Sermon # 46 - Be A Wise Steward Series

Today’s meditation is based on Acts 4:32, “The group of believers was one in mind and heart. None of them said that any of their belongings were their own, but they all shared with one another everything they had.” (GNB)

Those of us who have been born again as children of God, and have the assurance that our sins are forgiven, have the responsibility to be watchful about the way we live. The above mentioned verse talks about a group of believers in the early church who were of one mind and one heart. None of them kept their possessions for themselves, but willingly shared, and had everything in common.

When we speak about ‘one heart’ it implies that all of them thought about the same things. We may wonder how this was possible, but the fact is that when we earnestly desire to live as true children of God, we can achieve this oneness of heart. The early believers also had ‘one mind’ which means that their desires were only on one thing. The one thing that united their thought and desire was the fact that their lives here on earth was temporary, and that the life to come was eternal. They realized that everything that that they possessed on the earth was transient, and none of it would remain unto eternity. No wonder then that they did not want to use their worldly wealth for selfish gain, but rather had a generous heart to share with those in need.

The thing that we need to check about ourselves is to see if we have comprehended this truth. Oftentimes we are so caught up with the temporary, and the mundane wanting to save for ourselves, and the generations to come. This is necessary, but if this is the only thought on our minds, we will be disappointed because our life on earth will surely end abruptly, and will take us unawares. These are days when we should reset our priorities, so that we can focus primarily on the eternal, and place the earthly in secondary place. By doing so, we will be blessed and we will become a blessing to others.

Store up treasures in heaven

These are the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:20-21, “Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your heart will always be where your riches are.” (GNB)

Jesus did not say not to store up treasures, but rather He taught that we store up our riches in heaven where moth and rust won’t destroy, and thieves can’t break in to steal. We have the option to store up treasures on earth or in heaven, and we are cautioned to be wise to see that we are investing in the right place. Our treasures in heaven are in a secure place, and nothing can destroy it. We are further reminded that our hearts will be set on the place where our treasures are laid up. As we examine our lives we can find out what is that treasure, based on what draws all of our attention on. For some material things are their treasure, and they are never content with what they have. This leads to them wanting more and more, makes them selfish, temporary minded, and thereby forget about the Lord, and miss out on eternity.

Share with those in need

The believers in the early church were different in that they sold their belongings to help those who were destitute and needy. Their hearts were filled with compassion, and this is what they did.

We read in Acts 2:45, “They sold their land and the things they owned. Then they divided the money and gave it to those who needed it.” (ERV)

The money they had saved for their personal needs were sold, and this was divided and shared among those who had various needs. They obeyed the words of the Lord Jesus, and did exactly as He had commanded them to.

Strangely, these are days when the money that is given for specific purposes are siphoned to meet people’s personal needs. We must be careful to live with integrity during these days.

Invest for eternity

These are the words of Jesus in Luke 16:9, "I tell you, use the worldly things you have now to make 'friends' for later. Then, when those things are gone, you will be welcomed into a home that lasts forever. (ERV)

Kindly take time to read Luke Chapter 16 when you can. The Lord reminds us that the end is sure to come, and so we are admonished to use worldly things to invest in eternity. Everyone who is born into the world comes with nothing, and it is the same for everyone who leaves this world, but often we forget this fact. Our day of birth and day of death are a certainty which no one can change. However, in that in between period, we are to keep in mind that we are just stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. It is therefore extremely important that we handle these things that are invested to us well. We can either use it for our own temporal pleasures, or we can use them to invest in eternity, and this is something we need to give much thought to.