Sermon: Who Owns It?
Scripture Text: Matthew 25:14-30
Quotes for Reflection:
Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods
As a pastor I’ve had people come to me to confess that they struggle with almost every kind of sin. Almost. “I spend too much money on myself. I think my greedy lust for money is harming my family, my soul, and people around me.” Greed hides itself from the victim. The money god’s modus operandi includes blindness to your own heart.
Jesus warns people far more often about greed than about sex, yet almost no one thinks they are guilty of it. Therefore we should all begin with a working hypothesis that “this could easily be a problem for me.” If greed hides itself so deeply, no one should be confident that it is not a problem for them. How can we recognize and become free from the power of money blind to us?
Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions, & Eternity
Stewardship isn’t a subcategory of the Christian life. Stewardship is the the Christian life. After all, what is stewardship that God has entrusted to us life, time, talents, money, possessions, family, and his grace? In each case, he evaluates how we regard what he has entrusted to us-and what we do with it.
Scott Badger-Saye, Following Jesus in a Culture of Fear
When our moral lives are shaped by fear, and safety is worshiped as the highest good, we are tempted to make health and security the primary justification for right action. We thus lead timid lives, fearing the risks of bold gestures. Instead of being courageous, we are content to be safe. Instead of being hopeful, we make virtues of cynicism and irony, which in turn keep us a safe distance from risky commitments. We are more likely to tell our children to “be careful” than to “be good.” The extravagant vision that woudl change the world gets traded in for the passive axiom “do no harm.”
Application Questions:
1. What are 2-3 words that summarize your relationship with money?
2. What questions or concerns would you like God to address in your heart during this series?
3. If God owns everything and we are merely stewards, what difference does this make for your life?