Luke 16:1-8 And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward… I. IN THE PRESENT LIFE EVERY ONE OF US HAS THE CHARACTER AND PLACE OF A STEWARD. II. THE TIME OF OUR STEWARDSHIP WILL HAVE AN END. 1. It will end certainly at death. 2. It may end suddenly. 3. Our stewardship, once ended, shall be renewed no more. When death comes, our negligences and mismanagement are fatal. III. ON OUR CEASING TO BE STEWARDS, AN ACCOUNT OF OUR STEWARDSHIP WILL BE REQUIRED. 1. Who must give an account? I answer, every one that lives and is here a steward. 2. To whom? And this is to God; to God by Christ, to whom all judgment is com-mitred. 3. Of what will an account be demanded? The text says, of our stewardship, i.e., how we have acted in it while it lasted. 4. When will such aa account be demanded? The Scripture tells us — (1) Immediately upon every one's going out of his stewardship. (2) Most solemnly at the last day. 5. what is conveyed in the expression, "Give an account of thy stewardship"? (1) That God will deal with every one in particular. (2) That notice is taken, and records kept of what every one now does, and this in order to a future judgment, when all is to be produced, and sentence publicly passed. (3) Every one's account called for to be given, shall be according to the talents wherewith he was entrusted. Application: 1. Is every one in the present life to be considered as a steward of all that he enjoys? How unreasonable is pride in those who have the largest share of their Lord's goods; as they have nothing but what they have received, and the more their talents, the greater the trust. 2. What cause of serious concern have all that live under the gospel, left, as stewards of the manifold grace of God, they should receive it in vain, and have their future condemnation aggravated by their present advantages, as neglected or abused? 3. Will the time of our stewardship have an end? What a value should we put upon it, as a season in which we are to act for eternity. 4. The believer has no reason to faint under the difficulties of his stewardship; seeing it will have an end, a most desirable one; and neither the services nor sufferings of the present time are worthy to be compared to the glory to be revealed. 5. When our stewardship ends, must an account be given up? It is hence evident, that the soul survives the body, and is capable of acting and of being dealt with in a way of wrath or mercy, according to the state in which it goes away; and hereupon — 6. How great and important a thing is it to die; it being to go in spirit to appear before God, and give an account of all that we have done in the body, and to be dealt with accordingly? What is consequent upon it? (Daniel Wilcox.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. |
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