November 14, 2004

Money Still Matters

The Trapeze of Faith

Malachi 1:8-14

According to two medical researchers at the University of Louisville money is extremely unhealthy. Did you know that 13% of coins and 43% of all paper currency contains some disease producing organisms? Did you know that 97% of all one dollar bills carry traces of cocaine? Money can harm you physically!

Money can harm you spiritually! The reason is so many people misunderstand money in our world today. Many see money as a source of security. You can not live without money but spiritually speaking you can not live without God. The more you trust in your money the less you trust God. Perhaps, that is why Jesus spoke so much about money?

Except for the Kingdom of God, Jesus spoke more about money than any other topic. For example in the Bible prayer is mentioned about 500 times. In the scriptures money is brought up about 2530 times. Did you know that one-six of the Gospels, including one in every three parables deal with stewardship issues? Let me say this clearly. Jesus was not a fundraiser. Jesus spoke about money matters because money matters. Jesus wants to have a personal relationship with you. But you really can not have a personal relationship with Jesus if you don’t trust Jesus. Whom do you trust more? Do you trust your money or do you trust Jesus? Is your money stunting your spiritual growth?

This morning I want to talk about the ABCs of stewardship. Three simple points that will make you reevaluate how you handle your money. They are as simple as A, B, C. A stands for attitude. When you give, what is your attitude? B stands for blessings. You won’t know what blessings there are in giving until you give. C stands for challenge. This is the most challenging point. It is why some people don’t come to church during the stewardship drive. It is not easy to let go of your money. It is a challenge. Now if you are ready to reevaluate the way you handle your money, then say, "Amen!"

Attitude The other day I read about a new offering plate you can buy. If you throw in a ten dollars will it chimes "Sweet Hour of Prayer." If you throw in a one hundred dollar bill it chimes "Amazing Grace." If you don’t throw anything in the plate it takes your picture! That story generates the wrong attitude about giving! Don’t put anything in the plate out of guilt. Give with an attitude of gratitude! All the good things in your life are really a gift from God. So what good things are there in your life today?

I will be the first to admit it. God has been good to me! I have a great family! I have a wife that I love today more than the day we met. I have great kids. Sarah is a sophomore at YSU and she is thriving in the honors program. Anna brought her report card home on Friday and it was outstanding! We live in a great house. I talk to my sisters every week and we like one another. I am thankful I can’t walk 20 yards at the Canfield Fair without running into someone I know. I am envied by pastors all over the East Ohio Annual Conference because I get to serve this church. I am thankful I have gotten to stay here eleven years! Can I tell you the truth? There are more then 800 church in this annual conference and I believe this is the best one. God is doing something special here! I am thankful I get to call Bill Johnson a friend. I am thankful Mark Halls is my choir director. You are the best church choir I have ever heard. I am thankful Dee Williamson is my secretary. It is not easy making me look good. I am thankful that at my advanced age all my body parts still work! Do I have to go on? I have a good life and I know that the source of all that goodness is God! Don’t look at what you don’t have in life look at what you do have. You have good lives and the source of all your goodness is God.

It is common in our society to tip the waitress at a restaurant. The standard is 15%. If the service was good you may even give 20%. So why is it we complain about giving God 10%? Are you giving with a proper attitude? If you think you can develop a better attitude about giving then say, "Amen!" A stands for attitude. B stands for blessings.

Blessings When you give with the proper attitude it is amazing how many blessings you will receive. On Christmas morning do something unnatural. When people are opening their gifts don’t look at the receiver, look at the giver. Everyone giving the gift wants to see the reaction of the person receiving the gift. The emotion of the giver is more intense the more the person gives. The more money you spent on the gift the more intense you are about the gift. The more time you spent shopping for just the right gift the more intense you are about that gift. If you use your talents to make a special gift then the more intense you are about that gift. The more you give the bigger the blessing! You will find that the person who gave the gift is more excited than the person who received the gift. There is a blessing to giving.

Do you have a clue how many people give generously to this church? It takes people to unlock and lock the doors. It takes people to run the sound system. Do you know how many hours the choir practices before you hear them? It takes people to teach Sunday School and lead Junior Church. It takes people to lead the music at TOGGLE and cook that mountain of food at Wonderful Wednesday Fellowship. It takes people to take down the tables and set up the chairs. It takes people to get communion ready. It takes people to update the website. It takes people to run off the bulletin and blow the leaves off of Woodland Haven. It takes people to pay the bills, raise the money, maintain the building and keep all the memorial contributions straight. It takes many people to run a church of any size. You can ask any of them about the blessings of giving and they will tell you. Do you know what I have learned during my time in the ministry? The biggest complainers in the life of the church are not the givers. The biggest complainers in the life of the church are the people who give or do nothing.

The word generosity is really rooted in the word "gen." Gen means family. It appears again in words like genealogy. The more we give of our time, talents and our treasure the more like family we become. The less generous you are, the more you feel like an outsider. It is like going to someone’s family reunion. There is a blessing in giving. A stood for attitude. B stands for blessings. If you are ready to receive a few more blessings then say, "Amen!"

Challenge The Biblical standard is a full tithe, 10%! Let me say this clearly. The tithe is not a ceiling figure. It is the floor. You should actually give more then 10%. The truth is 10% gift is not even a realist goal for many. Forty per cent of our church is giving five dollars a week or less. The step up chart was invented to help people ease into tithing. The program was designed not to get you to tithe. The program was designed to move you one step closer to tithing. It sounds simple but it is a great challenge for many people. People look at their money as a source of security. No wonder people have such a hard time letting it go.

One of the things that I truly find amazing at the circus is the trapeze. I can’t imagine climbing up that ladder. I can’t imagine swinging on the bar. I can’t imagine swinging from my knees. But what I really can’t imagine is letting go of that bar. I don’t know if I could trust that other person that much. The problem is if you don’t let go of the bar then you will never know the thrill of completing the trick.

Jesus spoke about money not to meet local church budgets. Jesus spoke about money because he wanted you to grow spiritually. He wants to have a personal relationship with you and me. The truth is our relationship with Jesus will be shallow until we trust God, more than our money. Jesus wants you to give with the proper attitude. God has been good to us. Jesus wants you to receive the blessings. You will get more back than you give. Jesus wants you to confront the challenge of giving. God will not let you fall. Let me end with a quick story.

The father of Methodism was John Wesley. As a child he knew poverty. His parents struggled to make ends meet. However, as an adult Wesley knew success. During the peak of his fame he made more then $300,000 annually. I am not going to lie to you. John Wesley did not tithe. He did not give 10% away. Historians tell us Wesley gave 98% of his salary away. He saw money as a great gift from God. Money was just one more way to ease the world’s suffering. Would anyone here like to question Wesley’s authenticity or sincerity? Could anyone question your authenticity or sincerity? And all of God’s people said, "Amen!"