It's All About Management

Foundational Principles:

Foundational Principle #1: God Owns Everything | Psalm 24:1 (NLT)

1 The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.

Foundational Principle #2: Management Proceeds Promotion | Luke 16:10-13 (NLT)

10 "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people's things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?13 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money."

Foundational Principle #3: Look what Jesus said was one of his purposes | John 10:10 (NLT)

10 The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Foundational Principle #4: The greatest impediment to your next level blessing in you.

Main Text: Genesis 1:26-31 (AMP)

Then God said, "Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth."

• God gave us image • God gave us authority

27 So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth."

• God gave us his blessing

29 So God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of the entire earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

• God gives us every plant to use • God gives us fruit to eat

30 and to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that moves on the ground—to everything in which there is the breath of life—I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so [because He commanded it].

• God gives us a diet plan

31 God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good and He validated it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

Key Point Here:

Genesis 2:5 (AMP)

5 no shrub or plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground,

• CULTIVATE, verb transitive [Latin , to till, to dwell.] 1. To till; to prepare for crops; to manure, plow, dress, sow and reap; to labor on manage and improve in husbandry; as, to cultivate land; to cultivate a farm.

• Based on most popular dictionaries Stewardship is: Merriam-Webster: "the conducting, supervising, or managing of something. especially : the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care. stewardship of natural resources.

Genesis 2:8 (AMP)

8 And the Lord God planted a garden (oasis) in the east, in Eden (delight, land of happiness); and He put the man whom He had formed (created) there.

• Who planted the garden? • Who put man into position?

9 And [in that garden] the Lord God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil.

• Who caused growth of the garden? • This also is true for this church? • Increase and promotion come from the Lord

Psalm 75:5-7 (AMPC)

5 Lift not up your [aggressive] horn on high, speak not with a stiff neck and insolent arrogance.6 For not from the east nor from the west nor from the south come promotion and lifting up.7 But God is the Judge! He puts down one and lifts up another.

Genesis 2:10-20 (AMP)

10 Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four [branching] rivers. 11 The first [river] is named Pishon; it flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 The gold of that land is good; bdellium (a fragrant, valuable resin) and the onyx stone are found there.

• God placed gold, bdellium, and onyx.

13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the entire land of Cush [in Mesopotamia]. 14 The third river is named Hiddekel (Tigris); it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.15 So the Lord God took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.

• Who made the man? • Who settled man in the garden? • And what was the purpose God had for man? • What does cultivate and keep?

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may freely (unconditionally) eat [the fruit] from every tree of the garden; 17 but [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly die [because of your disobedience]."

• Who gave Adam the laws of the land?

19 So the Lord God formed out of the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.

• Who formed the animals? • Who named the animals?

20 And the man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper [that was] suitable (a companion) for him.

Wisdom Key #1: Your Stewardship Determines Your Level Of Management | Luke 19:11-27 (AMP)

Parable of Money Usage

11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they assumed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately [as soon as He reached the city]. 12 So He said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to obtain for himself a kingdom, and [then] to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, and gave them ten minas [one apiece, each equal to about a hundred days' wages] and said to them, 'Do business [with this] until I return.' 14 But his citizens [the residents of his new kingdom] hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to be a king over us.' 15 When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these servants, to whom he had given the money, be called to him, that he might find out what business they had done. 16 The first one came before him and said, 'Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.' 17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you proved yourself faithful and trustworthy in a very little thing, you shall [now] have authority over ten cities [in my kingdom].' 18 The second one came and said, 'Lord, your mina has made five minas.' 19 And he said to him also, 'And you shall take charge over five cities.' 20 Then another came and said, 'Lord, here is your mina, which I have kept laid up in a handkerchief [for safekeeping]. 21 I was [always] afraid of you, because you are a stern man; you pick up what you did not lay down and you reap what you did not sow.' 22 He said to the servant, 'I will judge and condemn you by your own words, you worthless servant! Did you [really] know that I was a stern man, picking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Then why did you not [at the very least] put my money in a bank? Then on my return, I would have collected it with interest.' 24 Then he said to the bystanders, 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' 25 And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas already!' 26 [Jesus explained,] 'I tell you that to everyone who has [because he valued his gifts from God and has used them wisely], more will be given; but from the one who does not have [because he disregarded his gifts from God], even what he has will be taken away.' 27 [The king ended by saying,] 'But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them, bring them here and kill them in my presence.'"

Discussion Questions

1. Ownership vs. Stewardship: If God owns everything (Psalm 24:1), what does that mean for how you view your possessions, talents, and even your life? What shifts when you see yourself as a manager rather than an owner?
2. The Garden Pattern: Looking at Genesis 2, God planted the garden and placed Adam in it to "cultivate and keep it." What has God planted in your life that He's asking you to cultivate? How well are you managing what He's already given?
3. Faithfulness in Little Things: Luke 16:10 says faithfulness in little things leads to greater responsibilities. What "little things" in your life might God be using to test your readiness for promotion?
4. The Fear Factor: In the parable of the minas, one servant buried his talent out of fear. What fears keep you from fully investing what God has given you? How does fear become "the greatest impediment to your next level blessing"?
5. God's Initiative vs. Our Response: The sermon emphasizes all the things God did first (planted, formed, placed, gave). How does recognizing God's initiative change your understanding of stewardship and service?
6. Increase and Promotion: Psalm 75:6-7 says promotion comes from the Lord. How does this truth free you from striving and competition? What does it mean for your workplace or ministry?
7. The Multiplication Principle: The faithful servants in Luke 19 multiplied what they were given. What would it look like to multiply—not just maintain—what God has entrusted to you?
8. Authority and Image: Genesis 1:26 says God gave us both His image and authority. How are these two gifts connected? How should having God's image affect how we exercise authority?
9. Cultivation vs. Consumption: Adam was placed in the garden to cultivate, not just consume. In what areas of your life are you only consuming when God is calling you to cultivate?
10. The Accountability Question: The nobleman in Luke 19 returned to settle accounts with his servants. If Jesus returned today to evaluate your stewardship, what would He find? What changes need to happen before that day?

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