Stewardship

Stewardship

Lk. 16:1-13

Intro.

A. Steward - primarily denotes the manager of a household or estate (oikos - house; nemo - to arrange).

1. Ownership is necessary before there can be stewardship.

2. We own nothing, God owns everything. Legally we are owners, actually we are stewards.

3. Jesus said Caesar owned some things (Mt. 22:21). Actually, Caesar and everything he owned belonged to God.

B. God owns everything:

1. Beasts, cattle, birds (Ps. 50:10,11)

2. The world (Ps. 50:12; Job 41:11).

3. He gives life, breath and all things (Acts 17:24,25).

4. Parable of the talents - illustrates use of what has been entrusted to us, and accountability.

Body:

A. The unjust steward:

1. The commendation is for the manager’s foresight, not necessarily the means he used.

2. Some suggest that he, like tax collectors, operated on a “flexible commission.” He was bound to provide a certain amount, but could get more.

3. In that case, the owner received what was owed him; the manager sacrificed his own short-term profit for long-term security.

4. Men of the world act with more forethought about worldly things than children of God do about spiritual things.

B. Serving God:

1. We cannot serve God and mammon (Mt. 6:24), but are to “make friends...by unrighteous mammon” (Lk. 16:9).

a. Personifying mammon as a rival god.

b. The rich young man made a rival god of wealth (Lk. 18:22-27). Money had become an all-consuming idol that had to be rejected totally.

2. Harmonize Mt. 6:24 and Lk. 16:9 by conquering, not serving money. We must decide who is going to make our decisions - God or money! If money determines what we do and do not do, then money is our master. If God determines what we do, He is our Master - learn to use money without serving money.

C. Of what are we stewards?

1. Life - God gives us life (Acts 17:28). We do not possess it, cannot extend it - can only use it as faithful stewards (Prov. 27:1).

2. Feet - “I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies... I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word” (Ps. 119:59,101).

Prov. 1:16 “For their feet run to evil...” 6:18 “Feet that are swift in running to evil.”

Prov. 7:10,11 “And there a woman met him, with the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. She was loud and rebellious, her feet would not stay at home.”  Eph. 6:15 (“Little feet be careful where you take me to, anything for Jesus only let me do.”)

3. Hands - Prov. 31:20 “She extends her hand to the poor, yes she reaches out her hands to the needy.” Eccl. 9:10; “Work with own hands” (1 Thess. 4:11), “And we labor, working with our own hands” (1 Cor. 4:12).

4. Eyes - Jn. 4:35 “lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.” (Mt. 6:22,23; Lk. 10:23,24).

5. Ears - Prov. 28:9; Jas. 1:19; Acts 2:14; 2 Tim. 4:3,4

6. Tongue - Prov. 21:23 “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” (Mt. 12:36,37; Jas. 1:26; 3:5-8).

7. Mind - Mt. 22:37 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Col. 3:2 (your mind - you possess it, but belongs to God).

8. Ability - Mt. 25:14,15; 1 Pet. 4:11 “If 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.”

9. Time - Ps. 90:12; Eph. 5:16

10. Money - Sixteen of Christ’s parables deal with money. (Dt. 8:17,18; 1 Tim. 6:9,10

Concl.

God has given us all things - then some use them to dishonor God and serve materialism (or Satan). We can serve God and use material things, or serve material things and “use” God.  Time to “give account” will come (Lk. 16:2). 2 Cor. 5:10