“In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth.” Gen 1:1

Everything Belongs to God SO

I am God, your God... for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains and field are mine. the creatures of the field are mine. Ps 50:7-11

'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. Haggai 2:8

o Mountains o Trees. o Flowers o Money o Possessions o Time o Talents o Spiritual Gifts o Everything… is God’s

Yes! Everything belongs to God Yes!

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Gen 1:28. NIV But the Creation Mandate made us Stewards of everything!

Stewardship of possessions is the “gift of God” Eccl. 5:19 The earth and its resources are entrusted to us.

“As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor – this is the gift of God.” Ecl 5:19 Stewardship of Possessions is a Gift God – the owner of all.

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Rom 11:36 What do you have that you did not receive? 1 Corinthians 4:7

We have been made in the image of God (our DNA) We desire to create (continue creating from the resources God created from nothing) Our design is our giftedness (enables us to add value to the world and to steward his creation) We were created to be God’s representatives (stewards) of His creation ( purpose)

Adam was steward of the garden in which God had placed him. Gen 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

But…

As redeemed humanity we can now resume our role as stewards of God’s creation, stewards of the resources and gifts entrusted to us by God.

We can live again in the garden atmosphere, caring for God’s handiwork, communing with Him and with each other

How can we become involved in taking care of the earth?

{ Stewardship of Talents/Gifts

1 Peter 4:10-11  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever.

We were Created to Work as Stewards on the Earth  God is the landlord; He is the owner of everything (Psalms 8:3-6; 24:1)  As God’s stewards, we do not own anything, but have responsibilities  As stewards, we cannot be exploiters, but caretakers  Whatever our calling (or talent), we all work for His pleasure  Some stewards given more responsibility than others (Matt 25:15-18)  We were created to do significant things  As stewards, we are called to work within four God-given Institutions: Before the Fall: After the Fall: 1. Work (Business)3. Government 2. Family4. Church 2. Family4. Church  All 4 Institutions equally important

God-ordained Institutions 1. Work (group work = business)  To Work with and care for the earth and all life forms  To be creative like our God  To do great things in partnership with God  Have joy 2. Family  Headed by the union of a man and a woman – become one body  For procreation  For passing on values and faith from generation to generation  Have joy

God-ordained Institutions, Cont’d 3. Government  For organizing initiatives for the well-being and safety of people  For setting limits and standards (laws) for people to live and work  For maintaining justice and extracting revenge by punishing wrong-doers 4. Church  To spread the good news of the Gospel  For serving as the presence of God’s rule on earth  To be the light to the world  To act as an agent for the reconciliation between God and humans  For making disciples, resource and commissioning to ministry those who are called to work in the other God-ordained Institutions

Breaks Have Cause Much Confusion and Pain in the World (Gen 11:1-9)  Loss of the purpose to steward God’s creation  Environmental crises  Social, economic and justice inequalities  Loss of seeing people as made in God’s image  We use our power to control others, not to serve others  We have a self-identity built on materialism  We are indifferent, disconnected to God  We experience and hold onto transactional social relationships, rather than transformational ones relationships, rather than transformational ones  Transactional relationships satisfy basic human needs  Transformational relationships satisfy all our needs

Truth and Beauty  God has permanently committed himself to the welfare of human beings  God still cares for the same things after the Fall as He did before the Fall: People, Creation, Righteousness, Integrity  One thing that still matters to God is people and how we treat them in our economic and social dealings with them  We can see from the Bible and creation, that beauty is not just a visual aesthetic. Beauty in a person’s life and in the place where he or she works comes from consistency in modeling Christ-like behavior  True Worship (Micah 6:6-8) “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with the Lord.”

The Reward of the Master’s Joy (Parable of the Talents, Matt 25:14-30) Good stewardship discerns what the Owner wants then does it (Romans 12 ) We work according to the gifts God has given us Joy comes from: Faithfully doing what we were created and called to do To the good steward, the Owner says “well done, good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your lord” KJV

Good stewards are committed Good stewardship discerns what the Owner wants then does it Stewards are held accountable (Romans 12 ) We work according to the gifts God has given us God does not judge us on “success” as the world measures it, but on our faithfulness to our calling

Paul an example of Commitment Apostle Paul was “committed” to maintaining the “pattern” of the gospel given to him by inspiration (Gal. 1:11-12; Ephesians 3:3, 6; 2 Timothy 3:16). This same apostle declares that we should follow him as an example in keeping that commitment (1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17; Philippians 4:9).

1)The preaching of the simple and pure Gospel of Christ – Romans 1:14-16; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Gal. 1:6-9; 2 Timothy 4:2.2) 1) The teaching of the Gospel of Christ – 1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:10-11; 2 Timothy 2:1-2.3) 1)Serving God and Christ – Romans 1:1,9; Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 1:1.4) 1)Serving fellow Christians – Romans 12:10, 13, 16; Gal. 6:10.5) 1)Serving all men – Romans 12:17-20; Romans ; Gal. 6:10.

 Romans 14:12 “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” (KJV) Accountability to God

OTHER AREAS OF STEWARDSHIP  How do I practice my personal spirituality in the work world?  How do I pursue my life’s purpose, gifts & talents?  How do I extend Christ’s love to coworkers, people I serve and still get my work done?  How do I contribute to a healthy culture at my workplace, one that honors Christian values?

God designed us for work, and we are to do it willfully and joyfully to God’s agenda for the earth We work according to the gifts God has given us (Romans !2 ) Even the sun, moon, trees, and animals praise God in worship by “being what God designed them to be and do” (Psalm 148) We give glory to God when we do what God designed us to do, acknowledging that we are doing it for God’s pleasure Joy: “a deep, abiding, inner peace that no circumstances can take away, because we are in God’s will and aware of God’s presence.”

Enjoy His presence in the “Eden” of your own heart. Johnv il