“The Steward and the Master” (Matt 25:14-30) - Kingdom Stewardship II –

“The Steward and the Master” (Matt 25:14-30)

- Kingdom Stewardship II –

Boiling Frog Syndrome

Have you heard of the boiling frog syndrome? It describes a frog slowing being boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. Some biologists say the premise of the story is not literally true. However, regardless of the behavior of real frogs, the boiling frog story is useful as a metaphor in many ways. C.S. Lewis says, “The safest road to hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestone, without signposts.” In the days of Noah, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered the ark. They knew nothing until the flood hit and swept everything away. So, Jesus says to his disciples and us, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matt 24:42). In Revelation 16:15 he also says, “Behold, I come like a thief!” We must be ready because our Lord Jesus will come an unexpected hour. Then, how can we prepare ourselves for the Day? Today’s scripture, the parable of the talents, gives a clear answer to this question.

Who Am I?

First of all, we must know who am I. The Bible says we are the stewards of Jesus Christ. In verse 14 Jesus says, “Again, it (the kingdom of heaven) will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.” Then, who is a steward? A steward is someone entrusted with another’s wealth or property and charged with the responsibility of managing it in the owner’s best interest. In other words, a steward owns nothing; a master owns everything! So, the stewards should be always aware that they are not the owners, or the masters, but only caretakers or money managers. Their job is to use the possessions entrusted (not given) to them wisely to expand the master’s estate. If a steward does not fully grasp this identity, it is impossible for that steward to exercise proper stewardship. Randy Alcorn, in his book “Money, Possessions, and Eternity” uses an interesting analogy. Suppose you have something important you want to get to someone who needs it. You wrap it up and hand it over to the FedEx guy. What would you think if instead of delivering the package, he took it home, opened it, and kept it for himself? You would say, “This guy doesn’t get it. The packages don’t belong to him. He’s just the middleman. His job is to get them from me to the person I want to have it.” Just because God puts His money in our hands doesn’t mean He intends for us to keep it!

One time a man furiously rode his horse up to John Wesley, shouting, “Mr. Wesley, Mr. Wesley, something terrible has happened. Your house has burned to the ground!” But, Wesley replied, “No. The Lord’s house burned to the ground. That means one less responsibility for me.” Wesley’s reaction didn’t come from a denial of reality. Instead, it was from acute awareness that God is the owner of all things, and Wesley himself is simply his steward. Regarding stewardship, John Wesley posed four questions that will help us decide how to spend money as God’s stewards:

(1) In spending this money, am I acting as if I owned it, or am I acting as the Lord’s trustee?

(2) What Scripture requires me to spend this money in this way?

(3) Can I offer up this purchase as a sacrifice to the Lord?

(4) Will God reward me for this expenditure at the resurrection of the just?

If we really believe we are the stewards of Jesus, shouldn’t we constantly be asking him, “Lord, what do you want me to do with your money and your possessions?”

Two Types of Stewards

We own nothing; Jesus owns everything! According to today’s scripture there are two different types of stewards. One is a good and faithful steward, and the other is a wicked and lazy steward. What’s the difference? The difference between the two is this: the good and faithful steward has stewardship mentality, that is, “I own nothing; the master owns everything.” For him, the master is a giver. Everything he has comes from his master. So he wisely uses the money and possessions entrusted to him, he invests them, and he multiplies them for his master. He is excited and looking forward to the Day. And when the master returns and settles accounts, this steward joyfully gives back both principal and profit to his master. However, the wicked and lazy steward doesn’t have that stewardship mentality. For him, the master is a taker, hard man. He hides the property entrusted to him in the ground. In other words, he doesn’t do anything for his master. We may work hard all day long. We may be busy with many things. But, if we use, invest, store up the possessions entrusted to us for ourselves, not for the Lord, in His eyes we can be wicked and lazy stewards.

As a lesson in stewardship, my previous church has done “Grow-Your-Talent” campaign every year. Each participant takes five or ten dollars. Receivers are entrusted with this amount from the church, and their job is to invest and multiply that money. After 2 or 3 months, on a particular Sunday all participants give an account of what they did and return all profits to the church. One person used the money to make handmade products. Another person bought pecans to make pecan pies. Joyce bought shaved beef and made Korean BBQ and earned a good profit. This is a great exercise because it drives home the true essence of stewardship: “We own nothing; Jesus owns everything.” Not only five or ten dollars entrusted by the church on a particular Sunday, but also all the money we have belongs to God and is entrusted to us by him every day, week, month, and year of our lives. He wants us to pray and ask him to guide us and help us choose the best eternal investments, both small and large. Pastor John Piper says that when we truly grasp stewardship mentality, we no longer ask, “How much should I give?” But rather, we ask, “How much dare I keep?” We no longer ask, “Shall I tithe?” But rather, “How much of the money that I hold in trust for Christ can I take for my private use?” When we truly know that I am the steward and Christ is the Master, it totally changes our perspective. When the house is robbed, the car is totaled, or when diagnosis is an incurable disease, we will be able to say like John Wesley did, “Those are not mine; His house is robbed, His car is totaled, and His body is ill.” This stewardship mentality revolutionizes our perspective and gives us such a freedom and joy.

Am I a Good and Faithful Steward?

Few years ago I had a chance to take a discipleship course. In one of the sessions there was a time to draw up a will. At first, I thought I am too young to write a will. But once I sat down and began to write, there were lots of things to say. Then, it became clear who am I and what ultimately matters in the end. Since that time every year on my birthday I update my will and prepare myself for the Day. You may find an insert in your bulletin. On the front page there are some practical tips for godly lifestyle adjustments. And on the back of the page you will see “Transfer of Title.” I commend you to sit down and have time to read this title deed carefully. And if you stand on the agreement, please sign your name and put it up in a conspicuous place. It will visualize and reinforce stewardship mentality in your mind.

The Day is coming. Surely the Master will come back sooner or later. Romans 14:12 says, “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” At that time nothing can be hidden; everything will be uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account! (Heb 4:13). At that time each of us in this room will stand before our Lord Jesus Christ and explain why we invested as we did. When you stand before Christ, what would you want to hear from him? For me, I would like to hear just one thing: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” That would be enough for me. My prayer is that all of us in this room will be praised in the same way.

As I wind up the message, I would like to share the life story of C.T. Studd as an example of a good and faithful steward of Jesus Christ. C.T. Studd was a rich and famous English athlete. But one day when missionary Hudson Taylor visited and called for missionaries to come to China, C.T. Studd surrendered his life to be a missionary to China. All his loved ones were against his decision. They said, “What a waste!” But, C.T. Studd said to them, “If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” While he was in China, his father died. And without delay he gave away his inheritance of £29,000 to Moody Bible Institute, George Muller mission work, George Holland’s work, and the Salvation Army in India. As he looked back on his life, he wrote this poem:

“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”

C.T. Studd knew who he was. He knew that he was just a steward of Jesus Christ. He knew all that he had – his time, his life, his family, his money and possessions – belonged to his Master. He used them, invested them, and multiplied them to expand his Master’s estate. Before leaving this room today, let us remember this truth: “We own nothing; Jesus owns everything! Only one life, it will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last!” Amen.