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
Lord? What were the thoughts that won?
2 Cor 10:5-6
When it comes to trust, we must first “Take Stock” of where are we at? What is the wine press that we are hiding in?
Proverbs 18:10
(R) Recognize the Presence of the Lord Judges 6:11
I love how this passage of scripture describes the scene. “The angel of the Lord came and sat down under a tree and watched” The second aspect of trust is that we must recognize the presence of God in our life.
God is at work in our lives much more than we will ever realize. We must look closely and then be willing to give Him glory for what he has done. That is why I take time in our services to allow people to share what God is doing.We must recognize his presence in our lives. How long do you think the angel sat there before Gideon saw him?
Duet 31:6 The Lord said to Joshua “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
We must recognize God’s presence in our lives.
(U)Understand that God will empower you. Judges 6:17-23
Illus:Two cows were grazing alongside a highway when a tank-truck of milk on its way to the distributor happened to pass. On one side of the truck in big red letters was a sign that read, “Pasteurized, homogenized, standardized, Vitamin A added." One cow turned to the other and remarked,"Makes you feel sort of inadequate, doesn’t it?"
Here is where we get into trouble. Inadequacy…
The Angel of the Lord called him “Mighty Warrior”
Gideon came right back to the Angel of the Lord and said…BUT!!! How many times does God say “GO” and we say But!
Sometimes we use our inadequacy as an excuse. We say I won’t do it because I can’t. And God says I know you can’t that’s why I sent the angel of the Lord to empower you.
Zech 4:6 “Not by Might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord”
NLT…”Not by Force, Not by Strength but by my spirit says the Lord”
Understand it is God that empowers you.
(S) Sacrifice is essential Judges 6:24-26
1)Lordship demands Sacrifice.
Anytime we have to get off a throne in our life, we are going to have to give something up.
What is it that he is asking you to sacrifice for Him
Romans 12:1,2
2) Sacrifice must be in the proper form
Gideon was asked to build a proper altar to replace that of the baals and the ashteroth. He asked Gideon to tear down the other idols and use them to sacrifice to the Lord. When God demands a sacrifice it must be an obedient sacrifice. So many times it is easy to sacrifice something for God that doesn’t cost us anything. We see Gideon is still afraid of this. He sacrificed at night so his family would not see. God asks for that Sacrifice to be in the proper form.
? What is the proper form?
a)It must be those things that are lifting themselves up before God
b)It must be those things God is asking of us (Obedience)
What is it that God is asking you to sacrifice for Him?
This kind of obedience builds trust.
(T)Take it one step at a time Judges 6:27-32
We see in this passage of scripture that God does go before us, if we trust Him and do it His way.
All He asks is that we take it one step at a time.
Gideon came a long way from the wine press to standing before his town and questioned them about their intentions of pleading Baals case for Him.
Is Gideon ready for this---absolutely not, but he will be after God prepares him step by step.
When it comes to stewardship and trusting God take it one step at a time. Be obedient to what God is asking you to do today, he will give you the strength,
wisdom, and resources to deal with what he is asking of you tommorow.
We will never be ready to handle the expectations of God tommorow if we don’t learn to respond to His desires of us today.
Conclusion
(T) Take Stock of Where you are
(R) Recognize the Presence of the Lord
(U) Understand God will Empower you
(S) Sacrifice is essential
(T) Take it one step at a time
What are the areas that you are having the hardest time trusting him?
This morning the Lord is sitting near you watching you, and ready to call you Mighty Warrior.
