Stewardship: Embracing Our God-Given Talents and Resources
Summary
In this sermon, I explored the concept of stewardship, focusing on the stewardship of talents. I began by discussing the biblical basis for stewardship, referencing Genesis where God created man in His image and gave them dominion over the earth. I emphasized that this mandate to be fruitful, multiply, and take charge was given to us before the fall of man, and despite our sin, God's creation still needs to be managed and organized. I highlighted that our efforts are often tainted by sin, and that what we offer to the world is tied up in our character. I also discussed the importance of remaining connected to Jesus, the vine, in order to bear fruit.
I then delved into the concept of resources, sharing a story from my college days about a Bible study group that gave away all their money to love people. This story illustrated the idea that our resources are not just for our personal benefit, but are meant to be used for God's purposes. I also discussed the importance of viewing our bodies in the context of the community of people God places us in, and the idea that our bodies carry our talents and abilities. I concluded by emphasizing that stewardship is not just about financial resources, but also about the talents and abilities God has given us, which are expressed through our bodies.
Key Takeaways:
- Stewardship is an identity based on our connection with God and what we can do with what He has given us. It involves going out and interacting with the world using the resources God has entrusted to us. (#!!42:06!!#)
- Our efforts to manage and organize God's creation are often tainted by sin. Despite this, we are still called to steward God's creation, and what we offer to the world is tied up in our character. (#!!45:40!!#)
- Our resources are not just for our personal benefit, but are meant to be used for God's purposes. This includes not just our financial resources, but also our talents and abilities. (#!!48:37!!#)
- Our bodies carry our talents and abilities, and we are called to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. This involves viewing our bodies in the context of the community of people God places us in. (#!!52:44!!#)
- The mandate to be fruitful, multiply, and take charge was given to us before the fall of man. Despite our sin, this mandate has not been annulled, and God's creation still needs to be managed and organized. (#!!45:40!!#)
Study Guide
Main Points from the Sermon:
1) Stewardship is an identity based on our connection with God and what we can do. It's grounded in the very beginning of the Bible, where God created man in His image to rule over and manage His creation. This task of stewardship was given to us before the fall, and despite sin entering the world, the mandate to be fruitful, prosper, and take charge remains. ( [42:06])
2) Our efforts to manage and organize God's creation are tainted by sin. However, Jesus is the path to fruitfulness. If we are not connected to Him, we won't bear fruit and we will die. This is a reality of life, not just a suggestion. ( [45:40])
3) Our resources, talents, and abilities are not just for our own personal benefit. They are meant to be used to love and serve others. We are called to steward not just our money, but also our talents and abilities, which are expressed through our bodies. ( [48:37])
4) Stewardship is a posture of obedience and courage. We need to constantly reorient ourselves, checking our stewardship against the compass of scripture and the landscape of our life. We can measure our faithfulness in stewardship by looking at the fruit it produces. ( [01:13:17])
5) As we move into a new series in our church, we have a unique opportunity to lean into stewardship in community. We are encouraged to participate in what God is doing, to enter into the joy of the Master, and to watch Him give us more. ( [01:18:08])
Bible Chapters for the Group to Read:
1) Genesis 1:26-28
2) Romans 12:1-8
3) John 15:1-8
4) Luke 21:1-4
Discussion Guide:
Observation Questions:
1) In Genesis 1:26-28, what responsibilities does God give to mankind?
2) How does Romans 12:1-8 describe the use of our bodies and our gifts?
3) What does John 15:1-8 say about our ability to bear fruit?
Interpretation Questions:
1) How does the mandate given to mankind in Genesis 1:26-28 relate to our modern understanding of stewardship?
2) In Romans 12:1-8, how does Paul connect the offering of our bodies to the use of our gifts?
3) What does Jesus mean in John 15:1-8 when He
Devotional
Day 1: The Power of Worship
Worship is not just about singing songs on a Sunday morning. It's a lifestyle of adoration, reverence, and submission to God. It's about recognizing His power, His majesty, and His love for us. When we truly worship, we connect with God on a deep, intimate level.
John 4:24 - "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."
Reflection: Reflect on the last time you truly felt connected to God during worship. What were the circumstances and how did it make you feel? How can you recreate that experience more often in your daily life?
Day 2: The Stewardship of Resources
God has entrusted us with many resources - our time, our talents, our finances. He calls us to be good stewards of these gifts, using them not for our own gain, but for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom.
1 Peter 4:10 - "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms."
Reflection: Can you identify a resource (time, talent, money) that you feel you could be stewarding better for God's purposes? What is one small step you could take this week to start using that resource more effectively for His glory?
Quotes
1. "God, you remember that before he made humans, he'd been really busy, right? He was separating light from darkness. He was making the water, separating the waters from the waters. He made land, he made vegetation. He made all those things that he was talking about. The animals on the land, the fish in the sea and the birds of the air. And after he made those things, he saw that it was good. That's what it says in Scripture, right? He surveyed what he had done, had a stand for it and he said he saw that it was good." - 45:40
2. "So as part of the human family, we are created to manage the whole of God's creation, to be fruitful and multiply and take charge. And we're meant to do this in communion with God and in community with one another." - 45:40
3. "So Jesus is the path to fruitfulness. So sometimes though, there are barriers to our fruitfulness because of the way that we look at things. And one of the things that we have are our resources." - 48:37
4. "So do we view our money in our resources? Do we steward our money or gods? Where does our money begin and gods ends? Where does our time begin and gods ends?" - 50:45
5. "So if you sanctify your mouth, say, and you offer it to God, looking to Him and asking Him, hey, please use my mouth. If you do this, what do you think will come out of your mouth? But that which is encouraging to other people." - 52:44
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