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Wednesday Bible Study, 1/14/09

Stewardship Is Lordship

Larry Glander

Genesis 3:1-4
  1. Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
  2. And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
  3. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
  4. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Obviously, that was a lie, because Adam and Eve aren't around anymore. The scripture describes the devil as "subtil." Do you suppose he stopped with Adam and Eve, or do you think he still messes with us the same way?

If you've got Lordship right, then everything else will follow. Satan can still try to mess with you, but if you're prayed up and ready, he can't do anything.

Not only is God no respecter of persons, but he is no respecter of time and place. You can worship and pray to God anywhere, no matter what.

Matthew 7:21
  1. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 6:21
  1. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

You've already read this scripture, but you might have forgotten it. If you put your treasure in heaven with God, then you're going to be seeking him.

Say you're going to buy that nice thingamabob, and you know you're getting paid on Friday. When you get paid on Friday, you say "Yes! Now I can get that thingamabob." Do you treat God that way? God is ready to deposit more into your account at any time, not just on Fridays. All you have to do is ask.

Let's look at someone who got Lordship right.

John 9:13-23
  1. They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
  2. And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
  3. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
  4. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
  5. They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
  6. But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
  7. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
  8. His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
  9. But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
  10. These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
  11. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.

Did the parents have Lordship right? No. If they did, they would have just answered. But they said, "He is of age, ask him," because they feared the Jews. They feared "the rock squad."

But the blind man had it right.

It took Noah a hundred years to build the ark. Do you think he got ridiculed a little bit? Do you think he lost some friends along the way? But he got Lordship right.

Daniel 3:13-15
  1. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
  2. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
  3. Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Earlier in the chapter you can read about the golden image that the king had set up.

Daniel 3:16-25
  1. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
  2. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
  3. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
  4. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
  5. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
  6. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
  7. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
  8. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
  9. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
  10. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Lordship settles the position issue. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew their position. Lordship also settles the permission issue. Do you think they got permission from God to just stand there? Sure they did. I like the part in verse 16 where it says, "we are not careful to answer thee." But they did answer him. They wanted the king to know about their position and permission. Was the king okay with that? Oh, no.

In Sri Lanka it is against the law to convert someone to Christianity, but they do it. They've got to have their Lordship issue right. They might even have to be careful how they answer when they're questioned about it.

I had to go home and bury my father recently. Having the Lordship issue right doesn't mean that your feelings and emotions go away. But it gives you the ability to cope with them.

Having that Lordship issue right doesn't mean your co-workers won't give you a hard time, but it gives you the strength to put up with it. It means that when they start their unrighteous conversation, the Holy Ghost will convict them. And if that doesn't stop them, walk out. Silence can be very convicting.

Philippians 2:25-30
  1. Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
  2. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.
  3. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
  4. I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
  5. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:
  6. Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

We know that both Paul and Epaphroditus had their Lordship right, because Paul was able to send him. Obviously they knew and cared for each other, but you can't let your feelings and emotions get in the way of your ministry.

Philippians 2:5-8
  1. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
  2. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
  3. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
  4. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

As God grants you favor, as you grow in your reputation, as long as you humble yourself and give glory to God, your blessings will continue to increase. Jesus humbled himself; he made sure that his flesh was subject to the spirit. That's part of daily discipline.

Philippians 2:5
  1. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: