The Lifestyle Of A Biblical Steward

The Lifestyle of a Biblical Steward

Thesis: The life style of a biblical steward is one who acknowledges that God owns everything in their life and they in turn seek to manage all that they have for Him. There goal is multiply what God has given them for the Kingdom of God. This means a biblical steward is one who is a diligent worker, one who is a faithful steward of what God has given them and one who eagerly gives to God and His work on earth.

Introduction:

The truth is we need to be good Stewards of God’s resources because our spiritual lives depend on how we serve the Lord with our lives. You may be thinking about the title of my sermon this morning and asking this question “What does stewardship mean?” Well let’s explore what a steward is:

A steward is like a manager of a local McDonald’s Restaurant who carries out the aims of the owners, maximizes profits, while handling all the problems. Dr. Towns teaches a stewardship lesson in the Pastor’s Bible Class at Thomas Road Baptist Church which is the most requested lesson of all he has taught. "Who Owns Your French Fries". It is the story of a man who buys his little boy some french fries. Then the father does what all fathers do, he reaches over and takes one french fry to taste it. The little boy slaps his father’s hand and says, "Don’t touch my french fries." The father thinks that his son is selfish. The father knows that he bought the french fries and they belong to him. The father knows that his son belongs to him. The father could get angry and never buy his son another french fry again to teach his son a lesson, or the father could "bury" his son in french fries. The father thinks, "Why is my son selfish, I have given him a whole package of french fries; I just want one french fry." God has given us money, (and many other resources) and when He asks for a tithe, people figuratively slap His hand and say, "Keep Your hands off my money." The truth is God owns everything we have. He just wants us: 1. To manage what we have for His glory. God expects us to manage our time, talent, temple, testimony and treasures. 2. To give back a portion of what he has given us to His work. Contributed to Sermon Central by: Jerry Falwell

Biblical stewardship is rooted in the belief “God owns everything including my life.” This belief is biblical and is revealed through several scripture texts from the Bible.

Psalm 24:1

"The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."

Leviticus 25:23

"The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants."

Haggai 2:8

"’The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

"You are not your own; you were bought at a price."

These plus many other Bible references point to the fact that God owns everything in this world including my life, my time, my resources, and yes even my money. When the Christian of today understands this truth it should change the way we live, the way we work, the way we spend our time and the way we spend our money. Randy Barton states, “Stewardship builds the bridge in your Christian life that will enable you to reconcile your "faith" and your "living" in a secular world.” When we understand what biblical stewardship is we understand the importance of how we live our lives every day. Being a steward of God should impact my work, my lifestyle, my time, my family, my finances, my priorities, and everything about my day. Barton notes that if the Christian could grasp the concept of biblical stewardship and live by it then they will find true freedom. He states it this way, “As those who have learned the secret of stewardship will testify, genuine freedom is not found in the accumulation of many possessions, but in the generous sharing of all that we have and all that we are.”

T.S. - Lets look at a parable that Jesus tells about some stewards.

Scripture Text:

Matthew 25: 14“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22“The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ 23“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 24“Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you. 26“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28“‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”