Stewardship - Money
That was the first time that I've heard chickens come into a story about angels so that I actually kind of enjoyed it last two weeks. We've been discussing and week one we did stewardship with our time. And I stressed. Start out that our time is not around any way that it all belongs to God.
I talked about removing distractions and I don't know about what you guys have done in your lives about removing those distractions and dedicating more time to the Jesus. But I urge you to continue last week. I talked about stewardship with our talent whether it be our physical ability or our spiritual gifts that no matter what God created us and that Talent belongs to him. And I repeated each week. What a Stewart is in in this week. I'm going to say it again because we hear about stewardship a lot in the church always revolving around money, but we hear about it a lot. So it's important to understand what the word Steward actually means someone who has been granted the authority to carefully and responsibly manage the resources on behalf of another the goal is Stuart is the game the greatest output or return and today is context is how we live in relation to the resources that God has given us the key to the definition is that to be a steward of time or Talent or money, whatever the true whatever were talking about at the time. We have to recognize that that resource is not ours we have to recognize that resources is God and he is just entrusted us to be stewards over what he has blessed us with.
So today we are talkin about money and I warned you last week. I threw it out there today. You have next week. I'm talking about money just to give you the option if you didn't want to hear it, but but don't turn me off. Do me a favor. Don't tune me out for me a favor. Do me a favor and in and listen because I got some new faces to so that's always the perfect time to visit a church when they're talking about money, right? So there are over a p i want you to listen ready. There are over 2300 verses in Scripture. 2300 that talk about money wealth and possessions 2300 verses in Scripture that talk about money wealth and possessions Jesus spoke roughly about 15% of his preaching 11 of his 39 parables. revolved involved wealth and possessions sewing scripture is talked about so much that when we when we when we come into the church, and we don't want to hear the preacher talk about it. We don't want to hear the pastor deliver message on money, but for some reason God felt it necessary to write about it over 2,300 times. in the Bible
the reason why is because money got new money is a straight of heart issue. It's a heart issue. So this money right here is a piece of paper.
220 if you can't see this piece of paper literally has no intrinsic value whatsoever. What do I mean by that in and of itself? It is a piece of paper. It doesn't even burn that long for heat. I'm not going to light it on fire. Doesn't even burn that long doesn't even burn that long with heat. It's not big enough to cover his got no intrinsic value whatsoever. The only value that this has is what the government says that it's worth.
it also is morally neutral.
This piece of paper is neither good nor is it evil? Although I know you've heard people talk about it. But this piece of paper is neither good nor evil. It is a piece of paper.
Of no value except for what the government tells us that it's worth.
Fuel switch with our fuel turn with me to Psalm 89:11 as you're turning there I'm going to talk about tax season is it is tax season right now in case you didn't know just in case you didn't know. Tax day is April 15th. So you going to have your taxes in right and I I don't know about you guys. I don't know how you guys feel about tax season in beside. It does something inside of me like I don't like it. I don't enjoy it. But I know people who who get excited because they're about to get their tax refund, right? You're like all money is coming money is coming. I'm going to spend it and there is an entire industry, especially in Fayetteville and entire industry around your tax refund. There is a line wrapped around the block trying to get their dirty grungy hands in your pockets to get ahold of those dollars that the that the government gives you after April 15th. There's sales on washers and dryers there sales on cars. There's there's investment schemes and give me your money and give me your money. Everybody is waiting to get their hands on that money. So people get excited dollars, like people get excited. See, I don't I get irritated and here's why I get irritated because I pay the government. Money all year out of my paycheck.
And people look at that is like the government is giving you a gift cuz I know there's different tax situations in here. But if if you work all year and you pay money into it. It's called a tax refund for a reason. If I were to walk into a store and purchase an object and they charged me twice with an object to his worth and I looked at my receipt on my pool. I got charged twice for this I go back to customer service for one thing. They're like, oh here here's your money back. I don't go now. I got to go find a place to spend it. Now. I get my money back. I'm like darn right? I got my money back. That's my money.
Your tax refunds the same thing. It's all right, I get my return. That's why I thought about money. I gave it to you to Stuart for a year. So you can invest it and you guys can get a return on your investment money. But in the end I got back because I paid too much. It was my money. Don't get excited. It's my money.
Psalm 80 9-11
And I could have picked a Marietta versus for this concept. The heavens are yours the Earth also is yours the world and all that is in it you have founded them. I know you might be seeing a common theme with my stewardship think my stewardship series like the Earth is Yours.
The heavens are yours the world and everything is yours because you have founded them.
It doesn't say.
A portion of the heavens are yours Lord. It doesn't say a portion of the Earth is Yours Lord?
It says it's all yours.
All of my time lord all of my talent Lord all of my money lord. It's yours. Where's a Stuart of what he has given us?
when all I don't know when we give Something we expect somebody to go you gave me what was mine.
It's already his. I'm going to get into work and wear and all that we're giving and it's probably a slightly different than you've heard before.
Put our money.
It's already got. Our Treasures are wealth. It's already got.
It doesn't leave any room. It doesn't leave anything left over. It doesn't say 10% is yours Lord? It doesn't say just a little bit as yours Lord at the already his.
When I give my mom when I give it my act of worship to God. I do not expect God to be like
return refund
it's quiet today. I'm sorry.
Show me to stick with the tax season cuz I moved the point to I'm going to stick with the tax season.
Don't sticking with it. The IRS has seven different tax brackets from the top of the bottom one to be $9,700 to the bottom of the top one being $510,000. A year of income is incredible, right? So when we talk about wealth, is that the word that we use when we talk about the rich man and the poor man when we talk about these things. We automatically place. That on the person at the next income level or on the person at the next tax bracket. How do we do this people do this all the way up on Wednesday start making $500,000 a year. They start placing the wealthy on the people who make $1000000 a year. I think we'll make $1000000 a year. They start play some medicine the multi-million dollars a year in the multi-millionaires start looking at the billionaires the billionaires. Okay. Well, let me know if they might not do it but You've got to stop somewhere. But we always every single person here. We always when we think about the wealthy week think about at least that next level up but we always forget. Is there somebody who's at that next income bracket lower than us thinking that about us?
We always think about that person or we always think about who's who's above us who makes more money than us not above us in anything but making more money. But we forget that there's somebody who makes less who places us. Is that wealthy level? And living here in America. I don't I mean there is somebody who looks at us and says, oh there at that next income level there at that next tax bracket, so
Today is we turn the 1st Corinthians 16 1 through 2.
This is going to be our Focus verse for the day. Now concerning the collection for the Saints as I direct the churches of galatia. So you also are to do on the first day of every week each of you to put something aside and stored up as he may Prosper so that there will be no collecting when I come. Just a letter from Paul. He's writing to the Church of Corinth. But he he wants to assure the beginning of this that he's not just addressing the Church of Corinth that he's also addressing the churches of galatia as well. This is commandant to the churches.
On the first day of every week each of you is to put something aside. What start with the phrase each of you? Every believer that is listening to this letter or reading this letter falls in the category of each of you.
everyone What he is about to do what he's about to talk about with our with giving. with stewardship of money Is addressed to every believer?
I passed you said Isabel different.
Not yet pretty pretty pretty status quo so far. Start sits on the first day of every week. Talk to me. It's that scriptural basis of why we passed that plate that we passed a little while ago. It looks scriptural to periodically give Not sporadically whenever the mood hits me or whenever the mood strikes me but the periodic or two to periodically give to give on a regular basis so that when somebody comes when they need arises when I missionaries isn't need when that when that time comes that we all of a sudden don't have to go. Oh, oh, it's it's set aside. on a weekly basis
That's where I'm going to spend most of my time today.
So few years ago. I had to get some work done to my house call the contractor. Call the couple of contractors to get some quotes and I finally got quotes and it was like one guy was way up here and one guy with system is just the way down here and then maybe in the middle and really I use the contractor who called me back because it was really hard to find one. That would would follow through.
couple years later fast forward couple years later. I have a really good friend who is also a contractor and I I said, hey, man, I need some work done. Do you want the job? He's like sure. So I said okay come out and give me a bit and then we'll we'll figure it out from there. So what he does is he comes to my house he goes through my house. He's like I need this material list. Pay me what you want. What?
Pay me what you want. Pay you what I want. You better put this on me. Pay what I want. Well, I mean, whatever you think whatever you think. I think that whatever you think I should you should pay me. I'm like the road. Don't do this to me man. Don't put this on me. Just give me a give me a price.
Depending what you want. We're good friends. I love this dude to death, but he put it on my shoulders and I was like
I finally convinced him to give me a price and he gave me a price and I still can't even bring myself to only paying him back because I know it's not a real price either through something down on the paper like fine fine fine. Okay. Okay. I appreciate you do but me and that is that is amethyst a heavy burden right there. That is a heavy load. Thank you know that's a whole lot easier when you going to pay me this. different when somebody comes to you and said
tell me what you want.
You ever feel like you got to pay him with their work. Can you really pay someone with their worth when they're doing is just such a good favorites? Like I don't even know. I got a Ford when I feel like they're worth. I know I can afford it.
Who in the scripture?
The first two weeks is in the first day of every week each of you is to put something aside and stored up. He says as he may prosper.
And he may Prosper. So this is where I might deviate from what you've heard before maybe for this before. It's cool.
Paul in the New Testament under the New Covenant doesn't say
set aside the first of every week. 10%
what would you think of me as a pastor if I said I I need you to go get the fattest Kathy got in the field. I need you to bring it in here and we're going to bring it up here on the altar. We're going to slaughter it. cover our sins
where to let the blood flow
that's how that's how we're going to repent from our sins.
It's Old Testament law. Alright, you would look at me like it. You're insane. What are you talkin about? Jesus was clear that there is a New Covenant. There is a new way. There is a new way to be justified for your sins.
Get in the church. We so often talk about tithing. In a completely different context we talked about tithing which means 10% we talked about tithing if that is the law and that's what we are supposed to do while you're right. It is the law, but we're not under the law anymore. No longer are we commanded to give 10% to the church?
Did he just say that can you say that?
It's not the New Testament. But Jesus does talk about giving and he does talk about wealth and he talks about it a lot.
But he gives it to us in a totally different konstrukt. Paul is talking about it in a totally different construct.
When you're following the rules and you're following the law, you're only doing it because that is what you're supposed to do. I'm giving 10% of my income because that's what I was told to do because some Pastor somewhere told me that I need to send it up on the pulpit that I need to get 10% of my income because that's what I've been Christian does.
If you're in that camp, if you're one of the few days that cuz if you look at the statistics, it's an incredible amount or incredible a few people who tied 10% But if you're in that if you're in that camp, do you on a weekly basis do it for a flea? Do you on a weekly basis write that check or put that money in the plate or texted in prayer to God is an act of worship. If you're giving me cuz you have to because you're supposed to you're doing it for the wrong reasons. You're just as good as the Pharisees who were doing it for doing it because it was part of the law.
Do not give because that's what you're supposed to do. That is the wrong reason and you're putting yourself under the law. Why would you do that?
Paul said as he may prosper.
This is Paul who says I'm happy with much and I'm happy with little he's saying look, I want you to give as you can. I want you to give as the Lord leads you I am not saying don't go. I'm not saying I'm doing right. So I guess I can't I guess I can't honor the Lord this week. That's not what I'm saying.
What I am saying is that you're getting 10% because that's what you feel like you're supposed to do. Don't do that. I'm saying prayerfully go to God each and every single week get on your knees and say father leave me this week at leave me to be a good Steward with what you have blessed me with Father lead me with what you want me to do with my money.
It's an act of worship.
Giving is not about trust me. It's not about lining my pockets.
Giving is an act of worship to God. It's about building and growing his kingdom.
If you're a member of this church, and you're giving me this church, and we're not going to stewards with your money. fix that quit giving Yeah, I said that don't give to the church if we're not being good stewards of your money because we don't deserve it. If I'm not furthering the kingdom of God. I have no business being in charge of someone else's money. If I'm not further in the kingdom of God, and I have no business being in charge of what God has given me.
if you were giving for that reason and that reason only don't
if God leads you.
to support a missionary Guess what that doesn't have to go through doesn't have to go through the church. If God leads you to support a Ministry. Guess what that doesn't have to go through doesn't have to go through the church.
Now as church members do we make a commitment to the church? Yes. And so I need to make sure that I'm making it clear and now I don't want you to hear something. I'm not saying I'm not saying that we don't have an obligation to fulfill the kingdom role of this church.
I am telling you that this isn't where all of your money has to go. But if it does you are responsible to make sure that we are good stewards with it.
I feel like we're good stewards of our money.
What I wouldn't give to the church, I'll be honest with you. If I felt like we are wasting our money wouldn't be seeing a dime for me. My money would still be supporting Ministries all over but it wouldn't be coming to the church about anything. We are good stewards.
I know it's slightly different than what you heard in the past. But what I am telling you and I feel like I can stand up your strong and there will be there Sunday disagree with me because when I said on my ordination board the ordination panel said to me, how are you going to preach to a church? That's when you say that you don't have to give your money to the church. How are you going to stand in front of the same thing? I said honestly. I'm not going to I'm not going to believe this one thing and then staying in front of the church and say you must give us all of your money when I don't believe that because that's not what scripture says. The scripture doesn't say that you have to give it to the church or so set it aside. Decide maybe a bank account that you have to but you managed to that side of the side might be the church where we where we managed it.
10% would be a good number for guess what if it's 7% if that's what God is leading you and it's 7% It is 50 then its 50%
if you give 10% because that's what you're supposed to do. Stop it.
Stop giving out of a legalistic mindset that this is what I'm supposed to do. Here comes the offering plate. I'm going to throw a 20 in it Kenny Chesney saying in the song Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven if it said preacher, maybe you didn't see me throw an extra 20 in the play. There's one for everything I did last night and want to get me through today at 10 to help you. Remember next time you got the good Lord, dear.
don't give so that other people can see you give me but I did. Don't give because you think that I care.
I want to make sure you guys understand that you're giving is personal. You're giving is between you and God.
You're giving does not have to be I don't have to I will never know how much you give because I don't I don't look at that stuff.
We have envelopes to put your name on here because they're in the country that we live in there tax benefits to you giving
that's why we do that.
We don't do it so I can make sure that each one of each and every single one of you must give her you can't be a member of the church. I had heard some horror riffic stories about how pastors and deacons treat their church members who don't give I have a story of someone very close to me who was asked to leave their church because they weren't getting
That is not in the scripture anywhere.
It is a very personal thing between you got it is an act of worship. That's what give me news. You are a steward of what is already his. It's not yours just like it wasn't your time just like it wasn't your talent and I'm sure when I was talking about your time and your talent you're like hell, that's our God. I want to talk about your money.
Cuz it is a heart issue. It is hard to make that ass to make that that Ascension to say God. You're right and it is all every everything you have given me is yours. And I thank you for letting me keep and play with what you let me keep it by motorcycles with I mean play with
Father I thank you for the Hat. But if you leave me not to buy motorcycles and okay God. worshipfully I will give it to you.
When I spend my money throughout the week, it is supposed to be in a worshipful manner to God did further in the benefit and to glorify him.
When I put money in the church play on Sunday. It is supposed to be an act of worship to glorify him.
Todd will provide.
If we as a church aren't doing we're supposed to be doing he's going to shut us down.
So here's my expectation for you this week.
I want you to pray.
I want you to go home and I want you to pray. I want you to sit down here at the altar. I want you to pray. I want you to pray wherever you need to pray about this spiritual discipline in your life about giving.
I want you to open your heart to listening to the urgings and promptings of God as to where he wants you to give and what he wants you to give. I promise you one thing. We are directed to give. The answer will not be keep all your money. I like you that much.
But I want you to pray and I want you to pray hard.
I want you to treat giving to your fellow man to your Christian brother and your sister to the church to whoever wants you to treat it as an act of worship. Because that's what it is. I want you to take the time at that played is going around. I want you to spend that time in prayer.
It's easy to do it when we do communion, but it's hard to do it when when when were when were pulling money out of her wallet.
The first thing I want you to evaluate is are you giving?
Are you giving?
2300 verses on wealth and I don't know how many of them are you will you should give or you will give is a lot.
Is it regular are you regularly giving? We're just kind of when you feel like it when the moon strikes you.
Are you regularly given?
Are you giving as you prosper? Are you giving proportionately? To your Prosperity or are you legalistically throwing 10% into the church coffers? Because that's what you're supposed to do.
I'm not saying stop giving I am saying stop doing that. I'm saying to do it worshipfully if you're only doing it legalistically stop it. I don't want to be a part of that. I don't want to be a part of you putting yourself under the law because you think you're just following the rules.
Are you doing it and worship? Are you giving in a worshipful manner? Are you praying about it on a weekly basis? Are you taking that time with God to actually following through with this spiritual discipline?
To give him what is his?
Now a lot of pastors when it comes to this type of sermon, well, it's not doing that. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to spend a lot of time in prayer. And if you don't believe me there over 2000 vs. What 2300 verses in Scripture that you can go to if you don't if if if this isn't if this isn't lining up with what you believe we're 2300 verses in Scripture that talk about wealth.
I'm not sure. I'm not preaching on this today because the church is hurting for money. I set up my preaching calendar 3 or 4 months ago. I'm freezing this today because this is what God led me to preach.
And I'm preaching this today for you. Not for this church. I'm preaching this lady cuz I want you to do with what God gave you your time your talent and your money. And next week and what my opinion is your testimony probably being the most of the most important of all those things that we are stewards of. your testimony
instead of passing the plate at the end of this. What I want you to do is during that final song. I want you to spend some time in prayer with him. You can spend time in your seat. You can spend time up here. Let's go wherever you want to spend time and prayer. Asking God lord. What what is this giving thing? And how am I supposed to do it?
I always thought I was supposed to give 10% but he's saying no you seek you first Lord and guide me Lead Me.
We buy your heads. God says in 1st Timothy 6 17 through 19 as for the rich in this present age charge them not to be haughty nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches put on God richly provides us with everything to enjoy they are to do good to be rich in Good Works to be generous and ready to share the story of treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future. So they may take hold of that which is truly life. Do not place your faith in Christ this morning. I heard you to come forward during the song during the invitation song to come and talk to me. If you're interested in baptism. Or becoming a member. Please. Come forward during the song and talk to me. I know when I read that scripture when it talks about the rich, we always think that's the next income left level above us the next income bracket higher. What's a let us not forget that there is someone at the next income. Bracket lower thinking exactly of us?