INTRODUCTION
Little boy comes to his penny pinching father and asks for $20. His Father replies, “$10 dollars, what are you going to do with $ 5 dollars?” The boy says, “I need it for a school field trip.” Reluctantly the father takes out his wallet and hands his son $ 2 dollars. Pleased with himself for having knocked $20 dollars down to $ 2, the father misses the grin upon his son’s face. His teacher had told the class that they would only need 50 Cents. This is stewardship Sunday and I’m sure many of you are saying to yourselves, “Here it comes, the yearly talk about money. We know what you’re going to say. You want us to give, you want us to give more. We heard the scripture read, “he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” You want us to give bountifully, don’t you? You want us to give and give and give. You probably think that this sermon is going to be like the pastor who stood before his church and said, “I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we have all the money we could every use... The bad news is that it’s all still in your wallets.”
There are plenty of people in this church who would love to see you give more money. The trustees, who have a score of projects in need of money. Those in Education, who are always in need of money for resources and activities. The Mission committee, who are flooded with needs that go well beyond their budget for the year. Not to mention all those who serve on finance and stewardship. I could easily stand with these people because I know of their needs. I could ask of you to give, and give, and give some more. Give until it hurts, give until you bleed. Give, give, give. But as you pastor I am faced with a dilemma. My dilemma is that right after Paul encourages us to sows bountifully that we might reap bountifully, he then goes on to say, “Each one must do as he has mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Each and everyone of us must decide for ourselves what we will give to this church in support of Christ’s ministry.
We are not to give begrudgingly or under a weight of obligation. I know you are all sad over the fact that I’m not, therefore, allowed to use guilt. No, says the apostle Paul. If there is to be any feeling connected to our giving it should be the feeling of cheerfulness. There should be an overflowing sense of joy in our giving.
I sought His love in sun and stars, and where the wild seas roll;
I found it not; as mute I stood, Fear overwhelmed my soul;
But when I gave to one in need, I found the Lord of love in deed.
Thomas Curtis Clark
As I say this, there are several individuals who deal with the finances of our church who are probably cringing right about now. Give cheerfully, they are saying, but what if a person’s cheerfulness comes from giving nothing? And that is the chance we take, isn’t it! when we chose to trust one another to give as they feel God has led them to give. You and I know that our church is in need of money. Money to continue making repairs to our building. Money to pay back the loan we took to put on the new roof. Money to repair our organ. Money to support our on-going missions. Money just to keep things running, and so on, and so on...etc. But if the money doesn’t all come in as is needed, we could cut back on something, can’t we? We could trim our budgets, couldn’t we? But let me ask you. If we were to eliminate our missions budget, would that make you cheerful? If we were to cut out our education program, would that gladden your heart? We could even call it quits, close up the church, and all go do something else. But where’s the joy in that? Let me ask you. Do you receive anything in coming to our church? Do you feel loved by those around you? Is your faith strengthened through being here? Are you blessed by God in your fellowship with us? If the answer is yes, then in receiving you are expected by God to pass on to others what you have received.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
So if you have received comfort - then comfort others. Been strengthen in your faith - then strengthen others. Experienced Christian love - then love those around you. All this is possible for us to receive because we have a sanctuary in which to worship, an educational facility in which to study God’s Word, a place to gather for fellowship and mission. And all of this takes money. Therefore, says the apostle Paul, let each and everyone of us make up our own minds what we will give in support of this, our church. Let us with free and cheerful hearts decide what we will tithe not reluctantly or under compulsion. Now, if this is all that God wanted of you, then that is all I could ask of you. If this is all that God expected of you, then that is all your church could demand of you. If, that is, that was all. But then we read,
“And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance,
so that you may always have enough of everything
and may provide in abundance for every good work.”
God is able to provide us with every blessing in abundance. This is a promise from God. When we fill out our pledge card, we mindfully determine what we can afford to give cheerfully. But there is a limit to our giving. Even if we could give more. Even if we wanted to give more. We all have a financial limit to what we can give. But with God there are no limits. God can supply all our ministry needs. And the wonder of this promise is that God has chosen to supply those resources through us. Not by relying upon what we can give, that’s our resources and our obligation. NO, God does it by passing His resources through us to the need at hand. As it is written,
He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures for ever.”
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your resources
and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
You will be enriched in every way for great generosity,
which through us will produce thanksgiving to God
So, you have filled out your pledge card, you have determined what you are capable of giving in support of your church. But now I want to challenge you to take this scriptural promise of abundant resources to God in prayer and for you to challenge God to fulfill this promise in your life. Then, as God begins to bless you beyond your limits pass on the blessing he intends towards the needs of our church and then come and tell me what God has done through you. The rendering of this service, this divine bucket brigade, not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows in many thanksgivings to God. Under the test of this service, you will glorify God by your obedience in acknowledging the gospel of Christ, and by the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
CONCLUSION
Beloved of God. Would you like to give more then you are presently giving. More then you are capable of giving. Are there more needs out there then you are able to give to. Then I challenge you to draw upon our divine account. To draw upon God’s kingdom resources. For all that we could ever need resides not in our wallets, but in the generosity of God. And in receiving, let us pass on with thanksgiving, the abundant blessings that come from God alone. Through this outpouring of God’s blessings, our cheerful giving is transformed into thankful praise. Our limited resources, are multiplied to cover all our church’s needs. Together we are led to look beyond our sight and to see with eyes of faith.
We give Thee but Thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord from Thee.
May we thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive,
And gladly, as Thou blessest us,
To Thee our first-fruits give.
William Walsham How