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WHY GIVE? Stewardship 1 - Lk 19: 11-27 - 25/7/2010Why Give? by Rev Alan Shaw 25/7/10 Lk 19:11-27 As our Bulletin front cover article states: today marks the beginning of a 4 week series of teaching sermons on giving. We do this every so often in our parish – the last time was about 6 years ago. It’s important that we understand this touchy topic as faithful Anglicans attempting to remain viable in a rapidly-changing world. The last 6 years has seen huge changes in the church – how it’s structured – changes in who comes to church – who no longer comes to church - & also changes in the wider world - of which we are also part. There have been many new people join our parish – particularly in Lismore where we tend to attract more younger people - families - many of whom have never received teaching in stewardship. And with limited prospects for work locally most young people tend to move on at the completion of uni studies. So we have a huge turnover of young people requiring a cycle of teaching on giving. So…today I’d like to look at 2 questions: 1. What do we mean by this term ‘giving’? 2. Why should we give to the work of the church? I referred to this as a ‘touchy’ topic earlier because many people are embarrassed to talk about this aspect of our faith. Some of us – particularly those more mature in years – might still remember the WELLS SCHEME – a planned giving scheme adopted by the Church of England in Australia during the mid-1950s. The scheme required parishioners to sign up for a regular commitment of financial giving. Records were kept centrally – people were followed up if they fell behind in their giving – sometimes those invested with the task of following up weren’t always sensitive to the changing circumstances of some givers. The scheme had its successes & its casualties – some churches thrived & constructed new churches & halls – but some churches reported losing worshippers as a result. ? So what do we mean by this term ‘giving’? Jesus had a lot to say about money....16 of his 38 parables involve money. The Bible offers some 500 verses on prayer - less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2000 verses on money & possessions. Like it or not – just like in the real world – money is a harsh reality we must come to terms with as faithful Christians if we want to align ourselves with the inspired word of God – the Bible. Throughout Scripture there’s a deep connection between the development of character & how people handle money. !! How we handle money is an index of our true character. Martin Luther commented, "A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing." He said, “There are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, the mind & the purse.” It may well be that we find the conversion of the purse the most difficult. Perhaps we believe that what we have is ours to use as we please. ? But is it? ?How secure is our wealth? Most of us have been affected by the changing fortunes of the international money markets over recent times. Self funded retirees in particular have taken a hiding as they watched their nest eggs shrink – as superannuation funds collapsed. Dreams of a comfortable retirement seemed suddenly out of reach. ! Our security is not in material wealth! ?Are we accountable for what we do with our wealth? We might think we own our possessions – our car – house – farm - our hard-earned savings. Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth [1 Cor. 4:7], “What makes you better than anyone else? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?” Everything that we think we own – even what isn’t yet paid for - we have received from God as a blessing. The psalmist [Ps 24:1-2] says, “The earth is the Lord’s & everything in it. The world & all its people belong to him." God as the creator of the universe made everything - owns everything – & lends it to us out of his goodness & mercy. Most of us have been touched by death in one way or another. One can’t sit through a funeral ceremony with a polished timber coffin occupying centre stage without contemplating some of the eternal questions: ?What happens when we die? ?Where do we go? As believers we share a joyful hope in Christ that death is not the end – that life goes on in a different way – that what we enjoy in our short life span on this speck of dust called earth that floats in a universe trillions of light years across that’s mostly empty space that’s constantly expanding at the speed of light – all this we call our life - is just a blip on the radar of eternity. We can’t help but feel very very small when we peer into the heavens using the limited tools of science eg The Hubble telescope / the Voyager mission to see some of the marvellous examples of God’s creation. It’s at these times of farewelling a loved one that we can gain a sense of what’s really important in life – we can revisit our priorities. It’s not what we have – or think we have – that makes us secure – feel safe – feel connected. It’s not that management job – it’s not the farm or the investments or the car or the HD flat screen. All these things can be taken away in an instant. It’s the invisible things – the things we can’t see or touch or own. It’s partly the human love we share as family – as friends. But even the most ideal human love is but a shadow of the great love that God has for us - that God showed through Jesus’ work on the cross for us. ?So what’s really important? Jesus says (Matthew 6:19-21), “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths & get rusty, and where thieves break in & steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty & where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart & thoughts will also be. !God the Father is the only real source of security. We’re his children – his family! Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.” (Heb 13:5) ? So are we accountable for how we use our wealth? Jesus thinks so.....he says so in our gospel parable today [Lk 19:11-27]. There’s a similar parable recorded in Matthew [Matt. 25:14-30]. Luke’s Parable of the Ten Servants or the Ten Minas is unique among Jesus’ parables – it’s actually based on historical fact – an actual event: When Herod the Great died in 4BC he left his vast kingdom to be divided 3 ways between Herod Antipas & Herod Philip & Archelaus. This ‘carve-up of the kingdom’ had to be approved by Rome – the overlords of the kingdom of Palestine. Archelaus – who had been left Judea – went to Rome to personally persuade the Emperor Augustus to approve his inheritance. The Jews in Judea didn’t want Archelaus as their king so they immediately sent 50 of their leaders to Rome to tell Augustus their side of the story. In the end Archelaus got his inheritance despite the Jews’ pleas. The people listening to Jesus would have recognised the historical characters in this parable. It would have resonated as a familiar story from their history. [For the records a MINA was worth about 3 MONTH’S WAGES for a typical labourer.] ? But why was the king in the parable so hard on the servant who hadn’t capitalised on or increased his portion? [I have 4 suggestions...] 1. He punished the servant because he didn’t share in his master’s interest in the kingdom. It was a test. The servant failed his master in this small thing. Naturally his master concluded that the servant would also let him down in any big things entrusted to him. It’s in the small everyday things that God puts us to the test. ?How do we shape up in the small things? Are we worthy to be put in charge of the big things? 2. It was a matter of trust: the servant didn’t trust his master’s intentions. Yet the master trusted the servants to do what he expected – without coercion – of their own free will. God likewise trusts us to do so much by ourselves – to seek & be obedient to his will. He doesn’t force us. ?How trustworthy are we? How diligent are we in seeking God’s will? In doing what he asks of us – without coercion? 3. It revealed the servant’s selfish & lazy nature: his concern was only for himself. He did nothing to further his master’s kingdom – to enlarge his master’s wealth. ?Does this challenge us to examine our own selfishness or laziness? Our own excuses? 4. The Parable speaks about reward: note there was no pat on the back & a lovely quiet retirement for the faithful servants who had done well. Their reward for work well done was more work to do. The greatest compliment anyone can be offered is to be given more important tasks to do – to be entrusted with more. To those who have – more will be given. From those who have not – what they have will be taken away. There’s another similar parable in Matt. 25:14-30. Scripture is clearly telling us we’ll be judged for how we handle the material wealth entrusted to us. It’s God’s wealth given to us – on loan - to use wisely – according to his will. It’s not ours to waste – to indulge ourselves for our own sake. It’s God’s to be used for the building of his kingdom. Likewise the riches of our God-given talents – skills – abilities – our health. ?How do we offer our skills – our abilities – our riches back to God in his service? ?How do faithfully do we serve God through serving others? ?Are we too busy? Do we lack the confidence? DUNOON: The new church in the heart of town promises to be a wonderful physical testimony to the deep love & faith of this small but tightknit Dunoon community. What happens here is inspiring. What is done here is not out of a sense of duty or guilt. It’s done with a love & a passion for our Lord & deep desire to draw others to come & taste what you have discovered – the sweet intoxicating nectar of God’s Spirit – active & moving amongst you. WYRALLAH: This beautiful church is a wonderful physical testimony to the deep love & faith of this small but vibrant Wyrallah community. What happens here is inspiring. What is done here is not out of a sense of duty or guilt. It’s done with a love & a passion for our Lord & deep desire to draw others to come & taste what you have discovered – the sweet intoxicating nectar of God’s Spirit – active & moving amongst you. Which brings us to our last question: ‘Why do we give?’ The church doesn’t exist without each of us....WE are the church. We might offer ourselves – our money – to the work of the church out of a sense of duty. Go on a morning tea roster – cleaning the church. But it quickly becomes a hollow act unless our hearts are in it. !! God wants our hearts. Once he has our hearts all else follows. Once he has our hearts nothing we do for him is a chore but a natural response to his generosity & love. Our whole lives become an expression of gratitude. When we invest in the kingdom we’re investing in eternity - in eternal joy – the things that can’t be seen or touched – the things that will last. Luke 6:38 tells us, “38 If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you.” In closing Like the king in Luke’s gospel parable – God has entrusted us with gifts to be used in the building of his kingdom until his return. ?Do I want the kingdom to grow? ?Do I trust God to govern his kingdom fairly & wisely? ?Do I care about eternal things? Or do I live only for today? ?Am I as concerned for others’ welfare as I am for my own? ?Am I willing to use faithfully what God has entrusted to me? ?Does our treasure lie in Jesus? He has promised that he will be back - there will be a time when we’re called to account. ?Am I prepared for that final interview? PRAY: LL You are a God of abundance & generosity. Forgive us when we think & act small. Forgive us when we pretend to be more important than we really are. Help us to accept that the only thing we can truly place our trust & security in are the things that last forever – the things that can’t be bought or saved or measured. Give us hearts that long to be open to your leading – to give without counting the cost – to truly trust in your ways. IJN. AMEN. |
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© 2010 Lismore Anglican Church :: Admin