032107 Biblical Stewardship Principles IV
Christian stewardship is the free and joyous activity of the child of God and God’s family, the church, in managing all of life and life’s resources for God’s purposes.
Maturing stewards do the right things for the right reasons and strive for excellence in all they do!
IV. GOD’S STEWARDS ARE UNIQUELY SINGULAR, YET PROFOUNDLY PLURAL.
This means that God’s stewards recognize that their lives are not solo performances but are personal responses to God, lived out within the community of faith to benefit the whole world.
This principle is sensitive to the truth that stewardship is a very personal response, but it is at the same time a community activity that is produced by God’s Spirit. As God’s stewards we are part of the body of Christ but we are not the whole body. No one individual is solely connected to Christ. A relationship with Christ ties all true believers together by necessity of who He is. This simply points to the necessity of correctly recognizing who we are in Christ’s body so that we can relate to others in the body with love and concern for each other. Some might think that the pastor of a church is the supreme head. Not true! He merely represents the head through Word and Sacrament. The work of the church can not be done effectively or efficiently if the whole body is not working together.
This is why St. Paul in Romans 12:4-5 writes about how God’s gifts of grace given to individuals relate to each other with love and concern. Let’s refresh our memories by hearing again the context in which Paul says this:
A Living Sacrifice
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Gifts of Grace
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
I know how our human nature seeks recognition and praise for doing what it considers the more important things of life and the church. I also know that God has blessed and empowered each of us with special gifts and talents. Because these gifts differ according to the measure of God’s Spirit given, it only stands to reason that we serve best when we discover what these gifts and talents are and then use them faithfully. But let us be sure to understand that in Christ there is not one person who is more important than another! The work of the church is to work together for the common good of the body of Christ and those connected to it. Our “Trinity Care Fund” that was started a few years ago is an outgrowth of the Spirit’s work in our midst. God be praised!
Paul gives special attention to this precept of God in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13. He emphasizes how the unity of the body exists because of God’s Spirit dwelling in each part. He uses the human body to illustrate the point. Our human bodies have many different parts each having a different function. And when they are all healthy and working properly it is for the benefit of the whole body.
St. Peter in 1 Peter 4:10 states that we are gifted as we are so we can serve one another. Using our gifts for the benefit of others is the right and Godly thing to do!
The words of 2 Corinthians 8:13-14 speak about sharing in such a way that the needs of all people are met. In Deuteronomy 15:4-8 God told Moses that when the Israelites were in the land of Canaan there were to be no poor among them, because God would provide more than enough for everybody. However, a few verses later God gave some regulations meant to help the poor satisfy their basic needs. God provides, but man divides! That second part is where the problem lies. People around the world are starving and doing without what we consider the basic necessities of life and it is not because God has not provided enough to satisfy the desires of all His creatures. This is a touchy issue, but one which needs to be addressed because St. Paul clearly states the case for equality by sharing.
Galatians 6:10 states that charity begins at home but it doesn’t end there. We do have a special responsibility to the fellow members of the body of Christ, but we also have the responsibility to work together for the welfare of our communities and world.
HOW IS THIS DONE?
The first positive implication underscores the two aspects of “privilege” and “accountability.” It is a privilege to be children of God with special gifts that He carefully and lovingly bestows upon us. But with all these gifts comes the responsibility to use them in ways that honor God and bless others.
The second positive implication recognizes the personal and sensitive nature of the steward’s response. Some may remember the days when churches published the names and contributions of members. These were sometimes referred to as “scandal sheets.” Discuss the pros and cons of this practice. You may also want to discuss the practice of pledging. There is additional information for such a discussion in the booklet entitled “Ways to Gather Annual Commitments” from the Congregational Stewardship Workbook.
The third positive implication assets that we cannot overemphasize the truth that Christian stewards are members of the body of Christ and are in kingdom work together.
The fourth positive implication is a reminder that God gives His gifts in proportion to how each steward can manage them. He gives gifts with the expectation that they will be managed wisely for the common good. People like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David were very blessed and they used their blessings for the welfare of others.
The first negative implication reminds us that all areas and aspects of church work are important and all of them should receive attention. It is so easy to want to do the very visible, seemingly more important jobs and let some of the other necessary, but not as seemingly important jobs go unattended. Each member can contribute to the welfare of the body and each member’s faithful contribution is important and worthy of praise.
The second negative implication warns us to avoid the “Lone Ranger” syndrome. We have not been called and gifted to be “Lone Rangers” but rather to be responsible members of the body of Christ. We need the body and the body needs us!
The third negative implication warns us against thinking that our congregation is practicing good stewardship simply because it meets its budget. There are so many other things involved with good stewardship, such as helping fellow members to grow as disciples--reaching out to the community with the good news of Jesus, providing opportunities to serve, faithfully supporting the professional church workers and other ministries such as the Sunday School.