Remember: GOD OWNS…GOD LOANS…GOD WATCHES…GOD REWARDS! WE MUST ONE DAY, GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF OUR STEWARDSHIP.

“And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the 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 th is of thee? give an account of thy stewardship: for thou mayest e no longer steward.”(Luke 16:1, 2)

The first part of this text applies to us all; the second part will apply to each one of us before long.

  “Give an account of thy stewardship,” is a command that may be addressed to the unsaved. They are accountable to God for all that they have, or ever have had, or ever shall have...including opportunities to be saved. “To whom much is given, much is required.” The law of the Lord is NOT relaxed because they are not saved; they still remain responsible to God, even though they attempt to cast off the yoke of the Almighty. All creatures formed by the divine hand will meet God. 

   This text may also be applied to the children of God in a different sense, however, and after another fashion. First of all, the godly are God’s children who are accounted as standing in Christ. No longer are we merely God’s subjects; for what we owed to God as sinners has all been discharged by Christ our Substitute and Savior. We have, therefore, been placed on a different footing from other men; but, having been saved by grace and adopted into God’s family, we have had entrusted to us talents, treasures, time which we are to use to His honor and glory. Being the Lord’s children and being saved, we become His servants, and as His servants (stewards) we are under responsibility to God, and all will have to give to Him an account of our stewardship at the “Judgment Seat of Christ.” We will give an account NOT for our sins (Christ will account for us) but for our service...OUR STEWARDSHIP! 

“IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM!”

For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: 

to Whom be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36

Most people get “hung up” on the little things and never see the “big picture.” Jesus said to one group of people, “Ye strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.” 

Stewardship is beyond a matter of your offering envelope, or the time you give, or the talents you use. IT IS HIM! IT IS WHAT YOU THINK OF HIM! You cannot “make Him Lord”…He always has been, is and always will be LORD! Whether you recognize Him as Lord and realize Him as Lord is the thing that will determine your quality of life.

Everything I have ever tried to say about Stewardship is summed up in this one profound verse….OF HIM…THROUGH HIM…TO HIM! Every soul that has ever lived has come from Him (the Giver of life) and is through Him (sustained, “in Him we live and move and have our being”) and will eventually return to Him (“for it is appointed unto a man once to die and then the judgment.”) Everyone body is going to get to meet God…either as Savior or as Judge…either in His love or His wrath…either in eternal joy and laughter or eternal wailing and gnashing of teeth. It all depends upon what you do with Christ! What you believe concerning Christ! 

Pity the man who has riches to hold and holds not the pearl of great price! Pity the man though he live long on earth, but knows not the giver of life. Doctor or lawyer, trav’ler or merchant, builder who builds on the sand, pauper or king, to be saved, that’s the thing; if he’s lost, then pity the man. 

It’s all about HIM! “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory…” (Psalm 115:1a) Bottom line: before salvation life is all about us…after salvation, it’s all about HIM! We are converted from being self-centered to becoming Christ-centered! It can’t be taught! “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature…” (2 Cor. 5:17). It use to be all about “me”, now it’s all about “HIM”. 

We see in this magnificent verse three things: THE POSSESSOR, THE POWER AND THE PURPOSE! Here is the divine tripod of stewardship! 

For by Him were all things created…And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. Colossians 1:16,17

For in Him we live, and move, and have our being… Acts 17:28

THE COMMENCEMENT OF STEWARDSHIP

"For of Him….are all things…"

"In the beginning God…."

BY RIGHT OF CREATION WE OWE HIM EVERYTHING! WE OWN NOTHING! IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING!

EVERY HEART-BEAT IS FROM GOD!

THE CONTINUANCE OF STEWARDSHIP

“…and through Him…are all things….”

Stewardship is a daily relying upon His wisdom, His power, and His leading! Nothing is secular for the Christian! 

I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. Ps. 3:5

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22

THE COMPLETION OF STEWARDSHIP

“…and to Him…are all things…”

Do you see the cycle? 

Circulation! God put us here….saved us…and will bring us back to Him!

Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Psalm 73:23,24

Note: Colossians 1:16-20

UNTO HIM!!!!   For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that He died for all, that they which lve should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto Him which died for them, and rose again. 2 Cor. 5:14,15

     Note again vs. 10. Can you say that? How convincing is it to others? Paul was a “bond slave”…that is, a slave be choice! One of the great puzzles the lost deal with is “why do you serve God?” “Why don’t you want to be free?” David said, “I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts.” (Psalm 119). Note: Psalm 71:7a “I am as a wonder unto many…” Amen! God does not have a “draft system”…His army is all made up of “enlisted”. There is no greater life, no better life, that to serve THE MASTER. (There is no worse life than to be saved and not serve The Master!) 

   A steward, as we know, is a servant…he is a manager of his master’s goods! THE MOTIVE OF A STEWARD WILL DETERMINE HIS SUCCESS. The longer I live the more I believe that “motive” may be one of the supreme and vital ingredients to success in the life of the Christian. Many have quit because their motive was wrong! Many have no joy because their motive is wrong! Many are not blessed in their service because their motive is wrong! The Judgment Seat of Christ will be a shocking experience for many because their motive was wrong. Why do you do what  you do? (Motive of marriage is important! Motive on the job is important…to make money or to glorify God? MOTIVE!

   I want to share with you what I believe are the four great motives of a good steward! 

   If we are not a good steward we will lose our stewardship! What are they?

I LOVE GOD (Psalm 116)

I FEAR GOD (Psalm 90)

I NEED GOD (Psalm 71)

I BELIEVE GOD (Psalm 112)

Stewardship is about managing everything

God has placed into your life for His glory! 

God assures us that faithful stewardship will be rewarded

both in this life and in heaven. 

I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:11-16

Christ’s literal and visible return is “at the door.” As the song writer wrote “…signs of the time are everywhere…” Even non-Christians feel that “something has got to give”…well, that “something” is SOMEONE! 

Adrian Rogers, who is with the Lord now, said, “I am convinced that there are some things in the book of Revelation that will not be known until they are unfolded. Some prophecies await fulfillment for understanding. The bottom line is this: Jesus is coming, and I am certain of that and very, very glad. I have resigned from the program committee, and have moved over to the welcoming committee. Even so, come Lord Jesus!” 

We are now witnessing the “stage” being set for the last and greatest event in the history of the world. The return of Christ is in two parts divided by seven years call the Tribulation period. The “rapture” has to do with His coming “FOR” His saints while the “revelation” has to do with His coming “WITH” His saints. 

We must remember, however, that most of the prophecies have to do with the second part of His return, the “revelation”, therefore, the “rapture” is imminent. The first time Christ comes “for” His children, He will come in the clouds and we shall meet Him IN THE AIR. The second time, seven years later, He will return “with” us TO THE EARTH to rule and reign for 1,000 years after the Battle of Armageddon.

Christ came to earth as a “Lamb” to sacrifice His life to cover our sins with His blood and provide His righteousness for us to receive by faith. His cradle rocked the world!

He is coming back as “THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH” to settle the score once and for all. 

We are beginning to feel the pressure mounting in our nation and around the world. Note: Matthew 24:1-14. But “God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7). We need not panic. We who know Christ and believe the Bible, which has never been wrong about anything, have confidence, courage and “peace which passeth all understanding.”

THE FUTURE IS HERE!