntosh, Sunday 02-21-2010

Text: Romans 14:12

Introduction

We have come to the last message in our series Letting Christ Change Us, connecting our vision with our values.
(Show the circles) We have come full circle I guess you could say as today we focus our attention on the call to effective stewardship.
Steward = one to whose care anything has been given, a manager, an administrator, guardian.
We are all stewards for the Lord. Each of us had been given a life, time, talents, gifts, abilities, money and possessions. God is the owner of all of these things and we are his managers, guardians, administrators.
Romans 14:12 – So then, each of us will give and account of himself to God.
There are 2,350 verses in the Bible on handling money & possessions.
There is one verse that helps explain why so many Christians struggle in this area of their walk with the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8-9 – For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
In the area of finances, possessions we do not think like God thinks, nor do our ways line up with God’s ways. So this is a delicate subject but one that must be preached.

TRANSITION: What I would like to do today is look at five key areas of our lives and see what God thinks and says about them in regards to being good stewards of God’s stuff.

WORK

1. Colossians 3:23-24 – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men; since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
2. “Whatever” here means whatever! It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it is with all your heart. In work God isn’t looking at the what He is looking at the heart!
3. Do you see yourself everyday going to work for God or men? This will change how your work?
4. Our reward is not from men (our employer/boss) but God! We all work for the Lord!
5. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 – If a man will not work, he shall not eat. (Do you remember what happens in Genesis chapter 3? Man sins!)
6. Genesis 2:15 (before sin) – The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
7. Work is not sin or a curse! But part of God’s design for man to fulfill his purpose while he is here on this earth.

PERSPECTIVE

1. Philippians 4:11-13 – I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
2. The world around us teaches us that circumstances dictate action. But the apostle Paul wants us to see a different perspective.
3. Whatever the circumstances (in need or in plenty) if we are living by God’s principles we can do everything through the Lord!

DEBT

1. This is a touchy subject indeed, especially in our day. But we need to let God’s Word speak to every area of our lives.
2. Proverbs 22:7 – The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
3. 1 Corinthians 7:23 – You were bought at a price; do not become slaves to men.
4. The dictionary defines debt as money that a person is obligated to pay to another.
5. Debt puts us in the role of a servant or (according to 1 Cor.7) a type of slave.
6. The Bible does not say that debt is sin, but it discourages the use of debt as we can see from these previous verses.
7. There are two things that debt does that are dangerous.
I  Debt presumes upon tomorrow. When we get into debt we presume that we will earn enough or our jobs will continue for a long time and be profitable. James 4 says, you do not know what you life will be like tomorrow.
II Debt often denies God an Opportunity to show Himself Mighty. (Share story of young man who wanted to go to seminary to become a missionary. He had no money and would be $40,000 in debt on a loan but would never be able to pay it off on a missionary’s salary. So he enrolled without a loan and was amazed how God provided as he went to school & worked.
8. Romans 13:8 – Let no debt remain outstanding…(if we owe God expects us to pay)
9. Getting into debt (beyond a mortgage or well planned out financial decision that does not put undue stress on the budget) is usually a surface symptom of a deeper problem. Show the slide of the iceberg.
10. Before we move on let me say two things, consider a change of life style (used cars, second hand stores, local vacations, cooking at home) cut up credit cards; secondly DO NOT GIVE UP. You can do all things through Christ. Just have to be willing!!

GIVING

1. Acts 20:35 – “It is more blessed to give than to receive.
2. 1 Timothy 6:18-19 – Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
3. God is a giver and is looking for givers. Someone once said if you want to be sure that you are in control of your money and not the other way around; give it away to the Lord’s works!
4. The true test of giving is not what you give but what you have left after you give.

ETERNITY

1. Mark 8:36 – What good is it for a man, to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
2. More times than we care to admit, people choose the possessions & wealth of this world over following God’s ways.
3. Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21; Turn and read NIV)
a) V.19 – You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat drink and be merry.
b) V.20 – But God said, you fool! This very night your life will be demanded of you.
c) The rich fool was a fool not because he was rich, but rather his focus was on this life and taking it easy. God’s focus is on eternity.
d) V.21- Store up things for yourself but are you rich toward God?
4. “Take care of your body as though you will live forever; take care of your soul as if you will die tomorrow.”
5. Eternity is not a place for the things of this world; it is a place for the soul.
6. 1 Timothy 6:7 – For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it.
7. Our failure to view our life through God’s lens of eternity is a major hindrance to seeing our lives and our possessions in their true light. (don’t think 30 yrs from now think 30 million)

CLOSING

1. We started off by saying that God’s thought & ways are not ours. In the area of stewardship to allow His ways to lead us will bring great blessings in the end.
2. Matthew 6:20, 21 – Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
3. God wants every one of you to be storing up treasure in heaven. Now is the time when we do that.
4. Prayer for work, debt, getting Gods perspective with money, being a Godly giver or having an eternal perspective.

Posted in Podcast, Sermons, Pastor David | Print | No Comments »