Discipleship Outcome #5: Stewardship of Life

Mission and Vision

From Vintage Faith Church’s Vision Statement:

Stewarding all of our lives wisely in joyful submission to and for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31, 1 Chronicles 29, Romans 12, Luke 9:23-24, Luke 14:25-35, Matthew 28:16-20

So far we have looked at the first 4 discipleship outcomes in our mission and vision statement. The discipleship outcomes are large categories that at a basic level, represent the life of the Christian as seen and commanded in the NT. Think of the outcomes as an answer to.. “What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?” or better yet, what does it mean to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” The discipleship outcomes can be summed up as follows:

The pursuit of God

Obedience to God through the Spirit.

Proclaiming God and His gospel to those He has placed in your life.

Using the Gifts God has Given You to serve both the Church and the world.

The last discipleship outcome is… Stewarding all of our lives wisely in joyful submission to and for the glory of God. This is the largest category as it includes the first four outcomes and much more. To steward all of our lives as a Christian is to “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16.

This is going to include how we use our time, money, gifts, homes, minds and bodies. This includes how we have fun, how we enjoy God’s gifts, how we work, how we rest. It is a huge category. It is in a sense what Paul means when he says: “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” Romans 12

Think about your day right now. What are you doing tonight? Is it giving glory to God? Think about your words. Are your words giving glory to God? Are we aware as we move throughout our hours, days, weeks, months, and years of how we are using our time, money, gifts and talents? We can either focus and direct all of those resources towards our own selfish ambitions and desires, or we can point all of those resources towards the Kingdom of God. This is going to look different for all of us. God may call you to own a business and make lots of money, and to glorify Him stewarding it all for His glory. Or, maybe He calls you to mission work, or to be a teacher in a local Church. The point is, that whatever God has for you, it is to be seen as a gift to be stewarded, and used, ultimately for His glory.

Stewardship certainly includes how we use our financial resources. Are we investing our resources into the expansion of God’s Kingdom, in particular, the local Church? Do we see all that we own as given to us by God? Or, are we trying to build our own Tower of Babel?

Are we committed to the stewardship of our resources and giving a portion of those resources to God’s Kingdom expansion at a local and global level moving forward throughout Central New York and beyond?

In the book of Chronicles King David was preparing for his son Solomon to build the permanent temple, the place where Israel would meet with God. God told David that he would not be the man to do it, however his son, Solomon, would be the one to build God’s house. David gave much of his own wealth to the building of the temple, and, all the people of God followed suit. The building of the temple would be a massive undertaking. The temple would be a light to the people of Israel because God’s presence dwelt within it. It was also a light to the Nations. This was no small thing. As David was leading this effort he prays this prayer:

“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.” – 1 Chronicles 29:14-16

Did you catch David’s prayer? He is praising God for being able to offer back to God what God had already given him. And he is pouring forth praise that he is able to give so freely. That God has blessed him and his people so much that they are able to give to the mission of God. And, ultimately to and for the work that God is going to do amongst Israel and ultimately through the perfect Israelite, the seed of the woman, the Son of David, Jesus Christ. Who one day would gather the full portion of Gentiles into the Kingdom through God’s people in God’s Church. The Temple in the Old Testament was the work of God and the mission of God. But now…

“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

The Holy Spirit dwells within you Christian, you are now a temple. And..

“you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5

Christians in a local Church make up a living temple, a spiritual house. A house gathered for worship and scattered on mission. The Church is God’s plan to reach the nations now. The Church is a living, moving, relational, and proclaiming temple. We are to “go” and show and tell the world about God. As we do it, God is in us and with us..

When we consider our lives as believers, and our individual faith, our individual pursuit of God through bible reading and prayer and the disciplines of the faith… we must not forget this corporate (larger body) dynamic to our faith that is temple like in its purpose and function. That is, we as a body, that is the Church, are a living temple. We relate to God through the Spirit and His Word, and we represent God to the world.

So, as you consider this last discipleship outcome I’ll leave you with a few thoughts and questions:

How are you redeeming the time?

Do you see all that you have been given as a gift from God?

Have you ever considered that the Church is God’s plan?

“so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord” Ephesians 3:10-11

In light of this truth. How is your giving to the Church? If the whole Church gave as you did would the Church be better off, or would we have to close our doors?

As the Pastor I understand how these questions can come off, I understand it can sound like me asking for money. I’m willing to take that risk. I’m willing to take the risk because the bible from the OT to NT bears witness to this truth. God’s people on mission with God together fund the mission of God. And, I am willing to risk it because this is exactly what you and I need to hear. We need to loosen our grip on the things of this world, we need to relax and trust that God will meet our materially needs (Matthew 6:32), and we need to let go of our things, look up and see a bigger mission. A bigger vision beyond our own comforts and needs.

Brothers and Sisters. God is doing something. He is moving. This is the most exciting thing going on today, and tomorrow, and a month from now, and a year from now, and when you retire. He is calling a people to Himself. He is building His Church. He wants all of you to participate in this. He wants you to be ALL in. He wants you seeking Him with zeal, obediently walking in the Spirit, proclaiming His excellencies to anyone who will listen, and using your time, energy, talents and gifts for His glory.

He is entreating you to be part of something much bigger than any of us can imagine.

I think this is a bit of what He means when He says:

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

In Christ,

Pastor Anthony Valentine

Steve BrownJune 26, 2025