“And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”
Luke 16:1-10
- We are the stewards managing the resources God has given us.
- Everything you have in your life is not really yours; it belongs to Him.
- God is the source of everything in our lives.
“And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.”
Matthew 21:1-3
- The Lord has the power to loose any Colt He desires.
- Man may manage it but God owns it.
- There is no true owner outside of God, He owns everything.
- There is a freedom that comes when you stop owning stuff.
- Once we show God that we see Him as the source with gratitude…we have freedom.
- God desires for us to have a stewardship mindset.
“And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.”
Luke 16:1
- If we were better managers of our time, we would not be wasteful.
- Be efficient – people who are efficient aren’t wasteful.
- Be effective – producing a result that is wanted.
“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”
Luke 16:10
- Stewardship is about what I have, not about what I don’t have. Biblical Stewardship is stewarding what you have.
- I cannot manage what is not in my life.
- We need to be a conduit for God to use our lives for whatever He desires.
- He is the source, we are the conduit.
- You cannot walk in the much until you’re faithful in the little.
“He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.”
Luke 19:12-15
- What have you done with what God has given you?
- A heart truly surrendered to God stewards what they have been given.
“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.”
Matthew 25:14
- God does not give us what we ask for, He gives us what we can manage.
“And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.”
Matthew 25:25-29
- What am I doing with what God has already put in my life?
- Gratitude conveys the message that God is the source of your life.
- Grateful and Generous people have the conviction that He is the owner.
“Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.”
Matthew 25:45
- Gratitude teaches you how to receive.
“For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.”
2 Corinthians 8:12
- I can’t be grateful for what I haven’t received.
Three things to manage better:
- Time
- Talents
- Treasures