Stewardship, Giving as a way of Life: Sermon for Oct 14th, 2018

Sermon:

Text: Mark 10:17-31

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who gives us all.

We’re talking about the money part of stewardship today, so I want to start by saying, thank you for what you give to Immanuel, thank you for being a part of the mission that reaches so many people across the whole world through what you give. And if we would all be willing to give 5 or 10 more a month, just that little bit, would make so much difference to increasing the mission we extend to God’s world.

It’s hard to talk about money and the church though, it’s not one of the super difficult subjects, but any time we talk about money as a culture it’s uncomfortable.

Luther talked about 3 conversions, conversion of the heart, the mind, and the purse. And how conversion of the purse is the hardest.

There is a story about when Christianity first came to the British Isles the Celtic people there, when baptized, would keep a hand above the water so they could hold their sword in that hand. A commentator I read said, that now days people hold their wallet above the water.

Our text today gives us those cringe vibes. A man comes to Jesus, what must I do to inherit eternal life, and after saying he does the things Jesus tells him, Jesus says, well, sell all your things and give them to the poor. And the man walks off because all he can consider is that it’s up to him to obtain eternal life, and not a gift. His attitude is inwardly focused, and not outwardly focused.

I’m reading a book by Theologian Mark Allen Powell right now called, Giving to God, the Bible’s Good News about living a Generous Life. His first lines of the book are this, “Stewardship is not just a way of life; it is a good way of life. In fact, for many, it is a way to a better life. Think of it this way: stewardship means belonging to God. It means allowing God to rule our lives, putting God in charge of everything, including our time and our money.”

Not a fundraising plan, it’s a way of life. Living a stewardship life is a change in thinking, it’s a shift in not just how we view our offering, but also, how we live our lives. It’s a shift from being so inwardly focused like the rich man that we think we are the actor in obtaining Eternal Life, to being so outwardly focused because of God’s gift of Eternal life that we can live generously and give generously.

Powell gives a list of different reasons why people give to the church to highlight this change in viewpoint from inward to outward. The first 4 are very much on the inward view. The middle are well, in the middle, and the last couple are on the outward view.

People give To gain recognition – Simply, so that other people will notice them and think better of them.

People give To attain power or influence – giving thinking that allows or grants you power over others.

People give To appease God – giving thinking this will earn forgiveness or love. You don’t have to give to the church to receive forgiveness or to receive communion.

People give To earn rewards – That somehow giving to God means you’ll get things in return.

People give To fulfill an obligation – That there is a responsibility to give, we have to or we should. But, the pressure comes from an outward force. Because of what other people think you give, not because you yourself want to.

People give To support a worthy cause – this is great. You should give to worthy causes. And hopefully the church is one of them.

People give To divest themselves of unwanted mammon – Mammon, which directly in Hebrew means Money, but money that influences and is the object of worship. Money isn’t the problem, worship of money is the problem. It’s the issue the rich man in our text should deal with. He loves and trusts his money so much, he can’t love God or trust God at all. To help with that, Jesus says, well get rid of the thing that stop you from worshiping God.

We give To give thanks – We give to give thanks to God for what God has given us. God gave me something, so I give something to God.

We give To express love for God – We give simply because God loves us, not because God gave us things, but just out of love. I buy Sarah gifts because I love her, not because she gave me anything. I give to the church because I love the church.

Finally, we give To convey the Christ within – dwells within us, abides in our hearts

This is where stewardship becomes not just a way of giving, but a way of life. Stewardship is more than fundraising and giving, it is how we live, at church, at work, in all of life. People who live forth the fruit of the Spirit that is generosity. That being generous people is not only connected to giving to the church, but how we live our entire lives. Being generous is joy-filled, love filled, and wonderful. Most Sundays my favorite part of worship is watching the kids run up to put their money in the fishbowl. They are doing that because they love, because they want to, not because they feel they have to, they don’t care where it goes, it’s part of who they are to run, to have fun, and to give away.

We give to the church as People of God who have been made new in Christ. Part of our Identity as this new creation of God is being active partners in enacting God’s mission. We are stewards. As stewards, we are part of Christ’s mission for the world.

We give because giving and generosity are part of who we are. We give as an act of worship, it’s not obligation, or requirement, but love and gratitude that we give back to God. We give out of glad and generous hearts as an expression of love and devotion to the God who loves and is so good to us.

Giving to the church is not giving to a business to meet the budget, but part of our work as stewards to enact God’s mission in the world.

This is in some ways just a change in terminology, not saying budget, but saying mission plan instead. It’s not just meeting the heating bill, but seeing how we use the building to support our community. It’s not just putting money in the education account, but raising the next generation as we are called in our baptismal promises. It’s not just sending money to the synod or churchwide, but seeing that the love of God extends to the whole world, and together with all the other churches of the South Dakota Synod, and the whole ELCA, we reach out to care for, love, and support the all whom God loves. Together we send missionaries, together we send quilts, together we send people to care for the poor, hungry and ill. Together we start new churches, we bring new people to Christ. And all of it is because you give. All of is because you are a partner with God to love the world.

Next week we will talk more about ways we reach out to the world, but I end with this. Thank you for giving to Immanuel, thank you for living into your baptismal promise, the moment where God claimed you and said you are loved forever, thank you for being a generous partner in God’s mission for the whole world.