“Stewards of God’s Generosity” 2014
Ephesians 2:4-10 1 Peter 4:7-11

Ephesians 2:4-10
But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

1 Peter 4:7-11
The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

I don’t know if Eric Liddell ever actually said it,
but in “Chariots of Fire”, the movie about his life;
when his sister confronted him, disapproving that
he was not serving in China yet as a missionary,
but pursuing his love for running and athletics;
he responded, “I believe God made me for a purpose,
but he also made me fast,
and when I run, I feel God’s pleasure.”

Eric Liddell did serve as a missionary in China, 1925 to 1945,
until he died in a Japanese internment camp during WWII.

But perhaps even more than serving as a missionary,
his most influential and powerful proclamation of the faith
may have been during the 1924 Olympics in Paris.

He was a sprinter and his best event was the 100-meter race.
But he refused to run in the Olympic qualifying heat,
because it was held on Sunday,
and on principle, he would not race on the Sabbath.

He was put under tremendous pressure to compromise his beliefs
by the British Olympic Committee including the Royal family,
but he placed his allegiance to God above all else,
and their best efforts couldn’t get him to back down.

* He believed that his athletic ability was a gift from God
to be used according to the purpose and pleasure of God,
which was also the way he tried to live his life,
always for the glory and pleasure of the Lord.

The way Eric Liddell lived reflects the message of 1st Peter, vs. 10
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve … with whatever gift each of you has received.

As Christians, we understand
that our salvation is entirely God’s gift of grace.
* But sometimes we fail to appreciate and neglect
our responsibility to respond as stewards of that grace,
and that through God’s gifts and blessings given to us,
the Lord intends to love & bless others, through us.

“Steward” is an important word and concept for us to understand.
A steward is not the owner, but manages property for the owner.

The steward is entrusted with authority and responsibility
as a trustee to use and develop that property
for the benefit and pleasure of the true owner.
Peter’s point is that the gifts and blessings of our lives
are all given and entrusted to us by God,
for us to use for the purpose and pleasure of the Lord.

Now most of the original disciples and early Christians
expected the apocalyptic end of the world
marked by the return of Jesus, within their lifetimes.
Since that could happen at any time,
they felt an urgency to live their lives accordingly…
… which is a theme and perspective
that runs all through the New Testament.

Whether it’s the 2nd coming or that this fleeting life will end,
we are called to live this mortal life with an eye
toward God’s promises concerning our eternal home,
with an eye toward our ultimate hope and victory.

The 1st Peter passage is about how to live that perspective. vs. 7
The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.


In prayer, we can be attentive and listen carefully to God.
In prayer, we reflect on our concerns about life’s details,
the needs of this world, and offer our praise and thanks.
Authentic prayer is not so much about trying to tell God what to do
as it is seeking to connect & engage with whatever God is up to.
In prayer, we’re trying to get on track
with the message and presence of the Holy Spirit.

** A serious, consistent and disciplined prayer life is crucial
to living a faithful, authentic and growing Christian life.

Continuing, vs. 8
Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Faithful is letting every aspect of life be guided by love,
and in this passage, it’s the Greek word, “agape ,
the sacrificial sort of love we call grace or mercy,
that places the welfare of others ahead of our own…

… for the good and benefit of all the faith community,
that builds up the Church for our shared mission,
as by exercising our gifts with love,
we reveal and reflect their divine origin.

And continuing, vs. 9
Be hospitable to one another without complaining.

Hospitality is what practical & sacrificial love looks like,
and describes Christ-like treatment of all others…
- that welcomes both stranger and enemy into fellowship,
- that strives to encourage and build –up one another,
- that invites all to bring and share
their gifts and blessing for the benefit of all,
- that builds-up the church so we can fulfill our shared mission
as God’s generosity, love and grace can then flow through us.

With its focus on grace, the Ephesians passage also describes
that same truth and perspective, teaching and understanding…
… that God’s gracious gifts and blessings
are a sign or proof of God’s love and mercy,
** by which we are called, equipped and gifted
to lead lives of faithful and meaningful discipleship.
vs. 4-5, 10
But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—… For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

When I ran a business, sometimes
I would take all the employees out to a nice restaurant
to celebrate their teamwork and hard work…

… and after desert I would challenge them,
that together, we could do even better,
for who knew what a little extra effort and commitment,
and all our “bests” working in combined cooperation,
might make an unexpected and amazing difference.

* When I come to the Lord’s Table, for me it’s something like that.

- A Table of celebration, fellowship and thankfulness
for the gracious love, gifts and blessings from our God,
who invites all to participate in this family of faith.

* I am also aware of a challenge to self-examine at the Table,
my words, my deeds along with my attitudes and perspectives;

- and am I living the life of joy, peace, hope and discipleship
to which God graciously called, gifted and purposed me?,

am I using the gifts and blessings God entrusted to me?

Have I truly committed to Jesus Christ, to the Church - his body,
or am I just another name on the membership roll,
supposing that whether or not I am active and serving,
it really doesn’t make much difference anyway.

I don’t think we have any idea or appreciation for just how
truly wise, grace-giving, and merciful our God really is,
or all that the Lord might be able to accomplish through us,
** or what a profound difference our faithful service might make.

On night, several years ago two teenage boys tried
but couldn’t find any open seats at revival service.
As they turned to leave, an usher noticed them,
and made the effort and took the time
to search until he found some seats for them.

That night both boys accepted Christ and decided to follow …
… and as it turned out, one of those boys was Billy Graham.
That usher probably never knew the difference he made,
and no one knows who that “faithful steward”, that usher was …
… well except that of course, God knows.

As we read earlier, (vs. 1 Pet. 4:10, Eph. 2:10)
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.