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Trinity School of Apologetics and Theology |
Introduction: God is the Creator of everything we see and don’t see. He created everything out of nothing and he is the owner of everything. David said: “All that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine. All things come of thee (1 Chr.29.11, 14).
We are not our own. By creation we are His. We were lost, but are redeemed by God. So by redemption also we are His. We are bought with a price (1 Cor.6.19). We do not have anything that we have not received (1 Cor.4.7). We did not bring anything into the world (1 Tim.6.7). God has entrusted many things to us. We are stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Cor.4.1).
A steward does not own anything. Everything he posses, has been given to him by his Master. He only Manages the property belonging to his Master.
Characteristics: Bible speaks of the characteristics of a Christian steward. These are: A steward of God (Tit.1.7). An elder is a steward of God, because God has appointed him. The congregation is not his, but the Lord’s, but as a steward he manages God’s affairs in God’s assembly. A good steward (1 Pet.4.10). This is in relation to performance of duty. Only God is good (Mark 10.18). A good steward is one in whose heart is the Lord himself, directing him. A faithful steward (1 Cor.4.2). He should be faithful to the Lord who made him steward and faithful to the things entrusted to him. A wise steward (Lk.12.42). He needs wisdom to manage the affairs of his Master. He should understand the mind of the Master. Wisdom for the management comes from the Master himself (cf.Jas.1.5). A blameless steward (Tit.1.7). He should not allow any room for charge or accusation against him. An unjust steward? (Lk.16.1-2). He should be above board, and faultless in his management. Is there a possibility that we will be accused that we are unjust? We should always guard against this.
Every steward has to give account of his stewardship one day (Lk.16.2). Every child of God has to stand before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive just rewards for the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad (2 Cor.5.10).
Stewardship is an individual responsibility. No one can escape this. Not everyone has been entrusted with the same responsibility, but it differs from person to person (1 Pet.4.10, 11).
As a Christian you will be tested in your stewardship at least in four different areas. They are faithfulness, honesty, productivity, and loyalty.
It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful (1 Cor.4.2) Jesus Christ himself is our model of faithfulness. He is called the Faithful Witness (Rev.1.5). He faithfully revealed God to us and taught us. He was faithful to the one who sent Him and fulfilled the work that He gave Him to do and glorified Him (Jn.17.4).
A faithful witness will not lie (Prov.14.5), but will only speak the truth. Though Paul was a blasphemer, his testimony was that God counted him faithful and put him into the ministry 91 Tim.1.120. He knew that he was put in trust with the gospel (1 Thes.2.4) and lived and preached the gospel before God who tested him (1 Thes. 2.5, 10).
In studying the parable of the faithful steward we find that a steward is to be faithful in the following:
He is to be faithful to the householder, God (Lk.12.42-44). This is because it is God who has appointed him steward. He is to be faithful to the household, the people of God (Lk.12.42-44). He has been entrusted with the task of managing and providing for the household He is to be faithful to the deposit, the truth of God (1 Tim.6.20; 2 Tim.2.2). In handling the deposit he should not loose the substance, but the whole counsel of God should be proclaimed. To the commission (Matt.28.19-20). The truth should be declared intelligently, accurately, carefully, authoritatively and systematically.
The sin of Adam not only brought separation between God and man but also affected his intellect (2 Cor.4.2, 4), his emotions (Jer.17.9) and his will (Rom.5.12; 6.20). But God has reconciled us back to him (Rom.5.8-10) and restored us to a position of fellowship (1 Cor.6.19-20). In our stewardship responsibility we need to surrender our:
Body. It is His Heart. It is our heart that will control our tongue. Tongue. It is to praise the Master and to speak of Him. A faithful messenger refreshed the soul of his master (Prov.25.13). Mind. We use our mind to think. As a man thinks in his heart so is he. We need to have the mind of Christ (Phil2.5). Our mind is the battleground. Though we cannot escape a thought coming to our mind suddenly, we can definitely stop that thought from harboring in our mind. Make that thought a captive to Christ (2 Cor.10.5). Remember the saying: “sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny”.
Your destiny may depend on a thought that you harbor in your mind. Therefore, think only on good things (Phil.4.8).
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Trinity School of Apologetics and Theology |
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