Faithful Dependability
Jesus-followers are called to show a faithful dependability in managing God’s resources, giving full disclosure now and at the end of their earthly existence.
This stewardship series is entitled, Full Disclosure—a revealing link between faith and finances. Countless Jesus-followers are not aware of the connection between their faith and their finances. Many believers feel their income is too limited to give. Others want to share in the work of God’s kingdom, but don’t know where to start. How we handle our earthly possessions directly impacts our eternal soul.
We are living in a culture where we want full disclosure regarding our financial institutions, government, schools, work places, and even the church. When full disclosure is revealed, complete details of security vulnerability are disclosed to the public, including details of the vulnerability and how to detect and exploit. The theory behind full disclosure is that releasing vulnerable information immediately results in quicker fixes and better security.
The issue of full disclosure was first raised in the context of locksmithing, in a 19th century controversy regarding whether weaknesses in lock systems should be kept a secret in the locksmithing community, or revealed to the public.
Full disclosure provides a revealing link between faith and finances when dealing with the subject of Christian stewardship. The body of Christ, the church, must not keep secret the management of God’s resources. It must disclose to Jesus-followers the truth that the church becomes at risk when it fails to put into practice the irrefutable truths of being responsible for the management of God’s resources.
This message series on Christian stewardship will center upon three of these irrefutable truths:
Faithful Dependability—trustworthiness marks the true steward
Consistent Collection—consistent giving facilitates consistent ministry
Absolute Harvest—sow sparingly, reap sparingly; sow bountifully, reap bountifully
Full disclosure of these irrefutable truths concerning the grace of giving has an undeniable capacity to transform our thinking and crystallize our priorities. This fact more than any other has motivated Jesus-followers to faithfully steward the resources entrusted to us by God.
What we do with our resources has a huge effect on the Christian life—in the present and in the future. It influences both the temporal and the eternal!
The Apostle Paul infers that there will come a time of full disclosure for every believer in 1 Corinthians 3:13, TLB…
There is going to come a time of testing at Christ’s Judgment Day to see what kind of material each builder has used. Everyone’s work will be put through the fires so that all can see whether or not it keeps its value, and what was really accomplished.
We can observe in this verse that Paul knew that his accomplishments would be evaluated one day on the basis of his work when revealed by Christ and tested by fire. What we do with our resources will also be judged by this standard. When Judgment Day comes for each of us, there will be full disclosure—our work will be revealed.
William Arthur Ward writes…
“Each of us will one day be judged by our standard of life, not by our standard of living; by our measure of giving, not by our measure of wealth; by our simple goodness, not by our seeming greatness.”
Top 10 Things You Never Hear in Church:
10. Hey! It’s my turn to sit in the front pew. 9. I was so enthralled, I never noticed your sermon went 25 minutes overtime. 8. Personally I find witnessing much more enjoyable than golf. 7. I’ve decided to give our church the $500 a month I used to send to TV evangelists. 6. I volunteer to be the permanent teacher for the Middle school class. 5. My devotions and prayer time at 5:a.m. really make my day! 4. I love it when we sing songs and choruses I’ve never heard before! 3. Since we’re all here, let’s start the service early. 2. Pastor, we’d like to send you to this Bible conference in Hawaii. 1. Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship message series!
Well, this first message in this series highlights the irrefutable truth of faithful dependability. Trustworthiness marks the true steward of God.
Bill the Bible college student was taking a test. After cruising through a number of questions on the life of the Apostle Paul he came upon one that stopped him in his tracks. “In 150 to 200 words, describe Paul’s attitude toward the Macedonians.” Bill reasoned that the Macedonians represented a nation that rose to world-wide power and presented a threat to Christianity. So Bill wrote an appropriately lengthy explanation. As Bill learned to his chagrin, the Macedonians were not a dreaded nation, but a dedicated people among the churches of Macedonia who advanced the work of Christ by their rich generosity in the midst of very severe poverty.
In Paul’s letter to the believers in Corinth, he writes about these remarkable people, and the description is both encouraging and convicting.
Let’s note our passage of instruction from 2 Corinthians 8:1-9…
1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us.
6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 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 through his poverty might become rich.
The Macedonians were above all, believers who could be counted on. In the situation of severe poverty they desired to share with the Lord’s people in a collection, helping the mother church in Jerusalem that had become poor. Many of Paul’s so-called friends and co-workers had deserted him, but not the Macedonians. They were living examples of the irrefutable truth of faithful dependability that Paul taught to the Corinth believers in 1 Corinthians 4:2…
Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.
Another translation puts it this way: Now what we look for in stewards is that they should be trustworthy.
Trustworthiness =
the state or quality of being honest, dependable,
and constant in the face of dishonesty, irresponsibility and infidelity.
Trustworthiness—the Mark of Excellence
Trustworthiness—faithful dependability—is the mark of excellence in a faithful steward of God. The Macedonians epitomized this quality in all of their service for the Lord. The Macedonians understood perfectly that as stewards for Christ’s sake they were co-workers, not competitors.
Paul teaches four principles of faithful dependability to appeal to the Corinth believers:
1. Giving is more a matter of the heart than of circumstances
1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity… 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
Everything about the circumstances in the Macedonian churches would have suggested that, because of their own needs, this was not a good time for them to be concerned about the needs of others. They were experiencing both deep poverty and a very severe trial, and yet they participated liberally and joyfully in the offering.
Many people would say today that in the midst of our financial and economic crises that this is not a good time to be concerned about the needs of others in supporting the work of Christ. A few people would even say that this is not a good time to present a message series on Christian stewardship and talk about finances. On the contrary, like the Macedonian believers, we can respond with an overwhelming joy in giving to advance Christ’s work in the Covina Valley and beyond, even in the midst of economic crisis.
Poverty does not automatically create unselfishness nor does persecution automatically produce giving. Those who insist they were much happier when they had less need to remember that it isn’t what we have or don’t have that promotes happiness or generosity. The difference, according to Paul, is the grace of God which creates an open and generous heart. Anyone within the church community who feels that the raising of money is nothing more than finding a way to pay the bills will profit by carefully reading Paul’s words, but since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. These words stress the truth that learning to be generous with material things is a matter of spiritual growth and maturity.
2. Giving becomes a joy when it comes out of sacrifice than of substance
3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability… 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 through his poverty might become rich.
This principle is a paradox. Paul’s mode for sacrificial giving was Christ himself, though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. The Macedonian Jesus-followers had taken Christ’s model, and in total disregard for their present needs or future requirements, they gave even beyond their ability. Theirs was a sacrificial offering and it became an inspiration for Jesus-followers everywhere. Giving became a matter of sacrifice, not merely the giving of stuff.
By contrast, I sometimes feel there is little sacrifice in much of our giving. Christmas is rapidly approaching. At Christmas time our tendency is to spend more on presents for ourselves and family than we give to the Lord. And it has been estimated that the personal budget of most church people for sporting events far exceeds gifts to religious and charitable causes.
For the most part, there’s little sacrifice or joy for many people in our giving. But Paul lays down the principle that people who give generously out of love for the Lord and his church grow and mature in their faith because they count the cost and are willing to make the sacrifice.
3. Giving is a matter of purpose than of pressure
3 …Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.
The Macedonians didn’t have to be pressured into giving. On the contrary, Paul says they gave entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded for the privilege. They evidently felt an inner prompting of concern rather than outward pressure which compelled their giving. They were not reluctant, but joyful in their stewardship.
This pattern of giving out of concern and not coercion is illustrated by a wise woman who was traveling in the mountains and found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to freely and without constraint give me this stone.”
Joy and Christian growth come to those who gladly assume the responsibility for the Lord’s work.
4. Giving flows from the gift of self than of selfishness
5 And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us.
Finally, Paul tells us that joyful giving flows freely from the gift of self. His statement that having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us, gives us the secret to their generosity. There is a sense in which the only thing we can give to God is ourselves, and this is the gift that needs to come first. Those who give their money but not their hearts have made a lesser gift.
A pastor was sitting in an executive suite high above the city visiting with a very successful businessman who tried to impress this pastor with his religion by saying, “Reverend, every week I have my secretary mail a check to my church.” This commitment reminded this pastor of the missionary who was witnessing to the chief of a very primitive tribe. In response the chief tried to impress the missionary with gifts of horses, blankets, and jewelry. But the missionary said, “My God does not want the chief’s horses or blankets or jewelry. My God wants the chief himself.” Then the chief smiled and said, “You have a very wise God, for when I give him myself he also gets horses and blankets and jewelry.” This chief showed more wisdom than the wealthy businessman friend.
So Christlike stewardship is the by-product of a Christlike attitude toward our faith and finances. That attitude begins by first giving ourselves to God. Faithful dependability as a Christian steward relates to the management of money, but also to a great deal more. The “portfolio” for which we are responsible includes a wide range of components, and God’s expectation is that we make the most of each one.
A Tool, A Test, and A Trademark—
At the heart of the management of God’s resources is ordering our faith and finances. We need to understand how God views this process. The process is three-fold:
A Tool—our possessions are to be used as a tool to further God’s kingdom here on earth.
To be a trustworthy steward, we must handle the small things with the same regard as the big things. The irrefutable truth of faithful dependability applies to the minor as well as the major things of life. The greater our dependability, the greater our blessing.
A Test—our possessions are given to us as a test to see how much responsibility we will be given in heaven.
To be a trustworthy steward, we must see everything in life as sacred. The irrefutable truth of faithful dependability includes everything in life. Everything is to be devoted to the Lord. Whatever our talents, whatever our treasures, whatever our time, all are to be dedicated to the God’s purpose.
A Trademark—our possessions serve as a trademark to those around us that we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
To be a trustworthy steward, we must share the secret things of God liberally. The irrefutable truth of faithful dependability gives permission to share the secrets of God openly. We show and tell them freely, for no area is more important than the stewardship of the Gospel.
Let’s take inventory and think of all the “personal assets” we have under management:
Who we are as a person: character development, spiritual and emotional maturity.
Who we are in our connection with God: knowing Jesus, growing spiritually.
Who we are in our relationships: loving, forgiving, encouraging, serving.
Who we are in our higher purpose: using our treasures, time and talents uniquely.
Added to this long list are the “spiritual assets” with which we are entrusted:
The Gospel of Christ, the mystery of godliness, the secret things of God.
Pastor Rick Warren, best-selling author of the Purpose-Driven Life, says… “there are very few things that I would rather talk about than generosity and giving. Through learning to give by faith, I have increased my faith, grown closer to Jesus Christ, and my heart has been changed more than any other discipline in my life. Giving is the fundamental issue of life. Everything is God’s, and we are simply stewards of what he gives us.”
Rick says God wants us to invest in his service fund by following the example of the Jesus-followers at Macedonia because “they gave not only what they could afford but far more. And they did it of their own free will.” Rick shares an illustration of a Korean church in Los Angeles. A couple of years ago he was at a Korean church that owned nearly an entire block, and he asked them how in the world they got an entire block of downtown property. They said, “We sold our blood.” They were all poor and didn’t have anything, so they started selling their own blood. All of the profit enabled them to build their church and thereby reach out to other poor Koreans in downtown Los Angeles who were desperately in need of the love of Jesus Christ. They literally gave their blood for that church. By investing in God’s service fund and giving more than they could afford, the members of this Korean church were showing faithful dependability by their trustworthiness.
So we invest in God’s service fund by using some of our money to expand our ministry. Ministry is meeting needs in the name of Jesus Christ. Anytime we help anybody else in the name of Jesus Christ, whether it’s financial, physical or emotional needs, we are ministering to them. By using our talents, our gifts, our background, our assets, our resources or whatever God has given us to help other people, we are ministering. When we get to heaven one day, God is going to ask us to give full disclosure—what we did with what we were given.
This is no small responsibility we bear—offering Full Disclosure, a revealing link to our faith and finances. To handle them rightly with faithful dependability demands absolute trustworthiness! Amen.
