See Yourself As a Steward
For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God . . . . (Titus 1:7 NKJV)
I appreciate the practicality of God's Word. It's not just theoretical but actually provides guidance that works in the real world. We see a great example of this when Paul advised Titus on the people whom he should choose as leaders in the church. The first quality Paul listed was that a leader must be a steward of God.
We don't use the word steward very much these days. The word itself is a combination of the words house and administrator. A steward was entrusted with the responsibility of making sure that a household was run according to the owner's wishes. All purchases pertaining to home life went through the steward. Yet, at the end of the day, a steward was not an owner. He was simply a servant who had been trusted to make decisions on behalf of his master. Every Christian is essentially a steward because God owns everything and graciously lends to us all that we have (Psalm 24:1).
Paul wanted Titus to promote men who had a strong grasp of this understanding. Here's why: when people see themselves as stewards and not owners, they're going to be all the more responsible with their behavior. They're going to think twice before making decisions because they know they're eventually going to give an account to their Master. I'm not just referring to financial decisions, for stewardship is about a lot more than money. It also includes the faithful distribution of the eternal truths of God's Word:
Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. (1 Corinthians 4:1 NKJV)
When a pastor sees himself as a steward, he'll be faithful to share God's Word. But bear in mind that this doesn't just apply to the pastoral position; it holds true for each and every Christian. We all need to see ourselves as stewards who have been entrusted with the responsibility of sharing the Good News.
DIG - Why should a pastor have a strong understanding of stewardship?
DISCOVER - In what ways have you been entrusted as a steward?
DISPLAY - How well are you serving as a steward?
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At the age of 24, Bob Coy left a coveted position in the music industry to serve as an associate pastor with Calvary Chapel of Las Vegas. In 1985, Bob and his wife, Diane, moved to Fort Lauderdale and began Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale. As senior pastor, he has become well known for his unique style in expounding the Scriptures, making them come alive and relate to those of us living in the 21st century. His teaching style emphasizes the believer's "life application" of the highest standards of God's truth while his delivery captures the loving heart of God's Spirit.
Pastor Bob has had the rare privilege of watching God's miraculous hand move in the individual lives of those in the fellowship as well as the corporate body as a whole. From the first meeting in a living room with four in attendance, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale has now become home to over 17,000 men and women from the tri-county area, and ranks as the eighth largest church in the country. Though many have tried to attribute its rapid growth to numerous reasons, no one is more surprised by the phenomenon than Pastor Bob, who gives total credit and all the glory to God alone.
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