Stewardship Focus Change

Stewardship is defined as “the activity or job of taking care of something for others.”

Starts with ourselves with Christ as the center of our lives.

Goes on to precious jewels that God has put in our care.

Constant battle over these things that they do not take precedent over our lives

God helps us maintain focus.

1 Peter 4: 1

So Then, Christ suffered on this earth even to the death on the cross. (1 Peter 3: 22 Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.) It really was a hard path, but now, he is reigning in heaven.

Arm yourselves with the same attitude.

Arm = Only time it is in the Bible, Pick it up or put it on. It’s there for us and we don’t have to strive to get it.

UNLESS WE ARM OURSELVES AND PICK UP THIS ATTITUDE, WE WILL BE CRUSHED WHEN PROBLEMS COME OUR WAY. BITTER AT GOD, MAD ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

Want Christ to be the center of everything, but these things consume me. Then problems come at these things and we are left to wonder what in the world is happening.

Letting go we can be done with sin.

Not that we never sin anymore, but our priorities will change.

1. Peter talking to Jesus about who he is. (He declares you a re the Christ the Son of the living God.
2. Jesus tells the disciples for the first time that he is going to go to the cross and die. Peter responds “You will not die,” he is rebuked for doing this.
3. Jesus gives the disciples a teaching on what it takes to follow Him

• You must take up your cross and follow Him
• You try to hang onto your life you will lose it.
• We need to turn from our selfish ways.
• We must keep our mind on things of God rather than earthly things.

Peter is repeating what Jesus said in Matthew. 1 Peter 4: 2 You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.

In the middle of problems we just want to run away and forget everything. Not talking about the need for a break, I am talking about a lifestyle change where Jesus is no longer the focus of our lives.

People who do not have a focus on Jesus cannot understand those who do.

Vs 3, 4 immorality and can’t understand why you would act the way you do.

WHAT IS YOUR WILL FOR MY LIFE?

1 Peter 4: 7 earnest and disciplined in our prayers.

Calm oneself in our prayers.

Vs 11b Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.

People of God, we are not to center our lives around eating and drinking, gaining and possessing, having more and being merry, because tomorrow we do not die. No. We live forever! How foolish that we conduct ourselves as if this world were our lasting home. We’re just passing through!

King David, in spite of the equivalent of billions of dollars of riches, could say at the end of his life:

Steward over a lot (gave 4000 tons of gold and 40,000 tons of silver to build the temple)

$1400 an ounce. 179 billion dollars silver at 21 an ounce. $26,880,000,000

We are aliens and strangers in Your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope (1 Chr 29:15).

4. Firm Foundation

So then, Jesus suffered and he is now in a place of glory,

You are going to stand Face to Face with God some day.

Are you living to please him?

If you are, quiet yourself with prayer in God’s presence

1 Peter 4: 12, 13 seeing Jesus in all his glory.

Questions for Life Groups

1. How do you define stewardship?

2. How does a correct definition help us in how we view our possessions. (We are willing to be able to let go of them and release them to God because they are not ours)

3. Read 1 Peter 4: 1 – 11

4. Vs 1 We need to arm ourselves with the attitude that we are going to suffer in this world. Arm means prepare ourselves. How does knowing that there are going to be problems in front of us help us when these problems come? ( We know that not all problems come because we are doing something wrong)

5. The Bible says that our focus changes through problems. How can this happen? (Main thing is that we would look forward to a place where we will no longer deal with these problems.

6. How do those without a relationship view our pursuit of doing God’s will and dedicating our lives to that pursuit? (Read 1 Peter 4: 3, 4)

7. What is the main motivation to put up with so much from those around us? (Vs 5 we will all have to face God someday.)

8. What are we to focus on now that the end of the world is coming? (Read Vs 7 – 10)

• Calm ourselves in prayer
• Show deep love for each other
• Cheerfully share our lives with each other
• Use our gifts to serve each other.

9. We are called to do this with all the strength and energy that God supplies. If we do not minister in the power of the Holy Spirit we are just giving away self and burnout comes upon us.

10. What is the result of living as stewards of all God has given us? Last 2 sentences of Verse 11 (All we do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ and he will receive praise and honor.

That is a life well lived.