Introduction
· So what is the “S” word?
· Hint – it’s a topic that is frequently avoided in polite Christian circles. One that we don’t like to discuss. One that we should talk about more that we do.
· Sin? Good guess. It comes close, but not quite.
· Sex? We could hear more good teaching on this subject, but I’m not going to try that today.
· Service? Sacrifice? No, its Stewardship. Almost guaranteed to strike fear in the heart of both the speaker and the listener.
Quotes:
· Christina Onassis: Happiness is not based on money. And the best proof of that is our family.
· Senator Everett Dirkson: You spend a billion here and a billion there. Sooner or later it adds up to real money.
· John Wesley: When the possessor of heaven and earth brought you into being and placed you in this world, He placed you here not as owner but as a steward.
· Ron Blue, author of Master Your Money: Stewardship is the use of God-given resources for the accomplishment of God-given goals.
A Yuppie Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray my Cuisinart to keep.
I pray my stocks are on the rise,
And that my analyst is wise,
That all the wine I sip is white
And that my hot tub’s watertight,
That racquetball won’t get too tough,
That all my sushi’s fresh enough.
I pray my cordless phone still works,
That my career won’t lose its perks,
My microwave won’t radiate,
My condo won’t depreciate.
I pray my health club doesn’t close
And that my money market grows.
If I go broke before I wake,
I pray my Volvo they won’t take.
· 1/6 of gospels and 1/3 of parables deal with stewardship
· words that do NOT appear in John: tithe, treasure, wealth, gold, silver, sacrifice
· Offering – once (8:20), but referring to the “place where offerings were put”
· Coin – once (2:15), in story of cleansing of the temple
· Money – two places: cleansing and in Mary anointing Jesus
Feeding of the 5000 John 6: 1 – 13
· Focus on verses 8, 9
· Humanize the story – we all know how little children are. See the boy listening to the conversation. He starts tugging at Andrew’s sleeve – “I’ve got my lunch here. You can give it to someone who is really hungry.” Andrew finally relents and takes the boy to Jesus.
· A little boy willing to share his lunch. It’s a small amount against an insurmountable need. Because he was willing to give, Jesus was able to work the miracle. The boy’s faith made the miracle possible. Philip and Andrew didn’t believe there was a solution.
· The boy was a steward – he probably didn’t make the bread, his mother gave it to him. He didn’t catch the fish or clean it, his father gave it to him. He had the tools for a great ministry and was willing to put them to put them to use when the time was right.
· Lesson: small gifts and faith are the ingredients of a miracle.
· Relate to our regular and faithful giving – our weekly offerings.
Mary Anointing Jesus John 12:1-8
· Long-term saving used in an extravagant act of worship.
· About a year’s wages poured out on Jesus feet
· Once poured out the oil could not be recovered, nor could it be used again. It was given completely and irrevocably.
· Mary must have saved for a long time to acquire the oil – it was very expensive. Have you been able to set aside a year’s income? How would you feel about giving it away?
· Perhaps she treasured the oil. Maybe she took the lid off the jar and just took in the pleasant aroma. She might have kept the jar in a special place of honor in the house.
· She was also a steward. Listen to Jesus’ words. (verse 7) “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.” God allowed her to accumulate this perfume. He placed it in her trust. God then prompted her to use it in worship when the time was right. Are you open to God’s leading to use your resources for major gifts?
· Related to one-time gifts – planned giving through long-term accumulation of resources. Giving through trusts and wills.
Giving as a part of celebrations. John 13:27b-29
· The setting: around the table at the last supper. Judas has just been identified as the betrayer.
· Jesus tells Judas to do quickly that which he is to do, but the disciples do not yet understand.
· John fills us in. They thought Judas was getting something for the meal or giving something to the poor.
· Isn’t that interesting. Why would they think he was giving something to the poor? If they had never given anything to the poor, why would they come up with that as a possibility now? It’s pretty simple, really. It was a Jewish tradition to give gifts to the poor on the evening of the Passover.
· Commemorative giving, giving associated with regular celebrations, such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and others.
Jesus burial – Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. John 19:38-42
· Resources put to use in a time of emergency.
· Jesus was dead, sunset was quickly approaching – the start of the sabbath when no work could be done. Time was of the essence.
· Joseph had a tomb (see Matt. 27:60), Nicodemus had the appropriate spices. One of them – or perhaps some other unnamed person – provided the needed cloth. These were all gathered and used “in accordance with Jewish burial customs.”
· Customs become important in times of great emotional distress. All of these things were needed for the custom – providing some sense of order to an incredibly disorderly day. It helped retain some dignity in an incredibly undignified death.
· They expected no reward, no recognition, for this service. There were no others around to see them give these gifts.
· They offered other things besides their resources. They gave their time to do the work of preparing the body for burial. They engaged in the dirty work of hauling the body from Golgotha to the tomb. They washed the body and anointed it with the spices. They lovingly wrapped it in the cloth and placed it in the tomb. With tears in their eyes, they rolled the stone over the entrance to the tomb.
· They also gave up their right to worship in the temple on that Sabbath. The Sabbath of Passover week was one of the most important Sabbaths of the year. They touched a dead body and became ceremonially unclean. They hurried to bury Jesus so they could finish the job before the Sabbath, but they could not worship that Sabbath.
· God prompted these men to be stewards of their resources and of their time, open to using these resources in a time of great need.
· Side note: sometimes God gives back the things we give to him. Joseph got the tomb back, still new, with no one buried in it.
Jesus as a steward – of his disciples and of us. John 17:1-22
· Jesus is praying, after the Passover meal and institution of the Lord’s Supper, and before going to the garden of Gethsemane.
· Verse 2 – God gave him the authority to give eternal life to those God gave to him
· Verse 4 – He completed the work God gave Him to do – Jesus was a steward of His ministry
· Verses 6 – 10 – you gave to me. Repeated over and over as a refrain.
· Verse 12 – None have been lost (see also 6:39 and 18:9) Jesus was a faithful steward, returning to the Father that which was entrusted to Him.
· Verse 22 – once again “you gave me”
· Have you ever thought of Jesus as a steward?
Recap – what did we learn?
· Four major times to give:
· Regular giving – weekly tithes and offerings (from feeding 5000)
· One-time gifts – through estates, major gifts, memorials (from Mary anointing)
· Celebrations – for significant events (Passover, Christmas, Easter, birthdays, weddings, etc.) (from last supper events)
· To meet specific needs – from Joseph and Nicodemus
Back to Ron Blue’s definition. Stewardship includes more than just money, includes all of our possessions and our talents, skills, and time. Two modern day stewards
· First, Dr. Ken Maxwell, ob/gyn
· Spent 20 years praying with his wife on how to be faithful to God’s call
· Led to retire and go to Honduras, giving free medical care
· Now 68 and still serving there. Hurricane kept him busy.
· Plans on continuing surgery until his hands become unsteady
· A steward of his time, his talents, and his treasure
· Second, a friend of mine
· Not as dramatic, but just as faithful with what he has
· A member of his church was just scraping by when his car needed major repairs
· Has an extra car, so let him drive it while there was a need, a couple of months
· Not rich or well-known, just making what he has available as God leads
