Who is Steward? - Sermon Series - Sermon Five: Spiritual
Things
by Chris Cumming
In part one of this five-part sermon series, I opened with the parable of the
Unjust Steward. The key verse I quoted was Luke 16 and verse two:
Luke 16:2
And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give
an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
The lord here is asking for an accounting… “Give an account.” Give a statement
of your expenses and of your conduct while you have been steward.
The purpose of Part One was threefold:
1. Define what a steward is.
2. To encourage you to give an account before your Lord.
3. To instruct you in being a good steward.
In Parts 2-5 we are going to continue in our instructions in being a good
steward. We will, in turn, discuss Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual
stewardship. Today is Part 5 of the series and discusses our Spiritual
Stewardship.
Let us begin with a few more scriptures on general stewardship.
2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may
receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it
be good or bad.
1 Peter 4:5
Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
This verse is confirmed and clarified in 2 Timothy 4:1
2 Timothy 4:1
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge
the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Spiritual Stewardship
There are many subject areas we could discuss under the heading of Spiritual
Stewardship. We will address three:
1. Hope 2. Obedience 3. The return of Christ
1. Hope
There is a quote I found that reads:
“When you have lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is
lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope.” For hope to be there
when we need it, we must invoke it and then be good stewards of it. You are
instructed in the stewardship by understand what hope is and what God says about
it.
We know from Galatians 5:22-23 that Hope is a Godly Principle or what the Bible
calls a "fruit of the Spirit" or something that is produced in us by the power
of the Holy Spirit when we invoke it or call the principle into action.
How long does Hope last?
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is
charity.
The word "abideth" here means "permanency" as in speaking in tongues and
prophecy are not permanent elements but
hope is forever. Our hopes are a set of dreams; the kind we have in the
physical and those we have in the spiritual. We must be steward of these dreams
and work them into the other elements of the Salvation Process
Are we to rejoice in hope?
Romans 12:12-13
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
How does Hope work when we are caught up in life's tribulations?
Romans 5:2-5
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation
worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Does God have Hope for us?
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of
peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
The Barnes Notes commentary says: "Rather, a future and a hope. The nation shall
not come to an end; the exile shall be followed by a restoration." We know that
this world will not be utterly destroyed but there will be a Kingdom. This is
why I encourage in all of us to have a 10,000-year Kingdom perspective. This
perspective of being in the Kingdom and looking back is an element of hope.
As the verse states, God has an expected end for us.
Does hope bring gladness?
Proverbs 10:28
The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked
shall perish.
Notice that spiritual hope is something invoked by righteous.
Does our stewardship of hope involve believing?
Mark 9:23
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that
believeth.
When should we be invoking hope?
Psalm 71:14
But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
Is the Lord our hope?
Jeremiah 17:7
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
Is our hope to include knowing there is an end to all this current world
followed by eternal life?
Proverbs 23:18
For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Commentaries show the meaning here is hope of another life, "and thy
expectation" of the enjoyment of a blessed immortality.
Is part of our Hope to have hope in the mercy of God? If so, what does God
do?
Psalm 33:18
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in
his mercy;
Now I want to take a brief look at where the scripture identifies the troubles
we get into and how hope is the answer.
Verses for Hopelessness:
Is your hope that God will deliver you from afflictions?
Psalm 34:17-20
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their
troubles.
18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be
of a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of
them all.
20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Should we hope for peace?
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus.
Do you have hope in Godly strength?
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
What are we to do when afflicted, according to the book of James?
James 5:13
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Clearly waiting upon God is part of our hope. What happens when we wait?
Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up
with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and
not faint.
"Waiting" here means waiting with a sense of expecting or putting our hope or
confidence in Him. ~Barnes Notes
Is our Hope to include knowing not only the promises of God but that they
will come to me?
John 6:37
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out.
Is part of your hope to be cleansed from all unrighteousness?
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Who here has ever felt cast down? Who here has not felt disquited [worried,
uneasy, full of anxiety, distress] inside? Then where should our Hope
be?
Psalm 43:5
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope
in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my
God.
Ultimately, where does Hope come from?
Matthew 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but
by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Let us look at some closing quotes on Hope:
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."
"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest."
“Hold fast to dreams. For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird, That
cannot fly.”
“This is where it all begins. Everything starts here, today.”
“What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise”
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”
“In all things it is better to hope than to despair”
“Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.”
2. Obedience
When we talk about our Godly Calling and our obedience to God, we have to talk
about total commitment and the fact that God now owns us totally. I found a
famous quote that demonstrates this:
"He has right to interrupt your life. He is Lord. When you accepted Him as Lord,
you gave Him, the right to help Himself to your life anytime He wants."
Talk about stewardship. We have to be spiritual stewards of our entire life in
commitment to Him. Every situation, every action and every thought comes into
management.
Complete this sentence [God speaking], "If you love me _____ _____ _____.
John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Did Moses obey God?
2 Kings 18:6
For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his
commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
What way did David choose? How did he obey God?
Psalm 119:30
I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
In Godly Calling you are a new person fashioning yourselves after Christ. In
this building of new character, what are we to avoid?
1 Peter 1:14
As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in
your ignorance:
David thought on his ways. Then, according to Psalm 119, what did he do?
Was any urgency involved?
Psalm 119:59-60
59 I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.
60 I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
Still in Psalm 119, how long did David plan to obey God?
Psalm 119:112
I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.
Is obeying God a hard thing to do?
1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments
are not grievous.
In obeying God, what is our attitude to be?
Psalm 112:1
Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth
greatly in his commandments.
Ezra obeyed God. How did he do it?
Ezra 7:10
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and
to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
As firstfruits, we naturally have enemies, whether talking about the evils in
the world or adversaries in human and spiritual form. What will God do in this
regard if we obey Him?
Exodus 23:22
But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be
an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.
How can we dwell in God and how can He dwell in us?
1 John 3:24
And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby
we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
Is our obeying God something that He ordained for us?
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Let us finish this segment with some quotes on obedience:
“Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.” ~Thomas Jefferson
“The purpose of problems is to push you toward obedience to God's laws,
which are exact and cannot be changed. We have the free will to obey them or
disobey them. Obedience will bring harmony, disobedience will bring you more
problems.”
"The true follower of Christ will not ask, 'If I embrace this truth, what will
it cost me?' Rather he will say, 'This is truth. God help me to walk in it, let
come what may!' "
"It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how
hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it."
"So many times we say that we can't serve God because we aren't whatever is
needed. We're not talented enough or smart enough or whatever. But if you are in
covenant with Jesus Christ, He is responsible for covering your weaknesses, for
being your strength. He will give you His abilities for your disabilities!"
"If Christ does not reign over the mundane events in our lives, He does not
reign at all."
3. The return of Christ
This might, at first, seem an unlikely choice or element for stewardship.
However, this foremost utterance of prophecy is often confused and demands our
stewardship of the facts.
When did Christ say He is coming back?
Revelation 22:12
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man
according as his work shall be.
Notice the commentary on the phrase, "behold, I come quickly."
And behold, I come quickly - See the notes on Revelation 1:1and 1:3. These are
undoubtedly the words of the Redeemer; and the meaning is, that the period when
the unchanging sentence would be passed on each individual - on the unjust, the
filthy, the righteous, and the holy - would not be remote. The design of this
seems to be to impress on the mind the solemnity of the truth that the condition
hereafter will soon be fixed, and to lead people to prepare for it. In reference
to each individual, the period is near when it is to be determined whether he
will be holy or sinful to all eternity. What thought could there be more adapted
to impress on the mind the importance of giving immediate attention to the
concerns of the soul? ~Barnes Notes
Quoted verses:
Revelation 1:1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his
servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by
his angel unto his servant John:
Revelation 1:3
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and
keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Notice the commentary for the phrase, "for the time is at hand."
For the time is at hand - See Revelation 1:1. The word used here - engus - has
the same signification substantially as the word “shortly” in Revelation 1:1. It
would apply to any event whose beginning was soon to occur, though the end might
be remote, for the series of events might stretch far into the future. It cannot
be doubted, however, that the writer meant to press upon them the importance of
attending to these things, from the fact that either entirely or in part these
things were soon to happen. It may be inferred from this verse, that it is
possible so to “understand” this book, as that it may convey useful instruction.
This is the only book in the Bible of which a special blessing is pronounced on
him who reads it; but assuredly a blessing would not be pronounced on the
perusal of a book which is entirely unintelligible. While, therefore, there may
be many obscurities in this book, it is also to be assumed that it may be so far
understood as to be useful to Christians, in supporting their faith, and giving
them elevated views of the final triumph of religion, and of the glory of the
world to come. Anything is a blessing which enables us with well-founded hope
and joy to look forward to the heavenly world. ~Barnes Notes
Let us look at more facts for your stewardship:
How is the day of the return coming?
1 Thessalonians 5:2
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in
the night.
Notice the commentary on the phrase, "As a thief in the night"
As a thief in the night - Suddenly and unexpectedly, as a robber breaks into a
dwelling. A thief comes without giving any warning, or any indications of his
approach. He not only gives none, but he is careful that none shall be given. It
is a point with him that, if possible, the man whose house he is about to rob
shall have no means of ascertaining his approach until he comes suddenly upon
him; compare Matthew 24:37-43 notes; Luke 12:39-40 notes. In this way the Lord
Jesus will return to judgment; and this proves that all the attempts to
determine the day, the year, or the century when he will come, must be
fallacious. He intends that his coming to this world shall be sudden and
unexpected, “like that of a thief in the night;” that there shall be no such
indications of his approach that it shall not be sudden and unexpected; and that
no warning of it shall be given so that people may know the time of his
appearing. ~ Barnes Notes
Quoted verses:
Matthew 24:37-43
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the
other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the
thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house
to be broken up.
Notice the commentary on the word, "Watch" in verse 42
Watch - Be looking for his coming. Be expecting it as near; as a great event; as
coming in an unexpected manner. Watch the signs of his coming, and be ready.
~Barnes Notes
Luke 12:39-40
39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief
would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken
through.
40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye
think not.
The John Gill commentary on "be ready" says:
Be ye therefore ready - Not habitually, but actually, in the exercise of grace,
and the discharge of duty, with loins girt, and lights burning. ~John Gill
What is all this talking about here? Urgency. This all-important element of
prophecy and an all-important factor in stewardship is saying that in all
stewardship we are to invoke fervency, diligence, zeal and perseverance. Jesus
is constantly teaching us stewardship in the physical, mental, emotional and
spiritual. We are discussing just three elements in each of these
classifications but this is the one that ties them all together. Jesus
purposely withheld the day of His return so that we would all conduct our
stewardship with all urgency.
So with all urgency, get to your stewardship of all these things. Remember Luke
16:2 and the fact that Jesus is calling us now to give an account.
Who is Steward? You are.
back to top back
to main sermon page