The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-02-28
DR.. MACK ON
STEWARDSHIP
DELIVERS FoRcEFUL SERMON
ON OUR FINANCIAL DUTY
TO GOD.
ALL THAT We HAVE IS GODS
And We Must Account To Him FOR
The Use We Make OF Our
Finances.

flrsr Cumberland presbyterian cnurcl
Sunday morning. DIR. Mack does no
leave his meaning in doubt He
: shows plainly that we are stewards Of
God and must render an accounting
to Him. That all we have is Gods.
] Taking his text from First CORN
thians. AZ. TT is required in stewards
that a man be found faithful" Mr..
Mack spoke in part as follows:
What is the relation between piety
and property, between gain and godli-
| ness? In an age when selfishness and
covetousness are probaly the Chris
tian's besetting sins. SO great Is the
striving for wealth, this is a very Inn
portant question.
Most men act on the idea that they
are proprietors. sole owners Of their
lands and goods. And they give to
good causes that appeal to them and
as the impulse moves them. They do
not admit that God has any real
claim to their wealth, or they hold an
indefinite belief that perhaps a tenth
should go to Him, but they do not
practice 1t.
But God is the sole owner. As
Creator all belongs 70 Him The
earth is the Lords and the fulIness
thereof the silver and the gold and
the cattle upon thousand hills We
brought nothing into this world and
it is certain we can carry nothing out'
and we are utterly dependent on Him
for all we enjoy. But il any think
this a poetic idea, then as Christians
it Is certain that all we have ard are
belong TO Christ We gave ourselves
houl and body to Him, whose we are
and whom we serve 'Ye are not
your own, We are bought with a price.
IF this is true, what is our relation
to our property? We are not sole
owners, we are trustees, stewards. We
received all from Him, we are to use,
all for Him, and we are to account
for all to Him. This is the New Tes-
lament teaching very clearly.
Notice the various parallels Our
Lord spoke on phases OF stewardship.
me question OF ownership is deter
aainedain the Parable Of the Vineyard.
The miserable husoandinen' who mall
treated the servants and killed the
heir, thinking to get the property, werell
cast out Now the vineyard was made
to apply to Israel, but it really applies
to the world. All possessions, lands
and houses as well as our talents,
powers and influence are but COM
niitted to us. They belong to Him
and He has never passed title.
"The question Of disbursement, for
whom the goods are used, is answered
in the Parable OF the Pounds and the
Talents. The servants were to trade i
with the pounds. the gains went to
the 'nobIeman,' and the man who hid
his part in a nakpin was condemned
for having no gains for his lord.
"The accountability is shown In the
words on the unwise steward who said
my lord delayeth his coming. The
day Of reckoning was SO uncertain, he
dissipated his masters goods, but we
are warned that to whom much has
been committed from him shall much
be required.
A farmer has few thousands het
wishes to invest. He brings 1t toI
town and places 1t in the hands Of his
lawyer who knows the money market
and who can manage 1t for him. Does |
that lawyer who Is trustee, doubt for
! moment who owns that thousand
Has he any qusetions as TO whom the
gains will go and with whom he must
me day make a settlement So we
ire trustees Of these things God has
to our care.
"This is the principle, and the prac-
ice should follow It, The question
will not be what shall give the
sordg' 1t will be what will the Lord
five meg How much OF His funds
10 l need for my own support and for !
hose dependent on me? All the rest
5 for HIS service. Or. strong well
avs, man with Christian heart and /
ane judgment;
"All the money which will yield !,
anger return of usefulness in the !,
World, and greater good to the king !.
ON. by being spent on ourselves or :
antilles than by being applied other !.
rise. is used for the glory Of God, and !
) better spent than It would have {
cen II given otherwise. And what
yer money Is spent on self that
'ould have yielded larger returns OF
sefulness If applied otherwise is mis-