Stewardship – Managing God’s Goods (21)

Many people fail to recognise that all things belongs to God, He has made us His stewards, therefor we are accountable to Him in how our we use our time, talents and material possessions. The owner Himself, Jesus, gave all to save us, and desires therefor that we become more like him by our willingness to be faithful with what He has entrusted us. Greed is said to be the root of all evil; God has an antidote to this problem, let’s find out what it is.

How much does God own and does it include our money? Psalms 24:1
“1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (See also Psalms 50:10-11, which includes the cattle, fowl and beasts, while Haggai 2:8,  highlights that both silver and gold belong to God too.)

Who has God made His stewards? Genesis 1:26
“26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

How is God, man and the dominion represented in Christ’s object lesson in this passage? Matthew 25:14-30
“14 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.”

Another name for goods is talents or money, according to what where they distributed? Matthew 25:14-30
“15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.”

What did the man expect the servants should do with the talents, that made him delighted? Matthew 25:19-23
“19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

What was the man accused of, which dishonoured him and misrepresented his character? Matthew 25:24-25
“24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.”

What was the consequence of dishonouring the man by hiding and not multiplying the talents received? Matthew 25:26-30
“26 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: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 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. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

How much of what we have does God expect us to return to Him? Luke 14:33
“33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

That sound like quite a lot!

Does this mean Christians are expected to sell all their possessions and live in monasteries? Luke 5:27-29
“27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. 28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.”

What does forsaking all really mean then? 2 Corinthians 8:11
“11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.” (See also Matthew 19:20-22, revealing a young rich man who’s possessions have become his god.)

What is the first reason Christ asks so much of us? Psalms 119:73
“73 JOD. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.”

What is the second reason? 1 Corinthians 6:20
“20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (See also 1 Peter 1:18-19, confirming that we were bought, not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, the spotless Lamb of God.)

Nothing more could be offered for our salvation!

God set up systematic benevolence as a lesson of His willingness to up all, and an antidote to greed, what is this system called in the Bible? Genesis 14:18-20
“18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” (See also Hebrew 7:1-6, illustrating how all tithes belong to God, even ministers are expected to make use of this principle.)

What’s the definition of tithes? Noah Webster’s 1828
“The tenth part of the increase annually arising from the profits of land and stock, allotted to the clergy for their support. Tithes are personal, predial, or mixed; personal, when accruing from labor, art, trade and navigation; predial, when issuing from the earth, as hay, wood and fruit; and mixed, when accruing from beasts, which are fed from the ground.”

Abraham taught this principle to his children and grandchildren, how much of his increase did Jacob commit to give a tithe of? Genesis 28:20-22
“20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.”

When Israel became an organised nation, the system of tithing was still binding, who does it belong to and of what character is it? Leviticus 27:30
“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 unto the LORD.”

What does God intend His tithe to be used for? Numbers 18:21, 23-24
“21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. … 23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.”

Was this still the case in the New Testament? 1 Corinthians 9:13-14
“13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.”

What was the result of neglecting to return their tithes and how did God view them ? Malachi 3:8-9
“8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.”

Will a practicing robber inherit the kingdom of God? 1 Corinthians 6:10
“10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

What does God promise those who faithfully return His tithe to provide gospel food for hungry souls? Malachi 3:10
“10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

The tithes is to go to God’s house, where is that, and under what condition? 1 Timothy 3:15
“15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

One man required of Jesus how to inherit eternal life, what did Jesus tell him he lacked? Mark 10:17-21
“17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”

What was he not willing to give up to follow Christ, making it his god? Mark 10:21-25
“22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

Is it impossible for God to break our chains of greed, and what is the reward of those that are willing to give up all for Christ? Mark 10:26-3
“26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? 27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. 28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. 29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, 30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

Friend,

Apostle Peter left it all and won it all. The rich man left nothing and lost it all. Are you willing to give of your time, talents, aspirations and tithe, in other words 10% of your income, in order to advance the work of God?