## Safeguards of Stewardship

## Luke 12:16-21; 36-40

Many who followed Jesus in His earthly ministry did so with the wrong motive. They simply longed for the thrill of witnessing miracles. They failed to recognize Jesus Christ as God's Messenger and their Savior. Many folks today accept Christ as Savior, but fail to understand the responsibilities of stewardship.

Some believers who have understood it have drifted away from it. People have said, "I used to believe this or that, but not anymore." What has happened? They have allowed other influences or things to change their thinking.

Tonight, I want to remind you of some things that will safeguard our perspective on stewardship. If we are to be good and faithful stewards we must not lose our stewardship perspective.

I. Fear God (12:16-21)

A. Fearing God is a key to wise stewardship.

(PROV 9:10) "THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM: AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY IS UNDERSTANDING."

1. It is the beginning of all understanding.

2. But it is especially important to our understanding of stewardship responsibilities.

B. Note the parable of the rich man in Luke 12:16-21.

1. Here we find the parable of a man who had an abundance of possessions.

2. To him, life was a matter of "Eat, drink and be merry" (v. 19).

3. So he spent his days providing for himself and he forgot God.

4. Jesus said the rich man was a fool, as is anyone who "layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God".

C. An awesome respect for God safeguards our stewardship perspective.

II. Be content (12:18-19)

A. God instructs His stewards to be content with godliness along with food and raiment.

(1 TIM 6:6-8) "BUT GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN. {7} FOR WE BROUGHT NOTHING INTO THIS WORLD, AND IT IS CERTAIN WE CAN CARRY NOTHING OUT. {8} AND HAVING FOOD AND RAIMENT LET US BE THEREWITH CONTENT."

B. Like the man in Jesus' parable, some people never have enough.

1. No matter how much they earn or consume, they always want more.

2. They are, as the apostle Paul put it, people "whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things" (Phil. 3:19).

3. We can never find satisfaction in life unless we've learned contentment.

(PHIL 4:11) "NOT THAT I SPEAK IN RESPECT OF WANT: FOR I HAVE LEARNED, IN WHATSOEVER STATE I AM, THEREWITH TO BE CONTENT."

C. Contentment with God's provisions will protect our stewardship perspective.

(HEB 13:5) "LET YOUR CONVERSATION BE WITHOUT COVETOUSNESS; AND BE CONTENT WITH SUCH THINGS AS YE HAVE: FOR HE HATH SAID, I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE."

III. Trust God (12:17-21)

A. The rich man was caught up in worry about his material possessions.

1. He believed he had life by the tail because he had achieved financial independence for the foreseeable future.

2. He was trusting in his assets rather than in his Maker.

3. But for the believer, worry means that we are not trust in God.

B. We are admonished to live by faith.

1. Living by faith allows us to avoid the anxiety of wondering if we will have enough.

(PHIL 4:6) "BE CAREFUL FOR NOTHING; BUT IN EVERY THING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD."

2. Worry limits our perspective to the range of our own ability and keeps us from seeing life in the context of God's care.

3. Worry is sin!

(MAT 6:25) "THEREFORE I SAY UNTO YOU, TAKE NO THOUGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, WHAT YE SHALL EAT, OR WHAT YE SHALL DRINK; NOR YET FOR YOUR BODY, WHAT YE SHALL PUT ON. IS NOT THE LIFE MORE THAN MEAT, AND THE BODY THAN RAIMENT?"

(LUKE 12:22) "AND HE SAID UNTO HIS DISCIPLES, THEREFORE I SAY UNTO YOU, TAKE NO THOUGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, WHAT YE SHALL EAT; NEITHER FOR THE BODY, WHAT YE SHALL PUT ON."

4. We can overcome worry through acquiring attitudes that encourage good management of our material possessions.

a. Humility that admits everything belongs to God

b. Contentment with our wages and circumstances

c. Satisfaction with God's supply of our necessities

d. Determination to persevere in our efforts to progress (Gal. 6:9).

C. Trusting God safeguards our perspective as His stewards.

IV. Be watchful (12:36-40)

A. WatchfuIness overcomes carelessness in the way we handle our daily affairs.

1. The Lord is going to call at any moment to take us home to Glory.

2. Living with that truth in mind, will help us avoid foolish decisions.

(REV 22:20) "HE WHICH TESTIFIETH THESE THINGS SAITH, SURELY I COME QUICKLY. AMEN. EVEN SO, COME, LORD JESUS."

(1 JOHN 3:2-3) "BELOVED, NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD, AND IT DOTH NOT YET APPEAR WHAT WE SHALL BE: BUT WE KNOW THAT, WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; FOR WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS. {3} AND EVERY MAN THAT HATH THIS HOPE IN HIM PURIFIETH HIMSELF, EVEN AS HE IS PURE."

B. This will be the call to accounting for stewardship of God's resources.

1. Every one of us will stand before Him and give an accounting of our stewardship.

2. He is looking for faithfulness from us!

(1 COR 4:2) "MOREOVER IT IS REQUIRED IN STEWARDS, THAT A MAN BE FOUND FAITHFUL."

C. Watchfulness will protect our stewardship perspective of life.

Fear God...Be Content...Trust God...Be Watchful

These will protect us from drifting away in this matter of stewardship. Tonight, do we need to readjust our stewardship perspective? Come and settle it with the Lord.