A sermon from The Rev. Dr. David A. Marcus, Jr. preached on October 26, 2008. This sermon explores the importance of stewardship in the church.
A sermon based on the following Scripture passages:
Romans 15:22-29
1 Corinthians 16:1-4
2 Corinthians 8:1-7
A small twin-engine plane had to make an emergency landing on a deserted island off the Pacific. The pilot got out of the plane and told his passenger, “I watch Survivor and Lost, I’ve seen the movie Castaway and I was a huge fan of Gilligan’s Island growing up. I’m going to look around the island and see what kind of supplies I can find to help rescue us. His passenger grabbed his IPOD and a magazine out of his briefcase and went underneath a shaded Palm tree to relax. A few hours later the pilot returns and sees the man still reading his magazine, listening to his IPOD with no worries in the world. The pilot approaches him and says, “Are you not worried about being rescued? We could be here for days, months even years, surely you are concerned?” The man replied, “I’m not worried at all.” The pilot fired back, “How can you be so sure we will be rescued?” His reply was the following, “I make a six figure income, I tithe to my church, so I know my pastor will find me!”
One issue that continues to be a struggle in ministry in many Christian churches is that of raising funds to support the ministries and expenses of congregations. As facilitator of our year round stewardship committee at New Philadelphia Moravian Church, I believe that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to communicate three simple principles of stewardship. These principles of stewardship are the following:
1. Keep stewardship positive.
2. Keep stewardship biblical.
3. Stress the mission or purpose of stewardship.
While not always the case, many churches are guilty of communicating stewardship as only a means on how to motivate people to give more money. The Bible teaches God’s people that we are to be contributors in society not consumers. Yet the relationship between church and its members has shifted: the perception is that churches have become consumers of givers’ money rather than conduits for supporting ministry.(Doug Pagitt, “The Consumer Trap” Leadership 23, no. 4 (2002): 34). In today’s culture the church is seen as similar to a club where people join of their own free will for the purpose of having their needs met. (Rolf Jacobson, “Stewards of God’s Mysteries: Stewarding as a Model for Congregational Ministry,” Word & World 26, no. 3 (2006): 250). As a pastor I am guilty of trying to sell the virtues of our congregation when meeting with potential new members. I talk about our great programs that we have to meet their needs, instead of encouraging them to become a steward in our shared ministry. I believe it would be refreshing to hear people no longer say they are church shopping but rather they are seeking to join “a new community of God’s stewards.” (Rolf Jacobson, “Stewards of God’s Mysteries: Stewarding as a Model for Congregational Ministry,” Word & World 26, no. 3 (2006): 255).
One of the major projects of Paul’s missionary ministry was creating a new community of God’s stewards through his collection for the first Christian church in Jerusalem. This collection was very important to Paul for two reasons, first, it made his ministry among Gentiles legitimate, and secondly it gave him an important connection to the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem. It’s interesting that as successful as Paul was in drawing financial support for this ministry, he was very reluctant to ask for money. Despite his reluctance, Paul was tireless and aggressive when it came to promoting a particular fund-raiser for the poor.
Our Scripture lessons this morning speak about Paul collecting funds to relieve poverty in the newly formed Church in Jerusalem. This fund-raising campaign is often known as the Collection for the Saints. The poverty in the Jerusalem Church was a result of different factors. Three of those factors are shared in the book of Acts.
The first reason was greed resulting from Jerusalem’s attempt to live as a communal community:
Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common…But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife, sold a piece of property, with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostle’s feet. (Acts 4:32; Acts 5:1-2)
Secondly, the relief of more and more widows:
Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. (Acts 6:1)
Finally, there became a need for a collection because of economic hardships resulting from famine:
At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them stood up and predicted through the power of the Holy Spirit there would be a severe famine over the world, and this took place during the reign of Claudius. (Acts 11:27-28)
As a result of these problems, Paul assumed the task of demonstrating his commitment to the community in Jerusalem by calling upon other congregations to support this new congregation financially. Our selected passages from Romans and Corinthians show that Paul was very direct about the collection as a way of introducing to the people the importance of taking personal responsibility in supporting God’s ministry.
In our society the collection in the Church often focuses upon personal stewardship, stewardship of our treasure. This is a direct reflection of Paul’s theology, although Paul never says anything about a collection actually being taken during a worship service—it is a custom and tradition that has evolved over time. Paul however, in his appeal to these congregations encourages voluntary participation. In his second letter to the Corinthians, we see in the eighth chapter of the great need for a collection and the reasons why they should support this cause in Jerusalem. According to Paul, the Corinthian church was asked to support their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem because there was a need for equality. Paul writes later in this 8th chapter the following:
13I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between 14your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. 15As it is written, “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”(2 Corinthians 8:13-15)
Here at New Philadelphia we recognize that never before has the church faced such competition for their financial resources or the contribution of their time and talent. People contribute their time, talent and financial resources to organizations like the United Way, Salvation Army, American Red Cross, American Cancer Society and countless other worthy charities and causes. The competition for resources is very prevalent at New Philadelphia Moravian Church. In this world of competition, the management of a church today costs more than ever before. There are financial pressures here at New Philadelphia a few weeks ago we saw one of our greatest pressures will be to make up a $50,000 deficit. We hope that the collection plates each week have enough money to allow our church to meet payroll, insurance payments, telephone, and electricity bills, contributions to the province and a monthly mortgage payment for our fellowship hall. Our denomination has even greater pressures than we do locally in trying to support our ministry throughout the Southern Province. Many congregations in our province are barely able to support ministry within their own walls. We at New Philadelphia are blessed not only in the past to have been able to support our own budget but our full provincial assessment which helps pay for things like our summer camp at Laurel Ridge, Board of World Mission endeavors, and Evangelism and Homeland Mission efforts.
Amidst these financial pressures we also realize there are also many things in our culture competing for our time and talent. Our culture and society is more secular than ever before. Today, athletic fields are full of families and children on Sunday mornings. These events take several families away from worship and Sunday school. Many stores are now open 24 hours a day seven days a week so there is the temptation to shop rather than to serve. Medical facilities require employees to work a variety of shifts including weekends. We still have the highest average worship attendance of any Moravian Church in North America but we have seen attendance in a steady decline over the past years no doubt due to some of these factors.
Perhaps the deficit at church is also influenced by the role debt plays in our society. George Barna, founder of a firm specializing in studying the religious beliefs and behavior of Americans, reported some statistics of interest from just a few years ago (2003). He reported that only three out of every ten adults in their twenties, donated to a church which is half the proportion of older adults. (George Barna, Twentysomethings Struggle to Find Their Place in Christian Churches, Barna Research Group, 24 September 2003). While those in their twenties certainly have smaller income levels than their older counterparts, this measure had nothing to do with how much the person donated, but whether they contributed financially at all to churches. Many adults have student loans, credit card debt, automobile and mortgage payments and large monthly insurance premiums. Perhaps it could be argued that adults know more about moving their debt between multiple low interest credit cards than they know about God’s view of money. Due to the fact so many people are burdened by debt, it’s no surprise that people are turned off by church and their message about stewardship.
I have often been asked whether there is a theology or guideline that Moravian Church members are requested to follow concerning personal stewardship. I believe this theology can best be expressed in our sermon title this morning, “An Attitude of Gratitude.” The Moravian Book of Order has the following statements concerning our theology of stewardship.
To think of a Christian as God’s steward is to think of a Christian as a responder, and our stewardship is our response. The nature of each person’s response to God is unique; different from all other responses, but every response is characterized by giving. The amount we give of our money, our talent, our skill, our time and our thought may vary from person to person, but to respond is to give. It is to give in a way proportionate to what we have received. So it can be said that living as a Christian means giving as a Christian.
As Christian stewards, we should willingly take an active part in all its undertakings and in doing so remember these words of Scripture:
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)
As Christian stewards we should contribute cheerfully and generously to the Church and in doing so remember these words of Scripture:
Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly, or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Finally as Christian stewards we should show special concern for our fellow Christians remembering these words of Scripture:
So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. (Galatians 6:10)
As members of a church, and a denomination, we need to realize that a very significant part of our faith is the actual giving of a gift. When we give a gift, we are giving not just our time, talent or money to support our church and denomination, but giving a sign of ourselves in the eyes of God. Stewardship is our grateful response to God’s grace and gifts through all we think, say and do to care for others. According to Paul, the collection is an act of Christian charity among fellow believers motivated to give by their love of Christ and Christ alone. How much do we love Christ here at New Philadelphia?
I ask that question because I am curious as to what we love more—a fast food meal or a desire to help erase our deficit of $50,000? Our average worship attendance is over 450 people each Sunday. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone who attends worship pledged to give up one fast food meal a week, and give that extra money towards erasing our deficit at church!? I would venture to say if everyone did this, we would bring an extra $3,000 each week into our offering plates—do this each week over the course of November and December and at least half our deficit will be erased!
As we think about ways in which we can make small sacrifices to help support our church I believe people give for a variety of reasons. Among the reasons shared in the book Generous People by Eugene Grimm are the following:
1. Giving is a grateful response to God.
2. Giving adds meaning to life.
3. People like to help people.
4. People know that giving is a spiritual response to God’s gift of salvation.
5. Someone asks them to give.
6. People give to people they trust.
7. People believe in the mission or ministry to which they give.
We are living in difficult times and times are tight for many of us financially. Despite this we must realize that any wealth we possess, no matter how big or how small, is a gift from God, and we must be willing to share this gift in His Kingdom. Stewardship is an act of worship that gives thanks to God for the gifts God has entrusted to our care. The gifts that we give to God are gifts that cost. Stewardship is sacrifice. Yet giving is to be measured:
• Not by its count, but its cost…
• Not by its amount, but its portion…
• Not by what is given, but by what is kept…
• Not by money, but by spirit…
As you consider in the weeks ahead your offerings and pledge to our ministry in 2009 let us reflect an attitude of gratitude in whatever we decide to give of ourselves. Together let us live out our theme of moving Forward in Faith, and Share the Joy!
Finis
The Rev. Dr. David A. Marcus, Jr.