Four Principles of Stewardship
1. God owns everything, you own nothing
2. God entrusts you with everything you have
3. You can either increase or diminish what God has given; He wants you to increase it
4. God can call you into account at any time, and it may be today
Psalm 24:1 - The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.
Ephesians 4:6 - …one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Leviticus 25:23 - The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.
1 Chronicles 29:11b - …indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.
3 perspectives to help us be reliable servants of God
I. Embrace Your Position as Steward
1 Corinthians 1:10-13 - Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
1 Corinthians 4:1 - Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
A. The meaning of the word
steward – oikonomos
B. A well-known concept to students in Scripture – cf. Eleazar in Genesis 24
1. He was charged/entrusted with his master’s goods
2. He was given significant responsibility
3. He wanted to know his master’s will
4. He was counting on and asking for divine enablement to help him do his job well
5. He attributed praise to his master’s name
C. The significance of it being used with the Corinthians
1. For those aligning themselves with various leaders
2. For those struggling with pride
1 Corinthians 4:7 - For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
D. A challenge for each of us
II. Anticipate Your Judgement as a Steward
A. Beware of potentially inaccurate judgments
1. From other people
1 Corinthians 4:3 - But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court…
2. Even from yourself
1 Corinthians 4:3 - But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.
1 Corinthians 4:4 - For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.
B. The core issue is, and will be, our motivation
1 Corinthians 4:5 - Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.
1 Corinthians 3:13 - …each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.
III. Accept Your Responsibility as Steward
A. Because it is one of our core requirements
1 Corinthians 4:2 - …that one be found trustworthy…
2 Timothy 4:9-10 - Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
2 Timothy 4:14 - Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
1 Corinthians 4:17 - For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.
B. Because in so doing, we mirror an essential aspect of the character of our God
Lamentations 3:22-23 - The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
C. Because our Savior stands ready to help us be like Him in this all-important way
Revelation 19:11 - And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
Revelation 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
1. God owns everything, you own nothing
2. God entrusts you with everything you have
1 Corinthians 4:2 - In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.
- a couple of weeks ago I had a reason to reflect on the many women and men who have been faithful members of our church for 30, 40, or in some cases more than 50 years…
- It was a simple decision – the moveable message feature on our sign at FE malfunctioned…and the pricing we received to have it replaced was a bit stunning…
- well, we didn’t have anything in our budget for that particular expense because it was unanticipated…
- on the other hand, we had quite a bit of money saved for a parking lot maintenance project this summer that didn’t actually happen because the contractor ran short on labor and supplies…
- so one easy solution would be to take the money from the parking lot account and use it to cover the cost of the sign repair…and then replenish those funds over time before they were needed next summer for the parking lot…
- but as soon as that thought ran through my mind, I was reminded of a lesson I was taught by Mike Hines, one of long-time members here…you can’t co-mingle funds…
- in other words…if funds have been saved for a particular purpose, our pastors and deacons have to approve any kind of transfer like that…which they subsequently did…
- so why was it that Mike Hines was in a position to teach a young pastor that lesson over 30 years ago?...
- it’s because for years, he was the volunteer treasurer at our church and handled all of our financial activity, paying the bills, running the payroll, reconciling the records, making the monthly reports…all the while being sure that an independent accounting firm reviewed all of his work once a year…
- so how was it that Mike Himes was in a position to serve in that way?...it’s because he worked as an internal auditor at Purdue…and he believed God had entrusted him with a mind for math and financial management, along with the necessary training and experience, and he wanted to be sure that he was being faithful to that trust…
- sometimes I think in a church like this, it’s possible for us to forget the people who have come before us who served behind the scenes in all sorts of ways…and who continue to do so even to this day…they just want to be faithful to the trust…
- I reached out to Mike and his wife Marilyn last week…
- because I knew they were members here when our family came 35 years ago…but I wanted to learn more about their story…and the more I dug into it, I thought – this is exactly what the NT anticipated about how churches should function and the kind of impact we should have in our communities…
- our church is 58 years old…we were started by Kossuth Street Baptist in 1964…
- 13 years later, Mike and Marilyn’s daughter Shelly – now Shelly Opperman
- was in the Brownies—a division of Girl Scouts—at Klondike grade school….
- there was also another girl in the group names Jennifer Fales…
- long-time members will immediately recognize that name, because Jim and Sharon Fales were faithful members of Faith – Jim served as a deacon…
- so the Hines and the Fales lived close to one another – so they car-pooled when their daughters went to one of the meetings…
- Shelly’s mom Marilyn reported that Jennifer’s mom Sharon “always wanted to talk about Jesus”…
- there’s something you’d like to be known for, btw
- the Fales had even invited the Hines to go to church with them….and they eventually agreed…
- so every Sunday morning, every Sunday evening, and every Wednesday night, the Fales would come and get the Hines and take them to church back when we located on South 18th Street…
- A few weeks later, a team of three people offered to come to the Hines home and talk with them about the gospel…
- again – old time members know exactly what that was…
- it was a visitation program called Evangelism Explosion…and the team consisted of Dianne (Carrol) Danchi, Bill Floyd, and Nancy (Worrell) Johansen.
- I realize that for many of you, those names don’t mean anything…for long-term members, those names bring back a flood of memories…
- that night the Hines were presented the gospel, and they placed their faith and trust in Christ…
- that was the fall of 1977, and they were baptized and joined the church in January of 1978…nearly 45 years ago…
- Mike and Marilyn made it very clear to me that I could only tell this story if all of the glory and honor went to the Lord…
- but I asked them to list the ways they’ve served at Faith over those 45 years…the list filled multiple pages….and is illustrative of so many people who call this church their home…
- one of many observations I could make about it is what I alluded to a moment ago…how much time Mike gave to helping manage the finances of our church…and that included handling the finances for the construction of our first FE building on 26 East when we relocated from South 18th Street…imagine that load…
- and then when Pastor Goode became the Executive Director of what is now the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors…who do you think became ACBC’s treasurer?...handing all of the finances for that organization as well?...for many, many years it was Mike Hines…
- someone whom God gifted with a mathematical mind, who had the training and experience necessary to function in that area of responsibility, and was willing (along with his entire family who had to sacrifice to make that kind of service possible) to faithfully use what had been entrusted to him in service for His Lord and Savior…
- with that in mind, I’d like to invite you to open your Bible this morning to 1 Corinthians 4:2…page 131 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…
- we’re in our second week of Stewardship Month…and I explained last Sunday that this year, we’ve decided to go back to the basics…to focus each week on the primary point behind each of the…
Four Principles of Stewardship
1. God owns everything, you own nothing.
2. God entrusts you with everything you have.
3. You can either increase or diminish what God has given; He wants you to increase it.
4. God can call you into account at any time, and it may be today.
- So we started by talking about Our God Who Owns Everything
- one of the things that struck me even though I’ve been studying these matters for 35 years is some of the profound verses in God’s Word that emphasize this theme…
- like:
- · Psalm 24:1 - The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.
- · Ephesians 4:6 - one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
- · Leviticus 25:23 - ‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.
- · 1 Chronicles 29:11b - …indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.
- this morning we’re moving to the second principle, focusing on…Learning to the be Faithful to the Trust
- I asked you to open your Bible to the book of 1 Corinthians which is a fascinating book of the Bible in part because this was by far the most immature church that received one of Paul’s letters, or epistles…you could have renamed them Hot-Mess Baptist and not been far off…
- a number of years ago we did a verse-by-verse exposition of the entire book and it took us the better part of a year…I hope we can do that again sometime but at my age, you start wondering about how many mores series you’ll have the privilege of participating in…
- but part of what’s so helpful about the study is that an amazing array of problems are addressed…which is very beneficial as we contemplate all the ways we need to grow…
- that’s why it’s surprising, and I even hope-filled, that embedded in all of this…is one of the principle passages in God’s Word about stewardship…
- and the upshot is – if the Corinthians could handle this message, and this challenge…well, practically anyone could…please follow along as I read…
- read 1 Corinthians 4:1-7
- so we’re talking about Learning to be Faithful to the Trust…and with the time we have remaining, let’s think about – 3 perspectives to help us be reliable servants of God
I. Embrace Your Position as Steward
- if you feel like you’ve been dropping right into the middle of a problem or an argument, that’s probably not too far from being the case…
- one of the problems in the Corinthian church was their lack of unity…well, that should pique our interest because it’s amazing how easily it is for people to divide up and start fighting/arguing about something…whether we’re talking about the family, the workplace, the neighborhood, or even the church…
- so Paul began to address this back in…
- 1 Corinthians 1:10–13 - Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
- so you could imagine what that might look like in our church – I’m of Greiner, I’m of Birk, I’m of Nitzschke…and others, I’m of Jesus…
- it’s amazing what people can divide up and fight about…
- and that could also become very tempting for the leaders…for Apollos, or Cephas, or Paul…to want to be the most popular teacher in the church…
- and that’s why Paul begins by saying -- 1 Corinthians 4:1 - Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
- in other words, we don’t want to be known as hot-shots…or people who are jockeying for position or applause…we’re simply servants…and stewards…
- that introduced a very important concept to these immature believers…
A. The meaning of the word
- the word steward is – oikonomenos
- oikos is the original word for house…the form in which it’s often used in the Bible could literally be translated as “housing one”…
- a person who was entrusted with a portion of the household while the master was away…or given an important task to accomplish on behalf of His master…
- let me ask you to hold your hand in 1 Corinthians – we’ll be back here in a couple of minutes…and look at an OT example of a steward that very well have been familiar to any of the Corinthians who had any kind of biblical background…I’m thinking about a named Eleazar in Genesis 24…page 16 of the front section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…
B. A well-known concept to students in Scripture – cf. Eleazar in Genesis 24
- Earlier, in Genesis 15:2, the KJV refers to Eleazar as Abraham’s steward.
- Genesis 24 tells about when Abraham sent Eleazar his steward to get a wife for his son Isaac.
- I’d like us to look at this passage to see the ways stewards operated.
- Let me point out five important characteristics of this man’s job.
- look at Genesis 24:2 - READ
- What does that verse tell us about this steward?
1) He was charged/entrusted with his master’s goods.
- let’s keep reading....read verses 3-4.
- What does that verse tell us about this steward?
2) He was given significant responsibility.
- This matter of finding a wife for Isaac was one of the most important issues there was to Abraham…With a mission that important, he trusted his steward.
- look what happens next: --- Read verse 5.
- What does that tell us about the steward?
3) He wanted to know his master’s will.
- He took this responsibility very seriously and he wanted to act in a way that was in concert with what the master would do if he were the one making the trip.
- look what happened in verse 12 --- READ
4) He was counting on and asking for divine enablement to help him do his job well.
- one more point from this text --- look down at verse 34
- This is where Eleazar is meeting with Rebekah and her parents....
- it’s interesting the way Eleazar describes himself, and the way he describes his master.
- read verses 34-35
5) He attributed praise to his master’s name.
- He didn’t say -- I’m Eleazar, and I’m really a big shot because I’m the master’s right hand man.....and I’m worthy to be trusted for this important mission.....
- No, this was not about the steward, it was about the master.
- Just like John the Baptist would later say -- “he must increase, and I must decrease.”
- So what have we learned from this OT example of stewardship?
1) He was entrusted with his master’s goods.
2) He was given significant responsibility.
3) He wanted to know His master’s will.
4) He asked for divine help to get the job done.
5) He attributed praise to his master, not himself.
- Now it’s important for us to plug that information back into our text in Luke 12.
- When Paul told the Corinthians that he was a steward, at least for any of them that knew their Bibles or were just familiar with customs like they all surely would have been…they wouldn’t have thought about the guy on the airplane or the busboy at the restaurant (not that’s there’s anything wrong with those jobs)....
- they would have, or should have thought about a man like Eleazar ---- the steward ---- the one who had been given an important trust from his master
C. The significance of it being used with the Corinthians
1. For those aligning themselves with various leaders
- unity is found when everyone is focused on the Lord Jesus Christ…and we just consider ourselves and one-another as simply servants and stewards…
- so there’s no reason to want to be elevated, or to elevate someone else…
- we’re just common, redeemed people who have been given an important trust…
- there’s also help here…
2. For those struggling with pride
- 1 Corinthians 4:7 - For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
- you could make the argument that stewardship month is an opportunity for us, annually, to humble ourselves…
D. A challenge for each of us
- We would encourage everyone to pause this week and make a mental or physical list of what God has entrusted to us as individuals and as a church…
- what this second principle of stewardship affirms is true – God entrusts us with everything we have…
- now, what else do we see in this text?...
- we’ll develop it more fully when we get to the 4th principle in a couple of weeks, but there’s no doubt that it’s right here in this passage…
II. Anticipate Your Judgement as a Steward
- stewardship month only works well if we’re using the right “measuring stick” as we make our evaluations…
- and there are actually a couple of landmines identified here…
A. Beware of potentially inaccurate judgments
- From other people
- 1 Corinthians 4:3 - But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court…
- that is an amazing statement…but remember, it would appear that there are some people in the church that want to put Paul on a pedestal…and Paul’s going to have nothing to do with that…
- we also know, especially from we read in the book of 2 Corinthians, which is by far Paul’s most personal epistle, where he “opens his heart wide” (he says) to the Corinthians…that there were plenty of people trying to tear him down unfairly and discredit his apostleship…
- that he wasn’t going to allow flawed human judgement to have too significant an impact on how he evaluated his faithfulness to the trust he has received from the Lord…
- now we have to be very careful there – because we want to be open to confrontation…and to encouragement for that matter…
- but there is such a thing as developing some level of holy indifference, at least in the sense of not allowing any human evaluation to surpass what the Lord might say according to His Word…
- and then Paul even says…beware of potentially inaccurate judgments…
2. Even from yourself
- 1 Corinthians 4:3 - But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.
- now why would Paul say that?...maybe because of the self-awareness that we may not even judge ourselves properly…and that could be on either extreme, couldn’t it?...
- some are way too hard on themselves…others way too easy…which is why even says…
- 1 Corinthians 4:4 - For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.
- which is why we need massive doses of the Word of God…so we greater insight into the way he evaluates our faithfulness to the trust…
- and if you say – why is this so challenging – can’t we just measure all our good works with a scale or a tape measure?...
B. The core issue is, and will be, our motivation
- 1 Corinthians 4:5 - Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.
- that’s both a comfort, and a challenge, all rolled into one, isn’t it?...
- time doesn’t allow us today to look back at chapter 3…but verses 10-15 are all about the judgment seat of Christ…and how as believers, we will someday give an account – not for our salvation (that’s secure because of the finished work of Jesus), but for our stewardship…
- and the trial is by fire…as verse 13 affirms…1 Corinthians 3:13 - each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.
- Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe used to like to say – as a Christian, I don’t fear the fire of hell, but I certainly fear the fire of heaven…
- the pending Judgment Seat of Christ can and should cause us to evaluate our faithfulness to what has been entrusted to us
- so, where does this leave us?...
III. Accept Your Responsibility as Steward
A. Because it is one of our core requirements
- v. 2 – “that one be found trustworthy”
- that’s the key question behind this second key principle…if God entrusts you with everything you have, are you growing in your faithfulness to the trust?
- you know, there were a number of people in Paul’s life who weren’t…and sometimes he names them by name…
- 2 Timothy 4:9–10 - Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
- 2 Timothy 4:14 - Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
- but please compare that to what we read at the end of the chapter before us…
- 1 Corinthians 4:17 - For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.
- you could draw a straight line between 1 Cor. 4:2 and 1 Cor. 4:17 – it’s required in stewards that a man be found faithful, and by God’s grace, Timothy was that kind of steward…
- Can I ask you to evaluate how you’re doing in this area?...
- on a scale of 1-10, how do you think you’re doing at the matter of being faithful to what God has entrusted?...
- how would those who know you best answer that?
- how would your Savior answer that?...
B. Because in so doing, we mirror an essential aspect of the character of our God
- every step we take to becoming more faithful, is a step we take to glorifying our God…and that’s especially true when we’re faithful to forgive…
- Lamentations 3:22–23 - The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
- I realize that you could be here and would say – I’m a long way from faithfulness to God in many areas of life…that could reveal that you don’t yet know the Lord…
- but here’s the good news…
C. Because our Savior stands ready to help us be like Him in this all-important way
- the book of Revelation contains many pictures of our Lord Jesus Christ…and one of theme is:
- Revelation 19:11 - And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
- that’s the same Savior who said…Revelation 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
- just like that EE team led Mike and Marilyn Hines to do 45 years ago, if you’ve never trusted Christ as savior and Lord before…you could do that today…and begin a journey of growing faithfulness…
- Christians friend – if the Scripture has revealed one or more ways where you need to grow in faithfulness, don’t be discouraged by that – God’s mercies are new…every morning…great is His faithfulness…
- I don’t know about you, but I’ve had more than my share of times where I wasn’t faithful to what had been entrusted to me…
- I think I’ve mentioned a time or two that in college and graduate school, I built in-ground swimming pools…
- the way I worked the transportation was that my dad and I purchased a pick-up truck together…I used it in the summer for work, and then when I went back to school, he drove it the rest of the year…
- at some point, he even bough this little camper top to go on the back…
- the summer between my junior and senior year of college was by far the worst…we just had all kinds of problems, especially with the weather…
- so we were working up in the northern suburbs of Chicago…and my dad let us take the camper up there and just go from campground to campground where our jobs were which generally lasted about a week, and that helped us save money on housing…of course that came with the normal…just take good care of it…
- well, we had time for one last job before we had to go back to school…and we actually went to the customer’s house to check out the jobsite…
- and it was a long, narrow, fenced in lot…and they asked us about the camper…and then they said…why don’t you just camp in our back yard and save even more money…
- so that’s what we did…we drove to very back of their yard…off-loaded the camper…brought the excavator in the next day and dug the pool closer the house…and then it started raining, and raining, and raining…
- that yard was a huge mud-hole, and we were stuck living there for days…
- it got so bad that all the seniors were supposed to be back to school a few days early to take our senior Bible comprehensive exam…which you had to pass to graduate…
- not only did I not pass – I missed the exam entirely…because I was stuck in some customer’s muddy backyard in NW Chicago…
- finally it dried up enough to finish the job…but we had about 2 truckloads of tools that had to be hauled back to IN, a 2.5 drive each way…then we had to take the camper back…
- we were tired…everything was still wet and muddy…
- and we were throwing wood for our concrete forms in the bed of the truck and one of them skidded up and went right through the back window of the pickup truck…
- I was pretty sure my dad wasn’t going to be too happy about that…but what choice did I have…
- so we took that load back to IN…drove back to Chicago and thought---we have one more complete round trip with the rest of the tools…and then the camper…
- unless we put the camper on now, and load it up with the tools…
- so we try to drive the truck back past the new pool to get to the camper…and it’s too muddy…there’s mud all over the truck and the tires are just spinning…
- so we got a bunch of guys and tried to lift the camper…it was just too heavy…
- so one of our crew members had the bright idea of laying out 2x4’s like train tracks, putting the bottom on the camper on wooden fence posts…and rolling it out like they did with the pyramids…
- and believe it or not…that worked…but it got so much mud on that camper, it looked terrible…
- then we hoisted it up on the muddy truck…and then just started taking out remaining wet, muddy construction tools and loading them inside the camper…
- by now it’s dark…we’re exhausted…so I drove back to my house…thinking, there’s no way I’m going to try to unload this and clean it up tonight…I’ll just wake up early in the morning and do it before my dad wakes up…
- let’s just say – the alarm clock didn’t go off – or I didn’t hear – or honestly, I probably did even set it…
- but when I woke up, I went out to the driveway…and my dad was standing there…
- he was not an angry man…he didn’t yell at me…and to some degree I think he understood the situation
- but I still remember that look – I trusted you…and you weren’t faithful to the trust…
- I know this – that felt terrible…and I for sure don’t want my heavenly father to have reason to think about me in those terms…
- let’s benefit from these first 2 principles of stewardship…
1. God owns everything, you own nothing.
2. God entrusts you with everything you have.
- by the way, since I’m notorious for not finishing my stories…the Bible College was kind enough to allow me to take my Bible Comps at a different time, after charging me a pretty hefty fine for the privilege of doing so…
- then in the providence of God…that winter I got a call from my dad…and he said, son, you know that truck that you got all muddy…I was pulling into a gas station today, and took the turn too tight, caught the passenger door on the end of a guardrail, and practically ripped the door off…
- we had a good laugh about that one…I suppose there’s a lesson in there somewhere…
- but I know there’s a lesson in 1 Corinthians 4:2 - In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.
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