4 Big Ideas About Stewardship

Jesus told a story called "The Parable of the Talents."  A man was about to go on a long journey.  Before he left he entrusted his possessions to his three servants.  The first received five talents, the second two, and the third one.  Keep in mind that one talent equals about 80 pounds of gold.  Then the master left.  Immediately the first two servants went to work and doubled their money.  But the third servant buried his talent in the ground.  When the master returned, he rewarded the first two servants, but he punished the third servant.  (See Matthew 25:14-30.)

The Parable of the Talents teaches us 4 Big Ideas About Stewardship.

1) Your money belongs to God.  The story has four characters, but only one owner -- the master.  They are his servants, and his possessions.  He did not give away his possessions, he entrusted them to his servants.  Becoming a fully-developed steward begins with the realization that your money belongs to God.  More than that, you belong to God (1 Cor 6:19-20).  Everything belongs to God (Ps 24:1.

2) You are a steward.  If you and your possessions belong to God, then you are not an owner.  You are a steward.  Stewardship is an old-fashioned word that means "manager."  You are God's money manager.  "A steward is someone entrusted with another's wealth or property and charged with the responsibility of managing it in the owner's best interest (Ben Patterson)."

3) How you handle your money matters to God.  If your possessions belong to God, then He cares about how you manage them.  To the faithful servants the master said, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"  But to the lazy servant the master said, "You evil, lazy servant!"  Make no mistake -- God cares about how you hand your money.  

4) How you handle your money will determine your eternal reward.  In the parable the master goes away on a long journey, and when he returns he passes judgment and gives rewards.  Jesus is in heaven now, but He is coming back to pass judgment and give out rewards (Mt 16:27).  Randy Alcorn said, "The Bible tells us that this life lays the foundation upon which eternal life is built.  Eternity will hold for us what we have invested there during our life on earth."