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"A Harvest of Blessings--The Trust Test" November 11, 2001 Rev. Gary LeTourneau
In about seven weeks--on January first--two men in Berlin plan (and here I'm quoting) "plan to fill an empty swimming pool with nearly forty-five million dollars worth of Deutsche Marks. And after they've filled that swimming pool with all that money, they're going to invite people to dive in." How many of you would like to do that? At the same time, the German government in other places will be using 128 shredding machines to dispose of old bank notes. The government of Hesseh will burn its Marks in a heating system. The Austrians plan, at about the same time, to turn their Schillings into 560 tons of compost. What's the matter with these people? Have they gone nuts? Well, some of you know: On January 1 of 2002, a new currency is being introduced in Europe--the Euro. And all the Marks, all the Francs, all the Lira, all of those 12 countries' individual currencies, over a 6-week transition period, will become worthless and they'll be replaced with Euros.
Now I was thinking, "What would it take to get me to withdraw my money from the bank and turn it into compost?" I'd have to really, really believe that I was going to get something back in exchange--the Euros that were promised. Some people think that in this annual review of discipleship which we call "stewardship" ("financial stewardship") that my task is just about as hopeless as asking people to turn their money into compost. The thought that people will voluntarily give significantly and costly--give their money away--it's not an idea that is given much credence in our society. Everyone has been amazed at the response of Americans in this last two months to the disaster in New York and D.C., and the overwhelming pouring out of generosity. We Americans are pretty good about responding to emergencies. But that's not Christian discipleship. Christian discipleship is what we practice day in and day out.
So today I'd like to continue our annual review of discipleship and finances by focusing on what John Maxwell has called "the trust test." I'm borrowing this sermon from John Maxwell and his notes with this little caveat: If you've ever heard him speak, he always has "21 points," or the "30 insights." I'm not going to use all 21 or 30 (we'd be here all morning to get there!). But the Lord says, in Malachi 3 verse 10, "Put me to the test." You see, we think giving is about finances. And God says, "It's not about finances. It's about trust." If you and I are going to become committed disciples in this area, it will be because we trust God. And there are, I'd like to suggest, five preconditions for trust, or five attitudes you and I have to have about trust, five conclusions we have to arrive at, in order to become serious givers.
The first precondition: We have to really believe that God is in charge. We have to believe that God is not only in charge of the universe, which He created--we have to believe that God is in charge of our church and that God is in charge of my life and my finances. Now, I want to try and make this as direct as possible, and here's how it came home to me. I'm really ready to admit that God is in charge of the universe. But, you know what? I still like to talk about "my billfold," and "my checkbook." And if I really believe that God is in charge, is it "my" checkbook, or is it God's checkbook that He gives me to use? Do you see the difference? First we have to believe God is in charge of everything, including our finances.
Secondly, people begin to give seriously when they come to understand that God deserves from the very first of what we have. We give to God from the first. Last week I talked about the first fruits. This week, God is talking to the people of Israel through Malachi the prophet, about tithes. And verse 8 is startlingly direct and makes me feel uncomfortable: "Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me because you're not bringing the full tithe into the storehouse." I remember very clearly when, after one of these stewardship sermons some years ago, a member of this church who has become a very serious giver, shared with me that what set them free in their giving was when they came to understand that giving in their life only begins after they have contributed the tithe. Because they felt the tithe belongs to God. To withhold the tithe is to be robbing God. And then, he said, giving begins after that--when you're going beyond. One of you told me last week about a church which, in its bulletin and in its messages, when they come to the time of the offering say, "Now we're going to give God His tithes and our offerings." Do you catch the distinction? The tithe belongs to God.
Now, you and I live in the New Testament era of grace. It's a fantastic gift! Our eternal salvation does not rest on this. You and I are saved because Jesus died for us on the cross and God gives us that gift as a gift of grace. And there's nothing you and I can do to make God love us more, there's nothing you and I can do to make God love us less. But nevertheless, when we've received that gift of grace, the natural response is to want to say, "Thank you, God." And God tells us some of the ways that we can say "Thanks." And financially He says, "I'd like for you to get serious about giving as an act of trust."
There's no person in this room who cannot be a tither or be on their way to tithing. I know when I talk about tithing that many of you, right now, mentally have said, "Gary, you might as well be asking me to withdraw my money and turn it into compost, because it can't happen. When I look at my mortgage, at my car payments, at my Visa bill, it just can't happen." And I know that. I talk about this every year because I'm hoping that maybe next August, when you're thinking about buying that next car, you might remember that you made a commitment to become a tither, even if you're not one now. And if you're going to be serious about giving, I'll be honest: It means that you may not drive precisely the cars you would like, you may not have as large a mortgage and as large a house as you would like. There may be some decisions you have to make to get there. But our gift to God, in response to what He's done for us financially, the Bible says is a tithe.
You know that even if we had every single penny of next year's budget in the bank, ready to go so that we didn't need a dime, I would still be preaching to you about tithing. Because the Bible never says, "Give so that God's church can succeed." That's silly! It's God's church. He's got the resources of the universe. If He wants to bless it, He will bless it. We give because of our need to give. Because if we don't give, then we really don't understand that God's in control and God deserves the first of everything.
The third precondition for learning to trust God in giving is when you and I come to understand that you cannot outgive God. You've heard that phrase before, but you know I can't tell you how many people have shared with me that it's true. Their experience is that when they get serious about giving, they discover that they receive so much more back. It's true in every single area of Christian life. Teachers of Sunday School tell me, "You know, I went into this thinking I was going to teach the kids. I didn't realize the main learner would be me." People who serve on committees: "I thought I was getting in on this to serve the church. I didn't realize how blessed I would be in the process." Financially: "I thought it was about what I was giving. I didn't realize it was going to be about what I was receiving." Parishioners at a Maplewood, Minnesota church chuckled when they received their annual report with the Treasurer's report in it. She concluded her report with this: "It has truly been my pleasure to work with the church finances. I have received far more than I ever gave." Well, maybe her English wasn't quite as precise as she would have desired in retrospect, but that's been the testimony of Christians through the ages. When we give, we discover that God blesses us in so many ways.
A fourth precondition for trust is when you and I really come to understand and believe that God's intent for you and me is that we be channels of His grace, of His mercy, of His blessings, and not just reservoirs of His grace and blessings and mercy. Do you understand the difference between the two? A reservoir is something empty that needs to be filled. A channel is something that something comes in at one end and moves out into the lives of others. God's desire for you and me is that we be channels of His grace and mercy and blessings. And that includes financial blessings and financial resources.
Earlier this year the Christian musical group Sixpence None the Richer (that's their name) had the opportunity to perform on the Late Show with David Letterman. After their performance, Lee Nash, the lead singer of Sixpence, was given a chance to be interviewed by Dave. Letterman's first question: Why they chose the name Sixpence None the Richer as their band's name. (It is a kind of weird name, isn't it?) This gave Lee Nash, the lead singer, the opportunity to share C. S. Lewis' story about a father who gives his son sixpence to use to buy the father a present. And so the boy takes the sixpence, selects a gift for his father, buys it for him, and comes home and says, "Father, here's my gift for you." And Lewis' point is that the father is sixpence none the richer. He hasn't gained financially because he gave the sixpence to the boy to begin with. But what a blessing for the giver! What a blessing for the receiver! Letterman responded, "That's a beautiful story. If people could stop being so stupid and actually hear that, and live by that sort of thing, then our world would be a better place. God bless you. Thank you for playing. And thank you for being here." Dave Letterman is preaching my sermon for me! Isn't that amazing? "If people could stop being so stupid and actually hear that, and live by that sort of thing, the world would be a better place." You and I become serious about giving when we understand we're to be channels, not reservoirs.
Finally--the final precondition and lesson in the test of trust--is when you and I learn that we're to relinquish control of our life to God. "I'm your disciple. I'm your follower, Lord. I relinquish the right to run my life and I'm asking you to help me live it in a way you desire me to." And I know that when I say that in the context of financial stewardship and giving, we all go, "Yikes! I don't know if I want to give my checkbook to God."
We worry something like this might happen: I read this week (it was on the AP news) about a woman named Tammy VanDane. She had watched the television show "America: A Tribute to Heroes" when it aired September 21st. Pledges for that event topped over one hundred and fifty million. She participated by making a pledge to the United Way on the phone-in system (the 800 number). Well, she got a shock this week (just a few days ago) when the United Way of New York City telephoned her to verify her gift--of $10,000! She writes, "After I finished sucking in my breath I said, "No! No! No! It was for $100. Did you try to take $10,000 from my account?" To which she said United Way will refund . . . And she replied, "No! No! No! No!" [I don't know what that means, "No! No! No! No!"]. The woman from United Way explained that what had happened was that a phone bank volunteer, who received 240 calls that night, wrote $100 as as one hundred, zero, zero, with no decimal point--and every other amount similarly, so that her one hundred dollar pledge was entered into the computer as a ten thousand dollar pledge. United Way had the somewhat challenging task of calling all of 240 contributors and asking them, "Did you mean ten thousand? OK, we're crediting your Visa card with ten thousand back. Now, will you still give us one hundred instead?" She was asked at the end if she was going to go ahead and give that one hundred dollars. She responded, "I'm going to choose another avenue that I can be sure of."
What can you be sure of in your giving? Let me suggest that when you and I relinquish control of our finances to God, we're relinquishing control to the one Person we can be sure of. There's no one else.
What happens when you and I learn to trust God with our finances? Open your Bible to Malachi 3. Begin in verse 10. Three things that happen in the lives of believers when they trust their finances to God and get serious about giving. Verse 10:
Our first question when we think about giving seriously is, "Who will provide? What's going to happen?" And the God of the universe says, "I will provide. When you trust me, I will provide." And the Bible, from beginning to end, is an accounting of God's people who trusted in every of their area of their life, to discover that God provided for them.
The second question we have: "Is it safe? Is it really safe to think about giving seriously to the church and to God?" "I," says the Lord [verse 11], "I will rebuke the locust for you, so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not be barren, says the Lord of hosts." In other words, God says, "I will protect you. I will keep you safe."
When we make a deposit at a bank, what do we always look for? "FDIC insured to $100,000." I know Someone who's got a better insurance plan than that: "I will protect you," says God.
Third question we have: "Will I be a fool if I do this? Will people scoff and laugh at me, "Fool! Giving your money away!" Verse 12: "Then all nations will count you happy, for you will be a land of delight." To put it in a New Testament context, "You will be a person of delight," says the Lord of hosts.
This is where I'm going to take up next week. I'm going to talk about being blessed to be a blessing. But we won't be fools. We'll have rich, abundant lives. People will come to us and say, "How do I share in that?" We'll have the opportunity to say, "The key is when you learn that life is not about what you accumulate, but you make your life by what you give. And here's how I have learned that . . ." That's a very desirable attribute. People respect it and admire it, and you will receive God's blessings.
I hope that as you receive your "estimate of giving" cards this week you'll see, as Doug indicated in the budget, we have a need for a modest increase. But I hope before you think about an increase of a certain amount or percent, that you will settle in your heart the relationship between trust and finances for a disciple, and that you'll know the direction you want your giving to be. Even if you can't be at your endpoint this year, you can be on your way.
Let's pray together. Thank you, Heavenly Father, that you are the God who is in charge. That you have provided us with all that we need. That you promise to keep us safe and to protect us. And that you promise to bless us. Thank you for how blessed we are as a church, with so many resources. As we consider our financial stewardship, I pray that each one of us will feel free to be very honest with you and honest with ourselves and consider what being a disciple of Jesus Christ means. Thank you for each person who faithfully returns thanks to you each week in their lives, and in their financial stewardship, and in service, in their gift of time and talents. We need one another very much because you have created us together to be the church of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Thank you for listening and considering in this area of financial stewardship and a financial check-up. It's over now, and you can breathe a sigh of relief. But it begins now in your own hearts. Rev. Gary LeTourneau Senior Pastor Faith Presbyterian Church Minnetonka, Minnesota
[Transcribed from an audiotape of the 9:00 a.m. worship service on November 11, 2001] |
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