STEWARDSHIP

STEWARDSHIP

1 Corinthians 4: 1-4; Genesis 24:10, Genesis 24:53-56; Luke 16: 1, 2

What I have to say, dear brethren, has in view encouraging each of us to accept the position of stewardship. This means that something is committed to us in trust, which is not our own, though we administer it for the time being. How deeply the apostle Paul was concerned about this matter, as to Timothy, saying to him, “O Timotheus, keep the entrusted deposit”, 1 Timothy 6: 20. He recognised that a deposit had been placed in the trust of Timothy and he appealed with deep affection and feeling that that deposit should be safeguarded by Timothy so that it should be kept.

While one would not exactly speak of our Lord as a “steward” yet the principle of stewardship is clearly seen in Him. I know that in one sense things belong to Christ, for instance the assembly is His assembly, it is His property; but, nevertheless, in many ways our Lord accepted in grace this position of trust. This is clear in the way He viewed His precious body. While He does speak of it as “This is my body”; yet how perfectly He held that precious vessel in trust for God. Indeed He came into it in order that in it He might effect the will of God, as it is said “Lo, I come to do thy will, O God”, Hebrews 10: 9. “Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me”, Hebrews 10: 5. The Lord ever held that body for the service for which it was prepared. Then the Lord held His time as a trust. One loves to think of Him at twelve years old with such an attitude, “did ye not know that I ought to be occupied in my Father’s business?” Luke 2: 49. At twelve years of age He accepted the obligation to use His time for the service of God, “my Father’s business”; and that extended to every single day. How it humbles us! There was not one day of the life of Jesus here that was not held in trust for God. So that He says “He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the instructed”, Isaiah 50: 4. The Lord had His ear opened every morning for instructions for the day, His time was held for God as a deposit entrusted.

I thought first of all we might look at this great matter as expressed in Paul. He desired that the Corinthians should think of him as a steward of the mysteries of God. He did not assume that those mysteries were his own property, but that they had been entrusted to him as a steward. Then he adds, “it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful”, 1 Corinthians 4: 2. The great feature necessary in stewardship is faithfulness, because we are handling what is not our own. It is a much more serious matter to be unfaithful in what is not ours than to be careless with what is ours. I think all will see that to be true. The apostle Paul says, “it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful”. What a vista we have thus of the life of Paul, a man to whom God entrusted His mysteries. You will notice these are in the plural. Paul filled in his days carrying the mysteries of God as a steward. What treasures he had in his care. He sought according to the grace of the Lord to him, to be faithful in his stewardship, he would not act in any way inconsistent or unfaithful in what had been entrusted to him.

Let us consider briefly some of these mysteries that Paul held as a steward. First of all, there is what is confessedly great; every Christian acknowledges the greatness and the mystery of piety. “God has been manifested in flesh, has been justified in the Spirit, has appeared to angels, has been preached among the nations, has been believed on in the world, has been received up in glory”, 1 Timothy 3: 16. This is a great mystery; and Paul carried it in integrity desiring to be faithful to it. He was blessed in his faithfulness. He would never lose sight of the meaning of this mystery. He had been initiated into the greatest mystery in the universe; that God has been manifest in flesh, justified, not by this world by men, but in the Spirit; the Spirit of God coming on Him without measure is His justification. All the angelic hosts were observant of Him, and, not to touch all the detail, He has been received up in glory. The magnificent reception of Christ in heaven was known to Paul’s heart as part of the mystery of piety. All this would be a governing influence over his life. This mystery was a treasured deposit in his soul and he would keep it, be true to it, and allow nothing in his life inconsistent with it.

There is another mystery of which he was a steward. He says, “This mystery is great, but I speak as to Christ, and as to the assembly”, Ephesians 5: 32. In the light of the relationship, the union that exists between Christ and the assembly in the figure of a husband and wife, he says, “Husbands, love your own wives”, Ephesians 5: 25, “This mystery is great, but I speak as to Christ, and as to the assembly”. He faithfully carried that mystery and administered it, having ever before him what Christ is to the assembly, and what the assembly is to Christ.

He was entrusted with another mystery, not known before from the foundation of the world, as stated in Colossians: “Christ in you” — Christ in the Gentiles — a magnificent thing, but a mystery, “Christ in you the hope of glory”, Colossians 1: 27. He served amongst the Gentiles as a faithful steward of this mystery.

He guarded also the mystery of the hidden wisdom, “But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, that hidden wisdom which God had pre-determined before the ages for our glory: which none of the princes of this age knew (for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory)”, 1 Corinthians 2: 7, 8. Paul was a steward of the hidden wisdom, the wisdom of God in a mystery, how God has resources to deal with every situation that ever could arise, and how He does it through the cross; hidden from the eyes of men is this wisdom. It is the wisdom of God in a mystery, but known to Paul, and he is steward of it, and faithful in the preaching of it.

Lastly I refer to another: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”, 1 Corinthians 15: 51, 52. Paul was steward of the mystery of the resurrection, the power of God to raise the saints who have died and to change the living. That mystery also governed his life and service.

What a man Paul was, carrying all these wonderful mysteries and faithfully administering them as a steward, seeking to be in accord with them in his life, his spirit, his outlook, and service. We can understand in the light of this what is meant by: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ”, 1 Corinthians 11: 1. How much there is in Paul to follow, and one feature is this matter of faithful stewardship to the divine mysteries that God has initiated us into in His grace.

I thought to say a word about the first steward that is formally mentioned in Scripture, if he be the one. It is not clear that Eliezer and this servant of Abraham’s are identical, but it would seem so. Abraham says that Eliezer of Damascus was the steward of his house. I think his name is wonderfully suggestive; it means “God my helper”. To be stewards we need the help of God. Every day we need to be in accord with this name if we would be stewards. What is clear as to this great steward is that all the goods of his master were under his hand. Abraham was able to leave everything he had in his house to this servant. We find the servant takes ten camels of his master. Note, they are not his camels, he never thought of them as his camels. He took ten camels of his master. He also took golden earrings, golden bracelets and ornaments of silver and gold; he took clothing and other precious things, all the property of his master. What a man he is! Abraham had no uncertainty as to him that he would abuse his trust. Indeed he takes an oath from him — another trust. Then the steward departs, far from the eyes of his master, and what will he do? What tests us is when the eyes of our master are not on us. What are we doing, then, with our trust? What is this servant doing? It is marvellous what God had in men in those days, he will care for the camels, he is concerned that they should have drink and provender because they are his master’s. He has the jewels of silver and gold, but none ever saw them on him; nor did he melt them down. They are his master’s, they are for the bride of Isaac, she is to have them according to the will of his master, they are safe until they are needed. He puts them on Rebecca and also gives precious things to Laban and her mother. It does not say what they were. He had clothing in his trust, too, but he would never be seen in such garments, for he is a steward. He brings them out for the one that Abraham intended to have them. Later they say to him, Well, tarry ten days at least, but he says, “Hinder me not” — my time is not my own, I am a steward, my time is my master’s, I have to give an account of my stewardship. When he met Isaac he told him everything he had done. How greatly we need to take character from this dear man, so that what has been committed to us is held in integrity, not for our own aggrandisement, not that we should wear ornaments and garments so that we might be conspicuous. That is not a steward’s part; the ornaments and garments represent God’s precious thoughts for His assembly, the assembly of Christ. She is to be clothed and adorned according to His thoughts. I thought we have an example in Eliezer, as it may be, of a true steward as well as one in Paul.

I would refer to another steward. Obadiah, the steward of Ahab. What a difficult position he was in, trusted with service and responsibility by Ahab. What help would be needed to be faithful in such an atmosphere and in such surroundings. Ahab was the wickedest king Israel had and behind him was Jezebel urging him on.

To be a steward in such an atmosphere needs the help of God. How those serving in the forces need the help of God to be faithful to what is entrusted to them however dreadful may be the influences around them. That Obadiah was preserved is clear, for we find him available for the support of the prophetic word. He hides and feeds two companies of prophets by fifties in a cave. He is available in such conditions for the maintenance of the prophetic word. We pray that this might be true of those who are moving in such dreadful atmospheres, that as maintaining integrity and faithfulness to those they serve, and thus indeed to God, they may be able to provide for the continuance of the prophetic word in these days.

I would say a few words as to what is entrusted to us, having in mind the Lord’s word in Luke 16 as to a certain steward who was accused of wasting his master’s goods, because of which he was dismissed from the stewardship. What has our Master put into our hands? One thing we all are entrusted with at this moment, our bodies. You say, they are our own. No, not now. The Christian’s body belongs to God and to the Lord. It has been bought, so that the apostle says, “The body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body”, 1 Corinthians 6: 13, so that from this angle the believer’s body is a trust. The Lord is looking to us to be faithful, as to this trust, “it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful”. Our bodies are part of the deposit entrusted. The Lord would help us to keep this in mind, for with the increasing tide of corruption and immorality, days such as marked Sodom are approaching. Let us not deceive ourselves. This world is fast becoming a Sodom. You will pardon me if I speak plainly as to this fact, but the threat is more serious than many conceive. Let us be as Eliezer and seek to be faithful to the trust, holding our bodies not for fornication or lasciviousness, but for the Lord on trust. The sisters would be helped by remembering this, so that they do not disfigure their bodies by conforming to those modern customs that are so dishonouring to God as Creator. The apostle says, “Do ye not know that your body is temple of the Holy Spirit?”, 1 Corinthians 6: 19. Our bodies are the Lord’s, allowed to us to retain for a little on trust, and in addition they are shrines of the Holy Spirit. I believe if we were to keep this before us more, it would help us to be more faithful in the use of our bodies.

I refer now to the mind of the believer, as also part of what is to be held on trust. In the seventh of Revelation an angel appears with “the seal of the living God”, to impress that seal on the foreheads of His bondmen. The winds that are about to blow are held till this is done. I trust the Lord will help us to see what this means. The thought of a seal is the mark of ownership. The Holy Spirit is given to the believer as the seal of divine ownership. The living God has His seal and He would have that seal placed on the foreheads of His own. The locusts that come out of the smoke of the pit only torment those “who have not the seal of God on their foreheads”, Revelation 9: 3, 4. Are we prepared to entertain that our minds are the property of God? The man of the world will have no such thing; he will think what he likes. Liberty for man’s mind and tongue is claimed in this world. But what a deception is this liberty, for it will end in the false prophet imprinting on such foreheads the mark of the ownership of the beast. Behind the beast is the dragon who is called Devil and Satan. A great part of the conflict between good and evil in the last days relates to who is to possess the mind of man. Our protection from the dreadful influences from the pit is for us to recognise that our minds are the property of God and to allow the seal of the living God to be placed on our foreheads, so that our minds are regulated and recognised to be the property of God on trust to be used for Him.

Much else is given to us on trust, if we understood things rightly. The material things that we have are not really ours. The Lord will give us what is our own. He indicates this in the Scripture: “If ye have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who shall give to you your own?” — Luke 16: 12. The reference to “another’s” is to mammon, material things. Are we prepared to consider that the money and earthly things we have are not ours in an absolute sense, they are on trust to be used for the Master, and it is required in stewards that such be found faithful? What shall we feel if the Lord has to say that we have wasted His goods? The steward in Luke 16 is accused of having wasted his master’s goods. Wasted his body, wasted his time, our time is not really ours. Peter says, “No longer to five the rest of his time in the flesh to men’s lusts, but to God’s will”, 1 Peter 4: 2. We have wasted enough time, have we not? — but the rest of our time is a trust committed to us to be faithful with. The one accused of wasting his goods is told, “Thou mayest be no longer steward”. If we continue wasting our Master’s goods the Master will dismiss us. How blessed indeed to remain in His service. We need the help of God for that, “Eliezer”.

This feature is manifest in the great men of God. Take Joseph — what a steward he was! Potiphar put everything into his hands and did not take account of anything except what he ate, all else he left to Joseph. How true Joseph was to his trust. When he was in prison the same thing happened; the keeper of the prison put everything into the hands of Joseph. When he came to be next to Pharaoh on the throne everything was entrusted to him. It says Joseph “was a prosperous man”. The way to true prosperity is faithfulness to trust, seen outstandingly in Joseph, seen outstandingly, too, in Daniel, who, it says, “prospered”. Both Joseph and Daniel prospered in adverse conditions. The presidents said of Daniel that no fault could be found in his stewardship. They looked into his life, his behaviour, his work, his accounts, and said, “We shall not find any pretext against this Daniel, unless we find it against him touching the law of his God”, and it says, “this Daniel prospered”. The secret of the great prosperity of certain of God’s servants right down the ages is integrity to trust. I commend to the young ones, to us all, and specially to the dear brethren who are in the camps, the thought of integrity to trust. Daniel “kneeled on his knees three times a day and prayed” for the help of God, and one desires that we may approach this subject every day with the prayer that God would help us to be faithful as stewards, as to our bodies, our minds, our time, our earthly things and, above all, as to the mysteries of God with which in some little measure we have been entrusted. What a deposit! In Paul’s mind all this was present and more, when he said, “O Timotheus, keep the entrusted deposit”. The Lord help us to do so.