Being Found Faithful
Notes
Transcript
Intro: Happy Mother’s Day! For those who are mothers, we are grateful. For the rest of us, we are so glad good mothers exist.
Today’s message is the next passage in our series, but it can be seen to be a challenge to mothers (though mothers are not specifically addressed or named), and this passage should be a a challenge for all of us. In the big picture it is a passage about your pastors. However by extension, it needs to be applied be each person with a spiritual gift.
Theme: “It is required of a steward to be found faithful.”
Theme: “It is required of a steward to be found faithful.”
Identifying as a servant
Identifying as a servant
1 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Not a doulos = bondslave
The Complete Word Study Dictionary( ὑπηρέτης hupērétēs)
Compound word from hupó, under, beneath and erétēs, a rower of a boat or ship. Defined as: subordinate, servant, attendant, assistant
While Corinth did have a sea port, and therefore many people would known what an “under-rower” aboard a vestal was, this word was used in a wide variety of context that had nothing to do with boats.
Think about it - if one person on a boat is rowing contrary to the head rower, what happens to the speed and direction of the ship? It gets all messed up! The boat goes crooked, sails slower, and frustration fills the hearts and minds of all those rowing correctly.
The servant mentioned here, is a person who understands their rank, can do their job properly. This person can identify to whom they are subordinate.
23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
Jesus made it clear that He was doing His part as He lived under the Father’s direction and guidance. Jn 5,7,8,12,14
It is important to know who you are designed to assist! Paul says we are a church to assist Christ.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Sculling in the Olympics is fascinating to watch. Everyone has to do their part in perfect timing with the others on their team. What do you think would happen if rowers in one boat listened to the leader in a different boat? Chaos!
We don’t win at this if we are listening to different “Masters”.
Identifying as a Steward
Identifying as a Steward
1 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
In the Old Testament, we see a great example of stewardship in the person Joseph found in Gen 39. He was in charge of everything but the master’s wife.
administrators
The First Epistle to the Corinthians The Posthistory, Reception, and Influence of Chapter 3, Especially 3:5–17
This office normally included responsibility for overseeing a household budget, purchasing, accounts, resource allocation, collection of debts, and general running of the establishment, but only as instructed within guidelines agreed by the employer or the head of the house
A steward understands that they are not the owner or top boss. While they may or may not have people under their authority. It is their job to make sure things happen and know the value of what is in the household.
Matthew 13:52 (NKJV)
“Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder (steward) who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”
Stewards are highly valued individuals. Many times they have wisdom that the boss does not have and abilities that propelled the assets of the household far beyond what they could do without a steward.
Jesus twice spoke of stewards in His stories. Luke 12:42–48; Luke 16.1-13
We read on of those passages this morning.
10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Identifed as Faithful
Identifed as Faithful
2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
The First Epistle to the Corinthians The Posthistory, Reception, and Influence of Chapter 3, Especially 3:5–17
The word πιστός includes these double nuances of faithful and trustworthy
Lexham Theological Wordbook
πιστός = the quality that elicits belief or trust
A πιστός person is someone who is “doing the job as instructed”. The pharmacist received the script from the doctor. It is in their power to do it right, or fill that script in any number of wrong ways. The fact is, the doctor gave a specific script expecting to have that script do something specific in, for, or to your body. If the pharmacist is trustworthy, you would hope to get the results the doctor is looking to achieve, if the pharmacist is not faithful to the task given them; if they are not trustworthy with what they put in your pills, you could have dramatically different effects and even die!
Over recent weeks, Pastor Fil has preached on how the church wanted preachers that were good at rhetoric, or could debate at the level of the unsaved philosophers of the area. They had experienced Paul, who probably was more of an evangelist and stayed with the basics in most of his church planting ministries. They had been lead by Apollos who history records was more of a deep teacher, and able to draw out theological truths that most would have read right past. Some of the people may have even heard Peter preach, and they loved the personal stories he may have given about walking and talking with Christ as those “light bulb” moments hit over and over again.
The fact is, every preacher is different, just like every church member’s gifting is different. We all have to be faithful with what we have been given.
Just like a teller at the bank - trustworthy faithfulness is important to be a person who fulfils their role. If you have been given children as a mum - be faithful and trustworthy with that, if you have another role in the body of Christ - be faithful and trustworthy with that!
Conclusion: It is required of a steward to be found faithful.
Conclusion: It is required of a steward to be found faithful.
How you identify does matter. In a world where people are saying you can identify however you want, Christians must take a stand. We will identify ourselves as people who help, people who serve other’s needs, people who can be trusted to make the right things happen, and people who can faithfully be counted on to do the right thing.
Would people discribe the way you serve others as being in perfect timing with the Master?
Stewards own nothing. Do people see us as handling the things of God, and His gifts to us in a trustworthy manner?
Are we identified as faithful?
Possible readings: Luke 12:42–48; Luke 16.1-13