Beginning Dominion

Sorry for sparse posting. I’ve been on the road a bit.

At Trinity Church’s Men’s Meetings we are beginning a series addressing various topics of stewardship and dominion. Here is a brief outline of the first talk.

“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28; cf. Gen. 9:1-3). Man’s spiritual life is directly related to his calling, his vocation. Our calling includes working hard at whatever God has given us to do and stewarding the resources we have and those we will acquire. Prov. 27:23-24: “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations.” Some think attending to this stuff is worldly because it’s all going to burn, but Solomon says this is precisely the reason why we should be paying attention.

In this series of topics we’ll cover all sorts of things and their theological import, but fundamentally we want to grow as men in our understanding and discipleship under Jesus–the renewing of our minds. It’s estimated that Jesus spoke of money 25% of the time and over 800 passages in the Bible are about money. In referring to money, we’re talking about wealth of all kinds.

1. There is nothing wrong with wealth when it isn’t worshiped. 1 Tim 6:9-10: “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Not money, but the love of money, pierces men. We end up putting our faith in money, not God. Not a sin to be rich but it’s a sin to want to be rich. You end up neglecting stuff–sabbath, tithe, time with kids, your marriage, upright business dealings etc–for money. Money is not a sin; desire for money is.

2. We are very wealthy. In the richest country now or ever, we have more resources than Solomon dreamed of. 1 Tim. 6:17-19: “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” For some reason, no one looks beneath their economic status and he billions below, but only above where there is stuff to covet. But by any objective standard, we are all rich, so we have a lot to steward. God doesn’t give us things in order to always improve our standard of living, but to raise our standard of giving. When most of the world lives in huts, a rental house is a palace.

3. Our wealth is God’s. Ps. 50:10: “For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills.” Dt. 8:17-18: Then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.” Apostasy is forgetting who gave you your stuff.

4. Your treasure is where your heart is. Matt. 6:19-21: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We can’t take it with us, but we can send it ahead. And our lives follow our money. People make all sorts of decisions for financial reasons—what career, where they live, what house they buy—but rarely consider the consequences for the Kingdom of God. If your treasure is with Jesus, you can’t be bought. How much would it take to buy you off?

5. We are called to be stewards of what God has given us. A steward is someone who manages the assets of someone else like a banker, accountant, and portfolio adviser. God has given us abilities and resources and time and families and he wants us to steward them for him.

a. Tithe: “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. (Prov. 3:9-10; Ex. 23:19). It’s possible to rob God by not tithing (Mal. 3:8-10). We should not expect God to hear our prayers to sustain us financially if we have a sustained habit of ripping him off.
b. Live Within Your Means & Budget to Give to the Poor: ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God’ (Lev. 19:9-10). Very few people live within their means, and those who do tend to spend or save everything on themselves. Part of our income ought to be reserved for the poor.
c. Save Diligently: “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it” (Prov. 13:11). This precludes get-rich-quick schemes and requires a monthly budget.
d. Plan Wisely: “Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war” (Prov. 20:18). “A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory” (Prov. 24:5-6). Do you have a plan, and is your plan written down? Do you have a schedule? Have you committed your plan to the Lord (Prov. 16:3). Prepare your field before your house (Prov. 24:27) w/o boasting about tomorrow (Prov. 27:1).
e. Anticipate Trouble: “The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it” (Prov. 27:12). This obviously doesn’t require prophetic knowledge of the future. Prudent people have plans and contingency plans for trouble. This entails things like an emergency fund, life insurance, disability insurance, a will, power of attorney, etc.

It’s easy to take frantic action when confronted with a lack of stewardship. But our calling is to rest in the sovereignty of God and seek to set things in order by faith and in peace.

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