Matthew 6:19-21 says:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
1 Peter 4:6-10 says:
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
We believe that God is the source of
Genesis 1:1 says:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Psalms 24:1 says:
The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
WE ARE CALLED
WE’VE BEEN GIVE A
1 Corinthians 4:1 says:
Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Stewardship goes well beyond the understanding of money and how it is handled. Although, we will see that God does teach us about this in scripture and it is a major portion of stewardship. We must look at those words again, “stewards of the mysteries of God.” It is not primarily monetary resources, but rather ALL resources that flow from the gracious hand of our God.
WE’VE BEEN GIVEN
The favor that we have received is not because we are special or holy. Remember always that we are holy because
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 says:
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
What a favor we have received! Did you notice what Paul was telling the church in Corinth? He said:
1. Diversities of
2. Different
3. Diversities of
4. Finally, it is God, though the Holy Spirit, working
WE MUST GIVE AN
With this responsibility of stewardship, we will be required to stand before our Lord and give a record of how we
Romans 14:12 says:
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
1 Corinthians 4:2 says:
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
How can we make sure that our stewardship is correct and honest before Him and others? Remembering:
WE ARE
OUR OWN…
1 Corinthians 6:20 says:
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Paul understood this when he spoke about his life in Christ to the Roman Christians.
Romans 1:14 says:
I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
IT IS FOR THE
OF
…
IT SHOULD BE
BY
…
2 Corinthians 9:7 says:
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
IT SHOULD HAVE
MOTIVES…
Don’t do things so that others can see them. It is time to stop taking your selfies and making your daily posts on social media of your labor in the Lord.
“If you receive your reward on an earthly basis of praise and applause from men and women around you, then rejoice in that reward because that is all you will receive.” —Steve Abney
Matthew 6:1-4 says:
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
IT SHOULD BE A
…
It is more blessed to give than to receive!
Acts 20:35 says:
I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
We are to be “good stewards” of our gifts. The word used is
“We are called to properly manage our money, time, talents, gifts, opportunities, etc… Stewardship reaches into every area of a Christian’s life.” —Stanley Kilgore
Romans 12:6-8 says:
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
THE EXAMPLE OF THE
Tithe – is 1/10 of income and belongings that are given to God’s work through the church. It is a giving of the first-fruits unto the Lord in the act of
Leviticus 27:30-32 says:
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. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.
In Genesis 14:20, Abraham
1 Corinthians 16:2 says:
On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
I find it very difficult to believe that a person is willing to lay down and surrender their lives to the will of God, if they struggle to let go of a $5 bill. —Steve Abney
Let me leave you with this question, and you decide:
If the tithe of 10% was enough in the days of the
WE ARE STEWARDS OF THE
OF
1 Peter 4:10 says:
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the