“Stewards of the Mysteries of God”


BIBLE READING:1 Corinthians 3- 7

Ray Steadman was a famous preacher and author from California.  He passed away in 1992 and at his request on his tombstone in Grants Pass, Oregon, are engraved these words: "He was a faithful steward." As a noted author Ray had received many accolades during his lifetime, but he wanted to be remembered as simply a servant who faithfully dispensed God's glorious truth to God's people.  That seems to be the same sentiment of Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:1: "Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God".  A “steward” is defined as an “overseer” who has been given a responsibility to oversee the distribution of funds, or some other items.  As Paul uses it here specifically, it is being an “overseer” of the “mysteries of God”.  Although Paul was speaking of himself and Apollos as they had been inspired by God with the miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit, we can also infer this to apply to us today as Christians.  Let me explain, the purpose of that specific measure of the Holy Spirit was to aid in the spread of the Gospel message, but also in enlighten believers concerning the will of God.   When the entire will of God was revealed in what we have in the Word of God today, those gifts began to fade away because they had served their purpose (I Corinthians 13.9-12).  Today, since we have the complete will of God laid out in the written form of the Bible, all Christians now become stewards of those same mysteries.  Try to imagine it in the view of the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25.  In that parable, a manager was going out of town.  However, while he was away, he gave his employees a responsibility of being good stewards of the talents he had given to them.  They were to be good stewards of these talents while they were in their possession to ensure they were used appropriately.  In the parable, we have two of the stewards that were rewarded for their service in caring for their talents, and one who was punished for not.  In the case of us being “stewards of the Mysteries of God”, Jesus is the manager who has left this earth for a period of time and we are His servants.  The talent that He has left for us is the Word of God.  In time He will return as the manager in the parable did and we will be judged on what we have done with the Word that He has given to us. As Christians, we all have responsibility of sharing the message of God’s will to the world.  Have you been a faithful steward with the gift you have been given?  If not, as you are reading this, the Manager has yet to return…but make no mistake, He will soon!






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday - October 4, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study TUESDAY BIBLE READING:    Genesis 32:22-32 Do you want to be blessed? That sounds like a rhetorical question, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to be blessed? I guess it really depends on your definition of “blessed.” Many people desire blessings that will make them wealthy or, perhaps, material goods. However, being blessed is not limited to those physical things. In fact, sometimes we can be blessed in the most unusual ways. For instance, in Genesis 32:26, we find Jacob wrestling with what we often call an angel. Within the story, Jacob is overtaking the angel and holding him down; refusing to let go until the angel gives him a blessing. The angel obliges Jacob, but not in the way he might have imagined. The angel changed his name from “Jacob” to “Israel,” but he also did something else. He put Jacob’s hip joint out of socket, causing him much pain and difficulty walking. In part, his blessing had to do with him walking with a limp. How is tha...
Read more

“Examples”

BIBLE READING: Mark 13- Luke 1 DISCUSSION                                                                                   This past week we have read of some great examples in the bible.   We read in Mark 13 about us being ready and being prepared for when Jesus returns.   We need to all stay awake!   In Mark 14 we read of one action having such an impact.   How this woman gave her very best to Jesus because of her love for Him.   In Mark 15 we read of Pontius Pilate and his desire to keep his power.   He loved his power and did not want to give it up even if that meant sending an inno...
Read more

Monday

BIBLE READING : Job 3. 1-26 “I wish I had never been born,” Job said to his friends. “I wish that my birthday was just wiped off of the calendar as though it never happened.” Who could blame him? The loss that he had endured in mere moments had been catastrophic. Job had experienced a wonderful life until that day, when all he had known changed. I know that many people have endured tragic losses, but Job’s defeat seems unfathomable. Isn’t it ironic that, although Job’s comments brought him so much pain, they can bring us so much joy? My mother always taught me that, no matter how bad I may think things are, someone else always is suffering more than I am. Not only does that help us to feel that we are not alone in our depression, but it gives us that hope for what is to come. Job’s story helps us to learn to appreciate the blessings that we have today! Job was not in control of his circumstances, but he was in control of his reaction to those circumstances. When Job was hurtin...
Read more