Sermon: Stewardship June 14, 2015

Ebenezer Presbyterian Church

June 14, 2015

Sermon:  “Stewardship”
Matthew 25:14-46

Some of you may have looked at the title of my sermon in the bulletin and said:  “Uh oh!  He’s going to want us to give more money.”  Not really, but since that’s what some of you are expecting let’s get it out of the way.

In 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, Paul says:

⁶ The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.

The reason that Paul says that God loves a “cheerful giver” is because what you give to the church is not like you’re paying dues to the Ebenezer Social Club and Funeral Society, as some of you may presume.  The Lord requires – requires – that we bring our best and first fruits out of love for the Lord as an offering – a sacrifice – to the Lord.  If I stood here and cajoled you about the financial needs of the congregation you might consider giving a little more from your last, your least and your leftovers.  We give so that we know the joyous blessing of gratitude.  Unless the Spirit has already touched and convicted your heart of your need for loving gratitude, a minister might be able to increase your giving but your heart will likely remain hardened to the Lord.

So much for your giving!

Stewardship is about what we do with what we have. Jesus’ parable about these three slaves is about the people of Israel and what the people have done with the blessings that God has given them over thousands of years.  It’s not about the prosperity Gospel.  It’s not an endorsement of greed.  Carried into our modern situation, it’s about the collection of people we call the church, this assembly of believers.  It’s about what we together do with the blessings that this congregation holds in trust for the Lord and the ministry and mission of those whom Jesus calls “my family.”

This congregation has been given blessings in abundance.  The question remains which of the three slaves have you imitated in your stewardship of those blessings?  What have you done with the blessings you have already got in this congregation to increase the presence of God’s kingdom in this community, this nation, this world?  Being a part of Jesus’ family isn’t simply about how we care for each other, it’s about what we have done, are doing and will do to increase the living presence of our Lord throughout the world.  It’s about our stewardship of the abundant gifts that this congregation has been given.

Many people believe that when a congregation is given a large sum of money through a will or bequest, that money is a test from the Lord that for too many becomes a curse.  Like that third slave, many congregations mistrustfully bury their material blessings for safekeeping, perhaps saving it for a rainy day.  If you watch the news or read a newspaper about local, national and world events you might recognize that the world is living through a very rainy day.  The Lord is much more concerned about the violence, injustice and chaos occurring in this community and around the world than about the carpet in this sanctuary.

That brings me to the last portion of this morning’s Gospel lesson.  It’s an often misunderstood message. Essentially it’s Jesus’ last discourse with the people before his death.  Many people use this discourse as a simple justification for a social Gospel sort of Christianity, and that’s not a bad thing.  Kindness, hospitality, compassion and generosity are traits that every Christian should show to everyone that we meet. 

But Jesus’ words are actually more specific

than that. The key to understanding them is

in that simple phrase: “one of the least of these who are members of my family.”  He’s not simply talking about the poor in general, or anyone who’s a prisoner in jail.  He’s talking about the “members” of his family.  He’s talking about those whom he has sent out to carry his gospel into the world.  He’s talking about pastors, and teachers and missionaries who have made the proclamation of the Gospel through word and deed the focus of their lives.  He’s talking about how you treat and support those whose whole life is proclaiming the Gospel and expanding the presence of the Kingdom in the United States, in Bangladesh, in Somalia, in Ireland, in Addis Ababa, in Chicago, in Minneapolis, in Renville.

I’m told that some people in this congregation say that we shouldn’t give the congregation’s money to foreign missions because we don’t actually know where the money goes or how it may be used.  Given the experiences that many have had with the televangelists who are constantly trying to raise money for spurious projects I can understand the need for caution.  Nonetheless, as a way to justify burying our talents and blessings it’s a lame excuse.

A few years ago the PC(USA), our denomination, did something that inadvertently has removed the mystery about where mission money goes.  Because of the denomination’s own budgetary issues, our missionaries in the field have been tasked with raising the funds for their own support mostly from individuals and congregations in the denomination.

Many of you are aware of the work done by two very dedicated physician/missionaries, Drs. Les and Cynthia Morgan, in Bangladesh.  You do contribute some dollars to the Morgans, but you could fully support them if you chose to do so.  Many congregations fully support one or more of our missionaries around the world, and the PC(USA) provides a list of all of our missionaries.  If wondering where the money goes really worries you, then generously and fully supporting one of the many missionaries that we have can remove that worry.  You will become a full partner in that mission and know exactly how your gifts are spent.

And here’s the interesting thing.  Paul says: “the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”  When others see that you are cheerfully and gratefully using your blessings to serve the mission of the Lord, some hardened hearts will be opened to the Lord more fully than any sermon or fund raising cajoling could ever accomplish.  When people see that the money they give to this church is actually expanding the kingdom of God not just maintaining this building, their hearts will be opened and they will bring to the Lord their first fruits to be put into the service of the Lord.

So I guess we have come full circle.  This sermon is about increasing your giving but only as you become a faithful steward, a cheerful giver.  When people see – even people who are in this congregation every Sunday – when people see that exhibiting and expanding the Kingdom of God is the primary concern of this congregation, some hearts will be opened. God will provide a bountiful harvest.  You will hear the Lord say to you: “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”  Amen.