The Reality of Ownership

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We often think that we get to decide what to do with our time, our talents, and our treasures. What does the Bible teach about those? Do they really belong to us? Find out in this message from Matthew 25:14-30

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This morning, we are turning to Matthew 25, as we look at the one of the parables of Jesus. We’ll be starting in verse 14.
From this story, we see that God entrusts us with everything we have, and He expects us to use it to honor Him.
Look with me at the story of a master and his three servants…
As we look at this passage this morning, we should note that this parable applies to much more than just finances. Here, Jesus gives us an example from the realm of financial stewardship to tell us how to manage every blessing we have, both spiritual, physical, material, etc.
James 1:17 CSB
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
So as we talk about stewardship today, know that this applies to more than just our material resources, even if that’s the main application we make today.
In fact, we’re going to use three words to represent what God has given us:
Time – Each of us has 1440 minutes in a given day to spend in love for God and others.
Talents – The talents the parable speak of is a unit of measuring money. When we say “talents”, we are talking about abilities. God has given each person in this room a unique set of gifts, skills, and abilities, and He expects you to use them for His glory.
Treasure – We use the word “treasure” to talk about the material blessings God gives us…from our socks to our homes and everything in between.
Whether you are talking about your time, your talents, or your treasures, you must understand that you are simply a steward.
We’re going to see three different truths that come from this passage this morning
The first truth about everything we have is…

1) God owns it all.

Look with me again at verse 14
Did you notice the language? This is not a man who is giving things away; rather, He entrusted His possessions to them.
There is a big difference in those two phrases.
If someone gives something to me, I can do whatever I want with it. It is mine. The person no longer has any control over what I do.
If you’ve ever had to give your child in marriage, or give away a pet you could no longer care for, you know what I mean. You release that child or that animal into the care of the person you’ve entrusted them to, knowing that they are no longer yours.
It’s totally different if someone tells you, “Look after this until I get back.”
When my brother and his wife were newly-weds, a man and his family temporarily relocated to another state and needed someone to watch the house while they were gone.
For a year, that was my brother and sister-in-law’s house. They lived there, slept there, and ate there.
Yet, when the man and his family returned, they had to give it back.
While he was gone, they had to keep it just like it had been. They couldn’t paint the bedroom or till up the backyard and plant a garden.
Why? Because it wasn’t their house. Had it been theirs, they could have done whatever they wanted.
The same principle applies to our stuff. Everything I am and everything that I have is on loan. Nothing about me is mine, right down to my socks.
That changes things, doesn’t it?
The fact that God owns it all means that He has the right to do with me and my gifts and possessions as He sees fit.
Psalm 50:10–12 CSB
for every animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and everything in it is mine.
This is another one of those comprehensive statements—God owns it all. Everything!
Maybe what you need to do this afternoon is to physically sit down and make a list of everything you own; house, car, tools, dishes, boats, stocks, bank accounts, etc.
After you have made your list, go through each item and transfer ownership of it back to the one who really owned it the entire time.
As you do this, you are releasing your control and your right to do what you want with what you have.
It’s challenging, but it’s worth it as you gain a proper understanding of how God expects you to look at what you have.
God retains the ownership of all that He has entrusted to you, which is why…

2) God rewards stewardship.

You see that the master assigns differing amounts to each steward and then leaves on his journey.
BTW, remember that you cannot press the details of a parable to extremes. God hasn’t left us alone with these gifts, but is intimately involved in the affairs of everyday life. In fact, we can only truly use His gifts for us as we recognize our own need for and dependence on Him. If He isn’t giving us the strength, we can’t use our time, talents, or treasures the way He calls us to.
However, we do see from this, just like with the parables and teaching surrounding this story, that there will be a time God calls us to account for what we’ve done with what He entrusted to us.
The first two stewards did exactly what they should have done. What do we see in verses 16 & 17? They both immediately started using their gifts.
This is a good reminder to us that we shouldn’t sit around and wait for “the right time” to do what God has called and equipped us to do.
You’ve probably had friends who have waited to do something, whether it’s start a family or change jobs or whatever it is.
Although there is a time for us to be cautious and wait, there is also a time to obey, even when it is difficult:
Proverbs 20:4 CSB
The slacker does not plow during planting season; at harvest time he looks, and there is nothing.
If God equips and calls you to do it, now is the time to be obedient, even if it is difficult.
That doesn’t mean you need to jump in to something impetuously, but it does mean that you should start taking what He has given you and doing what He is telling you to do with it.
There is another beautiful truth nestled in this. Look at verse 15
Why did God give each of these stewards what He gave them?
Because He knew they could handle it through the strength He supplied.
God gave to “each according to his own ability”, which tells us that if God gave you that gift, whether time, talent, or treasure, He knows that He can give you the strength to accomplish His will through it.
Notice the beautiful language of verse 20-21…
Here, the steward who was entrusted with the largest sum was commended for having used it to the fullest extent.
What seems to me to be even more beautiful, though, is what I see in verse 23…
It is an exact copy of what the master told the servant who had been given and made twice as much.
There is a beautiful truth in this: The amount isn’t important, the attitude is.
It is highly unlikely that God will ever use me to the extent of C.H. Spurgeon, D.L. Moody, Billy Graham, or Adrian Rogers.
Yet, it doesn’t matter. I have to be the best Sean Couch He equips and enables me to be.
When I get to heaven, He isn’t going to say, “Why didn’t you preach as well as those men, or win as many as those men?” Rather, He will ask me how faithful I have been with what He has entrusted to me.
The same applies in the area of finances. You may be in a situation where you have very little to give, if anything. You may not be in a position to give any more than you are already giving to the church.
If that’s you, remember that the amount isn’t important; the attitude is.
We will see that even more next week when we look at some of the excuses we give about why we don’t give when God prompts.
The flip side is also true. You may be able to give more than someone else, but are you giving at the level God has commanded you to give?
I have heard it said, “It’s not how much you give that’s important; it’s how much you have left over that matters.”
There is some real truth to this. The amount isn’t as important; the attitude is the key.
As we talk about giving to the church and meeting needs through our Season of Giving, I want you to know that the numbers are between you and God. You must do what God has called you to do to be faithful to Him.
If that’s one penny, praise the Lord. If that’s $1 million dollars, praise the Lord.
Whatever amount you give or don’t give, give in such a way that the Master who entrusted it to you will say,“Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’ (Matthew 25:23, CSB)
Ask yourself if your giving of your time, talents, and treasures would meet those qualifications:
Are you spending them on things God would consider “good”?
Are you being as faithful as possible with what He has given you?
Remember, this is the only life you have to give to the God who gave Himself for you.
“We have all eternity to celebrate our victories, but only one short hour before sunset in which to win them.” - Robert Moffat
Why is my stewardship important? Because we see with the third steward a third truth…

3) God rejects disobedience.

Here we have a man who took what God had given him and buried it in a hole.
We quickly discover that this guy didn’t genuinely know the Master…look in verse 24.
We can’t be certain about whether he was making up excuses on the fly or if he genuinely believed this about his master. Either way, he was wrong.
I think this is why a lot of people are scared to give their lives to Christ, to completely surrender everything they are and everything they have.
We are afraid because we don’t really trust that God will take care of us.
It seems like that may have played into this servant’s thinking. “My master is a hard man, and I don’t want to get in trouble.”
Perhaps he thought his master was so harsh that he didn’t figure it was worth trying, because he could never measure up.
That’s the closest the servant came to the truth: for us, we really can’t measure up to the standard God has set.
In fact, that’s what makes Christianity so amazing: God isn’t calling us to do something he himself didn’t do.
Ephesians 5:1–2 CSB
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
You see, we couldn’t save ourselves from our sin, so Jesus gave himself to die in our place.
He lovingly gave everything he had as a sacrifice and offering to God the Father, so if we will surrender to him, he clothes us in his righteousness.
That isn’t the mark of a harsh master; it is the mark of a loving Father who would do whatever it takes to rescue us.
If God would go to such great lengths to save me, then why would I be afraid he wouldn’t take care of me now that I am his?
The wicked servant didn’t understand that, though.
You see that this one who squandered all that he had been given was cast out completely.
Although a Christian cannot be cast out like this wicked slave was, we do know that we will have to give account for everything we have done:
1 Corinthians 3:11–15 CSB
For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.
Even with a relationship with Christ, you will still be accountable for what you do.
Luke 12:48 CSB
But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.
Be faithful in how you steward what He has given to you.
So, where are you in this whole process?
Perhaps you need to take the first step and recognize that God is calling you to surrender your life to him. He gave himself to save you if you will receive his gift of salvation.
Maybe you need to take time to transfer ownership back to the one whom it belongs.
Examine your life…If Jesus came back right now for what He has given you, would He be pleased with what you have done with your time, your talents and abilities, and your treasures?
If not, ask Him to be a better steward in everything.
If so, though, thank Him for how He has helped you to live in a way that is pleasing to Him.
As you think about the Season of Giving, as well as what God has called you to give to the church, allow the Spirit of God to speak to your heart about what part He wants you to pray. Remember, the amount isn’t important; the heart attitude is.
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