Stewards of God

Order of Service

• Announcements
• Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:22-24
• Call to Worship — Hebrews 4:14-16
• Hymn
• Prayer of Invocation
• Corporate Confession of Sin
• Assurance of Pardon — Psalm 130:3-4
• Scripture Reading — 2 Samuel 16
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Prayer of Dedication
• Hymn
• Sermon
• Hymn — Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
• Benediction — Romans 15:13

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Sermon Title: Stewards of God

Scripture: Exodus 20:15; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

I. The Eighth Commandment Teaches Us to Be Good Stewards of People

A. Paul's expansion of the eighth commandment in 1 Timothy 1:9-10

1. Paul's primary example of breaking the eighth commandment is enslavement — the theft of persons
2. This is a primary biblical reason why chattel slavery was indefensible

B. Stealing people includes more than physical captivity

1. Wasting others' time and ruining reputations falls under this commandment
2. In 2 Samuel 15:6, Absalom "stole the hearts" of Israel — flattery and false promises constitute theft
3. Politicians, salesmen, and flatterers who manipulate trust violate this commandment

C. The root problem: we see ourselves as owners of hearts rather than stewards

1. Pride drives the desire to possess others' affections and attention
2. In marriage, demanding exclusive devotion is not love but pride — a spouse's heart belongs ultimately to God
3. Adultery often begins not with lust but with the theft of a heart that belongs to God and a spouse
4. A good steward directs people's hearts toward God, who alone owns them

II. The Eighth Commandment Teaches Us to Be Good Stewards of Possessions

A. God as the true owner of all things

1. Deuteronomy 10:14 — heaven, earth, and all within it belong to God
2. God graciously gave Israel the promised land; Israel was to steward it, not own it
3. To steal is to fail to image the giving character of God

B. Stealing is a rejection of God as provider

1. Tax dishonesty, overwork driven by fear, Sabbath-breaking for financial gain all say: "God has not provided enough"
2. Jesus defines sufficiency in Matthew 6: give us this day our daily bread — a roof, food, water, clothing, and God

C. Contentment is defined by God, not culture

1. Culture defines contentment by accumulation — haves vs. have-nots
2. When we add to the list of what makes us content, God is lost in the equation
3. Biblical contentment: daily bread and the presence of God — Matthew 6:9-11

III. The Eighth Commandment Teaches Us to Be Good Stewards of the Church

A. The Sabbatical Year and Year of Jubilee in Deuteronomy 15:1-4

1. Debts released among covenant brothers — no Israelite to remain in poverty perpetually
2. A distinction between the covenant community (the brother) and the foreigner
3. Within God's covenant people, all basic necessities are to be met through mutual giving

B. The early church embodies this pattern — Acts 2:44

1. Believers sold possessions and distributed to those in need
2. Not socialism but covenant generosity, displaying God's abundance to the watching world
3. Tertullian records outsiders saying of the early church: "See how they love one another"

C. God's provision comes through giving, not hoarding — 2 Corinthians 9:11; Matthew 6:33

1. Paul does not say: become rich, then be generous
2. Jesus does not say: accumulate first, then seek the kingdom
3. Seek the kingdom first; give first; entrust yourself to God's fatherly care

D. The contrast of Cain and Abel as the summary illustration

1. Cain gave scraps — present in worship but withholding himself from God
2. Abel gave his best firstborn and fat portions — giving himself along with his gift
3. Like the poor widow, Abel's sufficiency was God alone
4. The question for every believer: are we giving God our scraps like Cain, or our very lives like Abel?