Matt Nelson - October 2, 2022
The Stewardship Principle
A BETTER STORY The Stewardship Principle 10.2.22 Money can buy a house............but not a home Money can buy a bed..............but not sleep Money can buy a clock............but not time Money can buy you a book.........but not knowledge Money can buy you medicine.......but not health Money can buy you sex............but not love Money can buy a vacation…..but not rest Money gives us the illusion that more is better Generosity: When you are fully aware of what you have been freely given so you choose to freely give Extravagant Generosity: When you become so overcome by the grace and undeserved love of the Father that you lavishly reorient your life around giving and Kingdom impact Stewardship: An understanding that God is the owner, we are the managers, and we are accountable to the owner. Luke 16:1-7 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ 5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’’ Luke 16:8-15 8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? 13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” 14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight. Jesus uses this parable to teach several truths: Jesus encourages believers to act as prudently with divine things as unbelievers do with earthly things Jesus directs believers to conduct their lives in light of the coming of Christ and the future judgment You are responsible for stewarding what you have been given You cannot claim the lordship of Jesus and yet choose to make mammon your god Matthew 19:23-24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Does Mammon have a foothold or stronghold in my life? What are the practices I need to implement so that Mammon will not become my god? What does a step of obedience look like regarding generosity?
From Series: "A Better Story"
We love a good story! Something that captures our imaginations and takes us somewhere. Something that gives our lives meaning, context, and hope. Unfortunately, we often get so caught up in trying to write our own story that we lose our God-given purpose. We trade a life of eternal kingdom impact for the temporary and empty rewards of our own desires. In this series, we will lay down our story for a better story and be intentional about leaving a legacy of kingdom impact and purpose.
