L esson 10 *March 3–9

(page 76 of Standard Edition)

The Role of Stewardship

Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Col. 1:16–18; Heb. 4:14–16;
3 John 3; Gen. 6:13–18; Rev. 14:6–12; 1 Pet. 1:15, 16.

Memory Text: “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a
holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:7, NIV).

B
ecause of the depth and breadth of stewardship, it is easy
to get lost in the big picture, bogged down by tangents and
overwhelmed by its enormity. Stewardship is simple yet also
complex, and thus easily can be misunderstood. However, neither
the Christian nor the church can exist or function without it. To be a
Christian is to be a good steward, as well.
“It is not a theory nor a philosophy but a working program. It is in
verity the Christian law of living. . . . It is necessary to an adequate
understanding of life, and essential to a true, vital religious experience.
It is not simply a matter of mental assent, but is an act of the will and
a definite, decisive transaction touching the whole perimeter of life.”
—LeRoy E. Froom, Stewardship in Its Larger Aspects (Mountain View:
Calif.: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1929), p. 5.
What are some of the core tenets of what it means to be a Christian
steward? This week, we will look more at the roles that stewardship
plays in Christian life. We will do so, though, through an interesting
analogy: a chariot wheel.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 10.

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 S unday March 4
(page 77 of Standard Edition)

Christ as the Center

Jesus is the central figure throughout the Bible (John 5:39), and we
need to see ourselves in relationship to Him. He paid the penalty for sin
and is “ ‘a ransom for many’ ” (Mark 10:45). Jesus has all authority in
heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18), and all things are in His hands (John
13:3). His name is higher than all others, and one day every knee shall
bow down to Him (Phil. 2:9–11).
“Jesus is the living center of everything.”—Ellen G. White, Evange­
lism, p. 186.
Christ is the heart of our stewardship and the source of our power.
Because of Him, we produce a life worth living, demonstrating to all
that He is the central focus of our lives. Paul may have experienced
many trials, but no matter where he was or what happened to him, he
had one priority for living: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is
gain” (Phil. 1:21, NKJV).

Read Colossians 1:16–18, Romans 8:21, and 2 Corinthians 5:17. What

do they tell us about just how central Jesus is to everything about us?
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There is no genuine stewardship without Christ being our central
core (Gal. 2:20). He is the center of “that blessed hope” (Titus 2:13),
and “He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Col. 1:17,
NKJV). Just as the axle is the center of the wheel and thus carries the
weight of a wagon, Christ is the center of the steward’s life. Just as a
solid axle provides stability allowing the wheels to rotate, Jesus is also
the fixed and stable center of our Christian existence (Heb. 13:8). His
influence should affect everything we think and do. All aspects of stew-
ardship rotate around and find their center in Christ.
“ ‘For without Me you can do nothing’ ” (John 15:5, NKJV). The
center of stewardship is not a hollow void but the reality of the liv-
ing Christ, who is working in us to mold our characters now and for
eternity.

It’s one thing to say that Jesus is the core of our lives, but it’s
another to live as if He is. How can you be sure that Jesus is,
indeed, living in you as He promises He will if you will but let
Him in?

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 M onday March 5
(page 78 of Standard Edition)

Sanctuary Doctrine
One usually doesn’t think of the sanctuary in the context of stew-
ardship. Yet, the link is there because the sanctuary is so crucial to
our belief system, and stewardship is part of the system. “The correct
understanding of the ministration [of Christ] in the heavenly sanctuary
is the foundation of our faith.”—Ellen G. White, Evangelism, p. 221.
It is imperative that we understand the role of stewardship in light of
this biblical concept.
First Kings 7:33 describes a chariot wheel. We will illustrate the
sanctuary doctrine as the hub of the wheel. The hub attaches to the axle
and provides more stability for the wheel when it turns. Having experi-
enced death and a victorious resurrection (2 Tim. 1:10), Christ, through
His death, is the foundation for His work in the sanctuary (Heb. 6:19,
20) and provides the stability for our faith. And it is from the sanctuary
that He ministers in our behalf here on earth (see Heb. 8:1, 2).
“Standing on the sola Scriptura [Scripture alone] principle, Biblical
Adventism builds its doctrinal system from the general perspective
of the sanctuary doctrine.”—Fernando Canale, Secular Adventism?
Exploring the Link Between Lifestyle and Salvation (Lima, Peru:
Peruvian Union University, 2013), pp. 104, 105.

What do these texts tell us about Jesus’ ministration in the sanctuary?

1 John 2:1, Heb. 4:14–16, Rev. 14:7.
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The sanctuary doctrine helps to reveal the great truth of salvation
and redemption, which is at the core of all Christian theology. In the
sanctuary we see not only Christ’s death for us but His ministry in the
heavenly sanctuary, as well. We can see, too, in the Most Holy Place
the importance of God’s law and the reality of final judgment. Central
to it all is the promise of redemption made available to us by the shed
blood of Jesus.
The role of stewardship reflects a life anchored in the great truth of
salvation, as revealed in the sanctuary doctrine. The more deeply we
understand what Christ has done for us and what He is doing in us now,
the closer we come to Christ, His ministry, His mission, His teaching,
and His intent for those who live out the principles of stewardship in
their lives.

Read Hebrews 4:14–16. What is found there for us in our own

struggle with sin, self, and selfishness? How do we draw strength
and hope from what is promised us there?

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 T uesday March 6
(page 79 of Standard Edition)

Christ-Centered Doctrinal Beliefs

The sanctuary is central because it is where the great truth of sal-
vation is expressed so powerfully, where the meaning of the Cross is
revealed. And all our doctrines, one way or another, must be linked
to the gospel promise and salvation. Like the spokes of the wheel,
other doctrines come out from the great truth of salvation by faith
in Jesus.
“The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great
truth around which all other truths cluster. . . . Those who study
the Redeemer’s wonderful sacrifice grow in grace and knowledge.”
—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5,
p. 1137.

What did Jesus mean by referring to Himself as “ ‘the truth’ ” in John

14:6? Compare with John 17:17. What are we to do with the truth?
3 John 3.
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Our doctrinal beliefs influence who we are and the direction in
which we are going. Doctrines are not just abstract theological
ideas; all true doctrine is anchored in Christ, and all should in vari-
ous ways impact how we live. In fact, one could say justifiably that
our identity as Seventh-day Adventists is rooted in our doctrinal
teachings more than in anything else. The teachings, then, which we
derive from the Bible, are what make us who we are as Seventh-day
Adventists.
The role of stewardship is to live doctrinal truth as it is in Jesus,
and to do so in a way that positively affects our quality of life.
“You have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is
in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old
man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be
renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man
which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holi-
ness” (Eph. 4:21–24, NKJV).
In this text, we find what it means not only to know the truth but
to live it. Being a steward isn’t just about believing doctrines, how-
ever true those doctrines are; being a steward means living out those
truths in our lives and in our interaction with others.

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 W ednesday March 7
(page 80 of Standard Edition)

The Three Angels’ Messages

Only twice has God warned the world of coming catastrophe: once
to Noah (Gen. 6:13–18, Matt. 24:37) and the other through the three
angels’ messages (Rev. 14:6–12). These messages pull back a curtain to
reveal a unique perspective on future world events. Our understanding
of these messages has matured over time, but the message and mission
are still justification by faith in Christ, “the third angel’s message in
verity.”—Ellen G. White, Evangelism, p. 190. In other words, Jesus and
His great sacrifice for us stand at the core of our present-truth message,
the message we have been called to proclaim to the world.

Read Revelation 14:6–12. What is the essence of these messages? What

are they saying to the world? What responsibility rests upon us in
regard to these messages, and how does stewardship fit in?
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As Seventh-day Adventists, our mission is to present the truth of the
three angels’ messages in preparation for the second coming of Christ.
People must be able to make a decision regarding eternity. The role of
stewardship is a partnership with God in mission (2 Cor. 5:20, 6:1–4).
“In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world
as watchmen and light bearers. To them has been entrusted the last
warning for a perishing world. On them is shining wonderful light from
the Word of God. They have been given a work of the most solemn
import—the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ mes-
sages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow
nothing else to absorb their attention.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies
for the Church, vol. 9, p. 19.
That rim of a wheel is near the point of contact with the ground and
represents the mission of the three angels’ messages. Their mission is
to protect against theological drift and to identify our responsibility in
the last-day events. We are to be stewards of this message, proclaiming
it to the world.

It’s so easy, as we think of last-day events, to get caught up in

charts and dates. They have their role, but as we seek to preach
this message to the world, how can we make sure we keep Jesus
and His sacrifice for us front and center?

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 T hursday March 8
(page 81 of Standard Edition)

Stewardship
Christ wants us to live holy lives. His life illustrates “holiness” and
what ultimate stewardship should look like (Heb. 9:14). We should
manage our lives in a way that is pleasing to God, including how we
manage all that we have been entrusted with. Stewardship is an expres-
sion of that holiness.

Compare 1 Peter 1:15, 16 with Hebrews 12:14. What do “be holy”

and “holiness” mean? How do these relate to our stewardship?
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The Romans discovered that a chariot wheel lasted longer if a band
of iron was placed around the rim. The craftsman heated the metal to
expand it just enough to slip it over the rim. Cold water shrank it to a tight
fit. The band of iron then made contact with the road as the wheel turned.
The iron band on the rim can represent the concept of stewardship.
This is the moment of truth, where our spiritual lives rub against our
practical lives. It is where our faith meets the ups and downs of life
through successes and failures. It is where our beliefs get real in the
rough-and-tumble scuffles of daily living. Stewardship is the outer
wrapping of who we are and what we do. It is a witness of our conduct
and of a life well managed. Our daily actions that reveal Christ are like
the iron on the wheel that touches the road.
Actions are powerful and must be controlled by our commitment to
Christ. We are to live with this assurance and promise: “I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13, NKJV).
“The sanctification of the soul by the working of the Holy Spirit is
the implanting of Christ’s nature in humanity. Gospel religion is Christ
in the life—a living, active principle. It is the grace of Christ revealed in
character and wrought out in good works. The principles of the gospel
cannot be disconnected from any department of practical life. Every
line of Christian experience and labor is to be a representation of the
life of Christ.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 384.

Look at your daily life, your daily existence. What about it reveals
the reality of Christ in you, working in you, making you a new
being? What conscious choices do you need to make in order to
see His holiness revealed in you?

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 F riday March 9
(page 82 of Standard Edition)

Further Thought: At times chariot wheels had to have the band of iron
reset because of stretching caused by the metal’s striking against the road.
Resetting took a lot of hard banging and hammering on the iron band
itself. This resetting of the band of iron represents stewardship as practical
sanctification. It is having the mind of Christ when responding to every
large or small aspect of life, even when the process can be hard and pain-
ful. Whether this process pertains to our use of money, family relations, or
employment, to name a few, all are to be responded to in the will of Christ.
Sometimes, as we all know too well, we can learn this lesson only through
some hard knocks.
It’s not easy to reset iron. Nor is it easy to reset human character.
Think of the experience of Peter. He had been everywhere with Jesus,
but he didn’t expect these words from Jesus’ lips: “I have prayed for
thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen
thy brethren” (Luke 22:32). Not too much later, after denying Jesus,
Peter had a change in his life, but only after a very painful and difficult
experience. In a sense, his stewardship was reset. Peter was converted
anew, and his life was going to head in a new direction, but only after
some real pounding.

Discussion Questions:
 What does practical sanctification have to do with Jesus’ instruc-
tion to “ ‘let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily” ’? Luke
9:23, NKJV. What has been crucified? Gal. 6:14. How does this
illustrate the process of sanctification? How does practical sancti-
fication help us learn to have the mind of Christ? 1 Cor. 2:16.

 What has been your own experience regarding how painful tri-
als can teach powerful lessons about Christian life and following
the Lord? Let those in class who feel comfortable talk about those
experiences and what they have learned. What can we learn from
each other’s experiences, as well?

 Think about other beliefs that we as Seventh-day Adventists

hold, be it the Sabbath, the state of the dead, Creation, the Second
Coming, and so on. In what ways should these various beliefs
impact the conduct of our lives in general?

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 i n s i d e
Story
Canine Literature Evangelist
by Nelson Ernst
A group of Seventh-day Adventist young people set out on a Sabbath after-
noon to distribute GLOW tracts in a community in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
The young people prayed together and started knocking on people’s doors.
When the first door opened, a young man said: “Hello! We are from the
Seventh-day Adventist Church, and we have a gift for you.”
“For me?” the surprised house owner said.
“Yes, for you,” the visitor said, extending a couple of small tracts.
When the house owner accepted the GLOW tracts, the young man offered
to pray for her.
“Do you have any special prayer requests that we could raise to the Lord?”
The scenario repeated itself at house after house.
“Hello! We are from the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and we have a gift
for you. How may we pray for you?”
The doorbell went unanswered at some houses. At a few, the owners asked
the visitors to leave.
Then two young people approached a house surrounded by a fence. Finding
the gate, they fumbled to open it when an alarming sound met their ears.
“Grrrrr . . . woof! Grrrrr . . . woof!”
Peering over the fence they saw an angry dog glaring back at them.
“What do we do now?” one asked.
Neither wanted to risk trying to get past the dog to ring the doorbell.
A young man took a GLOW tract and held it over the fence. The dog
watched closely.
Then the young man dropped the GLOW tract. It fell onto the ground.
The dog ran up to it and sniffed it. Then it did a surprising thing. The dog
picked the tract up with its mouth. Turning around, the dog trotted to the front
porch of the house and deposited it in front of the door.
Adventist Church cofounder Ellen G. White tells
us: “God will use ways and means by which it will
be seen that He is taking the reins in His own hands.
The workers will be surprised by the simple means
that He will use to bring about and perfect His work
of righteousness” (Testimonies to Ministers and
Gospel Workers, p. 300).
If an angel can make a donkey talk, why cannot
he also turn an angry dog into a literature evangelist
in Hawaii?
And if a dog can share Adventist literature, why can’t you?
Nelson Ernst is cofounder and director of GLOW, a literature distribution ministry that started
in California and has spread across the world.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org 131
 teachers comments

The Lesson in Brief

Key Text: 1 Peter 1:15, 16

The Student Will:

Know: Comprehend the purpose of stewardship and his or her role as
God’s steward.
Feel: Appreciate the breadth of the concept of stewardship and the link-
age that exists between it and the great truths of Scripture.
Do: Resolve, by God’s grace, to allow the concept and practice of stew-
ardship to reshape his or her character in Christ’s image.

Learning Outline:
I. Know: Great Scriptural Truths and Stewardship
A How does keeping Christ as the central theme of stewardship help us
to avoid the excesses of legalism?
B How does the sanctuary system relate to the concept of stewardship?
C Why is it important to have all doctrines anchored in Christ?
D What roles do believers, living in the last days, play as stewards of
God’s final message to the world?

II. Feel: The Divine Partnership

A How can believers sense more urgency about their roles as stewards
of the gospel message?
B How can Christians more fully appreciate the breadth of God’s call to
be faithful stewards?

III. Do: Religion in Action

A What obstacles must we allow God to remove in order to become
faithful stewards?
B What is the relationship between biblical doctrine and our sanctifi-
cation?

Summary: Far too often Christians are guilty of the tendency to separate the
doctrines of Scripture from practical Christianity, or, at least, of the ten-
dency to neglect the relationship between them. Stewardship challenges
us to rethink this dichotomy as we become stewards or administrators of
the full counsel of God.

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 teachers comments

Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate

Spotlight on Scripture: 1 Peter 1:15, 16

Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Stewardship is a broad concept

that calls us to bring all things under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
As believers, we must become stewards of the full counsel of God to
the world.

Just for Teachers: Help your students to understand what it means

to be stewards not just of material goods and positions but of the truth.

Opening Activity: Describe the layout of the sanctuary, its compartments,

and the furnishings in each room. Contemplate the spiritual significance
of each article and the work of the high priest in each phase or apartment.
Where supplies are available, bring to class, or create, a drawing or model
of the sanctuary as a visual aid to facilitate discussion.

Discuss: What does the sanctuary doctrine reveal to us about the central-
ity of Christ to our faith? What does the sanctuary doctrine teach us about
the intercessory work of Christ in our behalf? How do the principles of
stewardship come into play in the sanctuary teaching?

STEP 2—Explore

Just for Teachers: Emphasize that the center of all Christian doctrine
is Christ. The themes of the atonement—from Adam’s fall to the judg-
ment and the final restoration of all things, as exemplified throughout
the ancient sanctuary system—lie in close proximity. For Seventh-day
Adventists, the final expression of these Christian doctrines is bound
together in the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14. Our role as stew-
ards of the gospel is to present this message to the world in preparation
for Christ’s return.

Bible Commentary
I. The Sanctuary Doctrine and the Principles of Stewardship (Review Hebrews
4:14–16; 6:19, 20; and 8:1, 2 with the class.)

The sanctuary doctrine contains the most solemn and transformative truths
for this end time. Rightly taught, the sanctuary broadens our understanding

133 133
 teachers comments

of the plan of salvation and the principles of stewardship. But before we can
appreciate the link between salvation and the principles of stewardship as
taught by the sanctuary, we first need to grasp the significance of the sanctu-
ary doctrine itself, including its importance to our faith.
Paramount to grasping the importance of the sanctuary truth to our faith
is recognizing that God has made His people the guardians of the end-time
truths to which the sanctuary points. Custodianship of these life-altering
truths confers upon us the most sacred responsibility to impart them to a
spiritually destitute world. For “all who have received the light upon these
subjects are to bear testimony of the great truths which God has commit-
ted to them. The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work
in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to
view the plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very close of time
and revealing the triumphant issue of the contest between righteousness
and sin. It is of the utmost importance that all should thoroughly investi-
gate these subjects and be able to give an answer to everyone that asketh
them a reason of the hope that is in them.”—Ellen G. White, The Great
Controversy, pp. 488, 489.
With those words, the pen of inspiration furnishes the reason for the
centrality of the sanctuary doctrine to our faith: the intercessory work of
Jesus as our faithful High Priest. Ellen G. White goes on to establish the
importance of Christ’s intercessory work to our redemption. “The inter-
cession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential
to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. . . . Jesus has
opened the way to the Father’s throne, and through His mediation the
sincere desire of all who come to Him in faith may be presented before
God.”—Page 489.
But Christ is not just our Mediator. He is our Judge. And His work
as our Advocate and His investigative work as our Judge are intimately
entwined. Through His intercessory work in the sanctuary, we see that the
One who judges us is also the One who pleads for our lives. The sanctu-
ary doctrine pinpoints how the ministry of Christ reconciles the disparate
work of these seemingly opposite offices.
The work of judgment will exonerate the righteous of guilt and ulti-
mately remove sin from the sanctuary. But before either of these two
objectives can be accomplished, “there must be an examination of the
books of record to determine who, through repentance of sin and faith in
Christ, are entitled to the benefits of His atonement. The cleansing of the
sanctuary therefore involves a work of investigation—a work of judgment.
This work must be performed prior to the coming of Christ to redeem His
people; for when He comes, His reward is with Him to give to every man
according to his works. Revelation 22:12.”—Page 422.
The coming of Christ, spoken of here in Revelation, is symbolized

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 teachers comments

elsewhere in the Bible by marriage. And the symbol of a marriage supper or

feast, prior to the marriage itself, is used in Scripture to describe the inves-
tigative judgment before the Second Coming. “The coming of Christ as our
high priest to the most holy place, for the cleansing of the sanctuary, brought
to view in Daniel 8:14 . . . is also represented by the coming of the bride-
groom to the marriage, described by Christ in the parable of the ten virgins,
of Matthew 25.”—Page 426.
“In the parable of Matthew 22 the same figure of the marriage is intro-
duced, and the investigative judgment is clearly represented as taking place
before the marriage. Previous to the wedding the king comes in to see the
guests, to see if all are attired in the wedding garment, the spotless robe of
character washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Matthew 22:11;
Revelation 7:14. He who is found wanting is cast out, but all who upon
examination are seen to have the wedding garment on are accepted of God
and accounted worthy of a share in His kingdom and a seat upon His throne.
This work of examination of character, of determining who are prepared for
the kingdom of God, is that of the investigative judgment, the closing work in
the sanctuary above.”—Page 428.
Thus, we observe that the work of judgment is an investigation into the
character of God’s people, as symbolized by the wedding garment. The fact
that the judgment is portrayed as a wedding feast, or supper, prior to the wed-
ding, or Second Coming, conveys that the investigative judgment is “in favor
of the saints,” as Daniel tells us (7:22, NKJV). Yet, how does this investigative
judgment of the character of God’s people with its favorable verdict specifi-
cally tie into stewardship, the topic of our study?
The pen of inspiration clearly illuminates the role of stewardship in the
investigative judgment. “In the judgment the use made of every talent will
be scrutinized. How have we employed the capital lent us of Heaven? Will
the Lord at His coming receive His own with usury? Have we improved the
powers entrusted us, in hand and heart and brain, to the glory of God and the
blessing of the world? How have we used our time, our pen, our voice, our
money, our influence? What have we done for Christ, in the person of the
poor, the afflicted, the orphan, or the widow? God has made us the depositar-
ies of His holy Word; what have we done with the light and truth given us to
make men wise unto salvation? No value is attached to a mere profession of
faith in Christ; only the love which is shown by works is counted genuine. Yet
it is love alone which in the sight of Heaven makes any act of value. Whatever
is done from love, however small it may appear in the estimation of men, is
accepted and rewarded of God.”—Page 487.

Consider This: In the closing citation, the author asks a series of six soul-
searching questions. Suppose your name came up for review at this moment in
the judgment. What would the answers to those questions be?

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 teachers comments

STEP 3—Apply

Just for Teachers: Jesus declares that His gospel will be preached as
a witness for all peoples and the end will come (see Matt. 24:14). The
statement is unequivocal. It does not say, “If you preach the gospel, then
the end will come.” It is prophetic, not conditional. Jesus says that the
gospel will be preached and that the end will come. The only question
that remains for believers, then, is this: Will we be a part of this great
work or not?

Application Questions:
 How will faithful stewards maximize time for their primary spiritual
calling?

 Why is it important to have a cogent, clear presentation of truth?

 How can Christians guard against those tendencies that pull us away
from the central message and keep us occupied with sideline issues?

STEP 4—Create

Just for Teachers: Farmers realize that planting precedes harvest.

Christians expect a great end-time harvest. What does that expectation
suggest about spiritual planting?

Activities:
 Plan spiritual planting activities that can be done with friends.
 Define sanctification in relation to stewardship.

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