I Thessalonians 2:4 “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.”
In this passage, we see that Paul’s main concern in giving out the Gospel out was his testimony (I Thessalonians 2:3-13). He was interested in how he spoke, not just in what he spoke. The Gospel was the message; Paul was simply the messenger. But how did Paul view the Gospel?
Verse 4 says, “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel. . . .” Verse 13 adds, “. . . when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God. . . .” What Paul had-the Gospel-belonged to God! That truth is what fueled his concern about his testimony in verses 3-13!
Recently, I was preparing for a trip to the West, and it occurred to me how much one church was investing in one short week. While the trip included airfare, lodging, meals, and time, it was all for the purpose of preaching the Bible to adults and young people. In a sense, I was a steward of what this church entrusted to me for the week!
The same thing is true with what you have and what you do every day. Everything you have belongs to God. Everything you have is a stewardship. This means that laziness, wastefulness, and bad attitudes are a serious offense to the One who gave everything to us!
The Ranch is not mine; it is the Lord’s. The buildings, the horses, the equipment-it all belongs to Him. That makes what I do with them mightily important! The reason God has given all these things is for the most important stewardship we have-the Gospel. How are you doing with the stewardship you’ve been given?
Prayer Requests:
1. Protection and provision for staff
2. Salvation of unsaved teen, junior, and deaf campers
3. Praise-31 campers saved last week!
Camp Quote:
“What on your ‘to-do’ list will make it into eternity?”
-Evangelist John Goetsch