What is stewardship?

1. S T E W A R D S H I P ‘Living a life of LORDSHIP…’ What is stewardship?

2. Biblical Presuppositions 1. God is a personal God — intimately involved in our lives. 2.God is in control — guiding the affairs of humans.

3. Biblical Presuppositions 3. God is owner of all as Creator and Redeemer—provider of all. 4. God is in direct control of His church, allowing room for human decisions.

4. Biblical Presuppositions 5. God provides everything to accomplish His will for His church, in His time frame. 6. God works in partnership with human agents.

5. Biblical Presuppositions 7. Christ is Lord of all, lordship is a choice of the will. 8. The Holy Spirit is the active lordship agent.

6. Biblical Presuppositions 9. We receive the Holy Spirit by faith. 10. In Christ we are able to do anything He wants us to do.

7. Stewardship Definition ‘Stewardship’ is the lifestyle of one who accepts Christ’s lordship, walking in partnership with God and acting as His agent to manage His affairs on earth.

8. Let God Be God! Stewardship is based on who God is! 1. God is creator. 2. God is sovereign. 3. God is savior: 4. God is love. 5. God is owner of all. 6. God is personal.

9. Exploring The Biblical Reality 1. Does God love unconditionally? a. Can we do anything to make God love us more? b. Can we do anything to make God love us less? 2. Is it possible to be a little bit Christian? 3. How does God see us? a. Christlike. b. Holy.

10. Biblical Christianity is: a. Dynamic. b. Focused on Christ. c. Committed — 100%. d. Passionate. e. Transformational. f. Fruitful. g. Peaceful. h. Loving & accepting.

11. God makes us stewards — partners with Him!

12. Definition of Disciple: A ‘disciple’ is one who walks with, learns from and lives in submission to a master in order to becomelike the master.

13. Describing the Disciple 1. Passionately loves Jesus Christ. 2. Maintains intimacy through daily devotional life.

14. Describing the Disciple 3. Integrates Christ into every area of life. 4. Makes Christ the priority in all decisions. 5. Actively shares Christ.

15. Love and Lordship 1. Only love can be the foundation for lordship. 2. God has loved us with an everlasting love. 3. His love for us is unconditional. 4. As we experience His love, love awakens in our heart.

16. Love and Lordship 5. Our love leads us to trust Him. 6. Trust leads us to surrender to His lordship. 7. Accepting His lordship begins a partnership with Him.

17. Lordship/Stewardship Process 1. Recognize Christ initiates stewardship. 2. Accept His gift. 3. Accept His lordship/ownership. 4. Claim His Spirit. 5. Acknowledge your status. 6. Accept His partnership. 7. Integrate your stewardship.

18. Lordship Model High Partner/ Friend Child Relationship Dabbler Slave Low Performance High

19. Lordship Model High Partner/ Friend Child Relationship Dabbler Slave Low Performance High

20. “Truth” Model High Know God Know “A God” As A Person Ignore God Know About God Low High As Information

21. The inward area is the first place of loss of true Christian life, of true spirituality, and the outward sinful act is the result. If we can get hold of this - that the internal is the basic, the external is always merely the result - it will be a tremendous starting place. Schaeffer, True Spirituality, p. 14.

22. VISION PRESENCE ONE- NESS GOSPEL LORDSHIP SPIRITUAL FORMATION

23. SPIRITUAL FORMATION VISION

24. SPIRITUAL FORMATION VISION GOSPEL

25. SPIRITUAL FORMATION VISION GOSPEL LORDSHIP

26. SPIRITUAL FORMATION VISION PRESENCE GOSPEL LORDSHIP

27. SPIRITUAL FORMATION VISION PRESENCE GOSPEL LORDSHIP

28. VISION PRESENCE ONE- NESS GOSPEL LORDSHIP SPIRITUAL FORMATION

29. VISION PRESENCE ONE- NESS GOSPEL LORDSHIP SPIRITUAL FORMATION, Cont. Most problems come in areas of Gospel/Lordship: -- Failure to integrate Gospel. -- Failure to submit to Lordship.

30. VISION PRESENCE ONE- NESS GOSPEL LORDSHIP SPIRITUAL FORMATION, Cont. Cause of the problem is often in the area of Vision or Presence. -- Loss of Vision distorts the Gospel. -- Loss of Presence distorts Lordship.

31. VISION PRESENCE ONE- NESS GOSPEL LORDSHIP SPIRITUAL FORMATION, Cont. Best answer -- combine Vision & Presence -- it transforms the way we live. Place to start – Vision -> Gospel -> Lordship -> Presence.

32. Transforming the Mind Why the Mind Is Important: 1. God’s ultimate gift in the creation of man. 2. Controls all of life. 3. Where habits are formed. 4. Where the relationship with God takes place. 5. Where sin and the battle with sin takes place.

33. Steps for Transforming the Mind 1. Prayerfully face your sinful reality. 2. Gratefully accept your reality in Christ. 3. Focus your mind on Christ and the things above (Col. 3:2; Heb. 12:1-3). 4. Be willing to live with the mystery of God. 5. Practice devotional skills: 6. Practice the presence of God. 7. Actively resist sin.

34. Why Money? 1. It is the theme most often mentioned by Christ: a. Over two thirds of the parables deal with money or material possessions. b. Over 2,000 biblical references to money! Only about 500 on prayer, and less than 500 on faith.

35. Why Money? 2. Money is life. Time + Talent + Energy = Money. 3. It is a common denominator.

36. Why Money? 4. Finances are a spiritual battleground: a. In the world. b. In the work place and business. c. In the home. d. In the church. 5. God uses money. 6. Money competes with God (Matt. 6:24).

37. Why Money? 7. Time & money the most fluid aspects of life. a. Quickly reflect one's walk with God. b. Quickly impact on relationship with God. c. Therefore the Tithe and the Sabbath are spiritual thermometers. 1) Individually 2) Corporately

38. Why Money? SPECIAL NOTE: Money is an important part of stewardship. Yet proper financial stewardship can only come in the context of the Christian lifestyle of stewardship.

39. Giving must come from a personal walk with God.

40. General Conclusions 1. The tithe belongs to and is returned to God. 2. Tithing is an act of worship to God. 3. The tithe is returned in response to God’s blessings. 4. Tithing is a test of loyalty for God’s people.

41. General Conclusions • Tithing is part of revival and a return to God. • The tithe is the starting point of our worship to God in the material areas of life—our freewill offerings to support the local church flow on from this. • In the O.T. God supported His corporate people by giving the tithe He receives to support the sanctuary and the Levitical system. There is a similar system in the N.T. for supporting His work.

42. Testing Our Loyalties Key Principles: 1. Put God first — "Seek ye first . . ." (Matt. 6:33). 2. Worship only God. (Exodus 20:3)

43. God’s First Test 1. The setting: a. A perfect world. b. A perfect humanity. c. A perfect relationship. 2. The temptation — "You will be like God . . ."

44. God’s First Test 3. The issue — the seduction of ownership. a. Who is God? b. A choice of life or death. c. Loyalty to the creator. d. Who do we trust? e. Who do we obey?

45. God’s Contemporary Tests of Loyalty The Sabbath in time.

46. God’s Contemporary Tests of Loyalty Tithe in possessions.

47. The Sabbath Test of Loyalty 1. In Eden — the test was to put God first. 2. The Sabbath is a sign of: a. Accept God as Creator. (Ex. 20:8-11) b. Accept God as Redeemer. (Deut. 5:12-15) c. Accept God as Sanctifier. (Ex. 31:13) d. Accept God’s kingdom. (Isaiah 66:23)

48. Principles for Sabbath Observance 1. Accept the gift of salvation & eternal life. 2. Seek intimacy with God. 3. Lay aside the burdens of life. 4. Make it a day of focused worship and fellowship.

49. Purpose for Tithing a. To worship God. b. To combat selfishness by making God first. c. To test our loyalty. (Minimum Test) d. To remind us of unconditional surrender. e. To provide for the full-time gospel ministry.

50. Tithe as Worship: a. Accept our relationship with God. b. Recognize God as Creator. c. Accept God's Ownership. . . d. Recognize God's care, guidance and love. e. Accept redemption as a restoration of God's ownership.