“Required that stewards be found faithful”
By Joyce Webb 2021
Being faithful: –two parts to this.
One: Serving
Two: Becoming, Following
Part one: Serving
“Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
I Corinthians 4:2
A steward is a servant who has been given a responsibility to be in charge of something—to oversee that something gets done.
As Christians, Jesus gave each of us a responsibility to do something. Jesus’ last words were:
“Go ye and preach to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe (keep, do) all things, whatever I have commanded you. I will be with you always, even to the end of the world. Matthew 28:19,20
We are a “steward” of the gospel. The gospel is the “news” about Jesus’ life, death, and coming alive again from the dead, going back into heaven, and his promise to come again.
It is our responsibility to tell others these things.
It is our responsibility to do what we can to help others— tell the gospel.
Every person can do something to make this happen.
Some people are smarter than others. Some people are more clever and have great ideas of how to do things.
Some people have a lot of money. Some people have only a little money.
Some people are able to talk to other people easily. Some people are shy.
Some people are out among other people. Some people stay home mostly.
But every person can do something.
Speak to a neighbor, a person in your family.
Give a little money— if that is all you have.
Write a note or card to someone. Make a phone call.
If your church does something to raise money for missionaries, help out.
Invite people over for a meal, speak about Jesus and God.
Invite people to church. Offer to take them with you to church.
There are many things we can do.
Some people can go to other countries and preach and teach.
Everyone can pray for those who go. Prayer is very important.
Missionaries in other countries need a lot of prayer. There are governments that do not want the missionary to preach and they try to do things to stop them. They sometimes will not give them permits to speak in some places, or to open churches and schools.
Pray that God will change the hearts of the government people so they will give the permits.
In countries that worship other gods and idols, there are evil spirits that try to stop a missionary. The evil spirits try to make trouble for them.
Pray for protection for the missionary that the evil spirits can not stop them or hurt them.
Pray for the missionary to have the supplies and things he needs to do his work.
Pray for your pastor. Pray that he will preach the truth of the Bible and not to be afraid to speak out against sin and wrong doing.
Missionaries and preachers get tired, they get sick, Pray for their health and strength.
Pray that they will have wisdom to know how to talk to people, that they will know what decision and choice to make about things.
Pray for their families, for the children. Often children of missionaries have their own problems in other countries. Children of preachers have problems.
Everyone can do something that helps the gospel go out.
A steward is required to be faithful.
He should not give up. He should not ignore the things he is to do.
He should not become lazy and do less than he is able.
A steward is not required to be smart. A steward is not required to do great and amazing things.
A steward is not required to be well-known. A steward is not required to be popular.
A steward is not required to be something that he is not.
As you are—do what you can.
We are all made different. But we are all required to do what we can.
We are required to continue to do it— until the end.
As long as we live—we are required to be faithful.
As we grow older, we will do less, and we will have to do different things than when we were young and healthy. But, there are things we still can do.
Everyone can pray.
When you stand before God some day—He will look for one thing—were you faithful —to do what you could ?
Part Two: Becoming, Following
Being faithful also means that we learn to follow and do the things the Bible teaches.
Being a Christian is more that saying a prayer for Jesus to forgive you of your sins.
Being a Christian means that you plan to make Jesus the “boss” of your life. You make Jesus the “lord” of your life.
Being a Christian means that your life is not just you making all the decisions —-to do whatever you want, and to live however you want.
Being a Christian means that you have given your life to Jesus —-and from now on you will obey what is taught in the Bible —-and you will ask Jesus to guide you in your life—in all decisions about what you do with your life.
Being a Christian means you open your mind and spirit up to listen to the Holy Spirit —- so He can lead you and teach you.
Being a Christian means you read the Bible and study it—to know what God wants you to do. To know how God has worked in other people’s lives through history.
Being a Christian means you live and think and speak in a way that pleases God.
Being a Christian means that you become a “disciple”.
The word “disciple” comes from the word “discipline”—learning order and control.
A person playing sports has to “discipline” himself. He has to learn to control his body and movements. He has to practice for many hours. He has to do this faithfully—even when he does not feel like it.
He “disciplines” his body, and mind—so he can do the sports movement very well.
A Christian does the same. He learns to control his thoughts, his speaking, what he does—so that he shows the glory of God in his life.
He becomes more like Jesus. It is a growing —becoming thing.
It takes “discipline”—sometimes we do things—or do not do things—because we are trying to do what the Bible teaches us that we should do.
As humans, we have a sinful, selfish nature. Naturally, we want to do what we want. We want our own way. We do not want someone telling us what to do.
As a Christian, our spirit becomes more important than our body.
We understand that our spirit will live forever. We want to live in heaven forever.
We want to do what the God of Heaven wants us to do.
We have willingly put ourselves under his authority and made God our “boss”—our “master”—-our “lord”.
We have given up our right to do our own way. We have said we will do what God wants.
It takes time for us to learn what God wants. It takes time for us to learn how to bring our self under control so we obey what God wants.
All the time, the Holy Spirit walks with us to teach us, to help us,—if we let him. If we listen to him.
Being faithful—also means—becoming more like Jesus. Growing and learning to walk in God’s ways.
Everyone can do this. You do not have to be smart. You do not have to be rich. You do not have to have special ability or talents.
You just have to be willing to learn and obey.
What you become in the likeness of Jesus—will go with you to heaven. What you become is with you forever.
We call this inner growing and being—”character”. The “character” you develop is yours forever.
Also, what you do to help other know about Jesus—is also, something that will bring a reward in heaven and will last forever.
At the end of your life, you want other people to say about you–”He/She was faithful“.
When you stand before God, you want Him to say—”You have been faithful”.
Here are the words to a song by Steve Green
MAY ALL WHO COME BEHIND US FIND US FAITHFUL
Verse 3
After all our hopes and dreams
have come and gone,
and our children sift thru all
we’ve left behind,
may the clues that they discover,
and the memories they uncover,
become the light that leads them,
to the road we each must find.
Chorus:
O may all who come behind us find us faithful,
may the fire of our devotion light their way.
may the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe,
and the lives we live inspire them to obey.
O may all who come behind us find us faithful.