This is the last in the teaching series on Purposeful and Profitable Stewardship.
Stewardship has its reward either in a negative or positive way. Profitable stewards can expect positive rewards or commendations while unprofitable stewards can expect negative rewards or condemnation
Scriptural text
“In your day of danger may Yahweh answer and deliver you. May the name of the God of Jacob set you safely on high!
May supernatural help be sent from his sanctuary. May he support you from Zion’s fortress!
May he remember every gift you have given him and celebrate every sacrifice of love you have shown him.
May Yahweh give you every desire of your heart and carry out your every plan as you go to battle.
When you succeed, we will celebrate and shout for joy. Flags will fly when victory is yours! Yes, God will answer your prayers, and we will praise him!”
Psalms 20:1-5 TPT
Basic truths about the reward for stewardship
1. Reward is individualistic
Every promise of Jesus in the book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3 centres on individuals '‘To him that overcomes’ not to them that overcome.
God rewards individuals and repays you for your sacrifices
“May he remember every gift you have given him and celebrate every sacrifice of love you have shown him. Pause in his presence”
Psalms 20:3 TPT
Jesus' reward is to 'each one'
“Behold, I (Jesus) am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to the merit of his deeds (earthly works, faithfulness).”
Revelation 22:12 AMP
2. Stewardship is personal and so is your rating
Your stewardship is personal, the use of your gift, talents and resources given to you is your choice to make. You have the power to make turn your gift to profitable ventures or just bury it so your rating will be personal
“May he remember every gift you have given him and celebrate every sacrifice of love you have shown him. Pause in his presence”
Psalms 20:3 TPT
3. Discipleship is a personal journey. your decision to follow Christ in personal.
There are those who follow through,
Those who fall by the wayside and
Those who do not follow
“When you succeed, we will celebrate and shout for joy. Flags will fly when victory is yours! Yes, God will answer your prayers, and we will praise him!”
Psalms 20:5 TPT
4. Service is personal as there are diligent, lazy and careless servants
That is why you must focus on your stewardship journey and stop looking at what others are doing or not doing.
Jesus told Peter in John 21:20-22 to focus on following him and stop bothering himself with what John’s ministry
5. You would be rewarded either positively or negatively
You cannot escape reward even if you escaped being a profitable steward.
“In your day of danger may Yahweh answer and deliver you. May the name of the God of Jacob set you safely on high! May supernatural help be sent from his sanctuary. May he support you from Zion’s fortress! May he remember every gift you have given him and celebrate every sacrifice of love you have shown him.
Psalms 20:1-3 TPT
Luke 12:42-48, Mathew 25:14-30, Revelation 22:12,
Jesus mentioned lots of reward for the overcomer, faithful, purposeful and profitable stewards in Revelations 2&3
The Parable of stewards
Let's learn a lesson or two from the parable of Jesus on faithful stewards
“The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward [of the estate], whom his master will put in charge over his household, to give his servants their portion of food at the proper time?
Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is that servant whom his master finds so doing when he arrives.
I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is taking his time in coming,’ and begins to beat the servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, and yet did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will be beaten with many lashes [of the whip], but the one who did not know it and did things worthy of a beating, will receive only a few [lashes].
From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”
Luke 12:42-48 AMP
There are four types of stewards here
⁃ The one who is found doing the master's will - purposeful and profitable steward
⁃ The one who is placed in charge of others but mismanaged his position by being cruel, unloving, inconsiderate, and terrifying his subordinates - wicked and unprofitable steward
⁃ The one who knows his master's will but refuses to do them - lazy, slothful and unprofitable steward
⁃ The one who did not know so did not do anything - ignorant and unprofitable steward
The reward of the first one is a greater opportunity to oversee more
The reward for the second one is he would be cut into pieces
The third one will be rewarded with many lashes
The fourth one will not escape reward though he did not know. He would be beaten as well. There is no excuse for anyone
Five crowns for stewardship
1. Crown of righteousness - this crown is for stewards (confident and profitable) that are looking forward to the coming of their master
“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
II Timothy 4:8 NKJV
2. Crown of glory - this is for the serving and purposeful shepherds, overseers, team leaders, parents and those in charge of people. if you are faithful in overseeing the people committed to your care. you will receive the crown of glory
“and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
I Peter 5:4 NKJV
3. Incorruptible or Imperishable crown - this is for winners that is, winning stewards who strive or work harder than others
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”
I Corinthians 9:24-25 NKJV
4. Crown of rejoicing - for stewards who target and win souls with their stewardship (soul winners)
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?”
I Thessalonians 2:19 NKJV
“My dear and precious friends, whom I deeply love, you have truly become my glorious joy and crown of reward. Now arise in the fullness of your union with our Lord.”
Philippians 4:1 TPT
5. The crown of life - for the faithful and enduring steward (martyrs)
“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
Revelation 2:10 NKJV
“Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor's] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.”
James 1:12 AMPC
So what is your choice?
Your choice now determines your reward later
Whether you know it or not you would be rewarded
Whether you accept your stewardship or not you would be rewarded
The day of reckoning is coming for everyone
We are all stewards, there’s no one that has not been given at least one responsibility, gift or assignment.
It is your duty to know what you have been given and how you will be profitable with it
Prayer
Which of these categories do you belong to?
⁃ If you are the one who is found doing the masters will - pray for more grace to be faithful and press on
⁃ If you are the one who is placed in charge of others but is mismanaging his position by being cruel, unloving, inconsiderate, and terrifying his subordinates - repent and pray for mercy
⁃ If you are the one who knows his masters will but refuses to do them - repent of your slothfulness
⁃ If you are the one who does not know the will of God so is not doing anything - submit yourself to God and ask the Holy Spirit for directions, revelation and empowerment. Remember there is no excuse for ignorance. it is your responsibility to know
Declarations
I give thanks to Him Who has granted me the needed strength and made me able for this, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He has judged and counted me faithful and trustworthy, appointing me to this stewardship of the ministry.
May the Lord send me help from his sanctuary and strengthen me from Zion
I receive the grace to run my race with so much tenacity and focus that will enable me to win the prize. I will run with joy
I shall be found doing my master’s will when the Lord shall come, I will not be found wanting
And I will be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith
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