StewardshipBaptist Basics - 7

Stewardship is not giving

Giving

Stewardship is not giving

Giving

STEWARDSHIPA life issue

Our starting place

Psalm 24.1“The earth is the Lord’s,

and everything in it”

Our mission (If we choose to accept it)

Genesis 1.26

Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’

Defining stewardship•Ruling and dominion is not the same as exploitation•We are meant to manage the earth in God’s image and as His representative•We are meant to keep it ‘good’•So stewardship is good management of the earth and all that is in it

But we have exploited the earth

Three areas of stewardship

•The earth

•Our own lifestyle

•The church

Christians should be ‘green’•God’s first command to mankind is to fill and manage the earth•This command has not changed•Get involved in ‘green’ movements•Be salt and light there•But take care of the extreme ideas•‘Conservation not preservation’

More thoughts on being ‘green’•The real issue is exploitation of resources•Earth is finite•This has impact on our lifestyle• Linked, but often obscured by climate change

• Is it a ‘new heavens and new earth’ or a ‘renewed heavens and renewed earth’• Is the earth destroyed or purged by fire? (1 peter)•This doesn’t mean we should help matters along• It won’t accelerate the 2nd coming – just make things unpleasant for our children

A RochaWitnessing to God’s good creation worldwide

Our lifestyle – gifts•Reminded of the parable of the talents•Our gifts are to be used•Jesus only condemns wasted talents

•Gifts can be:•Supernatural, natural, or incidental

•Gifts are not just for use in the church•They are also there to manage the earth

Our lifestyle – wealth - 1•Jesus had much to say about wealth….•‘How hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God’ (Mark 10.23)•The rich young ruler (Matthew 19.24)•But anything is possible for God!

•Wealth is not evil in itself•Money is the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6.10)•Jesus was supported by well-off disciples

Our lifestyle – wealth - 2•“Live simply but make reasonable provision”•The Western disease - we are loaded with ‘stuff’

•“Give systematically and proportionally out of your income”•Be disciplined in your giving• If you wait till you feel like it, nothing will happen

•“Take risks in giving”•But also be spontaneous and generous

•“Make your assets count”•Don’t waste talents•Maximise giving with things like Gift Aid

Giving•Giving is a pleasure (2 Corinthians 9.7-8)• ‘Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver’

•Giving has a spiritual dynamic (Luke 6)• ‘Give, and it will be given to you’•Not a prosperity gospel, but it seems to work like that!

•Giving is both inside & outside the church

Church giving•Deliberately last of all!•If we have all the other ideas in place, it should come naturally

•Remember that we are self-financing•True of most churches – even Anglican•God has promised to provide for EBC•That will be mainly through the members

A PS on tithing•We don’t teach tithing much…•Both a good and bad thing

•Giving 10% to the local church is a good yardstick to help our discipline….•But the OT tithe was more like 33.3%• It was mostly for the poor, and some was given back for a slap-up party•A full sermon on tithing wouldn’t entirely contain music to the Pastor’s ears!

•We return to, ‘the earth is the Lord’s’

FinallyIs the key to good stewardship to be like Paul?

Philippians 4.12-13I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.