Stewardship and Giving

David Owen Hasbrouck

Giving Series • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

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Verse By Verse Preaching through the Book of Mark

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Illustration

When John Rockefeller Died it’s reported a story that was asked of his accountant “How much money did John leave behind?” To Which the accountant responded “All of it.”

The scripture says Matthew 6:19 “19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,”

Our money or things are not going to come with us. The landfills will keep filling and filling and the things of this earth will keep failing and breaking.

Second illustration

Talk about the Constant replacing of bathrooms and kitchens by some clients outside of NYC, year old Toilets, counter-tops and so on.

Talk about a cast Iron Tub that was over a 100 years old in a Victorian second story that you had to destroy.

Jesus and Money

For your information

800 Scriptures on wealth/stewardship, 25% Jesus’ teaching (parables)

Many pastors, some I’ve known do not like talking about money! Many fear that it will get you fired or blow your credibility. Some will stay quiet on certain things, or not take necessary actions because they fear the lack of money or open doors. In our denomination people look the other way over things that violate scripture like female pastors because some very big churches give lots of money to the SBC.

Why talk about money then?

Jesus says this Matthew 6:21 “21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

That’s the take away for the day.

How you spend, what you spend on, Is what your invested. You want to know your hearts desires look at your spending over the last month.

We are going to look at couple major texts today to examine what God’s word says about money and what to do with it.

Matthew 6:19–24 ESV

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

So What Went wrong with Money?

We took a great and mighty tool and made it into a god.

Romans 1:23 ESV

23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

We are a culture that worships material to the point of delusion and obsession.

We are just like the Hebrew people who with the plunder of Egypt that God gave them, took all the gold and turned it into an golden calf that we can worship instead.

I was reading a story of a Christian who orders things just to feel the pleasure of the amazon delivery being dropped off at her house. She wanted that to stop and the advise given was this

Living in the Light: Money, Sex & Power: Making the Most of Three Dangerous Opportunities Megan’s Confession and Question

Megan, if you are a Christian, you already possess all material things. You really do! Your Father created and owns everything. As his child you will inherit it, and it will all be at your disposal in the age to come in the new heavens and the new earth. This is why Jesus said not to lay up treasures on earth but in heaven. In heaven we will have them forever, and for the first time we will be fit to use them without greed and without idolatry. So in a sense, abundance of material things can wait. We have more important things to do now: love God, love people, and find the greatest pleasure in giving.

The bible says this god is doing to you

This god is choking you

Living in the Light: Money, Sex & Power: Making the Most of Three Dangerous Opportunities Money Fails You Even before the End

Jesus says, “The deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Matthew 13 v 22).

Money chokes, strangles the word in you. This is the idea of literally being so pressed on your can’t breath.

Money Rots and Wastes

Matthew 6:19 ESV

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,

Money’s effects according to Paul on you and Me

1 Timothy 6:5–10 ESV

5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

It Causes friction among people (v5) Especially amongst the unbelievers and those given over to a deprived mind

It makes you think your Godliness is a means of gain (v6) - people will do actions of percieve righteousness to get money

You can’t take it with you (v7) dying with the most toys means your descendents will have a lot of stuff to throw out, sell at an estate sale most likely for not as much as you paid for it.

The desire of to be rich is a temptation a snare, literally a trap. This causes Pain, ruin and Destruction (9)

The Love of money is the root of all evil (9)

The craving has caused people to wander away (10)

The Money Connection

Where you spend or save or invest shows the soul true desires

Money and the three Major spheres of Life

So now that we’ve established some of the negatives of money we still have it what are we to do?

(Explain the spheres and Kuyper)

This comes from Genesis. Adam and God, Adam, Eve, and God. Adam and Eve in the Garden with God.

We are going to use Matthew 6:19-24 be our guide:

So number one get your heart right, what are your treasures focused on Jesus or something else. To check pull up your check book and see what your spending on. Repent if you need to.

Paul gives us help here 1 Timothy 6:6

1 Timothy 6:6 ESV

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain,

Be content. You don’t need the toys you have contentment. You refocus and say Jesus is enough.

Family

You are called to provide for your family

1 Timothy 5:7–8 ESV

7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

You are called to leave an inheritance

Proverbs 13:22 ESV

22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.

If you don’t your wealth will end up taken from you anyway.

You are called to steward your money well

Luke 12:41–44 ESV

41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

Luke 12:47–48 ESV

47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

This section of Scripture is about a master who went away and required his servant to be faithful with managing his household while he is gone. All your things are God’s as a family you must steward it well.

You are called to not be in debt.

Probably the most well-known scripture about money management that deals with debt is Proverbs 22:7 (NIV), which says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” Translation: If you owe someone money, they’ll control your life until you pay it back.

In fact, the Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 13:8 (NKJV) that we shouldn’t owe anything to anyone aside from love. He wrote, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

That’s a quote from Dave Ramsey.

So strive to free your family from it and keep your children out of it.

Your called to Invest in Christ’s endeavors

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Find for your family a place to give to God, allow your giving to be one that you explain to your family that your family cares about. Maybe you’re family is passionate about missions or about help kids their are plenty of ways that you can do something. I’m aware of families that would go on family missions trips every summer to serve God around the world. You can do that to, maybe you aren’t a traveller you can support someone as a family who is.

Church

This is the one that is relative to us.

2 Corinthians 8:1–15 ESV

1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. 8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

2 Corinthians 9:1–15 ESV

1 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, 2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. 6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Paul boasted on the People of Corinth and thanked them for their giving (8:1-4)

The people gave in their poverty (8:2)

Their giving was done out of joy (8:2) - Giving leads to Joy

Your giving is a reflection of What Jesus has done for us (8:9)

The reward of giving to God’s mission 9:6-15

If you reap sparingly you sow the same. (9:6)

God calls you to to give with a decided heart (9:7)

God love a Cheerful giver (9:7)

What you sow God will increase greatly, greater then what you put in (9:10) - this is not some prosperity gospel take here I’m not saying that you will get wealth on this side of heaven for what you bring to church. Listen to this scripture:

Mark 10:29–31 ESV

29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

You can’t get that kind of investment here on earth. This is Jesus’s word. Given that theives, nor rust, nor moths can get to it this is a secure investment. What you give to our church, to the mission of Christ will last!

The books of Luke, Acts, and Phillipians are all a result of generous givers. We have Bible because of the men and women who gave to Christ’s mission

Luke 1:1–4 ESV

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Theophilus means God lover.

Paul says this

Philippians 1:3–6 ESV

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

If you love Philippians that is because a church gave to the mission of Christ. You can have that testimony for yourself in heaven. We are a church that is over 100 years old. This has been the work of givers for so long. They used to ride up on their horse to come here. We want to leave a legacy for the generations to come. To be a forward operating post of God’s mission in Sarasota, a base that men and women are deployed by God to save the dying souls around us not another Hospice care looking to help this church die. Your giving keeps this church from turning into a hospice ward. That is the choice. Do we go forward and give, even in our poverty or do we decide to let this become a place of gradual death. You by giving will help bring new life today, tomorrow, and for generations to come if the Lord tarries on, which I believe he will. Your giving will push forward the mission of Christ, and one day you will hear well done my good and faithful servant.

Jesus says this Matthew 6:21 “21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Give the Gospel

Culture

Pay your taxes

Matthew 22:21 ESV

21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

The question to follow here is whose image is on you, God’s so give to God what is his. You are his (Gospel)

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