2022.01.16 - Scarcity or Abundance

Scarcity or Abundance

2 Corinthians 9:8-12 • Psalm 50:8-14

Several years ago, Bishop Robert Schnase wrote a book that took off in Methodist circles. Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations put a lot of concepts on the tables of Methodist congregations about fruitfulness. I’ll admit that I’m intentionally behind the times of trends. I usually wait to see if the trend will stick around before I adopt any of the elements.

One of the concepts that Schnase introduced he called: RISK TAKING STEWARDSHIP

I can take or leave the phrase, but I believe we would be wise to examine the concept a bit.

Many of us are familiar with the Parable of the Talents or the Parable of the Three Servants:

Man left 3 servants in charge of his money ($500, $200, $100)

$500 – doubled his money through trade – “well done”

$200 – doubled his money through trade – “well done”

$100 – buried the money and returned it when the man returned

The master took away the money from the third servant and gave it to the first.

Which servant do you want to be? OF COURSE you want to be the $500 servant. We’re the $100 servant far too often.

Matthew 25:26–27 NLT

“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

The third servant was afraid of losing the master’s money with a poor investment, so he just held the money and returned the exact amount he was given.

Scarcity or Abundance

Do you fear taking risks with God’s resources?

You received the resources with the expectation that you would use them.

According to this parable:

God is okay with failure…he’s not okay with failure to try.

Are you hesitant with your given time … talent … treasure?

God would be upset with investing his resources in something inconsistent with his work, but he’s also angry when we just hold his resources because we’re afraid to fail.

Scarcity or Abundance

How you use the resources God’s invested in you are usually governed by a mental perspective we don’t even realize we have.

Have you ever played the Egg-toss game?

Two people toss an egg back and forth

After each successful catch, they step further away from each other

Sometimes the toss is too short or someone just misses, but usually the team loses when someone catches the egg … but grips it too tightly

Sometimes we hold onto God’s resources like an egg. We’re afraid of it falling, so we hold it tightly … when we hold too tightly – the egg bursts in our hands.

Scarcity or Abundance

With resources, we fear there is only so much to go around.

We think we need to hold tightly to what we have … because we think the more we have the happier we’ll be.

Listen again to Paul’s words to the church in Corinth:

2 Corinthians 9:8 (CEB)

God has the power to provide you with more than enough of every kind of grace. That way, you will have everything you need always and in everything to provide more than enough for every kind of good work.

What’s the purpose for all we’ve been given? Every kind of good work!

2 Corinthians 9:9–10 (CEB)

As it is written, He scattered everywhere; he gave to the needy; his righteousness remains forever.

The one who supplies seed for planting and bread for eating will supply and multiply your seed and will increase your crop, which is righteousness.

What’s our crop? Righteousness

2 Corinthians 9:11 (CEB)

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous in every way. Such generosity produces thanksgiving to God through us.

What’s the end product of generosity? Gratitude

Do you know what good stewardship always begin with? Gratitude

I know some people have been concerned because Temple hasn’t had an actual budget in a very long time. They are right to be concerned, and I can assure you we are in the process of righting that this year! But good stewardship doesn’t begin with a budget, or a need, or a project. Good stewardship begins with gratitude. We steward God’s resources well when we are grateful for his trust.

2 Corinthians 9:12 (CEB)

Your ministry of this service to God’s people isn’t only fully meeting their needs but it is also multiplying in many expressions of thanksgiving to God.

I’m not advocating throwing away resources or using them carelessly. But holding them tightly demonstrates that we don’t really trust God to provide for tomorrow. We believe WE have to provide for tomorrow.

Do we really believe it when we pray in the Lord’s prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread”?

Or do we really want to pray: “Give me today my bread for the month…” or maybe longer.

Scarcity or Abundance

This scarcity mentality is demonstrated with our tightfisted approach to using our time, our talent, and our treasure for God’s kingdom. We don’t really believe He will replenish the supply … perhaps we don’t really believe He CAN. It’s as if we are afraid that God’s abundance will run out!

If God is infinite, then shouldn’t his resources be infinite, too? If we believe he created everything in the beginning, why couldn’t he create whatever resources are needed for his kingdom again and again and again?

The Old Testament Jews weren’t any different from this. They struggled with trusting God, too. They focused on making sacrifices instead of responding to God’s call and the needs of God’s people.

Listen again to the Psalmist’s words:

Psalm 50:8–14 (NLT)

I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.

But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens.

For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine.

If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.

What’s the beginning of good stewardship? Gratitude

Holding onto the egg too tightly isn’t gratitude … it’s fear!

When our hand is clutched tight, how can anyone put anything in it?

It’s when we open our hand and share God’s resources that he pours more into the hand. Because his resources are limitless … and if we’ll use them for his kingdom he will pour even more through us than he would ever pour into us.

Scarcity or Abundance

I’ve always had a decent singing voice. When I was younger, I sang all the time … but my voice had no resilience. After just a small section of a song my throat would hurt and I had to stop after a brief time.

When I hit college, I started singing songs about Jesus and my voice grew. There is a general principle that when you use your voice it increases in stamina and ability, but this was not the same principle at work.

I sang all the time in High School … ALL THE TIME! But I could not sing very long …and it never got any better … until I started singing for the Lord.

My stamina increased unbelievably. My range increased to highs I should not be able to hit. Without any formal training at all … my voice grew and stretched because I started using it for God. The more I use it for Him, the more he pours that resource into me, so it can be spread onto others.

See, when we look at resources as scarce, we operate out of fear … fear of losing the resources we have … just like the $100 servant.

But God’s resources are not scarce at all. Even when inflation rages, and prices spike.

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills

All the animals of the forest are his

He knows every bird on the mountains and

Every animal in the field belongs to him

And we certainly want access to God’s resources … right?

Scarcity or Abundance

But if God is interested in our motive more than our behavior … let me ask “Why do we want his resources?”

Why do you want access to His resources? Why do you want more?

If God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, would you hope to access it to help you pay your bills or to help you answer his call?

One answer says, “I would love to ‘get my hands’ on those resources.”

The other answer says, “I would love to have the courage to fearlessly answer God’s call because of my access to his resources.”

Which one are you?

Scarcity or Abundance

Are resources scarce ... Do you make decisions based on fear?

Or are resources abundant ... Do you make decisions based on answering God’s calling?