The Sermon on the Amount

Introduction
At home in my personal devotion time, I recently finished reading through Matthew chapters 5-7 and paraphrasing it in my own words.  These chapters are Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount.”  I hope to preach a series of messages soon on Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” because it is full of wisdom we need to hear.  I will probably start that message series in about a month.  But today I want to preach a different message.  Today I want to preach a message I call “The Sermon on the Amount.”

You can probably guess the subject of the message from the title. It's a sermon to answer a question people often ask:  “How much money should I give to the church?”  Money is a sensitive subject—especially when a preacher is the one talking.  But I hope you will listen closely. 

Jesus talked about money a lot, because He understood how people handle money is one of the main things that reveals the inward and unseen state of their hearts.  Since Jesus cares deeply about us, he cares deeply about how we handle money; and we should too. 

The Tithe
In the Old Testament of the Bible, the guideline for giving was called the tithe. A tithe is a tenth of a person’s income.  This tradition giving 10% of your income goes all the way back to the patriarch Abraham in Genesis 14.  Abraham gave God 10% of all the assets he recovered from a battle with an invading army.  Abraham knew God was the one who gave Abraham success in battle.  The tithe was a way for Abraham to thank God for the victory.

 Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, also practiced tithing.  God promised in a dream to bless Jacob with land and many descendants.  In gratitude, Jacob promised in Genesis 28:22, “I will give God a tenth of everything he gives me.” 

The tithe became the standard for giving throughout the Old Testament and was codified as part of Jewish religious law.  Leviticus 27:30 – “A tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy.”  And verse 32 – “The Lord also owns every tenth animal counted off from your herds and flocks. They are set apart to him as holy.”

Besides being a way to show gratitude to God, the tithe was also used to support people who had no other means of support—priests, refugees, widows, and orphans (see Deuteronomy 14:28-29).  The Bible says the practice of tithing also taught people to trust and revere God (see Deuteronomy 14:23).

Tithing continued in the New Testament and is still the standard for giving in churches to this day.  So if the question is “How much money should I give to the church?”  Many Christians would answer, “10% of your income.”  So for example, a person who earns $50,000 per year would give $5,000 per year to the church (or about $96 per week).

Now, I could spend the next 10 minutes trying to convince you why you should give a full tithe to the church; I could quote Bible verses and speak of my own personal experience with tithing and what a blessing it’s been.  And it would be very challenging, because most people in the church don’t tithe and it’s not easy to give away 10% of your income.  But the truth is, that message wouldn’t be challenging enough.  God has a greater challenge than just to demand you start giving 10% of your income in the offering each week.  So I want to read to you from the Gospel of Mark 12:41-44.

Mark 12:41-44
⁴¹ Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. ⁴² Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

⁴³ Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. ⁴⁴ For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

The Collection Box in the Temple
In the Temple in Jesus day, the collection boxes kind of looked like a trumpet on top of a box.  The “horn” was made of brass.  So as you dropped coins into it, the metal coins would rattle against the brass horn as they went into the box (and back then all money was coins; there was no paper money).  So as people entered the Temple, it was all designed to show off how much money people gave (and by implication, how wealthy were the people who gave). 

You can imagine the scene:  Maybe one person drops a small bag of coins into the collection box and you can hear the sound of numerous coins rattling down the horn.  And everyone hears it and thinks: “Hmmm…”  Then a wealthier person empties a large bag of coins into the box and it really makes a lot of noise.  And people think, “Wow!”  And the family that dropped that money in can stand a little taller—proud of their wealth and the fact that everyone also knows it.  And the Bible says Jesus was sitting there near the collection box watching people drop in their money.  

That’s an interesting thought.  Jesus was interested in what people did with their money.  In our day, we are very private about what we give to the church.  We are very careful at Pleasant Grove to keep your financial giving confidential.  There’s only 2 people in this whole church that can find out specifically what you give.  And we keep that information very confidential.  But Jesus also knows what you give.  Jesus knows not only what you give, but what you can give and why you do or don’t give.  Jesus knows your heart.  Just as Jesus watched as the crowds giving their money to the Temple, Jesus watches as people give money in the Church today.  And just knows not only what you give, but He knows your heart as you give.

In the story from Mark, Jesus wasn’t impressed by all the rich people giving their money at the Temple.  He knew most of them had so much extra that they could give and it didn’t even hurt.  It might sound impressive to hear such a loud clanging as a sack full of money rattled down into the collection box, but Jesus knew it was money a rich man would never miss.  And Jesus knew their hearts.  Maybe Jesus wasn’t impressed because He knew many o the richest givers cared more about what people thought about them than what God thought.  Maybe Jesus knew the richest givers really didn’t care about the poor or the needy, they just wanted to be admired.  Jesus knew their hearts.

And then a poor widow came to the collection box.  She dropped in two small coins—what we might think of as a few pennies.  Yet Jesus admired her because He knew it was all she had to live on.  Jesus said:  “This poor widow has given more than everyone else. They only gave a tiny part of their great income; but she gave everything she had to live on, even though she is very poor.”  The law only required 10%, but the widow gave everything she had.

Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.  The world and all its people belong to him.”  God already owns everything.  He’s the only person in existence of whom you can truthfully say, “He’s independently wealthy.”  He doesn’t need your money or my money or anyone’s money. 

And He certainly doesn’t need a poor widow’s 2 cents.  But the widow’s gift is remarkable because it shows she is content with her life the way it is and she figures she can live just fine without those 2 pennies.  She believes God will take care of her.  She had incredible faith.  She trusted in God rather than her money.  And so she already gave God what He wanted most of all—her heart.

Your Heart. Not Your Money.
It is far better to give someone your heart than your money.  How much better off would we all be if everyone understood this principle?  It is better to give your heart than your money.  How many marriages have deteriorated into emptiness because the husbands do not hear the silent yearnings of their wife when she says, ‘I don’t want your money.  I want you.’?  How many parents have lost their children because they failed to interpret the signs, ‘I don’t want your presents, [Mom and Dad].  I want you.’? [i]  Too often we try to buy people off—but no amount of money can substitute for our heart. 

The biblical standard for financial giving is 10%.  10% is the minimum, not the goal (and et so few do the minimum).   According to a national survey by the Barna Group, Christians in America only give, on average, 2.2% of their income to the church.[ii] Why do you have so little faith?  Do you not trust God enough to give what He asks?

Others may feel very proud they do give a full tithe on their income.  They are true tithers.  They’re giving at least 8% more than most other Christians. They may feel like they’ve done their duty and they aren’t challenged to do more. “Why, look at me!  I’m a tither!”

Whether you do or don’t tithe, don’t miss the heart of Christ’s Gospel.  In Jesus Christ, God says, “I don’t want what you have; I want you.”[iii] 

What is it that John 3:16 says?  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish but… give Him 10% of their income…  No!  That’s not what it says.  What does it say? So that whoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life.” 

And where would this eternal life be?  With God, forever.  God didn’t send His son to die on the cross of Calvary so that He could just have 10% of our income.  He did it because He wants you—every part of you.  And God doesn’t just want you 10% of the time; He wants you all of the time and for all eternity.  You see God doesn’t want your money.  He wants you!  And where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.[iv]

What’s more, Jesus didn’t just come to save you; he came to save the whole world.  And He appointed the Church as His Body to carry out His mission.  He said, “Go and make disciples of all the nations…”[v] We are nothing less than the Body of Christ.  His mission has become our mission.  His passion has become our passion. What an awesome responsibility; what an incredible honor—to spend ourselves and all we have for the souls of our brothers and sisters here in Whitfield County and even to the ends of the earth. 

The Apostle Paul understood the full ramifications of this. He said in all sincerity, “I will gladly spend myself and all I have for your spiritual good…”  That is the attitude I pray we will have.  How far are we willing to go for the spiritual good of the person sitting next to us today?  Are we willing to expend ourselves and all we have for the people in our community? 

The True Amount = Everything
You see, the real question is not: “What amount of money should I give to the church?”  In light of our purpose as Christians and the tremendous need around the world, the question is: “How much dare I spend on myself?”  The question is not: “Can I afford to give 10% of my income to the church?”  The question is, “Can I justify to Jesus the lifestyle that consumes 90% of my income?”  

We live in one of the most prosperous nations in the world, and a lot of good has come of it, but is it enough?  Have we done all we could do with the vast wealth God has given us?  Have I done all the good I can do with the wealth God has given me?

A lot of people would say the problem with the church today is that only 2% of Christians actually tithe.  I disagree.  The problem isn’t whether or not we tithe.  The problem is we haven’t followed the example of the widow.  We haven’t given everything to God. 

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[i] John Wilkerson, “I Seek Not What is Yours, but You”

[ii] According to The Barna Group – http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Topic&TopicID=36

[iii] 2 Corinthians 12:14

[iv] Mathew 6:21

[v] Matthew 2:19a

A Loan from God

Introduction

            Well, my son, Gavin, started his classes at the University of Alabama Huntsville this week.  He said he likes his classes so far.  I'm so proud of him.  He's such a diligent student.  He earned a scholarship to pay all of his tuition.  However, it still cost somewhere between $12,000-15,000 a year for room and board and books and other expenses.  So, to encourage Gavin to take responsibility for his own life, we said we would pay roughly half of that expense and he could pay the other half.  Unfortunately, we had to get a "parent loan" to help pay the extra expense.  We are still paying our own student loans back from our college days!  By the time we get Gavin through college, we will have Grace in college; and when she finishes, there will be Abigail.  So I joked and told my wife, "We are going to be in a nursing home one day and still paying back our student loans and our kids.  And none of them is going to come visit us!"

            Well, this leads us into the topic of this blog which was inspired by a John Wesley sermon from 1768 called "The Good Steward."  In it, Wesley contrasted the difference between someone who is a debtor (who received a loan) and someone who is a steward (who is hired to manage another's affairs).

Luke 16:1-2

¹Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. ² So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’

Sermon Theme

            Someone who has a loan can do whatever they like with the money, so long as they pay the money back by the time it is due.  Someone who is a financial manager cannot do whatever they like with the money.  They are required to use the money exactly the way the Employer who hired them directs.  A Christian is one whose debts have been forgiven.  We are not debtors.  Oh how fortunate!  For we could never repay the debt we owe to God.  Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glorious standard of God."  And Romans 6:23 says, "For the consequences of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Thankfully, our debt is paid by the blood of Jesus Christ when we place our faith in him!

            Jesus doesn't call his followers debtors.  One of the most frequent ways Jesus describes his followers is the term “steward.”  We don’t use the term steward as much these days.  Perhaps a more appropriate term for us would be “financial manager,” except that we manage far more than just finances in our Christian life.  So let’s use the term manager, as in the scripture I just read—Luke 16:1, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs…”

Steward/Manager

            First, let’s consider all the ways we are stewards (or managers) for God.  Again I must restate that we are managing far more than money.  And we are not at liberty to use the things God gives us to manage however we want.  We must use it all only the way God wants us to use it.  For to use it in any other way would be a crime against God.  So take seriously what God has given you to manage.

            God has entrusted you with a soul.  Your soul is an immortal spirit made in the image of God.  It encompasses your understanding, imagination, creativity, memory, and your will.  And from your soul spring such things as love and hate, joy and sorrow, your desires—including the desire to do good or evil—and your hopes and fears.  Now again, we are only managers of these.  God entrusts them to us to use—not so we can use them however we please, but—according to the express orders He has given us. (Of course, you will find that you are truly happiest when you use all these according to God’s will.)

            God gave us a mind.  So, we are to use our imagination and creativity, our understanding, our memory, our will all for the glory of God.  We are also to dedicate our emotions to God; we are to love what He loves and hate what He hates.  We are to rejoice and grieve, hope and fear, desire and shun all according to God’s holy purposes. Even our thoughts are not our own.  We cannot use them however we like.  No.  Even our mind is accountable to God.

            God has entrusted you with a body.  You are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14).  God gave you all your sense—sight, hearing, taste, etc.—not to use however you want, but these are on loan to be used specifically in ways God authorizes.  In the same way, God gave you the ability to speak.  He did so, not that you should speak whatever you like, but that you should speak His praises and use your voice to lead others to Christ.  God gave you hands and feet, not that you should go wherever and do whatever you pleased, but that you should work hard and faithfully to build God’s Kingdom.  For Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples…"

            God also gives us worldly goods:  food to eat, clothing to wear, a place to call home, and all the necessary conveniences of life.  In addition to all these, God puts money in our pockets, which can be such a powerful tool for God’s Kingdom if we are wise and faithful managers.

            Beyond all these, there is still more God entrust to us—strength, energy, health, time, our personality, our talents, our education, our reputation…  And perhaps the greatest of all that God entrust to us is His grace.  God saved us by His grace through Jesus Christ who paid the price for our sins.  What are we to do with this grace God extends to us? Are we to waste it?  Are we to go on sinning however we want because God has forgiven us anyway?  Absolutely not!  We are to use His grace responsibly, living our lives wholeheartedly for Him and offer the same grace to others.

            And I won’t neglect today specifically to point out that children are entrusted to us by God.  Regardless of whether they are our biological children, or adopted into our family, or even part of our church family, these kids are entrusted to us by God.  We are to care for them and do the very best we  can to nurture their faith in Jesus Christ.

            So of all these—the soul, the body, worldly goods, money, our children, and everything else—we are only managers.

Giving an Account

            We are not appointed as managers forever.  Our term in this role has a limit.  There is coming a time when we will no longer have any right to or authority over these things.  We will have to return them to the Lord.  Furthermore, we will have to explain to God how we used everything He gave us in this life.

            The time is not as far off as you think.  This life is so short.  Time goes by very fast.  One day, we are holding a baby in our arms; the next, we send them off to college; then, we find we are old and gray and only have a few years left to live.  (And this is only if we are fortunate, for many are not so fortunate and find their life cut off when they are still young or only in the middle of life—by cancer or an automobile accident or by some other tragedy that cuts life short.)  We never know how much time we really have, but we know it is always too short.  

            The time is fast approaching when we will have to stand before the Lord who entrusted all these things to our management and we will have to account—whether we used them the way we wanted or did we follow the Master’s instruction for their use?  God’s Word tells us in Hebrews 9:27, “…people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…”  

            What will you say when the Lord of all creation asks you:  “How did you use the soul I imparted to you?  Did you—to the best of your ability—use your understanding to know yourself and to know Me?  Did you apply it to understand My attributes, My nature, My will for you and the world?"

            God will inquire, “Did you use your memory to store up knowledge that would make you a better servant for the Kingdom?  Did you memorize My Word that you might know wisdom, truth, power, and mercy?”

            And God will ask, “Did you give your will totally over to Me?  Was it wholeheartedly swallowed up in My will so that you pray honestly in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven?”

            He will inquire, “Did you love what I love?  Hate what I hate? Desire what I desire?  Did you dedicate your thoughts to what is “…true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable…”?” (Philippians 4:8)

            What will you reply when the God looks at you and asks:  “How did you use the body I entrusted to you?  Did you use your tongue to glorify Me? Were you a witness for My Son, Jesus?  Did you speak life into the people around you?  Or did you use your tongue for idle talk, useless conversation, gossip, slander, and maliciousness?"  And He will ask, “What did you do with the gifts of sight and hearing I gave you?  Did you use the gift of taste only to indulge yourself or to build up your body and make it strong to serve Me?  How did you use your hands and feet to serve?  Were you the hands and feet of Christ?”

            What will you say when the Master looks over your life and asks, “How did you use the worldly goods I put into your hands?  Did you use the food gave you only for selfish pleasure, or to guard your health and care for the body I gave you?  Did you use the clothing I gave you to satisfy pride and vanity or to glorify Me?  What about your home?  Was it used in a manner worthy of My glory?”

            And the Lord of all the universe will pierce you with His fiery eyes and ask, “How did you use the money I gave you?  Did you invest this money for My Kingdom?  Did you employ it to do good on the earth?  Did you spend this money to help those in need?  Did you follow my instructions and tithe to the church?  Or did you cheat Me and keep My money for yourself?  Did you embezzle the funds and use them for your own selfish purposes?  What did you do with My money?”

            There is coming a time—very soon—when you will have to give an account.  God will ask you, “Have you been a wise and faithful manager?  Or have you been lying, deceitful, and dishonest?”  How will you respond when you stand before The One who sees into your very soul and knows everything about you, The One from whom you can hide absolutely nothing and make no excuses?

Conclusion
            Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”  Romans 6:23, “The consequences of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  We have all fallen short of being wise and faithful managers.  However, the Good News is we can be forgiven through Jesus Christ.  Here’s what we all need to do:  1) Accept and confess that we have sinned.  2)  Repent of our sins (in other words, turn away from our sinful behavior and start obeying God.  3)  Let Jesus be our Lord and Savior—follow Him wholeheartedly from this day forward.
            How you use your time, talent, and treasure reveals what’s truly in your heart.  Won't you turn to God today, confess tour sins, repent, and commit to follow Jesus from this day forward.  Thus, you may come to the Day of judgment and stand before the Lord and hear him say,"Well done my good and faithful servant."

The Truth About Tithing...

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell…

Luke 11:42 - “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 

Jesus talked about money a lot.  He talked about money more than He did Heaven and Hell combined.  11 out of 39 of Jesus’ parables talk about money.  1 out of every 7 verses in the Gospel of Luke refer to money.  Apparently, Jesus knew money was a very important aspect of our spiritual lives.  The way we manage our money is a symptom of our spiritual health.

In Luke 11:42, Jesus scolds the Pharisees for ignoring justice and the love of God, but he affirms their practice of tithing.  Jesus recognized the Biblical standard of giving.  A person should give a tithe, which is 10% of their income (see Gen. 28:22; Lev. 27:30, 32). 

Today, 9 out of 10 people that go to church do not tithe.  Some people say they tithe (meaning they give money to the church), but they don’t really give 10% of their income.  The median household income in America is a little over $50,000 a year.  So in order to tithe, the average person would need to give about $5,000 a year to the church (or about $100 per week).  Most people do not; therefore, they do not tithe.  They give an offering, but not a tithe.

Some argue that they don’t have to give money because they give their time instead.  That’s twisting what the Bible says, but I’ll play along to make a point.  If you want to give 10% of your time, you would need to volunteer at the church for 16 hours and 48 minutes each week.  If you’d like to do that, I can put you to work! 

            There are other arguments people make to excuse not giving as much as the Bible instructs, but all this misses a bigger point.  Jesus doesn’t want what you have.  Jesus wants you!  Jesus doesn’t want just 10% of your income or your time.  Jesus wants your whole heart.  And if you surrender your heart to Him, you will surrender everything else.  You will stop asking questions like, “How much time, money, obedience, do I have to give?”  You will have an attitude that honors justice and the love of God.  You will ask, “How much can I give?  How much can I honestly justify keeping for myself?”  For where your heart is, there your treasure will be also. (Mt. 6:21)

            People who join as members of Pleasant Grove UMC make a promise to support the church with their prayers, their presence, their gifts, their service, and their witnesses.  It is not one or the other.  It’s all of the above.  Think how much good the church could do if every Christian started tithing?  Think of the wonderful children and youth programs we would have.  Think of the amazing music and worship services we could provide.  Think of how many needy people we could serve and how many lives we could change.  Think of the difference we could make if we all simply stepped up and gave a full tithe.

Here’s the thing though.  It wouldn’t just help the church.  It would help you.  Our selfish attitudes (about sin, money, gratitude, giving, etc.) only change through practice.  Giving a tithe is like spiritual push ups.  It builds your faith muscles.  Why don’t you start building yours today?  I’m no expert and certainly don’t claim to know everything, but I believe in God’s Word and I trust in His Grace.  And that’s the Truth as far as I can tell… 

God loves you and so do I!