November 18, 2007

What is in Your Wallet?

Luke 21:1-4

Opening Words: What is in your wallet? Recently, that question has been asked by our friends at Capital One. They are trying to promote their business. But, they also understand how we handle our money is important. Two thousand years ago, Jesus talked about money to discover the condition of our souls. The Master knew there was a direct connection between our spending habits and salvation. Let me be clear. Money itself is amoral, either good or bad. It is how we handle our money that is very important. Money makes a wonderful slave but a horrible master.

Like it or not, Jesus spent more time talking about money than any other topic. He spent more time talking about money then he did salvation, faith or grace. Money has become the elephant in the middle of the room for many churches today. We don’t talk about money because we don’t want to offend anyone but maybe we should talk about money. As a nation we handle our money very poorly. Did you know the average American family spends 108% of their income annually? How much do you owe to credit card debt? Money is at the very heart of this morning’s scripture lesson. Let us all stand for the Gospel reading. Let me call this message this morning What’s in Your Wallet or Why WE Hate Stewardship.

Luke 21:1-4 ¹As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. ²He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ³"I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ⁴All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

Have you heard the story of the small girl, not more then ten or eleven years old? She stood in line at a soup kitchen in a poor area of a large American city. She was the last one in line and the volunteers were concerned the food was going to run out. However, the little girl wasn’t aware of the problem. She was too busy watching three other children who were waiting for her in a tall oak tree through a window. The little girl waited patiently in the line as the food was running low. When she finally got the front of the line the food was gone, except for a single banana. The volunteers were upset but the little girl didn’t seem to care. She thanked the volunteers for her banana and ran out the door. She met the three other children under the tree. It was at that moment she did something truly amazing. She un-wrapped the banana, divided it in thirds and handed a section to the other three. Did you hear what I said? She divided the banana in thirds and gave the other children a piece of the banana. The only thing she left for herself was the banana peel. As the other children ate their piece of banana, she turned the banana peel inside out and licked it. A bystander saw the girl’s actions and was moved by her sacrificial love. He said, “I wasn’t just looking at the face of a little girl. I was looking at the face of God.” When was the last time someone saw God in you?

On Monday evening I stopped at one of our local gas stations. As I was filling my car with $3.09 a gallon gas, I saw a friend of mine by the name of Bob. He doesn’t go to this church. We shook hands and exchanged the lasted news. He told me his son and daughter-in-law are going to have a baby in April. I said he was much too young to be a grandfather. We both laughed. He inquired about my girls. He couldn't believe they were both getting ready to graduate. We were have a nice time pumping our $3.09 a gallon gas when I made a horrible mistake. I asked him, “So Bob, what was new at church?” His demeanor completely changed. He looked at me and said, “It is time for the annual budget! The church treasurer was up in the pulpit last Sunday to give us a pep talk. He gave us a chart with a bunch of facts and figures. He wanted us to fill in a chart and asked us to take one step closer to the tithe. I just sat their and glared at him.” That was his silent protest. He then looked at me and said loud enough for everyone who was buying $3.09 a gallon gas to hear, “I hate stewardship! I shouldn’t tell you this but I really hate stewardship sermons!” I said, “Bob, do you know what is worse than listening to stewardship sermons? Writing and delivering stewardship sermons!” Let us start this message at the lowest common denominator and admit that we all hate stewardship. If you hate stewardship say, “Amen!”

Today, let us talk about three reasons why we hate stewardship. Money is not really the reason. It is my experience that just the opposite is true. People love money! How many people do you know that live by the theme: The more the merrier! My three reasons for hating stewardship lay below the surface of our lives. Most of the time they stay hidden until money reveals them. We don’t want them to be revealed. The end result is we hate stewardship for telling or revealing our secrets. This will not surprise you. Each one of my reasons for hating stewardship begins with the same letter. Today’s letter is P. So if you are ready to look at three reasons why we don’t like stewardship say, “Amen!”

Perspective

The first reason we hate steward is that it challenges our perspective. The world tells us we deserve what we own. The world tells us what we own is ours. We are products of the great protestant work ethic. We like to feel like we deserve our possessions. Stewardship tells us what we own is really not ours. What we own is God’s. The Creator has just loaned them to us for a short time. It is true of both possessions and relationships.

On Thanksgiving Day a seventeen-years-old Russian boy by the name of Vladimir will be going the American Embassy in Moscow. It is on that day we believe he will be given a VISA by his government to travel to the United States. He is coming to our land not just to see the sites. He is coming to receive prosthetic legs. He lost his legs below the knees in a train accident when he was just a toddler. I met him last summer in Russia. He is a bright boy. He is an athletic boy. My wife Kathy has been working on this project. She is making progress. He will be staying at my house for approximately two months. She found a doctor who will donate his skill and the material needed for his prosthetic legs. She has raised about half the money needed for transportation. She is now looking for a free physical therapist. She is working hard because she knows she is not just getting Vladimir legs. She is giving Vladimir a future. His entire world will change.

I tell you about Vladimir for one reason. You could have been born into another country. You could have been born with limitations that you could not overcome. It is only by the grace of God that you are here today. With all the problems we have as a country this is still a land of opportunity. If you can’t make it in America, then you can’t make it anywhere. America is a wonderful place! On this Thanksgiving don’t take America for granted. Don’t take you health for granted. You could have been somewhere else. You could have been born with some terrible deformity. You didn’t earn the right to be born with a healthy body and a bright mind. You were given those things by the grace of God. You simply used the opportunities that were handed to you. We know that is true but we don’t like to look at life from that perspective. Stewardship challenges us to look at life from an eternal perspective. If you don’t like stewardship because it challenges our perspective of life, itself, say, “Amen!”

Priorities

The second reason we hate stewardship is that it challenges our priorities. The world tells us our top priority in life is our family or our country. Stewardship tells us our top priority in life should be God. Family and country are second and third. Does that make you uncomfortable? Some don’t like their priorities being challenged.

Former NFL coach Jimmy Johnson divorced his wife of twenty-six years. He divorced when he left the college game and moved on to the pro game. He said he needed a wife while coaching on the college level for social functions and to show families that he would be looking out for their sons. In pro football, however, she was unnecessary and a distraction to winning. He said winning football games was his number one priority and his two sons second. What is the top priority in your life? If you are not able to answer that question then look in your checkbook. Our spending habits reveal your priorities.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spend their incomes as follows:

Shelter 23%

Transportation 21%

Food 15%

Retirement plans 8%

Utilities 7%

Clothing 5%

Entertainment 5%

Medical care 5%

Savings 3%

Insurance (excluding care and home) 1%

Miscellaneous 7%

Those figures total 100%. Do you notice something that is missing? Maybe it is lumped into one of those categories but it deserves its own. There is nothing on that list about charitable contributions. There is nothing there about the church. What that says to me is God is no longer a priority in our society. Does that bother you? It you don’t like stewardship because it challenges your priorities say, “Amen!”

Personal Choice

The third reason we hate stewardship is that it is personal. The world tells us tells us we can talk about anything. The most intimate relationships between a man and a woman, or a man and a man, or a woman and a woman, are open to public debate. However, one topic remains out of bounds, MONEY! Stewardship forces us to talk about how we spend our money.

One of the things that is so disturbing about the Gospel lesson is that it is so public. In our time what we give is personal. What we give is private. We mail you envelopes. You place your money in the envelope and you turn it upside down in the plate so no one else will see. Everyone knows it. Money is not something that you don't flash in public. That is not true in Jesus’ day.

In the Gospel lesson people are giving as a public display. The scene is Jerusalem during the Passover. The streets are filled. Jesus is near the outer court of the Temple. People are shoulder to shoulder. People are placing their offering into large metal cones. What they gave was not a secret, it was public knowledge. The rich put in large amounts. The poor put in small amounts. The Temple’s finance committee loved the rich they were indifferent to the poor. Yet through Jesus’ eyes the smallest giver gave the largest gift. Jesus understood stewardship is personal. Stewardship is not what is given. True stewardship really is what is kept for yourself. Verse four says, “All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." Don’t you hate that verse? It is so personal.

So why did she do it? Why did she give everything when the basics of life were not covered? What did she know that most of us forget? Verse two identifies her as a poor widow. In other words, she was the poorest of the poor. But she knew she wasn’t just a poor widow. She knew she was a child of God. She didn’t have any money but she had a proper perspective. Her value didn’t come from what she did with her money; her value came from whose she was. She had the correct priorities. She spent her money on the thing that mattered the most, God! She was a child of God and wanted to make a difference for God so she gave out of her need.

Let me say this clearly. You are not just a doctor, a lawyer, teacher, preacher, plumber, person of business, a student, a husband or wife, a mother or father, or a child. Those things are only disguises. Those things are only parts that we play in this world. What you really are is a child of God. I am not a minister. I am a child of God. Does your perspective need an adjustment? Do your priorities need an adjustment? You are a child of God! Are you spending your money in a way that matters the most to God? Do you really want to make a difference for God in this world?

Let me end with this traditional stewardship story. I love this story! A highly successful businessman was once asked to make a substantial pledge during the annual stewardship drive at his church. The entire Finance Committee went to his house to state their case. The businessman listened to their case. He responded by saying, "I can understand why you approached me. Yes, I do have a lot of money but are you aware that I have a lot of calls upon my money?

Did you know my mother needs 24 hour nursing care?"

"No we didn't" came the reply.

"Did you know my sister is struggling to raise a family of eight on her own?"

"No we didn't" came the reply.

"Did you know I have one son in a drug rehab clinic and another doing voluntary work overseas?"

"No we didn't"

"Well, if I don't give them a cent, what makes you think I'll give it to you?!"

I hope that isn’t your story. I hope you want to make a difference for Jesus in this world. Never forget, you are a child of God! And all of God’s children said, “Amen!”