Time And Money

PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN LIVING 6. Stewardship of our lives

This week’s Bible Reading Memorise 1 Corinthians 7:19-20 Sun. Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat.

Psalms 87-88 1 Peter 4 1 Peter 5 2 Peter 1 2 Peter 2 2 Peter 3 Psalms 89

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

We all have only one life to live. We could not choose where we were born. We could not choose our home, our family, our appearance. Some are born to poverty and some are born to riches. Some are born with a clever brain and others have great difficulty in learning. One of the most amazing facts of life is that every single person who has ever been born is absolutely unique. Some people are born with a twin, but they have independent brains and bodies and histories. Everyone is different! And everyone has a will of their own and the ability to make decisions. Some choose well and others chose badly. The fact is that we are all responsible for what we do with our lives. The Bible is full of illustrations of this truth. Take, for example, some of the parables that Jesus told. Read Matthew 25:14-30 – the parable of the talents. A rich man was going on a journey and entrusted his property to his servants. •

Was he giving his property away? Or was he just ‘entrusting’ it to them to look after until he returned? ________________________________________________________________

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Did the servants then own the property – to do with as they pleased? ______________

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Did he distribute his property equally to his servants? ________________________

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Was it fair? ________________

That is the way life is – some have more and some have less, but everyone is responsible for what they do with what they have received. God has given to each of us some of his property. Does our lives belong to us? ________________ or are they on loan? _________________ •

The day came (after a long time) when the Master returned (verse 19). What did he want to know? ______________________________________________________

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Was the master’s question unfair? __________________________

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What happened to those who had acted responsibly and had used the Master’s property well? _____________________________________________________

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What happened to the servant who was irresponsible? ______________________

Write in your own words what you believe is the real meaning of this parable. Explain how it should influence the way you think about your own life.

1. How should I look after my body? A. Food, drink and clothing Each of us has only one body and we are responsible before God to look after it. Amazingly God committed Himself to the body when He came to us in the person of Jesus. He grew up, as we have grown up, going through all the stages of childhood, youth and adulthood. God knows what it means to have a body. Read Luke 2:52. But let us understand how God wants us to look after the body He has lent us. Read Matthew 6:25-32 How does Jesus tell us to look after our bodies? Should we be interested in food, drink and clothing? Read 1 Timothy 6:6-8, 17 1 Corinthians 10:31 Acts 2:46 Should we enjoy our food? ________________________________________________ How much should we enjoy our food?________________________________________ With what attitude of heart and mind should we eat?_____________________________ But remember the warnings of Scripture. What are they? Read Romans 13:13-14 _______________________________________________________________________ and Philippians 3:18-19_____________________________________________________ Read 1 Peter 3:3 What is the principle that Peter addresses to women in this verse –but surely applies to us all?

B. Caring for the body Some people (both men and women) spend many hours admiring themselves in the mirror, grooming, oiling and combing their hair, putting on make-up. Some men are passionate about body-building, toning their muscles and dreaming of being like their muscular movie heroes. Is that a Christian way of looking after ourselves? Read the following verses and write down what they teach about looking after our bodies. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 _____________________________________________________ Romans 13:13-14 ________________________________________________________ Romans 12:1 ____________________________________________________________ Philippians 1:20 _________________________________________________________ Are you getting enough exercise to remain healthy? ___________________________ How successful are you in disciplining your body? _______________________________ Can you control the amount of sleep you get? How easy is it to get up in the morning? _______________________________________ What resolution will you now make about changing your life-style so that it is more in keeping with a life that glorifies God in your body?

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How should I make good use of time?

We have only one life to live. Every minute that passes will never come again. Time is the most valuable gift we have received – and like other pieces of the Master’s property, it is given us on loan. One day we will need to account for how we spent our days. Read Ephesians 5:15-17 and Colossians 4:5-6 What does Paul say about the present age? ______________________________________ How should that reality affect the way we behave? ________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ In the light of these verses, what does it mean to ‘waste time’?

It is very easy for us to forget that the Bible – and the teaching of Jesus – is set in the context of a temporary time-span between the creation and the end of the world. Nothing in life is permanent. Everything has come and will soon disappear. For Jesus’ disciples this became a sense of anticipation of His return. How many parables begin (like the parable of the talents) “...a man is going on a journey... after a long time he returned”?

Read Matthew 24:42-44 Jesus tells us to “watch... you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” How do you think this command should affect the use of your time?

3. How should I relate to money and riches? Finally, we take a short look at that huge part of our lives – the use of money. Surely we can call our money our own, can’t we? We have worked to earn our own money – how can God say that it also belongs to Him, and we just have it on loan? Many Christians feel this way and the love of money creates all kinds of evil, just as Paul predicted in 1 Timothy 6:10. Read this verse and answer the question: What can happen to the person who does not control his love of money? The Bible has so much to say about money that we will study it in a separate lesson in Volume 4 of our Study Course. Here we will focus on one parable. Read Luke 12:13-21 •

What is the meaning of covetousness? ______________________________________

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Do you have a problem with covetousness? Have you ever wanted material things that do not belong to you? ______________________________

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In the parable that Jesus told, what was the basic mistake of the rich man?

It could be said that he was a wise businessman, because he wanted to make good profits. It could also be said that he was successful because he was rich. Some people would say that riches are a measure of a God’s blessing. However, in spiritual terms – and the teaching of Jesus – what is the meaning and measure of ... 1. True business wisdom? 2. True success? 3. True riches? ♦ Apply this lesson to your life 1. The root of selfishness is the belief that we own our lives and therefore can do what we like with them. Do you believe that? Meditate carefully on the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). What ‘property’ has God given you to be responsible for? How are you investing in it? And how much will you return to the Master when he returns and calls you to give account?

2. Check in your mind how important in your life are food, drink and clothing. How do you look after your body? Who are you trying to please when you dress, comb your hair or take exercise? 3. Search your heart to discover your true relationship to money and possessions. Some people think they do not love money because they do not have very much – and yet they are eager to make as much as they can and to become rich. That is covetousness. Is your relationship to money healthy? Examine your heart. A Prayer while you study this lesson: Lord, I am amazed that you have entrusted so much to me. Thank you for trusting me with life, with the ability to decide my own future, to earn my own living, to look after my body, to use my time. Remind me constantly, I pray, that all this belongs to you, and I have it only as a loan on trust, until I meet you face to face. May I be ready to give account for everything on that day. In Jesus’ name, Amen ♦ Team group study questions: 1. Discuss the importance of food and drink in your lives. Is it good to enjoy food? Where do we draw the line between eating what we need and over-eating to the point of sinful gluttony? Discuss the same issue in relation to how we choose our clothes. 2. Discuss what it means to ‘present your bodies as a living sacrifice’ (Romans 12;1). It is linked to ‘acceptable’ or ‘reasonable’ worship/service. Does the way we treat our bodies have something to do with how we worship God? 3. Do we use our time well? Ask each person to share how they use their ‘spare time’. Is it well used? We all need some sleep, some rest, some pleasure, some enjoyment, some relaxation. But it needs to be in balance. Discuss the balanced management of time. 4. How covetous are we? Can anyone say they do not want to be rich? How can we find the right balance in our relationship to possessions and money? Are riches a sign of God’s blessing? Or do they always lead to a curse?