Major Biblical Themes on Stewardship

God is exceedingly generous.

• God has already "proven" his generosity by giving us Christ and then the Holy Spirit (John 3:16; John 15:26; Romans 5:5)
• We cannot imagine the extent of His generosity (Mat 7:11; Rom 8:32-33; Eph 3:20)
• You can't "out-give" God (Luke 6:38)

God owns everything and we are the managers (stewards).

• Paradigm shift-God owns everything (Haggai 2:8; Psalm 24:1; 1Cor 6:19-20)
• We are managers (Deut 8:18; Eccl 5:19; Matt 25:14-30)
• As managers, we are "entrusted" (Prov 10:22; Matt 25:14-30)
• Proper relationship to God is a sign of spiritual health and maturity (Matt 25:14-30)

God demands a return on his investment.

• "Tithes,"-the first-fruits, 10% (Num 18:34; Prov 3:9; Mal 3:8-10)
• "Offerings"-tithes above and beyond 10% (Deut 8:18; Eccl 5:19; Matt 25:14-30)
• Although the "Sermon on the Mount" made it clear that Christ fulfilled the Law, in all cases, he "raised the bar (Matt 5-7; 2 Cor 9:6)
• An "eternal principle" that predates the Law since Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Gen 14:18-20)

Wealth is fleeting and dangerous to accumulate.

• Wealth is "symbolic" of our attitude toward God (Luke 16:11)
• The rich are in a precarious position (Deut 6:10-12; Luke 6:24; Luke 16:25; Mark 10:25)

Giving is an antidote to greed and is freeing.

• Easy to be "good" and greedy (Mark 10:21).
• The "certain rich man" in Luke 12, could easily have been an upstanding Presbyterian-a legitimate businessman, blessed by God and a conservative investor (Luke 12:16-21)
• Guards against anxiety and produces contentment (Phil 4:6; Phil 4:12)
• Many "warnings" in Scripture to rich people (e.g., 1 Tim 6:17-19; Matt 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 12:15)

God rewards his managers.

• Rewards are a valid motivator and most common in scripture. Ratio of Reward:Fear:Love in Scripture is estimated at 6:1:1. (Heb 11:24: Eph 2:10)
• Reminder that we are not here forever (1 Tim 6:17-19; Luke 12:33-34)
• Proportional to giving (Matt 25:20-21)