The Sermons on the Amount, Part 3 - You are God's Supervisor
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
This Sermon series assembles important Biblical references to all aspects of money and finances and their influence and impact on us; therefore, helping us to apply these Scriptures to our lives today. The reason for this series is because money and possessions have captivated our culture.
Jesus’ “Parable of the Talents”, in Matthew 25:14-30, tells us a great deal about our responsibilities and accountability regarding the “talents” that God has given us – also, we are to supervise these “talents” that God has given us. We have been given different “talents” by God; and God will give us blessings based on how we supervised the “talents” which He has given us; however, God will punish us if our supervision is not acceptable to Him.
Stewardship – we are God’s Supervisors, which is an awesome responsibility. As God declared and challenged us in Genesis 1:26-27: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.". Therefore, humankind is supervisor all that God, the Creator of the Universe, created.
With this awesome responsibility of stewardship, God has given us some instructions in Scripture to help us in this responsibility: 1) God has entrusted us with those “talents” that He has given us and He provides the opportunity for more; 2) God expects us to use what He has given us and according to His will – involve God in the process; 3) God has provided for our needs and enjoyment but, also, God expects us to address the needs of others; 4) God expects us to work using our “talents”, skills, and gifts; 5) God expects us to abide with His principles regarding money – a) the first part of our “increase” is Holy and Sacred to God (God is owner), b) tithing (God owns all and the first 10 percent is returned to Him as the prophet Malachi tells us in Malachi 3:10: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse {e.g., Church}, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.".). c) giving is Worship, and d) saving; and 6) God will hold us accountable. God has entrusted us with what He has given, and He has provided us with the opportunity for more.
You cannot out give God; and God is always faithful.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 25:14-30; Genesis 1:26-27; Matthew 21:31-41; 1 Timothy 6:17; Acts 20:35; Genesis 2:15; Proverbs 14:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; Proverbs 10:14; Proverbs 18:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Proverbs 3:9-10; Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:8-12; Proverbs 23:5; Exodus 23:15; Proverbs 6:6-8. (Click the Bible References, in blue, below to read the full Bible text for these Scripture References.).
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “To Be a Jesus Follower, You Must First Enter the Only Door to God’s Kingdom and that Door is Jesus – the Door to Eternal Life”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB