Faithful Stewardship: Aligning Motives with God's Purpose
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound teachings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, particularly focusing on the importance of motives and the dangers of performing acts of faith for the wrong reasons. We are reminded that our actions should not be done to be seen by others, but rather to honor God. This theme is further illustrated through the parable of the unjust steward in Luke 16, which emphasizes the necessity of preparing for our eternal future and being faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us.
The unjust steward, though shrewd in securing his temporal future, serves as a contrast to how we should be preparing for our eternal future. Jesus teaches that faithfulness in small things leads to greater responsibilities and blessings. This principle applies not only to spiritual matters but also to our everyday lives. We are called to be faithful with the unrighteous mammon, or worldly possessions, recognizing that they are entrusted to us by God for a purpose.
Moreover, the message challenges us to examine our hearts and ensure that we are serving God rather than mammon. The Pharisees, who were covetous, serve as a warning against justifying ourselves before men while neglecting the true condition of our hearts before God. Ultimately, the call is to secure our heavenly interests by being faithful stewards of all that God has given us, understanding that our actions here have eternal significance.
Key Takeaways:
1. True Motives in Worship: Our acts of worship and service should be motivated by a genuine desire to honor God, not to gain the approval of others. This requires a heart check to ensure our motives align with God's will. [00:45]
2. Faithfulness in Small Things: Being faithful in small, seemingly insignificant tasks is crucial, as it prepares us for greater responsibilities. This principle applies to both spiritual and material aspects of life, teaching us that God values our stewardship of all He entrusts to us. [47:12]
3. The Danger of Covetousness: Covetousness can lead us away from serving God, as it shifts our focus to what others have rather than being grateful for what God has given us. This mindset can hinder our spiritual growth and stewardship. [01:13:43]
4. Serving the Right Master: We cannot serve both God and mammon. Our allegiance must be clear, as serving mammon leads to misplaced trust and priorities. True stewardship involves using our resources for God's glory, not for personal gain. [01:03:16]
5. Eternal Perspective: Preparing for our eternal future involves being mindful of the accounting we will give before God. Our stewardship of earthly resources reflects our understanding of their eternal significance, urging us to invest in heavenly treasures. [01:16:29]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:45] - The Importance of Right Motives
- [05:30] - The Unjust Steward Parable
- [12:00] - Faithfulness in Small Things
- [20:15] - The Role of Urgency in Stewardship
- [27:45] - Understanding Unrighteous Mammon
- [35:00] - Serving God vs. Serving Mammon
- [42:30] - The Danger of Covetousness
- [47:12] - Faithfulness and True Riches
- [55:13] - Stewardship in Everyday Life
- [01:03:16] - Choosing the Right Master
- [01:10:09] - Raising Children with Eternal Perspective
- [01:13:43] - The Pharisees' Response
- [01:16:29] - Securing Heavenly Interests
- [01:19:14] - Invitation and Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Luke 16:1-15
- Matthew 6:1-4
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Observation Questions:
1. In the parable of the unjust steward, what actions did the steward take to secure his future after losing his position? How did his master respond to these actions? [16:29]
2. According to the sermon, what is the significance of being faithful in small things, and how does this relate to greater responsibilities? [47:12]
3. How does Jesus contrast the behavior of the Pharisees with the expectations He has for His disciples in terms of motives and stewardship? [01:13:43]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between serving God and serving mammon? [01:03:16]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the parable of the unjust steward illustrate the importance of preparing for our eternal future, and what lessons can be drawn about our current stewardship? [16:29]
2. In what ways does the sermon challenge the listener to examine their motives in acts of worship and service? How can one ensure their motives align with God's will? [00:45]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the dangers of covetousness, and how can this mindset impact one's spiritual growth and stewardship? [01:13:43]
4. How does the sermon interpret the concept of "unrighteous mammon," and what practical steps can be taken to ensure it is used for God's glory rather than personal gain? [01:03:16]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current acts of worship and service. Are there any areas where your motives might be more about gaining approval from others rather than honoring God? How can you realign your motives this week? [00:45]
2. Identify a small task or responsibility in your life that you might be overlooking. How can you approach it with greater faithfulness, and what steps will you take to ensure it is done to the best of your ability? [47:12]
3. Consider a time when you felt envious of what others have. How did this affect your relationship with God and your ability to be a faithful steward of what you have been given? What changes can you make to cultivate gratitude? [01:13:43]
4. Examine your financial habits and the way you manage your resources. Are there any areas where you might be placing your trust in material possessions rather than in God? What practical changes can you make to serve God with your resources? [01:03:16]
5. Think about a specific area in your life where you might be serving mammon instead of God. What steps can you take to shift your focus and ensure your allegiance is clear? [01:03:16]
6. How can you incorporate an eternal perspective into your daily decisions and actions? Identify one decision you will make this week with eternity in mind. [01:16:29]
7. Reflect on the sermon’s message about the Pharisees' response to Jesus. How can you guard against self-justification and ensure your heart is right before God? [01:13:43]
Devotional
Day 1: Worship with Pure Motives
Our acts of worship and service should be motivated by a genuine desire to honor God, not to gain the approval of others. This requires a heart check to ensure our motives align with God's will. When we perform acts of faith, it is crucial to examine whether we are doing them to be seen by others or to truly honor God. The Sermon on the Mount reminds us that God sees the heart and values sincerity over outward appearances. Our worship should be an expression of our love and reverence for God, not a means to elevate ourselves in the eyes of others. [00:45]
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a recent act of service or worship you performed. Were your motives aligned with honoring God, or were you seeking approval from others? How can you ensure your future actions are genuinely for God's glory?
Day 2: Faithfulness in Small Things
Being faithful in small, seemingly insignificant tasks is crucial, as it prepares us for greater responsibilities. This principle applies to both spiritual and material aspects of life, teaching us that God values our stewardship of all He entrusts to us. The parable of the unjust steward in Luke 16 illustrates the importance of being faithful with what we have, no matter how small. Jesus teaches that those who are trustworthy in little will be trusted with much. This principle encourages us to be diligent and responsible in all areas of our lives, recognizing that our faithfulness in small things is a reflection of our character and readiness for greater opportunities. [47:12]
"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." (Luke 16:10, ESV)
Reflection: Identify a small task or responsibility in your life that you may have overlooked. How can you approach it with greater faithfulness and diligence starting today?
Day 3: Guarding Against Covetousness
Covetousness can lead us away from serving God, as it shifts our focus to what others have rather than being grateful for what God has given us. This mindset can hinder our spiritual growth and stewardship. The Pharisees, who were covetous, serve as a warning against justifying ourselves before men while neglecting the true condition of our hearts before God. Covetousness distracts us from our relationship with God and can lead to misplaced priorities. By focusing on gratitude and contentment, we can guard our hearts against the dangers of covetousness and remain faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us. [01:13:43]
"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you may be experiencing covetousness. How can you cultivate a heart of gratitude and contentment in that area today?
Day 4: Choosing the Right Master
We cannot serve both God and mammon. Our allegiance must be clear, as serving mammon leads to misplaced trust and priorities. True stewardship involves using our resources for God's glory, not for personal gain. Jesus emphasizes the importance of choosing whom we will serve, as divided loyalties can lead to spiritual compromise. By prioritizing our relationship with God and using our resources to further His kingdom, we demonstrate our commitment to serving Him above all else. This choice requires intentionality and a willingness to let go of worldly attachments that compete for our devotion. [01:03:16]
"No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." (Luke 16:13, ESV)
Reflection: Consider your current priorities and how they reflect your allegiance. Are there areas where you are serving mammon instead of God? What steps can you take to realign your priorities with serving God?
Day 5: Living with an Eternal Perspective
Preparing for our eternal future involves being mindful of the accounting we will give before God. Our stewardship of earthly resources reflects our understanding of their eternal significance, urging us to invest in heavenly treasures. The parable of the unjust steward serves as a reminder that our actions on earth have eternal consequences. By living with an eternal perspective, we are encouraged to use our time, talents, and resources to invest in things that have lasting value. This mindset helps us focus on what truly matters and motivates us to live in a way that honors God and secures our heavenly interests. [01:16:29]
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19-20, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on how you are currently investing your time, talents, and resources. Are you prioritizing things with eternal significance? How can you shift your focus to invest more in heavenly treasures?
Quotes
Praise the Lord. Amen. I'll tell you, the person that needs that song the most is the person that's been forgiven the most And I hope if your heart's right with God You realize that's you today And there's not one person here You say, oh they've been forgiven more than I have I'll tell you, I've been forgiven the most And I'm so thankful for the love of God And our text kind of gets into the The teachings the Lord made on the Sermon on the Mount That's probably not the last time I'll say that this morning But I was just, I was mindful this morning And just convicted this morning As I was just studying and preparing Of all the, when the Lord gets in the teachings In the Sermon on the Mount Especially in chapter number 6 He talks about doing things for the right reason And doing things with the right motive And how many times the, you know We can be Pharisees We can just be actors, right That's who he's kind of contrasting his disciples with And he says, man, you're doing it And you did it to be seen of men And you have your reward And I was just thinking about that this morning How many times are we guilty of just doing it And that's a new handkerchief, by the way I put it in there this morning, alright Just to be seen of men And that the Holy Spirit of God I know has pricked my heart before And gone, well, how was that? You got what you wanted And I'm telling you We ought not to do what we do To be seen of men Absolutely, that wouldn't be the right motive But I do think this, though I do think this And I went up to Brother Keith After the choir song Because, I mean, I was ready to shout After the choir got done singing And I really thought you should have been too But I didn't hear one of you even grunt I mean, I heard some nostril breathing Probably about it That's about it And I don't want to be I don't want to do this I don't want to be a cheerleader I don't think a pastor is to be a cheerleader Or a preacher is to be a cheerleader But I do also believe this That the redeemed of the Lord ought to say so And you say, well, we've heard that choir sing that song before I know we had things get canceled last minute And they said, hey, choir, we know this one Let's do this one this morning But we picked that one Because I think we should sing that every Sunday Quite honestly I'd be okay to just do it as an opener For every service Or my hope is Jesus And so while at the same time I don't want to be a cheerleader I am going to admonish you My goodness Pay attention during the music Amen And our musicians work at what they do And the choir works at what they do They have to meet at 345 And I am not nice at choir practice I am not You can ask any of them I'm mean And you say, why are you so mean? Because when I was in high school I was in great magical choirs And stuff like that And Mr. Busby didn't show up to choir practice To be our friend He wanted us to sound good You know And so I want our choir to sound good So I don't show up and go Hey, I'm here to be your best friend And we're going to just hold each other's hand And sing kumbaya Because we don't sing kumbaya around here We don't We never have By the grace of God Never will You know And But at the same time Man, as a church family Come on When the music's right It's okay to raise your hand And Brother Keith said I almost ran a lap Some of you have no idea what that is You say It's Pentecostal It's a little Pentecostal But it's alright As long as you're not doing it To be seen as men Alright Don't do it to be seen as men And I'm not talking about getting crazy at all I'm not talking about that We need to be decent and in order in the house of God Everything we do ought to be decent and in order But at the same time It's okay to maybe You know Jump up and shout amen every now and then When we agree That our hope is Jesus And when we agree that That man I stand redeemed today Not because of me But because of the grace of God That's worth just I mean getting a little upset I mean I'm not upset Excited about Every now and then And if everybody thinks you're upset That's alright They can judge you And God will judge them It'll be alright But yeah amen So I too have been wondering How this morning's sermon Was going to be going all week Like Brother Keith said I mean It's dangerous to like Leave off one Because I kind of At the end of it Didn't even get to the end of the notes And I kind of married some things together So we're somewhere In the midst of chapter number 16 of Luke Alright so if you find your place there In chapter number 16 And we're going to read the first 15 verses There this morning And we said last week We had three points to our message And we almost got through one And so today we're going to look at the other two Alright And so if you would Just honor the word of God We're all standing But Luke 16 Just begin with me in verse number 1 And we'll read down We looked at the first In detail The first 8 to 12 verses Verses 1 through 8 But we looked at the parable last week And it says in this In verse number 1 It says And he said unto his disciples There was a certain rich man Which had a steward And the same was accused unto him That he had wasted his goods And he called him And said unto him How is it that I hear this of thee Give an account of thy stewardship For thou mayest be no longer steward Then the steward said within himself What shall I do? For my Lord taketh away from me the stewardship I cannot dig I'm lazy I cannot beg I'm ashamed I'm too proud I am resolved what to do That when I am put out of the stewardship They may receive me into their houses He was going to make sure That his temporal conditions were taken care of That his needs temporarily were met So he called every one of his Lord's debtors unto him And he said unto the first How much owest thou unto my Lord? And he said A hundred measures of oil And he said unto him Take thy bill And sit down And sit down quickly And write fifty And he said unto another How much owest thou? And he said A hundred measures of wheat And he said unto him Take thy bill And write four score And the Lord commended the unjust steward Because he had done wisely For the children of this world Are in their generation Wiser than the children of light And again I just want to reiterate God was not giving us [00:21:31]
A plan on how we ought to be shrewd in business He was trying to help us understand the contrast And that there are some things That we might want to pick up on And learn of the shrewdness of this unjust servant And that we might want to just stop And realize that his urgency To make sure that his future was taken care of Is on our mind and heart as well That our future is secure And we know we have a home in heaven But we also know that we're going to give an accounting there And we ought to spend some time Preparing for the accounting That's pretty much last week's message Verse 9 I say unto you Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness That when ye fail They may receive you into everlasting habitation He that is faithful in that which is least Is faithful also in much And he that is unjust in the least Is unjust also in much If therefore ye have not been faithful In the unrighteous mammon Who shall commit to yourselves the true riches And if ye have not been There that word is again for the third time In the third consecutive verse Faithful In that which is another man's Who shall give you that which is your own No servant can serve two masters Either he will hate the one And love the other Or else he will hold to the one And despise the other Ye cannot serve God and mammon And the Pharisees also Who were covetous Heard all these things And they derided him And he said unto them Ye are they which justify yourself before men But God knoweth your hearts For that which is highly esteemed among men Is abomination in the sight of God And so we gave this passage of scripture This title Secure your heavenly interests Secure your heavenly interests Amen Let's go to the Lord in prayer Heavenly Father God we thank you so much for your goodness And your grace to us God we ask that you would allow us this morning That we would be able to glean here From this passage As we're kind of picking up where we left off last week And in the middle of this passage somewhere And I know there's some things that you Lord have helped me with over the week And talk to me about And so Lord I pray that there would be a camaraderie Between last Sunday and this Sunday As we are just considering these continued thoughts About this unjust steward And Lord that we would have a desire That our heavenly interest would be a secure God That one day Lord in thanks to you Lord God that we in service to you Are going to have our works tried as by fire And Lord God that Lord that which remaineth God we get to offer to you in thanksgiving Of all that you've done for us Lord God I pray that our heart would be right In our service And God that our reward would be great That we might be able to show forth Our love for you one day For all the love you've shown to us And God we thank you so much for these things In Jesus name we pray Amen You may be seated So I just want us to just kind of be reminded Just a little bit Jesus has left off speaking to the Pharisees Who were really puffed up in their self -righteousness And were kind of arguing a little bit with him And so he's been addressing them From chapter number 14 and 15 We're kind of just having this ongoing conversation And now Jesus is changing his audience And he's no longer talking to the scribes and the Pharisees And he in chapter number 15 Talked to the publicans and sinners And now he's talking to his disciples Here in chapter number 16 He's addressing his disciples And he's addressing with them Some reoccurring themes that have come up Throughout his ministry And we began by talking about The Sermon on the Mount That was at the beginning of Christ's ministry As Christ gave this sermon In Matthew 5, 6, and 7 On what it is to be a disciple And a child of God And he gave them a long sermon on this And this is what a child of God is to be And this is what a child of God is to do And this is what a child of God should be focused on And here in this chapter As he's been talking to the self -righteous Pharisees And then he talked to publicans and sinners He is now talking to his disciples Those who have chosen to follow after him Those who have taken up their cross And are walking with him daily He is talking to them And thus, as we said last week I'll say it again Should cause you and I If we know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior And we have been able to be partaker Of his free gift of salvation Through Jesus Christ And we are desirous to walk with him And for him to order our steps It should cause us In this passage of scripture When he says, listen, disciples I have something to say to you We ought to all sit up a little bit And go, okay, what's he getting ready to say? What's he getting ready to say? What's the instruction that he wants to give us? And he gave them this parable It was the parable of the unjust steward It's this parable that he wanted them to hear And then he gives them an explanation of the parable And we'll talk about that more for sure today And in the midst of all of that We get to the end of verse number 15 And we find out that While he was talking directly to his disciples The self -righteous Pharisees were still listening in That's why we say chapter 14, 15, and 16 It's kind of a continuation on And the Lord's going to turn back around And address the self -righteous And we need to get this and understand this The Lord is at the end of his ministry now And he's still teaching and standing upon The same things that his disciples Should have learned at the very beginning He's trying to reiterate them to them now He's very shortly going to go up to Golgotha And going to give his life as a sacrifice For the sin of all mankind For my sin and for you And he wants to make sure that his disciples Glean these truths That he has been teaching them And trying to teach them And in different ways reiterated to them Now numerous times Some people say, man, pastor has hobby horses Well, friend, listen to me If we can say it like this Jesus had a few hobby horses of his own He did I mean, there you can read through the gospels And you're going to find the themes That we see very distinctly given In the Sermon on the Mount Are stretched throughout the gospels And throughout the ministry of Jesus Christ Because they were important things You look at Paul And Paul's writings And several times Paul says this Hey, I want to bring you to remembrance These are some things you need to remember Peter, in his writings He says, listen, even though you're established In these truths I mean, you've got these things And you know them I'm going to remind you of them again I mean, all the way through the word of God We just see God's reminding us about stuff And reminding us about stuff And reminding us about stuff Because I'm just telling you We aren't as smart as we think we are We just tend to forget a few things I was joking with my mom and dad this week My wife saw a meme And I was like, oh, get this I called my I poloed my mom and dad And I said, hey I said, just want you to know Rochelle and I bought you all a gift It's a new GPS And it's for the elderly And this new GPS Not only will get you to the destination You want to go to But when you arrive It'll remind you of why you went there Amen And you say, well, that's funny Some people might be offended That's fine too But listen But listen We forget things, don't we? We forget things Even though I'm wet behind the ears still So young, you know And next month I got a 20 -year -old But I'm still so young, you know I came over here and I thought I forgot to get the choir music And I went back over to Building B To where we store all the choir music And I walked up to My office is on the right hand And the room we store All the choir stuff's on the left hand And I got to that point in the hallway And I went Did I forget something in my office? Or what was I coming here for? I thought Looked in my office Like, no, I think I got everything From my office And oh, yeah, choir music And so I got it, you know And it's just It's just how we are We're forgetful of some things Even though we know We know what we're doing, right? Come on, come on We all know what we're doing I mean, there's You can go to The youngest teenager here They've got life all figured out, you know Already They got it all figured out Amen I mean, they know what they're doing We all are that way And sometimes we just need to be reminded And Jesus was reminding them His disciples Over and over and over again And He gave this parable In verses number 1 through 8 To remind them of the reality of accounting This is not something new The Lord has taught them But it is just another way In which He's trying to reiterate This truth to them That listen There is going to be an accounting one day And just as an unjust steward Is going to do everything they can To make sure that their temporal life Is taken care of And that they have everything that they want And that they think they need out of life So the child of God should realize That we don't live While we do not live for this temporal life That is here and now We ought to be making preparation for eternity That we are going to spend eternity with God And that we are going to give an account before God And while in this life Your Christian stewardship Might not get called into account There will be a time for each and every one of us When the stewardship of those things That another man has given us God Is going to be called into account And we need to take account of those things now And make sure that we are stewarding them properly Right here and now Because one day It might be That you would suffer loss If you don't start putting attention Into those things That are going to last for eternity And it's not the things of this life That are going to last in eternity But how we steward the things of this life Are going to matter In eternity Amen There are no U -Hauls going to heaven Amen But at the same time That which we do with the unrighteous mammon here Is going to matter later there And so we understand this truth That the Lord is trying to help his disciples to understand And God begins to help his disciples To gain this understanding As he gets into verses number 9 Down through verse number 13 And he helps them to understand The responsibility of the steward Of a true steward Not of an unjust steward But of the unjust steward We should learn that a true steward Should have urgency And should put great care Into the things that God has given to them And he starts out in verse number 10 And he just gives this And these are not hard things to understand We are going to talk about them a little bit But I don't want to belabor them this morning Understanding this That it shouldn't be That they're difficult to understand And I'm pretty confident That most of you have heard these verses before Or heard teaching on them Maybe not from this passage of scripture But from elsewhere in the gospels And he says this in verse number 10 He that is faithful In that which is least Is faithful also in what? [00:41:52]
He that is unjust In the least Is unjust also in Right You say well What's it mean? What's the great mystery? The heart word of God Is so hard to understand It's not It's not Christ made it really simple He made it really simple If you'll be faithful In the little things Guess what? You're going to also be faithful in Okay some of you got it So if you'll be faithful in little things You can also be trusted to be faithful with It's that simple But if you're not going to be faithful with little things You're also Listen you can mark it down You're not going to be faithful with You're just not That's what Christ is trying to help you understand So you as a steward ought to learn That while you might have a little today If you'll steward it properly It can develop into much No no no If you'll learn that I have just a little bit of stewardship In fact the little that I have I might not even count it to as stewardship I can't even rub two nickels together right now But listen If you'll take the little bit that you have And you'll steward it properly Then you're going to be able to be at a place To where you're going to one day wind up with much I'll just be honest with you This is a biblical principle for all of eternity For the child of God But it's also a biblical principle for us Right here and now On this earth If someone will be faithful with the little bit they have And they'll steward it properly It's going to turn into much But if they're going to act like The little bit I have doesn't matter And I'll start paying attention To the little bit When I get much Then friend listen to me You can just mark this down You're probably never going to have very much Because the little that you have doesn't matter But when you take a little And you allow it to be stewarded properly It's going to increase By the grace of God And God's going to be able to take a little And compound that interest And he's going to be able to make it much And one day in heaven There will be those who will have much To show for eternity Because they allow their treasure to be in heaven Where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt Where thieves don't break through and steal But there are going to be some They didn't lay up any treasure in heaven They're going to put their trust In the things of this earth And of this world And the little they have Is not going to amount to hardly anything at all It's not going to amount to much The second is right here And I want us to get this This word He that is faithful Don't forget that That's important He that is faithful [00:47:42]
And then look again, we pointed this out as we were reading that this word faithful is used three times, but look at verse number 11. [00:50:21]
It says, If therefore ye have not been faithful in unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? [00:50:30]
Faithfulness is to be seen in the little that we have. It's also to be seen in the things that we might go, these don't matter. It's unrighteous. Come on. Faithfulness is to be seen in things that are little. Faithfulness is also to be seen in the things that are, well, we wouldn't consider these to be heavenly. Come on. They're unrighteous. [00:50:40]
These little things that we just kind of can take for granted, they're not heavenly things. These aren't the oracles of God. These aren't the riches of spirituality or anything. These are just unrighteous things that don't really for themselves and of themselves matter for eternity. They're unrighteous. But the Lord is helping his disciples to understand that they must be faithful in the things that are even unrighteous. It's not telling us to go and involve ourself in unrighteous activity, but to realize that things like cars, they don't matter for eternity. [00:51:04]
But if you neglect to change the oil in your said car, it's going to cost you more than if you went ahead and did some routine maintenance on it. No, no, no. The car in and of itself is unrighteous. And your house in and of itself is unrighteous. Your clothes in and of themselves, there's nothing redeemable about them, wholly necessarily about them. [00:51:21]
They say, are these going to be, wear these clothes in heaven. No, no, no. You're going to get a robe, a white robe. Praise the Lord. That's true. You're like, what? No, no. We have robes of righteousness given to us. But listen, if therefore ye have been faithful in the things that are unrighteous mammon, if you haven't even been faithful with those things, why in the world do you think, well, that the Lord would bless you with things that are of real value? Say, wait a second, preacher. Now, there's some cars out there that are pretty valuable. There are some clothes out there that are pretty valuable. There are some homes that are more valuable than others. I understand. But when you'll take what you have been given and you'll be faithful with it, then listen, one day you're going to be finding this, that God's looking at the things he's given you and says, man, they have respect to what I've given them. [00:51:53]
This is going to matter later. [00:53:02]
The things that they've been given, they respect. [00:53:04]
It might not be the nicest car. It might not be the nicest clothes. It might not be the nicest house. It might not be the greatest job. But they have respect under the one that's given it to them. And they care about the things that they have. And the reason they care about the things that they have is because they understand the need of being faithful as a steward. [00:53:05]
I don't know what that's wrong with that. But come on. We realize the need of being faithful as a steward, that it doesn't matter. Man, I'm so thankful that God has given something to me. [00:53:29]
And I'm going to be faithful with everything he's given to me. Yeah. [00:53:37]
Look at verse number 13. [00:53:49]
It says it again in a different way. [00:53:52]
It says, I'm sorry, verse number 12. It says, if therefore ye have been faithful in that which is another man's, or if you've not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? [00:53:54]
So here we have you over here. You have a little. What am I doing today? I don't know. It's the wire? I don't know. All right. Here we are. You are over here. You have little. Okay? What you have, you wouldn't look at and go, Mom, I'm telling you, these shoes that I'm wearing, they matter for eternity. Come on. [00:54:10]
I'll just tell you, this couch that we have, it matters for eternity. Come on. I'm just telling you, all these things that we possess, these little things that are kind of insignificant, they are themselves are kind of just unrighteous mammon. We'll talk about that more in a minute. Don't lose me on this. But they have no righteousness of their own. They're just, they just are. We're faithful with those. Guess what? Because we realize that we didn't get those for ourselves. No, no. All that little that we have over there, that just doesn't seem like much. You know who gave that to us? Another man. And that's God. [00:54:31]
God gave us stewardship of things that sometimes, sometimes if we're not careful, people can be unjust in. [00:54:55]
And that they can act like their stewardship of them is really trifle and trivial, and it doesn't really matter, and that accounting day is never really going to come, and it doesn't matter. But I'm telling you, accounting day is going to come, and so that you need to get to a point to where you, with the little that you have, realize that even though it might not seem like much, and in and of itself might not seem as if this is, man, this is what's going to get me rewards in heaven, you understand that the purpose of that which you have has been given to you by God for your understanding of stewardship. [00:55:23]
You know what sometimes we get guilty of? Just looking at the little that we have and going, man, I'd rather be stewarding what they have than what I have. If I could steward what they have, I'm telling you. I mean, life would be so much better if I could steward what God allows them to steward. Here's the problem. God understands what you have the capability of stewarding. He does. [00:55:53]
God understands what you have the capability of doing with that which He gave you to steward. And so thus God did not give you what somebody else has because God knows you and God knows all men and God understands the hearts of man and God doesn't need you looking up in heaven going, God, I just wish you would have given me better stuff to steward. No, no, no. God wants you to be grateful and thankful for the stuff that you've been given to steward, understanding that if you'll be faithful with those little things that don't seem like they amount to much of anything, then this is what's going to happen is there's going to be Him that's going to come along and trust you with some true riches. No, no, no. That God can come along. He can really trust you with some things that are valuable. [00:56:20]
I was thinking about this. [00:56:55]
I was like, man, I don't want to embarrass him, but Sean come up. I already asked him if I can embarrass him a little bit. [00:56:57]
And he's my son, and so I get to do this. But I did ask for permission. I don't think this is going to necessarily be embarrassing, but I just stand on that side. Say, that's your son. That's my son, 20 years old now, next month. He's 20 years old, still single. We're taking applications. [00:57:01]
They go through his mother and his oldest sister, and they're a pretty tough crew. But here we are. Here we are. [00:57:17]
We can, and I just thought this was, I was thinking about this application. [00:57:22]
There's a difference in what I am and what he is. [00:57:24]
Some of you can laugh about that. It's okay. Right? Like, yeah, you have much more than he does. Absolutely. I get that. I get that. [00:57:26]
But I was thinking about this. Here we are, you know, separated by 23, almost 24 years in life. All right? And that which he has and that which I have, I'm telling you, they're worlds apart. [00:57:34]
In fact, that which he has is very much dependent upon that which I have. Even though today. All right? Even though today. If I was to take what I have and I was to say, listen, what I have is no longer available to you, guess what? He has is not going to get him very far. No, no, no. You know what? I'm just talking about in the things of this world, what he has are not as great as what I have. And what was taken, if what I have was taken away from him, then guess what? He wouldn't be very far. He wouldn't. Now, we're trying to teach him slowly. And his mom's like, we need to be pushing, teaching faster. I'm like, just, I know what I'm doing. Just let me, let me do this. But, okay, up until like a year ago, who paid for your cell phone? I did. Now, we cut that off. We cut that off. [00:57:49]
He's still in college, still going to school. And so, and then, what have we talked, we've talked about, like, things like car insurance. [00:58:37]
Yeah, one day, guess what? I'm not paying that. Today, I am. [00:58:41]
But he's aware of how much it costs. [00:58:43]
And we're going through his bills and going, okay, can you afford this? Okay, well, I'll keep paying it then, I guess. No, no, no. No, he could actually afford that one. We might just dump that, Mom. After the sermon, he might have that one all by yourself. But no, no, no. We're looking at what Mom and Dad are taking care of. And right now, guess what? Who kept him warm during the last freeze? I did. I did. I kept him warm. I kept a roof over his head. Guess whose refrigerator he was eating out of? Mine. No, come on. I'm trying to help us understand. [00:58:45]
He has some things he doesn't even realize. [00:59:23]
He has some things in his life that, I'm telling you, until he has to start paying for them, he does not realize the great riches that they are. [00:59:25]
And it's not because Dad is, like, super rich. Don't get me wrong. [00:59:30]
It's that in comparison, I'm far richer than he is. In comparison. Now, here's the reality. [00:59:32]
If he'll be faithful with his job that he's working, one day he'll be able to look back at his son and go, listen, I'm richer than you are. [00:59:37]
While Dad today, listen, while Dad today can, and he doesn't, but could just go out to eat anytime he wants, he's looking at him today and going, listen, buddy, you probably not need to go out to eat as much. [00:59:49]
You might want to go buy a pack of bologna and eat bologna tonight and hold on to a little bit of that money that's in your pocket and burning a hole. [01:00:04]
No, I mean, those are things, you're not at the same level. Well, the dad's at, right? [01:00:10]
And so, like, but we can understand that this works in life. [01:00:12]
So, when we think about the greater between the two, right? Right? One day, he might own his own home. One day. [01:00:14]
But again, right now, the idea of paying tuition at college and room and board when we finally get this building open and I can kick him out, amen? That's a big deal. [01:00:20]
We aren't even talking about a mortgage yet. Right? We aren't talking about that. There are two different levels that we're at. Here's the thing, though. But if he'll steward his job, you know, one day, he might be able to. This might be. If he's faithful with his, and I'm not trying to belittle a menial job. You need to be thankful for the job you have. [01:00:32]
But in my job, it's in the church bylaws, I get days off. I get them. I get vacation days. I do. Paid vacation days. I'm on salary. I get sick days, and we try to, we do our very best. Make sure that we aren't just willy -nilly, just everybody just take off as they please. No, no, no. We want to steward those properly. They're a gift from the church. We're grateful for them. And all of our staff needs to be, we are mindful of the days that the church gives us. And we're mindful of the time off that the church gives us. And we don't want to take advantage of that in any way, shape, or form. The staff said amen. [01:00:53]
But at the same time, he takes a day off. Guess what? In his menial job, he doesn't get paid. [01:01:33]
He doesn't go to work. He loses money. No, no, no. He has a sick day. Guess what? He loses money. [01:01:35]
He has a day he wants to goof off, right? Vacation. [01:01:39]
You know, I'm just going to take a vacation day. Guess what? He's losing money. [01:01:41]
But listen, dad's been at this a little longer than he's been alive. No, no, no, no. Come on. Dad's been in the same occupation, and dad's been doing the same field of work. I'm talking about just being in the ministry before he was ever thought of, I had a staff position before mom and I ever got married. [01:01:43]
Listen, dad had a staff position working at the same thing. And over the last 20 plus years, I've been able to steward to where today I get some benefits that when I was his age were a dream. Like, man, days off? Really? I mean, and when I got my first staff position, I made $150 a week. A week. And I got to live in the church parsonage and make $150 a week, and I was expected to be there like 80 hours a week. I mean, it was awesome, you know? And I was just like thankful to have a job. I mean, I'm in the ministry. And then I started talking to other people. I'm like, you make what? [01:02:21]
They do what for their staff over there? I'm like, man, I took the wrong position over here. You know, they were getting a deal on me. I tell you, and I probably wasn't even worth that at the time. [01:02:44]
But they were willing to take a risk, you know? [01:02:48]
But do you understand stewarding? [01:02:50]
Like what dad has today and what he has today might be the same one day if he'll properly steward the little that he has. You understand? I just want to make this application in ministry as well. [01:02:51]
We train folks here for ministry. [01:03:21]
And I get to preach big church. [01:03:23]
You know where he preaches? Junior church. You know what? There was a point in time where I preached in junior church. No, no, no. And there was a point in time like, hey, I'm ready to preach. I got a message from God. I'm ready to go. Where can I go preach? Which the children's nursery could probably glean from the things that are coming out of your brain, you know? They might be able to get something out of it. I don't know. Okay? But at the same time, some people look at it like, junior church. Oh, what an insult. I thought, I've got a message from God and you threw me in junior church. [01:03:25]
