LUKE 12:41-48 BE A FAITHFUL AND WISE STEWARD2013 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Luke 12:41-48 Be A Faithful And Wise Steward

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You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2013. Did you know that you are a steward?

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Did you know that? Do you think about that? Have you considered the reality that you are a steward? That's what Jesus is addressing here in this passage. It's the subject of stewardship and the reality that you and I as servants of the Lord are

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Now, as I began to study this portion, it was actually last week and then last minute, Dave Downs was able to come share with us and we were so blessed. But as I was preparing and studying for the service, the Lord really began to explode this passage within my heart. And there was so much that the Lord was really highlighting and revealing for me to share with you that I realized we could not do this

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in one service. Maybe I could, but then our morning service would extend into the evening service. It would just be the continuation of a full day. But no, instead, I know what the Lord's put upon my heart is for us to take the next several weeks and consider this passage.

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And so we're going to be looking at the subject of a steward for the next couple of weeks and really dig into what God has in store for us in this passage to explore the concept and understand what it means that you are a steward.

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Now to begin this series and to begin our time in looking at this passage, we have today's message, which is entitled, Be a Faithful and Wise Steward. Be a Faithful and Wise Steward. And there's three points that I will highlight for you from the text.

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But there's also a whole bunch of other verses that I'm going to be sharing this morning, a lot more than I usually do. And so I want to let you know ahead of time so that you can have your pen or pencil ready, have your paper ready, because it would be really good for you to take some time, write down these references that I will be sharing, and then spend some time throughout the week examining and considering the passages that I'll be sharing. Because

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You, as a steward, have certain responsibilities that you need to comprehend and understand, and these verses will help you to understand what God is speaking to your heart. Well, as we begin looking at being a faithful and wise steward, the first point this morning we find in verse 41 and 42, and it's very simple, you are a steward.

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You are a steward. Check out verse 41 and 42 again. It says, Then Peter said to him, Lord, do you speak this parable only to us or to all people? And 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?

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Now, Jesus has been talking to his disciples and the people around them. We saw two weeks ago in verses 35 through 40, he was talking about his return.

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And the message was that they were to be waiting, that they were to be watching, and that they were to be ready because Jesus said, the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. So you're to always be watching because it's going to happen suddenly and it will be by surprise. Now as Peter is hearing this, he's hearing this exhortation from the Lord to watch and to wait and to be ready.

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He asked Jesus, who are you talking to, Jesus? He says, are you only speaking to us? Is this just for the 12 disciples that that's who you're addressing this towards? Who is it that you are telling to watch and to wait and to be ready for your return? And the Lord responds with verse 42. Who then is that faithful and wise steward?

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He responds, not with a direct answer, but instead by talking about stewards.

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And talking about the, specifically the faithful and the wise steward. Now we are going to spend the majority of our time here in this point this morning. So don't get freaked out when it's near the end of service and I haven't got to the other two points. We're just going to hit those really quickly. Okay, that's on purpose. It's by design because we need to take some time as we start this off to understand what it is that Jesus is talking about and what it means when I say that you are a steward.

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Who is a steward? Well, you are. And I want to make sure that it's very clear this morning. I am not attempting to say that you should be a steward. That's not what I'm saying. I'm not trying to say that you could be a steward. No, instead, what we need to understand today is that right now, already, you are a steward.

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Right now, you are a steward. It's not something that you aspire to be one day, but right now already, you are a steward. Peter says, who are you talking to, Lord? Who are you addressing as you talk about being ready for your return? And the Lord says, who is that faithful and wise steward? He's not directly saying it, but his answer really is,

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Every believer, every person is whom I'm addressing. And just to illustrate that, would you jump with me please to Mark chapter 13. We'll come back to Luke 12 in just a second. But in Mark chapter 13, we have a similar passage where Jesus is talking about his return and the need, the necessity to be ready for it. But here he also gives us some insight on who he is addressing and who he is speaking to.

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Mark chapter 13, I want to read verse 32 through 37 with you. It says, And so Jesus is saying about my return, nobody knows the time.

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Verse 33, take heed, watch and pray for you do not know when the time is. Verse 34, it is like a man going to a far country who left his house and gave authority to his servants and to each his work and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. So here in verse 34, we have kind of in summary what we're reading in Luke chapter 12 verses 41 through 48. He kind of condenses it here.

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And so it's just, hey, the man's going to a far country. He's leaving his servants, his stewards with certain authority and responsibility. And then he's going to be coming back. Verse 35, watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming in the evening at midnight at the crowing of the rooster or in the morning, lest coming suddenly he finds you sleeping. And here's the key in verse 37.

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And what I say to you, I say to all, watch. So Jesus, as he's addressing the same subject of his return, how it's unexpected, nobody knows the day or the hour, using the same illustration, a master going away and coming back. He says, what I'm saying to you guys, disciples, I'm saying this to everybody, watch. That you are to watch and that you are to be ready.

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Now, as we go back into Luke chapter 12, we can understand as Peter asks the question, who are you addressing? Jesus is saying, what I say to you, I say to all. And again, it brings us to the conclusion, you are a steward. In fact, take a moment, tell the person next to you, I am a steward. I am a steward. I am a steward.

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Yeah, I don't think they're convinced. So you weren't very persuasive in that. Tell them with some conviction. I am a steward. I am a steward. You are a steward. Now, okay, so we got that, right? Okay, you got the point. You're a steward, right? But what are we talking about? What is a steward? What does it mean to be a steward?

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Well, the word also could be used as a manager or perhaps a superintendent. It's from two Greek words put together, which means to administer a house. To administer a house. One dictionary defines it this way.

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It is one to whom the head of the house has entrusted the management of his affairs, the care of receipts and expenditures, and the duty of dealing out the proper portion to every servant and even to the children not yet of age.

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And so a steward, we can understand, is someone who's been given resources, responsibility, authority, but also with the responsibility to distribute those resources where it's appropriate and at the direction of the master, at the direction of the head of the house. I think the best biblical example that we have of a steward is the man Joseph back in the book of Genesis. You remember Joseph?

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He was sold as a slave by his brothers. They didn't like him. They wanted to get rid of him. Instead of putting him to death, they sold him into slavery. He gets taken to Egypt where he's bought by a man named Potiphar.

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And Potiphar buys Joseph. He puts him to work. But as he's watching Joseph work, he's realizing this guy's really diligent and God is blessing him. The hand of the Lord is upon him. And so it tells us in Genesis chapter 39 that Potiphar raises him up and sets him in authority over all of his house. It tells us in Genesis 39 verse 4,

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Joseph found favor in Potiphar's sight and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. But notice this, in verse 6 of Genesis 39, it tells us the extent of that. It says that all that he, I'm sorry, 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.

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So here's the extent of which Joseph was steward over Potiphar's house. He gave Joseph everything. Joseph, you're in charge. So he no longer has any idea. He doesn't know how many sheep do I have? How many flocks and herds do I got? How much money do I have in the bank? What's the balance? The only thing he's concerned about is what should I eat today?

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That's all that he had responsibility for in his own house. He gave the rest of the authority, the rest of the responsibility to Joseph. It was Joseph's job to keep track of all that, to manage it, to make sure that it was well taken care of. That's the picture. That's the example. That's what we understand when we say you are a steward. It means that you're a servant.

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A particular kind of servant. It's a servant who has been entrusted with resources along with those

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The master has given you instruction for how to use them, but you also are accountable then to the master. And so here's the summary that I'm going to be using as we spend the next few weeks looking at the idea of being a steward. Here's what it is to be a steward. A steward is a servant entrusted with resources and instruction to accomplish the master's will.

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When I say you are a steward, this is what I'm saying you are. You are a servant who is entrusted with resources as well as instruction so that you can accomplish the master's will. So you are a steward. What resources have been entrusted to you? Well, there's lots of things that we could look at. I'm going to quickly go through eight things for us to consider.

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Because we need to understand the extent of what it means that we are stewards. So the first thing I want to consider with you, you are a steward, which means you've been entrusted with resources. The first thing to consider is finances, that you have been entrusted with financial resources. And some people are going, oh no, he's going to start talking about giving to the church.

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That 10%, that tithe, preachers always like to talk about that. They always bring that up. Listen, I'm not trying to address this 10% thing with you, okay? What I want you to understand when we talk about finances and you are a steward is that God cares about 100% of your finances, okay?

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And sometimes we get the mistaken notion that, all right, the 10%, that's God's. Some people wrestle with that even. But let's just assume, okay, 10%, that's God's. But the rest of the 90%, that's mine. And I can do whatever I want with that. But that is not accurate with this idea of stewardship. It's not accurate with what the Bible says about your finances.

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Now, as you consider this subject of finances, you need to understand it's all his. 100% is his. You are accountable for all of it. Now, as he gives you those financial resources, he gives it to you with particular purpose. And he says, look, okay, this portion of your finances, that's to provide your food and your clothing.

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That's to provide for your family. That's to provide for your house. That's to take care of your needs. This portion over here, this is what I want you to use to accomplish this purpose over there. This is the portion that I want you to give to somebody else or to send onto the mission field. He gives us 100% of our finances with instruction on how it's to be distributed and how it's to be used. This last Christmas,

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I was given some cash and I was anticipating that I usually get some cash for Christmas. And so I was excited about it because I've been really wanting to upgrade my phone. And so I was waiting. You know, my contract was up in November. I get to renew my contract and upgrade my phone, you know. But I was waiting because I wanted to wait to see what kind of Christmas money came in to see what kind of phone I could get.

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And so we got the Christmas money and it was actually a Wednesday, the day after Christmas. And I was like, all right, I've got the money. I have just enough time. I can hit the store, then get to church to finish my study to teach this Wednesday night. Just enough time to fit it in there. And I had it all planned out, how I was going to do it and make it work. And timing was going to be tight, but I could make it work. But as I was preparing that, and even as I got in the car to head out, the Lord began to challenge my heart. He said, look,

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Did you check with me on that? Is that what I have given you these funds for? Oh, but it's a Christmas gift. I mean, it's mine. I can do whatever I want with it. And this is where God began to remind me of this idea of stewardship. You got to check with me. I've given you that money for specific purposes and reasons, and you need to use it for what I've given it to you to accomplish. It's 100% God's.

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And if we're stewards, that means that we need to be submitted to his direction and instruction when it comes to all of our finances, not just the 10%. Now, if you're wrestling with this, well, you'll have a more difficult time understanding or considering what Jesus said in Luke chapter 16.

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In verse 10, Jesus says, He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. And he who is unjust in what is least is also unjust in much. We know that verse, faithful in the least, faithful in much. But Jesus goes on in Luke 16, 11 to say, Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon,

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You can just replace the word money in there for unrighteous mammon. If you've not been faithful with money, Jesus says, who will commit to your trust the true riches? Consider what Jesus is saying here. If you're faithful in the least, you will be faithful in much. But then connected to that thought, he says, look, if you're not faithful with money, you

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Who will entrust you with true riches? Jesus is saying, look, you are a steward. You've been entrusted with financial resources, but that is the least valuable thing that you've been entrusted with. We get all consumed with finances and we think of it as very, very valuable, but we're backwards. Jesus is trying to recorrect our thinking and say, look,

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That's not the most important thing that you've been entrusted with. However, it is important because if you're faithful in the least, your faithfulness in your finances, in regards to God's instruction and how he wants you to use them, that faithfulness in finances, well, it represents your faithfulness with all the other things that you've been entrusted with. And there's much more valuable things that you've been given by God

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than money. Now, as we talk about dealing with finances and the stewardship of it, please understand, I'm not trying to say that as a steward, because you're a steward, because it's 100% God's money, that that means that you're supposed to be absolutely miserable because you can never buy anything that you want to buy. That's not what this is about. And that's not what God is saying. In fact, consider what Paul said to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6, verse 17.

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He says, command those who are rich in this present age. Now, we've had this discussion before. I would suggest we fit in that. Maybe you don't agree, but you can be wrong. That's okay. But command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Here's the point. Paul says, hey, make sure the rich people understand.

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That they're not to trust in their riches. They're not to be puffed up as if, you know, they have amassed this wealth because they're so great. No, they need to understand it's from God. They can't trust in those riches, but they need to trust in God. But he ends it with this incredible phrase. He says, God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. And to enjoy the resources that God has given you is not wrong.

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He gives you some resources to buy food, buy clothing. He also gives you some resources to enjoy. We need to keep it balanced and we need to keep it within the parameters that he wants to give us. But the point is, it's not that you have to be miserable. God wants you to enjoy what he has given. So finances is one thing that you've been entrusted with.

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But Jesus says, that's the least of the things that you've been entrusted with. So what else? What's more valuable than your finances? Well, consider your words. Your words are very valuable. The capacity for speech that God has given to you, it's an incredibly powerful tool.

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James talks about this in James chapter 3. Now, it's a powerful tool that can be used for good or for evil. In fact, so much so for evil that James says your tongue is set on fire by hell, that it can bring great destruction into people's lives, great destruction into your own life. But the capacity to speak the words that you say is incredibly valuable.

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And Jesus says in Matthew chapter 12, verse 36, he says, I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. Here's what Jesus says. Your words, the things that you speak, because I'm your master and I've made you a steward of this capacity of speech, I'm going to hold you accountable for what you say.

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And every idle word that you speak, you're going to answer for it. You're going to be accountable, not just for the terrible things that you say, but for the idle things that you say. It's a serious responsibility as we consider that, that every word is being examined by the master. It's being considered.

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It should cause us to follow the instruction that Paul gave in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29. He says, As a steward, we need to consider, we need to evaluate that the words that we say, we're going to give an account for it.

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And so we need to take some precautions so that corrupt words don't come out of our mouth, but only what is edifying, what builds up, that imparts grace to those who hear. You're a steward and you've been entrusted with words, the ability to speak, to build up, but also to tear down. What else have you been entrusted with? Well, something else we can consider incredibly valuable, spiritual gifts.

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Peter says in 1 Peter 4.10, Here Peter says, you are a steward. And what are you a steward of? You're a steward of the grace of God. How so? Well, he says, you've been given a spiritual gift.

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Now, when Paul talks about spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14, the word he uses for gifts is a variant of the word grace. And so spiritual gifts are indeed part of the grace of God. Spiritual gifts are not earned. They're not deserved. You don't work for them. You don't get them because you've done something great. Spiritual gifts are

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are part of the grace of God. That it's God, because He's good, He gifts you with spiritual gifts. It's part of His grace. Now you, a recipient of grace, you've been entrusted with God's grace. You are now a steward of God's grace. And the way that you be a faithful steward, Peter says, is you minister the gift that God has given to you. That you minister it to one another. That you put it to use.

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Be a good steward of your spiritual gift or of the grace of God by using the gift that God has given to you. This is incredibly valuable. When we talk about spiritual gifts, we're not talking about natural abilities. We're talking about God supernaturally enabling you by the power of the Holy Spirit to participate in His work that has everlasting rewards.

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And the body of Christ is designed in such a way by the Lord that we're able to minister to one another, to be part of each other's lives, to build each other up, to help each other become the man and woman of God that God has called us to be. What's more valuable than partaking in the work of God that lasts for eternity? It's great value. You've been entrusted with the grace of God.

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Notice Peter says, as each one has received a gift. He doesn't say there's a few of you who've received a gift. He doesn't say the church leaders have received gifts. He says each one. Every believer in Jesus is gifted by God supernaturally to accomplish his work in the kingdom of God. Different gifts in different ways that God uses us, but everyone has a gift. Sometimes

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If you would ask someone, say, hey, what's your spiritual gift? It's interesting that there's so many times that people don't know what their spiritual gift is. It's interesting to me. If I were to give you a gift card, I would hand it to you. You'd say, oh, thank you. This is great. Needed this. Wonderful. But then 10 years later, someone comes up to you and says, hey, I noticed you carry around this gift card. What store is it for?

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You say, well, I don't actually know. I never actually looked. Oh, that's interesting. Well, how much is it for? You know, I never checked the balance. I'm not even sure how much it's for. I don't know where it's for. I don't know how much it's worth, but I got it. Thanks. That doesn't make sense. Who would do that? In the same way, God has given you a supernatural gift. He's enabled you to participate in his work that affects the kingdom of God for eternity. How can you not know what it is that he's given to you?

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How come you never looked into it, checked it out, find out? Well, what is it, Lord, that you've gifted me in? You can do some studying in 1 Corinthians 12 through 14. You need to do some praying if you don't know. You need to spend some time with God. You need to begin serving and testing out and trying out. Find out what is your gift. How has God enabled you and called you to participate in the work of the body of Christ? It's a matter of stewardship. You've been entrusted with the grace of God. What are you doing with it? Peter says...

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To be a good steward, you got to minister that gift to one another. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1, verse 6, he says, I remind you to stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the laying on of my hands. Not only do we need to know what the gift is, but we need to exercise it. And sometimes we get lazy or we get off track and the gift that God's given to us just kind of begins to lie dormant. Paul's saying, stir it up.

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Don't let it grow cold. Don't let it die out. But continue to be faithful in exercising that gift of God as a steward of the grace of God. And so you've been entrusted with finances, with words, with spiritual gifts. You've also been entrusted with ministry. What ministry? Well, specifically, the ministry of reconciliation. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5.18,

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He says, all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. You have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. What is that? Well, it's the idea of people being reconciled to God or being brought into right relationship with God. In other words, you've been entrusted with the gospel. You've been entrusted with bringing people together

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to salvation, helping them to understand what Christ has done for us and to receive the forgiveness and the life that he offers. This is the ministry that has been entrusted to us. You have a part to play in the salvation of people around you. And it might be a prayer part. It might be a sharing part. It might be a reaping part. It might be a planting part. It might be a watering part. It might be all of the above or any other combination, but you've been entrusted

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With the ministry of reconciliation, you're a steward. You've been given this part. Fulfill your ministry. As the author of Hebrews said, Hebrews chapter 12, finish the race that is set before you. You've been called to participate in the salvation of those who are lost. Well, there's more that we need to consider. There's a lot more we could dig into. But children, some of you are parents. And so you have been entrusted with

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The resource that God has given to you is children. Psalm chapter 127 verse 3 says, Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward. Children are from the Lord, the psalmist says. This is a gift from God. You've been entrusted with these little precious lives.

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God's entrusted them to you, and he's given some very clear instruction along with that. You can see it all throughout the book of Deuteronomy and other parts of the Bible as well. In Deuteronomy 6, verse 6, God says, These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children. That's in it.

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One of the things that God has instructed you to do regarding your children is to teach them diligently God's word. Now, let me just say, we do the best that we can here. We have got great, gifted, empowered by the Spirit people to minister to the children here in the children's ministry, in the junior high and high school. It's wonderful what God's done in that. But if that's your whole plan for teaching your children the word of God, that's not diligence.

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Because this is just a small fraction of their lives. No, you have a responsibility. You've been entrusted with these lives. And God says, I want you to teach them to know me, to walk with me, how to have a relationship with me, that they would know my words and know right from wrong. Teach them diligently. Paul says in Ephesians 6, 4, you fathers do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

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Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. It's something that has been entrusted to you of great value. You're a steward. Maybe some of you have been entrusted with authority. Paul is very clear in Romans chapter 13, all authority is from God. He says in verse 1, let every soul be subject to governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God. And the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

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Now what Paul is going to go on to say then is that's why we need to be submitted to those authorities. But the point is also clear. If you have authority, it doesn't come from the east or from the west. It comes from God. Remember Jesus said to Pilate, Pilate's like, hey, don't you know who I am? I could have you put to death. And Jesus said to Pilate, you could have no power at all against me unless it had been given to you from above.

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And so understand, if you have authority within the home, that authority is given to you by God. You've been entrusted with that authority to use it the way that He desires. If you have authority in the workplace or in the community, if you have authority in any capacity, it's been given to you by God. You've been entrusted with this authority to use for God's glory to accomplish His purposes.

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Here's one we can all relate to. You've been entrusted with your own heart. Proverbs 4.23 says, This is an interesting one to consider. We're not going to spend much time here, but you've been entrusted with your own heart.

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You're a steward of your own heart, which means that you have the responsibility to maintain your heart. Now, I'm not talking about physically, although that's another aspect we could consider. But spiritually, emotionally, your heart is in your hands. And if your heart is cold towards God, if you're not passionate about the Lord, that's not good stewardship because that's not what God has entrusted your heart to you for physically.

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If your heart is cold towards your spouse and you're not being faithful there, that's not good stewardship. You need, as a steward of your own heart, to take steps to maintain your relationship with God. You need to take steps to protect your heart from sin, from Satan, to keep your heart on track. And it's a difficult task because, as Jeremiah said, your heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it? And so you need some help with this. It's a big task, but it's your responsibility.

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Keep your heart with all diligence, Proverbs says. Well, if that's not enough, I'm just going to kind of sum it up with this last one. You've been entrusted with everything. Everything. In Psalm chapter 50, the psalmist says,

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Well, he's speaking on behalf of God. He says, for every beast of the forest is mine and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you for the world is mine and all its fullness. You see what God says there? The world is mine and all its fullness. Everything is mine, says God. Those are God's clothes you're wearing. It's God's seat you're sitting in. It's God's car you drive. It's God's place that you live in.

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It's all God's. It belongs to him. He's entrusted it to you, but it's his. I like what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4, 7. He says, who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now, if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? Paul says, look, everything you have has been given to you by God. No, I earned this. You haven't deserved it. You haven't earned it. It's God's. He's entrusted it to you.

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All that you have, all that you are, everything belongs to the Lord. Now, these are just a couple examples. We could talk about your spouse. We could talk about your time. We could talk about your home, your strength, and on and on. This should help us to kind of understand the length, the extent of what we're talking about here, that we have to rethink life, kind of throw out what we thought and rebuild our understanding of what life is all about because we are stewards.

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And everything that we have and all that we are and all that we do, well, it's to be done for God. It's to be used according to the way that he has prescribed. Again, consider this idea of a steward that we're talking about. It's a servant who's entrusted with resources. We've seen that. But also accompanied with that is the instruction how to use those resources to accomplish the master's will.

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And so all of those resources that you've been given come with instructions, God's instructions for how you're to use it. You as a steward are a servant, which means that you have a master. And this master has entrusted you with resources. He's giving you instruction for how to use them. And in the end, you will give an account of

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For how faithful you were to follow his instructions. That moves us now to point number two. I told you, we'll just touch these real quickly, okay? Verses 43 through 46 is point number two. And that is, be a faithful steward. You are a steward. So be a faithful steward. That's what's required of steward. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4 too. It's required that we be found faithful. And how do you be found faithful as a steward? Very simply,

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to be found doing what you are supposed to be doing. Look at verse 43. Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Every steward has a master, and yours is coming back very soon. And blessed are you if when he returns, he finds you doing what you are supposed to be doing.

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In essence, Jesus is continuing on what he's been talking about. And he's saying, expect my return. Expect my return.

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And there's great reward if you are expecting his return. Verse 44, he says, truly I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. If you are a faithful steward and you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, then when Jesus comes or when you go to be with him, then there will be reward because you are expecting his return. But if you're not expecting his return, there will be penalty. Verse 45,

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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's not looking for him and at an hour when he's not aware and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. He says, if you're not faithful, there's penalty.

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You're accountable for how you follow the instructions I've given. If you do what I've called you to do, if you do what I've called you to do, then you will be rewarded. If you don't do what I've called you to do, there will be penalty. There will be punishment. So be a faithful steward by expecting his return.

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And by doing what you are supposed to be doing. Because faithful stewards are rewarded and unfaithful stewards are punished. So what is it that you are supposed to be doing? Well, that brings us to the third point. We'll explore these more in the coming weeks. But verse 47 and 48, point number three, be a wise steward. Be a wise steward. Verse 47 says this.

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And that servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know yet committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required. And to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. Here we find that in order to be a wise steward...

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You must know the master's will. See that in the beginning part of verse 47, and the servant who knew his master's will. The way to be a wise steward is to know God's will. And that's a big subject. How do you know God's will? Well, I would summarize it by saying the best way to know God's will is to know God. If you want to know God's will for your life, you need to get to know God.

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Because God's will is unique and personal to you. You cannot find God's will for you by copying someone else. You look at Hector and say, well, I think he's a pretty good steward. So let me copy what he's doing. And I'll spend my money the way that he spends his money. And I'll dress the way that he dresses. And I'll walk the way that he walks. And I'll try to be as tall as he is. You cannot copy.

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Find God's will for your life by copying somebody else. No, God's will is unique and personal to you. You are a steward, which means you're accountable for your own personal call. We spend way too much time comparing ourselves to each other. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 12, he says, those who measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves among themselves are not wise.

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When you try to evaluate how good of a steward you are by looking at someone else, Paul says, you're not wise. That's not wisdom. Because your call, God's will for you, is unique to you. Which also means we can't judge one another and say, well, he must not be really holy because he doesn't do the things that I do or he does the things that I don't do. Paul says in Romans chapter 14, hey, who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls.

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No, we have our own unique individual relationship with God and call from God. Now, there are some universal things. Thou shalt not murder. You know, those things that the Bible calls sin, none of us, those apply to everybody. But there's a lot of details in your life that God has given to you. He's entrusted you with certain things and the instruction to you is personal. And it might be very different than

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than what he's entrusted to the person next to you. Stewards are entrusted with different amounts. Remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25? Talents are not abilities, it's an amount of money. And the servants are given different amounts of money. So you might be given more of one thing and you might be given more of something else. Stewards are entrusted with different amounts and stewards are entrusted with different tasks.

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It was interesting to me as we read through Ezra chapter 8 this past week, and the priests were entrusted with the valuables, the gold and the silver coming out of Babylon, and they waited there in Babylon. And then when they got to Jerusalem, they waited again. Why did they do that? Because their task was to bring all of the valuables that they were given to Jerusalem.

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They weren't allowed to drive through on the way and buy Big Macs for everybody. No, they had to deliver the full amount. That was their task. But the task might be different depending on who you are and what God has called you to do. And so you might be thinking, well, hey, I've got this extra money. My taxes are going to come in and I'm going to have this bonus or whatever. And you think, I want to plan this great vacation. It's going to be awesome. We're going to just have a great time. Be God is tapping on your heart and saying,

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Is that what I've entrusted those resources to you for? Maybe I want you to go on a mission trip. But understand the opposite of that could be true as well. Maybe you're thinking, all right, my tax return's coming in. I can get to Okinawa and do some ministry over there with Pastor Rick or Pastor Tom. I've always wanted to do that. I'm so looking forward to it. And maybe God's saying to you, I don't want you to go to Okinawa. I want you to take a cruise. Why could God say that? Of course he could. Of course he could.

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It's his instruction, his direction. You need to know God's will. Hey, you're gifted spiritually and you feel like, man, I need to be preaching. I want to be preaching. Give me someone to teach God. And God says, I want you to scrub toilets. And the opposite might be true. You might be saying, just give me some toilets to scrub, God. That's all the responsibility I want. And God says, no, I want you to preach. We're stewards. It's not our will. It's his will. God may want you to homeschool while he wants the parents next door to send their kids to public school.

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Maybe you want the promotion, or maybe you don't want the promotion. It's all in God's hands. It's Him who's entrusting the resources to you. Your job is to know His will, to hear the instructions. Lord, as you give me this valuable thing, what is it that you want me to do with it? How do you want me to handle it? Whether it be finances, or children, or a job, or whatever the case. You're a steward.

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You need to know God's will. And you do that by getting to know God, by walking with him. You cannot find out his will for your life by copying someone else. And so this morning, the call of the Lord for us is to be faithful and wise stewards. You are a steward. You've been entrusted with incredibly valuable resources. And God has instruction for you on how to use those resources. So get to know his will.

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Get to know what he wants. Follow his direction and then be faithful. Be found doing what he's instructed you to do with the resources he's entrusted to you. Let's pray.

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Lord, we thank you for your word. We thank you for this challenge. We thank you for this understanding that all that we have and all that we are and all that we do, really it all belongs to you. Help us, God. I pray, Lord, that you would allow this truth to penetrate our hearts, that it would not be just for today, but that it would be a permanent part of our understanding and lives, that we would know we are your stewards. You've entrusted us. Lord, help us to walk with you

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to know your will, and then to be faithful to carry it out. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.