1 Corinthians 4:1-2 “Let a man so consider us, as servants
of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in
stewards that one be found faithful.” NKJV
We are stewards of God’s mysteries. We. He entrusted us failing, flawed, finite humans;
entrusted with His name and the knowledge and message of the Mighty Creator.
Stewards (verse 1) comes from oikonomos, meaning ‘manager of, as household, affairs, farm, or of
finances as treasurer.
If we were entrusted with the management of someone’s
business for a time, or of the wealth of an individual, company, or nation, we
would certainly be wise and careful, and faithful to attend to it, yes?
Why, then, do we take for granted and ignore the most
valuable treasure in existence?
What is that ‘faithful’ we are required (yes, it says required, not ought) to be?
Let’s look.
Faithful. From pistos:
can be relied upon; faithful in execution of commands
And I also found it very interesting where that word pistos
comes from. Let me preface this next part by saying that we are loved and
accepted by God no matter what we do, but that I have seen Scripture after
Scripture where God is more pleased with someone in particular, or holds a
greater favor toward them based on their actions.
Look at Abraham, David, and even Jesus. Jesus grew in favor with God. (Luke 2:52)
Jesus Himself had the capacity to grow in greater favor. If Jesus’s favor in
God’s eyes can grow, then certainly ours has room to grow, yes?
So let’s look at where faithful (pistos) comes from. It comes from peitho: to make friends of, to win one’s favor, to seek to win one,
strive to please one.
Are we seeking and striving to please our Father? Are we
seeking and striving to live out our faithfulness to Him?
Let’s go back one chapter to 1 Corinthians 3:9. It says
that, even though (1 Cor 4:1) we are His servants, we are also His co-workers.
We are working alongside Him. The actual root of the word ministers/servants in
4:1 is huperetes:
underrower/subordinate rower, attendants of a kind, serves with hands, any who
aids another in a work.
So we work, together with Him, but as His subordinate.
It also says we are His building. Again I find it humbling
that He would choose us for His
building.
Here’s where this is going to start coming together and
getting more personal. Can you go there with me? Let’s get vulnerable and be
changed, shall we?
Read 1 Corinthians 3:9-13.
“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you
are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the
foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds
on it. For no other foundation can
anyone lay than that which is laid, which
is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each
one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will
be revealed by fire; and the fire will
test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” NKJV emphasis mine
Our Foundation is Jesus Christ. Thank goodness our
foundation is God Himself. And One who is continually growing in favor with
God, amen?
Anything we build from there in our lives or in the lives of
others will either have eternal value and be that of worth, or it won’t (vs.
12).
And here’s where it might sting a little – each of our works
will be “made manifest” (KJV) which is from phaneros:
to appear, to be known openly, abroad.
God tries each work for its lasting value.
1 Cor 3:13 “their work will be shown for what it is, because
the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire
will test the quality of each person’s work.” NIV
And not only are our works tried, but we are tried as well.
Are we of the quality that is pleasing to God? To gain favor in His eyes?
Zechariah 13:9 “And I will bring the third part through the
fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is
tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my
people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.” KJV
1 Peter 1:7 “That the genuineness of your faith, being much
more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be
found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” NKJV
1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning
the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to
you.” NKJV
So if we are wanting to be His building of lasting worth,
quality, and pleasing to Him, what needs to happen? If when we, and our works,
are tried for what sort they are and we want them to be those of gold, silver,
and precious stones, built on the solid foundation that we have, that is Jesus
Christ, we must build wisely (vs 10). Pay careful attention to “how you build
thereupon”.
1 Corinthians 3:10 “According to the grace of God which was
given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another
builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.”
Take a look at Nehemiah 4:10.
Nehemiah 4:10 “Then Judah said, “The strength of the
laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build
the wall.”
This was an epic building project, rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Wouldn’t it
have been disheartening to have spent all that work only to have it crumble
away, or worse yet, blow away in the wind? That’s why they needed to first
clear away the rubble.
Look at these excerpts from a commentary by John Brown.
“If the walls were built without clearing first, they would
be unstable and ultimately fall again!”
“In the church as well as in our private lives, if anything
is not built upon the ROCK, it has to go! If it is not built upon the ROCK then
it is built upon the "rubbish" and must be cleared so the foundation
can be seen and the building process started over!”
What sort of rubble might be in our lives to prevent our
building efforts, our works, and even a strong relationship with God from
lasting? This is highly applicable in our habits and disciplines – clear away
the rubble to make room for good ones, to establish strong building of new
habits and lasting disciplines, such as Scripture memory, prayer, and more.
Clear away the rubble on non-truths. You can’t build on
these – your building will be unstable. The non-truths will crumble and you won’t
know what to believe when it’s all crumbled in front of you.
Most importantly, clear away the rubble of those who you
have wrongly put your faith in. Who are you really trusting in? If your
object/person of faith was ‘tried for what sort it is’, would it last? Would it
shine, or would it burn away?
So in closing, shall we take a hard look at how we’re
building and what we’re building with? When the building that is us, and our
lives, is tried, what will be made manifest? What will be left after the trying
fire? Are the ways we are building on our foundation going to be truly pleasing
and of increasing favor with God?
Let’s memorize:
1 Corinthians 3:13 “each one’s work will become clear; for
the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will
test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” NKJV
to the kids. It was the story found in Acts 16:24-40, where Paul and Silas are
in prison. Worshipping. And then God worked, and removed their chains, but they
stayed.
)