Introduction: How then should we live? After studying all of these
lessons on stewardship, now that we come to the last lesson, have you
changed your attitudes and your actions? We learned that God is much
more generous to us than He is demanding. We learned that being
generous, like our God, is the key to a better life. We learned that
generosity is not only about money, it is also about our time, our
talents, and our attention. We’ve learned that stewards must have
common sense. We’ve learned that stewards trust God. Let’s finish
this series by studying some passages from the Bible that help us
understand exactly what living the life of God’s steward looks like!
- Acknowledging God
- Read Matthew 7:21. What does this suggest a proper steward
will do? (“The will of my Father.” Just calling Jesus’
name is apparently not sufficient.) - Read Matthew 7:22. If you were asked “Why should you go to
heaven?” “What proves you have been a proper steward of
God?” Would you give an answer like the one found in this
verse? - If you could give such a powerful answer (I could
not) would you think that you had been a glorious
steward for God? - Read Matthew 7:23. Wait a minute! Doesn’t doing all of
these things involve the power of the Holy Spirit? No
mere human can be a true prophet, overpower demons, or
perform miracles! These are the very things that Jesus
did! - Worse, how can those who perform these powerful deeds
be called “evildoers?” - Let’s skip down a chapter in Matthew and read Matthew 8:5-8. Is this the attitude that you would expect of a Roman
army officer? - Read Matthew 8:9-12. How would this Roman army officer
answer the question of whether he should go to heaven?
(Obviously, he would not claim the merits of his deeds. He
would claim the merits of Jesus’ power.) - Do you see now what is wrong with the responses in
Matthew 7:22? (These people claim their own works as
the basis for salvation. These works can only be done
through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is God who
did these things, not the individuals.) - Let’s assume that the people in Matthew 7:22 are not
lying. These miracles really happened. Why are they
evil-doers? (Clearly, casting out demons, performing
miracles, and prophesying are not evil works. That
means that the evil is claiming personal credit for
these things. It is claiming that they entitle the
person to be saved.) - What, then, is the first “work” of a true steward of
God? (Understanding that all that is accomplished to
advance the Kingdom of God is done by the grace and
power of God – and not the steward.) - Trusting God
- Read Proverbs 3:5-6. What two things should characterize
the life of a steward who understands the lesson we just
learned in the previous section? (Trust God. Acknowledge
God.) - What does it mean that God will make our paths
“straight?” (Our life is uncomplicated.) - Read Proverbs 3:7. Why do you think that being “wise in
your own eyes” is contrasted with fearing God and
“shun[ning] evil?” (This suggests that if we rely on our
own wisdom, we would not shun evil or defer to God’s
wisdom.) - Read Proverbs 3:8. Does this seem reasonable to you?
Trusting God, deferring to His wisdom and directions,
makes you healthier and your bones stronger? We typically
think that eating well and exercising brings health and
strong bones! (If we defer to the wisdom of God, we find
that a life lived in dependence on Him makes us
healthier.) - Bringing Glory to God
- Read 1 Peter 2:11. Why does Peter call us “aliens and
strangers?” (This suggests an attitude on our part – that
we don’t really belong here.) - What is the problem with “sinful desires?” (They
attack our soul. Could this have something to do with
the matter we just discussed, that trust and
obedience make us healthier? If our soul feels under
attack because of our wrong desires, our health
suffers?) - Read 1 Peter 2:12. Will pagans accuse us of wrongdoing?
(Yes!) - Will they know that they are lying? (Yes.)
- Do we have a role in making sure that they are lying?
(Yes. Peter tells us that living a life in accord
with God’s will not only makes our life better, but
it brings glory to God.) - Notice the time frame: “on the day He visits
us.” Are we going to see pagans give glory to
God anytime soon? - Read 1 Peter 2:15. What does this say about foolish talk
and living a life in accord with God’s will? (This tells
us that proper living will convince many that the pagan
attacks on us are false, foolish and ignorant. That can
happen now, it need not wait for the Second Coming of
Jesus.) - Peaceful Living
- Read Philippians 4:4-5. We see two connected concepts:
rejoicing and gentleness. Normally, I don’t think of them
as being connected. How would you make sense of this? (I’m
not gentle when I’m arguing a point in court. (And even
when I’m not in court my arguments are often not gentle.)
This is undoubtedly due to the fact that I’m trying to get
something changed. When you rejoice, you are content with
your situation. This connects the two concepts for me –
being content with your situation and the resulting
gentleness of actions.) - Notice the last sentence: “The Lord is near.” What
does that have to do with being gentle? (Contrast
what I just said (about arguing a point) with the
people in Matthew 7:22. I’m falling into that same
trap – thinking that my “ungentle” efforts will cause
the change. The truth is that our God, who is “near,”
is the One who powers the changes.) - Read Philippians 4:6-7. Would you like to reach a point
like this in your life? (This paints a wonderful picture
of a peaceful life.) - Will it be obvious to all those around you that you
should feel this sense of peace? (The phrase is “the
peace … which transcends all understanding.” That
tells us that our peaceful attitude makes no sense to
the world. But, it makes perfect sense to those who
trust in their God who is near.) - When I previously asked about “reaching a
point” where you would have peace, I was
thinking about a natural progression of a well-lived life. This seems to be something
different, something that we can have
regardless of what is going on in our life. Is
that how you understand this text about “peace”
that defies pagan understanding? (Trusting God
gives peace now.) - Read Philippians 4:8. Have you considered how much of your
time is wasted thinking about things that, frankly, are
inappropriate? - Sometimes my thoughts are rediculous. I was working
out in the gym when a scary-looking guy entered. He
looked dangerous, and I think he wanted to look that
way. As I was exercising, I was thinking about how
he might attack me and I might defend myself. Some
days later in the gym, when he saw we were lifting
the same amount of weight, he spoke to me. We became
very friendly – and he commented on how unusual it
was that we should be friends. What should an old man
who writes Bible studies have been thinking about
instead defending himself? (Had I been following the
Bible, I would have been thinking how I could bring
the gospel to him! Although I started out on the
completely wrong mental track, I ended up inviting
him to my Bible study.) - Read Philippians 4:9. What should we do with all of the
lessons that we have learned about stewardship? (Put them
into practice! The result is that the “God of peace will
be with you.”) - Friend, would you like to have peace? Would you like to
enjoy a better life? Why not resolve right now, by the
power of the Holy Spirit, to live the life of a steward of
God? - Next week: We begin a series of lessons entitled “Preparation
for the End Time.”
