Accountable Stewardship “The Sheep and the Goats”

Matthew 25: 31-40

“31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? Or thirsty and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

As Christian stewards, this is what we are required to do and these are the things that we will be judged for. If you read further, you will see that it is the sin of omission or failure to do these things that will cause us to be condemned.

We are not able to do all of these things currently, but we can do some. It is going to take willing minds, dedication and commitment, time, and money. II Corinthians 8:12 states, “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.”

First, we must be consistent in our worship and praise, our attendance, and our reliability. Can God really count on you? Can your fellow church members count on you? Can the pastor count on you?

Secondly, we must believe in this Christian journey. It has Jesus Christ as the planner, Salvation as the end, and the Great Commission as our road map. Matthew 28:19-20. It is our mission to beget other disciples. It takes time, tithes, and talents. We all have busy schedules. God asks for one day to keep holy for Him. It takes more time to plan, practice and execute. The Holy Spirit will help. (If we keep a willing mind) God will always provide a place for your talents. As for His tithes, He requires a tenth. That’s Biblical. Give in faith and God will multiply and provide. (He proved it with the loaves and the fishes, the widow’s meal barrel, the Israelite’s shoes and clothing, manna, water, fed the prophets, etc.)

Below are some suggested ways that could help supplement the income of our church.

. Give your tithes and offerings consistently and on time

. Generate a mini-tithe. Save dimes. Give a roll each month

This is a good lesson to teach the children and friends to do likewise

. Tell your friends and co-workers about the on-line opportunity to give

. If you know someone who is gainfully employed and does not have a church home and may not be ready to join a church, ask if they would consider giving to your church ministry on a regular basis. This will increase the membership, too. People usually follow their money

. Each one reach one. Continually invite potential members to church