Stewardship Pts. 3-4: Temple and Testimony

Lawrence L. Durgin wrote: "Christian stewardship is the matching of gift for matchless gift: our life and its whole substance for the gift of perfect love. And though God's Son and His precious death are matchless in the strange economy of God our gift returned is made sufficient. My all for His all. Stewardship is your commitment: the asking of God to take you back unto Himself-all that you have and all that you are."

  —Frank S. Mead, ed. 12,000 Religious Quotations (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989), 427.

1. Temple

   1. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20

   2. Sexual deviancy is one of those most prominent ways one will neglect their body. Sexual sins affect the body, the mind, the emotions, and the soul.

   3. Why wouldn't you want to care for your body? Your mind? Your emotions? Your soul?

   4. Of course, sexual sins are the only sins against the body.

   5. Our bodies are the temple of God Himself through the Person of the Holy Spirit. How are you doing caring for that temple?

   6. 1 Timothy 6:17

   7. We are given things in life to enjoy and find pleasure in, however, we must do so in moderation, not with a gluttonous spirit or over-indulgence.

2. Testimony

   1. The world cannot see Christ in us if we do not steward a good testimony.

   2. 1 Peter 3:15

   3. Peter handles two things here. 1) How to steward our testimony (sanctify the Lord in your hearts) and 2) Be ready to defend it!

   4. Apologia (a defense) has two parts

      1. Be ready to give an answer

         1. Tell people about what Jesus has done in YOUR life!

         2. As you grow in your faith, begin to utilize more and more Scripture in your evangelism and apologetics.

         3. Study the Word of God and know what is true and what isn't.

      2. We must defend the hope within us.

         1. We cannot defend what we do not have.

         2. People should know we are Christ followers by how we LIVE and by the HOPE that we have.

         3. What hope?

            1. A sure and true hope in a risen Savior and an eternity in Heaven!

         4. Matthew 5:14-16

            1. Live in a way that shows people that you have something worth seeking.

   5. Does your testimony (the way in which you live CHRIST) lead people closer to Christ Jesus or further away?

   6. Be vulnerable, let people in, invest in people's lives. Live like Jesus did.