Stewardship Sunday
Today is our "Stewardship of Money" Sunday. We've done this every January for the past 14 years.
This is my sixteenth January in Hayward, but my first two years I was too chicken to talk about tithing. The closest I got was "God is nice to you, so it would certainly be nice for you to be nice back to Him." And all God's children scratched their heads and said, "Huh??"
The first time I preached on tithing, an angry woman marched up to me after the service and reamed me out. "Money!! Money!! When will you preachers quit talking about money??"
I had gone 123 weeks and not mentioned it once -- and then I got clobbered for "money grubbing."
For the next dozen years or so, I dreaded the January, "Give God What's Due Him" sermon, because some touchy person would always get offended.
Then -- a couple of years ago, I figured it out! It's not my problem!!
I am called to preach the whole counsel of God -- and that certainly includes how to handle your money! Jesus, himself, spoke more about money and possessions than he did about heaven and hell combined. It's the topic of 16 of his 38 parables!
There are about 500 verses in the Bible about prayer, less than 500 about faith, and over 2000 about money! Certainly, then, it is not unreasonable for a preacher to bring it up once a year on Stewardship Sunday.
I've found a way to approach it, where people don't flip out and yell at me after church.
I start my sermon with something like this, "I'm just going to tell you what God's Word says about your money. The love of money can twist our hearts, and distort our thinking, so we're not seeing straight. If you get offended by what I say this morning, and come up to me and rant after the church service, that only proves my point. It shows me that you have an inordinate affection for money, and you need to surrender that to God. It proves that you are not mature -- because mature people are unselfish and generous and they don't act that way."
Since I've started saying that, I've not had any "post-stewardship sermon poundings."
This is my sixteenth January in Hayward, but my first two years I was too chicken to talk about tithing. The closest I got was "God is nice to you, so it would certainly be nice for you to be nice back to Him." And all God's children scratched their heads and said, "Huh??"
The first time I preached on tithing, an angry woman marched up to me after the service and reamed me out. "Money!! Money!! When will you preachers quit talking about money??"
I had gone 123 weeks and not mentioned it once -- and then I got clobbered for "money grubbing."
For the next dozen years or so, I dreaded the January, "Give God What's Due Him" sermon, because some touchy person would always get offended.
Then -- a couple of years ago, I figured it out! It's not my problem!!
I am called to preach the whole counsel of God -- and that certainly includes how to handle your money! Jesus, himself, spoke more about money and possessions than he did about heaven and hell combined. It's the topic of 16 of his 38 parables!
There are about 500 verses in the Bible about prayer, less than 500 about faith, and over 2000 about money! Certainly, then, it is not unreasonable for a preacher to bring it up once a year on Stewardship Sunday.
I've found a way to approach it, where people don't flip out and yell at me after church.
I start my sermon with something like this, "I'm just going to tell you what God's Word says about your money. The love of money can twist our hearts, and distort our thinking, so we're not seeing straight. If you get offended by what I say this morning, and come up to me and rant after the church service, that only proves my point. It shows me that you have an inordinate affection for money, and you need to surrender that to God. It proves that you are not mature -- because mature people are unselfish and generous and they don't act that way."
Since I've started saying that, I've not had any "post-stewardship sermon poundings."
A steward is one who is entrusted with the management of property, finances, or other affairs not his own; an administrator.
ReplyDeleteTithes and offerings are given to God. But, humans within the leadership of the church decide how the money is spent.
The members of the congregation need to have confidence and full disclosure of accountability that the monies entrusted to them are being spent wisely.
It is like raising kids. They follow your example. My Dad's favorite saying was..."Your actions speak so loudly I cannot hear a word you are saying".