A Matter Of Trust Series

Learning to Lean - Part 2 - Stewardship, A Matter of Trust

Text: Judges 6:1-32

Intro:

This morning I would like to continue on with our series on Stewardship. The title of our series is “Stewardship…Learning to Lean”

Illus:

A man died and went to heaven. He was met at the Pearly Gates by St.Peter, who led him down the golden streets. They past mansion afterbeautiful mansion, until they came to the end of the street where they

stopped in front of a shack. The man asked St. Peter why he got a hut when there were so many mansions he could live in. St. Peter replied, "I did the best with the money you sent us."

Last Sunday I spoke to the fact of Christ’s Lordship within our life as it relates to stewardship.I defined a steward as “someone is responsible for another man’s property.” I asked four questions as we closed last week, and I would like to begin with those four this morning?

Have we have scooped up his salvation, but never surrendered our life. Have we devoured his provision, but never made a contribution. Have we consumed his blessing, but never blessed the needy. Do we have the right…to Call Him Lord, but refuse him access.

We must establish his Lordship in our lives before we can do truly contribute to the Kingdom of God.

Now notice I said we must establish His Lordship in our lives. You see we live in an incredible time in which God’s grace and mercy mark the day.

We have a choice as to whether or not we will submit to the Lordship of Christ. When Jesus died on the Cross, rose again that third day, and then ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father, he earned and received the title of King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Colossians 2:13 -15

The amazing thing is that God still gives us a choice as to whether we will recognize Him as Lord.

The other thing that is almost as amazing is that there are many who do not recognize him as Lord…even those who bear his name in their self imposed

title…Christian.

Philippians 2:9 -12 (NIV)

We have the ability to declare Him Lord of our life, or to resist His Lordship in our life.

To those who resist, we begin a vicious cycle of peaks and valleys in our walk with the Lord that is marked by

1) Uncertainty of our position in Him

2) Fear of our what other people think of us

3) Inconsistancy, being tossed around by every new fad that rolls through the church.

Lordship is so important. For those who raise up the standard of Jesus Christ as Lord within their lives, and incredible transformation takes place within them.

There life is marked with the treasures that are promised to those who overcome.So why is it so difficult to submit to the Lordship of Christ?

This morning I submit to you it is a matter of trust.

Illus:

I read an amusing story about the first Duke of Wellington. An inventor was trying to interest him in a bulletproof waistcoat he had made. It was absolutely marvelous and could save the great man’s life if somebody tried to assassinate him. The Iron Duke asked the man to put it on, and he examined it carefully, and then, to give it a test, he sent for a rifleman - but the inventor bolted out of the other door!

Do we trust Jesus to handle what he give Him? Do we really think that his ways are better that our ways?

Trust, Trust, Trust…our level of stewardship is directly proportional to our level of trust.

Lets look at the Life of Gideon and learn about Stewardship and Trust

Read Text:Judges 6:1-32

If we are going to grow in our relationship with the Lord we must become good Stewards.To be good stewards we must Trust Him emphatically.I would like to use the acrostic TRUST to work through his text this morning.

(T) Take Stock of Where you are Judges 6:11

We are introduced to Gideon as he is in a wine press threshing grain. He was afraid of the Midianites who had a nasty habit of coming through and destroying the harvest of the Israelites. Thus Gideon found himself threshing his grain in a wine press hiding from his

enemies.

Look around at your life…what are the things you are trusting in? Are they valid? Will they hold up? Will they cover us in the day of trouble?

Illus: We took our dog one time on vacation with us. She ran out into the woods and would not come back. Thinking she was smarter than us she hid when we began to call her name. She thought if she put her head behind a tree that we would not be able to see her. But the only thing hidden was her head. What she was trusting in was not big enough to help, and she did not realize it.What are the things you are trusting in to save you this morning? Are they big enough to save you. Here is a simple little way of testing where your trust is at. What were the things that you thought about during worship this morning? What were the areas that consumed you as you were asked to focus on the