Stewardship Sermon 1: What You Can Know About Victory

A. INTRODUCTION

The theme for this year’s Stewardship Campaign is - -Stewardship: From Victory To Victory. Last year our church had a financial victory, this year we will have another one. This lesson is designed to help you go from one financial victory this year, to a greater one next year. The theme is built upon progress from one triumph to another. Notice the progress:

1. From last year’s successful campaign to this year’s success.

2. From your spiritual victory to your financial victory.

3. From church member’s victory to the church’s victory.

4. From inner victory to outer victory.

5. From victory over sinful attitudes to victory of sinful actions.

6. From your proper management of money to your financial victory.

Definition of Stewardship: "Stewardship is the proper management of time, talent and treasures for the glory of God." When you properly manage these areas of your life, you will have victory in all areas of your life.

B. FIVE IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS ABOUT ANY VICTORY

1. If victory, I must know THE CAUSE I’m fighting for. Young David was appalled that no one would fight Goliath. He asked, "Is there not a cause?" (I Sam. 17:29).

a. Our cause: TO SURRENDER all I have. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23).

Surrender daily

Follow daily

Take up cross daily

b. Our cause: TO LOVE GOD with all I have. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matt. 22:37).

c. Our cause: TO SERVE GOD with all I have. "Whatever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men" (Col. 3:23).

2. If victory, I must know my enemy.

a. SATAN. "Be vigilant, because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

Whom resist steadfast in the faith" (I Peter 5:8,9). If the Devil can destroy you financially, he has the victory. If you can manage your money properly for God, you have the victory.

b. SELF. "Love not the word . . . all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world" (I Jn. 2:15, 16). Biblical stewardship is properly managing your physical wants, your emotional desires and your ego. When you do this, you get victory.

3. If victory, I must know how to fight.

a. NOT PHYSICAL. "The weapons we fight with are not physical, but we struggle in our mind against desires and thoughts that would hold us in bondage. We win a victory by bringing our thoughts into the captivity of Christ" (II Cor. 10:4,5 Expanded Translation).

b. WE FIGHT IN CHRIST. "Thanks be unto God, which causeth us to triumph in Christ" (II Cor. 2:14).

c. BEING SMART AND WISE. The person who invests his money wisely will get ahead. The woman who knows how to shop wisely will get the best bargains for her family and they will have more. What does it take to be wise with money in the grocery store or the shopping center?

(1) MAKE A PROPER LIST that takes every part of your life into consideration.

(2) DISTINGUISH BETWEEN NEEDS AND DESIRES. The ability to see the differences between what you want and what is necessary is basis for financial stability and maturity.

(3) MEET SHORT TERM NEEDS, and plan for long term needs. This is the ability to determine priorities.

(4) DISCIPLINE. You must know what is on your list, how to save for what you want and how to say "no" to impulses and "bargains."

(5) SEE THE BIG PICTURE. Money is life, and the way your spend your money is a reflection of how you live your life.

(6) CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE. If you are in debt or have money problems, more money will not solve your problem. More money will eventually give you a bigger problem. You get out of money problems by changing your thinking about money.

4. If victory, I must have a strategy.

a OUR STEWARDSHIP. "We are to manage our time, talent and treasures for the glory of God."

b. OUR ABILITY. "Unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to every man, according to his several ability" (Matt. 25:15). We are responsible to manage our money, not the riches of another, nor someone else’s welfare check. Everyone is responsible for his own money.

c. OUR ACCOUNTABILITY. "The Lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them" (Matt 25:19). "When the time of the fruit drew near, he (the owner), sent his servants . . . to receive the fruits of it"