Managing Resources For God's Glory

Managing Resources for God’s Glory Text: Psalm 24:1 Interesting Acrostic from “The Stewardship of Life” by Kirk Nowery V I C T O R Y

VISION INFLUENCE COMMITMENT TIME OPPORTUNITY RESOURCES YOU

The purpose of the acrostic is to remind us that the way to win in life, the way to experience true victory, is through effective life management [stewardship]. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to faithfully manage the trust (Time, talent, and treasure) that we’ve been given by God. We are responsible for the sum total of “all that we are” and “all that we have”. It’s a sacred trust because God Himself gave it to us, and His intention is that we manage it in a way that pleases Him and yields the greatest return for His glory and kingdom. One of the areas of life-management involves our management of resources and our generosity with it. Jesus taught parables on this subject and apostles wrote about it. All of our monetary and material resources are to be dedicated to the Lord and managed for His glory. Where do we start managing money for God’s glory? First, understand that… 1. Everything Belongs to God – Psalm 24:1 NIV

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“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” a. God owns 100% “First of all, I think 10% is too small. I fight the concept that God owns 10% and I own the 90%. God owns it all.” – Ron Blue b. That Includes Me Psalm 100:3 – “We are His people…” Isaiah 43:1 – “You are mine.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “You are not your own, for you were bought at a price.” The management of resources is a serious business: and God’s will is that we give it serious attention. This demands that we have the right perspective on our resources, and that is possible only if we have the right focus on our source. Secondly, understand that… 2. God is the Source of our Resources – James 1:17 “Every good gift…is from above.” 1 Chronicles 29:14 – “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” NIV God is our faithful supplier; and His plan is that we manage faithfully. Take Inventory… a. Monetary Resources i. Income, bank accounts b. Material Resources i. Home, vehicles, etc.

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Take inventory so that we can have the right attitude towards all resources. c. To count God’s blessings d. To dedicate these resources to Him e. To have a Right attitude: “stewardship” and not “ownership” i. We are “managers”, not owners, and managers must be faithful – 1 Cor. 4:2 NLT f. Note: Tithing is first and foremost, an act of worshipful recognition of God as our source of our existence and all blessings. – Deut. 8:17-18 Thirdly, understand the… 3. Why We Give a. Because we love Jesus i. It all begins with the heart 1. We are to serve God with joy and gladness of heart for the abundance of everything – Deut 28:47 ii. We keep His commandments about giving 1. “God can have our money and not have our hearts, but He cannot have our hearts without having our money.” – R. Kent Hughes iii. When you love, you willingly give—like the Corinthians are admonished (2 Cor. 8-9) b. Because God’s word commands us to give c. To promote God’s mission on earth Fourthly, understand the… 4. Investment Strategies that Lead to Success God wants us to invest our resources in a way that brings the greatest return, spiritually speaking.

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a. Three Ways to Manage Resources for God’s Glory i. Give cheerfully to accomplish God-honoring purposes – 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 “…God loves a person who gives cheerfully. 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” 1. The ongoing needs of New Life’s ministry are met through regular and consistent giving. a. “Return the tithe” to God b. Tithing is a responsibility, not an option c. Returning the tithe expresses: i. I am honoring God by placing Him first ii. Faith in God’s Word today iii. Confidence in God’s Word for the future d. I am partnering with my fellow New Lifers to accomplish God’s work Note: Extraordinary needs, though, are met through extraordinary giving 2. We can all give generously, joyfully, and sacrificially a. God’s measurement is in proportion to what we have been given: “To whom much is given, much is required.” – Luke 12:48 b. Smaller gifts can represent even more of a sacrifice than a large gift

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ii. Spend it reasonably to meet personal needs and a few personal wants iii. Save it strategically in order to extend value and to keep meeting needs in the future b. Three Ways to Use Your Resources i. Enjoy them, but don’t cherish them 1. “Set your affections on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2 ii. Share joyfully, not reluctantly – 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 1. The blessing is in the attitude of “joy”. iii. Think like a pilgrim, not a settler 1. The heroes of faith “…embraced them [promises] and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” – Hebrews 11:13 2. “This world is not my home…my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue.” a. “Don’t store up treasures on earth,” Jesus said. “Store them in heaven.” Matthew 6:19-21 3. “Your citizenship is in heaven.” Philippians 3:20 Fifthly, 5. Think Biblically a. I must watch out for greed – Luke 12:13, 15 i. It’s not about things; it’s about people. ii. It’s not about us; it’s about God. b. Even my little investment can make a big difference – Mark 12:42-43 i. Like the widow’s mites




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ii. Whatever the size of the resource, it can be used to honor God and accomplish His purposes iii. “What God can do with 57 cents – Temple Baptist Church and Temple University c. I can be winner and still be a big loser – Luke 9:25 i. There is no profit in gaining the world and losing your soul 1. “Many people have had to learn in their private lives…that perhaps the worse form of tragedy is wanting something badly, getting it, only to find it empty.” Henry Kissinger ii. Gain in this world only has true value if it is invested and managed with eternity in mind d. I have to give an account to God – Matthew 25:14-30 i. Every individual must give account for themselves – Romans 14:12 ii. I need to manage money in a way that will prepare me to stand before Jesus iii. I don’t want to be a thief – Malachi 3: e. I can multiply my “trust” by trusting the multiplier – Luke 6:38; Luke 19:17 i. Overflowing trust – God will use others to bless you ii. Floodgates open trust – Malachi 3:10-12 NIV iii. “Faithful in little; placed over much” – Matthew 25:21 iv. Luke 19:17 - "'Well done!' the king exclaimed. 'You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you

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will be governor of ten cities as your reward.' NLT v. Faith is foundational to effective money management. Conclusion “The challenges of life can seem so overwhelming during these times, but we have to put it all in proper perspective —an eternal perspective. The management of resources is a temporal responsibility, but its impact and its importance are eternal.