Sermon snippet – Am I a Faithful Steward? Part IV
INTRODUCTION – We began our study of the subject of stewardship by briefly considering I Corinthians 4:1-2. We return to this passage today. We are not called to be famous or great; we are called to “be found faithful.” It is always a good practice to analyze the immediate context of a passage to gain further insights. By looking just before and just after these verses, we learn two valuable lessons about stewardship.
- A FAITHFUL STEWARD AVOIDS DIVISIVE BEHAVIOR
I Corinthians 3:21-23 references a serious problem in the church at Corinth: factions had developed surrounding the powerful personalities of Paul, Apollos (a gifted speaker), and Peter (see I Corinthians 1:12-13). These men did not want division in their names, but the troubled Corinthian church members were struggling to grow spiritually. Do we really want to line up with “men” (verse 21) rather than “Christ” (verse 23)? In the last months, we have observed feckless and reckless stewardship at the national level. We should not be surprised, for two out of the three branches of federal government are controlled by postmodernists, who actively employ identity politics to divide the country into fighting factions. It is sad to see, and the results are destructive and even deadly. Even sadder, though, is infighting within the church. First, it diminishes our Savior; “ye are Christ’s” (verse 23), and it is His goal that each Christian is “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Second, it is a poor testimony to the unsaved: why flee from a fighting world into a fighting church? Third, it hurts all of us spiritually, thus sapping the strength of the church. We cannot control what happens in our country, but we can control what happens in our country church, for all of us together are stewards of it.
- A FAITHFUL STEWARD IS FORWARD THINKING
I Corinthians 4:3-5 focuses us on the fact that Jesus is coming again. Preparing for the future is Biblical. Proverbs 6:6-15 is one such passage (beginning in the King James Version with the evocative, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard”). The same principle of wise preparation is built into Galatians 6:7-10. As an old Gospel song says, “You’re going to reap just what you sow.” The return of Jesus must factor into our view of the future. First, we know that we have limited time here on earth; “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Second, we can desire the “praise of God”; in fact, we must want the praise of God rather than the praise of men (see the negative example of “the chief rulers” in John 12:42-43). Faithful stewardship shifts our thoughts forward so that we can make good, wise decisions each day …
CONCLUSION: … for I Corinthians 3:10-15 confirms that what we do now has eternal implications. Poor stewardship does not lead to the loss of salvation; verse 16 clarifies that we are indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, Who will not abandon “the temple of God.” However, good stewardship is pleasing to our God and will be remembered and rewarded by Him. We need no further motivation to serve our Savior.