STEWARDSHIP 1

1 Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money.
2 So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’
3 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg.
4 Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’
5 “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’
6 The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons. ’
7 “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels. ’
10 “IF YOU ARE FAITHFUL IN LITTLE THINGS, you WILL be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities."
Luke 16:1-7,10 (NLT)

• The character you develop would determine whether you will be able to handle the blessings of God or not.

• You have to develop a Godly or Christlike character, it is the ultimate and reason for every spiritual exercise.

• If you are dodging the responsibility of character development, you are indirectly delaying your journey into God's abundant of blessings.

• Character is deliberately developed, and it takes time, it is not done overnight, and it does not come by impartation.

• Character development is a decision and choice that every believer has to make, and you should know that it would not be forced on you.

• Godly character is usually developed in the furnace of afflictions!

• Stewardship
  • Every believer in Christ Jesus is a Steward of God.
  YOU are accountable to God in all you do on earth. In other words, you will give account of all you do on Earth!
  • Who is a Steward?

• A Steward is someone who manages another person's property (Genesis 1:26; Luke 16:1).

• If we are God's STEWARDS, it means we are accountable to Him—for He owns everything on the earth (Psalm 24:1).

I. Time: Human being is a TIME being. Although God does not live in the realms of time, a thousand years is like a day before God and a day is like a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8).

• Believers are to make most of their time on earth. Whatever assignment given to a Believer, is given to be accomplished within a particular time frame.
• A number of Believers failed to discover the plans of God for their Lives. In other words, they came to the planet earth without discovering the Plan of God for their Lives, and thus could not fulfil it—because you cannot fulfil the vision that is not discovered.
• And some who discovered the Plans or visions could also not fulfil the Plans because they mismanaged their time on earth.

15 SO BE CAREFUL HOW YOU LIVE. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
16 MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY IN THESE EVIL DAYS.
17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, BUT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LORD WANTS YOU TO DO."
Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT)

• Know that your time is given you by God and must be used wisely. YOU will give an account of how you have used your time in accomplishing whatever God has called you to do.
  HOW have you spent your days on earth?
  HOW much of your time have you used, directly or indirectly, to contribute to the expansion of God's kingdom on earth?
• Time is an opportunity given you by God, to be used wisely for Kingdom purposes.
• Whatever you are doing, should in a way or another contribute to the development or expansion of God's Kingdom on earth.
• Every believer in Christ Jesus is an extension of God's Kingdom wherever they are.
• Believers are the lights and salt of the world. Wherever you are as a believer, God's presence should domicile there (Matthew 5:13-16).
  YOUR light should shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify God the Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
• With every opportunity you have, you should not conserve your ability or power to do good. Use your time to bless others!
  BEING an extension of God's Kingdom means, wherever you are, the Kingdom of God is THERE; thus the people around should experience the impact of the Kingdom.
• Sin should not reign where you are!
  YOUR presence in a place should send signals to the people around that atrocities are not allowed or permitted.
• You should not be part of evil system of the world!
  YOUR presence as the light of the world should EXPOSE any evil: "DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE WORTHLESS AND UNPRODUCTIVE DEEDS OF DARKNESS, BUT INSTEAD EXPOSE THEM [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character]" (Ephesians 5:11 AMP).
• God gives opportunities to every believer daily to do good, affect the Lives of other people positively. YOUR presence in a place should radiate light.
• Whatever Blessing God has blessed you with, should be used to influence others to serve God, move closer to God, and give glory to God—what you do for others should bring GLORY, THANKS, and PRAISES to God: "For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints BUT IS ALSO OVERFLOWING IN MANY THANKSGIVINGS TO GOD" (2 Corinthians 9:12 ESV).
• If God should bless you abundantly, would you use the blessings to influence others for Him?
  REMEMBER, If you are not faithful in the Little given you, you may not be put over much (Luke 16:10).
  Many attend church meetings to receive Blessings from God, but never want to be responsible in the kingdom of God on earth.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!
TO BE CONTINUED