We are continuing w/our messages on stewardship this morning.   We’ve learned that stewardship is not merely a dimension of the Christian life, but stewardship in fact “is the Christian life.”   A steward is someone entrusted w/another’s wealth or property & charged w/the responsibility of managing it in the owner’s best interest.   And then….the owner provides the resources & the authority to carry out the designated responsibilities.   We are not just left alone to do what we need to do; we are given the means in which to be responsible!  What a blessing!
God has entrusted to us….life, time, talents, money, possessions, family, & God’s grace.   In each we are evaluated in how we regard these & what we do w/what has been entrusted to us.
Let’s see if any of you can tell what the message is around this morning w/the singing of this song….some of you will immediately recognize the song & others will hear it for the first time…but, it’s simple so you can catch on to it right away.
The B I B L E…yes that’s the Book for me; I stand upon the Word of God; the B I B L E.
The B I B L E…I’ll take along w/me; I’ll read and pray and then obey; the B I B L E.
By F A I T H…I’m S A V E D; I’ll stand upon the Word of God; the B I B L E.
The B L O O D; that Jesus shed for Me; I’m cleansed from sin, I belong to Him; the B L O O D.
How can we become an effective servant of Christ?…..w/a willingness to study the BIBLE.   Success or failure in the Christ-like life WILL depend on how much of the BIBLE you get into your mind on a regular basis & how obedient you are to IT.   It’s true, you can go to heaven knowing little more than John 3:16 b/c God’s marvelous gift of salvation is free; received by faith.   But if you are ever going to be a happy, successful Christ-like person it will be by regularly feeding on the Word of God, & that’s going to take work & discipline.   The more you work at it the faster & better you will grow.  The growth is well worth the price it requires.   God’s Word is one of the resources, one of the means, that has been given to us to carry out our designated responsibilities as a steward.
Who brought their Bibles w/them this morning?   Let’s look up John 13:17, it provides a formula for our success. (“If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”) What are “these things?”  (Principles)     The problem w/so many of us today is that we don’t spend much time learning the principles of the Bible, so we don’t even know what is expected of us.  Once you really grip to idea that you too can study the Bible for yourself, your Christian life will take on an entirely new dimension.   Study is WORK – study is THINKING!
What will just 15 minutes a day spent readying the Bible & 15 minutes a day studying it do for you?   Glad you asked!   It will make you a strong believer.   Second it will assure you of your salvation – a free gift from a loving God – AND the only source of assurance is the BIBLE.   Third: it will give you confidence & power in prayer b/c as we study God’s Word we become acquainted w/God’s will & consequently learn how to pray.   Fourth: it will cleanse you from sin.   Guilt is a universal problem, & billions of people have no idea where to go for cleansing.   As a Bible taught believer, guilt should never bother you.   Turn to John 15:3; our Lord said, “You are already clean b/c of the word which I have spoken to you”.   Now turn to John 17:17: the Word of God has a cleansing effect….“Sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth.”   Fifth: it will give you joy - one of the blessings of a believers life…..but often that joy is stifled by the problems of life.   It is the Word of God that puts joy in our heart regardless of the circumstance or situation.  Sixth: it will produce peace in your life.   Peace in one’s heart even when the circumstances of life call for worry & anxiety.   As the Holy Spirit comes to live in your life, you will be different.   That difference is primarily shown in your emotions, which will be characterized by peace in the face of difficulties.  (Turn to John 16:33;  Col. 3:15)   Peace is not automatic….we let is flood our hearts thru filling our minds in God’s Word.   Seven: it will guide you in making important decisions of life.   When the principles of God are well-known this simplifies the process of decision-making.   Jesus said, (Lk. 11:28)   We can’t keep what we have not heard!   But as our minds are filled daily w/the Word of God it will enlighten the dark paths of the future w/Divine guidance.   Eighth: it will empower us to articulate our faith.   We cannot communicate what we do not know!  Ninth: we should read & study the Bible b/c of the false teaching that engulfs us all.  The Bible gives us the measuring stick by which we can determine truth from error.  It tells us what God is like.  And lastly: it will guarantee our success.   Everyone desires to be successful.   Do any of you read books on how to fail?    Our last Scripture for you to look up - Joshua 1:8.   Note the words: and then you shall have good success.”   Daily meditation or thinking upon the Word of God produces the success that everyone desire.  
Unfortunately many believe they are too busy to refresh their minds each day on the Word of God.   What they don’t realize is that a daily quiet time costs them nothing in the long run b/c the rest of their day will be more successful than if they had ignored their BIBLE.  
God’s invitation is always laid out there for us to become more serious in the way we follow God.   Remember, Jesus had followers at various levels: there were the “crowds” that followed Him, the “seventy-two” others Jesus sent “two by two ahead of Him to every town & place where He was about to go,” the twelve apostles, & His inner circle of Peter, James, & John.   We determine how close to Jesus we want to be!   The “level” we want to live at.   How deeply we want to live in the Kingdom of God is not forced upon us!   "Times New Roman">God’s Word will not only enrich  our own spiritual life but it will empower us to serve Jesus Christ effectively – to be the GOOD steward of our life & our time.