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• Open Your Bible to Matthew 25: 14 - 30

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:21 and 23 (NIV)

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; Psalm 24:1 (NIV)

for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. Psalm 50:10 (NIV)

Knowing that it’s all GOD'S PROPERTY gives us a right perspective.

THREE AREAS OF PERSONAL STEWARDSHIP

If I want to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” from God, then I need to take care of …

1. MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD .  (Spiritual Growth)

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:11-12

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." John 14:21

2. MY RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS . (Testimony)

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."  John 13:34-35

• Open Your Bible to I Corinthians 13

Patient, kind, not envious, not boastful or proud, not rude or self-seeking, not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs.  It does not delight in evil and rejoices in the truth.  It protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres always. It never fails.

3. THE RESOURCES ENTRUSTED TO ME.  (Time, Talent, Treasure)

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Col. 3:23-24

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;  then your barns will be filled to overflowing,  and your vats will brim over with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10

   Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.   Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 1 Cor. 9:24-25     

ONE FINAL THOUGHT

God will give you a FINAL EXAM .  From the Bible we can gather that God will ask you two important questions:  What did you do with MY SON, JESUS ?  What did you do with what I GAVE YOU ?  Invest in eternity today.

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• There is no such thing as a FIRST Class Christian. However we do allow class distinctions to invade our churches.

• Please turn in your Bibles to Galatians 6:3-5.

“If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.” Galatians 6:3-5 (NIV)

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)

• The only person who ever lived on earth without sinning – and that includes COMPLAINING , was Jesus Christ.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin..” Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)

• Please turn in your Bibles to Philippians 2:12-14.

“Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Philippians 2:14 (NIV)

• The Greek word for complaining is “goggusmos” (γογγυσμός). It means grumbling, murmuring, muttering, whispering in secret, it is debating, expressing discontent or displeasure that is not openly avowed.

• The Greek word for arguing is “dialogismos” (διαλογισμός). It means to reason with doubt, evil intention, disputing debate or contention.

4 THINGS THE ‘COMPLAINT FREE LIFE’ IS NOT

POINT #1: The complaint free life is not a PROBLEM free life.

• Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 8:19-22.

“The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Romans 8:21-22 (NIV)

• All creation groans in FRUSTRATION waiting for the day it will be delivered from problems.

• The Bible gives us principles to GUIDE us in dealing with things that displease us and are legitimate problems that need to be corrected.

POINT #2: The complaint free life is not ignoring or failing to ADDRESS problems.

• Please turn in your Bibles to John 2:13-17.

“He made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:15-17 (NIV)

• The Greek word for consume is “katesthio” (κατεσθίω). It means to devour, to be eaten up. It is the consuming of the strength of the body and mind by strong emotions.
• Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew 21:12-13.

“It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’” Matthew 21:13 (NIV)

• Jesus addressed the problem in the presence of those responsible and expressed the reason for His displeasure. The Scriptures were used as His point of reference – not His OPINION .

• Jesus taught that issues with other people should be addressed face to FACE .

• Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew 5:23-24.

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV)

• Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew 18:15-17.

“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.” Matthew 18:15 (NIV)

POINT #3: The complaint free life is not AVOIDING words of correction and advice.

·         The DISCIPLINE of receiving words of correction and advice is how God grows us up.

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” Proverbs 12:1 (NIV)

“He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” Proverbs 10:17 (NIV)

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. Proverbs 10:17 (NIV)

POINT #4: The complaint free life is not avoiding people who need to SPEAK about difficulties and struggles they are facing.

• Please turn in your Bibles to Proverbs 27:17.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

• We all need people in our lives to help us PROCESS our thinking, questions and concerns about difficult issues. This is not complaining it is seeking to gain understanding.

• Conversations that deal with deep questions and concerns between spouses or trusted friends can seem like complaining and arguing. The difference is it is done WITHOUT the intent to undermine other people or to inflict evil because of displeasure.

• IMPORTANT NOTE: We must be careful who we have SENSITIVE conversations with. We must guard against becoming involved in sinful secret complaining sessions.

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV)

• We need God’s help to live the complaint free life and we need the help of well CHOSEN friends.

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• Christians have a tendency towards being critical and complaining. God’s people have a long HERITAGE of being complainers.

 “Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.” Numbers 11:1 (NIV)

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.” Philippians 2:14-15 (NIV)

• The Greek word for blameless is “amemptos” (ἄμεμπτος). It means free from fault or defect, unblameable, deserving no censure.
• Please turn in your Bibles to James 3:7-15.

“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue.” James 3:7-8 (NIV)

• It takes the POWER of God to tame the tongue. That power is given through the Holy Spirit who lives in Christians.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:3 (NIV)

3 BIBLICAL TRUTHS

ABOUT THE POWER OF CONFESSION

BIBLICAL TRUTH #1: Confessing our sins to God results in forgiveness and CLEANSING.

• Please turn in your Bibles to 1 John 1:8-10.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

• The Greek word for confess is “homologeo” (ὁμολογέω). It is the word ‘homoú’ which means ‘together with’, and ‘légō’ which means ‘to say’. The word ‘confess’ means to say the same thing as another, to agree with, not to deny, to declare openly.
• The Greek word for purify is “katharizo” (καθερίζω). It means to cleanse, make clean, to purify from filth.
• When we agree with God that attitudes or actions in our life are wrong, that they are sin – when we admit it to Him in PRAYER , He is faithful to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all wrongdoing.

• Please turn in your Bibles to Psalm 103:8-12.

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:11-12 (NIV)

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)

• Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 1:15-16.

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”

1 Timothy 1:16 (NIV)

• Please turn in your Bibles to Psalm 32:1-5.

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:5 (NIV)

BIBLICAL TRUTH #2: Confessing our sins to God results in bearing fruit and PLEASING the Holy Spirit.

• Please turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 4:29-32.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 (NIV)

• The Greek word for grieve is “lupeo” (λυπέω). It means to make sorrowful, cause grief or sadness, to offend.

• Please turn in your Bibles to Colossians 1:9-14.

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might…” Colossians 1:10-11 (NIV)

• Please turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 5:15-18.

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18 (NIV)

D - DESIRE to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

“Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” John 17:37-39 (NIV)

E – EXPRESS PUBLICLY a renouncing of sin and acceptance of Jesus Christ.

“John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem , and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan , confessing their sins.” Mark 1:4-5 (NIV)

F – FULLY SURENDER your entire will in obedience to God.

“We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Acts 5:32 (NIV)

G – GET FILLED with the Holy Spirit by asking God and giving Him thanks.

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13 (NIV)

• DEFG Prayer of Faith: (A Daily Prayer for the Filling of the Holy Spirit.)

“Dear God, I desire to experience the filling of the Holy Spirit in my life. I am willing to express publicly that I am a sinner and want to confess and renounce all my sins. I fully surrender my entire will and ask You to help me obey the Bible. I want to get filled with the Holy Spirit and I ask You to give Him to me in a powerful way right now. Thank you for hearing my prayer. Please help me to be Your witness and Your servant in this day! In Jesus name I pray. Amen!”  

BIBLICAL TRUTH #3: Confessing our sins to God results in being willing to do whatever it takes to deal with guilt and BREAK the habit of repetitious sin.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:15-16 (NIV)

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