Stewardship: A Heartfelt Relationship with God
Summary
In today's reflection, we delved into the profound theme of stewardship, as illustrated in the book of Malachi. We explored the idea that everything we possess—our time, talents, and resources—are gifts from God, entrusted to us for His purposes. This stewardship extends beyond mere duty and responsibility; it calls for a genuine relationship with God, one that transcends the motions of religious practice and touches the heart of sincere devotion.
We often excel in fulfilling our duties, showing up, and working hard. However, the question arises: Is there a true relationship with God behind our actions, or are we merely going through the motions? This is akin to giving a Valentine’s gift without genuine love or thoughtfulness. God desires more than our offerings; He seeks our hearts. He doesn't need our material possessions, but He wants our sincere commitment and love.
The book of Malachi serves as a poignant reminder of Israel's history, where despite being the custodians of God's truth, they fell into a pattern of negligence in their relationship with Him. Malachi's message is a call to introspection, urging us to examine our own lives for areas where we might be wearying God with insincere worship or neglecting our relationship with Him.
We are reminded that God's justice is real and that there will be a day of reckoning. While we may sometimes feel that our efforts in serving God go unnoticed or unrewarded, Malachi assures us that God is aware, and there is a future day of judgment and remembrance. This calls us to live with integrity, ensuring that our actions align with a heart of love and faithfulness to God.
As we reflect on our stewardship, we are encouraged to address any sin issues in our lives, whether they are large or small, and to renew our relationship with God. This involves a sincere commitment to living out our faith, not just in actions but in the authenticity of our hearts.
Key Takeaways:
- Stewardship as a Gift from God: Everything we have is a gift from God, entrusted to us for His purposes. Our stewardship is not just about managing resources but about nurturing a genuine relationship with God. We must ask ourselves if our actions reflect a true connection with Him or if we are merely fulfilling duties. [41:51]
- The Heart Behind the Actions: God desires our hearts more than our offerings. Our actions should be driven by sincere love and commitment to God, not just by obligation. This sincerity transforms our stewardship into a meaningful expression of our faith. [44:17]
- The Reality of God's Justice: While we may sometimes feel that our efforts go unnoticed, Malachi reminds us that God's justice is real. There will be a day of judgment and remembrance, affirming that our faithfulness is not in vain. [55:55]
- Addressing Sin and Renewing Relationship: We are called to examine our lives for sin issues that may hinder our relationship with God. By addressing these issues, we can renew our commitment to Him and live out our stewardship with integrity. [01:08:05]
- Living with Integrity and Faithfulness: Our stewardship should reflect a heart of love and faithfulness to God. This involves aligning our actions with our beliefs and ensuring that our relationship with God is genuine and sincere. [01:05:53]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Introduction and Announcements
- [02:15] - The Concept of Stewardship
- [05:45] - Relationship vs. Duty
- [10:20] - Valentine's Day Analogy
- [15:00] - The Book of Malachi Overview
- [20:30] - Israel's Negligence and God's Call
- [25:10] - The Heart of Worship
- [30:45] - God's Justice and Judgment
- [35:20] - The Role of the Priests
- [40:00] - Personal Reflection and Sin Issues
- [45:30] - Renewing Our Relationship with God
- [50:00] - Closing Prayer and Blessing
- [55:00] - Final Announcements and Dismissal
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Malachi 2:17-3:5
2. James 1:17
3. Matthew 6:21
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#### Observation Questions
1. What does Malachi 2:17 say about how the Israelites were wearying God with their words? How does this relate to their perception of God's justice? [50:10]
2. According to the sermon, what analogy was used to describe insincere worship, and how does it relate to our relationship with God? [44:17]
3. In the sermon, what examples were given to illustrate the concept of stewardship beyond material possessions? [41:51]
4. How does the sermon describe the role of the priests and their actions in the book of Malachi? [01:00:39]
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#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of stewardship in Malachi challenge the way we view our time, talents, and resources? [41:51]
2. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between our actions and the sincerity of our hearts in worship? [44:17]
3. How does the sermon explain the significance of God's justice and the future day of judgment mentioned in Malachi? [55:55]
4. In what ways does the sermon encourage us to address sin issues in our lives to renew our relationship with God? [01:08:05]
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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current stewardship of time, talents, and resources. Are there areas where you feel you are merely fulfilling duties rather than nurturing a genuine relationship with God? How can you change this? [41:51]
2. Consider a recent action you took that was meant to be an expression of love or devotion. Was it driven by sincere love and commitment, or was it more out of obligation? How can you ensure your future actions are more heartfelt? [44:17]
3. Have you ever felt like your efforts in serving God have gone unnoticed or unrewarded? How does the promise of God's justice and future judgment provide comfort or challenge your perspective? [55:55]
4. Identify a sin issue in your life, whether large or small, that may be hindering your relationship with God. What steps can you take this week to address it and renew your commitment to Him? [01:08:05]
5. Think about a time when you felt weary in your spiritual journey. What was the cause, and how did you address it? How can you apply the lessons from Malachi to prevent spiritual weariness in the future? [50:10]
6. How can you align your actions with a heart of love and faithfulness to God in your daily life? What specific changes can you make to ensure your stewardship reflects genuine devotion? [01:05:53]
7. Reflect on the analogy of giving a Valentine's gift without genuine love. How can you apply this analogy to your relationship with God and others in your life? [44:17]
Devotional
Day 1: Stewardship as a Divine Trust
Our lives are filled with gifts from God—our time, talents, and resources. These are not merely possessions but sacred trusts given to us for His purposes. True stewardship is not just about managing these resources efficiently; it is about nurturing a genuine relationship with God. This relationship should be reflected in our actions, ensuring they are not just duties but expressions of our connection with Him. We must ask ourselves if our actions reflect a true connection with God or if we are merely fulfilling duties. [41:51]
"Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." (1 Corinthians 4:2, ESV)
Reflection: Consider one area of your life where you are simply going through the motions. How can you transform this into an act of genuine stewardship that reflects your relationship with God?
Day 2: The Heart Behind the Actions
God desires more than our offerings; He seeks our hearts. Our actions should be driven by sincere love and commitment to God, not just by obligation. This sincerity transforms our stewardship into a meaningful expression of our faith. Just as a gift given without love lacks meaning, so do our actions when they are not rooted in genuine devotion. [44:17]
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21, ESV)
Reflection: Identify a recent action or decision that was made out of obligation rather than love. How can you realign your heart to ensure your future actions are motivated by genuine love for God?
Day 3: The Reality of God's Justice
While we may sometimes feel that our efforts go unnoticed, Malachi reminds us that God's justice is real. There will be a day of judgment and remembrance, affirming that our faithfulness is not in vain. This assurance calls us to live with integrity, knowing that God sees our efforts and will reward our faithfulness in His time. [55:55]
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." (2 Corinthians 5:10, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt your efforts were unnoticed. How does the promise of God's justice encourage you to continue living faithfully?
Day 4: Addressing Sin and Renewing Relationship
We are called to examine our lives for sin issues that may hinder our relationship with God. By addressing these issues, we can renew our commitment to Him and live out our stewardship with integrity. This involves a sincere commitment to living out our faith, not just in actions but in the authenticity of our hearts. [01:08:05]
"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" (Psalm 139:23-24, ESV)
Reflection: What is one sin issue in your life that you need to address? How can you take a step today to renew your relationship with God in this area?
Day 5: Living with Integrity and Faithfulness
Our stewardship should reflect a heart of love and faithfulness to God. This involves aligning our actions with our beliefs and ensuring that our relationship with God is genuine and sincere. Living with integrity means that our external actions are a true reflection of our internal faith and love for God. [01:05:53]
"Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out." (Proverbs 10:9, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you ensure that your daily actions align with your beliefs? What practical steps can you take to live with greater integrity and faithfulness to God?
Quotes
Now God has placed on our account a certain stewardship. For some it's intelligence. For others it's abilities. For others it's stuff. For some it's money. But whatever it is, if we've got a... If we've got a stewardship, we ought to live it out. [00:40:49] (17 seconds)
But one part of that that we might miss at times is that relationship. Like the suitcase that carries everything that we do. Is there a true relationship behind it? Are we just going through the motions? Are we just being obedient? Are we just cleaning things up? Are we just doing the work? [00:42:48] (21 seconds)
But if we lived our lives just going through the motions and didn't have a genuine relationship to God, listen to me. Do you think God needs your stuff? Do you think God even needs you? But God wants more than anything. If he's asking you to give your money, it's because he wants you to give your heart. [00:44:17] (24 seconds)
And so God confronted both the priests and the people and told them that this is a sin against him. Thirdly, he exposed the people for practicing idolatry and divorce. It wasn't good. And so that's in section 1. In section 2, I'm going to go through. I'm going to go through that section with you. That's my sermon. [00:50:06] (21 seconds)
God never needed their stuff. He didn't need animal sacrifices. What he wanted was their hearts, their genuine commitment to him. And so the first accusation is this, that you have wearied the Lord with your words. He's weary of the words. Not that God, like God isn't like getting tired, I got to take a rest. [00:50:54] (23 seconds)
Consider the work of Jesus Christ. So great for us. And yet there are times when we don't even have a realization of it. And so when you come to the verse, verse 17, you've wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, how have we wearied him? Like, how? We're doing all the work. [00:51:59] (22 seconds)
And while you might struggle here on earth, God has a day of judgment coming for the evildoer. But it's yet future. Know this. Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? Well, the answer would be nobody. I think we'll all be on our face before God when God appears. [00:57:09] (23 seconds)
And it's something we've got to think about, that if indeed we're going to be good stewards of what God has given us, we better connect it together with our sincerity of heart. Or taking care of whatever sin issue is in our lives, whether it's a big one or a little one. Taking care of those issues. [01:08:39] (18 seconds)
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