April Stewardsip Focus

04.01.09 | Stewardship

    Many people see material possessions as a means for acquiring personal happiness and contentment. Like the rich fool of Luke 12, they hoard their possessions in hopes of gaining security or "the easy life." The New Testament's teaching on possessions, however, proves these materialistic views to be not only wrong but also foolish.

    April Stewardship Focus: Posessions

    Many people see material possessions as a means for acquiring personal happiness and contentment. Like the rich fool of Luke 12, they hoard their possessions in hopes of gaining security or "the easy life." The New Testament's teaching on possessions, however, proves these materialistic views to be not only wrong but also foolish. Here are three key principles from the gospel of Luke:

    1) Possessions are a means of investing in eternity. God calls us to pursue "true wealth" (Luke 16:9-13) rather than focusing on earthly treasure or material needs; after all, we are merely stewards, not owners of what we have in this life. Jesus exhorts us to be "rich toward God" (Luke 12) rather than rich toward those who will benefit us, or rich toward ourselves - being generous to the poor.

    2) Possessions are a barometer of kingdom commitment. The way we use our possessions after exposure to the gospel is a sure-fire indicator of whether we have responded appropriately to the good news of the kingdom or whether the kingdom has passed us by (Luke 3, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21!)

    3) Possessions are a danger. Wealth itself is not evil but because of sin, one cannot remain passive or neutral about it. Wealth masters if it is not mastered. Luke 19:11-27 reminds us that we will be judged on the basis of how we use the things with which we've been entrusted.

    According to Jesus, Luke, and the rest of the biblical writers, Christian discipleship requires diligent teaching, thoughtful study, and radical commitment on matters of possessions. This is particularly necessary for those living in the wealthiest societies in human history. - Generous Giving

    stewardship09_04 - Stewardship 2009-04