I. EXORDIUM:
Are you the owner?
No. JESUS is. I'm His faithful steward.
1 Timothy 4:6 (Amplified Bible)
If you lay all these instructions before the brethren, you will be a worthy steward and a good minister of Christ Jesus, ever nourishing your own self on the truths of the faith and of the good [Christian] instruction which you have closely followed.
Titus 1:7 (Amplified Bible)
For the bishop (an overseer) as God’s steward must be blameless, not self-willed or arrogant or presumptuous; he must not be quick-tempered or given to drink or pugnacious (brawling, violent); he must not be grasping and greedy for filthy lucre (financial gain);
II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Believers/unbelievers
III. OBJECTIVES:
To show that GOD entrusted to us everything, there's no other Source, only GOD.
IV. TEXT:
John 3:27 (Amplified Bible)
John answered, A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing] except as it has been granted to him from heaven. [A man must be content to receive the gift which is given him from heaven; there is no other source.]
V. THESIS:
Praise, worship, glorify, adore, bless, honor, acknowledge and thank You very much LORD JESUS for You've given to us everything richly for us to enjoy.
1 Timothy 6:17 (Amplified Bible)
As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be proud and arrogant and contemptuous of others, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches, but on God, Who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for [our] enjoyment.
VI. TITLE:
All that we received came from GOD
VII. EXPLICATION:
A. Author: John the Apostle, son of Zebedee and Salome, and younger brother of James.
—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary
B. Date and Setting:
Written between a.d. 85–90 from Ephesus, after the destruction of Jerusalem (a.d. 70) and before John’s exile to the island of Patmos
—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary
C. Audience:
New Christians and searching non-Christians.
—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary
D. Purpose:
John 20:31 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.
VIII. MAIN BODY:
John 3:27 (Amplified Bible)
John answered, A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing] except as it has been granted to him from heaven. [A man must be content to receive the gift which is given him from heaven; there is no other source.]
John 3:27 (New King James Version)
John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
A. All that we receive here on earth
"John answered, A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing]"
Numbers 16:9-11 (Amplified Bible)
Does it seem but a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister to them,
And that He has brought you near to Him, and all your brethren the sons of Levi with you? Would you seek the priesthood also?
Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord. And Aaron, what is he that you murmur against him?
1 Corinthians 2:12-14 (Amplified Bible)
Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God.
And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].
But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.
1 Corinthians 4:7 (Amplified Bible)
For who separates you from the others [as a faction leader]? [Who makes you superior and sets you apart from another, giving you the preeminence?] What have you that was not given to you? If then you received it [from someone], why do you boast as if you had not received [but had gained it by your own efforts]?
We are not born of everything, it has been given to us. Now we ought to thank people who we knew that gave them to us, but we rather ought to thank GOD, who is the One who gave these things to people that gave them to us. GOD uses people as He delivers things for us.
1 Timothy 6:17 (Amplified Bible)
As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be proud and arrogant and contemptuous of others, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches, but on God, Who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for [our] enjoyment.
Acts 14:17 (Amplified Bible)
Yet He did not neglect to leave some witness of Himself, for He did you good and [showed you] kindness and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with nourishment and happiness.
Ephesians 3:20 (Amplified Bible)
Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—
Even our very lives came from GOD, our careers, our good success, our good prosperity came from GOD alone who is worthy to be congratulated (blessed) and thanked (praised), to whom be honor, glory, power, wisdom, majesty belongs.
Joshua 1:8 (Amplified Bible)
This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.
Good success and good prosperity can only come from GOD, the Author and Finisher of our faith. And we live by faith only in JESUS, receiving everything from His hands, He entrusted all things unto us to faithful stewerds. Always look at things like that, or else you will treat all things that you own as your very own, answering or accountable to no one, except yourself. But if you think and it's true that we are faithful stewards and everything we own right now are entrusted to us by GOD, we will take care of it, because we know one day we will give an accounting to GOD.
B. We received all of them from GOD who is in Heaven
"except as it has been granted to him from heaven. [A man must be content to receive the gift which is given him from heaven; there is no other source.]"
Hebrews 5:4-5 (Amplified Bible)
Besides, one does not appropriate for himself the honor [of being high priest], but he is called by God and receives it of Him, just as Aaron did.
So too Christ (the Messiah) did not exalt Himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed and exalted by Him Who said to Him, You are My Son; today I have begotten You;
Mark 9:23 (Amplified Bible)
And Jesus said, [You say to Me], If You can do anything? [Why,] all things can be (are possible) to him who believes!
Ephesians 1:6 (Amplified Bible)
[So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
John 3:35 (Amplified Bible)
The Father loves the Son and has given (entrusted, committed) everything into His hand.
Daniel 7:14 (Amplified Bible)
And there was given Him [the Messiah] dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom is one which shall not be destroyed.
Acts 14:17 (Amplified Bible)
Yet He did not neglect to leave some witness of Himself, for He did you good and [showed you] kindness and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with nourishment and happiness.
John 1:16 (Amplified Bible)
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.
Romans 8:32 (Amplified Bible)
He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?
Receive means "to catch, call, obtain". When we obtain something or catch something from on high, it's easy to think that it's already ours? No. It's a great mistake, it's only entrusted unto us by GOD. That's why we're called stewards not owners.
IX. CONCLUSION:
Praise, worship, glorify, adore, bless, honor, acknowledge and thank You very much LORD JESUS for You've given to us everything richly for us to enjoy.
