Family on Mission
Have you ever stopped to consider that everything you have isn't really yours? Your home, your car, your bank account, even your next breath—none of it belongs to you. It all belongs to God. This isn't meant to be discouraging news; it's actually incredibly liberating. When we understand that we're not owners but stewards, everything about how we live changes.
The Call to Stewardship
In Ephesians chapter 3, Paul introduces a profound concept: the administration of God's grace. The word "steward" might sound old-fashioned, but it captures something essential about our relationship with God. A steward in ancient times was a household manager—someone entrusted with the master's resources but not their owner.
The Greek word for this concept comes from "oikos" (house) and "nomos" (law/management). A steward wasn't the property owner; they were the trusted manager of someone else's estate. They oversaw finances, resources, and even other servants, all on behalf of the true owner.
This is precisely our position before God. We are managers of the family business, but we don't make the rules. We don't own the grace we've received. We didn't invent salvation. We certainly didn't earn the cross of Calvary. All of this belongs to God, and we are simply called to administer what He has given us.
Grace: The Ultimate Unearned Gift
Grace is perhaps the clearest evidence that Christianity isn't a human invention. Think about it: mercy means not getting what you deserve, but grace means getting what you don't deserve. This goes against every human instinct.
How many of us walk around freely giving people things they haven't earned? We don't naturally operate this way. Yet God does. He lavishes upon us blessings we could never merit—salvation, forgiveness, purpose, and countless daily gifts like health, time, and relationships.
As stewards of this grace, we're tasked with sharing it and distributing it to those around us. This is what we call sharing the gospel. And as stewards, we must be faithful. First Corinthians 4:2 reminds us that "it is required that managers must be found faithful."
Would you trust a bank manager who constantly took money for personal use? Of course not. The steward must be consistent and trustworthy with what God has given.
Feeding the Household
Part of faithful stewardship involves making sure everyone in the household gets their proper portion at the right time. Luke 12:42 asks, "Who then is the faithful and sensible manager his master will put in charge of his household service to give them their allotted food at the proper time?"
Spiritually speaking, this means everyone needs to be fed. Just as physical starvation leads to death, spiritual starvation does the same. If you stop eating physically, you'll eventually die. The same is true spiritually. Without regular spiritual nourishment, we atrophy, weaken, and lose our ability to function as God intends.
How do we receive our portion? Through studying God's Word, through prayer, through spending time with Him. But there's another crucial element: we need each other. We're not meant to be isolated believers. We're part of a body, and we feed off one another.
Consider what happens when a hand is severed from the body. Modern medicine can sometimes reattach it if you act quickly enough. But what if you wait six months? The hand is dead. It can never be reattached and made functional again. When we're cut off from the body of Christ, we die spiritually.
The Fellowship of the Gospel
When we hear the word "fellowship," many of us immediately think of potlucks, game nights, and social gatherings. And yes, that's part of it. God created us for relationship—with Him and with each other. He's not a cosmic killjoy who wants us to do nothing but read dusty books. He's a triune God who exists in eternal fellowship, and He created us to experience that same joy.
But fellowship goes deeper than socializing. Paul uses powerful language in Ephesians 3: we are co-heirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise. The Greek word "koinonia" describes this shared life—a unique partnership between believers and God.
As believers, we are fellow heirs, sharing in the inheritance of heaven. We're fellow members, sharing the same spiritual DNA as one body in Christ. We're fellow partakers, sharing a seat at the table of the Lord's promises.
Unity as Evidence
Here's something profound: the world sees the truth of the gospel not just through our preaching but through our togetherness. Church unity is evidence that the gospel is true.
When the church is constantly arguing and quabbling, the outside world looks in and thinks, "I have that at home. I don't need that at church. They're no different than I am." But when we demonstrate genuine unity—not uniformity, but unity—it's powerful.
Think of it like the military. Basic training strips away individuality, not to make everyone identical, but to create a unit that functions together. When soldiers go into combat, they may not be best friends with the person next to them, but they absolutely trust that person has their back. It's a matter of life or death.
Spiritually, this is true for us. We need to know we have each other's backs in this world. Our fellowship isn't passive; it's an active partnership marked by radical generosity—not just of finances, but of time, talents, and all our resources.
Bold Confidence in Our Mission
Perhaps the most encouraging truth is this: we can be confident in our mission because we have full access to the Father. We're not beggars trying to convince the world of something uncertain. We speak with the authority of God because we are His children.
Think of the scene in The Lion King when little Simba tries to roar at the hyenas. His tiny "meow" makes them laugh—until the mighty roar of his father echoes behind him. That's us. When we face spiritual battles and speak truth into difficult situations, we need to remember: God the Father stands behind us, the Holy Spirit works within us, and the blood of Jesus Christ flows through us.
We don't have to be afraid.
The Construction Site
Imagine a massive construction site for a cathedral. Hundreds of workers are running around—specialized engineers, heavy machine operators, contractors. Everyone has a specific job, a deadline, stress levels are high.
Among them is the steward, managing blueprints and budgets, carefully overseeing resources. There are teams of workers coordinating perfectly. Then a young person walks onto the site without a hard hat or tool belt. Security waves them through. Why? Because they recognize the face—it's the architect's child.
The child walks straight past the "authorized personnel only" signs, right into the architect's trailer. No tentative knock. They walk in with confidence because they have full access. When they walk back out onto the site, they carry a different kind of confidence. They're not worried about being fired or intimidated by the project's scale. They know the one who designed it, the one creating it. They know the resources are limitless and the project will be finished.
This is who we are. We're not just laborers hired for a day's work. We're children of the architect of the universe. We carry the blueprints of God's mystery in our hands and the confidence of the Father in our hearts.
We are not solo workers striving for approval. We are a family—entrusted with His grace, joined in fellowship, and sent into the world with the bold confidence of sons and daughters.
This is what it means to be part of God's family on mission. And the invitation is always open.
The Call to Stewardship
In Ephesians chapter 3, Paul introduces a profound concept: the administration of God's grace. The word "steward" might sound old-fashioned, but it captures something essential about our relationship with God. A steward in ancient times was a household manager—someone entrusted with the master's resources but not their owner.
The Greek word for this concept comes from "oikos" (house) and "nomos" (law/management). A steward wasn't the property owner; they were the trusted manager of someone else's estate. They oversaw finances, resources, and even other servants, all on behalf of the true owner.
This is precisely our position before God. We are managers of the family business, but we don't make the rules. We don't own the grace we've received. We didn't invent salvation. We certainly didn't earn the cross of Calvary. All of this belongs to God, and we are simply called to administer what He has given us.
Grace: The Ultimate Unearned Gift
Grace is perhaps the clearest evidence that Christianity isn't a human invention. Think about it: mercy means not getting what you deserve, but grace means getting what you don't deserve. This goes against every human instinct.
How many of us walk around freely giving people things they haven't earned? We don't naturally operate this way. Yet God does. He lavishes upon us blessings we could never merit—salvation, forgiveness, purpose, and countless daily gifts like health, time, and relationships.
As stewards of this grace, we're tasked with sharing it and distributing it to those around us. This is what we call sharing the gospel. And as stewards, we must be faithful. First Corinthians 4:2 reminds us that "it is required that managers must be found faithful."
Would you trust a bank manager who constantly took money for personal use? Of course not. The steward must be consistent and trustworthy with what God has given.
Feeding the Household
Part of faithful stewardship involves making sure everyone in the household gets their proper portion at the right time. Luke 12:42 asks, "Who then is the faithful and sensible manager his master will put in charge of his household service to give them their allotted food at the proper time?"
Spiritually speaking, this means everyone needs to be fed. Just as physical starvation leads to death, spiritual starvation does the same. If you stop eating physically, you'll eventually die. The same is true spiritually. Without regular spiritual nourishment, we atrophy, weaken, and lose our ability to function as God intends.
How do we receive our portion? Through studying God's Word, through prayer, through spending time with Him. But there's another crucial element: we need each other. We're not meant to be isolated believers. We're part of a body, and we feed off one another.
Consider what happens when a hand is severed from the body. Modern medicine can sometimes reattach it if you act quickly enough. But what if you wait six months? The hand is dead. It can never be reattached and made functional again. When we're cut off from the body of Christ, we die spiritually.
The Fellowship of the Gospel
When we hear the word "fellowship," many of us immediately think of potlucks, game nights, and social gatherings. And yes, that's part of it. God created us for relationship—with Him and with each other. He's not a cosmic killjoy who wants us to do nothing but read dusty books. He's a triune God who exists in eternal fellowship, and He created us to experience that same joy.
But fellowship goes deeper than socializing. Paul uses powerful language in Ephesians 3: we are co-heirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise. The Greek word "koinonia" describes this shared life—a unique partnership between believers and God.
As believers, we are fellow heirs, sharing in the inheritance of heaven. We're fellow members, sharing the same spiritual DNA as one body in Christ. We're fellow partakers, sharing a seat at the table of the Lord's promises.
Unity as Evidence
Here's something profound: the world sees the truth of the gospel not just through our preaching but through our togetherness. Church unity is evidence that the gospel is true.
When the church is constantly arguing and quabbling, the outside world looks in and thinks, "I have that at home. I don't need that at church. They're no different than I am." But when we demonstrate genuine unity—not uniformity, but unity—it's powerful.
Think of it like the military. Basic training strips away individuality, not to make everyone identical, but to create a unit that functions together. When soldiers go into combat, they may not be best friends with the person next to them, but they absolutely trust that person has their back. It's a matter of life or death.
Spiritually, this is true for us. We need to know we have each other's backs in this world. Our fellowship isn't passive; it's an active partnership marked by radical generosity—not just of finances, but of time, talents, and all our resources.
Bold Confidence in Our Mission
Perhaps the most encouraging truth is this: we can be confident in our mission because we have full access to the Father. We're not beggars trying to convince the world of something uncertain. We speak with the authority of God because we are His children.
Think of the scene in The Lion King when little Simba tries to roar at the hyenas. His tiny "meow" makes them laugh—until the mighty roar of his father echoes behind him. That's us. When we face spiritual battles and speak truth into difficult situations, we need to remember: God the Father stands behind us, the Holy Spirit works within us, and the blood of Jesus Christ flows through us.
We don't have to be afraid.
The Construction Site
Imagine a massive construction site for a cathedral. Hundreds of workers are running around—specialized engineers, heavy machine operators, contractors. Everyone has a specific job, a deadline, stress levels are high.
Among them is the steward, managing blueprints and budgets, carefully overseeing resources. There are teams of workers coordinating perfectly. Then a young person walks onto the site without a hard hat or tool belt. Security waves them through. Why? Because they recognize the face—it's the architect's child.
The child walks straight past the "authorized personnel only" signs, right into the architect's trailer. No tentative knock. They walk in with confidence because they have full access. When they walk back out onto the site, they carry a different kind of confidence. They're not worried about being fired or intimidated by the project's scale. They know the one who designed it, the one creating it. They know the resources are limitless and the project will be finished.
This is who we are. We're not just laborers hired for a day's work. We're children of the architect of the universe. We carry the blueprints of God's mystery in our hands and the confidence of the Father in our hearts.
We are not solo workers striving for approval. We are a family—entrusted with His grace, joined in fellowship, and sent into the world with the bold confidence of sons and daughters.
This is what it means to be part of God's family on mission. And the invitation is always open.
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