Pastor Marshall Ochs | March 24, 2024
In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Luke 12:22-59. These verses challenge Christians to consider how they are stewards of God’s resources, rather than owners. We do not own our possessions, our talents, our bodies, or our time. Instead we steward them because they belong to God, and one day we will have to give an account for how we managed His resources.
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Today is Palm Sunday. The day when the people of Israel welcomed Jesus, laying their cloaks on the road, cutting branches from trees to spread for his arrival, and crying out Hosanna in the highest! Yet by the end of the week, they exclaimed, crucify Him. As we enter Holy Week, it can be easy to remove ourselves from the ones who cried out to crucify Him and only put ourselves in the Hosanna in the highest crowd. That is one of the ploys of the evil one: for the weight of God's wrath on Jesus to be minimized or for us not to see the weight of our sin. Jesus came to conquer sin and death. Just as the people of that time sought a Savior from Rome, we often envision how God should save us from our battles. The problem then and now is we make it about us, and it is never about us. It is about Jesus and His Kingdom! This conflict between God's will and our own persists to this very day.
Everything belongs to God. The anxiety stemming from an ownership mindset dissolves when we live as stewards of His gifts. Are we actively seeking God's guidance in managing what He has given us? Our possessions, talents, businesses, bodies, time, and even our children are all divine gifts, not sources of identity. Do you find yourself feeling anxious or stressed? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where you are trying to be in control and then take that to the feet of Jesus, ask for forgiveness, and begin to walk in the peace that only comes from Jesus. There is peace in His presence; there is joy in His presence!
Jesus's arrival ignites a transformative fire, bringing either peace or division. Submitting to Him as the Prince of Peace yields peace, while resistance produces discord, even within families. Everything—our possessions, relationships, and time—is not ours. Will we use these resources selfishly, or will we live in continuous prayer, asking God daily, show me how to steward what You have given me wisely today? I want to be a faithful and wise manager. I want to surrender all my desires for His. Father, remove every desire that is not of You, take us by the hand, and lead us in Your ways for Your glory. We love and praise Your mighty name, Jesus! Fill our homes, fill our workplaces, fill our cars with Your presence. Give us the courage to speak boldly the name of Jesus! Make us worthy of Your calling, fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by Your power so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified!