Stewardship: Taking Care of...

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”

INTRO—

[[Walk Up Song: “Jireh” MCM]]

STEWARDSHIP… ‘for the purpose of...’ (because it is sooo easy to have other motives regarding stewardship—specifically in relation to giving…), we do well to remind ourselves, again, of the purposes for strengthening spiritual habits in our lives:

Hebrews 12.14 “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness—without it no one will see the Lord.”

1 Timothy 4.7 “But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness.”

Stewardship…who established it AND to what does it extend?

ESTABLISHMENT OF STEWARDSHIP

The Bible shows us at least two clear instances in which stewardship and ownership are clearly delineated:

@ CREATION

Genesis 1.26-30 “(26)Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.”

@ SALVATION

2 Peter 1.3 “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

1 Peter 4.10 “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.”

EXTENT OF STEWARDSHIP

TREASURE: Things; Status; Money

Matthew 6.19-21 “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6.25 ““Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?”

Matthew 6.33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”

TALENT: Abilities; Education

1 Corinthians 6.19-20 “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.”

1 Corinthians 10.31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”

TIME: Time (duh); Life

Ephesians 5.15-16 “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil.”

Psalm 90.12 “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.”

CONCL—

Genesis 1.26 “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.””

1 Corinthians 6.19 “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,”

Owner—in this case, The King. We are stewards of everything we just mentioned. We do not own ONE BIT of any of it!!

Including, our lives…time, talent, treasure.

We have left out an ‘E’ in our consideration of stewardship thus far. This ‘E’ will be the focus of our time together for the next couple of Sundays in relationship to these areas of time, talent, and treasure… EXPECTATION—what does Our King, Our Father expect of us; meaning: what opportunities lie before us as stewards of the many blessings our Lord has entrusted to us.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 CSB

Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.

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