“Return On Investment”
Matthew 25:14-30
Sermon Series: “Thrive”
Introduction: Do you feel like you are just surviving or are you thriving? Are you tired of just getting by? Do you want to abound? Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10b). Abound means “to be or have more than enough” (Spiros Zodhiates). The truth of Scripture is that God has given us everything we need to be and do everything He wants us to be and do. Are we doing what it takes to thrive though? We want to thrive without effort. How are we stewarding His blessings? A steward is one who manages the affairs of another. God made a great investment in us through Jesus. What kind of return is He getting on His investment?
Main Idea: Jesus graciously entrusts us with what we have, and we are accountable to Him for what we do with what He gives us.
1. The bottom line is that my life and everything in it belong to Jesus.
A. Jesus is the owner.
B. He graciously entrusts us with what we have. C. That makes us the managers.
D. Jesus is the boss (Lord).
E. We have to answer to Him for what He gives us.
2. The One who has given me everything (life, salvation, provision) is looking for a full return on His investment. Here are some practical details of stewardship that we need to understand in order to be good managers of what the Lord blesses us with.
A. We cannot have the blessing without the responsibility.
B. Stewardship is based on proportion instead of portion.
C. Jesus is looking for a 100% return.
D. We are only responsible for ourselves and not the rest of the world. In other words, our evaluation is about what we do with what He gives us and not how we compare to others.
E. Jesus gives us more when we are faithful with what He has already given us.
F. He makes sure our resources match up to our responsibilities.
G. Little things add up to big things. Our life is not built in a day but by our daily habits. If you don’t think you can do a lot, still do something.
H. Our stewardship is one of the main ways we live out our faith.
3. My excuses for doing what I want with my life just don’t cut it. The third servant, who was not a faithful steward, tried to make excuses and explain away his lack of action. However, the master did not accept his excuses, and the Lord will not accept our excuses today. The reality is that bad stewardship is the outward fruit of a wrong heart. We see it characterized in this story by:
A. A wrong view of God B. Fear instead of faith C. Laziness
D. A lack of wisdom
4. There are huge consequences, both for now and for eternity, regarding what I do with what Jesus gives me.
A. Jesus is coming back, and we will answer to Him.
B. Our stewardship is a revealer of whether or not we really know God.
C. Unfaithful stewardship results in loss.
D. God rewards us for faithful stewardship. His rewards include: recognition and commendation by Him, greater abundance, promotion by Him to greater responsibility, and the joy of the Lord.
