Thank you, Glenn, for sharing that testimony with us this morning.
As I have said, next Sunday evening we will have our congregational meeting at 6 o'clock.
I recognize that they're scheduled to be some kind of a football game at that time.
The Vikings are not playing, sadly, and so you have no reason to stay home and watch
it.
And so I want to encourage you to be here for that praise gathering at 6 o'clock as
we share together the good things God has done in our church in the last year.
Would you open your Bible, please, to Luke chapter 16.
The Bible has a lot to say about money, and it's my desire as a pastor to follow the
example of the Apostle Paul when he said that he preached the whole counsel of the Word
of God to the Ephesian church.
That includes what the Bible has to say regarding this matter of money.
Now, some people become very nervous when they hear about money in a church, and there
are probably some good reasons for that discomfort, among them the fact that there are some churches
that are just totally preoccupied with money.
I was talking to a friend of mine recently who goes to a church that has a large television
ministry, and he lamented to me the fact that the whole service each Sunday is given for
the television audience, and that it involves a great deal of appeal for funds in order
to keep the television ministry going.
The sad thing is that the ministry in that local church is suffering because of that.
Then there are other churches that have a partiality toward wealthy and rich people.
James has some strong words concerning that.
He says, if we have partiality toward the rich, we have become judges of one another
with evil motives.
In fact, he says, God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in the things of
God, and therefore we are not to look down upon those who are poor.
But there are some churches that are partial.
I hope the Grace Church will never be partial toward a person because of his abilities to
give or the amount of money that he may have.
Then there are churches that use this matter of giving as pressure, and spiritual fear
is put into people, or sometimes even guilt, so that they are encouraged to give by really
what is manipulation.
So I can understand why there is discomfort regarding this matter of money.
And yet the Bible has so much to say about it that we need to learn what God says about
this important topic.
Last week we looked together at the truth that God wants us to have money, and he has
made provision for us to gain it in several biblical right ways.
And the reason that he wants us to have money is so that our needs can be met, and so that
in addition to that there might be a margin between what we need and what we receive so
that we can give generously to those who have needs.
And then we looked at the fact that God wants us to think properly about money.
In the first place, he does not want us to love it.
In fact, he warns us that if we do choose to love money and go after that as our goal
in life, and about two-thirds of the college students surveyed recently indicated that
was their number one goal in life, to make money.
Twenty-five years ago, a four out of five students said the most important thing was
to find a solid philosophy for living.
Things happened in the last twenty-five years in the college campus.
Motives have changed.
Now, two out of three say, it's money that I want in life.
The Bible says that if we set money as our goal, that it will destroy our lives, it will
make us useless to God, and will inevitably lead us to compromise of biblical principles.
So he wants us to, in the first place, not love money.
But secondly, he wants us to be aware that money is deceitful.
Not only deceitful, but it's temporary.
So he wants us to be aware of its true nature, not be deceived by it.
Then we began looking at the fact that as we think of money, God wants us to make money
our servant.
We see that in the parable that Jesus tells in Luke chapter 16.
I'm going to begin reading in verse one.
Now, he, Jesus, was also saying to the disciples, there was a certain rich man who had a steward,
and this steward was reported to him as squandering his possessions.
And he called him and said to him, what is this I hear about you?
Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.
And the steward said to himself, what shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship
away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig.
I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship, they will receive
me into their homes.
And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first,
how much do you owe my master?
And he said, a hundred measures of oil.
And he said to him, take your bill and sit down quickly and write fifty.
Then he said to another, and how much do you owe?
He said, a hundred measures of wheat.
And he said to him, take your bill and write eighty.
And his master praised the unrighteous steward, because he had acted shrewdly.
For the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of
light.
And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness,
that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
Please understand that in this parable, Jesus has one main lesson to teach us.
As we interpret parables, it's important to keep in mind that we cannot press every
point of the parable to some meaning.
Most parables have one central truth, and that is the case with this parable.
Jesus is not commending the dishonesty of the steward that he talks about.
The man was dishonest.
But even his own master had to admire the cleverness, the shrewdness with which he had
acted.
And it is that thought of preparation that Jesus commends, using what one has now to
prepare for the future.
That's what Jesus is saying.
And he says that we are wise when we use what we have now, specifically money.
He calls it the mammon of unrighteousness, but he's talking about money, our possessions.
We're wise when we use what we have now to prepare for the future.
The future meaning when we arrive in heaven, when we come to the eternal dwellings.
The idea is that we invest what God has given us now in his work.
We use it for the winning of people to Jesus Christ, so that one day when we arrive in
heaven there will be people there to welcome us because of the wise investment of our money
in God's work.
What is the primary principle that Jesus is teaching in this parable?
He is telling us that we are to use our money wisely.
And he goes on to say in the verses following that if a person does not know how to use
his money wisely with regard to that, then there cannot be entrusted to him the true
riches.
And Jesus is speaking about spiritual responsibilities.
He says if a person is not faithful in that which is little, he can't be dependent upon
to be faithful in that which is much.
And if he is faithful in that which is little, then he can be dependent upon to be faithful
with the true riches, with spiritual responsibilities.
I have heard people say in years past, well I don't really give a lot to my church because
I can't trust the leadership there.
You know what my thought is when I hear words like that?
It is if you can't trust the leadership of your church, then why are you going there?
After all, they are committing to you something that is far more important than the money
you're talking about.
If they cannot be trusted with the spiritual riches, or rather with the money that you
want to give them, then how can you trust them with the spiritual riches that they're
ministering to you weekly?
Jesus gives a basic principle here that the way that we use our money reflects upon our
character, our trustworthiness.
So he says make money your servant.
Rather than making yourself its servant, and bowing before it and worshipping it, let your
money be your servant with eternal dividends in view.
Invest it with God.
That is what he is saying.
Not only does the Lord want us to have money and to think properly about money, but he
wants us to manage our financial stewardship in a wise way.
What does that involve?
Well, let me just suggest three things that it involves.
In the first place, it involves recognizing that my first responsibility is to God.
That as I am blessed, as I am prospered, the very first responsibility that I have is not
to the department store, it's not to the utility company, but rather it's to God.
That's my first responsibility.
Come back with me to Proverbs and the third chapter where I think that we see this principle
stated.
In Proverbs 3 and verse 9, it says, honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first
of all your produce, so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow
with new wine.
God says that we are to honor him with the first of our increase, the first fruits of
our produce, and that if we are faithful in that, then he will bless us and meet our needs.
God cannot be outgiven.
God will return.
I don't mean that God will make you wealthy if you give, but God will see to it that you
are returned what you need in your life.
The first thing that we need to do is to recognize our responsibility to God.
How are we to do that?
Well, I think that we find a verse or two in the New Testament that speaks briefly about
that, although next Sunday I want to speak more in detail from 2 Corinthians regarding
this matter of our giving to the Lord.
But turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and notice some words of the apostle Paul
as he writes to them about a collection for the saints, the poor saints in Jerusalem.
And here are his instructions so that that collection will be taken in an orderly way
and there will not be emotional appeals when he comes.
He says, on the first day of every week, this is verse 2 of 1 Corinthians 16, on the first
day of every week, let each one of you put aside and save as he may prosper, that no
collections be made when I come.
Now in that verse we see a number of basic teachings regarding giving as it applies in
the New Testament.
In the first place, notice that it is to be regular and systematic.
He says, on the first day of the week, when was that?
Well that was obviously the time when they came together for worship.
And so in the context of that day it was to be every week as they came together for worship,
regularly, systematically, they were to bring their offerings.
Now it was a custom in that day that a laborer was paid each day.
There were not weekly paid periods or bi-weekly or monthly, but every day a laborer was paid
as wages in Israel.
And so at the end of the week they were to count what they had received during that week
and out of that bring an offering every week.
The principle, folks, is this, that in our giving to the Lord we are to be regular about
it.
We are to be systematic about it.
We are not to be subject to emotional appeals from people, but rather we are just to learn
faithfulness in regularly bringing an offering to the Lord.
Does that need to be done the first day of every week in our culture?
Well there are some who say that and that's fine if they want to do it.
I think the principle though that underlies it is that as I am increased I am to bring
that offering.
So if I'm paid every week then every week I need to bring that offering.
If I'm paid every two weeks or every month likewise I am to bring an offering.
The principle is do it regularly and do it in a planned systematic way.
And then notice that he says that it's to be a universal practice.
He says let every one of you, let each of you, it's not only individual but it's universal.
They were all to do it.
There seems to have been no exception in Paul's mind.
He was not looking upon some of the congregation as too poor to participate.
He said let each one of you participate in this.
And so in our giving today in the local church there is to be no exception.
One is to share in that.
Now in the average church we are told that 20% of a congregation gives 80% of the money.
Did you know that?
In the average congregation, evangelical congregation, 20% of the people give 80% of the money.
30% give 20% and 50% give nothing.
That is not God's plan at all.
God's plan is for each one to give.
And in fact we are told that the larger a church gets the more that 50% who gives nothing
creeps up.
Becomes 51, 55 and more.
The larger a church gets.
And why is that?
Well there are some reasons for it.
The larger a church gets the more the budget seems to be removed.
The ministry seems to be removed from the individual.
It seems less personal and so there is less commitment.
And I think that likewise in the day in which we live in particular there are ministries
that can appeal to people emotionally through radio and television and do it in such a way
that it prompts people to give to get this book or this acknowledgement of some sort.
And so those kinds of tools are used to get people to give.
And churches by and large do not use those kinds of means.
And so that is another reason perhaps that some give outside of their church rather than
within the church.
It seems perhaps more exciting to give out there to a ministry when they say if you don't
give this week we are going off the air.
And you come each Sunday and the lights are on in the church and the heat is on.
In fact it is a little bit too much today.
When you come and people are here to meet your needs and things just seem to go on and
the church doesn't really need the money as much as so and so out here whose ministry
is going to go out of existence if he doesn't get the money this week.
Now what most people fail to realize is that message was taped months ago.
Something doesn't quite match up there but nonetheless.
The fact is the teaching of God's word says let each one of you participate.
That is God's plan.
And then we are to give he says as we may prosper.
The point the principle here is we are to give proportionate to our increase.
Now there are those who believe that the New Testament teaches that we are to tithe our
income.
In fact I have some wonderful messages on the subject of tithing that I have preached
in the past because that is what I was taught early on and that is what I preached in my
early ministry.
Because I have come to study God's word a little more on that subject.
I have come to believe that tithing is not and never really has been the principle of
offerings to the Lord.
The word tithe by the way for those of you that may not know refers to 10 percent.
And it is true that in the Old Testament there were tithes commanded.
It is true that even before the law there were a couple of examples of tithing.
For example in Genesis 14 Abraham gave a tithe of all that he had to the Lord.
But that is the only time that we find any record of Abraham giving anything.
So to say that that was a regular principle of his would be incorrect.
Jacob likewise gave a tenth of all that he had but that was on one occasion that he gave
that to the Lord.
Under the law yes there were tithes commanded of the Jewish people.
But if you study that basically what it was was a tax to support the state and the religious
institution of Israel.
God had planned for it to be a theocracy.
His ruling over the nation and as the people gave a tithe, one tithe was to support the
priesthood and the nation.
Another tithe was to be given every year.
You see there were two tithes actually in ancient Israel.
That tithe was to support the national festivals and that sort of thing.
And then every three years there was a third tithe required of the Jewish people which
was to be used for the poor.
And so if you average that out what they gave each year in tithe so called was actually
23.5 percent or 23.3 percent.
So that's what they were required to give under the law but that was basically a tax
upon them to support the nation and the institution, the religious institution, the temple and
the priesthood and so on.
However parallel to that throughout the Old Testament there was such a thing as was called
a free will offering.
And that is what is parallel to us today, not the tithe.
When God says in Malachi 3, you've robbed me and the people say how have we robbed you?
He says in tithes and offerings.
He was saying in the first place you haven't paid your taxes, tithe, and the offerings.
There have been no free will offerings.
We have a number of examples of free will offerings in the Old Testament but perhaps
one of the most beautiful is back in the book of Exodus in verse 25.
Would you look at that with me?
My point is this, that in this matter of giving, God's principle has always been that of free
will.
In other words there is to be no coercion, there is no legalistic commandment that it
must be 10 percent or 23.3 percent but it's a matter of a one giving out of his free heart
and will to the Lord.
In Exodus 25 verse 1 it says, the Lord spoke to Moses saying, tell the sons of Israel to
raise a contribution for me from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise my contribution.
So God's plan was that in the construction of the tabernacle, that original tent of worship
of the Jewish people, they were to do that through the free will giving of the people
whose ever heart prompted him to give.
Now turn over a few pages to chapter 35 where we have the actual command being fulfilled.
For example, Moses says in verse 5, take from among you a contribution to the Lord.
Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord's contribution.
Look again in verse 21, and everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit
moved him came and brought the Lord's contribution.
Verse 22, then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women came and brought various
items that are listed there.
Verse 24, everyone who could make a contribution of silver and bronze brought the Lord's
contribution.
Verse 29, the Israelites, all the men and women whose heart moved them to bring material
for all the work, at the end of the verse they brought a free will offering to the Lord.
Chapter 36 and verse 2, in the middle of the verse, everyone whose heart stirred him to
come to the work to perform it.
And what was the result of all of this freedom to give as the people were moved, as they
were led to give?
Well, in verse 6 it says, Moses issued a proclamation that was circulated and it said this, let
neither man nor woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary.
Thus the people were restrained from bringing any more.
What had happened?
Well, as they had given out of the freedom of their hearts, too much was given.
They didn't need any more.
And so they had to stand up and say, stop bringing contributions.
Now that would be a day in a church when that was the case, wouldn't it?
My point in showing you that in Exodus was to show you that alongside of the law regarding
the tithe, which was basically a tax upon the people, there was the opportunity to bring
a free will offering.
Likewise, today we owe to Caesar what we owe him, don't we?
And it's always too much.
But we're commanded by God to give it.
That's our responsibility as citizens of our land.
That's our tax.
But in addition to that, we are to bring to the Lord a free will offering.
And Jesus says in Luke chapter 6 that the more we give, the more God will bless us.
The more we give, the more God will bless us.
He says, let your measurement be that of a basket that's pushed down solidly.
And cram as much in there as you possibly can and bring that to the Lord, because God
is just going to bless you that much more richly for your free will in giving it.
Now let's go back and talk some more about 1 Corinthians 16 where it says, as he may
prosper.
The point that the apostle is making is this.
The more I am prospered as an individual, the more I am to bring to God.
You see, if there is such a thing as legalistic tithing, I think it really destroys the principle
that is talked about here in this verse.
For a person, for example, who earns $10,000 a year, if he brings a tithe, brings $1,000.
That leaves him $9,000 for everything else.
A person who earns $100,000 if he simply practices tithing, brings $10,000 but is left with $90,000
to live upon.
Now is that what the Lord is teaching here?
No, it's not.
The more one is blessed, the more one has an increase, the greater his responsibility
is to bring back to the Lord.
The one who earns more is to carefully guard his standard of living so that he doesn't
consume all of that upon his own covetous desires.
And if God blesses him with much, he is to return much to the Lord.
That is the principle in this phrase, as he may prosper.
Now, frankly, I knew very little about the principles of God's Word in this matter of
giving until I got out of college.
I practiced giving here and there, five bucks on the plate one time and $10 if it was a
real emotional appeal and I was moved.
And of course, college students typically are not exactly overloaded with money, so
I gave that way.
But I did not understand the principles here in this verse of regular systematic giving
that I was responsible as an individual to God as I was prospered.
When I got to my first ministry down in Kentucky as an assistant pastor, it was announced to
me that I would tithe and I wasn't exactly overpaid in my position either.
But I was told, you will tithe.
And I accepted that because I liked the job and I knew what the alternative was.
And so I began to tithe.
It was hard at first.
It was a brand new concept to me.
But I got over the legalism of that.
And what it did for me was it established a practice in my life of giving and giving
regularly.
Then as I began to understand the teaching of God's Word regarding the tithe and free
will offering that I've talked about, I was able to set aside the idea of a tithe.
And my wife and I have practiced from that time forward giving more than a tithe to the
Lord's work.
There have been times when I have been tempted not to give it for one reason or another.
I remember when I was talking to one of my brothers who does not go to church regarding
a home that he and his wife and family were buying.
And it was a beautiful home.
I understood how much he was putting down on it and that they were going to be practically
debt free because of the fact that he has a very fine job, but he does not practice
giving.
And so he's invested a lot of that money into things that their family possess and
into their home.
You know, I began to look back at all the money I've given to the Lord's work through
the years.
And the devil said in my ear, you know, if you hadn't given all that money, you could
own a home.
But it wasn't long before the Spirit of God whispered in the other ear, yes, but you've
invested for the future.
You've invested in eternal things.
And that quieted my spirit.
I do not regret the money that we've given.
I thank God that it's kept safe where we've saved it for the Lord's work.
And that it's going to make a difference in eternity because we've given it that way.
Chuck Swindoll had some interesting comments about this matter of giving in one of his
monthly letters some time ago.
He begins by saying, dear listening friend, I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my
heart.
That sounds like Swindoll, doesn't it?
He goes on to say, how easy it is to emphasize duty in giving and miss the joy.
For far too long, God's people have been shamed and whipped into giving.
Guilt and manipulative techniques are commonly used to wrench money from pockets and purses.
People give but not hilariously.
How tragic.
God highly prizes those who give with joy, joy, joy, joy down in their hearts.
Joy and generosity are like Siamese twins inseparably linked together.
It concerns me quite frankly, says Swindoll, that stewardship is usually viewed as a grim
obligation and we frown our way through it.
Forcing ourselves to obey, we squeeze out a nickel or two while old Thomas Jefferson
yells.
Surely, this is alien to God's preference.
Remember, he wants joy, joy, joy, joy, not okay, okay, okay, okay.
How can we bring the joy back?
Number one, reflect on God's gifts to you.
Hasn't he been good?
Better than we deserve.
Good health, happy family, sufficient food, clothing and shelter, close friends and so
much more.
Number two, remind yourself of his promises regarding generosity.
Call to mind a few biblical principles that promise the benefits of sowing bountifully.
Bumper crops, don't forget, are God's specialty.
Number three, examine your heart.
Nobody but you can do this.
Open that private vault and ask several hard questions like, am I giving proportionate
to my income?
Am I motivated by guilt or by joy?
If someone else knew the level of my financial involvement in God's work, would I be an
encouragement toward generosity?
Have I prayed about giving or am I just an impulsive giver?
And finally, to return joy to giving, trust God to honor consistent generosity.
Here's the big step, but it's essential.
Go for it.
Release your restraint when you really believe God is leading you to make a significant contribution
and develop the habit of generosity.
It is doubtful that generosity has ever hurt very many people.
Well, he has some good words there telling us how to get back the joy in our giving.
As we think about our financial stewardship, remember number one, our responsibility is
to him.
Not legalistically, but because he has done so much for us.
And therefore, out of the joy and freedom, the love of our hearts, we bring our generous
gifts to the Lord as he has prospered us.
Let's bow together.
Let each one of you, says the word of God.
I wonder how each one of us needs to respond to the message this morning.
He that sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
That's not prosperity gospel.
That's a principle of God's word.
God wants us to reap bountifully.
God wants us to know the meaning of true riches in our lives.
But before he gives that to us, he wants us to be good stewards of our money.
What we've talked about this morning is not the way to heaven.
The giving of money has nothing to do with whether we become children of God, have eternal
life, or are home in heaven.
That is all a free gift that we receive from God, which he has made possible through the
death and resurrection of his Son.
God wants us to have that gift that money cannot buy.
And so grateful are we, Father, who have received that gift, that our hearts are liberated from
the chains of covetousness and from the bondage of legalistic rules and percentages, so that
we might bring to you, lay up in store in the Lord's work as you prosper us.
Lord increase the liberality of our giving, that we may prove ourselves in character to
be worthy of the true spiritual riches that you have entrusted to us for the world.
We pray in Jesus' name, amen.