In our series Don't Waste Your Life we have seen that God said that he made human beings for stewardship. By that, I mean that we are created in God's image for more than just survival or personal pleasure. We were created to make a positive difference for the glory of God in this world our Heavenly Father spoke into being. We have taken time to see the foundation for the stewardship of our time, i.e., that God modeled for us and then commanded to us a pattern of six days of productive work followed by one day of rest.
Last week, Pastor Chuck Olson reminded us that all of our talents and gifts—including spiritual gifts—are God's resources to us, provided that we might further his kingdom both in the church family and in the world. Let me remind you that Pastor Chuck directed us to http://www.lakeave.org/spiritual-gifts-survey.html to gain insight on determining our gifts and opportunities for their use.
This week, we begin considering prayerfully our stewardship of material resources. It's a touchy subject for some. Any loving church and pastor will go into it fully aware that 75% of all Americans say that they are financially unprepared for retirement, 65% do not have a $1,000 emergency fund available for crises, and countless people in our locale are unemployed or underemployed. On March 1st, we are planning to offer an 8 week training course entitled "Finance Life Skills" that will help people address the issues of finding financial freedom and developing a lifestyle of wise financial stewardship. You can get details by looking online at www.lakeave.org starting next weekend!
We will be guided this weekend by the very best stewardship teacher, i.e., Jesus himself. Jesus spoke about money more often than most people are aware of. Personally, I find the best summary of his teaching in a rather obscure parable in Luke 16, a story that is followed by several clear instructions about stewardship. Jesus was on the way to the cross when he told the parable—and he knew it. Jesus would soon give all that he was—his very lifeblood—in order to bring about our salvation. He thought that this was good stewardship! It's a rather amazing thought, isn't it? The story he told forever changed the way God's people look at giving. I pray that God will use it in our lives at LAC.
The overarching message will be that for a Christian, faithful and sacrificial giving is to be a way of life patterned after the life of Jesus.
II Corinthians 8:9 summarizes it: For you know the gracious giving of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
To His Glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor
