On Stewardship I

As Christians, we are supposed to know that stewardship is about your TIME, TALENT and the TITHE. Unfortunately, Stewardship Sunday is usually about the tithe and beyond in terms of financial giving. Is everybody clear on that?  Let me just say that I started thinking back, and for as long as I can remember, every single church that I have ever been in talked about money on a regular basis. I’m really wondering why we are still having this conversation.  Stewardship is about getting the work of the Kingdom done. It requires time and talent, but it also requires a lot of money. Now, does that mean that your time and talent aren’t important? No, of course not. It’s just that time and talent can’t be traded in for electricity or a bag of groceries or a plane ticket to an underdeveloped country or the supplies to dig wells and initiate agricultural projects. Does it take time and talent to get these things done? Yes. Can you do any of them without money? No. So I say: give as much money as you know is necessary to do what God has called the church to do.

Well, someone might argue that the church talks about money too much.  I challenge you to get your Bible out tonight and look to see just how many times Jesus talks about money. If you look at the OT, in Genesis, money equals provision, and you will see that God was a provider of more than just a ram in the bush. If you look at the prophets, money and justice go hand in hand. Isaiah says instead of fasting you should loose the bonds of injustice, set the captive free, share your bread with the hungry, bring the homeless poor into your house, clothe the naked (you gotta read all of Is 58; it’s some good stuff in there). If you look at Amos chapter 5, you will find the Lord telling the folks to stop all the fancy church services, and instead get about the business of letting justice roll down and righteousness flow. What about Micah? He says the Lord requires us to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly. He also says, and this is serious part, if you don’t do this, you will eat but never be satisfied, there will be a gnawing hunger within you. You will put away but not save (financial security, not). You will sow but not reap, tread on olives but never be anointed with oil, tread on grapes but never drink the wine. I could preach a sermon just right there! Put your trust in money instead of in God, ignore injustice and you will never walk in your anointing, you will never truly get a hold of this redemption through the blood of Jesus. Zechariah 7:9-10 says administer true justice, show mercy and compassion, and do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the stranger or the poor. 

In Acts chapter 2 we see the community of faith sharing their money and their goods. 

Update 2025:

If we are honest with ourselves, we know that while our society might applaud charity, we do not emphasize sharing in community. The difference? Charity is giving when I decide someone deserves it. Sharing is living with an 'us' mindset rather than a 'me, mine' mindset. Jesus came speaking about a 'kingdom of God.' Most people like the easy out of a place in the sky called Heaven, reserved for the dead who deserve to become a resident. I suggest to you that the 'kingdom' of which he spoke is a world that reflects love rather than judgment or all things ego. We are not storing up in barns for the sake of our own 'security'. A good steward is a servant-sharer in the kingdom.