Faithful Stewards: Embracing God's Mysteries in Life
Summary
### Summary
In today's sermon, we delved into 1 Corinthians chapter 4, exploring the profound relationship between Paul and the Corinthians and the essential role of the church in the world. Paul emphasizes that apostles, and by extension the church, are "servants of Christ" and "those entrusted with mysteries." This distinction is crucial because it shifts the focus from being agents of worldly change to being faithful stewards of divine mysteries. Paul does not call the church to solve all the world's problems but to bear witness to the mysteries of God, such as the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We examined how God's plan for salvation unfolds in ways that often seem slow and mysterious to human understanding. From the calling of Abraham to the life and ministry of Jesus, God's actions are not about immediate, visible change but about long-term, transformative faithfulness. This perspective takes the pressure off believers to "fix" the world and instead encourages them to live faithfully in their given circumstances.
We also discussed the concept of being "fools for Christ," embracing the seeming foolishness of the cross. Paul describes the apostles as the "scum of the earth," highlighting that true faithfulness to Jesus often looks like foolishness to the world. This calls us to be comfortable with being misunderstood or undervalued by worldly standards.
Finally, we touched on the idea that maturity in Christ involves growing comfortable with being thought of as holy fools. As we draw closer to our own mortality, we should care less about worldly opinions and more about living faithfully to God's call. This maturity allows us to live freely and wholeheartedly, bearing witness to the mysteries of God in our everyday lives.
### Key Takeaways
1. Servants of Christ and Stewards of Mysteries: The church's primary role is not to provide solutions to the world's problems but to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God. This means living out the gospel in ways that may not always make sense to the world but are deeply rooted in divine truth. [45:24]
2. God's Slow and Mysterious Plan: God's plan for salvation often unfolds in ways that seem slow and mysterious to us. From Abraham to Jesus, God's actions are about long-term faithfulness rather than immediate change. This perspective frees us from the pressure to "fix" the world and encourages us to live faithfully in our given circumstances. [46:51]
3. Embracing the Foolishness of the Cross: True faithfulness to Jesus often looks like foolishness to the world. Paul describes the apostles as the "scum of the earth," highlighting that being faithful to Jesus means being willing to be misunderstood or undervalued by worldly standards. [01:02:03]
4. Maturity in Christ: Maturity in Christ involves growing comfortable with being thought of as holy fools. As we draw closer to our own mortality, we should care less about worldly opinions and more about living faithfully to God's call. This maturity allows us to live freely and wholeheartedly. [01:09:51]
5. Living Faithfully in Everyday Life: The pressure is off us to change the world. Instead, we are called to live faithfully in our everyday lives—loving our families, doing our jobs well, and serving our communities. This faithful living bears witness to the mysteries of God and allows His plan to unfold in history. [59:43]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[35:52] - Introduction to 1 Corinthians
[36:58] - Primitive Christianity
[37:56] - Paul's Relationship with the Corinthians
[38:48] - Servants of Christ and Stewards of Mysteries
[39:25] - Apostles as Spectacles
[40:08] - Paul's Suffering and Faithfulness
[41:50] - Prayer and Presence of God
[44:04] - Role of the Church in the World
[45:24] - Not Entrusted with Answers
[46:51] - God's Slow and Mysterious Plan
[50:33] - Entrusted with a Mystery
[51:45] - Living Faithfully
[53:17] - Bearing Witness to God's Presence
[55:57] - Mother Teresa's Example
[57:21] - Practical Faithfulness
[58:24] - The Church's Unique Role
[59:43] - The Pressure is Off
[01:00:53] - The Foolishness of the Cross
[01:02:03] - Faithfulness and Foolishness
[01:09:51] - Maturity in Christ
[01:11:12] - Personal Testimony
[01:13:57] - Communion and Closing Blessing
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1 Corinthians 4:1-13 (NIV)
### Observation Questions
1. According to 1 Corinthians 4:1, how does Paul describe the apostles and their role? What does this imply about the church's role? [37:56]
2. In 1 Corinthians 4:9-13, Paul lists several hardships faced by the apostles. What are some of these hardships, and how do they reflect the concept of being "fools for Christ"? [39:25]
3. How does Paul contrast the Corinthians' perceived status with the apostles' reality in 1 Corinthians 4:8-10? What point is he making through this contrast? [39:25]
### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean to be "entrusted with the mysteries" of God, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 4:1? How does this shape the church's mission and identity? [37:56]
2. How does Paul's description of the apostles as the "scum of the earth" and "garbage of the world" challenge contemporary views of success and honor in the church? [40:08]
3. In what ways does the concept of being "fools for Christ" (1 Corinthians 4:10) call believers to live counter-culturally? How might this look in today's society? [39:25]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the idea of being a "servant of Christ" and a "steward of mysteries" (1 Corinthians 4:1). How can you embody this role in your daily life, especially in your workplace or community? [37:56]
2. Paul talks about the slow and mysterious unfolding of God's plan (e.g., the calling of Abraham, the life of Jesus). How can you cultivate patience and trust in God's timing in your own life? [46:51]
3. The sermon emphasized the importance of living faithfully in our given circumstances rather than trying to "fix" the world. What are some specific ways you can live out your faith in your current situation? [51:45]
4. How do you react to the idea of being thought of as a "holy fool" for Christ? Are there areas in your life where you feel pressured to conform to worldly standards? How can you resist this pressure? [01:09:51]
5. The sermon mentioned the pressure being off us to change the world, and instead, we are called to live faithfully. What are some practical steps you can take this week to live faithfully in your everyday life? [59:43]
6. Reflect on a time when you felt misunderstood or undervalued because of your faith. How did you handle it, and what did you learn from that experience? [40:08]
7. How can you support and encourage others in your small group to embrace the "foolishness of the cross" and live out their faith boldly, even when it seems counter-cultural? [01:02:03]
Devotional
Day 1: Faithful Stewards of Divine Mysteries
The church's primary role is to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God, not to provide solutions to the world's problems. This means living out the gospel in ways that may not always make sense to the world but are deeply rooted in divine truth. Paul emphasizes that apostles, and by extension the church, are "servants of Christ" and "those entrusted with mysteries." This distinction is crucial because it shifts the focus from being agents of worldly change to being faithful stewards of divine mysteries. Paul does not call the church to solve all the world's problems but to bear witness to the mysteries of God, such as the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. [45:24]
1 Corinthians 4:1-2 (ESV): "This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful."
Reflection: In what ways can you live out the gospel in your daily life, even if it seems foolish or misunderstood by those around you?
Day 2: Embracing God's Slow and Mysterious Plan
God's plan for salvation often unfolds in ways that seem slow and mysterious to us. From Abraham to Jesus, God's actions are about long-term faithfulness rather than immediate change. This perspective frees us from the pressure to "fix" the world and encourages us to live faithfully in our given circumstances. We examined how God's plan for salvation unfolds in ways that often seem slow and mysterious to human understanding. From the calling of Abraham to the life and ministry of Jesus, God's actions are not about immediate, visible change but about long-term, transformative faithfulness. [46:51]
Habakkuk 2:3 (ESV): "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay."
Reflection: Think of a situation in your life where you are impatient for change. How can you trust in God's long-term plan and remain faithful in the meantime?
Day 3: The Foolishness of the Cross
True faithfulness to Jesus often looks like foolishness to the world. Paul describes the apostles as the "scum of the earth," highlighting that being faithful to Jesus means being willing to be misunderstood or undervalued by worldly standards. This calls us to be comfortable with being misunderstood or undervalued by worldly standards. Embracing the seeming foolishness of the cross means recognizing that true faithfulness to Jesus often looks like foolishness to the world. [01:02:03]
1 Corinthians 1:27-28 (ESV): "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel pressured to conform to worldly standards? How can you embrace the "foolishness" of the cross in those areas?
Day 4: Maturity in Christ
Maturity in Christ involves growing comfortable with being thought of as holy fools. As we draw closer to our own mortality, we should care less about worldly opinions and more about living faithfully to God's call. This maturity allows us to live freely and wholeheartedly. As we draw closer to our own mortality, we should care less about worldly opinions and more about living faithfully to God's call. This maturity allows us to live freely and wholeheartedly, bearing witness to the mysteries of God in our everyday lives. [01:09:51]
Ephesians 4:13 (ESV): "Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Day 5: Living Faithfully in Everyday Life
The pressure is off us to change the world. Instead, we are called to live faithfully in our everyday lives—loving our families, doing our jobs well, and serving our communities. This faithful living bears witness to the mysteries of God and allows His plan to unfold in history. We are encouraged to live faithfully in our given circumstances, loving our families, doing our jobs well, and serving our communities. This faithful living bears witness to the mysteries of God and allows His plan to unfold in history. [59:43]
Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV): "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."
Reflection: How can you serve God in your everyday tasks this week? What specific actions can you take to love your family, do your job well, and serve your community?
Quotes
1. "What is the role of the church in the world? Here's a question for you. What's the role of the church in the world? And Paul gestures at it here in the first couple verses of 1 Corinthians chapter 4. Watch again what he says. He's talking about his role as an apostle. He says, this is then how you need to think about us. We are servants of Christ. Everybody say servants of Christ. And those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed." [44:04] (27 seconds)
2. "We have not been entrusted with some grand solution for how to fix the world. What we have been entrusted with is the, it starts with the letter M. I know, you know, it, we've been entrusted with a mystery. We haven't been entrusted with answers. We haven't been entrusted with solutions. We've been entrusted with a mystery, the mystery of father, son, and Holy spirit, the mystery of how one of the Trinity became flesh for us and for our salvation." [50:33] (27 seconds)
3. "We haven't been given answers. We haven't been given a solution. We've been entrusted with a mystery. Have you ever thought about the epistles of the new Testament and why they go the way that they go? You think about all the things that Paul says in Galatians and Ephesians and Philippians and Colossians, first Corinthians. You think about all the things that the writer of Hebrews says about the great salvation that God has created for us in Jesus Christ." [55:57] (24 seconds)
4. "The church is apropos of nothing at all. We're not answering any question that the world is asking. We're posing entirely new questions to the world. And until we get comfortable with that, we'll never live up to all that God has called us to be. And so we're those that are entrusted with the mysteries, right? And we need to get comfortable living inside the cross." [01:08:28] (20 seconds)
5. "Maturity is growing comfortable with being thought a holy fool. Watch what Paul says again. He says, even if you have 10,000 guardians in Christ, you don't have many fathers for in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the gospel. And therefore I urge you to, what does he say? To imitate me. To imitate me. Paul's like, we're going around like huge idiots in the Roman empire. We're the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. We're the fools for Christ." [01:08:28] (35 seconds)
6. "Growing up maturity in Christ is not gaining more power. It is not privilege. It is not gaining more status. It is not having more people out there in the world. Thank by golly, he's really done it. You know, maturity in the Bible is maturity in the Bible is being willing to lose everything. Maturity in the Bible is willing to let go of your own life. Maturity in the Bible is being willing to be thought a holy idiot in the name of Jesus. And you're comfortable just in that fact." [01:09:51] (29 seconds)
7. "The whole life of discipleship is dying into our death so that we might live to the glory of God, the father. And so church, I invite you to stand this morning. And I want you now, as you prepare your heart for communion, just to hold your life in the palm of your hands. Jesus, we gave up our lives to you when we said yes to you. But we keep trying to take them back. We keep trying to be thought amazing. We keep trying to become powerful. We keep trying to be thought wise in the eyes of the world." [01:13:57] (35 seconds)
8. "We keep trying to manage this existence. And there is no part of our call as the people of God. That's a management of our existence. Our call is to cast ourselves into the cross over and over again. And so I pray that as we come to the table this morning, find ourselves bound up because we have not lived into our identity as holy fools, that you would undo it again in us. That you would make us simple and open, childlike before you, innocent and pure." [01:13:57] (31 seconds)
9. "We haven't been called to change the world. We've been called to serve it in the name of Jesus. And what we've been entrusted with, say it one more time, church is mysteries. We hold up mysteries before the world. And we trust that somehow in our faithful witness, the spirit is working to convince people that Jesus is Lord and to cause the plan of God to unfold in history. Friends, the pressure is off of you. The pressure is off. Live your life. Love your spouse. Love your children." [58:24] (60 seconds)
10. "We haven't been entrusted with answers. We haven't been entrusted with solutions. We've been entrusted with a mystery, the mystery of father, son, and Holy spirit, the mystery of how one of the Trinity became flesh for us and for our salvation, the mystery of his death and resurrection and his session at the right hand of the father, the mystery of the pouring out of the Holy spirit and the mystery of how somehow some way in a world, in a universe that we cannot see yet." [50:33] (25 seconds)
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