I’ve struggled all week as to how to summarize last Sunday’s sermon as we continue in First Things First. Why? Because more often than not, our minds immediately go to finances when this topic arises.
This week, our verses come from Luke 16:1-15. This is the story of the rich man and his steward. The story focuses on the steward who was about to be fired for wasting his master’s resources. Our sermon reminds us all that we have is God’s – not ours. He owns everything. If God owns everything, when we tithe, we are simple giving back to Him a portion from that which He blessed us. (And tithing is not giving to the church. Rather, tithing is giving through the church.) God is the owner; we are the stewards.
Yet, it’s not just about money. God also gave us the people in our lives – our spouses, our children and other family members, our friends, our co-workers, and our neighbors. Are we being good stewards of our relationships with them? How are we treating our spouses? With love and respect? Or is it all about us and what we want or feel we need? Are we raising our children to be followers of Christ with a deep and abiding love for Him? Are we being good stewards in our communities and sharing the good news with others? (If you are struggling with what Christ has done in your life, I recommend Kyle Idleman’s book Not a Fan.)
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
Luke 16:10-12
Are we good stewards of our time on earth? Or are you a workaholic (like me)? Is television or movies your thing? Maybe you are obsessed with Candy Crush on your phone (I’ve never understood the fascination with this game. ☹) Maybe you surf the internet for hours on end or are a Facebook or news junkie. Maybe for you, it’s the gym, golf, or football.
The question is – how much time you are spending building your relationship with God. How much time do you spend reading His word, praying, or sharing what He has done for you with non-believers? (We claim not to have enough time, but I know when I look back, there was plenty of time I could have given to God instead of something else).
15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize
that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
Revelations 3:15-17
Just because you believe in God, go to church regularly, and tithe, doesn’t mean you have a relationship with Christ. Sports fans believe in their teams, attend games regularly, and pay good money for seats at those games. What they don’t have is a relationship with the players on the team. They are fans, not followers.
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other,
or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Luke 16:13
What about your talents? Are you using those in a way that honors and glorifies God? What about your mind? Is it focused on God or something else?
Everything we are and everything we have belongs to God. Shouldn’t we be good stewards of all He has provided us?
The bottom line for today’s sermon? When God is first in every area of our lives, the rest of our lives will be filled with what it needs and His blessings flow.
Who or what is king of your life?
Challenge: Take time this week to acknowledge before God His ownership over all that you have. Begin to view your family, jobs, gifts/talents, and time as things that you steward rather than own. What obstacles impede you from viewing God as the owner of your finances, your children, your job, and your time? Confess them to God this week.
May your day be blessed!
-PSG-
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