THE PASTOR’S POINTS
sermon ministry of
CEDAR LODGE BAPTIST CHURCH
Thomasville, NC
a fellowship of faith, family and friendships
February 15, 2004
Every reasonable human being who has thought about his life senses some kind of indebtedness. It may be thankfulness toward parents or a mentor; it could be the realization that you could not have gotten started in your field if someone hadn¡¦t believed in you and given you that first break. No one is an island, and we know we owe! I saw a bumper sticker once that said, I owe, I owe, it¡¦s off to work I go!
Along with the typical kinds of indebtedness there is a built-in understanding that we are in God¡¦s debt most of all. Just being born means you are indebted for life itself; you are breathing HIS air; you take up space on HIS planet! Stewardship is our means of saying ¡§Thank You¡¨ to God, and acknowledging that HE owns everything, and we are stewards, or caretakers of all we possess. Unfortunately some people never get that fact. The closest even many Christians come to genuine stewardship is adopting the new prosperity theology which is really only a Christianized materialism. I call it greed in church clothes.
A right attitude about money, things and power sets the course of life. The writer of Proverbs tells us our heart (the center of that which we care about) will determine how we conduct our lives:
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Jesus taught us the heart follows that which we treasure:
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 (NIV)
A wrong attitude about the powerful issues of money and our stewardship of money can warp our heart and ruin our life. A man called at the church and asked if he could speak to the Head Hog at the Trough. The secretary said, "Who?" The man replied, "I want to speak to the Head Hog at the Trough!" Sure now that she had heard correctly, the secretary said, "Sir, if you mean our pastor, you will have to treat him with more respect¡Xand ask for ’The Reverend’ or ’The Pastor.’ But certainly you cannot refer to him as the Head Hog at the Trough!"
At this, the man came back, "Oh, I see. Well, I have ten thousand dollars I was thinking about donating to the Building Fund." Secretary: "Hold the line--I think the Big Pig just walked in the door." [1]
There are some decisions a person has to make about what place money will occupy in his life¡K
I. You¡¦ve Got to Decide if You¡¦ll Be a Control-Freak or Trust God.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17 (NIV)
Paul wrote to Timothy, a young pastor in Ephesus. Paul knew that there would be control issues in the church. Ephesus was an economically-advantaged community. Paul also knew that riches lead to power issues. The word ¡§rich¡¨ in the verse means to be full. The word ¡§arrogant¡¨ is a compound word that means to feel lofty. There is no doubt that if you add money and power together, one can begin to feel superior. When that happens, riches cease to be a blessing and begin to be in the way; it gives you a sense of control¡Kand that always stands between you and trust in the Lord.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.ƒn Prov 3:5-6 (NIV)
The more control we have, the less we trust in the Lord. It is tough in a rich country like America. Someone once said, ¡§America is one place where the people have complete control over how they pay their taxes ¡V cash, check, or money order.¡¨ [2]
In Luke 18 we read the story Jesus told some gathered listeners about two guys who went to worship. One was a model citizen, a very religious guy¡Kwent to church all the time, supported the church with his time, talent and tithes¡Keven down to tithing on the spices in his wife¡¦s cooking supplies. He made the treasurer smile, and he made the other church members feel guilty they didn¡¦t give as much as he did. He prayed aloud in church; in fact he prayed loud aloud! He made certain everyone heard his prayer, because it was more a list than a prayer; it was a list of his giving, prayer times and religious duties observed.
The other guy who went to church was a dishonest tax collector (is that redundant?); he had to slink-in the back door. When he prayed he wouldn¡¦t even look up, hardly expected to be heard, but only stated his case that he was a sinner, and asked that he be forgiven. The sinner/tax-collector prayed for forgiveness, trusting in God¡¦s decision. The model citizen prayer-bragger was telling God (and anyone else within earshot) just what a good guy he was, and how fortunate God was to have him on His side. He even thanked God he wasn¡¦t like the sinner in the corner.
Jesus ended the story this way:
¡§I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.¡¨ Luke 18:14
Now, it¡¦s not too difficult to figure out who was the ¡§truster¡¨ and who was the control-freak. But, don¡¦t miss that it is also easier to figure out that thing about having a happy life from this story too. Back to our text in Timothy for a second, remember that Paul told the young pastor that God richly, or with full completeness provides everything for our enjoyment. It was the sinner tax-collector who felt the knots of guilt in the pit of his stomach just evaporate into forgiven fresh air.
The Pharisee in Jesus¡¦ story was not the happy guy; he was too busy counting all his good deeds and his wife¡¦s spices so he could keep up with all his high balances on the community political balance sheet. Folks, when you do that you¡¦re too busy and too tired to be happy.
II. You¡¦ve Got to Decide if You¡¦ll Be Stingy or Generous
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:18 (NIV)
Preaching about money was something Paul ¡§ordered¡¨ Timothy to do. Clovis G. Chappell was a Presbyterian minister who once said how he felt about preaching to his people about being generous: I have never felt any hesitation in speaking to my congregation about money -- I thrill to it. I revel in it. I love to see the [generous] enjoy it. I love to watch the stingy suffer. [3]
It is certainly a decision one makes about stingy or generous stewardship. C. H. Spurgeon used to preach only once each year "for his orphans." At that great meeting many would come to hear the famous preacher, and an offering would be received for his orphanage. After one of these meetings he is reputed to have been leaving the building where the service had taken place when one of those "super spiritual," narrow-minded, nitpicking individuals accosted him with the charge, "Why, Mr. Spurgeon, I thought you preached for souls and not for money!"
The story relates that Spurgeon gravely replied, ¡§Why, Mr. So-and-So. Normally I do preach for souls and not for money. But my orphans can’t eat souls and if they did, my brother, it would take at least four the size of yours to give one of them a square meal!" [4]
The world¡¦s view of money is different from the Christian view. The world says, ¡§grab it, grow it, roll in it and you¡¦ll be happy.¡¨ Accumulation of riches has not made Americans happier. Today we have more affluence than ever before. We also have higher divorce rates, substance abuse, suicides, teen pregnancies and families coming unglued than ever before.
Jesus told his followers another story about a stingy man¡K
Then he said to them, ¡§Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man¡¦s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.¡¨ And he told them this parable: ¡§The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ¡¥What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.¡¦ ¡§Then he said, ¡¥This is what I¡¦ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I¡¦ll say to myself, ¡§You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.¡¨¡¦ ¡§But God said to him, ¡¥You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?¡¦ ¡§This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.¡¨ Then Jesus said to his disciples: ¡§Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Luke 12:15-22 (NIV)
Back to our text again¡KPaul told Timothy to tell the church folks to be willing to share. The word comes from the Greek koinos, from which we get the word for fellowship, koinonia. Sharing is what the community of faith is all about.
III. In the Decision to Trust God and Live Generously You Lay the Foundation for Real Life
In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
1 Timothy 6:19 (NIV)
The Gospel writer Mark [5] tells us Jesus was sitting near the treasury and watching the people as they gave. (Wow, what a concept! Should we have that here?). Jesus noticed all the folks giving and blowing their own horns about it¡Ksome literally. Then he noticed a widow woman put in every last bit she had; the ¡§widow¡¦s mites¡¨ is an expression known even by people who know nothing about the Bible. It means you give it all!
The widow woman was not reasonable or prudent ¡V she just gave because she had decided that living stingy was not living at all. That decision shows us God¡¦s principle about generous giving: Godly giving brings receiving because God is watching.
Years ago a thirteen-year-old boy who attended Mohawk Central School at Paines Hollow in New York heard an appeal for contributions to Santa Claus Anonymous, a group that provides gifts for unfortunate children that otherwise would go without Christmas presents. The boy struggled to save a few pennies for this purpose.
On the Friday before Christmas vacation he had fifteen cents and planned to turn in this small treasure at the school that day. But a furious blizzard blasted the area that Friday and the school buses could not run. So the boy waded a considerable distance through deep snow to give his fifteen cents to the school principal. The principal found it difficult to control his emotions as he accepted the gift, for the youngster was one of the destitute children listed to receive a Christmas present from Santa Claus Anonymous. [6]
After the Decisions Have Been Made¡K
Making decisions to be one who trusts God with your life and to be a generous person means we will find our giving becoming a delight, rather than a grudging duty. But it does take some definite steps to get there.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
1. Confess to God that you have made those decisions and ask for His help to carry out delightful stewardship.
2. Begin!
a. Begin by establishing a Family Altar in your home. That altar should include discussions about, and planning for generous stewardship and sharing with others. Our family this past Christmas made a bold move about presents. We cut way back on presents within our immediate family here in Thomasville and purchased gifts for those who might not have much. You can begin with as little as giving up a burger once a week, saving the money and praying to ask God to show you a worthwhile way to bless someone¡¦s life.
b. Begin by establishing a renewed family commitment to stewardship in all areas of life, worship, discipleship, community service, evangelism.
The key to beginning any journey is always the first step. God has given so much to each of us; He always takes the first step. Won¡¦t you begin today with a renewed commitment to be the steward God knows you can become? You¡¦ll find out it¡¦s not a duty, but a delight!
--------
ENDNOTES
--------
[1] James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 463.
[2] Bob Phillips’ Book of Great Thoughts & Funny Sayings, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Pub, Inc, 1993), 17.
[3] James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 464.
[4] Craig Skinner in The Minister’s Manuel, 1995 p. 346.
[5] Mark 12:42
[6] James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 233.
