Faithful Stewardship Shows Off the Goodness of God

In this series of teaching on stewardship, John Cole revised and taught from a published course made available without copyright by local church pastors shared for churches like ours. Read the handout notes here...

WHY DOES THE FAITHLESS SERVANT GO TO HELL?

Matthew 25:24–30

24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This servant’s double-minded life showed he had no faith .

James 1:2–8

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 2:18–19

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Faithfulness is obedient living that proclaims how excellent, good, trustworthy, and satisfying God is. Every decision you make says something true or false about who God is . 

FAITHFULNESS PROCLAIMS WHO GOD IS.

Our value as human beings is that God created us in His image.

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

We image God through relationships and work . 

Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 1:28 without 1:27 is idolatry. 

FAITHFULNESS MATTERS MORE THAN RESULTS.

Failure is about you: not living up to your potential.

Faithlessness is about God: living in a way that lies about who He is .

In general, there’s two problems with living for results:

1. We can’t see what’s truly valuable. 

2. The things of this world are passing away .

Often, lack of results points to lack of faithfulness.

WHAT DOES FAITHFULNESS LOOK LIKE?

Faithfulness As Obedience 

Faithfulness As Comparison Shopping 

Comparing Things of Worldly Value

Comparing Tangibles With Intangibles

Comparing Worldly Value with Eternal Value

Matthew 6:19–21

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

CONCLUSION

Just like the faithful stewards in our parable, we’re called to “put all our eggs in one basket.”

Live to be faithful, so that your life shows off the goodness of our God.

And God is so committed to this purpose, that He is accomplishing it in us through the promised Christ . 

Romans 8:29

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.