by Fleming Island United Methodist Church on Feb 05, 2024
In today's sermon, we delved into the true essence of stewardship, a concept often misunderstood and misapplied within the church. Stewardship is not about funding projects or filling budget gaps; it is about recognizing that everything we have is God's, as Psalm 24:1 reminds us that "The Earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all its people belong to him." We are merely asset managers, tasked with the responsibility to manage what God has entrusted to us with care and wisdom.
We explored the idea that God does not call us to live in poverty but to use our resources wisely and generously. The word 'steward' may seem archaic, but it signifies a profound trust and responsibility. A steward in ancient times managed a lord's property, reaping the benefits while ensuring the estate thrived. Similarly, we are called to be faithful managers of God's gifts to us.
Our giving is an act of worship, a response to God's generosity. It is not about the amount we give but the joy and wholeheartedness with which we offer our gifts to God. This joy is not synonymous with constant happiness but is a deep-seated contentment that comes from knowing God is with us, even in our darkest moments. Our offerings nourish our souls and bring us closer to God, reflecting the divine image in which we were created.
We also touched on the concept of displacement theory, which suggests that by continuously introducing positive Christian influence into our society, we can eventually displace negative influences. This is not an overnight process but a gradual transformation achieved through persistent effort and the multiplication of people committed to this cause.
Finally, we emphasized that giving is about the condition of our hearts and our relationship with God. It is not about the church's budget or financial needs but about our spiritual journey. Our finances are transparent, and our focus is on the spiritual well-being of our congregation and community.
Key Takeaways:
- Stewardship is a sacred trust, not a financial strategy. As stewards, we acknowledge that everything we possess is God's, and our role is to manage these resources with faithfulness and integrity. This perspective shifts our focus from ownership to responsibility, fostering a spirit of generosity and trust in God's provision. [07:49]
- Giving is an act of worship that aligns our hearts with God's. When we give joyfully and wholeheartedly, we experience a profound connection with the divine. This joy is not dependent on our circumstances but is rooted in the assurance of God's presence and faithfulness in our lives. [18:16]
- We are created in the image of a generous God, and thus, giving is part of our spiritual DNA. Whether through time, talents, or financial resources, our giving reflects God's nature within us and draws us deeper into our identity as His children. [13:01]
- Displacement theory in a spiritual context suggests that by consistently living out and sharing our faith, we can influence our surroundings for the better. As we embody Christ's love and truth, we contribute to the transformation of our communities, one act of kindness at a time. [21:24]
- Our giving should be directed towards the advancement of God's kingdom, regardless of the specific avenue. The act of giving itself is what matters to God, as it signifies our trust in Him and our desire to see His love and grace spread throughout the world. [22:47]
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. **Psalm 24:1** - "The Earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all its people belong to him."
2. **1 Corinthians 4:2** - "Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful."
3. **John 3:16** - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
#### Observation Questions
1. According to Psalm 24:1, who owns everything on Earth? How does this perspective influence our understanding of stewardship? [07:49]
2. What does 1 Corinthians 4:2 say about the qualities required in a steward? How does this relate to our role as managers of God's resources? [10:34]
3. How does John 3:16 illustrate God's nature as a giver? Why is this significant for our understanding of giving? [12:10]
4. In the sermon, what analogy was used to describe the role of a steward in ancient times? How does this analogy help us understand our responsibilities today? [09:56]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does recognizing that "The Earth is the Lord's" (Psalm 24:1) change our approach to managing our resources? What practical steps can we take to align our actions with this belief? [07:49]
2. What does it mean to be found faithful as a steward according to 1 Corinthians 4:2? How can we demonstrate faithfulness in our daily lives? [10:34]
3. How does the act of giving reflect our identity as being created in God's image, as mentioned in the sermon? What are some ways we can embody this in our communities? [13:01]
4. The sermon mentioned displacement theory. How can consistently living out and sharing our faith influence our surroundings? What are some examples of positive Christian influence you have seen or experienced? [21:24]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current attitude towards your possessions. Do you see them as your own or as resources entrusted to you by God? How can you shift your mindset to be more aligned with Psalm 24:1? [07:49]
2. Think about a time when you gave joyfully and wholeheartedly. How did this experience affect your relationship with God and others? How can you cultivate a habit of joyful giving in your life? [18:16]
3. Identify one area in your life where you can be a more faithful steward. What specific actions can you take this week to manage this resource with greater care and integrity? [10:34]
4. How can you introduce positive Christian influence into your workplace, school, or community? Share one practical step you can take to embody Christ's love and truth in these environments. [21:24]
5. Reflect on the concept of giving as an act of worship. How can you incorporate this understanding into your regular giving practices, whether through time, talents, or financial resources? [16:49]
6. The sermon emphasized the importance of the condition of our hearts in giving. How can you assess and improve the condition of your heart towards giving? What changes might you need to make? [22:47]
7. Consider the idea of displacement theory in your own life. What negative influences can you identify in your surroundings, and how can you work towards displacing them with positive Christian actions? [21:24]
This guide is designed to help your small group delve deeper into the sermon’s message on stewardship, giving, and the impact of positive Christian influence. Use these questions to foster meaningful discussion and personal reflection.
Day 1: Embracing Godly Stewardship
True stewardship is the sacred act of managing God's gifts with integrity and faithfulness. It is a shift from seeing ourselves as owners to being caretakers of the resources entrusted to us. This perspective challenges us to live with a sense of responsibility rather than entitlement, recognizing that our possessions, time, and talents are not ours to keep but to steward for God's glory. As stewards, we are called to be both prudent and generous, using what we have been given to serve others and advance God's kingdom. This approach to life fosters a deep trust in God's provision and a willingness to share, knowing that our true wealth is in heaven. [07:49]
"For it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." - 1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV
Reflection: How can you better practice stewardship in your daily life, recognizing that all you have is entrusted to you by God?
Day 2: The Joy of Worshipful Giving
Giving is not merely a transaction but an expression of worship that aligns our hearts with God's heart. When we give out of joy and wholeheartedness, we tap into a profound connection with the divine that transcends our circumstances. This joy is a contentment rooted in the assurance of God's presence and faithfulness. It is a reflection of our trust in Him and an acknowledgment of His generosity towards us. As we give, we are reminded that our value does not come from our wealth but from our relationship with God. [18:16]
"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." - 2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV
Reflection: What changes can you make to ensure your giving is a joyful act of worship rather than a reluctant obligation?
Day 3: Reflecting Divine Generosity
We are created in the image of a generous God, and giving is an intrinsic part of our spiritual identity. Our offerings, whether of time, talents, or financial resources, are a reflection of God's nature within us. As we give, we grow closer to God and understand more deeply what it means to be His children. This divine generosity is not limited to material wealth but encompasses all aspects of our lives, inviting us to live open-handedly and to share the love and grace we have received with others. [13:01]
"Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." - 2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV
Reflection: In what ways can you demonstrate God's generosity today, and how can you cultivate a more giving spirit?
Day 4: Transforming Society Through Faith
The displacement theory in a spiritual context suggests that by consistently living out and sharing our faith, we can positively influence our surroundings. This transformation is not immediate but occurs gradually as we embody Christ's love and truth in our daily interactions. By introducing positive Christian influence into society, we can displace negative influences and contribute to the betterment of our communities. This requires persistent effort and a commitment to being vessels of God's grace wherever we are. [21:24]
"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16 ESV
Reflection: What is one way you can introduce a positive Christian influence in your community this week?
Day 5: Giving as a Reflection of the Heart
Our giving should be motivated by a desire to advance God's kingdom and reflect the condition of our hearts. It is not about meeting the financial needs of the church but about our personal relationship with God and our spiritual journey. When we give, we demonstrate our trust in God and our commitment to seeing His love and grace spread throughout the world. This act of giving, regardless of the amount, is a testament to our faith and a step towards spiritual growth. [22:47]
"Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." - Luke 6:38 ESV
Reflection: How does your current approach to giving reflect the condition of your heart, and what steps can you take to ensure it aligns with your desire to serve God?
And so Ron's wife says, "Honey, we need a china cabinet for the china. Go down to the bank and get our money out."
So Ron goes down to the bank, and he goes up to the teller and fills out the deposit slip. "I want my money out of here."
The teller gets this deer-in-the-headlights look and says, "Oh no, you're that Ron! Did I do something wrong? No, Dustin wants to see you in his office now."
Dustin would never really do this; he's on the front row in church. He's a good guy. Okay, so this is an example. Please don't pick on him later, because he didn't know I was going to do this to him.
So Ron goes into Dustin's office, and Dustin says, "Oh no, you're here."
"Yeah, I'm here. What's up?"
He said, "Well, I got to tell you, my wife and I needed some stuff. How many of y'all ever needed some stuff? I needed a new car, I needed some new clothes, I needed to go on a cruise. My SEO needed a sister. How many of y'all needed stuff? My name is Dave, and I like stuff. Hi, Dave! Y'all are my support group."
So we took some of your money, and we went on a cruise.
"Do what? You took my money, and you went on a cruise? Do what?"
Now, I don't know about y'all, but it would take me about two seconds to figure out this character stole my money. As hard as it is to get $1,000, I mean, I'd lose my religion right there. In Tennessee, we call that having a duck fit.
"I want my money! I want my money now! You mean you stole my money? You needed a cruise? Well, I'm going to choke you!"
How would you feel if you trusted your money to someone to manage it for you, and they mishandled it? How would you feel? That's how I would feel.
Now let's change their names for a minute. You're going to get a promotion. You ready? This position doesn't actually represent you, and I tricked you. This position represents God. This position doesn't represent a banker; this position represents you and I. God owns it all.
Alright, friends, this morning's message is called "The Myth About Money." The number one myth about money, if you'd like to follow along with the sermon series notes, this week's notes you can do so in the app by clicking on that worship tab and clicking sermon notes. If you're watching online, you can also find that in the link with the message.
So, the number one myth about money is that giving is the heart of humanity. It's the heart of all that we do. The reality is that we were created to be givers. Don't believe me? Go find a toddler and see how much they want to share what they have with you.
Now, sometimes they want to share things we don't want shared, right? Like their half-eaten sandwich, and they want to take a bite, give a bite, take a bite, give a bite. I love you, child, but even when you were two, I didn't want your food.
Okay, kids are not overly clean. They've got snotty noses and all the stuff, and I just don't want that in my food, even though they're mine. But we were created to be givers.
See, the thing is that people understand something very fundamental, and that is the signs of our hands. If you see someone coming at you with a closed fist like this, universally, whatever language they speak, if they're coming at you like this, you're going to expect they're angry, aren't you?
They could be yelling in some language that doesn't even exist in the world, but if they're coming at you like this, this closed fist means anger or it means harm. But an open hand, that's universal too. It's welcoming and friendly.
I mean, unless you've got my dog, which we won't get into, but unless you've got my dog, if you take your hand like this to a dog, most of the time, the dog's going to come to you. Unless it's mine, but most dogs are going to come when you put a hand down like this because an open hand is a sign of welcoming and invitation.
Most of us, we talked last week and the week before about our views of how when we earn our money, and sometimes we have a spirit that says, "It's mine, and I've got to hold on to it." But that creates this spirit like a closed fist.
When we have a spirit of gratitude, we create a hand that is open. See, a closed fist doesn't let anything else in, but it also can create an environment where we're so tight to everything that we forget what we have and where we came from.
Whereas an open hand, some things may leave, but we're also not so attached to everything that it becomes the center of everything. Our attitude towards our money, whether it's open or closed, is an indication of our spirit and our heart.
So understanding the biblical principles around this—who owns everything and what our heart is—is what we call stewardship.
Now, I know y'all are like, "Oh, she said the word, the 'S' word." We don't like the stewardship word. Many of you feel this way, but the reality is that stewardship in the church has often been used poorly. Right? We've been used to raise money.
Stewardship campaigns are because we're trying to fund something. We want to fund a budget, we want to fund a building, we want to fund a playground. That's not what stewardship is. It has nothing to do with funding anything.
So today we're going to talk about some of the biblical principles of what it is so that we can remember what it's not. So don't turn your ears off on me. Can you agree to that?
Okay, great. We're going to start in Luke chapter 10. Is that right? No, Psalms. We're in Psalms, aren't we? Okay, great. Let's go on to Psalms.
Okay, Psalm 24:1. See, my notes are wrong. Psalm 24:1. I'm very dependent on my notes being right, and if they're wrong, I'm in trouble.
Alright, 24:1: "The Earth is the Lord's and everything in it; the world and all its people belong to him."
Now, we looked at this in the very first sermon of the series. Everything that we have is actually God's because everything is God's. God created us, God created the world, God created the animals, God created the trees. He created the elements to create our house. He created everything.
The Bible says that it's all His. So the reason that we sometimes forget that is because we get into this mentality of, "Well, that piece is mine, and that piece is mine," and therefore, you know, "I earned it," and we talked about that in the spirit piece.
But when we remember that ownership piece, it helps because we go back to the open hand thing. So it actually means that we, as the video of Dave says, are asset managers. We are managing what God has given us, and we are making sure we do the very best with it.
Now, we've talked in this series a lot about the fact that God doesn't want us to live on nothing. He doesn't want us to be like monks and live in poverty and only have one outfit and only eat like beans and rice every day. That's not the intention, right?
Yes? Okay, good. We're together.
So what does it mean? You can go ahead and keep going for me, Bob.
So what it means is the word "steward" is actually a really old word that we just keep reusing, and it's not in our modern language, so we have a hard time with it. But the idea of steward is that, in old England, you had a castle, and the Lord owned all the property, and he had a steward who took care of everything.
The steward got to reap all the benefits of the Lord's property, right? He was like a landlord, kind of. And so he got to live in the nice house, and he got to live on the property, and he got to eat all the food. But his responsibility was to oversee all the property and all the assets and make sure it all worked.
So the King James translated, in the origin, the first English translation, the word "steward."
Early on, we go on to the next one for me, Bob. My thing froze, so you're going to have to move for me.
Okay, so in First Corinthians, we have where this was translated for us. In King James, it says, "Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful."
So we've used this word ever since the old English. Okay? Does anyone speak Old English naturally?
Okay, just checking. There's a lot of stuff from the King James that we've kind of adapted into society because it was the first English translation, but we don't speak Old English anymore.
So in a modern translation, you might see, as in the New Living, "as a manager." So that would be a word for us today. So we are managers of what God has given us.
So why is it that we give? Well, we give because God has given us the opportunity to give. First, He was the first giver. He gave us what we needed to give, and because He gave to us first, we are also giving back because we are responding.
So you might wonder, "Well, what did God give first?" Well, the most big gift of all was Jesus. You can probably quote John 3:16 with me, but if you remember, "God so loved the world, He gave."
Every translation has it that way. Look them all up if you want. King James says, "He gave His one and only Son." God is a giver. He's been a giver from the beginning.
And the thing is, friends, we are created in God's image, and because we're created in God's image, we are givers too. And if you forget, back in Genesis, I'll go ahead and read it again.
But Genesis chapter 2: "God created human beings in His own image." We've referenced that verse a couple of times recently.
So if God's a giver and we're created like God, then we were all created to give. Now, we all give different things. Some of us give of our time more naturally, and some of us give of our talents more naturally, and some of us give of our finances more naturally.
But we're all called to use all the things that we have, and when we give, we reflect God. We reflect who Jesus is within us, and it brings us closer and deeper into that relationship.
I want you to think for a moment. Think about the last time you did something, whether it be with your time, your talents, or your financial gifts for another person just because you felt you needed to.
And think about how that nourished your soul. We're not talking about this saving your soul. We're not talking about salvation requiring you to do this. I just want you to think about the last time you were nourished because you drew deeper into the part of your identity that connected this to your journey.
I don't know about you, but there's something in me every time I connect deeper with serving another person selflessly, using my talents to benefit another person, or giving of my finances to help others. There's something in me that always grows deeper because of it.
If I sacrifice something for myself so that somebody else can benefit, I always grow deeper because of it because I'm reflecting God. That's the intention of giving.
Now, there are some wonderful things in the New Testament. I'll just say people tell me all the time that the Old Testament is the only thing that talks about giving, and it's different because the Old Testament talks about the laws, and the New Testament talks about Christ.
So let's look a little bit more in the New Testament because in First Corinthians, it says this: "When God loves a person who gives cheerfully."
That's interesting, isn't it? Because Jesus talked a little bit in other stories about people not doing it just because you have to and making a big show of it.
In my previous church, we had a tradition. Don't you love local church traditions? Right? Every local congregation has their own traditions. Do you realize that?
Okay, if you didn't know that, it's a thing. So my previous congregation had this tradition when we passed the plate for the offering. We shouted in joy. We called it the joy moment.
And they go, "Let's receive the offering," and everyone would go, "Woo!" I didn't do that loud because, you know, I'm on the microphone, but the whole room would go, "Woo!" all at the same time.
We would shout for joy, and the new people thought we were crazy. But the youth started it one time, early in the youth ministry. They had this lesson on giving joyfully, and so one day the plates were passed, and one student just shouted, and it caught on.
They all just started shouting every time the offering started moving. About when I first got there, my first Sunday, I looked around, and I'm like, "What are these people doing?"
I've never seen people shout when the plates pass. Normally, people just look the other way and pass it like that, like no one's looking at me, right? And they're shouting.
The intention is that when we give, friends, it's worship. And this congregation decided to not make it the "Oh, the plates are coming" moment, but the "The plates are coming" moment.
And that's part of the reason why I haven't changed bringing your offering up when you come to the table because in the very first order of worship, the very, very first, in the first book of worship before the United Methodist Church, and the very beginning of the institutionalized church, the offering was at the time of communion because it's what we call the response to God.
And it's us saying, "God, this is what I have to give you. I give you my heart, I give you my confessions, and I give you whatever I have to give." That's why it's all at one time, because you're bringing it all to God.
And if somebody decided to shout at communion, I'd be completely fine with that. It wouldn't bother me at all because what is more exciting than Jesus forgiving our sins? Amen?
So, one more scripture I want to share with you, and this is from First Chronicles. And that is that when people rejoice over the offerings, this is Old Testament too, when people rejoiced, they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy.
Meaning that the more we do this, the more our souls are fed.
Now, let me define joy for a second. Joy does not mean I'm always happy in life. There's this idea that we have to always be happy, and happiness is not a 24/7 thing.
But joy in the Lord comes even when life is hard, and even when I'm struggling, and even when the dark days come. Joy in the Lord comes when I know that God is with me no matter what's going on.
And when the demons are knocking at my soul, the idea being that when people are giving their offerings, their soul is nourished, and they find more joy in the Lord.
So this is why I take time to talk about giving. I care about your spirituality. Have y'all once heard me, other than today, talk anything about a budget?
Because I'm not up here talking about funding a budget or anything about that. Friends, I care about your spiritual life, and I believe our spirituality is about us putting God in the center.
And when God's in the center, we grow deeper. There's this theory called displacement theory.
And in displacement theory, the idea is that you could have a cup of dirty water, and if you flow clean water into the dirty water long enough, the water will become clean.
And the idea being that in our community, our society, if we as the church continue to flow clean Christian water, Christian influence into all of our spaces—into our businesses, into our jobs, into our community centers, into our schools, into our mom groups, into wherever we go—if we keep flowing clean water continuously over and over and over again, eventually we will displace the other influences.
Does that take time? Mhm, it does. But we then eventually multiply the people joining us in displacing the other influences in our community, and we do incredible ministry in the process.
When I shared the statistics of what we did last year, one of the things that I hope didn't get missed is, friends, we have many new people in our congregation that, until they came to us, did not have a church they called home.
There is nothing more exciting than that piece right there. That's displacement theory. We're multiplying the number of people bringing clean water metaphorically to our community.
And it's my hope that as we join together to do this, we will do the work our community needs.
And when we think about giving to God, we do so to help spread the influence in our community.
And this is the thing: this is how much giving matters to me. If you want to give to something and you don't believe our church is where you want to give, then it does not matter as long as you're giving.
Because what matters to God is that you're giving to something that benefits the kingdom of God. It's about our soul.
If you want to ask me questions about what we do with our money and how we manage it and all those things, our finances are public knowledge. They're open. I will show you whatever you want to see.
But it's about us and our heart and God, and your spiritual journey is important to me.
Would you pray with me?
Almighty God, I am thankful that in my life, you continue to flow clean water and disperse the water that is not clean.
And I ask, Lord, that you use me to do so and the people around me, that you use our congregation to do so, so that we may be a positive effect on the people around us.
Lord, today as we prepare to come to your table, wash us clean so that the effect that we have is only the effect of clean water, and we don't do anything to bring unclean effects on anybody around.
We pray this in your holy name. Amen.
1) "Stewardship in the church has often been used poorly, to raise money for a budget or a building. That's not what stewardship is; it has nothing to do with funding anything." [06:58] (Download)
2) "We are an asset manager, managing what God has given us, ensuring we do the very best with it. God doesn't want us to live on nothing; He wants us to use our resources wisely." [09:13] (Download)
3) "When we give because God has given us the opportunity to give first, we are responding to His generosity. God is a giver, and we are created in His image, thus we are givers too." [12:10] (Download)
4) "Our giving reflects who Jesus is within us and brings us closer and deeper into our identity as His children. We're all called to use what we have to reflect God's nature." [13:01] (Download)
5) "The joy of giving is not about constant happiness but a deep-seated contentment from knowing God is with us, even in our darkest moments. Our offerings nourish our souls." [19:05] (Download)
6) "Displacement Theory suggests that by living out and sharing our faith, we can influence our surroundings for the better, transforming our communities one act of kindness at a time." [21:24] (Download)
7) "Giving to God helps spread the influence in our community. It's about our soul, our heart, and God, and your spiritual journey is important to me, not the church's budget." [22:47] (Download)
8) "The Earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. As stewards, we acknowledge that everything we possess is God's, and our role is to manage these resources with faithfulness." [07:49] (Download)
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