Stewards of the Mysteries of God is a sermon teaching us that to be a servant of God requires faithfulness in all that we do regardless of what the world thinks of us.

When we pray, realize that we are in the presence of God. And when we gather together we need to cling in our hearts the promise that Jesus made that when two are gathered together in His name, He is in the midst. If we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that the Bible promises we do have, then when we come together there is a greater presence of the Holy Spirit. We need to understand that. The Holy Spirit is always with us but when we come together there is a greater presence of the Holy Spirit.

Be Faithful

When God has given you a talent and you use it selfishly or thoughtlessly and do not use it for the Lord, you don’t put Christ first in everything you do. Once you start out serving the Lord, don’t look back. Keep looking ahead, keep your eye on the goal.

The requirement of stewards is that we need to be faithful in what we do. Let anyone come and evaluate our ministry and as servants of Christ. To be a minister is to be a servant. That is the attitude we are to have, to serve others, to give of himself for others. A steward is not an owner of something but takes care of it and does the work.

The word “mystery” in the Bible is a truth that God is revealing for the first time, it’s a new truth. The mysteries of God are truths that God is revealing. While the Bible was being written, God’s truths were being revealed. The compilation of those truths composes the Bible that we read today. But while the Bible was being developed, there were mysteries, or truths coming out. Paul and the other biblical writers didn’t invent any truth that they were writing about. They were the stewards, the ones who were administering it as good servants.

In a bigger sense, there’s a requirement for being a steward, a servant of God. Talent is not a requirement, faithfulness is a requirement. God is not looking for talented people, but faithful people. God can make up for the talent each of us lacks.

Not for the Praise of Men

Paul says that he does not do what he does for man’s praise, evaluation, or criticism. If you are faithful in serving God, doing what’s right and what the Lord wants you to do, then don’t worry about what somebody else thinks about it. We don’t do it for man’s recognition, fame, or notoriety. We do it to be faithful in serving the Lord — and that’s what counts.

We should not be concerned about people judging us, but instead, be concerned about God judging us. We will stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ and will be judged according to how we lived and served Him. If you want to be concerned about what someone thinks of you, then be concerned about what God thinks of you. Don’t think that you are better than someone else. The evidence of God’s blessing is being faithful.

What do you have that makes you different from others? What do you have that God didn’t give you? Why brag about what was given to you? We think of the apostles as great men and they were. It was their faithfulness that made them great. In their day, they were known but necessarily popular. They were unpopular and all were killed except for John. They followed the Lord literally to their death.

In Corinth, the people didn’t look up to the apostles who were hungry, thirsty, naked, beat up, and had nowhere to live — they were homeless. Paul says he can abound in much but still be homeless. Paul says the apostles work to earn their own way, for example, he was a tentmaker. We think of the apostles as great men and great servants of God, but the world did not look at them as such. The world saw them as itinerate preachers with strange doctrine, troublemakers, and trash.

Follow Me

At the church of Corinth, they had many teachers but should be seen as servants of Jesus. Paul said that they may have many teachers but it was he who brought them to the Lord and he says “follow me,” a bold statement. Jesus said “follow me” and Paul says “follow me.” Paul could say “follow me” because he was following Jesus and could teach them to follow the Lord’s way. If you’re not following Jesus, you should not tell other people to follow you.

Paul said he would come to visit even though there were some in the church who were “puffed up” and didn’t want him there. They wanted to maintain their preeminence in the church. But it is not about who’s in control in the church, it’s about the power of God working in us. Paul asks if he should come with a rod to subdue or to come in love and meekness. Paul planned to come in the spirit of love and of meekness. He would come as a humble servant of God with a message of love, meekness, and to be faithful.

We need to be faithful and faithful in reading God’s word, in our prayer life, in witnessing, in our church attendance, and in telling others about Jesus. We just need to be faithful. We won’t always be popular or even liked. Sometimes we become the enemy because we speak the truth. But we need to press on and be faithful, not for what others think of us in leading them to Jesus, but what the Lord thinks of us.

Stewards of the Mysteries of God sermon starts with verses from I Corinthians 4:1-21:

¹ Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

² Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

⁴ For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

⁵ Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

⁶ And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

⁷ For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

⁸ Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

⁹ For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

¹⁰ We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

¹¹ Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place;

¹² And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

¹³ Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

¹⁴ I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

¹⁵ For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

¹⁶ Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

¹⁷ For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

¹⁸ Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.

¹⁹ But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.

²⁰ For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

²¹ What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

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