Daily Devotion Sun. 12/3/2017
12/3/2017 LESSON 2
MAN-STEWARD OF GOD’S POSSESSION
Quarter’s Theme: UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL STEWARDSHIP
Unit 1: You Are The Lord’s (Lessons 1-2)
Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 10, 75
Devotional Reading: MK. 10:17-25
Topic For Adults
DON’T BOAST ABOUT YOUR POSSESSION, THEY BELONG TO GOD
Topic For Youths
YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN
Topic For Intermediates
BE FAITHFUL
Scripture Lesson
1 COR. 4:1-2, 6-7; 6:1,19-20; 19:11-27; 16:1-2
(SOUL WINNERS CROWN COMPETITION MONTHS)
MEMORY VERSE: Moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 1 Cor. 4:2 (NKJV)
DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING
Sun. 12/3/2017
Honour The Lord With What You Have
Prov. 3:5-10
When you confess to God that you have given your life to Him, it also implies that you are giving to Him all you have – time, talent, money and body. When you give your substance to the Lord, you are honouring Him. God is rich and He can never lack anything. Remember, He gave you all you have and owns both you and your possessions. The riches of this world belong to Him. You should never find it difficult to give to God. Support the work of God or give to the needy. Faithful stewards do not hold onto their possessions more than necessary. Anyone who honours God with his substance will also receive honour from Him in return.
POINT OF EMPHASIS: Honour the Lord with your substance as His faithful stewards
PRAYER POINT: Lord, give me the heart of giving. Help me to meet the needs of people around me. Teach me to honour You.
BACKGROUND
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A steward is a person employed to take care of another person’s property, a manager of another’s estate. Everything man has acquired on earth was given to him by God, for the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. We must understand the fact that we are mere caretakers of our possessions, they actually belong to God. God has placed us in charge and He expects faithfulness in the management of His possession, to the glory of His name, edification of His church and blessing of mankind. |
NOTES ON THE TEXT
PART 1: WE ARE STEWARDS. (1 COR. 4:1, 6-7; 6:19-20)
The word “steward’ came from the Greek word oikonomos. Oikonomos is a compound word made up of iokos, “house” and nemo “to arrange”. This word refers to the Manager of a household or estate, or an administrator.
God has made us managers or administrators of all He gave to us – wealth, intellect, skill, gifts of the Spirits and even our bodies.
We are to understand that the earth is the Lord’s and everything therein (Ps. 50:12). Everything belongs to Him. (Col. 1:16). You are not to boast about your possession. As stewards, we are to manage God’s own things on earth and we shall give an account of our stewardship. Some believe what they have was acquired through their personal efforts, and hence, they boast in their riches and do what they so desire with them. Some even believe their bodies are theirs and they can decide to dress half-naked, change their skin colours or gender, apply tattoos all over their bodies.
As the redeemed of God, God will demand from us an account of our stewardship on earth. It is okay to find satisfaction in your work. Just remember to thank God for creating you and giving the gifts, skills and strength that allow you to succeed. We are not to do what we want with what we have, but what He wants.
PART 2: FAITHFULNESS: THE HALLMARK OF A GOOD STEWARD (1 COR. 4:2; 6:1)
A faithful steward is the one that acts as his master intended. It is being obedient totally to the biddings of the Lord. Stewards of God’s possession are expected to faithfully manage His possession not holding on to riches while God’s work or the poor suffer.
Stewardship is often associated with the word “tithe”, ‘offering’, ‘generosity’ or ‘money’. While these associations are not wrong, stewardship means much more than simply giving time, talent and treasure. It demands a way of life that encourages virtue and bears the fruit of solidarity among people. Being a good and faithful steward requires a person to find ways in which he can collaborate with others to make the resources in his possession work for the good of all as intended by God.
Faithfulness implies generosity, open handedness and having consideration for others. It denotes Christians using the gifts and resources entrusted to them by the Lord for the strengthening and encouragement of fellow believers.
We have an obligation to provide for ourselves and our families, and to maintain a way of life that respects our own dignity as persons. Yet, we must recognise that most of us have opportunities and resources at our disposal that other people will never have. Therefore, it is our responsibility, as faithful stewards, to bless others with what we have.
PART 3: GOD REWARDS FAITHFULL STEWARDS. (LK. 19:11-27; 1:1-2)
The Lord honours and richly rewards those who have been faithful in the management of His resources.
When they were called to give account of their stewardship, the good stewards in Jesus’ parable were rewarded while the wicked stewards were punished. The master responds to the good steward’s faithfulness by entrusting him with more responsibility. Faithfulness in small matters leaves us open to being entrusted with greater responsibilities.
The rewards given to faithful stewards can be both temporal and eternal. Temporal rewards include honour, enrichment, encouragement and commendations. Eternal reward is living forever in the joy of the Master in His kingdom. God actually made these rewards for all His children in expectation of their faithfulness in the course of their stewardship.
CONCLUSION
It is a high time we changed our mentality about the things we possess. The earlier this is done, the sooner we realise our position as stewards, and the easier we find it to release to the glory of God. Our attitude and action concerning stewardship is what matters, what we do with what we have while we have time to do it is the issue that really matters according to the word of God. God expects your faithfulness as the manager of His possession.
QUESTIONS
- In a simple sentence, explain the word ‘steward’
- Why should ‘the redeemed of God’ not boast of their achievements?
- What are the things that stewardship is associated with?
- What is required of a faithful steward?
- How does God reward faithful steward and what is the portion of the ones that are not faithful?
