NORTH YORK CHURCH OF CHRIST

Pastor Roger Marcos
July 31, 2016

Introduction:

When you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he or she will often begin to poke, and press various places, all the while asking, "Does this hurt? How about this?" If you cry out in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard, without the right sensitivity. Or, more likely, there's something wrong, and the doctor will say, "We'd better do some more tests. It's not supposed to hurt there!"

So it is when pastors preach on financial responsibility, and certain members cry out in discomfort, criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too hard. Or perhaps there's something wrong. In that case, I say, "My friend, we're in need of the Great Physician because it's not supposed to hurt there. BEN ROGER

Stewardship means “man’s responsibility for, and use of, everything entrusted to him by God-life, physical being, time, talents, and abilities, mental possessions, opportunities to be of service to others, and his knowledge of the truth”. And you thought stewardship was just about tithe and offering!

Stewardship - more than just a responsibility. It’s Really A Privilege!

King David, a man after God’s own heart, has perhaps the clearest understanding of the word “Stewardship”.

In 1 Chronicles, God did not want king David to build the temple but allowed David to make provisions and the preparations so that his son Solomon could build it. As David, along with the Israelites, offered willingly and generously the gold and silver to decorate God’s temple, David was amazed at how much gold and silver were collected. David immediately prayed and said...

TEXT: "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 1 Chronicles 29:14.

The real 3 principles of “stewardship”. And with these principles as the foundation, we can have a deeper understanding of stewardship.

First, God Is the Owner of All. So we understand that our presence existence is to take good care of what God entrusted to His people and that’s Stewardship are a Privilege.

A. Acknowledge God’s Ownership. He owns everything, and we are His managers. The most important principle to keep firmly in mind is to understand whose money we are talking about. It’s not ours. It is God’s.

Psalms 24:1 - "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."

Leviticus 25:23 - "The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants."

Haggai 2:8 - " 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the Lord Almighty.

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son in mine.

God’s owns EVERYTHING including us; and acknowledging that ownership in our lives is what sets us free to be who God wants us to be.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - "You are not your own; you were bought at a price."

1 Corinthians 4:2 - "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."

Matthew 25:21 - "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

So remember always first THAT GOD THE OWNER OF ALL and He loves to give all things to His children. It is the glory of God, and His nature to be always giving. God owns all, and gives all WHICH INCLUDES HIS LIFE DYING TO SINS.

God is the giver of all things. Outside of God, there is no power, no riches, no goodness, no love. It is God’s nature to give. His love that always delights in giving to His children.

"But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 1 Chronicles 29:14.

Second, We Have Nothing and Own Nothing. On February 28, 1994 when I arrived to Toronto I BROUGHT NOTHING. I am being thankful to God, and my wife in spites having nothing and own nothing I HAVE A ROOM TO REST, AND LIVE. I do really appreciated that out of nothing in me- EVERYTHING GOD PROVIDED.

A. Prepare Our Last Day. I am talking about eternity.

Ecclesiastes 5:15 Everyone comes naked from their mother's womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.

1 Tim. 8:7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

When we die our money, fame, and honors will be meaningless. We own nothing in this world. Everything we think we own is in reality only being loaned to us until we die. And on our deathbed at the moment of death, no one but God can save our souls. Michael Huffington

God created man to receive and to find pleasure and delight in receiving from Him alone.

NKJV And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21

1 Cor.15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

God wants His children to delight in Him and depend on Him totally for all their needs.

It is a great mystery that a perfect God who lacks nothing can be pleased when His children make depending on Him for all things their one true delight. John Piper said “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him, WHAT A MYSTERY

Third, It Is Our Privilege to Give Back to God What We Receive From Him.

A. The Reasons to Give to Back.

1. Giving Is A Reflection of the Heart.

Giving our tithes and offerings reflects a grateful heart that wants to give back to God a portion of what He has given us; in reality, what is already His. This is our opportunity to show God that He is first in our lives. The Bible says, The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.

Deuteronomy 14:23 TLB Tithing is a reminder that God is the supplier of everything we have. It is also God’s personal invitation to an outpouring of his blessing in your life.

We can only give as we receive and there is nothing that we can ever give to God which He did not first give to us.

Matthew 6:20-21 “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

What’s the Most Important thing to You? We see the way our culture encourages us to store up treasures on earth and exalts materialism to the point where debt has become acceptable. We can probably even recognize that truth by looking at our own check-books. As Christ-followers, however, we are called to free ourselves from the bondage of debt so that our resources are available for His purposes.

2. Giving is a Reflection of Priorities.

Long before tithing was a practice of the Israelite people, Cain and Abel, the 2nd generation of the human race, brought an offering to the Lord. Abel brought the “firstborn of his flock,” while Cain brought “some of the fruits of the soil.” The Lord blessed Abel’s offering, but rejected Cain’s. God wants to be first in our lives.

Deuteronomy 26:1-2 “When you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the first fruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land and present them to the LORD your God.” (NIV)

3. Giving is a Privilege.

The 1st Century church modeled for us what it means to give generously and joyfully so that more and more people could find their way back to God.

2 Corinthians 8:2-4 “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.” NIV

4. Giving is a Blessing.

God uses the tithe as an investment where everyone involved gets a return. If we are blessed beyond our needs, it is not for the purpose of living more lavishly but to bless others. The church and the kingdom are blessed, and yet God’s nature is to also bless the giver.

Malachi 3:10 “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’” NIV

The Reason God gives us wealth is so we can be generous.

Many people don't understand the importance of generosity. They hold on tightly to what they own, unaware that selfishness often causes financial difficulties.

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. Proverbs 11:24

Conclusion:

Personal Application:

Do you have a generous heart? Are you a generous person?

Do you make generous donations to your church?

Do you think God is pleased with your level of giving?