Servants & Stewards for God
The word "steward" seems to have made a comeback these days. I notice a sign at a park near my house that asks people to be "good stewards of the land." Stewardship is a great biblical idea. It means that I am expected to manage well what I do not own. The Apostle Paul reminds us that Christian leaders are merely servants and stewards of the mystery of God. The mystery of God in the New Testament that is now known is that God would send his Son, Jesus, to be a crucified Messiah. By his sacrifice our sin would be atoned for when we by faith trusted in that sacrifice as the sole and sufficient payment for our sin.
The Christian leader in a church doesn't own this message—it is not his own idea. Rather, the leader belongs to Christ, as a servant belongs to his master. Furthermore, the mystery of God does not belong to him or her—it belongs to God! So whatever else may be involved in being a Christian leader in a church—it primarily means he or she is a servant and steward of the good news of Jesus. This means that his or her obligation is to share the good news of Jesus Christ—Him crucified for sin. In other words, the Christian leader is a servant of Christ and a steward of the gospel of Christ. I wonder how well the leaders of Grace Bible Church steward the gospel—how well do I steward the gospel? Only the Lord can truly be the judge of my stewardship.
