A sermon based on Psalm 24:1-10, Rev. J. Orlando Flahn
ILL: A little boy wanted to give his dad a wonderful birthday present. He couldn’t buy anything new from the store since he had no money, but he came up with a clever idea. Quietly, he sneaked into his father’s closet, picked out a tie from the tie rack, wrapped it carefully in a box, tied a ribbon around it, and proudly presented it to his dad with a cheerful, “Happy Birthday, Dad!”
Application: When we give our tithes, offerings, or service to God, we are often just like this young little child. We take something that already belongs to God, our heavenly Father, add a touch of our own pride, and offer it back to Him, saying, “Look, God, what I got you!”
Today, we begin a six-week preaching series on giving entitled, “The Grace of Giving.” In this series, we will explore six key principles designed to inspire, motivate, and encourage us to give generously according to biblical teaching.
We know that without the grace of God, giving is a challenge. It cannot be achieved by our own effort—it is not merely something we do, but something God accomplishes through us.
Think about the reality of our economy right now: many are struggling at the gas station, people are having a hard time paying rent or mortgages, utility bills, car payments, and prices for groceries are rising each day. The question remains: how can I commit to faithful giving?
However, the Word of God gives us several helpful principles and steps to guide us in giving to God’s mission faithfully, even when it is difficult to do so.
The first principle is: GOD OWNS EVERYTHING—HE OWNS IT ALL. When we truly understand this biblical truth, it can resolve every challenge or hesitation we may have in committing to the grace of giving. This is the foundational principle for becoming a good and faithful steward.
God owns everything; we own nothing. Everything we have is His, and we are simply His managers or stewards.
In today’s Old Testament reading, the Psalmist declares, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1, NIV)
Through the prophet Haggai, the Lord says, “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine.” (Haggai 2:8, NIV)
Again, in Exodus 19:5 God says to Israel, “Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me (Exodus 19:5, NLT) NLT).”
Moses reminded them, “Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God.” (Deut 10:14, NLT)
Paul says to the Colossians, “He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col 1:13-17 ESV)
But due to our brokenness and sinfulness, we come into this world with a desire to take ownership of God’s creation, which He has entrusted to our care. Instead of being faithful stewards or managers of His gifts, we tend to hoard and seek to become proprietors. Too often, we grip tightly and refuse to let go—even to the detriment of our own souls……The very things He has freely given us have enslaved us….We are owned by our own possessions, and the more we get, the more we want.
Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt 6:24 NIV)
And Paul warns, “We brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.” (1 Timothy 6:7, NLT) Only by accepting this principle—that God owns it all—can we experience true freedom.
Illustration: The late Bishop Edwin Hughes once delivered a rousing sermon on “God’s Ownership.” That sermon upset one of his wealthy parishioners because it struck at his pride and ego. The rich man decided to take the Bishop to lunch and then invited him to tour his elaborate gardens, woodlands, and farm. “Now are you going to tell me,” he demanded when the tour was complete, “that all this land does not belong to me?” Bishop Hughes smiled and suggested, “Ask me that same question a hundred years from now.” (Bennett Cerf, Leadership, Vol. 1, no. 2)
Without God, we are all bankrupt. Remember, He owns everything in heaven and on earth—it’s all His. I wish this phrase, HE OWNS IT ALL was written on our checkbooks, wallets, credit cards, home mortgages, car titles, real estate contracts, and every business deal. I wish those four little words were written in bold letters on everything we have in our homes—including the houses themselves—as a constant reminder that we own nothing.
ILL: A frantic man rode his horse at a full gallop up to John Wesley, shouting, “Mr. Wesley! Mr. Wesley! Something terrible has happened! Your house has burned completely to the ground!”
Wesley paused, weighed the news for a moment, and calmly replied: “No. The Lord’s house burned to the ground. That just means one less responsibility for me.”
Application: When we take ownership of our possessions, it brings unnecessary anxiety; stewardship brings freedom. When you realize God owns the property, you stop panicking when the roof leaks or when the car tire goes flat.
Therefore, the FIRST PRINCIPLE (that God owns it all) invites us as God’s people:
I. TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR TALENTS
Do you know that everything God has given you—including your gifts and talents—belongs to Him and serves a kingdom purpose? How are you using your talents or gifts?
God has given each of us talents, gifts, and abilities so that we can use them for His glory. We are responsible to manage these talents as stewards, not owners. The moment we make our talents all about ourselves, we cease to be stewards and become owners. Look around you in this church—where is God leading you to steward your talents or gifts? May God help us identify our talents, recognize what we are good at, and use those gifts for His glory.
Second, the FIRST PRINCIPLE (that God owns it all) also invites us as God’s people:
II. TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR TIME (Eph 5:16 NKJV)
The Bible says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph 5:15-16 ESV).
To redeem the time means to buy back or make the most of every opportunity God presents to us each day. The basic idea is to rescue our time from being wasted and to use it wisely.
The Apostle Paul teaches that we need to be good stewards of our time because the world is full of moral darkness, trouble, and temptations that try to steal our attention away from God.
How much time are you spending with God, getting to know Him through reading His Word and prayer? That time is never wasted. The time you spend building up the body of Christ and loving others is not wasted; it is well spent. Time with family—whether in devotions, vacationing, or coming to church together—is never wasted; you are redeeming the time when you do. Time invested in sharing the gospel so that others may come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior has eternal dividends and bears eternal fruit (Matt 28:18-20). We should live as if each minute counts—because it really does.
Finally, the FIRST PRINCIPLE (that God owns it all) then invites us as God’s people:
III. TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR TREASURE
Billy Graham says, “If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.”
Everything we have—our time, abilities, resources, and money—should all fall under the rule of God. There was a time in my walk with God when I believed that once I paid my tithe—the ten percent that belongs to Him—the rest of my income was mine to spend however I pleased. But I learned that this is not true. It matters to God how I spend my money and use my resources. Remember, they all belong to God, and I am a steward.
When I prioritize giving first to God and His work, it reflects my deep recognition that God owns everything I have, and I am a steward—a manager, not the owner. I can trust Him to supply provide all my needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. Just because you earn something by working 80 hours or more every two weeks does not mean you are the owner of what you earn.
God reminds Israel through Moses, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” (Deut 8:18)
CONCLUSION: A father takes his family on vacation to Disney World and buys boxes of French fries for the family. As they sit to eat, he reaches over to take one from his young son’s plate. The little boy slaps his dad’s hand away and screams, “These French fries are mine! Don’t touch them!”
Application: We laugh at the toddler because, in reality, it is the dad who bought the fries, the father owns the fries, and the father could buy a thousand more boxes if he wished. Yet we often act the same way with God. We cling tightly to our bank accounts, our time, and our talents, shouting at God, “Mine! Don’t touch!” when everything we have came from His hand in the first place—including the gift of His love for us through His Son, who died on the cross and rose again to offer us forgiveness for our sins.
The Bible says, “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” (2 Cor 8:9 NLT)
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