◆“Stewardship II – Wealth” (Matthew 6:19–21) October 12, 2025
Stewardship means to manage and use something for a specific purpose.
For Christians, that purpose is to glorify God.
In the first message, we listened to the Word of God about time. We learned that our time — our entire lifetime — belongs to God.
Today, we turn to the matter of wealth.
Wealth can take many forms — land, real estate, financial assets — but today we will think simply in terms of money.
There is a word in Japanese, seihin (holy poverty), which values remaining pure in heart even in poverty. Behind this idea lies the thought that “money is dirty,” that it corrupts the heart, and therefore one can live more purely without it.
Indeed, money has the power to corrupt our hearts. Yet money itself is neither evil nor unclean. It is something entrusted to us by God.
In Deuteronomy 8:17–18, it is written:
“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”
Yes, you have worked hard, improved your skills, and earned money. But who gave you that ability? Was it not God? Time belongs to Him, and within that time He gives us opportunities and experience. Thus, the wealth that results is something entrusted to us by God.
What, then, is required of us? How we use it.
Stewardship of wealth and money means asking: how do I use what God has entrusted to me? And what kind of relationship or distance do I keep with it?
Money tests our hearts. Do we manage and rule over money — or does money rule over us?
Let us consider three aspects of faithful stewardship of wealth.
1. Stewardship through Preparation
Proverbs 6:6–8 says:
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.”
And Proverbs 21:20 adds:
“The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.”
These words teach us not to live day by day without thought for tomorrow, but to prepare for the future.
Some may say, “If we have faith, we don’t need to prepare. Preparation shows weak faith.”
But the problem is not in preparing — it is in preparing out of anxiety, without trusting God. Preparing with faith is an act of wisdom.
When David faced Goliath, he took three stones. One might say, “If he had faith, one would be enough.” Yet he trusted God and still used wisdom to prepare.
Of course, there are those who cannot prepare because of their circumstances — those living under public assistance, for instance. These verses are not condemning those who receive help.
2. Stewardship through Sharing
The second aspect is sharing.
When we share our wealth, God uses it — and we store up treasures in heaven. This is the practice of cruciform faith.
Jesus Christ, though He was the sinless Son of God, gave Himself for the forgiveness of our sins. He bore our sins, took our judgment, and gave us His own righteousness and holiness.
Here we see the most exalted and perfect form of stewardship. When we give, we follow the example of Jesus Himself.
That is why Paul quoted Jesus’ words: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Our giving should begin with helping our fellow believers. In Scripture, the early church’s giving and helping were directed first toward brothers and sisters in faith. That is our starting point.
From there, as an expression of Christ’s love, we extend our hands to others — as small acts of our own cross-bearing love.
3. Stewardship through Offering (Tithing)
The third — and in truth, the first — is offering.
As I said when we spoke of time, we must “put first things first.” In the matter of wealth, the first thing is giving to God.
The Bible encourages giving a tenth of our income as an offering.
Malachi 3:10 says:
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
The Bible warns, “Do not test God,” but this is the one exception.
“Bring your tithe,” God says — perhaps it feels a bit risky. Yet He promises: you will not go hungry, you will not fall into poverty. Instead, “I will pour out blessings without measure.”
This echoes Matthew 6:33:
“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
When I was new in faith, I once heard a woman in church say, “This month is difficult, so I’ll give a little more than my tithe.”
I was astonished. “Is she fanatical?” I thought. But she was not a fanatic — she was a believer.
The last I heard, she was living peacefully in a care home, still under God’s grace.
Of course, tithing is not a legalistic command. If giving a tenth leaves you without means to live, God does not demand it as an obligation. It is a principle, a guideline.
The point is: do not give what costs you nothing.
And when planning your monthly finances, put giving first — not last.
Loan payments, food, utilities, leisure, and then offering whatever remains — or skipping it if nothing remains — that is not the right order.
Even if you are traveling or away from your home church, you should still give, for the offering is made not to the church, but to God.
Likewise, redirecting your tithe from the church to a charity is not God’s design. Donations to charities are good, but not in place of what belongs to God.
The church, through prayer and discernment, uses the offerings entrusted by God for His gospel and His work.
And for those who may be listening via YouTube or our website — offerings are not given to the pastor, nor are they shared among people. They are for God’s work: for the ministry of the church, for fellow churches and missionaries, for the spread of the gospel — so that more people may come to know Jesus, have their lives transformed, and receive eternal life from God.
Sermon script modified based on proofreading and translation with ChatGPT.
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