AI-assisted analysis for orientation; read the source transcript or listen to the sermon to evaluate the interpretation.
The sermon teaches that Sunday school teachers possess an unusually weighty vocation because they are entrusted with immortal souls. Their stewardship will be personally and precisely examined at the final judgment, making diligence, prayer, correction, and evangelistic concern essential. Yet Spurgeon distinguishes justification from works: salvation does not rest on ministerial performance but on personal union with Christ and His atoning blood. Faithful works follow genuine salvation and provide evidence of belonging to Christ, while unfaithfulness should lead to confession, renewed dependence on grace, and reform.
Theological center: Believers are accountable stewards before God, yet their acceptance rests on Christ’s righteousness and atoning blood, with faithful works serving as evidence of genuine faith.
Applications: Serve as a faithful steward · Teach each child attentively · Make short spiritual reckonings · Judge yourself and begin again
Primary texts: Luke 16:2 · Romans 14:12 · Matthew 25:21
ON BEHALF OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION “Give an account of thy stewardship.” Luke 16:2 WE have heard many times in our lives that we are all stewards to Almighty God. We hold it as a solemn truth of our religion that the rich man is responsible for the use which he makes of his wealth. That the talented man must give an account to God of the interest which he gets upon his talents. That everyone of us, in proportion to our time and opportunities, must give an account for himself before Almighty God. But my dear brothers and sisters, our responsibility is even deeper and greater than that of other men. We have the ordinary responsibility which falls upon all professors of religion to give an account of all we have to God. But besides this, you and I have the extraordinary responsibilities of our official standing—you, as teachers for Christ in your classes—and others of us as preachers for Him before the great congregation. The first responsibility is too heavy for any man to fulfill. Apart from divine grace, it is not possible that any man should so use all that God has given him as to be accepted at last with a, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” Yet even if that were possible, it would still remain an utter impossibility for us to fully sustain the fearful weight of responsibility which rests upon us as teachers of the Word of God to our fellow immortals. Upon our necks there are two yokes—sovereign grace can make them light and easy, but apart from that they will gall our shoulders. For they are, of themselves, too heavy for us to bear. Common responsibility is as Solomon’s whip. But extraordinary responsibility derived from official standing, when not regarded, will be as the scorpion of Rehoboam—its little finger shall be thicker than its father’s loins. Woe unto the watchman who warns them not. Woe unto the minister who fails to teach the truth. Woe unto the Sabbath school teacher who is unfaithful to his trust. Now, let us try to stir one another up upon this seriously important matter. You will pray for me while I preach, that I may utter some things that may do good to all now present, and I will labor that God may, in answer to your prayers, give me words and thoughts which shall be blessed to you. Now first, let me show the meaning of our being stewards. Then let us consider what kind of account we shall have to give. And lastly, let us notice the days of reckoning when we OUGHT to cast up our account and the days of reckoning when we MUST give in our account. I. First, then, THE STEWARD—WHAT IS HE? In the first place, the steward is a…