So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.So let a man think of us as Christ’s servants and stewards of God’s mysteries.Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.Let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
5 sermons cite this verse
… standing, but I want you to be seated because I want to talk you into the Scripture today. So take your seat wherever you are and turn in your Bible, please, to 1 Corinthians 4, verses 1 through 5. 1 Corinthians 4, 1 through 5. Thank you for your word, Lord. Somebody say what Samuel said. Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening. We talked about Samuel last week and how he attuned his ear to the voice of God so that before he spoke for God, he had to learn to hear from God. Very important. The apostle Paul was another preacher who had to hear from God before he could speak for God. because there was a time in his life when he persecuted followers of Christ, and he thought he was serving God. He had to come to that all-important place that really measures your maturity in the Lord where he said, I was wrong. Try to say that one time. See how hard it is to say. I was wrong by a vowel. Wrong. He spent the rest of his ministry not trying to make it up to God, but trying to spread the message of the God who had saved him by grace after spending his whole life trying to earn God's favor through keeping the law. In 1 Corinthians chapter 4, Paul is well into his established ministry, and he's doing something we would never think that someone of his caliber would have to do. He's defending himself to the Corinthian church. …
… this is how you should think of us. That is, Paul and his fellow apostles. He says, you should regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. And for stewards, it is required that they be found faithful, trustworthy. And then he explains how he deals with his critics and his fans. Paul says, it is a very small thing for me to be judged, to be critiqued by you or by any human court. He says, I don't even judge myself. I'm not aware of anything against myself, but I am not for that reason justified. It is the Lord, Jesus, who judges me. So stop pronouncing judgment before the appointed time, before the Lord comes, the Lord, who will bring to light the things hidden in darkness and uncover the intentions of the human heart. And then each person's praise, each person's well-done, good and faithful servant will come from God. And then what Paul just applied to himself, he applies to them, to me, to you. …
… So let me read that. Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. Now if we just jump in at chapter 4, you're going to ask yourself, what's the context, what's going on here? And I will remind you, the Corinthian church had a lot of problems. One of the dominant problems, if not the dominant problem, was that they had a number of preachers that had ministered to them, and they had chosen their favorite preacher, and there There was a sort of a preacher beauty contest going on, and they were being divided. The whole church was being divided over the preference they had for one teacher against another. You see that back in chapter 1, verse 11, Paul says, "'I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you.'" This is internal fighting in the church. …
… This is how you are to think about your pastor, your shepherd. Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even examine myself, for I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted, but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts. And then each man's praise will come to him from God. Now these things, brother, and I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sake, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? …
… not just saying things, but deeply in the spirit. You know, in 1 Corinthians 4 verse 1, it says, This is how one should regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Look at that phrase. This is how one should regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. We are stewards of the mysteries of God. so how am I supposed to explain praying in the spirit Well, the Bible says, I'm a steward of the mysteries of God. Sometimes some of us are better at giving answers than giving mystery, than really stewarding mystery. And we just want to get into the explanation. And if we just get into some of the explanation and some of the answers to the questions, it's like we can miss the point. We can miss the point of even praying in the Spirit. I mean, we can say phrases like that so often that they lose their mystery if we're not careful, and we're supposed to steward it. …