Stewardship

Giving Thanks from a Long-Term Perspective

I met a very bright woman the other night. Even though she is approaching ninety years of age, she looked and acted much younger. During our conversation she indicated that she had been a member of her church for more than seventy years. As you can imagine, she has been through the tenure of many pastors, more than she could remember. When the subject of people who are critical of the pastor came up, she said that she always advises those who are unhappy with the pastor to not worry about it. She added, "Pastors come and go."

This woman has learned to look at life from a long-term perspective. It is true that you might have a pastor who is unpleasant, but he will only be around for a few years, it will all work out. I think that is one of the greatest blessings of age. It allows us to have a long-term perspective, to see the big picture. It is much easier to identify what is important when we see things within the perspective of time.

For example, when you are a young parent and Junior wants no part of the dinner menu, the temptation is to draw a line in the sand and make him eat something. We are concerned about his health and nutrition. The silliest thing is when we resort to counting bites. We even remind him that people are starving in other parts of the world when he doesn’t eat. However, when we back up and take a long-term perspective, we realize this is only one of many meals that come Junior’s way. If he misses one it is no big deal, meals come and go.

I am old enough now that it is easier to see things from a long-term perspective. With that in mind, I have put together my Thanksgiving list, with less attention to the details and greater focus on the big picture perspective.

At the church Thanksgiving Dinner last Sunday, a woman stood up and said she was thankful for twenty-five years of sobriety. I was convicted that I have never thanked God for even one day of sobriety. The truth is that I have had fifty-nine years of freedom from addictive substances and behaviors (unless you count baseball). It is one of those blessings you might not notice until it is lost.

I am also thankful for new friends that came into my life this past year. Some of them were very short relationships, like Archie. Sharon and I met Archie in church one Sunday morning. He was homeless, had a history of working in the circus, and very friendly. We tried to help Archie in several ways and perhaps the biggest lesson I learned was that I don’t really know how to help some folks. We only saw Archie a handful of times, but I can honestly say he had a big impact on my thinking.

The past year brought other friends like Charlie. Everyone needs a friend like Charlie (I am fortunate to have several). Charlie makes you feel good about yourself, and when he introduces you to someone else, you wish you were half the person he described. I am honored every time Charlie calls. I am also thankful for those friends who have been in my life, some for a very long time. Because of a computer crash, I recently lost all of the names from my contact list. Nearly two hundred names and contact information disappeared. In spite of the daunting task of rebuilding this list, I am grateful to have such a big problem.

Of course, I am thankful for my family whether I look at the big picture or small screen. My parents gave me a foundation for living that is more valuable than any trust fund or huge inheritance. When something new or exciting happens, they are still one of the first ones I want to share it with. My siblings and their families have always been a source of support and encouragement to me. My immediately family is something that I express gratitude for every day. God has blessed our family in so many ways. We all like each other, enjoy being with each other, are patient with each other, and support each other. Families are not always a source of thanksgiving so I am aware of this wonderful gift God has given to us.

Credit Card Debt - For several years we have been told that the average credit card debt per individual with a credit card is in the vicinity of $9,000. That is a huge burden if you consider that both husband and wife have a similar situation. However, upon further study, I discovered that a great deal of this debt that skews the numbers is held by just a few individuals. For example, Bernie Madoff owes $98,000 on his American Express card. The $9,000 also includes credit charges that are paid off each month by convenience users, which is about half of credit card holders.

Perhaps a more accurate picture of the credit situation in this county is provided by the median amount of debt carried by card holders. The median number means that half have more and half have less debt. The median number is approximately $2,300. This is a much more manageable amount and may indicate that debt may not be as big a problem as we thought. One thing it does suggest is that we should not limit our stewardship education to just being debt free.

First Baptist Church, Dallas, TX recently announced plans to begin a $160 million construction project. I have heard some complain about the extravagant waste of money on a builidng when the money could better be used for missions and evangelism. Have these folks not read God's instructions for Solomon's temple? God seems to have a touch of extravagence in Him occasionally.

It is also true that most of this money would not be given for anything other than a building project, so it is not like they are taking the money from one offering plate and putting it in another. It is certainly not my job to judge what another church is doing, but I would not be so quick to criticize this project because it is "poor stewardship."

Generous Church - Part 3

For the past fifteen years, I have had the opportunity to visit hundreds of churches and to be able to worship with them on Sunday morning. Many times my involvement is just the one Sunday morning service. Other times, I work with them for a longer period of time. It does not matter the size or style of church, it does not take very long to notice something about the church that makes it attractive. It is sad to say, but the majority of the churches leave me wondering why people attend week after week. I am curious as to what I missed that makes them want to keep coming. Many others, however, are very appealing and often it is hard to describe the appeal.

For lack of a better descriptor, I simply define these appealing churches as "being alive." There is something about them that testifies of life. It has nothing to do with the music or worship, the preaching (often I am the one preaching when I am there), the facilities, the location, the attendance, or any other thing I can delineate. The church is just alive. They have something to offer that helps me experience life.

Read these descriptions of "generous churches" and see how they share the life they possess in Christ:

Church #1: "I just wonder if there is someone in this room who ought to receive, not give, today," the pastor said. "Maybe someone here doesn’t even have gas money to get home. If you’re in that type of need, would you raise your hand?" He spoke these words while introducing the morning offering time. A young, single mom timidly raised her hand. As she did, the pastor walked over to her, took twenty-dollars from his wallet and gave it to her. As he did so, many others seated nearby did the same thing. This church has a history of giving money away to those who have needs during the offering time, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars.

The Generous Church - Part 2

It has probably been occurring a lot longer, but fifteen years ago was the first time I was a witness. It was a Sunday morning and I missed church because I was sick. Spread out on the couch while the rest of the family goes to church was not fun, so I turned on the television to watch others go to worship. I tuned to a channel that was broadcasting a large congregation in our neighborhood and I was eager to see how they did church.

I was especially interested when they announced that it was Stewardship Sunday since I was just beginning my ministry with churches in this area. As the pastor walked to the pulpit to speak, I was prepared for a great sermon. Instead, what I got was an apology.

The first words out of the preacher’s mouth were expressions of sorrow and regret that this was the one Sunday each year that he felt that he needed to preach on money. He promised the visitors that if they would come back next week they would not hear him talk about money or giving. He would deal with more practical and spiritual matters.

Since that day, I have heard similar statements by many preachers. I have heard and read in church publicity that potential visitors are promised that they will never be asked for money if they attend church. I have listened to pastors brag about the fact that they never talk about money. Even as I am being introduced to speak to a Sunday morning crowd, I have heard the pastor say they are grateful that I am there to speak about money so they will not need to do it themselves.

While listening to the pastor apologize for talking about money, I realized the church has a serious problem. The problem is that we have taken the wrong approach to the issue of money and stewardship. In contrast, Jesus tackled the subject head on.

The Generous Church - Part 1

There are many things the seminary does not teach prospective pastors that are important to know about the church. I loved my seminary experience, but when it was finished, I felt better equipped to handle the classroom than a church office. Fortunately, I had another resource. My father had been in church work for nearly thirty-years when I first started. On more than one occasion, I called home to ask for help.

He taught me two valuable lessons about church finances. The first is that there is no need to ask to see the giving records of church members. He assured me that if I paid attention, it is easy to separate the givers from the non-givers. I did pay attention and this is what I learned.

Givers:

• Seldom talk about their personal financial situation
• Appreciate sermons and Bible studies that deal with money
• Support the work of the church with their words and presence
• Do not worry about the church running out of money

Non-Givers:

• Like to discuss their personal financial situation and it does not matter if it is good or bad
• Are uncomfortable when the sermon addresses the issue of money
• Tend to criticize church programs and efforts
• Hold the church back because a ministry is "too expensive"

I realize these statements might be simplifications, but if you will pay attention to folks in the church hallway or at the coffee shop, you will seldom be surprised by their giving to the church.

The second lesson my father taught me is that there was no need to protect a person’s wallet. He assured me that they would protect it themselves. In other words, do not be afraid to ask people to give, they will never give too much. Although the church frequently is accused of asking for money too often, I am afraid that we do not ask people to give often enough. It is a shame that we ever allow people to miss the blessing of giving.

Halloween and Hypocrisy

Sharon and I were sitting in the living room a few nights back when the dogs started barking incessantly. It was the tell tale bark that someone was actually coming to the house, not to be confused with the similar bark they utilize when a leaf blows across the front yard. Within a matter of seconds, the front door burst open and I could tell someone was in the house.

It is not unusual for a number of people to enter our house, without knocking or unannounced. However, this time as I looked up, I saw a large man wearing a dark pinstripe suit. He had broad shoulders, the size you might see on a football field on Sunday afternoon. His face was huge, similar to Sal Bonpensiero from the Sopranos. The intruder was rough looking, like the kind of guy you would expect to meet if you are unable to pay off your gambling debts. Everything about his appearance shouted stay out of his way.

However, my concern about the possible home invader lasted only a second as I quickly realized it was my son Matthew, obviously on his way to a Halloween party of some kind. It was a great costume! I don’t know, but I would not be surprised if he won a prize of some kind. When he left the house to go to the party, he was carrying a baseball bat to lend a little more authenticity to the mobster facade.

Halloween has become a really big deal for many people. Stores display supplies several weeks ahead of time, more and more people are decorating their yards each year, and costumes have become much more elaborate than the simple throwaway plastic mask and paper thin clothing we wore as children. Exotic haunted houses and jubilant parties fill the late evening for many after the kids have completed the trick or treat rounds.

Halloween was always my least favorite holiday. Although I like to eat a small amount, I have never been a true candy connoisseur. It never took very long for me to pick out the candy pieces I would eat when we spread the contents from the sack on the dining table. When I was young, it was a much more innocent time so it was quite common to receive fresh fruit or homemade goodies. Now, if you even think about distributing something that is not professionally sealed at a candy factor, they will haul you downtown for questioning and your name will start appearing on child molester lists.

Killing for Jesus

The Civil War provides a fascinating study for military historians. The Union forces of the North were much larger than the Confederate Army. In fact, there were more than one million Union soldiers compared to approximately 200,000 Confederate troops. However, one of the most serious weaknesses of the Union forces was a succession of Generals who were not aggressive enough to attack. They always waited for the enemy to begin the battles.

One of these early Generals was George B. McClellan. President Abraham Lincoln described McClellan as "a superb organizer. He has good points, but he won’t fight." Later, he referred to his army as "the personal bodyguard of General McClellan."

Finally, in disgust, Lincoln wrote to General McClellan and said, "Would you please loan me this army if you don’t intend to use it?"

This picture of the Union army reminds me of the church. The church has a massive army of powerful combatants but is losing ground to the enemy every day. In the past forty years, since Richard Nixon used the phrase, we have turned the "Silent Majority" into a strident minority. In many arenas, the church is considered an irrelevant relic in spite of the fact that many Christians are becoming louder and louder.

I believe the church has a large enough army to share the Gospel to all nations, feed the hungry, protect the unborn, and fulfill all the other tasks God has called us to do. But, there is a problem that is keeping all of these good things from happening.

If you will allow me to continue with the military theme, the problem begins with the fact that we are attempting to fight the wrong battle. It seems that many Christians are engaged in a conflict to protect a culture that no longer exists. Some are of the opinion that it was the culture of our nation’s founding fathers that we must protect. Others, not wanting to return to the 18th century, are fighting for a culture from the middle of the 20th century,the "Father Knows Best" era.  

Hating the Sin Because We Love the Sinner

Years ago, a young woman who was a member of our church and her boyfriend asked if I would perform their wedding ceremony. I expressed my willingness but advised them that they would first need to meet with me for several counseling sessions. I did not know the young man and the girl attended church very rarely.

They came for counseling and after a couple of sessions, it was apparent that they were not ready for marriage. I have always felt the church was too lax by just performing a wedding ceremony for anyone that comes along, so I decided to take a stand. I advised the couple that I would not perform the ceremony because I was confident the marriage would not last six months. Tact has never been one of my strengths.

They found another preacher and got married anyway. I was wrong! The marriage lasted seven months.

I have always taken marriage very seriously and considered divorce a total failure that should be utilized only in extreme circumstances.

At about the same time, I noticed the adult Sunday School classes had a Bible study lesson on divorce. We were a small church with two adult classes, one for older and one for younger adults. After the lesson, I asked several from each class about the study. To my surprise, the older adults were much more forgiving and accepting of divorce than the younger ones. I quickly surmised that the older adults were more experienced with life, and they had more first-hand encounters with the reality of divorce. It was not so easy for them to be dogmatic.

My lesson continued when a family member went through a painful divorce. It was a difficult time for the whole family. He worked hard to make the marriage work. I remember one evening sitting next to him at a restaurant and telling him it was time to give up, it was not going to work. He replied that he could not give up, and he did not for many more months.

As our family walked through this experience, we learned a great deal. Malachi 2:16 says, "God hates divorce…" In my younger days, I probably had the tendency to claim this meant that God hates divorced people. However, as I matured, I realized God does not hate people; He hates the sin of divorce. Now, after even more years of experience, I realize the reason for God’s hatred of divorce. He hates it because of what it does to the people He loves. Divorce is very painful for everyone involved. Like God, I hate divorce because of the pain it caused my loved ones.

I Am My Brother's Keeper

Genesis 4:1-9

Cain and Abel were the first sons and first siblings. They grew up together, depending upon one another because there were not a lot of other kids in the neighborhood. We are not told if their relationship was close, or if it was marred with sibling rivalry. Because of what happened, it seems that there might have been a great deal of tension between them.

We don’t know how much information they possessed about God. We do know that God was accustomed to spending time with their parents in the Garden, before the great fiasco called sin. It seems likely that they would have passed on this knowledge of God to their two sons. We do know that Cain and Abel possessed a desire to offer sacrifices to God. That is where the problem started.

Able was a shepherd and Cain was a farmer. Both were noble professions. It seems natural and right that a shepherd would offer a lamb, and a farmer would offer grain, as their sacrifices. Although Cain and Abel did not have the advantage of reading the book of Leviticus, both lambs and grain were acceptable offerings to God. There does not seem to be anything about the offering itself that caused a problem.

Therefore, if the gift was acceptable, the problem must have been with the giver. This is one of those places where we wish the Bible provided a little more information. I would like to know why the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard.

The Bible is very clear that God often has respect for specific individuals and we are not always told the reason. When God despaired that He had ever created humans, we are told that Noah found favor with God, but we don’t know anything about him. God frequently demonstrated favor to Joseph, but from what we are told about his childhood, most of us would call him a spoiled brat. Samson was greatly blessed by God, which seems totally inappropriate considering his lifestyle.

The only consolation is to realize that God knows much more than we know about one another. God sees the inner being; He knows the heart. Noah, Joseph, Samson, and all the others proved to be useful to God. In the same way, Abel had been singled out by God.

Cain did not like being second fiddle, since he was the first-born. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell . The "countenance" refers to a person’s face. To say that a person’s countenance fell is a graphic description of what is seen in their face, their expression. Cain was angry and it showed on his face.

He was angry enough that even if God did not know Cain’s heart, He could tell that his countenance had fallen. God offered him the opportunity to explain his anger. Perhaps this is the first example of therapy. Picture Cain, lying on God’s couch, and God says, "Tell me about your anger, why are you so mad?"