1 Peter 4:7-11

1 Peter 4:7-11

Do You Serve The King?

November 26, 2006

Christ The King Sunday

Part 3 in Hopewell 2006 Stewardship Series

 

            We’re now into our third and final week of our Stewardship emphasis for this year. 

Remember the joke I’ve brought up the past 2 weeks about how the minister told the congregation that he had good news and bad news – the good news being that the Church  had all the money it needed to do whatever God called then to do – but the bad news being that most of the money the Church needed was in their wallets!

Also remember that I’ve said the past 2 weeks that stewardship does not just involve what was in your wallets – but that it had to involve everything you have.

Stewardship has got to be more than just giving your money – although as we saw last week that certainly has to be a part of it. Stewardship has got to involve your life – all you have – everything God has given you – whether it be money – time – talents – or whatever God has blessed you with. Actually, our stewardship of what God has given us is our response to God.  We see what God has blessed with – whether it be money – time – talents – or whatever – and we want to return a portion of it to God for His work in the world.  

Stewardship is indeed more than the Capitol One Credit Card Card commercial asks:

What’s in your wallet?

Stewardship involves your life – it involves everything you have.  While it indeed has to include what’s in your wallet, it has to be a commitment of everything you have — money – time – talents – or whatever God has blessed you with. All that we can offer has to be given to God for God’s work in the world if we are going to truly be good stewards of God’s gifts to us.

So – as I’ve said the past 2 weeks – the theme for my stewardship sermons this year could be: 

Stewardship – it’s more than what’s in your wallet

Stewardship is seeing all God has blessed us with – — giving praise to God for all God has blessed us with – and using all God has blessed us with for His work in the world.

Last week we took a hard look at the financial aspect of stewardship – giving  our tithe to God.  Today — as we celebrate Christ the King Sunday – I want us to take a look at how we serve Christ – how we serve our King – with everything we have.

Today is Christ the King Sunday – the last Sunday of the Liturgical year before the beginning the Season of Advent next Sunday – the day we focus on the fact that Christ is King over all the universe.

Christ is King.

But – do we serve Christ?

Is Christ king over every aspect of our lives?

What would our lives look like if we let Christ be the King – the ruler – over every aspect of our lives – and we gave every aspect to Him for His work? 

How would we live if indeed every aspect of our lives — our money – our time – our talents – or whatever God has blessed us with – were given to Christ for His work?

Today we celebrate that Christ is King.

But – is Christ your king?

Do You Serve The King?

Listen to God’s word from 1 Peter as Peter calls us to live with every aspect of our lives under the Kingship of Christ.  

READ SCRIPTURE

Do you serve the King?

Such a question may have brought a resounding “no” from the members of this congregation around 1776 – as the members would have thought about King George of England and how they wanted freedom from his tyranny.

But – as I stand here today – in 2006 – and pose that question – and refer not to King George but to Christ – who is Lord of all – King of all – and ruler of all – and ask:

Do you serve the King?

I would dare say that most of you would say:

Yes! 

Or at least I want to!

Christ is King.

This means that – if we are going to be His servants – we have to serve Him with all we have – our money – our time – our talents – or whatever God has blessed us with. 

As many of you know, I enjoy watching sports. I have a friend in North Carolina who bought a Dish TV system – and bought some of the extra sports packages to go along with it.  He shared with me that – soon after he bought the system – his wife asked him if sports channels were the only ones their new dish system would receive!  After hearing about that, Sally made sure that our cable TV system would pick up more than sports.  I’m just glad that we have 2 TVs and you can tune them to different channels.

What this is leading to is a observation of mine that when a football team takes the field this, they want to be – as they say — “in the zone.” “The zone” is a state of being in which an athlete is performing at his or her very best; when they are utilizing their unique talents to the best of their ability when it matters most. When athletes are “in the zone” their mind, body, and spirit are all in sync. They execute with efficiency and precision. Their eyes blaze with confidence, and their opponents wither under their unrelenting assault. An athlete “in the zone” is almost unstoppable, and when an entire team is “in the zone” – well – their opponents don’t stand a chance.  As the fans at Duke are fond of chanting – “start the bus” – because the other team might as well load up and go home.    

But – you know — being “in the zone” isn’t something that just athletes desire. It’s desirable in most every human endeavor. When an artist is “in the zone”, they see nothing but the subject and the canvas, and with deft strokes of the brush brings the image to life. When a surgeon is “in the zone”, they can stand for hours at the operating table performing minute and delicate procedures with no margin for error. When an actress is “in the zone”, they become the character they’re portraying. When a video game player is ‘in the zone”, they’re no longer on the couch pushing buttons, they’re in the maze or on the field or living whatever adventure is being played out on the screen.

To be “in the zone” is to be at your very best when it’s needed most, to be using your skills and talents to their maximum potential. It’s not just a great way to play a game or do a job or create a work of art—it’s the way God would have us to live if we want our lives to count. A life that counts is a life that adds up to something when it’s all said and done, a life that makes a difference in this world and in the lives of people.

I read about a minister who was out for a run one winter day. He passed an older gentleman out for a walk.  The older gentleman was moving pretty slowly. As the minister got closer he noticed that the older gentleman was leaning pretty heavily on a cane in his hands. He passed him – but on his way back he noticed the older gentleman in his driveway.  The gentleman had paused – and was poking at the snow with his cane. When the minister got close he could see the gentleman was trying to knock the snow off of some low lying branches that had been buried by the passing plow. It took considerable effort to beat back the heavy, wet snow. The minister stopped and helped him – then went on his way. What struck the minister about the scene was that it wasn’t enough for this gentleman to take a walk on a balmy February day. He had to do something, get something accomplished: he had to solve a problem, to rescue his frozen branches. He wanted to walk back into the house knowing he’d done something worthwhile.

Isn’t that how it is for all of us as we make our way through this world?

We want to do more than just get some exercise and enjoy the scenery. We want to do something. We want to make a difference. We want someone, or something, to be better off because we passed this way. We want our lives to count.

We want to be “in the zone” – so to speak.

Do you serve the King?

Do you serve Christ – the King of all things?

If we are going to be servants of Christ we have to serve Him with all we have – our money – our time – our talents – or whatever God has blessed us with. We are going to have to use all God has given us for His glory – so our lives can be “in the zone” for Him – so we can make a difference for Him – so our lives can count for Him.

Do you serve the King?

In order to do really serve Christ – our King – be “in the zone” for Him – make a difference for Him – have your life count for Him – you have become a good steward of the resources God has placed in your hands. We’ve talked about money, and learned that if we want our lives to count we have to tithe of what God has given us financially. But – to really serve Christ – we have to also use our talents and abilities.    If we want to be “in the zone” – if we want to make a difference for Christ in the world – if we want our lives to count for Him – if we want to serve the King — we have to use our God-given gifts to their maximum potential.

Our lives need to be “in the zone.”

Do you serve the King?

In order to do really serve Christ – our King – be “in the zone” for Him – make a difference for Him – have your life count for Him – you have become a good steward of the resources God has placed in your hands.

But – how can you do this?

Our passage from 1 Peter 4:7-11 gives us some pointers – some instructions – on how to truly live a life that serve the King – a life that is “in the zone” for Christ.  

         1 Peter was written to Christians who had been scattered into the pagan Roman territories of Asia Minor, or Turkey. As followers of Christ in a pagan culture, they often felt like aliens and strangers. But Peter challenged them to be deliberate strangers, to live such good lives among the people that they might see their good works, and be ready to meet God on the day He drew near. In other words, he wanted them to live lives that counted.

I see in this passage three qualities that can enable you to play, or work, or live, “in the zone” – to play, or work, or live as servants of Christ – the King – letting every aspect of your life be used for Christ’s glory.   

The first quality you need is focus.

Focus on your strengths. When you’re “in the zone “ – when you are letting Christ use your strengths for His glory  — when you are utilizing your very best skills or talents to serve the King – to serve Christ – and make a difference for His glory in the world – you are truly serving Christ.

Find your strength – and use it.

You don’t see Peyton Manning — one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL —  playing linebacker. Peyton’s a smart guy and a great athlete – and he’d certainly work hard at it and do a decent job playing linebacker. But it would be a waste of his talents. It wouldn’t be satisfying for him and it wouldn’t allow him to make his maximum contribution to the team.

In the same way, if you want your life to count, you have to identify your particular gifts and strengths, and then focus on using and developing them.

Look at verse 10 in our passage for today:

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

Peter is reminding us that each of us have been given a unique combination of gifts and abilities by God to do His work in this world. Notice that each one of us has received gifts. Each person has been given special abilities to contribute to the life of the church. When you discover your gifts – your strengths – and focus on using them for Christ and His work – when you’re living your life “in the zone” for God — when you’re able to focus your time and energy on using your gifts to the best of your abilities and for God’s glory — when you are letting Christ use your strengths for His glory  — when you are utilizing your very best skills or talents to serve the King – to serve Christ – and make a difference for His glory in the world – you are truly serving Christ. You are serving the King, and the impact can be supernatural.

Do you serve the King?

When Billy Graham is sharing the good news of Christ to a stadium full of seeking people, he’s “in the zone”. The results are supernatural, beyond what they would be if any one else were on that platform, because that’s his gift. He identified it a long time ago, and made a strategic decision to operate within his “zone of effectiveness” and stay there for his whole life. That’s why he doesn’t pastor a church, though he’d probably do a better than average job of it. He hasn’t joined a seminary faculty as a professor of evangelism, though students would no doubt learn a lot from him. That focus has enabled him to preach the good news to more people more effectively than any person who’s ever lived – and in focusing on his gift, he serve the King – he serves Christ.

Do you serve the King?

Now — your gifts may not be as remarkably distinctive or fruitful as Billy Graham’s — but you have been entrusted with gifts for doing God’s work in the world – for serving the King – for accomplishing the work of Christ in the Church and in the world.

You need to identify them.

You need to use them.

Natural talents—musical talent — artistic abilities —  mechanical skills, an aptitude for working with numbers, or words, or computers, or people. Life experiences. All these things are gifts – and can be used for serving the King – for serving Christ – for doing His will and work in the Church and in the world.

Maybe you’ve had to overcome health issues, or you’ve lived through a divorce, and you’re able to come alongside people in those circumstances to offer wisdom and comfort and help.

Maybe you were raised in a happy, godly home and are able to share that health and happiness with others by opening your home to them or by teaching them what you’ve learned.

Maybe you’ve been trained as an accountant, or a programmer, or an educator. Those gifts can certainly be used by the Church – and when you use them you will be “in the zone” for God’s glory – serving the King – doing the will of God in the world.

Do you serve the King?

Stewardship isn’t just about tithing your income and volunteering at church —  stewardship means leveraging all of your God-given resources for the advance of the kingdom. It means using your gifts to serve the King here at Hopewell – but it also means using them every day – wherever you may be. A teacher, for example,  that doesn’t take advantage of her influence on students and her voice in academic forum is not being a faithful steward, no matter how much money she’s giving or how many classes she teaches.

The point is that each one of us have been gifted with a unique set of abilities, experiences, talents, and training that enables us to make a difference in the world for Christ’s sake. Each of us have gifts to give to Christ – to be used to serve Christ – our King – in the church and beyond.  We will be “in the zone”, so to speak, and have the greatest impact on the world when we discover those areas of strength and focus on them, both in the church and out in the world.

Do you serve the King?

Have you identified the gifts you have – the   unique set of abilities, experiences, talents, and training God has blessed you with – and how you can use them to serve Christ in the Church and the world?

Have you identified how you can live “in the zone” for God’s glory – and be used for God in the Church and the world?

Do you serve the King?

The first element of living in the zone – of serving the King — is to discover your gifts, and focusing on using them for God’s purposes.

The second element of operating “in the zone” – serving the King – using all you have for His glory and His work — making a difference for God in the world — is excellence. It’s not enough to be operating in your area of strength — being “in the zone” means doing it well, attaining peak performance.

A musician “in the zone” isn’t just playing the instrument they love, they’re playing it well, to the best of their ability.

A good football team is not an effective team because week after week they manage to get “in the zone” and stay there. The offense clicks, the defense does their job, and special teams come through when they need to. It doesn’t happen because they try harder on game day than the other teams or want it more badly. It’s because of their commitment to preparing themselves all week long to be their very best against that particular opponent. Mentally, physically, relationally—they are disciplined.

Look at what Peter says about the exercise of your gifts in verse 11:

“If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides.”

Whatever your gift, wherever you serve, you should do it with a commitment to being your very best.

Whether your gift is singing, or playing an instrument, or teaching, or counting money, or balancing the books, or typing, or serving coffee, or holding babies, or whatever — you should do it to the best of your ability – because it is your gift to God – it is your service to the King. Be on time, fully prepared, attentive, and “prayed up” in advance. Whatever you do – it’s important. That’s what it takes to be excellent – what it takes to be “in the zone” for God – what it means to use all you have to serve the King.  

Do you serve the King?

Are you giving all you have – your time – your money – your talents – to Christ? 

Are you living “in the zone” – using your talents and gifts for God’s glory in the Church and the world?

“Living in the zone” requires focus and excellence. It requires working within your unique gifts and using them to the best of your ability

So – we need focus – we need excellence – but we also need intensity.   

To live “in the zone” — — to truly serve the King – serve Christ – with all our gifts and all our abilities – we have to live with intensity.

If you’ve ever looked into the eyes an athlete who is “in the zone” you know what I’m talking about. When an athlete is “in the zone” – it’s as though nothing exists beyond what’s happening on the field. They’re fully in the moment. There’s no distraction; no letdown, no holding back. Nothing matters—the weather, the crowd, or the sore ankle. The field they are playing on becomes for them the most important piece of real estate on Earth. Those 60 minutes of game time are the only moments that matter.

The same is true for an artist or a musician or a writer or a carpenter or a surgeon. To be “in the zone” is to be fully engaged in the task at hand.

That kind of intensity is essential to a life that counts for Christ – a life that is serving the King – a life where we are using all our gifts and abilities for God and God’s work in the Church and in the world.  

Peter addresses this intensity in verse 7 –

“The end of all things is near.”

The end of all things is near. What did he mean by that? Did he mean that Christ could return at any moment? That the world could come to an end at any time? Yes, that’s exactly what he meant. All the early believers lived with that sense of expectancy about Christ’s return. After all, He said he would be coming back. That awareness brought a sense of urgency, of intensity, to their lives. Every day mattered. Every decision had eternal consequences. Every denari they spent on themselves was one less denari to give to the poor.

That was living with intensity. That was living a life that mattered – that was “in the zone” – that made a difference for Christ in the world. That was living a life that was truly serving the King.

Now – they were wrong in believing Christ would return at any moment.  We know that – now that it is 2,000 years later and Christ has not returned. But — were they wrong to live with such expectancy – such intensity?

No, that’s how Christ-followers are supposed to live, even after 2,000 years of waiting. He didn’t say when He was coming back, He just said, “soon.” Now, apparently, His idea of soon is a little bit different than ours. Soon means anytime. Suddenly, unexpectedly, like a thief. Since you don’t know when a thief will strike, you lock your door every night. In the same way, since we don’t know when the end will come, we live every day like it could be our last, like we’re running out of time. Because we are.  Which means if you’re going to use your God-given gifts in service to others, use them now. Today. Not next year. Not when you get out of school. Not when the kids are older. Not when work slows down. Not when you retire. Now. Today. This moment.

That’s being “in the zone” for Christ.

That’s intensity.

That’s truly serving the King.

Truly serving the King.

Living “in the zone” for Christ. 

It takes focusing on your God given gifts and abilities.

It takes using your God given gifts and abilities with excellence.

It takes using your God given gifts and abilities with intensity.

So – are you serving the King?

How has God uniquely gifted you? What gifts, what life experiences, what natural talents, what professional skills has God given to you?

Are you using those gifts and talents to the best of your ability?

Is there a sense of urgency that compels you to take advantage of every opportunity to use what God has given you for His glory?

Are you living “in the zone” – focusing on God’s gifts to you – using them with excellence and intensity?

Are you serving the King?

If you want to truly serve Christ, you have to live “in the zone.”

So – stewardship in indeed more than what’s in your wallet – but it’s using what’s in your wallet – your money – but also everything God has blessed you with – your time, your talents, your abilities, for God’s glory and the work of Christ in the Church and in the world. It’s serving Christ the King with all we have.

So – are you serving the King?

Amen.

Malachi 3:8-12

Malachi 3:8-12

Are You Robbing God?

Part 2 of Hopewell Stewardship Emphasis 2006

November 19, 2006

We are moving into week 2 of our Stewardship emphasis.

Remember the joke from last week about how the minister told the congregation that he had good news and bad news – the good news being that the Church had all the money it needed to do whatever God called then to do – but the bad news being that most of the money the Church needed was in their wallets!

Also remember that I said last week that stewardship did not just involve what was in your wallets – but that it had to involve everything you have.

Stewardship has got to be more than just giving your money – although that is certainly a part of it. Stewardship has got to involve your life – what you have – what God has given you – whether it be money – time – talents – or whatever God has blessed you with. Actually, our stewardship of what God has given us is our response to God – we see what God has blessed with – whether it be money – time – talents – or whatever – and we want to return a potion of it to God for His work in the world.

Stewardship is indeed more than the Capitol One Credit Card Card commercial asks:

What’s in your wallet?

Stewardship involves your life – it involves everything you have.

So – as I said last week – the theme for my stewardship sermons this year could be:

Stewardship – it’s more than what’s in your wallet!

Stewardship is seeing all God has blessed us with – — giving praise to God for all God has blessed us with – and using all God has blessed us with for His work in the world.

It’s more than what’s in your wallet – but we can’t fool ourselves into thinking that it does not involve what’s in our wallets – and we have to look at the hard question of how we do use our money – and how our use of our money shows where our faith is and where our commitments are.

Next week we are going to look at how we can use all our gifts for God – but this week we need to look more closely at how our use of our financial resources – because how we use our financial resources shows where our faith is and where our commitments are.

So — I’m going to raise a hard question today –

Are you robbing God?

Actually, this is not an original question for me – the prophet Malachi raised it centuries ago to the Israelites in the southern kingdom of Judah.

Listen to God’s word to the people of Judah – and to us – in Malachi 3:8-12.

READ SCRIPTURE

Some of you may know may have firsthand knowledge of the feeling of fear and violation that happens when you find that someone has broken into your home and stolen most of your property.

Or maybe you know someone who has experienced this.

While this has never happened to Sally and me, we have had good friends who have had this happen to them – and they say that they felt violated – and wondered :

Who would do this?

Who could be so brazenly uncaring and evil to do something like this?

Well – as brazen, uncaring, and evil as robbing things from someone else seems to be — Malachi discusses an unusual victim of thievery.

Malachi asks the question:

Who’s the last person you would expect to get robbed?

This is the question in Malachi 3:8:

“Will a person rob God?”

And Malachi says the answer is –

“Yes”

“Yes” –

Malchi says – in fact – Malachi says

“you’re robbing him.”

Then – to address the question he was sure his listeners were asking – he continues:

“You ask, ‘How do we rob God?’”

And the answer is:

“In tithes and offerings you are robbing God.”

“Bring the whole tithe into my storehouse”

Malachi says in verse 10.

Bring the whole tithe to God.

Are you robbing God?

Hundreds of years before Malachi addressed the people, God had spelled out how they ought to handle their money.

God said: Here are the guidelines:

Earn money ethically. No schemes, no corruption, no backdoor deals, no gray areas. You can earn a lot of money if you earn it ethically.

Spend money wisely, not foolishly or carelessly. Avoid destructive debt.

Save money consistently for your future.

Give money to the poor generously.

And — as a part of overall money management practices, God established the practice of tithing.

The word tithe simply means a tenth, 10 percent. The idea behind the practice was that God’s people would take 10 percent of whatever increase they experienced and they’d bring it to their worship place as a symbol of their gratefulness to God for the material blessings He had given them.

Some people followed God’s guidelines.

They managed their money and kept their finances under control. They stayed out of debt, had savings, gave to the poor, and brought the full tithe. God was honored for His graciousness – and the work of God was done in the world through the tithes the people brought.

It was a “win / win” situation. The people “won” because God blessed them when they honored Him for His gracious blessings to them. God “won” because the people realized where their material blessings had come from – and returned a portion to Him for His work in the world.

But not everybody followed God’s guidelines – and part of Malachi’s message to the people was an attempt to “reset the bar” so to speak when people were not following God’s guidelines and were making financial decisions that did not honor God.

In Malachi’s day the standard of financial excellence and God’s guidelines for handling material blessings had gone by the wayside, it seemed. In spite of being taught about how to honor God with their resources, it seemed that men and women were making financial decisions that did not honor God and that were downright stupid. They started to make their own rules for how to handle the material blessings God had given them. If you can believe it, in Malachi’s day it seemed that people were deciding to make up their own guidelines for how to handle their finances – and make up for their financial foolishness by — in some cases — not honoring God for His gifts to them by giving at least the tithes that were supposed to give to God.

Are you robbing God?

For example, someone in Malachi’s day might have gone to the local shopping market to pick up a few items for the kids or for the house — and maybe they’d get carried away with their spending. They’d overspend their budget. On the way home they’d think:

“How am I going to make my budget now?”

Then they’d think: “ I’ll just take the tithe money I was supposed to give to God and his work this week and I’ll use that to balance my budget.”

Problem solved!

Then maybe they’d think,

“I wonder what God is going to think about this? Ah, no big deal.”

Are you robbing God?

Maybe someone else would start building a new house and keep adding on the extras, until the only way they could afford it would be to take a whole year of tithe monies and use them to finish the house.

Are you robbing God?

Maybe other people would experience a financial hardship of some kind, maybe a loss of employment, and rather than draw down their savings while they were looking for a new job, they’d say:

“I’ll just stop bringing my tithe to God. He’ll understand. He’s not going to get legalistic about this.”

Are you robbing God?

I’m sure once in awhile, someone in Malachi’s day would hit the financial big time. A windfall would come their way, they’d sell a piece of land that had appreciated, or they’d have a bumper crop. They’d make a ton of money. Then when they’d figure out how much 10 percent of the windfall was going to be, they’d say:

“No way. I don’t care who’s on the throne in heaven. I am not writing a check that large and putting it in the offering plate next week. If God has a problem with that, have his people call my people. Who does he think he is?”

Are you robbing God?

In Malachi’s day the financial standards of excellence had plummeted. Most people had their own reasons for giving less than the full 10 percent of their earnings to God and to his work – and they were brazen about it. They’d say;

“Hey, what’s God going to do? ”

In comes God’s spokesperson, Malachi, who was going to “reset the bar”.

He started the discussion by saying:

“How do you folks feel about getting robbed?”

Pretty bad?

“Well, you should. It’s a terrible thing when someone robs someone. You would never rob anybody, would you? Would you ever rob your neighbor, your friend?”

And the people would respond:

“No. We would never rob anybody.”

At that point Malachi sprung the trap.

“That’s true. You probably don’t mug your neighbors and friends. But here’s the thing: if you wouldn’t mug them, why would you rob the God you say you love and serve?”

“If you have the common decency not to rob neighbors and friends, what would possess you to rob God of what he asks you to give him on a regular basis to honor him?”

“Every time you bring less than the full 10 percent of your earnings to God, you’re ripping off the one who gave his best for you. What you’re doing is unthinkable, and it’s got to stop.”

Are you robbing God?

God’s financial guidelines have not changed.

Earn money ethically. No schemes, no corruption, no backdoor deals, no gray areas. You can earn a lot of money if you earn it ethically.

Spend money wisely, not foolishly or carelessly. Avoid destructive debt.

Save money consistently for your future.

Give money to the poor generously.

And — as a part of overall money management practices, God established the practice of tithing.

So – how well do you follow these guidelines?

Like the folks in Malachi’s day, too many of us find it easy to find excuses for not tithing.

If we overspend our budget, is our tithe the first thing that gets cut?

If we need a little extra money to pay for something we want, is our tithe the first place we look to get it?

If we should make more money than we had thought we would – or get a financial windfall – is it tithed as a way to give praise to God for His blessing to us?

Malachi said the people in his day were robbing God.

How about us?

Are we robbing God?

How about you?

Are you robbing God?

Let’s say that you started and built a company to the point where it was very profitable. And imagine you have five kids whom you’ve provided for their whole lives. You’ve fed and clothed them, you’ve given them a college education. All five kids say,

“Mom, Dad, would you invite us into the family business? We know you’ve worked all your lives to prepare this successful company, so we’d like in.”

So you look at your adorable children and say,

“Who would I rather share my business and profits with than my kids?”

You invite all five of them into the business.

Then – 10 years later – your company is no longer profitable and will have to close it’s doors because your five kids bled cash out of your company into their personal bank accounts.

How do you feel as a mom and dad — if you’ve been robbed by your own flesh and blood?

Losing the business is a tough enough pill to swallow, but the knowledge that your own family stole from you?

When it’s family, can there be a deeper hurt?

Well — your Heavenly Father asks you to take a tenth of your earnings and offer it to Him. And if you don’t do it – you’re robbing God.

Are you robbing God?

This isn’t an impersonal accounting issue we’re talking about. We’re God’s kids. He’s our heavenly Father. All He’s ever done is give to us. Yet all He asks is for us to take a tenth out of everything He’s given and allows us to earn, and return it as a worship offering to Him on a consistent basis to honor Him and to remind ourselves that He’s got first place in our lives.

We’re God’s kids – – but are we stealing from Him by not tithing?

We’ve got to get back on the program.

We’ve got to do it God’s way, every one of us. We must do a heart check.

We can’t go through our lives robbing God.

Are you robbing God?

Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church, tells about a conversation he had with a new Christian, a business guy whom he’d helped lead to Christ some months prior to this conversation. It seemed that one day this new Christian opened his Bible to the Book of Malachi and read chapter 3. Well, he got so upset about this he called Bill and said:

“What’s the deal with this tithing thing?”

Before Bill could answer, the man started asking more questions:

“Is this for everybody?”

“Is this on the gross or the net?”

“Is this retroactive? Because if it is, we could be talking serious money.”

Money had been about the most important thing in this man’s life. His life was centered around it. His sense of power was attached to it. Control of his children was involved with it, which was not a good thing. It had always been his security. The tithing principle was upsetting to him because it was messing with what had been the true treasure of his life.

So Hybels said:

“I’m glad you ran across the tithing passage, because it is going to force you to do a heart check, a gut check, and a faith check. I know you well enough to know the grip money has had on you. We’re going to see what you’re made of now. We’re going to see what your faith is really all about. But put the tithing principle aside for a moment. Tell me again how you met Christ.:”

The man replied:

“You know how it happened. We had lunch together, and over the lunch table you drew a picture on a paper napkin, showing the difference between trying to earn your way to heaven and receiving grace through what Jesus did on the cross. You described the difference between the performance plan and the grace plan. You described the difference between doing things to earn God’s grace and mercy and depending on what Christ has already done for me on the cross. I remember after that lunch I put that napkin on my desk at work, and your words and diagram worked me over all afternoon, and I left work early. I went home, fell on my knees, and asked what Jesus Christ had done for me on the cross to be applied to the sins of my life. I discovered amazing grace that day.”

Hybels responded: “I remember that day, too, because you called me that night and told me you understood why people call grace amazing. I’ll never forget that night.”

The man assured Hybels that he would never forget it, either.

Hybels continued: “When someone lays down his life for you, when he wipes the slate clean of all your sins, when he invites you into his family, when he secures your eternity, and promises to bless your life between here and there, when he gives you his everything, and then asks you to honor and show gratitude through some practical behaviors and commitments, don’t you think your heartfelt, immediate response ought to be, ‘Yes, Lord! Whatever you want. Just say the word!?’ Tithing isn’t fundamentally about money. It’s about the condition of your heart before God.”

Hybels says he let those words hang out there on the phone line. This was serious business. This was heart stuff. Then he heard the words on the other end of the line:

“I’m so terribly sorry.”

Hybels knew the man was talking more to God than to him.

“I needed this heart check. I’m going to make it right from this day forward.”

And – Hybels says — he did.

When this man in Hybels’ story saw the tithing principle against the backdrop of the cross, he realized Christ ought to be honored no matter how much it would cost him.

When we see the principle of tithing against the backdrop of the cross, we realize that Christ ought to be honored no matter how much it costs us.

God gave his best.

We ought to at least do the minimum required of us to honor that.

If Malachi were standing here instead of me, he might say:

“How can you look at a cross, an empty tomb – and then quibble over giving 10 percent of the earnings God made possible for you to make in the first place? What’s up with you?”

Malachi would probably say:

“Some of you have heart disease. You’d better get it treated.”

The question is:

“Who is the winner in the battle for your heart?”

Do you remember what Jesus said about trying to serve God and money?

No one can serve two masters, Jesus said.

One will always win: God or money.

So the question to is:

“Who is the clear winner in the battle for your heart?”

Are you robbing God?

We need to honor God in every aspect of our lives. That includes our money management, in which we need to make a commitment to earn ethically, to spend wisely, to save, to avoid destructive debt, to give to the poor, and to tithe our earnings to the work of God.

Many of us must do a heart check, a gut check, and a faith check to start honoring God financially.

Sooner or later you have to come to a personal decision about these matters.

You’ve got to do a heart check.

This is not fundamentally about money – fundamentally about how you feel about the One who has blessed you – and even gave His life for you.

Context is everything.

When you consider making your giving decisions against the backdrop of a cross, you might give differently.

Do a gut check, a heart check, and a faith check, too.

Do a gut check.

A gut check is a character step you take in order for your heartfelt commitment to start honoring God with your money to really take effect. If you’re really going to get on board with God’s money management practices, you’re going to have to rearrange your personal money management disciplines. You’re going to have to sit down with your records and a calculator. You’re going to have to figure out how much you really earned. You’re going to have to figure out how frequently you’re paid through the different revenue streams that come your way. You’re going to have to go through all your investments and figure what you need to bring to God on a regular basis that represents the full tithe. This takes guts. This takes character. This takes discipline and attention to detail.

Do a heart check.

Check your heart for God – who has given you all you have.

Do a faith check.

Can you really trust God to bless you and provide for you if you give a real tithe to Him?

Some have developed the practice of making their tithe check to God the first check we write each pay period. Symbolically that’s significant for many of us because we’re saying: “God, you’re first place in our lives. Thank you for more earnings. Thank you for life and breath and health and energy and talent and intellect.”

Are you robbing God?

Tithing is not really about the Church – and it’s certainly not about me. This is about you. It’s about you in the shadow of a cross.

Sometimes people with little will say, “Oh, what does my $8.40 really mean?”

It means a lot to God.

If you tithe – regardless of how much your tithe is – if it is really your 10% — then it means you are not robbing God.

Are your robbing God?

This is between you and the God.

God — who has given you His best.

This is between you and God – who has blessed you with so much – your family – your food – your friends – your salvation.

Honor God with your money. Honor him in how you earn it, how you spend it, how you save it, how you avoid debt, how you’re generous with the poor, and how you bring the full tithe into his work on a regular basis.

This week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. In between the food, family, football, and whatever else you do to celebrate – stop to truly give thanks to God for His blessings in your life – take stock of what God has given you – think about how you are using His gifts to you – and think about if you are robbing God or not.

As I said at the beginning of my sermon today, stewardship is indeed more than the Capitol One Credit Card commercial asks:

What’s in your wallet?

Stewardship involves your life – it involves everything you have. While it indeed has to include what’s in your wallet, it has to be a commitment of everything you have — money – time – talents – or whatever God has blessed you with. All that we can offer has to be given to God for God’s work in the world if we are going to truly be good stewards of God’s gifts to us. It’s more than what’s in your wallet – but we can’t fool ourselves into thinking that it does not involve what’s in our wallets – and we have to look at the hard question of how we do use our money – and how our use of our money shows where our faith is and where our commitments are.

Do a gut check – a faith check – and a heart check.

Ask yourself – am I robbing God?

Does the way I use my money truly give glory and praise and honor to God?

Are you truly giving God His tithe – or are you robbing God?

Amen.

Malachi 3:8-12

Malachi 3:8-12

Are You Robbing God?

Part 2 of Hopewell Stewardship Emphasis 2006

November 19, 2006

We are moving into week 2 of our Stewardship emphasis.

Remember the joke from last week about how the minister told the congregation that he had good news and bad news – the good news being that the Church had all the money it needed to do whatever God called then to do – but the bad news being that most of the money the Church needed was in their wallets!

Also remember that I said last week that stewardship did not just involve what was in your wallets – but that it had to involve everything you have.

Stewardship has got to be more than just giving your money – although that is certainly a part of it. Stewardship has got to involve your life – what you have – what God has given you – whether it be money – time – talents – or whatever God has blessed you with. Actually, our stewardship of what God has given us is our response to God – we see what God has blessed with – whether it be money – time – talents – or whatever – and we want to return a potion of it to God for His work in the world.

Stewardship is indeed more than the Capitol One Credit Card Card commercial asks:

What’s in your wallet?

Stewardship involves your life – it involves everything you have.

So – as I said last week – the theme for my stewardship sermons this year could be:

Stewardship – it’s more than what’s in your wallet!

Stewardship is seeing all God has blessed us with – — giving praise to God for all God has blessed us with – and using all God has blessed us with for His work in the world.

It’s more than what’s in your wallet – but we can’t fool ourselves into thinking that it does not involve what’s in our wallets – and we have to look at the hard question of how we do use our money – and how our use of our money shows where our faith is and where our commitments are.

Next week we are going to look at how we can use all our gifts for God – but this week we need to look more closely at how our use of our financial resources – because how we use our financial resources shows where our faith is and where our commitments are.

So — I’m going to raise a hard question today –

Are you robbing God?

Actually, this is not an original question for me – the prophet Malachi raised it centuries ago to the Israelites in the southern kingdom of Judah.

Listen to God’s word to the people of Judah – and to us – in Malachi 3:8-12.

READ SCRIPTURE

Some of you may know may have firsthand knowledge of the feeling of fear and violation that happens when you find that someone has broken into your home and stolen most of your property.

Or maybe you know someone who has experienced this.

While this has never happened to Sally and me, we have had good friends who have had this happen to them – and they say that they felt violated – and wondered :

Who would do this?

Who could be so brazenly uncaring and evil to do something like this?

Well – as brazen, uncaring, and evil as robbing things from someone else seems to be — Malachi discusses an unusual victim of thievery.

Malachi asks the question:

Who’s the last person you would expect to get robbed?

This is the question in Malachi 3:8:

“Will a person rob God?”

And Malachi says the answer is –

“Yes”

“Yes” –

Malchi says – in fact – Malachi says

“you’re robbing him.”

Then – to address the question he was sure his listeners were asking – he continues:

“You ask, ‘How do we rob God?’”

And the answer is:

“In tithes and offerings you are robbing God.”

“Bring the whole tithe into my storehouse”

Malachi says in verse 10.

Bring the whole tithe to God.

Are you robbing God?

Hundreds of years before Malachi addressed the people, God had spelled out how they ought to handle their money.

God said: Here are the guidelines:

Earn money ethically. No schemes, no corruption, no backdoor deals, no gray areas. You can earn a lot of money if you earn it ethically.

Spend money wisely, not foolishly or carelessly. Avoid destructive debt.

Save money consistently for your future.

Give money to the poor generously.

And — as a part of overall money management practices, God established the practice of tithing.

The word tithe simply means a tenth, 10 percent. The idea behind the practice was that God’s people would take 10 percent of whatever increase they experienced and they’d bring it to their worship place as a symbol of their gratefulness to God for the material blessings He had given them.

Some people followed God’s guidelines.

They managed their money and kept their finances under control. They stayed out of debt, had savings, gave to the poor, and brought the full tithe. God was honored for His graciousness – and the work of God was done in the world through the tithes the people brought.

It was a “win / win” situation. The people “won” because God blessed them when they honored Him for His gracious blessings to them. God “won” because the people realized where their material blessings had come from – and returned a portion to Him for His work in the world.

But not everybody followed God’s guidelines – and part of Malachi’s message to the people was an attempt to “reset the bar” so to speak when people were not following God’s guidelines and were making financial decisions that did not honor God.

In Malachi’s day the standard of financial excellence and God’s guidelines for handling material blessings had gone by the wayside, it seemed. In spite of being taught about how to honor God with their resources, it seemed that men and women were making financial decisions that did not honor God and that were downright stupid. They started to make their own rules for how to handle the material blessings God had given them. If you can believe it, in Malachi’s day it seemed that people were deciding to make up their own guidelines for how to handle their finances – and make up for their financial foolishness by — in some cases — not honoring God for His gifts to them by giving at least the tithes that were supposed to give to God.

Are you robbing God?

For example, someone in Malachi’s day might have gone to the local shopping market to pick up a few items for the kids or for the house — and maybe they’d get carried away with their spending. They’d overspend their budget. On the way home they’d think:

“How am I going to make my budget now?”

Then they’d think: “ I’ll just take the tithe money I was supposed to give to God and his work this week and I’ll use that to balance my budget.”

Problem solved!

Then maybe they’d think,

“I wonder what God is going to think about this? Ah, no big deal.”

Are you robbing God?

Maybe someone else would start building a new house and keep adding on the extras, until the only way they could afford it would be to take a whole year of tithe monies and use them to finish the house.

Are you robbing God?

Maybe other people would experience a financial hardship of some kind, maybe a loss of employment, and rather than draw down their savings while they were looking for a new job, they’d say:

“I’ll just stop bringing my tithe to God. He’ll understand. He’s not going to get legalistic about this.”

Are you robbing God?

I’m sure once in awhile, someone in Malachi’s day would hit the financial big time. A windfall would come their way, they’d sell a piece of land that had appreciated, or they’d have a bumper crop. They’d make a ton of money. Then when they’d figure out how much 10 percent of the windfall was going to be, they’d say:

“No way. I don’t care who’s on the throne in heaven. I am not writing a check that large and putting it in the offering plate next week. If God has a problem with that, have his people call my people. Who does he think he is?”

Are you robbing God?

In Malachi’s day the financial standards of excellence had plummeted. Most people had their own reasons for giving less than the full 10 percent of their earnings to God and to his work – and they were brazen about it. They’d say;

“Hey, what’s God going to do? ”

In comes God’s spokesperson, Malachi, who was going to “reset the bar”.

He started the discussion by saying:

“How do you folks feel about getting robbed?”

Pretty bad?

“Well, you should. It’s a terrible thing when someone robs someone. You would never rob anybody, would you? Would you ever rob your neighbor, your friend?”

And the people would respond:

“No. We would never rob anybody.”

At that point Malachi sprung the trap.

“That’s true. You probably don’t mug your neighbors and friends. But here’s the thing: if you wouldn’t mug them, why would you rob the God you say you love and serve?”

“If you have the common decency not to rob neighbors and friends, what would possess you to rob God of what he asks you to give him on a regular basis to honor him?”

“Every time you bring less than the full 10 percent of your earnings to God, you’re ripping off the one who gave his best for you. What you’re doing is unthinkable, and it’s got to stop.”

Are you robbing God?

God’s financial guidelines have not changed.

Earn money ethically. No schemes, no corruption, no backdoor deals, no gray areas. You can earn a lot of money if you earn it ethically.

Spend money wisely, not foolishly or carelessly. Avoid destructive debt.

Save money consistently for your future.

Give money to the poor generously.

And — as a part of overall money management practices, God established the practice of tithing.

So – how well do you follow these guidelines?

Like the folks in Malachi’s day, too many of us find it easy to find excuses for not tithing.

If we overspend our budget, is our tithe the first thing that gets cut?

If we need a little extra money to pay for something we want, is our tithe the first place we look to get it?

If we should make more money than we had thought we would – or get a financial windfall – is it tithed as a way to give praise to God for His blessing to us?

Malachi said the people in his day were robbing God.

How about us?

Are we robbing God?

How about you?

Are you robbing God?

Let’s say that you started and built a company to the point where it was very profitable. And imagine you have five kids whom you’ve provided for their whole lives. You’ve fed and clothed them, you’ve given them a college education. All five kids say,

“Mom, Dad, would you invite us into the family business? We know you’ve worked all your lives to prepare this successful company, so we’d like in.”

So you look at your adorable children and say,

“Who would I rather share my business and profits with than my kids?”

You invite all five of them into the business.

Then – 10 years later – your company is no longer profitable and will have to close it’s doors because your five kids bled cash out of your company into their personal bank accounts.

How do you feel as a mom and dad — if you’ve been robbed by your own flesh and blood?

Losing the business is a tough enough pill to swallow, but the knowledge that your own family stole from you?

When it’s family, can there be a deeper hurt?

Well — your Heavenly Father asks you to take a tenth of your earnings and offer it to Him. And if you don’t do it – you’re robbing God.

Are you robbing God?

This isn’t an impersonal accounting issue we’re talking about. We’re God’s kids. He’s our heavenly Father. All He’s ever done is give to us. Yet all He asks is for us to take a tenth out of everything He’s given and allows us to earn, and return it as a worship offering to Him on a consistent basis to honor Him and to remind ourselves that He’s got first place in our lives.

We’re God’s kids – – but are we stealing from Him by not tithing?

We’ve got to get back on the program.

We’ve got to do it God’s way, every one of us. We must do a heart check.

We can’t go through our lives robbing God.

Are you robbing God?

Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church, tells about a conversation he had with a new Christian, a business guy whom he’d helped lead to Christ some months prior to this conversation. It seemed that one day this new Christian opened his Bible to the Book of Malachi and read chapter 3. Well, he got so upset about this he called Bill and said:

“What’s the deal with this tithing thing?”

Before Bill could answer, the man started asking more questions:

“Is this for everybody?”

“Is this on the gross or the net?”

“Is this retroactive? Because if it is, we could be talking serious money.”

Money had been about the most important thing in this man’s life. His life was centered around it. His sense of power was attached to it. Control of his children was involved with it, which was not a good thing. It had always been his security. The tithing principle was upsetting to him because it was messing with what had been the true treasure of his life.

So Hybels said:

“I’m glad you ran across the tithing passage, because it is going to force you to do a heart check, a gut check, and a faith check. I know you well enough to know the grip money has had on you. We’re going to see what you’re made of now. We’re going to see what your faith is really all about. But put the tithing principle aside for a moment. Tell me again how you met Christ.:”

The man replied:

“You know how it happened. We had lunch together, and over the lunch table you drew a picture on a paper napkin, showing the difference between trying to earn your way to heaven and receiving grace through what Jesus did on the cross. You described the difference between the performance plan and the grace plan. You described the difference between doing things to earn God’s grace and mercy and depending on what Christ has already done for me on the cross. I remember after that lunch I put that napkin on my desk at work, and your words and diagram worked me over all afternoon, and I left work early. I went home, fell on my knees, and asked what Jesus Christ had done for me on the cross to be applied to the sins of my life. I discovered amazing grace that day.”

Hybels responded: “I remember that day, too, because you called me that night and told me you understood why people call grace amazing. I’ll never forget that night.”

The man assured Hybels that he would never forget it, either.

Hybels continued: “When someone lays down his life for you, when he wipes the slate clean of all your sins, when he invites you into his family, when he secures your eternity, and promises to bless your life between here and there, when he gives you his everything, and then asks you to honor and show gratitude through some practical behaviors and commitments, don’t you think your heartfelt, immediate response ought to be, ‘Yes, Lord! Whatever you want. Just say the word!?’ Tithing isn’t fundamentally about money. It’s about the condition of your heart before God.”

Hybels says he let those words hang out there on the phone line. This was serious business. This was heart stuff. Then he heard the words on the other end of the line:

“I’m so terribly sorry.”

Hybels knew the man was talking more to God than to him.

“I needed this heart check. I’m going to make it right from this day forward.”

And – Hybels says — he did.

When this man in Hybels’ story saw the tithing principle against the backdrop of the cross, he realized Christ ought to be honored no matter how much it would cost him.

When we see the principle of tithing against the backdrop of the cross, we realize that Christ ought to be honored no matter how much it costs us.

God gave his best.

We ought to at least do the minimum required of us to honor that.

If Malachi were standing here instead of me, he might say:

“How can you look at a cross, an empty tomb – and then quibble over giving 10 percent of the earnings God made possible for you to make in the first place? What’s up with you?”

Malachi would probably say:

“Some of you have heart disease. You’d better get it treated.”

The question is:

“Who is the winner in the battle for your heart?”

Do you remember what Jesus said about trying to serve God and money?

No one can serve two masters, Jesus said.

One will always win: God or money.

So the question to is:

“Who is the clear winner in the battle for your heart?”

Are you robbing God?

We need to honor God in every aspect of our lives. That includes our money management, in which we need to make a commitment to earn ethically, to spend wisely, to save, to avoid destructive debt, to give to the poor, and to tithe our earnings to the work of God.

Many of us must do a heart check, a gut check, and a faith check to start honoring God financially.

Sooner or later you have to come to a personal decision about these matters.

You’ve got to do a heart check.

This is not fundamentally about money – fundamentally about how you feel about the One who has blessed you – and even gave His life for you.

Context is everything.

When you consider making your giving decisions against the backdrop of a cross, you might give differently.

Do a gut check, a heart check, and a faith check, too.

Do a gut check.

A gut check is a character step you take in order for your heartfelt commitment to start honoring God with your money to really take effect. If you’re really going to get on board with God’s money management practices, you’re going to have to rearrange your personal money management disciplines. You’re going to have to sit down with your records and a calculator. You’re going to have to figure out how much you really earned. You’re going to have to figure out how frequently you’re paid through the different revenue streams that come your way. You’re going to have to go through all your investments and figure what you need to bring to God on a regular basis that represents the full tithe. This takes guts. This takes character. This takes discipline and attention to detail.

Do a heart check.

Check your heart for God – who has given you all you have.

Do a faith check.

Can you really trust God to bless you and provide for you if you give a real tithe to Him?

Some have developed the practice of making their tithe check to God the first check we write each pay period. Symbolically that’s significant for many of us because we’re saying: “God, you’re first place in our lives. Thank you for more earnings. Thank you for life and breath and health and energy and talent and intellect.”

Are you robbing God?

Tithing is not really about the Church – and it’s certainly not about me. This is about you. It’s about you in the shadow of a cross.

Sometimes people with little will say, “Oh, what does my $8.40 really mean?”

It means a lot to God.

If you tithe – regardless of how much your tithe is – if it is really your 10% — then it means you are not robbing God.

Are your robbing God?

This is between you and the God.

God — who has given you His best.

This is between you and God – who has blessed you with so much – your family – your food – your friends – your salvation.

Honor God with your money. Honor him in how you earn it, how you spend it, how you save it, how you avoid debt, how you’re generous with the poor, and how you bring the full tithe into his work on a regular basis.

This week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. In between the food, family, football, and whatever else you do to celebrate – stop to truly give thanks to God for His blessings in your life – take stock of what God has given you – think about how you are using His gifts to you – and think about if you are robbing God or not.

As I said at the beginning of my sermon today, stewardship is indeed more than the Capitol One Credit Card commercial asks:

What’s in your wallet?

Stewardship involves your life – it involves everything you have. While it indeed has to include what’s in your wallet, it has to be a commitment of everything you have — money – time – talents – or whatever God has blessed you with. All that we can offer has to be given to God for God’s work in the world if we are going to truly be good stewards of God’s gifts to us. It’s more than what’s in your wallet – but we can’t fool ourselves into thinking that it does not involve what’s in our wallets – and we have to look at the hard question of how we do use our money – and how our use of our money shows where our faith is and where our commitments are.

Do a gut check – a faith check – and a heart check.

Ask yourself – am I robbing God?

Does the way I use my money truly give glory and praise and honor to God?

Are you truly giving God His tithe – or are you robbing God?

Amen.

1Kings 17:1-24

1 Kings 17:1-24

Are You Really Giving?

November 12, 2006

Part 1 of 2006 Stewardship Series

A minister stood before his congregation as his Church began it’s Steardship Season and gave the old line:

“Today I have good news and bad news.”

All eyes looked at him to see what he would say.

“The good news” – he said “Is that after much prayer I have come to the realization that this Church has all the money it needs to do whatever we wish to do”

Everyone looked puzzled – especially the Elders and the head of the Finance Committee — for they knew better – and besides, they had never heard of a minister standing before a congregation and declaring that the Church had all the money it needed.

What kind of beginning to the Stewardship Season was that?

But the minister persisted.

“Yes – the good news is the Church has all the money it needs to do whatever we want –

But” – he continued – “the bad news is – most of the money we need is in your wallets.”

That’s the case with many churches – is it not?

They may have all the money they need – but it’s in the wallets of the members. If the members were to give more – if more members were to take seriously the Biblical concept of the tithe – giving 10% of what you have to God – the work of God could be accomplished.

Yes – good news and bad news. The church may have all the money it needs – but it may be in your wallets.

Maybe – as we begin our Stewardship Season – I should be like the Capitol One Credit card commercial and pose the question:

“What’s in your wallet?”

But – you know – there is more to stewardship than what’s in your wallet. Stewardship has got to be more than just giving your money – although that is certainly a part of it. Stewardship has got to involve your life – what you have – what God has given you – whether it be money – time – talents – or whatever God has blessed you with. Actually, our stewardship of what God has given us is our response to God – we see what God has blessed with – whether it be money – time – talents – or whatever – and we want to return a potion of it to God for His work in the world.

For the next 3 weeks we are going to look at different aspects of stewardship – and I hope we’ll see that God has blessed us here at Hopewell with all the money – all the talents – all the abilities – to do whatever God has called us to do – and stewardship is more than what’s in our wallets – it’s about what’s in our lives.

If I were to choose a theme for these sermons it would probably be something like:

Stewardship – It’s More Than What’s In Your Wallet

One element of stewardship – and our lives as Christians – is trust.

Trusting God.

Trusting God enough to really give back to God what He has given to us – and trusting that God will supply our needs – and supply much more than our needs – when we really give back to God what God has given to us.

Listen to what happened to the prophet Elijah – and a widow – when they decided to really give to God – when they realized that stewardship required more of them than what was in their wallets.

READ 1 KINGS 17:1-24

I have a question for you.

What constitutes real giving to God?

What do you think real giving to God is?

What kind of giving do you think pleases Him, honors Him, and advances His work?

Yea — the “good news, bad news” line that the church may have all the money it needs – but it may be in your wallets may be funny – and real giving to God needs to include what’s in your wallet as the Capital One Credit Card slogan says – but it also needs to include more than what’s in your wallet.

Elijah and the widow both give more than “what’s in their wallets” to God. Their lives show that they are willing to give more than “what’s in their wallets”.

They were really giving their all.

Are you?

Are you really giving your all?

Are you really giving?

As our passage begins, Elijah has just announced a drought.

You can imagine the situation. People are destitute, screaming for food. Then God through Elijah has the audacity to ask this single mother to give him not just one meal; he is really looking to mooch off her for several years.

But you know — his challenging request is actually a service to her – because it gives her the opportunity to give in a real way to God and to really see God provide for her.

If you give in a real way to God you will really see what God can provide for you.

Are you really giving?

Really giving to God is when you put God first and trust him to supply what you need. Really giving to God develops your trust in God and not in your money or in anything else in your life. . Really giving to God develops your trust in the God who can supply for your needs.

So – if you were to evaluate your giving – would you find it to be real – showing a trust in God – or would you find it to be pretend – not really trusting that God will supply for you if you were to truly give to Him?

Whenever you find real giving, you’ll always find a history of God coming through with his abundant provision.

Now – how does Elijah’s story in 1 Kings 17 illustrate real giving?

God was trying to get Ahaz’s attention by sending Elijah to announce a drought. As soon as he announces the drought, God directs Elijah to go to the wilderness to hide. But as he sends him in the wilderness, he promises to provide through ravens.

Amazing.

Two great things happened.

Number one, Elijah obeyed.

Number two, God supplied.

I think Elijah’s obedience is amazing. A wilderness place would be a great place for hiding, but it’s not a great place for surviving. Yet, Elijah obeyed. He went immediately – without question — to this wilderness, and he put himself in a place of depending on God because nobody else was going to provide for him there. God would have to keep His word and provide for Him.

And God did.

God sent wild ravens every morning and every evening to feed this servant who obeyed. He supplied not only in abundance but with gourmet meals. He provides him with meat.

Have you thought about that?

Even when there wasn’t a drought, meat was a luxury, a delicacy in that area. God provides in this rich way. Every morning the ravens bring ordinary bread; every morning they bring extraordinary meat. It was the same thing in the evening.

Elijah obeyed God, and God came through in abundance.

Elijah did more than just give what was in his wallet – he gave his life – and God provided for him.

After this period of Elijah’s obedience and God’s provision, the brook dried up.

A new need arose.

Elijah must have water.

This time, God came through with even wilder instructions than the first time.

And because of God’s past supply, Elijah is ready to obey again.

Now he is told to leave this area by the brook and go across Israel to a Gentile area. He is to go to an area of great danger. These are crazy instructions from God. And here’s the craziest part of it: He’s supposed to go there and find one of the poorest people in the land — a widow — a single mother who’s already overstressed trying to feed her family. He’s supposed to look to her to feed him.

It was a crazy request, just crazy.

But Elijah does it.

He immediately obeys.

Once again, he was willing to give more than what was in his wallet. He was willing to give his life.

Why?

Because of history. He had just had a personal encounter with God where God provided for him through ravens. That personal history gave him the confidence to give himself to God again – to give more than what was in his wallet — and to obey again.

Are you really giving?

If you’re going to be a real giver to God, if you are going to really give to God, you’ve got to become a lover of history. You’ve got to look in history for God’s provision to others and to you – and know that God will continue to do this.

I read about a minister whose secretary shared with him that her husband had just been hit with a bill for a car repair to the tune of $1,000. They prayed that God would provide the money. A week later, she told him that they had received a $1,500 interest payment from a bank going back to 1989. Somehow, the bank had not sent this payment, and now, years later, God provided.

The minister said that he prayed that they would remember God’s provision for years to come – that God’s provision would be in their personal history to thumb through when they needed to remember it.

If you’re going to be a real giver to God, if you are going to really give to God, you’ve got to become a lover of history. You’ve got to look in history for God’s provision to others and to you – and know that God will continue to do this.

I heard a story about a man named Ray. Ray was constantly giving away everything. He gave away his car. He was constantly putting money into people’s hands. But – people who knew Ray noticed that every time he turned around, money was falling into his lap from the strangest places. Ray gave and gave and gave, and God poured and poured and poured back into Ray’s life.

If you’re going to be a real giver to God, if you are going to really give to God, you’ve got to become a lover of history. You’ve got to look in history for God’s provision to others and to you – and know that God will continue to do this.

So – are you really giving to God?

Stewardship involves more than what’s in your wallets – it involves your lives.

But — really giving to God – and trusting God to supply – can be frightening.

For the widow in the passage for today, really giving to God – giving more than what was in her wallet but giving her life and trusting God to supply for her – had to come in a series of steps.

The first step toward real giving is belief.

The woman believed in the God of Israel long before she thought of giving her last meal to him.

In her first conversation with Elijah, she uttered a vow in the name of Israel‘s God.

She said, “As surely as the Lord your God.”

She lived adjacent to Israel, but she’s not a Jew. Yet, she believed that Israel‘s God was real and true and holy and present. She made a declaration under His holy, watchful eye. In other words, she showed a belief in God. She knew that the man standing in front of her was an Israelite and she could tell that he was intimately connected with God.

Before God commanded this woman to give, God had won her heart. She believed in the God of the neighboring nation.

Before real giving happens, God has got to win your heart. That’s where it starts.

Stewardship has got to be giving more than what’s in your wallet.

Are you really giving?

When Elijah first saw this woman, she was alone gathering sticks.

He must have wondered: Is this the woman God sent me to?

The second step is in her giving was to test her by asking for a smaller need first:

“How about a drink?” he asks.

Now — water was scarce because of the drought. But it was more plentiful in her life than food. So Elijah starts with a lesser need. Instead of ignoring him, this Gentile woman immediately went to get this foreigner a drink of water. She knew he was a man of God. And she went off to serve God by getting the servant of God a drink.

The third step of her journey toward really giving is the greatest one.

When she was on her way to get the water Elijah said:

“Oh, by the way, could I have some bread, too?”

I can almost hear her heels digging in, can’t you?

She began to object. She didn’t object about a drink of water, but now she dug her heels in because, as she says to him:

“Your God knows, he’s watching me. I don’t have much. In fact, I’m down to just a handful of barley flour, and a little oil. In fact, I’ve got just enough for one more meal, and then we’re going to cash it in. We’re done; we’ll die.”

She finds this kind of courageous giving more than she can do.

She’s afraid.

Well, in Elijah’s response, we understand the nature of real giving.

We understand what it means to really give.

He challenges her, in spite of her fear, to give to God first and watch God supply.

He knows it’s a challenge for her, but because of his own history of seeing God provide, he gives her the opportunity to give and he says to her,

“Go and do what you were planning to do. Go and bake some bread, but bring some to me first. And then go make some for your family.”

He encourages, even provokes her toward real giving by reminding her of the promise of God. And the promise of God is “Your flour will not run out. Your oil will never run out the whole time of this drought. Others will struggle, but God will take care of you.”

Are you really giving?

Stewardship indeed must involve more than what’s in your wallet – it has to involve your life.

Do you see what options are against this Gentile widow?

She can trust what she sees, hoard it, make a final meal for her family, then die.

Or she can do the courageous thing of trusting what she can’t see yet, believing the promise of God, giving her food away to God, believing that God will yet provide in a miraculously abundant way.

That’s the challenge.

Are you really giving?

If you’re going to become a real giver, it’s going to take a series of steps.

It’s going to take remembering what God has done in the past.

It’s going to take giving your heart to God.

It’s going to take giving to him in smaller ways until you get to the point where you’ll give to Him first in a radical way, where you’re forced to depend on Him to supply.

It’s more than what’s in your wallet.

But it takes a process to get to the point where you can really give.

Are your really giving?

During World War II, Ernest Gordon was a prisoner along the Thailand border held by the Japanese with several hundred others. He didn’t have any relationship with Christ until he was in what they call the death house where prisoners were sent to die. He felt that there was no hope. Well, some friends pulled him out of there, and he managed to recover.

After recovering, he began to trust Christ and give his whole heart to God.

It was several months later that an old friend of his named Dodger, who was just months from dying, came to visit Ernie. Dodger felt his life was hopeless – and when he came to see Ernie he was very depressed. Ernie wanted to do what he could to encourage his friend. They talked a while, and as Dodger was getting ready to leave, Ernie felt as if he hadn’t yet really helped him. He remembered a novel he borrowed from another friend and asked if Dodger had anything to read. Before he gave the novel to him, he took the only Thai bills he had, a few but the only money he had. He stuck it in the pages of the novel and gave it to Dodger.

Ernie gave courageously.

He needed the extra nourishment that would come from those few dollars to live, but chose instead to put himself in a place of depending on God to supply for him.

That’s courageous giving.

That’s really giving.

Are you really giving?

It indeed takes more than what’s in your wallet.

When we give courageously, it unleashes and frees God to do amazing things in our lives.

That’s the kind of giving that makes it possible for God to provide for us in His own miraculous way. When we give courageously, God can do amazing things.

This was the amazing combination what Elijah did and what the woman did. Through their joint faith, God began to shine in that whole Gentile region.

Remember what Elijah did.

He was a servant who came to a destitute woman and challenged her to give in a courageous way. I’m sure that wasn’t easy for him to do, but he knew God would provide. He lead by calling her to give, knowing that God would come and provide and reveal Himself to her.

Then the woman did something too. She courageously gave. She went off and baked and took the first bread to the man of God, believing that God would provide.

Then just look at the results:

First — Elijah, has food to eat every day. This is a great provision of God. This was not a safe place for him to be. He was trying as the servant of God to call the Israelites back from their terrible idolatry. But if he’s going to hang in there and do that, he’s got to eat. So for twelve to eighteen months, God took care of his needs through an impoverished, single mother. God provides.

Here’s the second great result — The woman and her son have food through that whole period of drought. In ancient lands like this, every widow was poor by definition. A widow had no provider, no protector. They were always terribly poor. But this woman and her son were just on the brink of death because the drought was hitting them so hard. Yet – she courageously obeyed Elijah — and every day for twelve to eighteen months her bread supply triples. She has enough for him, enough for the family, enough for the next day to start over again. God supplied for her as well.

Are you really giving?

Stewardship is more than what’s in your wallet.

This unleashing of God’s power in the widow’s life came not by her hoarding what she had — but by her spending it, by her giving it. She gave in response to Elijah’s challenge, and God provided in abundant miraculous ways.

What about you?

Are you really giving?

Remember the story I told a few moments ago about Ernie and Dodger.

After Ernie gave that book and money to Dodger, Dodger became a new man. He only had a few months to live — but he somehow found the energy to volunteer in their hospital, helping the orderlies. He volunteered for the dirtiest job in that whole place. Every day he went and collected the rags that the orderlies used to scrape off the skin ulcers of dying patients. Ernie would take these rags and scrape them, boil them, clean them, and take them back for use on other patients.

He’d find eggs for people who were starving and needing the extra nourishment.

He’d make a mess kit for somebody who had lost his.

He made a bucket for somebody who didn’t have a bucket to wash himself.

Ernie gave in a courageous way, and it transformed Dodger into an amazing servant of God. And through Dodger, God provided help for so many others. Where did it begin? Just a small amount of money slipped in the book that Ernie gave to him.

Our courageous giving unleashes the miracle provision of God, if we’re willing to trust him.

Are you really giving?

Stewardship is more than what’s in your wallet.

The story of Elijah and the widow appears to end on a note of tragedy, but it really ends on a note of more giving and more faith.

Even the most courageous givers are not exempt from tragedy.

It was a few months later that this widow’s son died. She thought it was because of some sin in her life, but Elijah thought,

This isn’t due to sin.

Elijah viewed it as an opportunity for God’s glory to shine in that Gentile region.

He took the boy up to his room. He cried out to God with amazing honesty.

He took God to task, didn’t he?

He says, “Wait a minute, God. You saved this boy from starving and then you let him die? Come on!”

Then he prayed in a most fervent way by stretching his body on top of the boy’s breathless body and asked God to restore him to life. And God, for the first time in the Old Testament record, brought somebody back to life.

Why?

The closing sentence of the chapter tells why. God did this miraculous provision of raising the boy back to life so that he might deepen the mother’s faith and touch that whole Gentile region with the glory of His provision for those who trust him.

She began by giving her flour and oil to God, and God provided. Then she gave her dead son to God, and God raises him back to life. She gave s much more that what was in her wallet – and God provided.

Are you really giving?

Stewardship is more than what’s in your wallet.

The chief end of real giving – of stewardship — is trust in God on a deeper and deeper level.

I heard of a man who, for his birthday, was offered by a friend of his who was a pilot the opportunity to go on an airplane ride. For about thirty minutes, they flew over their small town in West Virginia. When they landed, another friend asked the man celebrating his birthday: “Were you scared,?” With some hesitation he said, “Well, no, but I never put my full weight down.”

When we take what we have and offer it to God we put our whole weight down on God.

So – the question we have to answer is – are we really giving?

Stewardship involves more than what’s in your wallet – it involves entrusting all you have to God – so God can bless you in miraculous ways.

Are we trusting God with all we have?

When we do, God steps up and provides in miraculous ways.

Good news and bad news. The church may have all the money it needs – but it may be in your wallets.

But – there is more to stewardship than what’s in your wallet. It’s got to be more than just giving your money – although that is certainly a part of it. Stewardship has got to involve your life – what you have – what God has given you – whether it be money – time – talents – or whatever God has blessed you with.

Actually, our stewardship of what God has given us is our response to God – we see what God has blessed with – whether it be money – time – talents – or whatever – and we want to return a potion of it to God for His work in the world.

Are you really giving?

Really giving to God is giving to God in a way that causes us to be more dependent on Him.

So — when you’re afraid to give –- realize that the only way to have enough is to give courageously to God.

Whether it’s giving your money, your time, your abilities, or whatever God may be calling upon you to give – you need to understand that real giving comes in steps.

Don’t be afraid.

Trust God to supply — and this week, this month, for the rest of your life, take steps toward becoming a real giver to God.

Stewardship.

It is indeed more than what’s in your wallet.

Amen