Recap:
- • God has entrusted to us that which He considers valuable
- • Entrust = To assign the responsibility of something valuable to someone in confidence.
- • In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25), we learned:
- i. God owns everything.
- ii. We are stewards of what He has given.
- iii. God expects a return.
- iv. What we do with what we’ve been given matters.
- • In Part 1, we saw that God has entrusted us with the greatest message in the world — the Gospel. We steward it by preaching it, living it, and preserving it.
- • In Part 2, we saw that God has entrusted us with influence. Influence is not about having a platform — it’s about being faithful where you are and pointing people to Jesus.
Intro:
God has given us many different resources:
- • Talents/ Abilities
- • Opportunities
- • Time
However, today we are going to focus in one one particular resource that God has entrusted to us, and that is money.
The Bible has a lot to say about Money.
- - There are more verses in the Bible about money/ possessions than on faith (over 2300)
- - Money is the second most talked topic by Jesus in the Gospels- 16 of Jesus’ 38 parables deal with money or possessions (That is more than what He said about heaven and hell combined)
- - That goes to show how much God cares about money
- - Money is talked less about in the Bible as a financial issue, and more of a heart issue.
If you look at the way the world looks at money, you will notice a pattern — it is all about how much you can get. The bigger the salary, the bigger the house, the nicer the car, the better your “status.” People are often valued, not by their character or kindness, but by their net worth. The more money you have, the more important you are.
In our culture lives as if the one who dies with the most toys “wins.” We celebrate accumulation — promotions, bonuses, investments, luxury, etc. The question the world asks is, “How much can I keep for myself?”
However, God sees money differently. God does not determine a person’s value by how much money is in their bank account. Instead, God determines a person’s value by who they are in Christ.
The Bible says that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. I believe that is why the Bible says so much about money. Because the way a person views money determines what is most important to them.Jesus said “where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.”
Today, we’re going to see that God has entrusted us with financial resources — not to make them our master, but to use them as our servant for His glory.
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MONEY:
- 1. “Money Equals Happiness”
- • The world pushes the idea that the more money you have, the happier you will be. They want you to believe that more money means more joy and more contentment.
- • Reality: More money only makes you want more money. People with plenty of money still struggle with loneliness, depression, and emptiness.
- 2. “Money is Evil”
- • Many people believe the Bible says that money is the root of all evil. But that is not what it says. Instead, 1 Timothy 6:10 says “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
- • Reality: Money is morally neutral — it’s a tool. How we use it determines whether it’s good or bad.
- 3. “The more money I have, the easier it is to give”
- • Many people think, “once I have more, then I will give.”
- • Reality: Generosity is not about how much money you have, but about the condition of the heart.
- 4. “God Doesn’t Care What I Do with My Money”
- • Many people believe that because it is “my money, I can do what I want with it.”
- • “As long as I give my tithe, the other 90% is mine to use however I want.”
- • Some people believe that there are spiritual matters, and then there are financial matters.
- • Some believe that God does not and should not care how they spend the money that they earned on their own.
- • We may not say these things out loud, but it is shown with what we do with what we have been given.
- • Reality: What you have has been given by God Himself. God cares about how you use what He has given to you. What we do with what we have been given matters greatly to Him.
PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
“14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants
and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.”
and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.”
Things to note about this parable:
- • The “talents” in this story were financial resources (talents of gold).
- • The talents of gold were given to the faithful servants by their master.
- • They were expected to steward the money they had been given to them.
- • Two of the servants invested and multiplied what they had been given.
- • One of them buried it and did nothing.
- • The master rewarded the faithful and called out the unfaithful.
Points to Ponder from this parable on how we can steward our finances:
- 1. Realize that God is the one who blesses you
Deuteronomy 8:18 — “Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” - • What you have has been given to you by God.
- • He is the one who gives you the ability to earn a living.
- • We must first acknowledge God for who He is in our life and be thankful for what He has blessed us with.
- 2. Be faithful with what you have been given
Luke 16:10 “ –Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…” - • What we do with what we have been given is important to God.
- • Be faithful with what you have been given.
- • Live within your means — Being content and wise how you spend
- • Give generously — Helping those who cannot help you back
- • Tithe — Honoring God by making Him your provider
- • Save wisely — Preparing for the known and unknown
- 3. Investing in the Kingdom of God
Matthew 6:20 – “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” - • The first two servants invested what they were given; however the third buried it.
- • There are financial investments, personal investments, relational investments, and then there are eternal investments. God has called us to invest in eternal matters through the kingdom of God.
- • Spreading the gospel, discipling believers, serving our community, world missions (feeding the hungry, providing clean water, meeting needs, etc).
- • Many investments help provide value in your life today. However, eternal investments last beyond this life. When you invest in the kingdom of God, you are storing up treasures in heaven.
- 4. Remember that you will given an account
Romans 4:12 — “So then, each of us will give an account to ourselves to God.” - • The master returned to settle accounts with his servants.
- • One day we will give an account to how we used the resources that God has given us.
- • This verse shows that you do with what you have been given matters greatly to God.
TAKEAWAYS:
- I. God has blessed you
- • God is the one who gives you the ability to produce wealth
- • What you have is what God has given you
- • Stewardship begins with understanding that God is in control
- • Be thankful and honor Him for blessing you
- II. Make money your servant, not your master
- • Use money as a tool to bless other people instead of letting it control your life
- • God’s blessings are meant to flow through you, not stop with you
- III. No ROI brings greater dividends than the Kingdom of God
- • There is not better investment than the advancement of the Kingdom of God
- • Kingdom investments = Eternal investments
- • Kingdom investments made in this life today will continue to pay dividends in eternity
- IV. One day we will stand before God…
- • We will be held accountable for what we do with what we have been given
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