Learning to Lean - Part 1 - What is a Steward?
Text: Luke 12:42-43
Intro:
This morning I would like to begin a series on Stewardship. Over the past couple of months I have been talking to you about the things that you are
leaning on. Specifically are we leaning on God?
And if we are, to what degree? If God were removed from our life would we fall over, or would we have some empty holes in our schedule and routine that we would need to fill with other social activities. This series on stewardship is going to be based upon this premise. So the title of the series is “Learning to Lean”
Many times I will open with a funny story I have recently heard, this morning I would like to share one with you I ran across.
Illus:
A violinist noticed that his playing had a hypnotic effect on his audiences. They sat motionless, as though they were in a trance. He found he had the same effect on his friends’ pets. Dogs and cats would sit spellbound while he played. Wondering if he could cast the same spell over wild beasts, he went to a jungle clearing in Africa, took out his violin and began to play. A lion, an elephant, and a gorilla charged into the clearing, stopped to listen, and sat mesmerized by the music. Soon the clearing was filled with every kind of ferocious animal, each one listening intently. Suddenly another lion charged out of the jungle, pounced on the violinist, and killed him instantly. The first lion, bewildered, asked, "Why did you do that?" the second lion cupped his paw behind his ear. "What, I have a bad cold and am having a hard time hearing?"
I told you that the title of the series is Stewardship…Learning to Lean. Specifically the title of my message this morning is “What is a Steward?” When it comes to stewardship within the church many people mentally scram, because they say, “Oh the preacher is going to talk about the money.” The giving of our Tithes and Offerings are a by product of a heart that has been radically changed by God, and a life that is Trusting in Him to provide. This morning I want to talk about that Heart Change. For us to embrace the concept of stewardship we must be fully Leaning On God.
Lets first begin with an definition of Stewardship…I would hate to spend a month on something and not first give a definition. If we are a steward we that means that we are a manager as opposed to an owner.In basics…Everything that we own, everything that we are, everything that we accomplish belongs to God.
This changes completely how we look at our life, because as a steward we are going to have to give an account for how we have managed God’s property.
This concept of stewardship should radically change us once we grasp onto it. This change should come about through two avenues
1) We are not to worry about the business
Matt 6:33
The difference between an owner and an employee is that at the end of the day the employee can go home, put his head on his pillow and say…tommorow.
An Owner of a business goes home and has to evaluate what has been accomplished today, and what needs to be accomplished before the employees come tommorow.Once we grasp the concept that we are but stewards of this life God has given, we begin to realize that God is there making the tough decisions of provision for us.
One way or another he will provide. Proverbs 16:9 Proverbs 20:24 Now just as an employee…we need to get up and go to work each day.
But the Lord relieves us
NOTE::: It is a tremendous place to be. Similar to the submission that Christ asks wives to give towards their husbands. As head of the household. I do not see why the wives of solid Christian Men take issue with the area of submission. What a tremendous place to be. To be able to operate under someone else’s authority and covering.
This is the place that God has for us.
He is responsible for Liability and Supply…we are responsible to work under his covering.
2) When the Store Closes the books must balance
The second principle of the Steward is that the books must balance when the store closes.
ILLUS:
How many have ever run a cash register in your life?
Were you responsible for the drawer to reconcile with the receipts for the day? If they did not…what happened? Many times you may have had to come up with it out of your own pocket. Being a steward of God is similar to this. There is a day when the store is going to close, and the books are going to be tallied.
We are going to be held responsible for any discrepancies in that tally.
Heb 9:27
You may say…but pastor…we are covered under the blood of Jesus Christ.
The blood of Jesus is going to spare us from judgment.
The bible speaks of several different judgment seats.
a) Great White Throne…Sinners will be judged to see if they are in the Lambs Book of Life…this judgment we escape through the blood of Jesus.
b) Judgment of our Works…1 Cor 3:12-15
In this passage it clearly speaks to the fact that we will be judged as to “how” we live our Christian lives.
This means that it is imperative that we live ourselves worthy of the calling that is set before us…
Eph 4:1
2 Thes 1:11
2 Tim 2:20-21
The parable of the Talents is very applicable here.
Matt 25:14
3 men…3 different Responsibilities…3 Different Responses.They were stewards of another mans possession. There was a day of reckoning that inevitably would come. 2 men prepared well…one did not.
Now that is a long definition to what is a steward.
Very simply a steward is someone is responsible for another man’s property. If we can’t agree that everything we own belongs to God and we are simple managing it for Him, and we can go no further in this discussion.
And by that acknowledgement you have declared that Jesus is not your Lord. You see we like to declare Jesus as Lord, until it comes to our pocket books, or our children, our or days off, or our retirement fund…then we say as graciously and as politely as we possibly can…move over God, I am not in need of you at this moment.
By declaring Jesus as Lord we say, I am now your property, and everything that I own, everything that I am, everything that I hope to be now becomes yours.
How about we move along…quickly this morning…
Illus:
Billy Bob goes to a diner for breakfast, buys a coffee a sits down to drink it. He looks on the side of his cup & finds a peel off prize. He pulls off the tab & yells, "I WON! I WON! I WON a motor home, I WON a motor home!"
The waitress looks to the owner wide-eyed, knowing that the biggest prize given away is a bicycle. They both approach Billy Bob with the problem saying, "You couldn’t possibly have won a motor home because we don’t offer that as a prize!"
Billy Bob replies, "Nope, no mistake, I WON a motor home, I WON a motor home!" Looky here...& hands the prize ticket to the manager which reads, "WIN A BAGEL."
We are going to be continuing all month on this subject. But before we can go on, we must deal with this area first.
Do we belong to God.
?Have 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.
Conclusion
I want to close today with Jesus’ words that he shared immediately after the parable of the talents
Matthew 25:31-4
We are all called to be stewards…How are we handling the Job?
Luke 12:42-43 42
Do we have the right…to Call Him Lord, but refuse him access.
