Second Presbyterian Church

"Stewardship & Gratitude"
November 9, 2003

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Sermons Homepage » Sermons for 2003 » Sermons for November 2003

32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
by The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.

• Psalm 127
• Mark 12: 41-44

Today I am talking about Stewardship. Now Stewardship means a means more than money. It has to do with taking proper care of the materials and talents with which the Lord has blessed us. It means practicing expressing our thankfulness, or gratitude, to God for the blessings of life. And today, it includes considering how we are supposed to express our joy and gratitude through financial support of our congregation and our mission.

The word, stewardship, comes from the term, Steward. In ancient days a steward was a servant who was in charge of certain, important matters for the owner. Some rich people had stewards who were responsible for overseeing the farm. He was responsible for the livestock, the crops, the harvest, the planting, and so on. Some stewards were in charge of managing the household: cooking, cleaning, gathering supplies for the kitchen, supervising servants. Some people had stewards who were responsible for their wealth and finances. All these different kinds of stewards had this in common: they were responsible for the management of the property and wealth of someone else.

So, when we, as Christians, talk about stewardship we are making a statement of belief. As Christians we are stewards of the God's wealth, all the blessings he has given us: material blessings, family blessings, friendship blessings, even the blessing in life itself. As Christians we are no longer under the false notion that we own ourselves, or our property. The proof is this: when we die, we can't take anything with us anyway. That is because it belongs to God.

Admittedly, not everybody believes that life, family, and possessions are blessings from God. But we do; we believe that God has given us all these things not only for us to enjoy. But as Christians, we also believe that God has called us to use our God-given blessings to further His Kingdom here in this world. As Christians we believe that our lives our now oriented toward the Kingdom of God, rather than toward our personal wants and needs. What is ours is God's, and what we give back to God is just what God has given us in the first place!

So, one of the theological foundations of stewardship is that all who we are and all that we possess really belongs to God who has given us the responsibility to manage it and to use it in accordance with His will.

The Second theological underpinning has to do with gratitude. As Christians, what do we have to be grateful about? The answer is simple: EVERYTHING. As Christians we believe that Jesus Christ has delivered us from the trap of our sin and reconciled us to God. We, because of Christ, are now able to live in the love and fellowship of our Creator, God. Jesus Christ has redeemed us. In God through Jesus Christ we have been redeemed from death to eternal life with our Lord. Life with God that begins now, in faith; it is a life that never ends; it is a life that overcomes sin and death.

This gift of love from God is free. It is impossible to earn it. All we can do is RECEIVE it. That is why we try to give so freely to others. When we make Thanksgiving meals for people, when we make Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts for boys and girls, then they receive something for which they did not work. They receive something based upon OUR initiative to give. People become very grateful for gifts that make life easier.

Not too long ago the Presbyterian Men helped me spread topsoil, seed and straw our back yard. They did it voluntarily. They did it freely. They did it with the generosity of Jesus Christ. And I am grateful.

Throughout my life I have experienced the generosity of caring and giving people. They are the ones who demonstrate the love and care of Christ.

One more example, since this is also Patriotic Sunday. Today we remember the sacrifice that men and women have made for our country through their military service. Sometimes their faithful service meant enduring the indescribable horrors of war. Thousands of brace soldiers have given up their lives so that much of the world may enjoy freedom. Therefore, we are GRATEFUL. We are enjoying something priceless - freedom -, because of the many who put their priceless lives on the line.

Again, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. He won for us our salvation. And regardless of how awful life can become, OUR PRICELESS GIFT OF SALVATION IS ASSURED! No matter how bad a day you are having, you have been saved by Grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

How we give to our congregation expresses how much gratitude we have. As Jesus once said, those who are a little grateful give less. Those who are very grateful give more. It is also what Paul said. Whatever you give, give from the generosity of your heart; give joyfully.

So, when I talk about giving. I am talking about how you can contribute to the work of the Lord, especially through Second Presbyterian Church. This means to contribute your time, to volunteer to do things when and where needed. This means to contribute your talents: do you sing? Do you teach? Do you lead a volunteer group? Do you visit the sick and the shut-ins? Do you contribute to the betterment of our community? Do you participate in the Presbytery level? Do you strive to love one another - demonstrating how God first loved us?

This means contributing to the financial needs of our congregation and the denomination. Frankly this church needs money to function smoothly. Our beautiful building, our wonderful pipe organ cost money to operate. And, to pay the staff for their efforts costs money, in fact it costs the most money. Is it worth the investment for ministry to Jesus Christ? It is universally easier to raise money for special causes, such as the organ fund. It is universally harder to raise money for the everyday operation of a congregation. My question to us is: what good are the special funds, if we let the operation of our congregation slip?

We can show our love and gratitude to God by seeing to it that our witness to the love of God through Jesus Christ is sufficiently funded by our money, AND OUR TIME COMMITTED, AND SHARING OUR TALENTS. Amen.

The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.