Message #1: Prioritizing Stewardship In Our Lives Series

INTRODUCTION: This morning, we are beginning a new Sermon Series for March titled: STEWARDSHIP: Maximizing God’s Blessings for His Glory. This morning, we are going to begin with Message #1 on PRIORITIZING STEWARDSHIP IN OUR LIVES

Our keynote scripture for this series in found in 1 Corinthians 4:12 which says, Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Webster’s dictionary defines Stewardship as “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care.”

Stewardship really touches all the things that God has given to us and how we use these resources. When you look at stewardship, really in the purest sense, it is dealing with trust. God entrust us with many blessings, and it is His desire that we value the things that He trust us with and that we use them in a way that we honor Him with!

Andrew Murray once said, The world asks, "What does a man own?" Christ asks, "How does he use it?"

Oswald Chambers once said, “Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have. Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard a thing for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded. God will never let you hold a spiritual thing for yourself; it has to be given back to Him that He may make it a blessing to others.”

I. Principles of stewardship

1 Corinthians 4:12 -Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

A. Formula

a. There are many key principles that we are going to discuss here this morning pertaining to stewardship.

b. First, we must understand the principle between ownership and steward ship.

c. This escapes many people. They feel like they own everything that their name is on.

d. The owner of everything on the earth is not Bill Gates, Elon Musk, George Soros, the Koch brothers, Jeff Bezos.

e. No, the real owner is God.

Haggai 2:8-The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.

Psalm 50:10-For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

Psalm 24:1-The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof: the world, and they that dwell therein.

B. Definition of stewardship

a. In looking at the biblical definition of stewardship, Charles Bugg defines stewardship in the Holman Bible dictionary as such: Utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God and the betterment of His creation.

b. When we look at the principle of stewardship, there are two main facets that standout.

i. Authority- This is delegated authority. In other words, it is where authority is passed from one person to another for a specific purpose.

ii. Secondly, Responsibility which really deals with having a duty to deal with something or having control over someone else. Because of this responsibility we are accountable for what we do.

C. Character

What drives us to want to be a good steward will be the character that we have within us.

b. Character speaks to the level or our personal integrity.

c. With great abilities also comes a tremendous amount of temptation and accountability.

d. In fact, the bible says in Luke 12:4-…For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

e. When God gives you a lot, He also expects a lot.

f. For some they have been given little, yet they are faithful in the little. While others may have been given a lot and are not faithful with the lot that they have been given.

g. This is an important principle to understand because we are not to compare ourselves to others.

II. STEWARDSHIP OF OUR TALENTS

A. Talents

a. So often people fall into the trap of thinking that they have nothing to offer God. Yet, God has given each and every one of us talents and abilities.

b. The bible says in 1 Corinthians 12:11(NKJV) But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

c. The talents that we have been given, we are called to use for the glory of God. We are called to use these talents to bless others. 1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

B. Spiritual abilities

a. The bible says in Romans 12:6-8 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.