Stewarding the Gift

Introduction

I want to thank Brother Okanya for inviting me to speak at your conference. It is my hope that you will be blessed by everything the Lord has laid on my heart to share with you these three days.

As I prayed and asked the Lord what he would want me to share with you, I wanted to focus on some pastoral leadership principles. Throughout the next three days, I will be talking about subjects that have to do with the subjects brought up in 1 Peter 4:10-11, the theme verses for this conference.

So you know little bit about me, I live in the United States, in Central Pennsylvania on the east side of the States. I went to the middle of the United States, Missouri, to receive my degrees, and for preparation for the ministry of the gospel and to serve the church.

After receiving two Bachelor of Arts degrees in the four years I was at Bible College, one in Pastoral Ministry and the other in Biblical Languages, I went to the seminary from my denomination and received a Masters of Divinity, a three-year degree, in two years.

I then pastored on the eastern side of my state for 4 1/2 years before I was suddenly struck with paralysis from the neck down. Despite these setbacks, I continue to preach the gospel and teach others about Christ. My life's goal is to imprint the character of Christ on fellow believers and to lead them into greater understanding of God's Word.

I now live with my parents to take care of me, along with professional nursing staff, in the place where I grew up. I preach and teach anywhere I am invited to speak. I also maintain a blog where I post questions and answers about God, the Bible, and Christianity. I also have written several books and have several more I'm thinking about writing. I use whatever means I have to spread the gospel and teach others about Christ.

I would like to share in my first talk with you the importance of stewarding our gift of pastoring and the other gifts God has given us to serve the church and glorify him. I will be using the same text to discuss these issues.

1 Peter 4:1–2 ESV

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

Pastoring with Purpose (1 Peter 4:2)

First Peter 4:1-2 talk about the choice that every Christian has to live like Jesus. He suffered in the flesh against sin instead of giving into temptation.

We are expected to do the same. There are temptations all around us. But we arm ourselves with the same way of thinking that Jesus had as he remained sinless.

Just because we’re pastors, we are not exempt. We have the same temptations as the rest of our flock. But we must stand our ground against sin and rotation. We are examples to our congregations.

We must choose against sinful desires and rather desire deeper relationship with God. We must live to serve his will instead of our own. I will should be conformed to the same will God.

As those who lead, we have a higher purpose. God calls us not only to preach and teach his Word but also to show others how to live for him. Every action and word we say is under scrutiny because of the high calling Jesus has placed on our lives.

As pastors and teachers, we are examples of how to live for God and resist sinful desires and temptation. Those in our churches are looking to us to show them how to live the victorious life for Christ.

We are also examples of obedience to God. They learn from us. They watch us because watching actions is better than just listen to words. They have great expectations for us because of the message we preach to them.

Application:

1 Peter 4:4–6 ESV

With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

A Leading Lifestyle (1 Peter 4:4)

Pastors lead their congregations in demonstrating this new lifestyle to the world. For better or worse, everyone in your church looks to you. If you think the world is watching every move you make, so is everyone in your church.

When we succeed in not joining the world in its sinful practices, they make fun of us. They press peer pressure upon peer pressure. But we must not give in.

Aside from guarding our own souls and spirits and keeping ourselves pure, we must give an account to God for what we have done (1 Peter 4:5).

No longer are we on the path alone, but we guide others. It is not only our words that teach, but also our actions. Everything we do and say teaches our congregation.

We are held to the highest of standards because we teach others and relieve them. So we must be above reproach, impeccable and how we follow the Lord ourselves.

Application:

Gifts for God’s Glory (1 Peter 4:7-11)

Facing a world of evil

Every one of us is given at least one gift by the Spirit to serve the church. As pastors, we are already demonstrating one of our gifts, as I will show in the next point.

Peter reminds us that we live in the end times. He has already set the stage for the kind of culture the world brings. We live in the world but we work here. Our home is in heaven.

Because we live in these end times, we must be prepared for every kind of attack of the enemy. As his time grows short and he knows he will lose, he presses even harder against us and the people in our congregation.

Peter counsels us as Christians, and even more so for pastors who lead and guide the church, to be self-controlled and sober-minded.

Self-control – since we lead our congregations in teaching and practice, we must show them self-control against the desires of our flesh and what the world wants us to do. Self-control here speaks of being well-balanced and alert for attacks of the enemy. It’s a frame of mind it is prepared in the end times.

Sober-minded – this is practicing sound judgment and prudence, having a sound mind. It’s being reasonable in an age of complete chaos.

We must demonstrate these two qualities in this day and age. Self-control keeps us from the sin that separates us from God and keeps our prayers from being answered. Sober-mindedness gives a levelheaded approach to everything.

Great counsel for the end times

Peter gives all of us ministers of the gospel some really great counsel here. He talks about love as paramount, the most important thing that we do (1 Peter 4:8).

When he said that love covers over a multitude of sins, all I can think about is the counseling sessions with members of my congregation, the disappointments in some of their character and attitudes over the years. But love conquers all of those things.

We must always be hospitable to one another (1 Peter 4:9). Grambling only serves to divide and give us the wrong attitude, not the attitude of Christ.

There are some really important and useful points Peter makes about our gifting (1 Peter 4:10.

Everyone has a gift. As pastors, it is our job to teach, nourish, and resource the gifts of those in our churches.

Our gifts (including pastoring, teaching, etc.) are not for us. They were used to serve others. Being a good steward means using our gifts to serve others. We must be the ones to manage these gifts. More on that below.

All glory belongs to God for our service in our gifting. We don’t focus on the gifts themselves but on the service we give to others. And God is glorified when we serve others (1 Peter 4:11).

We serve God’s kingdom as pastors. We bring our very best not so that we look good but so that he looks good. None of us became ministers of the gospel for our own benefit. The suffering we do is done for the sake of Christ and his kingdom.

Application:

Ephesians 4:11–16 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Pastoring and Teaching (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Guarding Your Family

Guarding Your Time

Guarding Your Study