Stewardship - More Than Just Tithing!

Money, money, money! It seems like we can't get away from talking about it in any way, shape, or form... The media talks constantly about the economy, jobs, pay rates, minimum wage, debt, stimulus packages, funds borrowed by banks and businesses, and so on. Even in the church, we talk about money every week! We have meditations, videos, object lessons, and prayers during the Offering time, and on occasion we spend teaching time in the sermon and in Sunday School to address Worship through tithes and offerings.

However, we don't necessarily spend much time on the real over-all issue of money, which is the act of good stewardship. You see, many of our financial woes are based on bad budgeting and the "buy-now, pay-later" philosophy of living, when it should be based on Biblical principles for good stewardship.

My wife and I fell into that bad budgeting lifestyle early in our marriage. We lived life charging on plastic, paying in installments, and sometimes robbing Peter to pay Paul. There were times in our life that we had the heat shut off, the lights go out, the fridge and gas tank empty, and the phone ringing off the hook with people who wanted the money we didn't have! After digging our way out of some of it, we moved to Florida so that I could take on a full time ministry position, and she worked at the church's daycare. With 2 incomes, we got complacent with our payments instead of being aggressive in getting rid of debt. Lora lost her job when the daycare closed, and we lost a 3rd of our income. Our bad budgeting strategy put us right back into the hands of the debt collectors, and the phone began to ring once again.

It was shortly after that happened that God graciously brought us here to Wichita, and allowed us to get our feet back on the ground financially. We're not out of the woods yet, but we are closer now to being free of those financial burdens than we have been in the entirety of our 8 year marriage.

It took finally looking at what the Bible says about stewardship and realizing that our version didn't match up to start the process of change!

Today we are going to take a look at 5 Biblically based principles that can help you in your journey to good stewardship.

1. Establish That God Is The Source

* Psalm 24:1 (New International Version) - ¹ The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;

* Philippians 4:19 (Amplified Bible - ¹⁹And my God will liberally supply (^[a]fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

*2 Corinthians 9:8 (New International Version) - ⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

These are just a few of the examples in the Bible where the Word speaks to God being the ultimate provider for us. As followers of Christ, our thoughts on the financial need to be tempered by these passages! We don't do anything to make money on our own, but rather, God blesses us with the opportunity to work and earn a wage so that we might have what we need.

2. Establish A Three-fold Budget - Give/Spend/Save

a. Give -

*Deuteronomy 14:22-23 (The Message) - ^22-26 Make an offering of ten percent, a tithe, of all the produce which grows in your fields year after year. Bring this into the Presence of God, your God, at the place he designates for worship and there eat the tithe from your grain, wine, and oil and the firstborn from your herds and flocks. In this way you will learn to live in deep reverence before God, your God, as long as you live.

This passage in Deuteronomy shows that tithing in the age of Law was meant as an act to remind the Israelites to put God first in all things. It was the firstfruits. For us, it would be the equivalent of giving off the gross number on our paycheck instead of the net after taxes. It was meant to be a sacrifice.

The New Testament also speaks to giving, but it shows more of the immense blessing that God want to share with us if we are faithful in giving cheerfully and obediently as an act of worship.

*Luke 6:38(New International Version) - ³⁸Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

*2 Corinthians 9:6-15 (New International Version) - ⁶Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."^{[a] 10}Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. ¹²This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

b. Budget wisely, on a Margin -

Having a written budget is having knowledge of who needs to be paid, how much they need to be paid, and when you paid them. It is important that we pay what we owe, and in order to do so we must continually be vigilant of our income and expenses.

* Proverbs 24:3-4 (New Living Translation) - ³ A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. ⁴ Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.

When it comes to spending, we all must do it. However, it is of utmost importance that we not spend so much that we get ourselves in trouble! This is where paper checks and plastic cards can get us in trouble.

*Psalm 37:21 (Amplified Bible) - ²¹The wicked borrow and pay not again [for they may be unable], but the [uncompromisingly] righteous deal kindly and give [for they are able]

* Proverbs 22:7 (Amplified Bible) - ⁷The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

Please understand that some spending is necessary! We all need a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, a vehicle of some sort, and food in the fridge. However, it is when we overextend ourselves in paying for home, car, tv, cable, internet, cell phone, clothes, shoes, jewelry, eating out, etc... then we become the wicket who borrow and pay not again. We become the servant to the lender and are no longer our own. If we are to live according to Biblical principles, we should not get bogged down in bad debt!

It is of the utmost importance that we live on a spending margin so that we can meet our financial obligations. Living on a margin means having some wiggle room in your income just in case something happens. Maybe the gas bill was more this month than last, maybe the car needed to get fixed, or the water heater went out in the house... You can cover it because you have a margin of extra money to fall back on.

c. Save -

The Bible speaks to saving for a rainy day as well.

* Proverbs 21:20 (Amplified Bible) - ²⁰There are precious treasures and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.

Remember the story of Joseph in Genesis? He interpreted Pharoah's dreams of years of plenty and years of famine, and ended up in charge of the largest food pantry in all of Egypt! They had to save up for the time when the land would be barren for many years. That's the only way they made it through until the land bore crops again!

The church didn't have anything like that, so our stewardship committee added a rainy day fund to the budget last year, and we have been blessed to put that money back all year long! We didn't have enough in that rainy day fund when our roof finally gave way and the water rushed in. We had to come to all of you, you gave generously, and God blessed your faithfulness! We have a new roof, and there's money accumulating in that rainy day fund to fix and/or replace other items that come up as needed.

This same Biblical principle is important in our own lives as well. We must put back in order to have enough when emergencies hit our lives.

3. Be Content!

* Hebrews 13:5 (The Message) - Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,"

There is a misconception in the church today that God is concerned with us having the absolute best of the best of everything. The "Name it and Claim it" or "Believe it and Receive it" gospel is popular, but totally flawed. Some preachers and televangelists take the passages that speak of God's blessings and extravagant love for us and twist it so badly that their followers end up coming out thinking that God wants them to dress in $500 suits and drive $60,000 Cadillacs, so they go out and buy those things on credit and end up going bankrupt, all the while being told that their faith isn't strong enough to allow God to bless them!

This is utter nonsense and completely un-Biblical! God is not concerned with giving us our foolish human desires, and He certainly doesn't condone us going into extreme debt to get what we want either! God calls us to be content with what we have, and to not allow material possessions to be a stumbling block.

It kills me that my 2005 Chrysler mini-van with 68,000 miles on it was eligible for the "Cash for Clunkers" program! All that program did for many was put them further in debt by taking and JUNKING their perfectly fine higher mileage vehicle and putting the millstone of a brand new car payment around their collective family neck... My version of "Cash for Clunkers" is the Dave Ramsey version, which is that I'm going to drive my "Clunker" and save my cash!

As Christians, we should be content with what we have and save up for what we want so that we don't have to put ourselves in debt for new toys.

A good saying for us to live by in this area is this : Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without".

4. Work Hard

* Proverbs 14:23 (The Message) - ²³ Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table.

* Proverbs 28:19 (The Message) - ¹⁹ Work your garden—you'll end up with plenty of food; play and party—you'll end up with an empty plate

Working is a principle that is shown all throughout the Scriptures! We are called to work hard, and to do our absolute best!

* Colossians 3:23 (The Message) - ^22-25Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn't cover up bad work.

Some of you are working 2 and 3 jobs to get out of debt or just to make ends meet. Don't get discouraged, for the Lord is with you! He has provided you those jobs to take care of your needs, so work hard and do your best, for it is for Him that you should be working! Some of you have been laid off and are currently living on unemployment. Many of you have been using that time for Godly ventures that He is blessing immensely! Even in the midst of not working at a job, you are still working for the Lord, so take advantage of the opportunities to show Him to the world that He gives you! For those who's needs are met by working 1 job, be thankful, and see how God might lead you to meet the needs of those who don't have work or are working multiple jobs to try and make ends meet.

5. Seek Godly Counsel

* Psalm 1:1 (New International Version) - ¹ Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

* Proverbs 15:22 (New International Version) - ²² Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

Godly counsel in the ways of good stewardship are VERY important in order to have success in this area! You've seen the commercials for Fidelity financial planning, right? "Stay on the line and you'll succeed!" We need the same kind of help, but spiritually. Godly men and women who have had success in the area of finances are great sources to help you "stay on the line" when it comes to stewardship. There are also some Biblically based professional groups that can help you with this as well.

One is Financial Peace University, developed by Dave Ramsey. www.daveramsey.com

Another is Crown Financial Ministries. www.crown.org

These groups are nationally known, and have materials that can help you to develop a budget, get out of debt, STAY out of debt, put back a rainy day fund, save for retirement, and still afford some of the fun things that we'd all like to have. All with Biblical foundations!

If we are to answer the call in our lives to show the world what living according to Biblical principles looks like, finances are a major part of that example. Far too many Christians live in self-imposed poverty and cry out to God to save them from their own mess. We can only Live the Adventure that God has for us if we follow his principles, and Living that Adventure is enhanced by good stewardship of our God-given resources.