Stewardship...a Matter Of The Heart Series

Today we will be starting a new series on the topic of stewardship. Our background passage today comes from Matthew 25:14-30

Matthew 25:14-15 (NLT)

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a trip. He called together his servants and gave them money to invest for him while he was gone. He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last-dividing it in proportion to their abilities-and then left on his trip.

You’ve Been Entrusted

God has given you management of numerous resources

All that we have comes from Him

Physical

Emotional

Spiritual

God’s resources are given in accordance with our abilities. What has been your track record of stewardship with God’s resources?

Matthew 25:16-18 (NLT)

The servant who received the five bags of gold began immediately to invest the money and soon doubled it. The servant with two bags of gold also went right to work and doubled the money. But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money for safekeeping.

What Are You Doing With God’s Resources?

Using resources to further the Kingdom

The first and second servants invested what had been entrusted to advance the master’s holdings. How are you using your resources to further God’s Kingdom?

Investing in the Kingdom requires sacrifice, commitment and trust.

Squandering the resources God has given

The third servant buried what was entrusted and did not attempt to advance the master’s holdings

What are you squandering?

Matthew 25:19-23 (NLT)

After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of gold said, “Sir, I have doubled the amount.” The master was full of praise. “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”

Next came the servant who had received the two bags of gold, with the report, “Sir, you gave me two bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.” The master said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you may more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together.”

Advancing The Kingdom of God

The effort of the servant, not the return was the basis of the reward. The servant with two bags of gold was given the same praise and reward as the servant with five bags. The faithfulness of both servants with little was rewarded with the entrusting of even greater resources. Both servants were called “good and faithful.”

Matthew 25:24-25 (NLT)

Then the servant with the one bag of gold came and said, “Sir, I know you are a hard man, harvesting crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth and here it is.”

Fear…Stewardship’s Worst Enemy

The servant had not been a good steward, because he was afraid he would lose the master’s money. What are the fears that prevent you from being a “good and faithful servant?”

“…If I tithe, I won’t be able to pay my bills…”

“…If I talk about God, people will laugh…”

“…I would have to get up earlier to read my Bible daily…”

“…I can’t help at church, I don’t have enough time…”

Matthew 25:26-30 (NLT)

But the master replied, “You wicked and lazy servant! You think I’m a hard man, do you, harvesting crops I didn’t plant and gathering crops I didn’t cultivate? Well, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest. Take the money from this servant and give it to the one with the ten bags of gold. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Unfaithful Servant

Squandered the resources he had been entrusted with.

Was considered “Wicked and lazy”

His apathy was rewarded with loss and remorse

Have you buried your resources?