Faithful Stewardship: Embracing God's Gifts with Gratitude

We receive that favor by faith. We speak like Ezekiel, into the valley of death and destruction, and declare that your word has power to change our situation. Give us the faith to believe that, Lord. Help us to walk the walk of faith this morning. Help us not to look at our circumstances, but to sing a thousand hallelujahs. Thank you, Father. Let us sing that worship chorus once more. You know, there is tremendous joy in that truth. In spite of what we might be going through, we are affirming and declaring the lordship of Jesus Christ over every situation. [00:21:02]

And so God, even as we contemplate a new move, even as we prepare our hearts and ask you to set us direction as a church to start a new campus in the area that you seem to be showing us, we pray that through the power of your spirit, you will lead us and guide us into that purpose so that through what we are doing, many lives might be won for the kingdom of God. [00:24:52]

When we talk about stewardship many times we get confused that stewardship is about money stewardship is not about money it's more than that if you have understanding of the parable Jesus spoke in parables often to illustrate that stewardship is about money that's a very limited understanding and you can broaden that as you sit under the word of God because God's word is the finality by which we live. [00:32:20]

Your life is a gift from God. Amen? Every night, I'm at a point in my life where every night before I go to sleep, I tell my wife, just remember these last words. I love you, care for you, so if you don't see me in the morning, you don't have to, that question is answered. You see, there's a reality there. And I realize that God has given me a life, along with it comes a responsibility to steward that life well. [00:36:28]

Because when excellence becomes a lifestyle to you promotion will come not from the East or from the west, but from the Lord. answer to the inaudible speaking lol can be sins in church. have seen some of you being raised up to positions of influence and authority and power far beyond human expectations. The only reason, one reason that that has happened is because the person functioning in that place was committed to excellence. [00:42:24]

He knew he had a responsibility. He was a steward and he had the opportunity of living a life of compromise like some of his other brethren who were also believers. But Daniel refused to eat the king's meat and drink his wine because Daniel was committed to a higher power than the king. And you know what happened to Daniel? God opened doors of opportunity for him because there was a spirit of excellence. [00:43:10]

And when we fulfill the plan, God will give us success. So, in this parable, To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. And the one who had received the five immediately went out and did business with them and earned five more. You know something? When you begin to use the gift and the calling and the talent that you have, you don't worry what somebody else has. [00:44:04]

When you have a heart of a servant and your life is fashioned by a servant spirit, you will look for opportunity to do something. Now some people, when the opportunity is coming towards them, they know how to put the shortcut. I've been here long enough to know everybody. Whom are we kidding? They are looking for the shortest way to the palace. It doesn't work like that. We have all chiefs. No Indians. That's a good saying. [00:46:10]

And Joseph shared his dream with his brothers and they put him in a pit. And sometimes, sometimes we are in a pit, not because the devil sent us there, because God did. Because in the pit, in the isolation of time, you have a way of leaning into God like you never had before. Then you think the work is over. But there was still part of Joseph's life that needed to be done. That needed attention, character -wise. [00:50:26]

And when your heart is aligned with God and your character has been shaped and formed at the time of God's choosing, he will open a door and take you to the palace without you asking for it. In Genesis 39, verse 4, the poor Potiphar gave him opportunity. And accountability. Potiphar assigned Joseph a responsibility. But Joseph was responsible to Potiphar for how he managed that responsibility. Same in the church. [00:51:56]

So the principle of ownership and the principle of accountability, accountability, if you are given a gift or a talent, God will hold you accountable for whether you use that or not. You are responsible to grow what you have been entrusted with. So if you're given a ministry in the church, say you're given a home meeting, you are held responsible for how you develop that home meeting. [01:00:19]

Joseph had a great vision, but a bad attitude. And God had to put him in the pit, process him there, and then put him in a prison. And process him there until 15 years, almost years later. He said, now I understand the plan of God. He could have learned that much earlier, but he didn't. The principle of reward. Faithful stewardship leads to eternal reward and joy in God's presence. [01:18:28]