This week as I was studying for this stewardship sermon, one cliché that kept coming into my mind was the popular saying, “It’s only money”. When you think about it, the three words that make up this cliché do reflect a philosophy that is common in our communities these days. So many of us view money in a very nonchalant way. “it’s ONLY money…” The manner in which we spend so much of our money indicates that many of us live by the philosophy of this cliché. I say all of this to point out that the cliché “It’s JUST money” is not really true. Money is more than money, because the way we use it reflects our philosophy of life. Money is MORE than money. It is a very good indicator of what is truly important to us.
Perhaps this is why Jesus talked about money so often. Did you know that Jesus had more to say about stewardship and money than any other subject including heaven, hell, salvation, and the second coming? He focused His teaching so often on the subject of money because He knew that if you and I are to have a proper relationship with God then we have to settle our relationship with things.
So let’s begin by correcting this cliché. Instead of saying, “Its ONLY money,” let’s start a trend by saying, “Its NOT only Money.” Let’s show that money is NOT only money by looking at four things that giving MONEY can do.
1. First of all, money is a way of turning something that is temporary into something that is eternal.
Money is only money. It is only paper. it is a temporary thing. But,when we give it to God’s kingdom it becomes much more than that as it is turned into things that last forever.
J. Wallace Hamilton said, “Stewardship is that divine alchemy by which money is transmuted into men and material possessions exchanged for the eternal riches of mind and spirit.”
Stewardship, giving our money to God, is a way to change temporary things into eternal things. You see when we give money to the church those pieces of paper that you put in the offering plate are used to provide SS curriculum and pay mortgages and utilities and salaries so that this place can be a place where we teach people the eternal truth of the love of God. Money makes this temporary place possible. But here in this temporary place people become Christians…..eternal destinies are determined here…. And all this is made possible through the giving of money. Our money also goes to cover the cost of sending missionaries all over the world so that they can also give people the opportunity to accept what God has done for them in sending Jesus. So you see, giving money is a way of making temporary things eternal.
So you see it is NOT only money.
2. The second reason that money is not JUST money is this: money can be a way to change us from being materialistic and selfish….
We GET so much in this country. But the sad fact is that GETTING and GETTING and GETTING only makes us want more. It’s the law of diminishing returns. Like a drug, getting something brings joy, but you have to get more the next time to get as much joy as you got the first time. Getting and getting and getting is a dead end street.
But giving–Somehow giving controls our insatiable appetites for getting. God encourages us to give because giving money to His kingdom benefits us. Money is more than money. It is a tool that God can use to change our attitudes from being materialistic and selfish to becoming joyously generous!
3. Thirdly money can provide a way for us to learn to deepen our trust God.
Giving our money to further the Kingdom of God enables us to link up with God’s supply line.
Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you…a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Paul, in writing to the church at Philippi thanks them for giving to meet his needs and promises them, “…and my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.”
God promises that if we give, He will take care of our needs. As we faithfully participate in the work of His kingdom by giving money to the church, God responds by providing for our needs. In this experience we learn that we can trust God. We realize that His promises are true — that He does what He says He will do so we trust Him in bigger things. And this circular process “grows” us into Christians who trust God more and more with more and more. Like our children knew they could come to us. They knew that we would help them if they needed money for something. They knew they had a backup. And you know it is the same with us. God urges us to give, but He also promises to take care of us, to provide for our needs. We have a heavenly Father backing us up when we give. Jesus said,
“Which of you, if his son asks for bread will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
So we don’t have to be afraid to be generous in our giving because we have a heavenly Father who knows how to take care of His children and promises to do so. Our heavenly Father can be trusted to take care of us. When He leads us to give, He always provides. And giving our money can teach us this precious lesson as well because MONEY is not ONLY money.
4. Money can also provide us an opportunity to show our gratitude to God
The greatest gift that we have ever received or ever will receive is the gift God GAVE when He sent Jesus. And giving of our time and our talents and our money provides us a way for us to show God how very thankful we are for His sacrifice on our behalf.
Matthew 10:8 b says “…Freely you have received, freely give…”
Jesus died for us. God gave us his best. Jesus paid a terrible price to give us life eternal,but so often we fail to reflect upon the cost of our salvation. We fail to give in a way that would reflect our gratitude to God.
You know every day that I live serving God in your midst I am more in awe of how wonderful a church this is. We are so very blessed here at Redland.We have people here who have an obvious faith in God. We are blessed with wonderful ministries: Sunday School for all age groups, Music Groups of all shapes and sizes, a beautiful facility.God has GIVEN us so much. But we must be careful, for, if we are to continue to enjoy this place where we abound in so many blessings from God, then we must balance our receiving with our giving.
In II Corinthians 8:7 Paul warns all churches when he says, “But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in the gracious work of giving also.”
You see we can get all the essential beliefs right but if we do not have a super abundant willingness to give, then our church life will be in danger of becoming stagnant. The Christian life takes on a healthy balance when our taking in and giving out stay in step with each other.
II Corinthians 9:6-7 says: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.