Lordship: Completely Sold Out The famous Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky told the story of the time he was arrested by the czar and sentenced to die. The czar, though, liked to play cruel psychological tricks on the people who rebelled against him by blindfolding them and standing them in front of a firing squad. The blindfolded people would hear the gunshots go off, but would feel nothing. Then they would slowly realize that the guns were loaded with blanks.
Dostoevsky went through this experience himself. He said that going through the process of dying believing he was really going to die had a transforming effect. He talked about waking up that morning with full assurance that this would be his last day of life. He ate his last meal and savored every bite. Every breath of air he took was precious to him. Every face he saw, he studied with full intensity. Suddenly, every experienced was etched in his mind.
As they marched him into the courtyard, he felt the heat of the sun and appreciated its warmth like never before. Everything around him seemed to have a magical quality to it. He was seeing the world in a way he had never seen it before. He was fully alive!
When he realized that he had not been shot and that he was not going to die, everything about his life changed. He became thankful for everything about his life. He became grateful to people he had previously hated. It was this experience that convinced him to become a novelist and write about life in a way that before would have never been known to him.
I believe that God is calling us to be that alive in our spiritual walk and life. We are to be fully awake, vibrant, full of faith, trusting, faithful, vigilant, and thankful. How would you describe your relationship with Jesus Christ today?
I want to dip back into the Old Testament for the message today. I am reading from the book of Proverbs chapter three.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase: So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will burst with new wine.” Proverbs 3:5-10
Normally when we think of stewardship, we consider it merely as a matter of our giving of money to God through the church. While the giving of tithes and offerings is an important aspect of stewardship, it is secondary. Pastor Bob Groves says, “Stewardship is the way I handle those things in my life that God has given me…The Management of my God-given resources for His glory & for the good of others…” Stewardship is a reflection of my relationship to God. As I observe the truths contained in Proverbs 3, I see a pattern for stewardship that asserts loudly and clearly “Stewardship is Lordship!”
1. MY HEART – HIS HEART
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart”
At the heart of every true act of stewardship, every work of ministry, every acceptable act of worship is the heart, a heart close to God.
John 14:23 "Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him’."
A French soldier who had served ably in Napoleon’s army lay dying of a wound received in battle. As they probed his shattered ribs to find the fatal bullet he said, "Dig a little deeper and you will find the emperor." If we dug deeply enough, would we find Christ in our hearts? That’s a question we all must ask ourselves. - Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).
As Sir Walter Raleigh was about to be executed, he was asked which way he preferred to lay his head on the block. He replied, "So the heart be right, it is no matter which way the head lies." [Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).]
Proverbs 23:26 "My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways."
In the musical Les Miserables the song “Do You Hear the People Sing?” there is a stanza that says, “When the beating of your heart, Echoes the beating of the drums – There is a life about to start”. May I say that when the beating of your heart, echoes the beating of Christ’s heart – There is a life of credible stewardship about to start.”
I would like you to take a moment and reflect on the statement, My heart – His heart. Circle the one you are most like.
2. MY MIND – HIS MIND
“...lean not on your own understanding.”
Oswald Chambers (1874-19170, “Christian thinking is a rare and difficult thing; so many seem unaware that the first great commandment according to our Lord is, "Love the Lord your God...with all your mind."
When we try to manage our life on our own without allowing God to manage us and what we do, often the things we do our very opposite of God’s will.
2 Corinthians 10:5 "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
Stewardship involves allowing God to work in us. A. W. Tozer said, “To do his gracious work God must have the intelligent cooperation of his people. If we would think God’s thoughts, we must learn to think continually of God.”
I Corinthians 2:16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."
Philippians 2:5 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:"
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Once again I would like you to reflect for a moment and then circle the one that closest resembles what is in your mind. Your thoughts or His thoughts?
3. MY WAYS – HIS WAYS
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”
A way is a path or direction. Is the direction of your life consistent with the direction that God wants for your life?
Isaiah 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD."
God instructed King David as recorded in 1 Kings 2:4 "That …if David’s children would take heed to their way; to walk before God in truth with all their heart and with all their soul; he not fail have one of his descendants perpetually on the throne of Israel." (Paraphrased)
Psalms 128:1 "Blessed is every one that fears the LORD; that walks in his ways.”
David Livingston told how he was chased up a small tree by lions. He said the tree was so small that he was barely out of reach of the lions. He said they would stand on their back feet and roar and shake the little tree, and that he could feel the hot breath of the lions as they sought him. "But," he stated, "I had a good night and felt happier and safer in that little tree besieged by lions, in the jungles of Africa, in the will of God, than I would have been out of the will of God in England." There is one safe and happy place, and that is in the will of God. [William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."]
Haggai 1:5-7 "Consider your ways. You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages earns wages to put it into a bag with holes.’ Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Consider your ways.’"
Proverbs 16:7 "When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."
Only you know your ways. Your ways are the pathway that you are leaving for those behind you to follow. Your ways will be the pathway that your children and grandchildren or those who look to you for leadership and influence will follow.
Are your ways God’s ways? Reflect and then circle the answer that most closely resembles the way you are conducting your life.
4. MY CLEANLINESS – HIS CLEANLINESS
“Do not be wise in your own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”
Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Purity in the heart produces power in the life – power to properly live for and serve God.We have largely abandoned this message as a church but there are people all over the world who are tired of living in a weak, anemic, unholy, way. There has to be more.
If we don’t offer a changed life that will clean up the sinner and make a difference we are offering a pretty poor product.
2 Timothy 2:19-21 "Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are his. And, Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work."God uses clean vessels.The essence of true holiness is conformity to the nature and will of God. – Samuel Lucas (1818-1868)
V. MY POSSESSIONS – HIS POSSESSIONS
“Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase.”
Adolphe Monod (1800-1856) “There is no portion of our time that is our time, and the rest God’s; there is no portion of money that is our money, and the rest God’s money. It is all his; he made it all, gives it all, and he has simply trusted it to us for his service. A servant has two purses, the master’s and his own, but we have only one.”We are to use everything as if it belongs to God. The truth is it does! You and I are merely his stewards.
As John Wesley said, “When the Possessor of heaven and earth brought you into being and placed you in this world, He placed you here not as an owner but as a steward. As such He entrusted you for a season with goods of various kinds--but the sole property of these still rests in Him, nor can ever be alienated from Him. As you are not your own but His, such is likewise all you enjoy.”
“A handful of people went on a mission trip to Eastern Europe. Upon returning, they said that they were really impressed with the dedication of the Christians in Eastern Europe. Christians there don’t have very much, but they believe they should tithe. They think that’s God’s standard. But the government of the country they were in is repressive, and they are allowed to give only 2.5 percent of their income to charitable organizations. They’re trying to minimize the opportunity for any anti-government organization. So the Christians in that country are searching for loopholes in the law, so that they’ll be able to give 10 percent. These believers have less, and they’re looking for a way to give 10 percent. We have more, and we’re free to give as we please. In fact, we get a tax break by doing so, and yet I know people who look for loopholes in the Scripture to avoid doing it. What an indictment.” – adapted from Bob Russell, "Take the Risk,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 143.
Some get upset when pastors talk about money. Jesus talked much about money. Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables were concerned with how to handle money and possessions. In the Gospels, an amazing one out of ten verses (288 in all) deals directly with the subject of money. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on money and possessions.
The life that Christ calls us to is one of total surrender. In every area of our lives we must take our hands off and focus on His will and His ways. Money is just one area.
The main idea is that we are to become sold out for God. It’s a 24/7 kind of thing.
Colin Smith, Pastor of the Arlington Heights Evangelical Free Church wrote, “I have vivid memories as a kid of my father taking me to an auction sale, telling me, "Don't scratch your nose at the wrong time, son." He said to me, "Always remember this: whenever you go to an auction sale, make sure you know your upper limit price."
That is ingrained in me. The great danger for us is that we walk into the Christian life knowing clearly our upper limit price. Jesus does not allow us to set that. "If you save your life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake and the gospel's, you will keep it," said Jesus [Mark 8:35].
Our calling is to a life of unconditional obedience where the price is unknown.Citation: Colin Smith, pastor of Arlington Heights Evangelical Free Church, Arlington Heights, Illinois; source: Preaching Today #204
What is your price? What have you sold out for? What are you doing with your life? You see it’s really about surrender.
On March 10, 1974, Lt. Hiroo Onada was the last World War II Japanese soldier to surrender.
Onada had been left on the island Lubang in the Philippines on December 25, 1944, with the command to "carry on the mission even if Japan surrenders." Four other Japanese soldiers were left on the island as Japan evacuated Lubang. One soldier surrendered in 1950. Another was killed in a skirmish with local police in 1954. Another was killed in 1972. Onada continued his war alone.
All efforts to convince him to surrender or to capture him failed. He ignored messages from loudspeakers announcing Japan's surrender and that Japan was now an ally of the United States. Leaflets were dropped over the jungle begging him to surrender so he could return to Japan. He refused to believe or surrender.
Over the years he lived off the land and raided the fields and gardens of local citizens. He was responsible for killing at least 30 nationals during his 29-year personal war. Almost a half million dollars was spent trying to locate and convince him to surrender. Thirteen thousand men were used to try to locate him.
Finally, on March 10, 1974, almost 30 years after World War II ended, Onada surrendered his rusty sword after receiving a personal command from his former superior officer, who read the terms of the cease-fire order. Onada handed his sword to President Marcos, who pardoned him. The war was over.
Onada was 22 years old when left on the island. He returned a prematurely aged man of 52. Onada stated, "Nothing pleasant happened in the 29 years in the jungle."
Like Onada, many people are fighting a lonely battle against the God who is offering reconciliation and peace. Citation: Summarized from a 1974 story in Newsweek; submitted by Syd Brestel; Bend, Oregon
All of us have given ourselves to something. The question for you this morning is what are you doing with the gift of life that God has given you?
CONCLUSION:
1 Corinthians 4:2 declares, "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." Every one of us will give an accounting to Christ for our stewardship of those things, which He has entrusted to us. Is your heart his heart? Is your mind His mind? Are your ways His way? Is your cleanliness His cleanliness? Are your possessions His possessions? On that accounting day will Christ say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter into the joy of thy Lord.” (Matthew 25:23)
As we close this service today I wonder if you need to surrender some things in your life. Maybe you have never given yourself completely to God. You’ve always held something back. You have little areas of your life that are for you and you only. God never gets near them in your mind. What’s that about? What are you thinking?
He wants to know that you are willing to be sold out to Him. Maybe you need to pray today. Maybe you need to do some business with God. We’re going to give you the chance. You see moments like these are crossroads in your life and you have the opportunity to take the right road.
This morning it is a road of surrender that lies before you. Just like that Japanese soldier you have refused to give up and quit fighting. Are you tired of fighting? Why don’t you just turn yourself over to God today and go on record with Him that you are not your own but everything is His.
This sermon has been adapted from a sermon preached by Gerald Flury.
2004/09/12
