Sunday Morning Series - The Laws of Increase - A Good Steward

Text: Various

Definition:  Steward (oikonomos) The law whereby a house is administered or governed - Kenneth Wuest

Stewardship involves substance possession or things than can be owned. (I Chronicles 28:1) I am made a steward of that which I do not own by the one who is in ownership. As long as I am called a steward, my position denotes that another is in possession of what I oversee.

Stewards do not evaluate; they effectuate. In the story of Joseph and his brothers, the steward was ordered to put Joseph's cup and the young man's money into one of the grain sacks. He was then ordered to follow the brothers and examine their sacks. He followed the orders of the owner - Joseph. He got the job done.

Many people use this term in relation to handling money, but use it improperly because they don't understand what it means. God plainly says that 10% belongs to him. The rest is ours to use as we see fit. Some people do a better job than others, especially if they follow Biblical principles of sowing and reaping. We cannot be stewards of the 90% because we own it.

Here are some of the things the Bible says we are stewards over:

1.  The Word - We're supposed to make it part of us. It will yield increase. Do you seek after it? Do you consult it when making a decision? (Psalm 119:1-12, 2 Tim. 3:15, Joshua 1:8)

2.  Faith - God has given us a measure of faith. As we use it, it increases. (Romans 12:3, Luke 8:25)

3.  The gifts of the Holy Spirit - If we use what we have, more will be added. (Romans 6:4-8, I Corinth. 12:1-7, Ephesians 4:8)

4.  Calling  - God has called us. If I refuse, He'll put it on someone else. Each one of us must discover our calling. (Romans 11:29, I Corinth. 1:26 & 7:20)

5.  Love - The love of God has been poured out in our hearts. We're admonished to keep ourselves in the love of God, so there's a responsibility on our part. (Romans 5:5, Jude 1:21, I John 2:5)

6.  Joy - Nehemiah 8:10, Romans 15:13

7.  Peace of God - Let the peace of God rule your heart. (Revelation 1:4, Jude 1:2, Col.3:15)

When I have the stewardship over something, I have total jurisdiction over the operations until I found to not be carrying out the will of the owner.

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If you're visiting in the area or looking for a church home, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service at 10:00 A.M. We're located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Route 611), in Warrington, PA.  The church phone number is (215) 343-7686. We look forward to meeting you!