FAITHFUL
1. One of the best known radio talk show hosts in modern times is Rush Limbaugh.
2. Whether people like him or hate him, Limbaugh is successful at what he does.
3. His listeners often hear him say his talent “is on loan from God.”
IT
MIGHT BE ARGUED THAT SUCH A STATEMENT IS ARROGANT AND EGOTISTICAL. AT THE SAME TIME IT CAN BE CONTENDED THAT
THIS TYPE OF COMMENT CONTAINS SOME TRUTH.
A. As human beings we do not own what is in our possession.
B. All that we use—even our bodies belong to God; they are on loan from Him.
C. If Mr. Limbaugh is talented and wishes to say his abilities are loan from God,
D. His statement is not false.
2. Though God owns all that exist, many labor under the delusion that they possess certain objects.
3. In this country most reason that if the pay for something it belongs to them.
4. Since we were born with a body a body belongs to us.
5. The Bible presents humanity with a different picture.
6. Each person on this planet is a steward (caretaker).
7. Instead of being an owner of what is in our possession, we are more like borrowers.
8. God allows people to temporarily use what He has created.
A. Different people get to use different things.
B. There are a few who are given the chance to care for kingdoms and nations.
C. Others become stewards of children.
D. In this country most are stewards—to one degree or another—of material wealth.
E. In the poorest of countries people may have a stewardship which is limited to their body and soul.
9. Each person is in charge of one or more items.
10. This is done, in part, to test us.
11. Jesus described this in the passage that was read.
A. The Lord spoke of someone who went into “another country.”
B. This person, who in this account represents God, is the owner.
C. The “servants” (people like us) were entrusted with certain “goods.”
12. The men who were given the goods were also given some time.
A. The first man (verse 16) took what he had and put it to use.
B. The second man (verse 17) acted in a similar way.
C. The third fellow did something else.
D. He took what he had been given and buried it.
13. The story says the master eventually returned to visit the servants.
14. The first man brought what had been given to him along with the extra he had made.
15. The Lord was pleased (Mt. 25:21 – READ).
16. The second man offered a similar report (verse 23) and the master was again pleased.
17. The third fellow said he was afraid to use what he had been given.
18. He did not make anything, but neither did he lose anything.
19. He tried to return what the owner had given him.
20. The master’s reaction to this servant is found in verses 28-30 – READ.
WHEN WE EXAMINE THIS ACCOUNT WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO DRAW FOUR CONCLUSIONS:
A.
First, it is a
general principle that people have been entrusted with one or more items from
God.
B.
Second, it is
possible to be faithful stewards of what we have been given.
C.
Third, it is
possible to let what is in our trust go unused (be idle).
D. Fourth, it is also possible to abuse what God has been loaned to us.
2. For the remainder of this lesson we want to look at the options just mentioned.
3. Our beginning point is found in the life of the man who buried his talent.
A. There is no indication this man was morally evil.
B. He did not take the money and spend it on wild parties.
C. He did not spend it on a vacation or personal enjoyment.
D. When it came time for the evaluation this man brought everything he had been given.
E. He could not be faulted for losing any part of his talent.
F. Yet, the word wicked is applied to him.
G. This term seems to be explained by another word in the text --verse 26 – READ.
H. This servant was “slothful.”
I. He had the opportunity to use the talent but he didn’t do that.
4. This servant is identified as deserving condemnation for two reasons.
5. First, he was a steward who failed to use what he had.
6. Second, when he was asked about the matter he made excuses.
A. I can only wonder how many in today’s world are just like this man.
B. How many fail to use what God has given them?
C. How many others believe that what they have control over really belongs to them?
7. Most in this assembly remember a man who Jesus called a fool in Lk. 12.
8. This man looked at his life and saw an abundance of wealth.
9. He saw so much he said he would pull down his barns and bigger barns.
10. That night he died and what he had been made a steward over went to someone else.
11. Our stewardship may not be as extensive as this but we are “over”, at a minimum, our body and spirit.
12. What we are doing with the items God has entrusted to us?
A. 1 Cor. 4:2 says the people of God are to be “faithful.”
B. The scripture reading we heard shows what faithfulness is not.
C. We cannot be faithful by letting our talents stay unused.
13. Certainly misusing what God has given us is another abuse of stewardship.
14. We can misappropriate time, money, and energy.
15. God expects each person to be faithful with what has been given to them.
A. This applies to our bodies, our material wealth, and everything else in our care.
B. It is often the case that people have a very limited view of stewardship.
C. Some seem to think that only Bill Gates needs to be worried about faithfully using what he has.
D. When the Bible deals with faithful with being what is in our care, the attention is not on the amount.
16. Notice again the point from the parable in Mt. 25.
17. One man was given 5 talents; another was given 2; the third was given 1.
18. The standard for the one talent man and the 5 man talent is the same.
19. The man who had substantially less was not let off the hook.
20. It is not what we have but how we use it that counts.
A. The word steward comes from two old English words.
B. There is the word sti which meant ward.
C. This word described an enclosure for keeping livestock.
D. The second component of steward ward described the person who watched an owner’s animals.
21. A “steward” was a person who cared for a person’s animals.
22. As time passed the word took on a broader meaning (manage someone’s household or property).
23. Man is allowed to manage the earth God has created.
A. We all have a share in what God has created on the earth.
B. It may be more or less than the next guy, but we all get a piece of the pie.
C. God says to us “be faithful with what is in our charge.”
24. God says, “Take you share and be productive. Don’t bury it. Don’t misuse it. Be faithful”
25. Our share of this life is ultimately designed to glorify God.
WHEN
WE LOOK AT THE BIBLE AND WE FIND PEOPLE GOD WAS PLEASED WITH, THERE IS ALWAYS
ONE COMMON THREAD.
A. These men recognized they were stewards and they were faithful.
B.
In 1 Cor.
C. Paul said he was “faithful.”
D. There were some things this young man didn’t have (he lacked ideal health).
E. Yet, he did the best he could (he was faithful) and God was pleased with him.
F. Another man named Tychicus is called faithful.
2. This fellow did not have a reputation like Paul, Peter, James, or John.
3. He didn’t need a big reputation to faithfully use what he had been given.
4. This is still true for us.
5.
Onesimus and Silas (Col. 4:9; 1 Pet.
6. These men were “average” Christians who used what they had to glorify God.
7. 2,000 years later we are still being reminded of them.
A. A lot of people want to be remembered.
B. Cemeteries are lined with grave makers and inscriptions.
C. Our birth date, date of death, and all the other little details are all ultimately irrelevant.
D. The only thing that matters was: were we faithful to God?
E. Did we learn His will, obey His will, and faithful stewards?
8. Moses is described as a man who was faithful (Heb. 3:5-6).
9. These men all realized the truth in 1 Tim. 6:7.
10. Paul said we brought nothing into the world.
11. This is right.
12. Our maternity wards prove that we come into the world with nothing.
13. We also leave with nothing; every talent and object loaned to us is left behind.
14. The only thing which follows us after death is the record we write as we live our life.
15. Our record is stamped faithful or unfaithful.
16. When the charge of unfaithfulness is made, excuses are often offered.
A. I commented on this a little while ago; let’s look at it again – Mt. 25:24 – READ.
B. This man came up with what might be called a good excuse.
C. If there is a good excuse for being an ineffective steward, this sounds like a good one.
17. Was his excuse accepted?
18. A story is told of a young widow who had a 5 year old son who was blind.
A. She was poor and her child needed an operation she couldn’t pay for.
B. Her son was taken to a doctor who had the technology to cure her child.
C. The surgeon said he could make the child see but mom said she couldn’t pay.
D. The surgeon said the first priority was the surgery.
E. The child had several procedures and his sight was restored.
F. The boy was so grateful he gave his doctor his only possession: a teddy bear.
G. This bear was not in very good shape (an arm and an eye was gone), but the Dr. reluctantly took it.
H. There was no material value to the bear but the boy got a priceless gift.
19. Jesus died for us. He gave us a priceless gift.
20. What can we give Him in return? We can be faithful.
21. God says we will either be faithful to Him or we will not; there is no middle ground.
22. We start good stewardship by becoming a Christian. This process involves:
23. We continue being faithful stewards by using our lives in God’s service.
24. Are we a faithful steward? Is our life dedicated to serving God and His kingdom?
25. A true Christian is someone who is faithful to God in every area of life.
26. If this does not describe you, will you not decide to make whatever changes are necessary right now?