In many churches across the United States, pastors are expected to preach an annual stewardship message asking the faithful to dig deeper into their pockets to give more money to the church. In the past, whenever I announced the date of Stewardship Sunday, attendance in church would be low that day. So, I stopped announcing when I would give the stewardship message. It has been a while since I gave such a message but today let’s talk about stewardship. But I am not going to speak about money because God did not call you here so that He could separate you from your money. God called you here for something far more important, far more eternal, far more valuable. God called you here because He is interested in your soul, not your wallet.
You and I only have one soul, and it cannot be divided. So, God is not interested in a tithe, 10% of your soul. God is interested in 100% of your soul. God does not work in fractions when it comes to your soul. God is in for 100% of your soul or nothing. So valuable is your soul to God that God has never stopped working for the soul of every person ever born. The more I dig into the Bible, it seems more evident to me that God is singularly focused. He created the world and humanity in six days and on the seventh God rested. But since that day of rest, God has worked continually and with the singular focus to preserve and then save the soul of everyone who was born. God works tirelessly for our souls because only He and He alone can save our souls. We cannot. God works without rest for our souls out of the love of a father for his children because he sees, he knows, his children are in danger. God knows we are in grave danger of harming our souls. When it comes to our souls, you and I are like toddlers with a sharp knife running through a house waiting to fall upon that blade or stick the blade into the next available electrical wall socket. Do you know that? Do you believe that? It’s true.
God, our father, has worked with the singular focus of keeping our souls safe. To those who would listen to Him, God removed them from danger and brought them into the safety of his hand. But we are very much like toddlers. Sometimes the more you chase after a toddler to remove them from harm, the faster they run away, laughing and screeching thinking you are playing with them. The state of your soul and my soul is not a joke and God is not interested in playing a game when comes to our souls. There should be nothing more serious to you or anyone else in this world than the state of their soul. And so, we must be good stewards of our soul. The state of your soul is central to my stewardship message to you today.
I want us to explore stewardship through the words of the Apostle Peter in his first letter. Peter was, of course, a disciple of Jesus and he was one of two of Jesus’ disciples who were subject of great scrutiny in the arrest of Jesus and immediately thereafter. The other disciple was Judas Iscariot. Now, when you look at Peter and Judas, there are some remarkable similarities between the two men and one remarkable difference. How were Peter and Judas remarkably similar? Here are the similarities:
- They were disciples of Jesus. They learned from Jesus and saw Jesus perform countless miracles and healings.
- They received power from Jesus. With that power, each man healed others and drove out evil and demonic spirits from people across Galilee.
- They both participated in the Lord’s Supper receiving bread as the body of Jesus and wine as the blood of Jesus.
- They both struggled with human behaviors. Peter struggled with pride and Judas with greed.
- Jesus predicted that both men would fail him. Judas betrayed Jesus into the hands of those seeking to arrest him. Peter cursed and swore an oath that he knew even met Jesus.
- Both men were sorry that they betrayed and denied Jesus.
But one thing separated Peter from Judas. Judas was sorry and stopped caring about his physical life and his soul. Judas gave up all sense of stewardship as he ended his physical life and gave his soul away to be condemned. Peter was sorry and stopped caring about his physical life as well, but Peter continued to care about his soul. And that is the key difference between Peter and Judas. For the sake of his soul, Peter repented, received the forgiveness offered by Jesus, and was restored into fellowship with Jesus, and entered eternity with a clean slate. Peter was a good steward of his soul.
It was this Peter, this good steward of his soul, who wrote, “1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin” (1 Peter 4:1). Let’s look at what Peter started out with. First, Peter said, “Christ suffered in his body” (1 Peter 4:1a). Christ, Jesus, the man Peter followed, denied, and then repented to, that Jesus suffered bodily. Peter was being mild in his language here when he spoke of Christ’s suffering. Jesus, God among us, allowed his body to be savagely beaten, nailed to cross, and then allow his body to die to meet God the Father’s singular plan, singular focus, to save the souls of mankind, including Peter, the repentant denier. Peter said when he accepted Christ the man who died for him and rose again from the dead to prove he was God, Peter was done with sin, and all life became about his soul. In that moment of clarity and that moment of awe for God, Peter was transformed, and Peter willingly gave up his desires of pride and for sinful behaviors and instead, took seriously God’s singular focus to save souls. Peter said, “2 As a result, they [this includes Peter] do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:2). What is the will of God? Jesus said, “40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son [Jesus the Christ] and believes in him [Jesus] should have eternal life, and I [Jesus] will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40). Jesus also said, “14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14). God’s will, in Jesus’ words, is singularly focused on saving your soul and mine. Peter understood that he had received that salvation for his soul and so Peter’s singular focus became sharing the news of Jesus as savior.
Peter, a steward of his soul, also became a steward of the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Peter followed Jesus’ example of doing what he saw the Father do in bringing about salvation of souls and Peter became a steward of the Gospel of Jesus. Peter wrote to his readers, “3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They [pagans] are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit” (1 Peter 4:3-6). Peter was saying, you who believe in Christ have stopped sinning in the body and now you live according to God in the spirit. This is the Gospel given to us through Christ. Cherish it. Preserve it. Share it. Why must Peter’s listeners cherish, preserve, and share the Gospel? Because doing so is what a good steward does in fulfilling the will of God that none, no one be lost, meaning that no one’s soul shall be lost because they did not hear the word of God.
Now Peter recognized that the way he received the gospel and came to fully embrace it was not in a classroom or through piece of paper or through some impersonal means. Instead, Peter received the gospel and was sustained in his commitment to the gospel through an experience with a community of believers. First, of course, Peter received the gospel through the person of Jesus and then later sustained in the community of disciples and apostles. Understanding these facts, Peter said to his listeners that they must do two things as part of their stewardship of the gospel. First, they must find and become a part of a group of believers. Second, they must contribute part of their physical energy to sustaining that group of believers so that no one tired needlessly as a steward of the gospel.
Peter wrote, “7 The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray” (1 Peter 4:7). As part of the community, our first action should be to pray for one another. Prayer, talking to God, regularly, daily, helps to keep our minds focus on His will and the circumstances of others. Knowing someone is praying for you is a huge source of encouragement. So, pray for one another.
Peter then said, “8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Nothing changes a person’s life like knowing that someone acted on their behalf in love. Loving someone makes the presence of the invisible God visible.
To prayer and love, Peter continued, “9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9). Hospitality is the sharing of what you have with others without the expectation or requirement that the other return the favor or even say “Thank you.” I think that is where the “without grumbling” part comes in. Hospitality without grumbling helps us to remain humble.
To prayer, love, and hospitality, Peter added, “10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:10-11a). Use your gifts and serve, speak, help, and encourage other believers that they do not needlessly tire in living in this sometimes confusing and depleting world. Make the existence of believers a joyful one and one that is not lonely.
Then Peter said something hard. Peter said take those prayers, love, hospitality, and service and give to God “the glory.” Give to God all the credit for anything and everything you do. Why should you do that? Because Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14). In giving the glory to God, we show that the strength for our efforts comes from God and that we do these things for others as an expression of the joy and peace we have because God has saved our souls.
What then do we do with all Peter has said here? I think there are three things for us to
First, be a good to your soul and accept without reservation or hesitation the salvation offered to you by Christ. You cannot genuinely help someone else in life unless first your soul rests in the palm of God’s hand. Do not guess or wonder if you, your soul, is saved. Do not wait for a more convenient time to become a good steward. Peter said to his listeners, “The end of all things is near.” That statement is always true when applied to our lives. We do not know when our physical life will end. Do not wait to accept Christ.
Second, be a good steward of the good news, the gospel message, that God through Jesus saved your soul and that your life, regardless of however many years it may be, has been changed to be eternally with God. In being a good steward of the gospel be willing to share with others what you have done and why you did that.
Third, be a good steward of the talents and gifts you have received to strengthen and enrich the lives of other believers. Help each other with common burdens of life by praying, loving, offering hospitality, and serving. Do not make your Christian life about coming to church for an hour a week and then living as though the people in this room are on their own. Make their burdens your own.
To me, the stewardship message should never be about money. The stewardship message should be about God and what he has done for us. The stewardship message should be about the salvation of our souls and being good stewards of that good news by sharing our joy with others. The stewardship message should be about using our talents to serve and to love others to make our daily burdens bearable. If we can just be good stewards of our souls, the gospel message, and the care with give to other believers, if we can do that, then are finances will be just fine and will remain the least of our concern. Amen and Amen.