Stewardship According to John Wesley

An outline of John Wesley‘s Sermon on Stewardship:

“The Good Steward”

Summary:  Wesley uses this sermon to explain that we as God’s Stewards are not the owners of what God entrust to us, but temporary custodians.  This applies to our souls, bodies, possessions, time, abilities and opportunities.  Wesley states in this sermon that there will be a day of great judgment when a final accountability will be given for our stewardship.

Introduction:

1. The Bible describes the created as debtors and servants to the creator.
2. The best description is that of a steward or manager.

1. The Nature of Stewardship
2. The Duration of Our Stewardship
3. The Final Accounting of Our Stewardship
   1. The Value of Time
   2. How precious is every moment in time.
   3. In using time, no word or deed is truly unimportant.
   4. There are no works that produce excess merit.  We cannot do too much.
   5. It is not easy to give back to God all that he has given us, it will require all our wisdom, perseverance, patience, and faithfulness.

1. Debtors are obligated to return what they have received, but can use it however they wish until the return.  This is not the case with stewards.
1. We are obligated to use our blessings as God wishes not ourselves.
2. Nothing is our own in this world.
2. God has entrusted us with all that we have received including our minds and souls
3. In doing God’s will we obtain our own happiness; therefore we should use our blessings for his glory.
4. God entrust us with our bodies
5. God has given us the superior capacity for speech and it is to be used to glorify
6. God has given us our hands and feet and bodies.
7. God has given us worldly goods of food, clothing, shelter and money.
8. God has given us the gift of energy, health, favorable appearance, education, knowledge and influence.
1. The gift of time and the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit

1. We are only stewards for a short time while on earth.
2. After we die, we won’t need the things God has entrusted to us.
3. The same applies to the body.
4. Death ends the need for speech, strength, health and beauty.
5. What about the other talents such as the “still, small voice”?
6. Our physical faculties will not probably exist after death, but continue in a greater degree.
7. We don’t know how much wisdom will remain after death.
8. Our souls will remain and retain all their faculties.
9. Our comprehension will be freed from its present defects.
10.  Some might say that disembodied spirits have no senses but they are dreaming.
11. The soul will retain its comprehension and the full vigor of its will and affections. 
12. However we are no longer stewards of these faculties.

1. After death, we are no longer stewards and must give an accounting.
1. We don’t know if it is immediate at the time of death.
2. We are to give the account of our stewardship when “the great white throne and the one who sat on it come down from heave, and the earth and the heaven flee from God’s presence, and no place is found for them.”
3. God will ask, “How did you use your life?”
4. God will ask, “How did you use your body?”
5. God will ask, “How did you use your worldly goods?”
6. God will ask, “Have you been a wise and faithful stewards of all the gifts?”
1. If so, God will declare, “Well done, good and trustworthy servant; enter into my Kingdom.”

Related articles

• The Christ-like Use Of Money (John Wesley) (dbarts.wordpress.com)