Discipleship Series-STEWARDSHIP

Bro. Robert Cattani did an excellent job teaching Bethel's Thursday night Discipleship Series on Stewardship. I like it when he teaches. He's probably one of the nicest and funniest people I have ever had the privilege to know. As in the past, I will pull portions of the lesson directly from the Bethel App and paste it on to my blog. 

1 Peter 4:10 – “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Corinthians 4:1 – “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” Luke 12:42-46 – “And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.”

A. The Scriptures teach us that as Christians, we are “stewards” or caretakers of all the resources that God places in our lives. B. As stewards, we are responsible to utilize and manage our time, our talents, our treasure, and our testimony to the glory of God. C. As we have seen in our Scripture texts. God promises blessings to the faithful steward and punishment to the unfaithful steward. Therefore it is important for us to know what stewardship is and how we can become faithful stewards.

STEWARDSHIP – WHAT IS IT? A. In ancient times, it was common for wealthy families to assign the management of their household and finances to the care of trustworthy stewards. 

“The steward (Greek-oikonomos) was the master's deputy in regulating the concerns of the family, providing food for the household, seeing it served out at the proper times and seasons, and in proper quantities. He received all the cash, expended what was necessary for the support of the family, and kept exact accounts, which he was obliged at certain times to present for examination before the master.” (Adam Clarke Commentary)

 1. Good stewards, who managed their master’s affairs wisely, were rewarded for their faithful stewardship while inferior or dishonest stewards were severely punished for their mismanagement. B. Stewards were entrusted with managing and caring for things that were not their own. • 1 Corinthians 10:26 – “For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.” • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

 1. In the parable of the rich man who decided to build bigger barns (Luke 12:16-21), the first three verses record the word “I” six times and the word “my” five times. God is never mentioned once! Yet God called the rich man into account, saying, “This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” The treasures held by the rich man didn’t really belong to him they belonged to God!

God has placed many things under our care for the advancement of His kingdom. He allows us to enjoy these things, but we must not enjoy them selfishly – we must use them for His glory! Christian stewardship is using temporal goods to accomplish an eternal purpose. • 1 Timothy 6:17-19 – “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded [arrogant], nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute [give], willing to communicate [be openhanded]; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

1 Corinthians 4:2 – “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” A. Faithfulness is the first requirement of stewards. The American Heritage Dictionary defines “faithful” as “Adhering strictly to the person, cause, or idea to which one is bound; dutiful and loyal. Worthy of trust or credence; consistently reliable.” B. The Scripture is filled with examples of men and women who earned the distinction of being called faithful. • Moses was faithful “in all his house.” (Numbers 12:7; Hebrews 3:2) • Abraham was faithful “before God.” (Nehemiah 9:7-8) • The ancient treasurers were appointed because they were faithful. (Nehemiah 13:13) • Daniel was faithful. (Daniel 6:4) • Timothy was “faithful in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 4:17) • Tychicus was a “faithful minister in the Lord.” (Colossians 4:7) • Onesimus was a “faithful brother” in the Lord. (Colossians 4:9)

STEWARDSHIP OF OUR TIME 

 The Scriptures teach us that the span of our lifetime is short and will pass quickly. We are told to use wisely whatever time God has allotted to us. • Psalm 90:9-12 – “For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” B. Most of us lead busy lives, and unless we specifically plan to give a portion of our time to God, the demands and pressures of our hectic schedules will keep us from giving God the time He deserves. • Ephesians 5:16 – “Redeeming [making proper use of] the time, because the days are evil.” 1. Personal Devotion to God. Before attempting to be faithful in service, duty, and work unto the Lord, we must be faithful in our personal relationship with Him. Each day of our lives should include time set apart for prayer and personal devotion. 2. Service to the Kingdom. Scripture teaches us that we should be faithful to the House of the Lord. This includes activities such as CARE fellowship meetings, revivals, special church services; fellowships for men, women, singles, or youth; fund raising events; evangelistic efforts; church work days; prayer and fasting efforts; discipleship classes; and teaching seminars. • Hebrews 10:25 – “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” 3. We must make sure that an acceptable portion of our time each week is used in personal devotion and in doing “our Father’s business.”

 STEWARDSHIP OF OUR TALENT 

A. Everyone has been given talents and abilities. We often think of talent in terms of artistic or musical ability, but talents can be expressed in many different areas of life. Anything you can do to help the kingdom of God is a talent that God has given you to bless and edify His kingdom. B. A church can only use a limited number of preachers, teachers, singers and musicians in public worship services – but there are many other ways to use the talents we have been given. • Dorcas (Tabitha) used her talents to make coats and garments for the needy (Acts 9:39). • The household of Stephanas “addicted themselves” to serving the saints (1 Corinthians 16:15). • Anna exercised her talents in prayer and fasting unto the Lord (Luke 2:36). • The first deacons exercised their talents in ministering to widows and orphans (Acts 6:2-3).

STEWARDSHIP OF OUR TREASURE 

• Matthew 6:21 – “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” A. According to Scripture, stewardship of our “treasure” involves three distinct areas: tithing, giving and alms. B. TITHING. This word literally means “the tenth.” It refers to the principle of returning to God a tenth, or ten percent, of all of our increase. It is also known as “the Lord’s portion.” 1. The principle of tithing, or “the Lord’s portion,” is first seen in the Garden of Eden. One tree in the garden was reserved for the exclusive use of the Lord; it was not to be used by man even though Adam was assigned by God to “dress” and “keep” the tree and help it bring forth fruit. (Genesis 2:15-17) It was mankind’s mistake of taking what belonged to God that brought death into the world. 2. Tithing is first mentioned by name in Genesis 14 in Abram’s encounter with Melchizedek, King of Salem, the priest of the most high God. (Abram is the original name of Abraham) • Genesis 14:20 – “And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abram] gave him [Melchizedek] tithes of all.”

Tithing is also God’s way of helping us order our priorities. It has been said that no man really trusts God until he trusts Him with money. When we tithe unto the Lord, it establishes God’s order in our financial lives and teaches us that the first and the best belongs to God. • Deuteronomy 14:22, 23, 29 - “Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase … that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always … that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.” a. The Living Bible paraphrases verse 23 as follows: “The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.” b. Tithing is a matter of priorities, of putting first things first – paying our tithes first and then managing the rest of our income in a responsible manner so that we may also meet our other obligations. 11. Once we see God at the very center of our lives, nothing less than tithing is appropriate. In the highest sense, tithing is directly related to the depth of our consecration and obedience to God and His Word.

When William Colgate was a young boy, he worked in a soap-making shop. When he became sixteen years old, he left home to find employment in New York City. While traveling on a canal boat, Colgate told the canal boat captain that he planned to establish a soap manufacturing company in New York. The captain gave Colgate this advice: “Someone will soon be the leading soap maker in New York. You can be that person. But you must never lose sight of the fact that the soap you make has been given to you by God. Honor Him by sharing what you earn. Begin by tithing on all that you receive.” William Colgate took the advice of the canal boat captain and became a tither. He not only paid tithes on his personal earnings, but he also paid tithes on the total earnings of his company. Soon he began to pay two-tenths, then three-tenths, and then four-tenths. By the time of his death, William Colgate was paying five-tenths of his personal earnings and five-tenths of the total profits of his business in tithes to the Lord. Source: Spiritual Life Through Tithing, G. Ernest Thomas (1955)

GIVING. This second area of the stewardship of our “treasure” involves giving freely and willingly to the Lord – voluntarily offering to God with an enthusiastic spirit. After we have “paid” to God what is rightfully His (tithes), then we have the opportunity to decide what we are going to freely and joyfully “give” to Him (offerings). 1. In the Bible there are 1539 passages that refer to giving while there are only 523 passages that refer to praying. • Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

The New Testament gives us specific principles that instruct us as to how we should manage the stewardship of our “treasure” in the area of voluntary offerings: • We should give regularly – systematically, methodically. (1 Corinthians 16:2) • We should give bountifully – liberally, generously, and openhandedly. (2 Corinthians 9:6) • We should give cheerfully – willingly, happily, hilariously. (2 Corinthians 9:7) • We should give in simplicity – in selfless humility, not seeking acclaim. (Romans 12:8) • We should give according to our ability – based upon how we have been blessed. (Acts 11:29; 1 Corinthians 16:2) 11. Our God is a giver; giving is His nature – and God is looking for generous givers. As we endeavor to develop His nature within us, we must make sure that we cultivate the nature of a giver.

.ALMSGIVING. This third area of the stewardship of our “treasure” involves giving to the needs of others. Sometimes this area of stewardship is neglected or overlooked, but Scripture reveals that the giving of “alms” is an important part of true Christian stewardship. • Acts 20:35 – “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” • Luke 14:13-14 – “[Jesus said] But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”

 THE ATTITUDE OF STEWARDSHIP A. Greed, selfishness, and the love of money are inherent in the nature of all human beings. For most people, self is the absolute center of every decision and every action of life. • 1 Timothy 6:10 – “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1. Our human nature tempts us to use our time, our talent, our treasure, and even our testimony for our own advantage – to fulfill our own needs and desires – to be greedy instead of generous.

 The faithful steward also gives of his firstfruits. This means that the tithes and offerings that we present unto God should be the first portion we set aside, not what remains after we have satisfied other debts. • Proverbs 3:9 – “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.” 1. We must always put “first things first.” • Abel brought the firstlings of his flock (Genesis 4:4). • Israel was to bring the firstlings of the herds (Nehemiah 10:36). • Israel was to bring the firstlings of their fruits and juices (Exodus 22:29). • Israel was to bring the firstlings of the labor (Exodus 23:16). • Israel was to bring the first of their dough (Numbers 15:21). • Israel was to bring the first of their oil, wine and wheat (Number 18:12). • Israel was to bring the first of their corn and fleece (Deuteronomy 18:4). • The firstborn of any Jewish household was “holy” because it belonged to the Lord (Exodus 13:2; Exodus 13:13-15; Numbers 8:16-17). • The widow had to bake Elijah a cake first before she made one for herself and her son (1 Kings 17:13) 2. We must never pay or give to God what is “leftover.” We must never pay or give to Him after we have satisfied our other needs. We must offer Him the firstfruits of our labor and increase. (Nehemiah 10:35-39) 

There are three distinct attitudes of stewardship portrayed in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. • The thieves had the attitude, “What’s yours is mine, and I’m going to get it!” • The priest and the Levite had the attitude, “What’s mine is mine and I’m going to keep it!” • The Good Samaritan had the attitude, “What’s mine is yours, and you can have it.” B. However, there is another attitude that is more excellent even than that of the Good Samaritan. That attitude is, “Everything I have belongs to God, and I must be a faithful steward of His goods.”

The more you give, the more you get; the more you laugh the less you fret. The more you give unselfishly, the more you live abundantly. The more of everything you share, the more you’ll always have to spare. For only what we give away enriches us from day to day.

God is good.