The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-23
THE vIRGINIANs WEEKLY SERMON
CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP
Christian Stewardship. Matt. B:20.
.lBy Rev. II. Clay Lilly. d. D.. pas
tor Grace Presbyterian church,
Richmond, vaD
Life and Opportunity,
By Rev. II. Clay Lilly, d. D.
astor Grace Street Presbyterian Church Richmond "

Life and Opportunity,
mans life is his opportunity for
. service--his opportunity TO do con-
structive work in the world which
shall affect the lives of his fellows.
and which shall abide when he Is
gone hence.
His money is part OF his equipment
Ter his life work.
A man and his money constitute
the effective working unit in large
departments OF our life. As In the
industrial world the artisan and his
tool ~ the working unit--and as In
the military world the soldier and his
weapon IL the effective unit so In our
intellectual and spiritual spheres,
man aud his money is an effective
working unit
The Man as Master of the Money.
man as master of his money can
direct it into any channel he may
choose. He may invest st all In the
commercial world, and reap returns
in dividends OF financial kind, or
he may invest 1t in the intellectual
werld, founding schools and endow-
ing professorships, lie then receives
returns OF an intellectual kind--edu-
Gated nfndst trained men. Or he
msy invest 1t In the spiritual world
erecting neuses Of worship. support
NAe EN@HSE'fSkS anu missionaries anu
reap the spiritual fruit OF converted
souls. redeemed lives. But notice that
the returns are In kind, of the same
nature as the investment .n each
case. And as he can choose the
sphere In which his money is to labor
he can also choose the location AT
the game time In which he liz busy
at his desk making money he can
be at work lin any part OF the earth
feeding a starving multitude In In
dia, enlightening ignorance In Africa
preaching the gospel OF hope OF brok-
en-nearted Koreans. and sharing In
the great intellectual and spiritual
awakening OF the far East SO that it
may be truly said OF him, the sun
never sets on his great activities.
When such opportunities are open
10 men, IL behoeves them to consider
carefully and prayertully their plans
for life.
A Question of Ownership.
This world belongs To God This
is true because He created IT, He
publishes his ownership In His word,
and mahifests his ownership by the
constant exercise Of authority In IL.
and by His ceaseiess ministry to and
maintenance of H. He prociaitns
that He will never relinauish His au-
thority over 1t by announcing His
purpose TO judge IL at the end Of
time. and purge il with fire. If any
should make bold To deny Gods
ownership OF the world. this position
would lead logically to the overthrow
or the leading propositions OF reli-
gion.
\ man owns his possessions as
against the claims of other men. and
his right to them Is inalienable Bur
When we lock more deeply we see that
as against the claims OF God a man
owns nothing He Is the great pro-
prtetor and we his tenants, He rha
great Master and We His stewards
He bestows gifts upon us tina, we
may use them for His great purposes.
and our largest good, All men belong
10 God, but this is true in q double
sense Of the Christian. for he has been
bought with the price He and his
possessions are both Gods and he
ought 10 subject self and substance
to the purpose OF God.
Stewardship Defined.
steward is one who serves in a
position Of trust. He represents his
master In position of responsible
service AS such he receives reward
for faithful service. and these services
make gain for the masters work The
ratio of gain for the master to the
cost of the stewardship determines the
value OF the service. The spirit Of the
true steward is one OF devotion to his
masters interests. OF denniteness In
pan and purpose. and fidelity To the
system wnieh is to make these plans
effective.
What Stewardship Demands.
Stewardship demands that the en-
trusted gifts be used to- accomplish
the will of the MASTER. e.. that the
gospel be given to thosee for whom
II was tntended--~the people of the
whole world. and that everything we
are and have be consecrated to this |
end.
The gospel can never have its fun
meaning for US until we give il to /
others. Our possessions can never do |
their best work until they are used |
70 sound out the gospel message.
Moneys nobiest work is in pro- |
claiming the Lord of Glory.
Two Pertinent Questions.
In fulfilling ones stewardship two
practical and highly important auex-
tions arise
]. What standards of living shall be
adopted?
2. What standards of giving shall |
be accepted?
gether. To live expensively may leave
us little to give. To give largely may
demand much seif-denial The Chris |
tian ought TO be absolutely guided bv |
the Scripture as to both.
To put both our living and our Civ |
Ing on Scriptural basis is to com /
nit ourselves to minimum of ex-
penditure for self. and a maximum
or gift to the kingdom.
His Standards OF Living.
How much should be spent on our I
selves and those dependent on us, and I
how much on the kingdom of our /
Lord---the real owner of all we have
Certainly no man can answer the oue.-
ton in mathematical terms The Scrip- /
lures make no attempt to answer ts in |
this way.
However. the Bible does give an |
answer unmistaksbsy clear. The life |
Of the Christian as described as one
that centers IN the throne of God |
With purpose that reaches out
through all the earth He is distinctly |
warned against earthly possessIons /
ana exhorted to self-denial. He All
commissioned to publish the gospel
TO the whole world, and Commanded
neither TO lay up treasure nor waste I
1t 81. foolish expenditure
he ~ taught to pray only for daily
bread ana that the kingdom may |
come. He u told that his wants shall |
III DO surely supplied. and that his |
work Is to labor with God,
II needs no great skill or interpre-
tatfon 20 discern that the emphasis !
q expenditure il put upon expendi- |