Occupy Till I Come

Principles of Stewardship

Text: Luke 19:11-27

Jesus spoke in a parable or figurative language (11) because many, most, if not all who followed Him thought, as He approached Jerusalem, that He will establish His kingdom, reign as king, and deliver them from the tyranny of Rome. He knew what they expected of Him. When He spoke of the kingdom of God, they were thinking of an earthly kingdom, not the millennial kingdom. They are now assuming, as He enters Jerusalem that He will establish an earthly kingdom which will deliver them from the dynasty of Herod’s, Roman oppression, persecution, and martyrdom. Jews have suffered under Rome’s power since Judaea was conquered by Pompey some sixty years earlier.  

To correct a false assumption, Jesus spoke in a parable about a man who traveled to a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.

The nobleman in the parable speaks of Roman rulers. For example, when Herod the Great died in 4 B.C. he left Judaea to his son Archelaus who had to go to Rome to have his inheritance ratified by Augustus Caesar. Jesus used an event in history or the protocol of rulers to explain that His kingdom is future. In other words, like the nobleman, Jesus will go to a far country, meaning, He will return to the right hand of the Father, before He returns at the appointed time to set up His kingdom. Therefore, until you and I are caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, we are responsible to occupy until He returns.

Ten servants were given 10 pounds, or each of the ten servants were given 1 pound; equivalent to 4 months worth of wages. They were told to occupy or “do business” invest/manage/oversee their master’s estate, until his return. We are only told what 3 of the 10 servants had done. The first two proved to be faithful. The first servant invested his pound and gained 10 pounds. The second servant invested his pound and gained five additional pounds. They were rewarded proportionately.  

In the parable of the Talents in Mt 25, talents represent responsibility are they given in proportion to one’s ability. Mt 25:15, “And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability.”  However, in the parable of the Pounds, each servant received a pound. i.e. though our strengths and abilities vary, everyone is responsibility to occupy, to do business, meaning everyone is responsible for the Gospel, everyone is responsible to obey the Lord, or everyone is responsible to invest, manage, superintend, or to steward faithfully the work of the Lord, until the return of the Lord. 

Though the lessons (Talents and Pounds) are different, the central truth in both Parables, however, is Stewardship. There are at least 4 principles of stewardship in the parable of the Pounds that can help us occupy until the return of Christ.  

1. The Principle of Ownership (12) 

The historical application of the Nobleman refers to the rulers of Roman empire. The Herod dynasty ruled over Judaea at the time of Christ. Herod employed servants to manage his affairs. He had the authority to assign responsibility and to reward his servants based on their performance. 

The spiritual application is this, Jesus Christ is our sovereign king, creator and possessor of heaven and earth, therefore, He has the authority to assign responsibility. 

For example, Mt 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…”

Good Stewardship is based on an understanding of the sovereignty of God, the creator and possessor of heaven and earth.

• Ge 14:19, “Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth.”  
• Dt 10:14, “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.”
• Psalm 24:1-2, “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.”
• Psalm 50:10-12, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.”  
• Our children belong to God according to Psalm 127:3, Lo, children are an heritage (possession/property) of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  
• The church belongs to God according 1Peter 5:2-4, Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 
• God has given me, like the servants in the text, a pound, and it is my duty to occupy or to be a good steward or to faithfully manage what He has entrusted to my care.  

Good stewardship begins by acknowledging the sovereignty of God and submitting to His authority. No one can be right with God and be wrong with proper authority! 

2. The Principle of Responsibility (13) 

1Pe. 4:10, As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.   

The pound or 4 months of wages that each servant received to do business or to invest represent responsibility. Someone said, “Owners have rights; servants/employees/servants have responsibilities. God, because of who He is, has the authority to commission the church to preach the Gospel throughout the world “till He comes.” We (you and I) are responsible to God to faithfully manage that which has been entrusted to us. 

• God made man in His own image, and from the man, made a woman and assigned to each of them responsibilities (Ge. 2:1-15). 
• Human government is ordained of God according to Ro. 13 and government including citizenship have responsibilities. 
• Christians are responsible to observe the Word of God. 
• The church is responsible for evangelizing the world.   
• Pastors have responsibility. 1Ti. 3; Titus 1:7; 1Pe 5 
• Parents have responsibility. Ps. 127; Eph 6 
• Husbands and wives have responsibility. 
• Children have responsibility. 
• Employees are responsible to their employer.  
• Our responsibility centers on managing His holdings according to His purposes, regardless of the world’s opinion of Christ.

Notice from verse 14. Citizens hated the Herod dynasty for their cruelty. This happened in history. Archelaus went to Rome to obtain from Caesar Augustus confirmation of his title to reign over Judaea, which was handed down by his father, Herod the Great. The Jews, knowing his character (Mt 2:22) sent an embassy of fifty to Rome, to prevail on Augustus not to confer the title on him, but they could not succeed. He received the kingdom and reigned in Judaea in the place of his father. This points to the hatred most Jews had for Christ. (Jn 1:11; 15:18-25)

Regardless of the world’s view of Christ, good stewardship is based on the principle of OWNERSHIP and RESPONSIBILITY. 

3. The Principle of Accountability (15)  

Like the Nobleman, Jesus will imminently return for His own. They will be caught up “in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” after which, according to many is the JSC, or the judgment of believers. The Judgment Seat or the “bema seat” is the designated place of accountability.  

Ro 14:10-12, But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat (bema seat) of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 

The concept of the Bema Seat comes from the ancient Olympics, where a judge would sit on the Bema Seat at the finish line. The judge’s purpose was to determine what position the runners came in; first, second, and so on followed by the appropriate rewards.  

We get a clear picture of the Bema Seat in 1Co 3:10-15, According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.  

4. The Principle of Reward (16-19) 

Faithful stewardship is rewarded with greater responsibility. Notice that their reward is proportionate to their Return on Investment. i.e. investing 1 pound and gaining an additional 10 pounds is rewarded with overseeing 10 cities. Faithfulness earns greater responsibility.  

APPLICATION (20-25) 

The Nobleman entrusted each of his servants with a pound to be invested in the management of his affairs, his estate, or his holdings. The pound was not theirs to squander, to store, or to spend all of which has a consequence. It was only their duty to be a faithful steward.