January’s verse:
Psalm 90:12
“So teach us to number our days, that
we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Prayer requests:
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January 15, 2017
Faith Baptist Church
7644 Farralone Ave.
Canoga Park, CA 91304
Office: 818.340.6131 ext. 504
Cell: 818.262.1036
www.faithbaptist.org
Occupation: Stewardship
1 Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in
stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
Luke 12:42-43 “And the Lord said, Who then is
that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall
make ruler over his household, to give them their
portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that
servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find
so doing.”
God owns
everything; we
manage what He
gives us.
Colossians 1:12-13
“Giving thanks
unto the Father,
which hath made
us meet to be
partakers of the
inheritance of the
saints in light:
Who hath
delivered us from
the power of
darkness, and hath
translated us into
the kingdom of his
dear Son”
Introduction: The Bible describes two distinct
worlds: a world of darkness, the domain of
unbelievers, and a world of light, the domain of
Christians. Establishing our lives on God’s principles
will enable us to develop godly character. As
believers, we do not own what we possess. We are
managers of what God has given us.
I. Two Worlds
Hebrews 11:26-27
“Esteeming the
reproach of Christ
greater riches than
the treasures in
Egypt: for he had
respect unto the
recompence of the
reward. By faith he
forsook Egypt, not
fearing the wrath
of the king: for he
endured, as seeing
him who is
invisible.”
Hebrews 11:1-2
“Now faith is the
substance of things
hoped for, the
evidence of things
not seen. For by it
the elders obtained
a good report.”
A. The world of darkness
The Bible uses the word “darkness” to
describe the world of sin. Like physical darkness,
spiritual darkness blinds, preventing people from
seeing the truth. It clouds their thinking about the
meaning of life, the right way to live, and life’s true
priorities.
B. The world of light
II Corinthians 6:14
“Be ye not
unequally yoked
together with
unbelievers… what
communion hath
light with
darkness?”
C. Choices based on values (11:25)
God sent His Son, the Light of the World, to
deliver us all from darkness. The light transforms
our worldview as God’s Word and the Holy Spirit
renew our minds. We can now understand spiritual
values and adopt them as guidelines for our own
lives.
II. Building Values
(Hebrews 11:1,2 & 23-27)
A. A foundation of faith (11:27)
Moses had a foundation of faith; he
understood that God, though invisible, was at work
in his life and in the world. Your foundation of all
life must rest on the foundation of faith in God and
His truth.
B. Values based on faith (11:26)
Moses valued the things of God more than
the treasures of Egypt. With a foundation of faith,
he valued eternal things.
Psalm 100:3
“Know ye that the
LORD he is God: it
is he that hath
made us, and not
we ourselves; we
are his people, and
the sheep of his
pasture.”
Moses rejected a life of ease, status, power,
and wealth in favor of a life with the slaves—a choice
most would say makes no sense. But Moses based his
choices, not on worldly values, but on God’s values.
D. Character based on choices (11:1,2)
Proper values lead to right choices and a
pattern of right choices result in good character. Our
choices (which are based on our values, which are
grounded in God’s truth) express our character.
III. Developing motivated stewardship
(Matthew 25:14-30)
A. Ownership
In this parable, we can compare God to the
master. He owns everything in the world; nevertheless
he entrusts His servants with the responsibility of
managing His resources for Him.
B. Responsibility
Success, joy, and
lasting fulfillment
can be ours if we
acknowledge God’s
ownership of
ourselves and His
resources and
dedicate ourselves
to being faithful
stewards.
Each believer is like one of the servants in
Matthew’s narrative, whether faithful or unfaithful.
C. Character
When the master returned from his journey,
he called each servant into his presence and required a
report from each one on how he had managed his
possessions. We too will answer for how we have used
our Master’s resources.