What Is A Steward? Luke19:1-10 10-5-08

What is a Steward? Luke19:1-10 10-5-08

What is a steward?
You tell me
Airline stewardess--Cruise ship...area they are responsible for - manager

Right after the story of Zacchaeus, Jesus tells the parable of the talents
It is not one of our favorite stories

Parable of the talents
The servant with one talent did nothing at all with it
He buried it
Maybe he was afraid
Maybe he was confused about his masters intentions
Maybe he had his own agenda

why do we have trouble with this?
We want to think that what we have is ours, to be used as we see fit
We are not very good at being stewards

The 5,000 credit card bill - what was on it
Dave Ramsey, financial peace program

Even if your house is in order, we have to ask the question,
are we doing good things or God's things

Story of being fired from the bicycle tree

When we realize that God has a plan, then we can begin to submit to it
That is what happened with Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus
He was selfish
He met Jesus
He talked with Jesus
He became a different person
We have the same opportunity

Meet Jesus, choose Jesus, relax, and don't change
Some Christians like to choose Jesus, but don't really consider the impact of his teaching on our lives.

Meet with Jesus, Talk with Jesus
Change our ways of looking at life
Help us to discover big picture thinking

Big picture thinking.....
I am not the coach, I am on the team
I am not the queen bee I am a worker
I am not the creator, I am created
I am not the water, I am a vessel
I amnot the owner, I am the steward, the one who manages

There is a bigger plan
We are called to live in a way that we share what we have and who we are.

World Communion Sunday
To live lives with different parameters
This is the gift of trips to Russia, Guatemala, Liberia
Not just to care for a child during the week, but to change so that we care about children every day of the week.

World missions experience breaks us from our slumber, reminds us to be good stewards.

Mozambique pictures

Conclusion
Being a steward means being responsible,
remembering that here is an agenda that is bigger than our own

I had trouble with this a a young man
David Brane, Rick Cato, Charles Holt, Ralph Prosser, - Jim Ireland in London

George Hunter, professor at Asbury seminary, book: radical outreach
Church is the only organization that exists for it's non-members
Our lives exist for an agenda that is not ours

Every Chritian is a steward of the divine gift of God. Will we use these gifts for ourselves or will we use them for the purpose of God and to the glory of God.