In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the concept of stewardship and being faithful servants of Christ. He emphasizes the importance of managing and working faithfully in the mysteries of God. The preacher refers to Ephesians 1:5, 9, and 10, highlighting the mystery of God's will and the purpose of summing up all things in Christ. The sermon also touches on the significance of having the testimony of Jesus and the need to truly possess it. The preacher concludes by referencing Revelation 1:17-18, emphasizing the power and authority of Jesus.

Will you please turn to 1 Corinthians, chapter 4, we'll read verses 1 and 2. 1 Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 1 and verse 2. Let a man so account of us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Here further it is sought in stewards that a man be found faithful. Let us pray. Dear Lord, as we gather here this morning, we sense thou hast brought us into thy inner chamber. And there we behold thy beauty. We partake of thy life. We enter into thy secret council. And there did thou, we have heard thy call. Come, take up thy stewardship of the mysteries of God in my household. O Lord, we answer thy call and come. We look at thee to reveal thy mind to us. We depend upon thy grace to enable us to be faithful and prudent stewards of thine. And for this end, we trust ourselves to thee. May thy will be done in our lives. May thy kingdom come. And may thy name be hallowed in the midst of thy home. We give thee all the glory. In the precious name of our Lord Jesus. Amen. I do hope that these two simple verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 will really be deeply inscribed upon each of our heart. Thank God for calling all of us. Not just the apostles. Not just a few. But all the redeemed of the Lord. All who have his life in them. All are called into the house of God. And to take part in the management of that house. Therefore brothers and sisters, we need to realize that each and every one of us is a steward. Not just a steward of any kind. But a steward of God's eternal purpose. Stewards of God's household. And stewards of God's estate. What an honor. And yet, what a responsibility. Yesterday morning we spoke especially on this matter of the steward. And this morning we want to look together into this matter of stewardship. Steward speaks of the person. The person who is called by God. To take part in the management of his interest. And we are all called into that. Even though we may have different gifts. Even though we are apportioned to different responsibilities. But let us remember one thing. That it is not just a single gift or a special appointment. A special work that we are involved with. We must remember that even though our gifts may be different. Our places in the house of God may be different. Our responsibility may be specific. And yet, we are all together as stewards in the household of God. In other words, we need a more comprehensive overall vision. Or understanding of what we are entrusted with. So this morning we would like to enter into this matter of stewardship. Steward speaks of the person. Stewardship speaks of the responsibility. We are all stewards. We are all in stewardship. But we need to understand. What is our stewardship? Or to put it in another way. What is it that God has entrusted to us? Is it just a specific work of one kind? Is it that we are all serving God in each our own way? Faithful, maybe, in that particular area. But we forget that we are all involved in one stewardship. There is an overall understanding that we must have. Otherwise, we will be each doing our own work. We may be faithful to that particular work. But it is just all separated, individual, independent, not related, not together. So I feel, brothers and sisters, that we need to have a real understanding of what the stewardship is. The Apostle Paul tells us that we are stewards of the mysteries of God. Now, brothers and sisters, this is what our stewardship is. Our stewardship is not our particular gift. Our stewardship is not our particular work. Our stewardship is the mysteries of God. It is something far greater, far comprehensive than what we usually think. Brothers and sisters, when we talk about fellowship, stewardship, what is your real understanding? We are all familiar with Matthew 28, that great commission. You remember then when our Lord Jesus, before he left, he gave us a great commission. He said, all power has been given me in heaven and upon earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name, to the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things, whatever I have enjoined you. And behold, I am with you all the days, until the completion of the age. When you read this great commission, what is your understanding? I think to most people, when we hear of this great commission that our Lord Jesus has committed the church to do, we usually think of evangelism. Go to the nations, evangelize them. Bring them into the salvation of the Lord. That is the great commission. And thank God, throughout the generations, the centuries, for two centuries, we find the church has been trying to fulfill that great commission. We feel that we are called to go to the nations, evangelizing them. Bring them out of hell into heaven. And now, our stewardship is done. Thank God for that. I can never thank God enough for the missionaries that came to China and bring the glad tidings to us. It is great. It is necessary. It is important. But brothers and sisters, if you read very carefully this great commission, you will find there is not a word about evangelizing. That doesn't mean that evangelizing is not important. It is very important. Because without that, how can you disciple all nations? But that is the beginning. Thank God that the church has heard and has undertaken the great commission at its beginning. And for this, we are most thankful. But everybody who reads this great commission can see that it is far much more than just evangelizing. The Lord said, go to the nations. Disciple all nations. You know, when our Lord Jesus was on earth, he preached the kingdom of God. Believe him, and you shall be saved. Born from above, and you shall enter into the kingdom of God. But at the same time, you find while he was preaching, he called for disciples. He was discipling the nations. What is discipling? It simply means follow him. Learn of him. To be like him. Not just saved, but saved to be like him. Taking up his character upon them. Grow up into sons. That is what discipling means. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Why is it baptism is so important? It is important because this is the beginning of true discipleship. It is the door by which you enter into being disciples of our Lord Jesus. You know, in the old days, we do not have schools like we have today. So when you want to learn something, you have to be an apprentice. And if you are an apprentice, you do not stay at home. You leave all your old environment behind. You leave your home, you leave your family, you leave your past. And you stay with your master. To be one of the master's family. And usually during the first year, if you are going to learn carpentry, your master will not even let you touch the instruments. He will ask you to hold his baby. He will ask you to serve him at his meal. He will ask you to sweep the floor and do all these things. It seems as if there is nothing to do with what you are trying to come and learn. It is only gradually he will allow you to touch the instrument and teach you something. Why? Because he is to disciple you. Not only to teach you his skill, that is secondary. He is to teach you how to behave. How to be a man. That is the most important thing. So you know oftentimes after you have been with your master for three years or more, you not only learn all his skills, you become a master carpenter. But you learn his way. Oftentimes you walk like your master. You talk like your master. You think like your master. You are almost like a duplicate of your master. Then you are graduated. And dear brothers and sisters, that is the way of Christ with us. He saved us in order to disciple us. Come and follow me. And then you find the disciples that left everything and followed him. They were with him day and night. Heard him. Watch him. Stay with him. Abide with him. And it all begins with our being baptized to the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Dear brothers and sisters, what is baptism? Baptism is not just a ritual. Some people ask the question, if I believe in the Lord Jesus and saved, what else is needed? The water will never cleanse me from our sins. It is the blood of the Lord Jesus. So why should I be baptized? But baptism is important. Because baptism tells us that all our past was dead, buried. And now I rise up from the water, being alive in Christ Jesus. I'm being delivered from my past. It is no longer I. It is Christ who lives in me. So that's the beginning. But only in that way you're able to be taught of all the things that our Lord Jesus said he has enjoined us. Otherwise, if he were trying to teach you anything, you have your own idea. And you will say, my idea is better. I will stick to my former ways. You will never learn. You have to be dead to the past. Dead to yourselves. Completely new. Walk in newness of life. With a new mind. Transformed. And that's how you can be taught. And you can learn. And you can really be like Christ. And our Lord Jesus said, I will be with you to the end of the ages. So when you read the Great Commission, what is the Great Commission that he has given to the church? Why is it? We must be discipled. Why is it that we must be baptized? Why is it that we must learn all that he has taught us? Why? For what purpose? The Lord said, you are Peter. On this rock, I will build my church. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. You are a little stone. A piece of the rock. Now you have life in you. And you need to be built upon me. And built with other small stones. Into my house. Into my church. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. So what is the Great Commission? The Great Commission is that we are called to take up the stewardship of the mysteries of God. This is our Great Commission. Anything less than that is below, is short of the eternal purpose of God. So dear brothers and sisters, when we come into this matter of stewardship, I think first of all, we need to realize what a stewardship that is. He so loves us, he commits himself totally to us. In a way, our God, our Lord, is not just committing a little bit of his to us. He has committed himself totally to us. All the mysteries of God. All the secrets of God. All that are in the very heart of God. All that God has according to his good pleasure, purpose, even the foundation of the world. All that he has working throughout the time. All that he's aiming at. All that is what he wants to. He commits to the church. He commits to us. His commitment is total. And our stewardship is total. So dear brothers and sisters, we need a larger vision. Somebody asked me the question, if I know what my gift is, if I'm faithful to the gift that God has given me, if I am doing my bit of work as I understand it, do I still need vision? Do I still need a larger understanding? Certainly you do. Otherwise, what you are doing is independent, is individual. It is not serving the whole counsel of God. So it is absolutely important, dear brothers and sisters, that when we come to this matter of stewardship, first of all, we need an understanding. Even though we are doing our little bit, but that little bit is not isolated. It's not a work by itself. It is not about our objective. It is a part of the greater plan of God. It is a part in the eternal purpose of God. It is a part of the mysteries of God. Now if you see it, I wonder how you will react. Do you see that we are involved in something so immense, so eternal, so spiritual, so all-inclusive? Even the mysteries of God have been entrusted to us. We are to keep, we are to possess, we are to serve, we are to fulfill, to realize. What a stewardship that is. Do not think that it is a little bit of work that God has entrusted to you. Even though it may be small in human eyes, but it is a part of the mysteries of God that God has entrusted to the Church and to each and every one of us. So dear brothers and sisters, first of all, we need to ask the Lord to really open our understanding. Grant us the spirit of wisdom and revelation that we may really know Him. Without that, all our works will be in vain. We may think we are serving God, but we may be like Saul of Tarsus, doing God a great disservice. Not until on the road to Damascus he saw the Lord and that changed his ministry. So this morning we would like to go into this matter of the stewardship of the mysteries of God. You notice here that Apostle Paul talked about the mysteries of God. It simply means God's secrets. God has called us into His inner chamber and there He will reveal His secrets to us. He has many secrets, but all these secrets are related. And this morning we would like to share a little bit on the fourfold secret of God. Four aspects of the mysteries of God to which we have all been called to manage, to keep, and to work faithfully in them. First of all, will you please turn to Ephesians, the letter to the Ephesians, Ephesians 1, verse 5, 9, and verse 10. Ephesians 1, verses 9 and 10. And having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself for the administration of the fullness of time, to head up, to sum up all things in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth. And also Colossians, chapter 2. Colossians, chapter 2, verses 2 and 3. To the end, that their hearts may be encouraged, being united together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of the understanding to the full knowledge of the mystery of God. And in a number of manuscripts, follows with the mystery of God, even Christ, notably Christ, in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge. What is the mystery of God? We are clearly being told the secret of God is none other but Christ. Christ is the mystery of God. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily and we are complete in Him. In other words, if you want to know God, know Jesus. If you do not know Christ, you will never know God. God is the greatest unknown, the greatest mystery. You may search for Him, but you cannot find Him. He is so infinite. He is so immense, so higher, that is beyond any human mind, any search by man. You remember our Lord Jesus said, no one knows the Father but the Son. No one knows the Son but the Father. No one knows the Father but the Son and to whom the Son has revealed Him. God is the greatest mystery in the universe, but one day that secret is out. The Word became flesh, tabernacle among man, full of grace and truth. No one has ever seen God, but He, the Son, has declared Him. All that you want to know about God is in Christ Jesus. Outside of Him, there is no knowledge of God. Philip said to the Lord, show us the Father and it suffices us and we are satisfied. And you know what our Lord said? He must say it with a very sad tone. Philip, you have seen me, you have been with me for so long, and you still haven't seen the Father? Do you not know that the Father is in me and I'm in the Father? If you see me, you see the Father. That's the only place you can know God. The mystery is here. Dear brothers and sisters, everything you want to know about God, you'll find it in Christ. If you try to find God outside of Christ, you're lost. That is what the Colossian believers, they believe in the Lord Jesus, they want to be complete, they want to be full, and they were being led to something other than Christ, Christ plus, and they lost it. Our Christ is one whom we need to know throughout our life, and life is too short for that. Even in eternity, we are continuing learning Christ because he is the infinite one. There is no end to it. Are you satisfied with the Christ that you know? As our brother Sparks often say, you make Christ little. As if you're able to comprehend him, he is far beyond every one of us. There's always something more to learn of him because God is infinite, and he trusts this mystery to the church. We who receive the stewardship of the mystery of God, what is it that we are really managing today? If you were here in this morning prayer time, our brother mentioned this matter of the testimony of Jesus, and this is what it is, because Christ is the mystery of God, and God commit the testimony of Jesus to the church. We are here to bear witness to Christ Jesus. The Lord said, you have been with me for so long. When the Holy Spirit comes, he shall bear witness of me, and you too shall bear me witness. So we are the holder, as it were, of the testimony of Jesus. Now when you come to the book of Revelation, you find again and again it is said the testimony of Jesus. John, the apostle, he was exiled to the island of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus, and throughout the ages, you will find people who have the testimony of Jesus. Even the whole prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. We have the testimony of Jesus. Now do we really have it? We are supposed to have it, but do we really have it? What is the testimony of Jesus? The whole Bible is the testimony of Jesus. And let us try to condense it, maybe, into one or two sentences. So will you please turn with me to Revelation, chapter 1? Revelation, chapter 1, verses 17 and 18. John on the island of Patmos had a vision of the risen Lord. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not, I am the first and the last and the living one. And I became dead, and behold, I am living to the ages of ages and have the keys of death and of Hades. This is the testimony that our Lord Jesus testifies of himself. He said, I'm the first and the last and the living one. That refers to the past, to eternity. He is the first, and he is the last. He is the first in the sense that he is the beginning of all things. He is the last in the sense that he is the end, the aim of all things. He must have the preeminence. In all things. All things come by him, through him, and to him. That is what he is. And he is the living one. In other words, he is life. Before him, there was no life. Outside of him, there is no life. He is the living one. The only one who lives forevermore. Brothers and sisters, this is what our Lord Jesus, his testimony is. Now, is this true to us? Is he the first in our life? It is easy to say, Lord, you are the first. But is it true? Is it ourselves the first? Me first? My family first? My interest first? Or even my church first? Who is really the first in your life? Who begins everything in what you do? Does he have the preeminence in your life? In my life? Do we allow him to begin everything? Or we begin something and ask for his approval? He is the first. And he is the last. Not the last one, but the final one. Everything ends up with him. It is for him. For his glory. Not for ourselves. Who has the testimony of Jesus? The one who really allows Christ to be the first. And to be the last. And all within. And one who really knows him as the living one. Live by his life. Now that is the testimony of Jesus. The testimony of Jesus is not just a word. There is a power. There is a reality behind the word. Therefore in Revelation chapter 12, they overcome Satan. By the blood of the lamb. They are not perfect. But they know the blood of the lamb. The power of the precious blood of our Lord Jesus. And the word of their testimony. Because behind their word is the reality. That Christ is the first. And the last in their life. And they live by the life of Christ. So that word has power to overcome Satan. That is from eternity. To the time that our Lord Jesus came into this world. And he said, behold, I became dead. The living one became dead. How can it be? Because the word became flesh. And tabernacle of man. He came to be the son of man. A new beginning. And he came for the purpose of dying on the cross. On our behalf. He came to die. In order that we may live. That is what he did. And that is what we have experienced. And then, behold, I am living to the ages of ages. He is resurrected. Hallelujah. He has gone into death. Raw death of his power. Came out victorious. In resurrection. And he lives forever and forever. Do we know him? Know the power of his resurrection. Overcoming everything. And he holds the keys of death and Hades. The gates of Hades shall not prevail against the church. Dear brothers and sisters, this is the testimony of Jesus. And this is the testimony that has been entrusted to us. We are the custodian. We are the management. We are here to see to it. That we ourselves are in it. Faithful. Prudent. And that many more may be brought into that same testimony. Now this is the stewardship of the mystery. Number two. Will you please turn to Ephesians chapter three. Ephesians chapter three. We read from verse nine to eleven. And to enlighten all with the knowledge of what is the administration of the mystery. Hidden throughout the ages in God. Who has created all things. In order that now to the principalities and authorities. In the heavenlies. Might be made known. Through the church. The all various wisdom of God. According to the purpose of the ages. Which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. The mystery of God is Christ. The stewardship is the testimony of Jesus. The mystery of Christ. As we find in chapter three verse four. Paul said by reading it you can understand my intelligence. In the mystery of the Christ. So what is the mystery of Christ? The mystery of Christ is the church. If you want to know Christ. There is only one way to know Christ. Know Christ through the church. Just as you are not able to know God. Except through Christ Jesus. It is all exclusive. And inclusive. The same thing is true. How will the world know about Christ? Through the church. The church. Opens up. The mystery of Christ. That the whole world may know who Christ is. And that is the reason why the church. Is called the Christ. You find in first Corinthians chapter 12. Verse 12. First Corinthians chapter 12. Verse 12. For even as the body is one. And has many members. And all the members of the body being many. Are one body. So also is the Christ. Now we often think. By the description of this verse. The body is one and has many members. Many members yet one body. We will say so also is the church. And that's true. It is the church. The church is the body of Christ. It's one. And yet many members. Even though there are so many members. It's one body. Under one head. Christ Jesus. But the spirit of God said. So also is the church. Because the church is the Christ. In other words. The church is none other. But Christ himself. In all of us. It is like when God prepared. A bride for Adam. Adam couldn't find his bride. In any of the living creatures. No matter how intelligent. How big. He couldn't find anyone. So God said. I will make him a helpmate. His life. Don't put him to sleep. Out of his sight. He took out something. And with that something out of Adam. He made Eve. And when Eve was brought to Adam. Immediately Adam recognized. This is me. Bone of my bone. Flesh of my flesh. Brothers and sisters. It's a type. The anti-type is Christ and the church. When our Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross. The soldier came. Threw his spear. Threw his sight. Into his heart. And out of the broken heart. The last bit. Of blood. And water. And John said. I witnessed it. And my witness is true. Why? Because. Out of the blood of our Lord Jesus. Out of the life of our Lord Jesus. He made. His bride. His body. His bride. Coming. Brothers and sisters. We are entrusted. With this mystery. We are here on earth. With a mission. With a trust. From God himself. To build a church. That is. Our mission. We are to see. That the body of Christ. Is being built. It is not a matter of our personal spirituality. God does not want monuments. He wants a house. He does not want individual giants. He wants a body. The body of Christ. And it is. Our responsibility. To allow the Holy Spirit to use us. To build. That body. So what is. The stewardship? If you read Ephesians chapter four. You will find. We are to. Keep diligently. The unity of the spirit. In the uniting bond. Of peace. We need to fellowship. With one another. In spite of differences. We need to be. Under the headship of Christ. Hold fast the head. That all the members. May be united together. And minister. One to another. For the building up of the body. In love. This is. Our stewardship. Of the mystery. Of Christ. And dear brothers and sisters. Are we fulfilling it? Are we faithful. And prudent. Stewards. Of God's household. Number three. First Timothy. Chapter three. First Timothy. Chapter three. Verses. Fifteen and sixteen. Paul said. I delay in order. That I may know how. One ought to conduct himself. In God's house. Which is. The church of the living God. The pillar. And base of the truth. And confessedly. The mystery of piety. Or the mystery of godliness. Is great. God. In the original there is. Not that word God. It is who. Who has been justified. In the spirit. Has appeared to angels. Has been preached among the nations. Has been believed on in the world. And has been received. Up to glory. The third aspect. Of the mystery of God. Is the mystery of godliness. What is godliness? Godliness simply means. Like God. We have the life of God. In us. And it is the will of God. That life. Should grow. That life. Should grow more and more. Into conformity. To the image. Of God's beloved son. This is. What the church is. This is. Our testimony. And you know as you read. These two verses. Most people. Think. Why is it that the translator. Put the word God in it. Because in the original. It is just who. And they do not know who this is. And if you read. Read on. You will find who. Except God himself. That's true. But if you really read. The preceding verse. What is the antecedent. Of verse 16. The mystery of godliness is great. What is that mystery of godliness. God is God. There is. Nothing strange. Being godly. But here you find. The mystery. Of godliness. Why the mystery. Because. It was something unknown before. Impossible. But now made possible. So what is. The mystery of godliness. If you read. The former verse. Talk about the church. The church is the mystery. Of godliness. And if you read. All the description there. Manifested. In flesh. The church is heavenly. In nature. But it is manifested. In flesh. Upon this earth. Has been justified. In the spirit. It is the spirit. In one spirit. We were baptized. Into one body. Where the Jews are Gentiles. And were all made to drink. Of one spirit. Has appeared. To angels. The angels look at the church. And wonder. They learn from the church. To all various wisdom of god. What god has done. In this. Group of. Lord and angels. Men. And god can make them. Like christ. Isn't that marvelous. Has been preached. Among the nations. Now we will say. You don't preach the church. If you preach the church. You get the cross. We preach christ. And you get the church. But thank god. So far as the world is concerned. The world. Should know what the church is. Has been believed on. In the world. In the early church. You find. People looking. At the church. And said who are they. They are christians. They are attracted. And they believe. Has been received. Up to glory. The church is here. In the wilderness. On a journey. We are going. To glory. Brothers. And sisters. This is the mystery. Of godliness. And this is entrusted. To us. How are we. Going to fulfill. The trust. In first timothy. Chapter four. Verses. Eight and nine. Exercise. Thyself. Unto godliness. For bodily exercise. Is profitable for a little. But godliness. Is profitable for everything. Having promise of life. Of the present one. And of that to come. The word is faithful. And worthy. Of all. Acceptation. Brothers and sisters. How can we. Fulfill the trust. Responsibility. Managing. This mystery. Of godliness. Unless. We exercise. Godliness. In our daily life. We know how to exercise. Our physical body. We are being. Told. Again and again. How important it is. That we should exercise. For our health. For our well being. But the bible said. Yes. It profits us. But a little. But exercise godliness. Is not only for now. But for eternity. Brothers and sisters. How can we exercise. Godliness. By cooperating. With the holy spirit. The holy spirit. Within us. Teaches us. In all things. And if we obey. The teaching of the anointing. Within us. We abide in christ. By abiding in christ. We become like him. This is our responsibility. We must do it. And finally. The fourth aspect. Ephesians chapter 6. Verse 19. And for me. In order that utterance may be given to me. In the opening of my mouth. To make known with boldness. The mystery. Of the glad tidings. And then colossians chapter 1. We read from verse 24. Now I rejoice in suffering for you. And I feel of that which is behind. Of the tribulations of christ. In my flesh. For his body which is the church. Of which I became minister. According to the dispensation. Of god. Which has given me towards you to complete. The word of god. The mystery which has been hidden. From ages and from generations. But has now been made manifest. To his saints. To whom god will make known. What are the riches of the glory. Of this mystery among the nations. Which is christ in you. The hope of glory. Whom we announce. As admonishing every man. And teaching every man. In all wisdom to the end. That we may present. Every man perfect in christ. Where unto also. I talk. Combating according to his working. Which works in me. In power. There is the mystery. Of the glad tidings. The mystery of the gospel. People never have thought. Of the gospel. That god has prepared for man. It is beyond man's understanding. Even to man they think it's foolishness. It's weakness. But to us. The cross. Is the wisdom of god. The power of god. Wonderful. And christ in you. The hope of glory. Brothers and sisters. These are. The various aspects. Of the mysteries. Of god. And god's soul. Loves us. He has such faith. In us. That he entrusts. All. To us. What a responsibility. Who can. Fulfill this task. Thank god. We cannot. But he can. This is where grace. Comes in. It is a mystery. God's grace. Is so immense. So manifold. So complete. That he's able. To work. In us. All that he has. Entrusted us. To god be the glory. Amen. Dear lord. We bow in worship. That thou should have such. Faith. In us. Because thou has faith. In thyself. Lord. We are unworthy. But thy love. Has constrained us. We are willing. Use us. To fulfill. Thy eternal purpose. We ask in thy name.