Money - Part 3
Ownership vs Stewardship
Open: I need
someone here to give me $100.
Imagine you took
a job in Bahrain, a 3 year contract. You were going to be paid a huge salary,
but you’re wife could not accompany you.
So, you enlisted the assistance of ten men to look after your wife. You gave each one $10,000 per month, with
instructions that they were to each give $1000 a month to your wife for her
provision, and the rest they could keep. (in other words – they are stewards)
After a year,
you’re Skyping with your wife, “By the way, how’s our arrangement going? Are
you getting your monthly provision? She
then proceeds to tell you “Well, four of the men are faithfully giving me $1000
per month, just as you asked. Three of
them are only sending $500 per month, and two of them stopped sending my
anything at all. But its OK, one of the
men has been sending me $5000 per month.
1.
What would be your course of action for these
stewards?
a.
$1000 a month?
(Probably continue the arrangement)
b.
$500 a month? (May fire them, but for sure
reduce salary)
c.
$0? (Definitely
fired!)
d.
$5000 per month? (Well, since he’s sending $5000
per month, why not increase his pay, might even give him what you were giving
the other 5!)
2.
I know that might seem like one of the “make you
feel guilty” illustrations, but that isn’t my intent.
a.
But if you think about it, it is a picture of
how the Lord has set up the provision for his church, I. e. his bride.
b.
In fact, the bible teaches that the church is
the bride of Christ
Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the
marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her
it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine
linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Rev 19:7-8
3.
And God has established financial provision for
the bride of His Son, the church, through the tithe.
a.
God blesses us – you and I - with provision, and
He instructs us to take a portion to be provision for His bride the church.
b.
In other words, you and I are the stewards of the bride of Christ.
Ownership vs stewardship.
4.
There’s an important distinction that we should
understand: The difference between stewardship, and ownership.
own·er·ship noun
\ˈō-nər-ˌship\
: the state
or fact of owning something (your property)
stew·ard·ship noun
\ˈstü-ərd-ˌship, ˈstyü-; ˈst(y)u̇rd-\
: the activity or job of
protecting and being responsible for something (for someone else)
a.
In the same way there is a difference between “possession”
and “ownership” – you can possess something, but it doesn't mean you own it.
b.
A Steward might possess something that belongs
to another.
5.
Stewardship is a principle that goes all the way
back to Adam and Eve in the garden,
a.
In Gen 2 God gave Adam some specific
instructions:
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the
garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying,
"Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it
you shall surely die." Gen 2:15-17
6.
Here’s the picture: God created the garden, then
He gave Adam stewardship over it.
a.
Adam could utilize all of the resources in the
garden to meet his personal needs, except for one: The tree of knowledge of good and evil.
b.
That tree was off-limits. If they ate of that tree, they would
die.
c.
Everything else in the garden, they were free to
partake of, free to utilize.
d.
Being good stewards over God’s creation was literally
life to them.
7.
In contrast, taking something that God had told
them to stay away from meant - death.
a.
What happened?
Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and when
they did, they experienced death.
b.
This act revealed something: A change in their perspective:
i. By
eating of the tree God told them not to eat, they placed themselves into the
role of owner, rather than steward.
c.
In other words, they had determined that they
were capable of deciding what resources that they would use.
8.
Now, apply this to our lives: God has given us a
position of stewardship. Over what? Over
everything in our lives.
a.
Our abilities, our gifts, our income, our
possessions, and our increase.
b.
All that we have in this world is a gift from
God.
9.
Why do I say that? Answer this: Anyone here have money in your
hand when you were born? No! In fact we brought nothing:
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is
certain we can carry nothing out. 1 Tim
6:7
10. So
it’s settled, whatever we have, was given to us by God.
a.
We are, therefore, stewards, not owners.
11. And
that perspective is important to understand.
Jesus thought so, and He gave a very interesting parable In Luke 12
Luke 12:16-21 Then one from the crowd said to Him,
“Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
(In that day,
the older brother would receive 2/3 of the inheritance)
14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an
arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of
covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he
possesses.”
"The ground of a certain rich man yielded
plentifully. And he thought within
himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my
crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I
will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops
and my goods. And I will say to my soul,
"Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat,
drink, and be merry."' But God said
to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will
those things be which you have provided?'
"So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God." Luke 12:16-21
12. Jesus
told this parable in the context of a man who felt like he had been ripped off
by the system - his brother got more, and he wanted his “fair share.
a.
Jesus used the parable to point out to the man
that, in fact, nothing was his.
13. The
parable starts with a wealthy man (blessed by God!), that suddenly realizes a windfall
profit, a huge harvest.
a.
And so he does what anyone would do, he
considers “What should I do with all of this wealth?”
b.
What was his decision? “I’m going to build bigger barns, store all
of my wealth, and live the rest of my life takin it easy!
14. What
was wrong about his decision? Simple, he
saw it as “HIS” my crops, “MY” stuff
a.
This man refused to recognize that it was God
who blessed him, and he should have honored the Lord in response to that
blessing.
15. Jesus
calls this “laying up treasure for himself.”
It reflects a perspective that “this is all mine, I can use it however I
want!”
a.
The farmer’s attitude towards his possessions
caused his judgment.
16. The
same holds true in our life: Fact is:
Nothing that I possess actually belongs to me, I might possess it, but I don't
have ownership of any of it. It all
belongs to God. (you may not agree with that statement, but
hold that thought!)
a.
We are but stewards of Gods resources, and I
believe God is watching to see how we manage and use the resources He has given
us.
b.
We have a choice: We can choose to “lay up
treasures for ourselves”, or we can choose to honor the Lord with our
resources, to be "rich towards God".
Money is a Test
17. If
we think about it, the parable that Jesus told was a test for that man.
a.
The blessing that the rich man received from the
Lord, the abundance of crops, was a test to see how the man would respond.
b.
Even deeper, it was a test to see how the man
saw his possessions.
c.
Did those riches belong to him, or did he
understand that it all really belonged to God, and he was just a steward?
18. And
as the man in the parable illustrated, the more you have, the harder it becomes
for our flesh to part with any of it!
Like the man who earned $500 per week, and cheerfully tithed
$50. God blessed him and he began
earning $1000 per week, still he tithed faithfully. Then the Lord blessed him and he began
earning $10,000 per week. He went to the
pastor and said “Pastor, I’m really struggling with giving $1000 a week, that’s
a lot of money,” to which the pastor replied “no problem, lets pray right now,
Lord, would you please reduce this man’s salary…”
19. I'm
going to be real - It can be a difficult concept for a person to accept, that
everything they possess belongs to God.
a.
“I worked for that stuff, it was my time that
earned my paycheck”
20. But
consider this: Who gives us the ability
to earn wealth? Who gives us life, sight, etc, etc.
a.
Even further, (blow your mind a little) - who
was it that created the physical world in which we live?
b.
That would be God! If God created it, it all
belongs to Him!
The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the
world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and
established it upon the waters. Ps 24:1-2
21. Now
think about this: This physical realm in which we exist, will it last forever?
a.
No. Even
if you don't believe in God, second law of thermodynamics shows that everything
is in a state of decay.
b.
The bible teaches us that one day God is going
to eliminate this physical realm.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements
will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will
be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10
c.
In other words God will release the atomic
structure that holds all matter together, and in one huge thermonuclear event,
this physical world will vanish.
22. And
God will create a new heaven and earth, that will be eternal:
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first
heaven and the first earth had passed away. Rev 21:1
23. Now
track with me: Why should we worry about
ownership of something that is temporary?
a.
That would be like telling a man to store his
priceless artwork in a warehouse that was scheduled to be demolished!
24. So
Jesus told us “Don’t store your treasure
here, this place is scheduled for destruction! Store up your treasures in a
place that is eternal, a place called heaven!”
a.
Yes, I’m trying to change your perspective; I’m
trying to get you to “see,” “to open your eyes… “ (like Morpheus in the
Matrix!)
b.
All we are doing here is stewarding over a temporary
world, preparing for the time when God promotes us to heaven.
c.
And make no mistake – this life is a TEST. And how we handle money and possession are
part of that test.
25. It
is vital that you understand this truth: The extent of the responsibility you
and I will have in the Kingdom
a.
…is directly proportional to how we handle
things on this earth, money and possessions being a key indicators.
b.
Take a look at Jesus’ words in Luke 16:
Luke 16:9-13 “And I say to you, make friends for
yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into
an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in
much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11
Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will
commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in
what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? 13 “No servant can
serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else
he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon.”
Mammon
26. You
may recognize “Mammon” as a New Testament word. Jesus mentions it in a couple
of places.
a.
But what is mammon? “Mammon” is an Aramaic word
that essentially means “riches.”
b.
The Assyrians got the concept of a god of wealth
from their neighbors, the Babylonians.
c.
Babylon was a city founded on pride and
arrogance (remember the account of the
tower of Babel in Genesis 11).
27. At
its heart is an attitude that says: “We don't
need God. We’re self-sufficient.”
a.
This is what the spirit of mammon tries to tell
us: “You don’t need God. You can trust in
riches!”
b.
Mammon tells us that money can insulate us from life’s
problems, money will bring happiness, that it’s the answer to every situation.
c.
That’s why the “the love of money is a root of
all kinds of evil” (1 Tim 6:10), mammon promises happiness and fulfillment, but
ends up bringing problems and destruction.
28. In
the biblical sense of the word, mammon is the spirit that rests on money.
a.
Wealth that is devoted to serving God, rather
than trying to replace God, is blessed by God, which is why it multiplies and
cannot be consumed by the devourer.
b.
Remember the first fruit redeems the remainder,
and the power of God is on it.
29. On
the other hand, wealth that is not submitted to God, by default, has the spirit
of mammon on it:
a.
Mammon is the spirit of this fallen world, that
stands in sharp opposition to God and His ways.
30. The
spirit of mammon is looking for servants. It is seeking worshipers. It will
promise you everything but deliver nothing.
a.
Jesus said, “You can serve God OR mammon, but
cannot serve God AND mammon” (Matt. 6: 24).
31. But
let’s go back to that interesting passage:
Jesus actually tells us to “make friends with unrighteous mammon” - or
as the NLT states:
“Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make
friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to
an eternal home.” (vs 9)
a.
I other words, instead of using money for mammon’s
purposes, which will not fulfill,
b.
Use money for God’s purposes, with an eye
towards eternity,
c.
Invest in reaching people for Christ, and what
does Jesus say? Those people will
welcome you into heaven!
32. And
then He goes on to talk about - stewardship:
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be
faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be
honest with greater responsibilities.
And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who
will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with
other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?
(vs10-12)
33. First
He notes that how you and I manage small things reveals how we will manage bigger
things.
a.
Anyone in the business world understands that
principle: A person that will take a
shortcut on a small assignment will do the same on a large project.
b.
If a person will lie about small things, they’ll
lie about bigger things (any wife knows this!)
c.
If a person can’t be trusted to manage $100,
certainly can’t be trusted to manage $1M
d.
And Jesus is making a very direct connection
that how we manage what we are entrusted with HERE, has a direct bearing on
what we will be entrusted to manage in Heaven.
34. Ever
wonder what we’ll be doing in heaven? We
won’t be lounging on a cloud, playing a harp.
a.
The bible clearly teaches that believers will
rule and reign in heaven
b.
Paul wrote:
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?
// Do you not know that we shall judge angels? 1 Cor 6:2-3
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first
resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be
priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Rev
20:6
c.
We are being tested right now. The prize for
passing the test is true riches.
35. So,
then, what are true riches?
a.
True riches are people— the privilege of seeing
those you love saved, made whole and growing in God.
b.
True riches are being able to help others who
are in bondage, to experience freedom for the first time.
c.
True riches: the life that we minister to
people.
36. Know
this: It is God’s desire to give great
responsibility, and great rewards to you and I – in heaven, and here in God’s
house…
a.
But first we must understand – and practice –
His principles of good stewardship.
b.
Which is simply wise management of the life,
resources and blessings that God gives us here in this life,
c.
in a way
that brings glory to Him, and expands His Kingdom.
37. Jesus
was very clear: If we aren’t faithful
with other people’s things – I.E. What
God entrusts to us here on earth,
a.
Then we cannot be trusted to be faithful with
eternal things in heaven – I.E. things
that God will reward us with in heaven.
38. And
I believe it begins with the realization that everything we have, our
possessions, what’s in our bank account, what’s in our retirement account,
house, cars, clothes in our closet
a.
All of it is a gift from God, because it never
would have come into our possession without the blessing of God.
b.
And to recognize that all of this is temporary,
it will not pass from this life to the next.
c.
When we understand that, we have no problem generously
investing into the kingdom of God.
39. The
$100 question – why was he willing to give me $100? Because it didn't belong to
him, I gave it to him!
40. Here's
the thing, God gives to us, but He doesn't ask for it all back!
a.
God puts resources into our hand so that we can
support ourselves, support our family, bless others, meet our needs, and even
enjoy nice things.
b.
All He asks is this: Remember where it came from. Don’t hoard it, be generous to others, and
invest in the kingdom - because THAT is eternal!
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not
grudgingly or of necessity; 2 Cor 9:7
41. See,
what we give to the Lord is an outflow of what’s in our heart.
a.
All of us who are parents understand that
there’s a difference in heart obedience, and law obedience:
b.
“I’ll obey, but I don't agree with it, and I
don't like it!” vs
c.
“Mom and dad, I might not fully understand, but
I’m going to trust that you love me, and only want the best for me, so I’m going
to willingly obey you.”
d.
What we are hoping for is heart obedience
42. Because
you see, the principles that we want our children to practice:
a.
Be truthful, work hard, do your best, abstain
from immorality, be generous, be loving and kind, serve The Lord.
b.
The reason we want them to follow these
principles is not so that we can say we have perfectly obedient kids…
c.
The reason is that we know if they practice
these principles, they will have a blessed life.
43. The
reason God wants us to obey his principles is not so we'll be perfectly
obedient Christians,
a.
It's because He knows that if we will, we'll
have a not only a blessed life, but a rich eternity in Heaven.
Copyright © 2010 Clay Ritter. This data file is the
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