After reading the chapter on Stewardship in John Bevere’s book ‘Multiply Your God-Given Potential’ I decided there is more to be said on stewardhip and to pick up some topics he did not cover in the book. I did a message on ‘Money and the Kingdom’ on July 16th which spoke specifically about money parables. The kingdom is much more than money so this week I want to focus on stewardship.
— Lets start with an old testament example: Joseph
Joseph is sent to Egypt after making some rash and unwise statements to his brother and even his mother and father. He is given favor, however, in the household of Potifer:
Gen. 39:4-6:: Potifer made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.
All did not go well with Joseph since Potifer wife’s desires fell upon Joseph. Joseph resisted and you know what happened, he fled and then she basically said he was the one who tried to carnally lie with her.
Let’s make a few points about stewardship here:
1) Joseph immediately got favor with Potifer.
2) Joseph was in charge of everything in the hour except Potifer’s wife.
3) He was deemed untrustworthy due to her lie.
4) There is always two sides to any story. Credible witnesses are needed to speak up
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When God’s favor rests upon us others can see this and desire our help in whatever they are doing. As stewards and with God’s favor we are given charge of everything legally ours so that we can manage it properly. A convincing lie is all someone trusted needs to spread regarding our character. Evidence, or what is deemed as evidence, can lie. Potifer’s wife waited until the house was empty (of men) to make a move against Joseph. We need witnesses and that is why a man and woman who are not married should not be left alone in a house. It is possible that certain women knew the truth but they probably kept their mouths shut.
After 12 or 13 years in prison Joseph eventually rose to the second hightest office in all of Egypt and became a savior for his entire family. He in essence was steward over all of Egypt’s provisions.
— Parable of the Faithful Steward (Luke 12:42-48)
Luke 12:42-44:: the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has”.
Remember Joseph was made master over Potifer’s house so much so the only thing Potifer needed to care about was the bread that he ate. Herein the the faithful steward, to give all of the household, both servants and family food in due season. Notice it their portion, or allotment of food. The due season here is the kairos time, that is in the appropriate time or specified time. This implies that food was not given at any old time or at inappropriate times and that it was not just waisted on that that have a hunder to eat and consume. There are people like that which just take and take and take. They thing they are entitled.
Luke 12:45-46:: but if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
This is the opposite of the faithful and wise servant. This servant is worthless. He beats the goodly servants. He wastes the master’s resources on wine and strong drink. The result of this servant is destruction of both their job and their own souls. Yet the faith and wise servant is master over all of what their Lord possesses. People have said that the Lord owns cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10). Some think that just because they belong to the Lord he is going to share everything with them. This is a form of the prosperity gospel. Yet I say to you here that it is the faithful and wise stewart who is trusted with everything, not the greedy, unwise, unloving, and drunk servants.
— Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1–13)
Luke 16:1-2:: He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.”
This example shows that we can be called into account and basically fired for wasting the master’s goods. Spiritually, we are to never waste what the Lord provides us stewardship over.
This steward panics and starts writing off portions of the bill owed by debtors. But instead of being mad at the steward for forgiving debt without his express permission we hear he is commended for ‘the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light’ (Luke 16:8). This indicates that Yeshua is using a worldly example to make spiritual points.
vs. 9 says ‘make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail [or it fails], they may receive you into an everlasting home’. In the world we garner friendship through favors. We hope this buys us much longlasting friendship. Also notice he calls mammon, or money, unrighteous. We can do many things with money but it itself is not something God considers righteous. If he sees our righteousness as filthy, unclean rags he must see money in more abominable ways.
vs. 10 says ‘he who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much’. So it is not the amount that is so much as important as how we handle what we have. Also remember that the word unjust means not having justice, unrighteous, or even wicked.
vs 11 says ‘if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?’ There are things more valuable than gold or silver like the testing of your faith. What else are true riches?
Matt. 6:20 says to ‘lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal’.
Are not the streets in heaven paved with gold (Rev. 21:21) and each gate made of one pearl?
Can we buy our way into heaven like the unjust steward tried to buy friendship by settling debts at a lower cost?
vs. 12 says ‘if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?’ implying we are not just stewards but also own things ourselves.
vs. 13 is the famous verse which states you cannot serve both God and money. You can both love and be loyal to one or both hate and despise another. When is the last time you both hated and despised money? Rather, are you both loyal and loving of money? Do you work for money and love it? Can you see something might be wrong with the idea of loving money?
This takes us back to the parable of the faithful steward who is not faithful. Stripes cut up the unfaithful servant into pieces. The punishment is actually proportional to the servant’s understanding. In this case ignorance of what the master wanted results in less stripes. But the own who knows what the master wants and yet still did not prepare himself (make appropriate plans) will receive many stripes.
Luke 12:48: For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required; and of him to whom men entrust much, they will require and demand all the more.
Yuk! This basically says if you have much money and do not steward it wisely, knowing what the Lord told you to do, you will be greatly punished! Yikes! This is not how most in christendom view money. Remember from a few weeks ago the parable of the rich fool who pulled down their barns to build bigger ones to just be lazy? He lost his life that very night.
Now we have a very loving and generous master, not like most in this world. Yet Yeshua told us these parables for a reason.
–– Paul on Stewardship (1 Cor. 9:16-18)
1 Cor. 9:16-18:: For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
I we take this verse in context we shall see that earlier in this chapter Paul goes over all of the reasons why those that serve at the temple should be supported by it (vs. 13). He then goes on to why he has not taken advantage of what is owed him and others for serving God. Now in verse 18 he speaks of his reward which is to preach the gospel free of charge. He does not claim any of his rights to being paid to preach and teach.
Now there is nothing at all wrong with getting paid to preach and teach, but to Apostle Paul this is not a reward but stewardship or dispensation of the gospel. Think of it this way. Most of us have worked a secular job and we expect payment for our goods and service provided. He is thinking the same way, we get rewarded for services provided and that is usually money but could also include recognition, prestige, and popularity.
Kingdom mindset. Kingdom mindset. What is Paul talking about? Yeshua said it is more blessed to give than to receive. In Acts 20:27 Apostle Paul says to the Ephesians: I have not shunned to you to tell you the whole counsel of God.
Acts 20:35:: I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
There were cases when Paul took from certain churches to help need to need of others (2 Cor. 8-9). Such was the case from the churches in Macedonia and Achaia to help the poor in Judea. In this we have no hint that Paul profitted off of these endeavours. In actually he supported equality here as in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:14). Not that he wanted it to become a burden unto the churches of Greece but rather a blessing unto them. If we give what we have then it will be given unto us, good measure, shaken together and running over, as people give unto our laps (Luke 6:38). It is part of what some say is “you can never out-give God”.