Yours, Mine, and God's The New Christian may ask the question, " What is mine, and what is God's" Perhaps this is something that crosses your mind from time to time. This may come in form of asking what time is mine, what time is God's. Or what money is mine, what is Gods. Or what does it matter what I do with my body. It's mine, isn't it? Or perhaps, you may ask why you should help the poor, or helpless, or hurting. We will begin today to deal with these questions. We will approach it with the concept that Christians are stewards of God's wealth. Perhaps the first thing that we should explore is, "What is a steward?" Steward: One who acts as an administrator of finances or property for someone else. We are going to look at the principles of stewardship today, and then over the next few weeks we will be applying them to the Christian's life. These are the basic principles that we are going to discuss today: Principle #1: It's all His Principle #2: He made this world and then gave humanity stewardship over it. Principle #3: Stewardship is about lifestyle. Principle #4: Love always gives. Goes beyond stewardship. Principle #5: You cannot serve two people at the same time. Principle #6: We are to live as if Christ is coming soon. So let's go...... Principle #1: It's all His To a pagan king who was keeping all of the wages due the People of God. Exodus 9:29 So Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the Lord's. Leviticus 27:26 'But the firstborn of the animals, which should be the Lord's firstborn, no man shall dedicate; whether it is an ox or sheep, it is the Lord's. Leviticus 27:30 'And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the LORD. Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. 1 Corinthians 10:26 for "the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness." This means that we belong to Him, too. Principle #2: He made this world and then gave humanity stewardship over it. Genesis 2:15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 "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." Stewardship means that some things are strictly for God. Tithe, Sabbath, pledges. And though some things are holy to the Lord, we are to care for those things also. Genesis 6:19 "And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 "Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. 21 "And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them." Stewardship means taking care of what God created. The biggest disagreement that Christians should have with the radical conservation movement should be the fact that we do not worship nature, where many of the make nature their god. We should take care of this world because it belongs to God, and try to leave it a better place than we found it. Principle #3: Stewardship is about lifestyle. There is naturally some overlap in some of these principles. A Christian who lives extravagently does not honor God. I do not believe that we should all become beggars by any stretch of the imagination. But while living comfortably is not a sin, ignoring the needs around us is. Let me put a scenerio to you. A man of means employs several people. But he feels convicted to give up everything that he has and live as his servants. Has he been a good steward? NO! For those who were being supported by working for him now are without income. What would be the better thing to do? Continue in his business or whatever, but help more people. Let's take another scenerio. Someone purchases a ring for $750. Their neighbor is struggling to buy groceries. Is that stewardship? Or one more. A golfer buys a $3500 set of golf clubs. He rejects an appeal to help with an evangelistic campaign. Is that stewardship? I believe that the only time God would call us to poverty is when our riches are ruling us, and we are not controlling them, and using them to bless others. Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 "Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 "Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 "But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. In this parable the good steward is shown to be one who cares for those under his stewardship. Matthew 25 has another parable about steward/servants. Matthew 25:14 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 "And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 "Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 "And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 "But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. 19 "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 22 "He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' 23 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 24 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 'And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' 26 "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 'So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 'Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 'And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Would it be going too far to say that God wants us to increase what we have in order to honor Him? Does it not honor God when a godly person, in a honest manner increases what he has been given? Slothfulness is not commended in the Bible. What about other types of talents? Are they not gifts of the Spirit to be enlarged through the power of the Spirit? 1 Cor 12:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Other passages mention Love, obedience, wisdom, renewal, thanksgiving, goodness, righteousness, truth, revelation, and gentleness. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Paul makes it somewhat more personal in: Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. 10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. Principle #4: Love always gives. Goes beyond stewardship. John 3:16 ""For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Some of the Isrealites in Old Testament times did nto understand this principle. Ezekiel 33:31 "So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. It is easy to love someone that will help your financial, social, or emotional status. It is somewhat less easy to love someone who continually rubs you the wrong way. In the Old Testament the prophets were preaching this gospel theme. Hosea 14:4 "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like the lily, And lengthen his roots like Lebanon. In the Sermon on the mount, Jesus laid it out clearly. Mat 5:23-28 ""Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 "Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. 27 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Mat 5:38-48 ""You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 "But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 "If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41} "And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 "Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." And finally, Paul writes, Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Principle #5: You cannot serve two people at the same time. Luke 16:13 "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." That means that you cannot hold up your self interests and serve God at the same time. Kind of scarry to think about. Jesus expresses the "how to" of serving Him. John 15:9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 14 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 "These things I command you, that you love one another. One last principle: We are to live as if Christ is coming soon. And don't we believe that He is? Romans 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. 2 Cor 6:2 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. As we continue the next few weeks on the topic of stewardship, we will examine in more detail these principles and how they affect our friendships, our finances, our faithfulness to God, and our physical bodies. I want to be a good manager of the blessings that God has given me. Stewardship Principles. Principle #1: It's all His Principle #2: He made this world and then gave humanity stewardship over it. Principle #3: Stewardship is about lifestyle. Principle #4: Love always gives. Goes beyond stewardship. Principle #5: You cannot serve two people at the same time. Principle #6: We are to live as if Christ is coming soon..