Sermons
July 10th, 2022 by Pastor Solley071022AM Faithful Stewards
Sub. Stewardship
Theme: Making a faithful steward
Text: 1 Cor 4:1-5
“Faithful Stewards” 1 Cor 4:1-5
Introduction
I want to speak to you this morning about stewardship and being a good steward. They are not words that you hear very often today. A steward is one that is found in the Bible and stewardship is addressed in the Bible many times. In our text this morning stewards and stewardship is being addressed. – 1 Cor 4:1-5 – Even if we do not hear or use these terms much today this is for us.
I. A steward is one that has been placed in charge over something or someone who belongs to another: Stewardship then becomes how that one looks after what they have been put in charge of it being a person or thing.
A. There are many examples of stewardship in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments:
1. Joseph became a steward over all that was Pharaoh’s in Egypt: Gen 41:39-41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
2. Daniel became a steward over all that Darius ruled over: Dan 6:1-3 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; 2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. 3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
3. In the New Testament the Pastor is the steward of the local church: 1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
B. Jesus also addressed stewards and stewardship in parable: The parable of the talents in Matthew 25, one receiving five, one two and one just one is about stewards and stewardship. The parable of the of the rich man and money owed him in Luke 16 is about stewardship. Even the parable of the prodigal son deals with stewardship.
II. In our text this morning we find that God is looking for faithful stewards: 1 Cor 4:1-5 And God is more than looking for faithful stewards, God is demanding that a steward be found faithful. – 1 Cor 4:2 – It is required by God that stewards be found faithful. God wants faithful stewards, that is very clear. – 1 Cor 4:1-2 – But who are the stewards and what do they have charge over, what is going to be required of them?
A. The stewards are found in verse one: 1 Cor 4:1 The Bible says ministers of Christ. – 1 Cor 4:1 That does not mean pastors. Pastors are stewards but that is not what the word ministers means here.
1. The Greek word means one who is subordinate to and one who is to be a servant of: So the steward is one who is subordinate to Jesus Christ and one who is to serve Jesus Christ.
2. That is going to take in everyone of us, is it not? All who are subordinate to Christ and are to serve Christ. All of us are stewards.
B. Stewards over what? 1 Cor 4:1 Notice that is plural. – 1 Cor 4:1 – The Bible speaks of many things of God that are a mystery and this becomes very broad. According to the Bible faith is a mystery, the church is a mystery, Godliness is a mystery, His glory is a mystery, the gospel message is a mystery, Christ Himself is a mystery, death is a mystery. We then are stewards of the mysteries of God and this also becomes very broad.
C. Then we find that stewards will be called to give an account one day: 1 Cor 4:3-5 Now this stewardship becomes very serious thing because we will not give an account to one another, but to God. – 1 Cor 4:4-5 One day we will all give and account to God.
D. I want to begin this morning to look at several different areas of stewardship: If I am going to be a faithful steward I need to know what God has placed under my charge.
PROP: What type of steward will God reveal you to be at His judgment seat? TS. I know what God is going to require, faithfulness.
Body
I. Notice the serious nature of stewardship: 1 Cor 4:3-5 We begin here because so many today seem to think it a very light thing to be called to give and account before God, to stand before the God of heaven in judgment. And that includes both lost and those who profess to know Jesus Christ as their savior. So many live as if it will be a light thing to stand before God in judgment.
-2-
A. Paul knew how serious a matter judgment is: 1 Cor 4:3-5 This is a saved man, a man who loved the Lord, a man who gave up all when he was born again, a man for whom to live was Jesus Christ. And also a man who knew how serious a matter judgment is.
1. If Paul were to be judged of men then it was not a very serious thing: 1 Cor 4:3 I don’t believe Paul cared much what other people thought of him, what other people thought about his service to the Lord, what type of steward other people thought he was.
2. But Paul did care about what his Lord thought of him: 1 Cor 4:4 What Jesus thought of Paul was always before the apostle and he lived his life after salvation in such a way that Jesus would be pleased with him. Paul did that because he knew a judgement was coming where he would give and account before God and Christ. – 2 Cor 5:8-10
3. Paul also knew that anything hidden would be brought out: 1 Cor 4:5 That every secret sin unconfessed would be brought out, that every idle word would be brought out, that every secret desire acted on or not would be brought out, that nothing is hidden from God and that one day even the hidden things would be brought out. – 1 Cor 4:5
4. For the Apostle Paul judgment and accountability before God was a very serious thing: It wasn’t to be taken lightly.
B. Accountability before God is nothing that you or I should take lightly: But many do take it lightly and none of us should.
1. The Bible is very clear that we all will give an account before God: 2 Cor 5:10-11 Interesting that the word terror is found in verse 11 and this is speaking to the Christian. – 2 Cor 5:10-11 – That word does mean exceeding fear.
2. The Bible tells us it is fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God in Heb 10:31: We always equate that with the lost as we should but we also need to note that judgment begins with the Christian. – 1 Peter 4:17
a. We know judgment will be a serious thing for the lost person. At the Great White Throne judgment they will be cast into hell.
b. But when the saved person gives an account before God it will also be a serious thing. – 1 Cor 3:11-15
C. Notice the serious nature of stewardship: 1 Cor 4:3-5
II. What have we then, both saved and lost people, been given charge of, what are we stewards of? 1 Cor 4:1-2 Remember what the word steward points to, one who is subordinate to and one who is to be a servant of another. Joseph was subordinate to and was to serve Pharaoh. Daniel was subordinate to and was to serve Darius. The Pastor is subordinate to and is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
A. How many are subordinate to Christ and should be serving Him? Every saved person and every lost person as well. That because we have been given something that belongs to God. A steward is one in charge of something or someone that belongs to another. We all, saved or lost, have been given something by God, something that belongs to Him.
1. We have life because God gave it to us: Without turning listen to these Scriptures. Deut 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
Job 33:4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
Job 10:12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
Ps 139:13-14 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Jer 38:16 So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul,
Acts 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life,
2. Would you agree that God is the giver of life?
B. So all people, saved or lost, have something to give and account for: We are stewards of life given to us by God, even lost people.
III. The first thing then one is called to give an account for is what have they done with Jesus Christ in relation to salvation:
John 3:1-7 When this man comes to Jesus he is not asked about his religion, how many times he brought sacrifices to the temple, how many students he had or any such thing.
A. But he does find out what Christ required of him: John 3:5-7 Notice verse 7. – John 3:7 – This sounds like a requirement to me.
John 3:7 – The word must points to this being a requirement.
1. Nicodemus was given life by God: The same words spoken by Job were true of Nicodemus. Job 33:4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
2. As a steward of the life God gave him Nicodemus was required to do something with Jesus Christ: Moving past the Law, moving past the sacrifices of the temple, moving past his position as a Pharisee, Jesus Christ was standing in front of Nicodemus.
3. What would Nicodemus do with Christ in relation to the life that God gave him? Would Nicodemus ignore Christ, would he mock Christ, would he reject Christ, or would Nicodemus receive Jesus Christ within and be born again?
4. All indications in the Bible point to Nicodemus being born again that day: All indication point to that Pharisee meeting the requirement of God and being in this regard a faithful steward. Nicodemus was born again.
-3-
5. And the new birth changed the life of Nicodemus: He came to Jesus by night in chapter three but after he was born again he was not ashamed to be linked to Jesus. – John 7:48-52 ; John 19:38-40
6. Nicodemus was a faithful steward in what he did with Jesus Christ in relation to salvation and the life that God gave him: Nicodemus met the requirement, he was born again.
B. And this is the requirement that each of us in this room must meet this morning, to be born again: “Ye must be born again.” And there is no one in this room this morning who is born again and does not know it. Nicodemus knew that day he was born again when he received Jesus Christ within. His good works did not save him, his religion did not save him, being a Pharisee did not save him, the sacrifices of the temple did not save him, but Jesus Christ did. Nicodemus was born again that day and he knew it.
1. If you are born again this morning, if you are saved, you know it as well: And if there is any doubt in your mind then you most likely are not saved. You may be religious, you may be filled with good works, you may have good intentions, you may have been baptized, take communion, but you most likely are not saved if there is doubt in your mind.
a. If you hope your are saved but are not sure, you are not saved.
b. If you think you might be saved and are not sure, you are not saved.
2. If you are saved this morning you know you are saved: That is Bible. – Rom 8:15-16 – I believe verse 16. – Rom 8:16 – I know it is true because I know I am saved, I know I am born again.
3. If you are born again this morning you know it as well: You remember getting saved, when you were saved, where you were when you were saved, and the circumstance God used to bring you to Jesus Christ.
ILL. You cannot convince me that I am not saved today because I remember so very clearly the day I was born again. I remember the weight of sin, the fear of death, the sentence of hell that was hanging above me. I remember kneeling in the living room of my boyhood home and asking Jesus to forgive me of my sin, to come into my heart and save me. I remember the weight of sin lifted, the fear of death gone, the sentence of hell removed and a promise of a home in heaven. I remember it clearly and I am not over it yet.
4. If you are born again this morning you know it and if you are not sure there is a problem you need to take care of today:
C. And if you are born again there has been a change in your life: That is also Bible. 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. If you are saved there is a change in your life.
1. Lets use the illustration Jesus used: John 3:3-7 The new birth will bring a change.
a. One of our young ladies just had a baby girl, two others are expecting little ones soon.
(1) When did life begin for those little ones? At the moment of conception life began.
(2) Life did not begin at 15 weeks, not at 20 weeks, not when a heartbeat was heard, not when the baby moved, not when a sonogram was taken and you could tell if the baby was a girl or boy, life began at conception.
b. That little one has been alive from the moment of conception. – Ps 139:15-16 – Read again verse 16. – Ps 139:16
(1) From conception to birth that baby has had life and been alive.
(2) Anyone who tries to tell you different has been deceived by Satan and Satan’s lies.
c. But when that baby comes into this world, when that baby is born, life changes. There is a great change for that little one when they are born into this world.
(1) Every part of life changes for that baby.
(2) The baby has been alive all the time, but when they are born into this world life changes.
2. In the very same way there is to be a change when one is born again: John 3:7 That new birth brings changes. 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
3. Just as sure as life changes when a baby is born into this world life changes for a hell bound sinner who is born again and saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross: There has to be a change.
D. When there is no change it is an indication that something is missing and there has been no new birth: Your life changes, your attitude changes, your actions, your thoughts, your language, there is a change when salvation is real.
1. There is too much of easy evangelism and easy believism today: That is a false salvation that beings no changes to a life. I didn’t put this in the Bible, God did. 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2. When the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your heart there will be changes in your life: That doesn’t mean we will never struggle, never falter, never sin again. But it does mean we will not be able to remain in sin.
3. I have been born again, there must be a change: And that change does not come because we work it up, it is a work of God.
4. Religion will not change you, repeating a prayer like magic words will not save you, good works, good intentions will not save you: But Jesus will and there will be real changes when salvation is real.
-4-
5. What easy believism will do is take you to hell: And hell is just as real as heaven my friend.
a. Hell is a place where the pain is so great there is gnashing of teeth.
b. Hell is a place where pain never ends.
c. Hell is a place of fire, smoke and torment.
d. Hell is real. (Luke 16)
ILL. I had the task of preaching a funeral message last Wednesday for a true friend that has been very hard to see pass from this world. I had much rather he preach my funeral than me his and it was one of the hardest things I have had to do. But I did preach on being born again and at least one individual was saved during that service. But it was a face I was familiar seeing in the different times I have spoken up at Faith Baptist. Before the service the person she was sitting with took my are and said how glad they were that I was doing the service because they had heard me speak at graduation just a few weeks before and I preached salvation then as well. But on Wednesday they were born again.
E. I wonder today, have you met the requirement, are you a faithful steward in regards to salvation in Christ? Are you born again?
Conclusion
I. Notice the serious nature of stewardship: 1 Cor 4:3-5 We begin here because so many today seem to think it a very light thing to be called to give and account before God, to stand before the God of heaven in judgment. And that includes both lost and those who profess to know Jesus Christ as their savior. So many live as if it will be a light thing to stand before God in judgment.
II. What have we then, both saved and lost people, been given charge of, what are we stewards of? 1 Cor 4:1-2 Remember what the word steward points to, one who is subordinate to and one who is to be a servant of another. Joseph was subordinate to and was to serve Pharaoh. Daniel was subordinate to and was to serve Darius. The Pastor is subordinate to and is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
III. The first thing then one is called to give an account for is what have they done with Jesus Christ in relation to salvation:
John 3:1-7 When this man comes to Jesus he is not asked about his religion, how many times he brought sacrifices to the temple, how many students he had or any such thing.