Last week I told you that today I would tell you why money is probably the most difficult issue to preach about. I want to make good on my promise, so here it is! Not long after I became a Christian, to my great surprise and delight, my uncle Mark and Aunt Tammy started attending a little Baptist church a few towns away. Neither of them grew up going to church and they weren’t really what you would call church going people. Everyone was shocked when we found out that they were not only attending church but they were attending church every Sunday.

They told me that they really liked the people at the church and they felt very welcome there. Also, the pastor went out of his way to befriend them and help them through some difficulties they were having. Mark had been an alcoholic most of his life, but during those few years he went to that church, he was doing better than I had ever seen him.

Mark and Tammy made professions of faith and were growing in their faith so much that the pastor eventually asked Mark to consider being a deacon at the church. After much thought and prayer, Mark became a deacon and served the church in many capacities. As he and the pastor ministered together, they became even closer friends and everything seemed wonderful.

Then one Sunday morning the church gathered for worship, but the pastor and his family never showed up. A few of the deacons went to the parsonage to find out if he was OK, and they discovered that the house was completely empty. Everything was gone and there was no trace of them. A neighbor told the deacons that they had packed up everything in a moving truck the day before and had left during the night. No warning, no notification, no explanation, they were just gone and no one knew where they went or why.

A few days later, when the church treasurer went to the bank to deposit that Sunday’s offering, she discovered that the pastor had withdrawn everything and closed the account. He had stolen over $30,000. Upon further investigation, they found out that the pastor had been embezzling thousands of dollars from the church throughout his whole tenure. The reason why he left was because some new people had gotten involved in the church and they wanted to make the church’s finances more transparent. He knew that his fraud was about to be exposed, so he took everything the church had and disappeared into thin air.

As you can imagine, the church was devastated! Their bank account was wiped out and so was their faith! They were betrayed by their shepherd! They trusted this supposed man of God with their very souls, and they found out that he was nothing but a fraud. A few weeks later the church disbanded and closed its doors forever. That was the last time my uncle Mark ever went to church. That experience destroyed any respect he had for pastors and caused him to lose his confidence in God altogether. He sunk back into his alcohol addiction, he and Tammy divorced a couple of years later, and he was never the same again.

I love to preach God’s Word, but every time the issue of money comes up in church, that story enters my mind. Since I watched how financial abuse devastated my uncle’s faith, I have always been hyper-sensitive about money and the church. Even though I have taken precautions so that nothing like this could ever happen here, I still have the fear of people thinking that I am preaching about money to benefit myself. Therefore, I would rather just not preach about it. But I have realized that if I am to truly be faithful to God, I mustn’t shy away from any issue in his Word, including money. So, this sermon series on stewardship is as much about me facing my fears as it is about our financial faithfulness.

For years afterward, Mark could barely bring himself to talk about that experience. I just remember him asking, “How could somebody do something like that?” After hearing this story, I most of us are asking the same question. How could someone do something like that? How could somebody rob God? What kind of person would steal from the church? It’s bad enough that people play that game Grand Theft Auto, but who would actually play a game of Grand Theft Church?

Well, unfortunately, this isn’t the only time God has ever been robbed. God has been robbed by various people in every generation, but it was particularly bad in the 4th century B.C. The Israelites came back to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile in Babylon and were trying to rebuild their lives. When they first returned, they discovered that their holy city was in shambles. The Temple had been destroyed, their homes were gone, the city wall was broken down, and the city gates had been burned. As they worked to rebuild in this vulnerable time, they faced a food shortage because of a perpetual drought, there were constant threats from foreign armies, and there was internal corruption among their own religious and political leaders. Agricultural crisis, military threats, political corruption, and religious hypocrisy—it sounds a lot like modern America, doesn’t it?

Well, it was in the midst of these crises that God raised up the prophet Malachi to preach to his people. Malachi was a brave prophet who took God’s word seriously and preached against the abuses of the day. In Malachi 3:6-12, he takes on the issue of financial unfaithfulness that was so common in that day. He doesn’t mince any words when he accuses the Israelites of robbing God and calls them to repentance. Let’s take a look at Malachi’s message!

Malachi’s Message of Financial Faithfulness

The Indictment (8)
In verse 8 Malachi indicts the Israelites for their financial unfaithfulness to God. Every Israelite knew that the law commanded them to give 10% of their income to God, but they were neglecting their duty. They justified their actions and made excuses. They said things like, “God, you just don’t understand. Times are hard! Our economy is a mess! The weather hasn’t been cooperating. We’re trying to get back on our feet! We are trying to rebuilt your city!” God says through Malachi, “Let’s quit with the excuses and call it what it is—you are robbing me?” By refusing to give their tithe, the Israelites were robbing God. Now it wasn’t like they were breaking into the Temple and stealing, but when they withheld their tithe they were taking what belonged to God and used it for their own purposes.

It hurts to hear this, doesn’t it? God’s word indicts us just like it did the Israelites. People today make the same excuses for their actions that God’s people make 2500 years ago. They say, “God just doesn’t understand how difficult it is to tithe today? Times are hard and we have to make it somehow? If I tithed I couldn’t pay my bills?”

Who are these people? Who actually says this? What kind of person would rob God? People like us! No one here this morning would break into the church and steal the pews, but we do rob him a little bit at a time when we don’t tithe. Every week or month or year that we withhold our tithe, we are stealing from God.

Most of us felt a little angry toward that pastor who stole $30,000 from the church, but when we withhold our tithe, but many of us are guilty for exact same thing! Have you ever robbed God? Are you robbing him now? Are you tithing our income?

The Curse (9)
In verse 9 Malachi tells the Israelites that they have been under a divine curse because they were withholding their tithe. God asks, “Do you want to know why you work so hard and yet cannot get ahead? Do you want to know why your crops aren’t growing? Do you want to know why there is a food shortage? Do you want to know why your defenses aren’t rebuilt yet? Do you want to know why you just keep spinning your wheels?” It is because you haven’t been faithful to me. You withhold your tithe and break my law, and then you expect me to bless you? You haven’t been faithful with little and yet you ask for more?

Again, this is the way it is with so many people today? Have you ever wondered why our country has experienced an economic collapse? I just wonder if it has anything to do with our lack of faithfulness to God! Have you ever wondered why so many families work so hard and yet are struggling financially? I just wonder if it has anything to do with withholding God’s tithe!

When we are under a divine curse, it doesn’t matter how hard or how much we work. We won’t be able to get ahead. It is like having a pocket with a hole in it. It don’t matter how much money goes in, it ends up coming out somewhere. Why would we expect God to provide our needs when we aren’t faithful to him? Why would we expect him to bless us when we make excuses for disobeying his commands?

Let me share an embarrassing personal story with you. It isn’t exactly about tithing, but it is about a curse for financial unfaithfulness. There was a Friday last summer when Jennifer, the kids, and I went to Burlington to go shopping and we had to stop by Walmart for something. Both kids had fallen asleep in the van, so I decided to stay with them while Jennifer ran into the store.

As I was sitting there for what seemed like an eternity, watched a young woman load some bags into the trunk of her car, and when she turned to take the kart to the corral, I saw a green bill fall out of her pocket onto the ground. My immediate instinct was to jump out of the car and alert her to the situation, but I panicked in the moment. In my mind I rationalize the situation. I thought, “Oh, I shouldn’t leave the kids for even a second! Oh, it is probably just a dollar bill anyway”, but the real thought that went through my head was that old phrase “finders keepers losers weepers.”

After she pulled out, I got out of the van and walked over and picked up the money. I felt a little guilty when I bent down and discovered that it was a $20 bill. Again, I rationalized the situation and spent the money on myself. I quickly forgot about the whole ordeal, until two days later when my car wouldn’t start. When the mechanic told me that the head gasket blew and it was going to cost $1,500 to fix, my mind immediately went to that $20 bill in the parking lot.

Now you could call this a coincidence or superstition, but I honestly believe that the blown head gasket was God’s curse on my unfaithfulness! I still kick myself for not doing the right thing. Has anything like that ever happened to you? Are you living under a divine curse for withholding your tithe or some other area of financial unfaithfulness? If you are living in financial unfaithfulness, repent and make it right!

The Grace (6-7)
Even in the midst of this indictment and curse, we still see God’s grace. Verses 6-7 highlight God’s patience with his people. Although the Israelites deserved destruction for their long history of breaking God’s commands, they had been spared. Why? Because God doesn’t change! Long ago God made a covenant with Abraham that he would bless his people, and in spite of their perpetual unfaithfulness, he is a God who keeps his promises and deals with his people graciously. They certainly deserved judgment for their rebellious ways, particularly for their financial unfaithfulness, but God gave them the opportunity to repent from their sin. He says, “Return to me, and I will return to you!”

I am so thankful that financial unfaithfulness isn’t the unforgivable sin. Sure, refusing to tithe has its consequences just like every other sin, but God is so patient with us and gives us the opportunity to repent and make things right. How can we return to the Lord so that he will return to us? Ask God to forgive our financial unfaithfulness and make it right. For some of us, that may mean that we make a renewed commitment to tithe. For others, it may mean that we need to return stolen property or correct some other improper financial dealings. If you return to him he will return to you! If you have fallen in the area of finances, repent so that you may experience God’s blessing again!

The Blessing (10-12)
Malachi ends this paragraph by reminding the Israelites that if they repent from their sin and start bringing their whole tithe to the storehouse once again that the curse would be lifted and God would bless them once again. God challenges them to test him on this and see if he won’t open the floodgates of heaven and pour out more blessing that they could handle. God would provide rain to nourish the soil, prevent pest from destroying their crops, and stop disease from ruining the fruit from their vines. As God would make their land delightful and all the neighboring nations would call them blessed.

God’s challenge to test him is really a plea to trust him. He is basically telling the Israelites to trust him enough to faithfully give their tithe and he would bless them abundantly. Tithing isn’t a matter of logic, is it? It is a matter of faith! It is a matter of the heart! God puts his own reputation on the line when he tells the people to test him. He promises to abundantly bless financial faithfulness!

These verses cause us to look at our own hearts. How much do we really trust God? Do we trust him enough to give him 10% of our income? Do we trust him enough to provide for our needs? Do we trust him enough to orchestrate the events of our lives so that we will experience abundant blessing? Will God really do this? Test him! Go ahead, try it! Based on the authority of his divine Word, I implore you to test him in this matter. Tithe faithfully and see what will happen. I have never met a single person who has tithed faithfully and has had any serious financial problems. I have never met anyone who has tithed and regretted it.

Please don’t misunderstand this text. This isn’t one of those television evangelist “get rich quick” schemes. God is not telling us that if we tithe we will get rich. He is promising that if we tithe he will take care of us and will bless us. God’s blessing means so much more than mere money. Are you willing to risk 10% of your income for God’s blessing on your life?

This passage makes God’s expectation perfectly clear. When we refuse to tithe, we are robbing God and will suffer under his curse. When we tithe faithfully, we will experience his abundant blessing on our lives. What will you do?

As we continue our series on stewardship today, we come to the topic of treasure. That’s right! I want to talk to you about stewardship of money in general and tithing in particular. I want to begin by asking you a question (a sort of pop quiz if you will): What percentage of our income belongs to God? If you have grown up in the church, somewhere along the way you have probably heard that God wants us to give him 10% of our income. If you haven’t grown up in the church, you have probably thought that we are supposed to give God what we can afford.

Before we look at what the Bible says about tithing, we need to know that everything we have belongs to God. 100% of our income belongs to God! Everything we have is a gift from God—our homes, cars, bank accounts, IRA’s, 401K’s, income, all of our material possession including the cash in our pockets. If it wasn’t for God’s grace, we wouldn’t have any of these things.

When we realize that everything we have belongs to God and we are mere stewards of his resources, it makes it a little easier to think about how we use the money he has entrusted into our care. Notice I said it makes it a “little” easier, not a “lot” easier. Even when we realize this, many people are like me; we don’t like other people telling us what to do with our money. There is something in our sinful nature that tells us that we’ve worked for everything we have and nobody has the right to tell us what to do with our money, including God.

I still remember my reaction the first time someone explained what tithing means. I had been going to church for three or four months and I always wondered what the pastor meant when he said, “It’s time to collect the tithes and offerings.” I knew that the ushers would pass around those little plates, but I had never encountered the word “tithe” in any of my vocabulary classes in school. So, one day I asked the pastor what tithing meant. When he explained to me that “tithe” meant 10% and that God expects his people to give 10% of their income to him, I was so shocked that I nearly fell out of my pew. I couldn’t believe that God wanted me to give that amount. How could people afford to live if they had to give 10%? Why would the church need all of that money? What would they do with it?

Maybe you have the same reaction? Maybe you are shocked to hear that God expects us to give him 10% of our income? Maybe you have always known this, but you struggle to be faithful in this area? Or maybe you have some questions about tithing and stewardship that have never been answered?

This morning I’m going to try to answer some of your questions, but let’s begin by looking at what the Bible actually says about tithing!

1.) The Pre-law Precedent for Tithing (Gen. 14:17-20; 28:20-22)
The first instance of tithing in the Bible is in Genesis 14. Abram had just returned from battle against some foreign kings where he had rescued his nephew Lot and recovered all of the goods that had been taken from the king of Sodom. Of the property belonging to the king of Sodom, Abram would not keep the smallest part, because he would not have anything to do with Sodom. On the other hand, when he arrived at Salem (Jerusalem), he accepted from Salem’s priest-king, Melchizedek, not only bread and wine for he and his warrior’s replenishment, but also a priestly blessing. Abram acknowledged Melchizedek as a believer in the one true God the creator of heaven by giving him a tenth of all of his goods. Abram’s act set a pre-law precedent for tithing to support the ministry of the priesthood.

Likewise, in Genesis 28, Abram’s grandson Jacob had a dream one night where he saw a ladder reaching into heaven (today it is known as Jacob’s ladder) with the angels of God going up and down it. The Lord himself was at the top of it reminding Jacob of his plan to use his family to bless the whole world. When Jacob awoke from the dream he built an altar to the Lord and pledged to give him a tenth of everything that the Lord would give him. Jacob’s act set a pre-law precedent for tithing as a response of gratitude for all God’s blessings and provisions for his life.

Both of these passages set a precedent for tithing before it was ever commanded by God in the law. They become examples of how God would want his people to use the resources that he has given them. Tithing as a response of gratitude for God’s grace and to support the ministry of the priesthood both get instituted into God’s law for his covenant people.

2.) The Planned Pattern of Tithing (Lev. 27:30-34)
Remember, when the Bible was written, most people were farmers. It was rare for actual money to be tithed; it was far more common for people to tithe animals or crops. This passage sets forth God’s planned pattern for tithing. In verse 30, God establishes his law for people to tithe their income. He clearly states that a tithe of everything from the land belongs to the Lord. It is holy (set apart) for the Lord. The crops and animals would be brought to the place of worship and dedicated to the Lord.

It was possible for a crop farmer to redeem his crops (that is keep them for himself) and pay his tithe with money, but he had to add a fifth of the value of the crop to the tithe. There was no similar provision for animals. A herdsman would bring his animals to the shepherd in no particular order and every tenth animal that passed under the rod was given to the Lord. He could not keep the best animals for himself and give the bad ones to the Lord. It sort of came down to the luck of the draw when animals were selected for the tithe.

This command became one of the 613 laws that God gave to govern his people. Every Israelite was obligated to give 10% of their income to the Lord. This became the standard of stewardship throughout the generations. God gave them everything they had and they were to dedicate 10% back to him. This is still God’s standard of faithful stewardship today! He has never changed it and he still expects it!

3.) The Practical Purposes of Tithing (Num. 18:20-32; Deut. 14:22-33)
Even though God established his tithing law in Leviticus, the purposes for the tithe aren’t revealed until we get to the Book of Numbers and the Book of Deuteronomy. Numbers 18:20-32 reveals the first practical purpose of the tithe: to support the minister. God told Aaron that only the Levites (those are men who descended from the tribe of Levi) could be priests and that they would not have any inheritance of the land. Since priests weren’t given any portion of the land, their inheritance would come from the tithes of the people. Since their priestly work was in the tent of meeting, tabernacle, Temple, or synagogue (depending on the historical period) and they could not work the land, the priesthood would be supported by the tithes. The local priest and his family were supported by the local parish.

As the people tithed their produce, whether it was animals, grain, wine, or something else, it would be brought to the place of worship and dedicated to the Lord. The priest was required to take whatever was apportioned to him and dedicate ten percent of that to the Lord. This was considered “the Lord’s portion.” So, even priests were required to tithe!

The second practical purpose of the tithe was to support the ministry. In Deuteronomy 14:22-33 we see that a portion of the tithe was to be used for ministry. It was to be used to support and care for those who were in need—the fatherless, aliens, and widows. Faithfulness in giving for the purpose of ministry is accompanied by the Lord’s blessing the work of your hands.

If a person had to travel a long way to the place of worship they were allowed to exchange their tithe of animals or crops for silver and that could be given to the Lord.

Now that we have seen what the Bible says about tithing, let me contextualize it for us. Everything we own already belongs to God. He entrusts his resources to us and commands us to give back to him the first 10% of everything we earn. This is the minimum standard for faithful financial stewardship. Just as the purpose of the tithe was to support the minister and ministry in the Old Testament, the purpose of the tithe today is still to support the minister and ministry of the local church. Before I finish, let me answer some common questions about tithing.

1.) What if I can’t afford to tithe?
This is probably the biggest question people ask about tithing. It is also the biggest excuse for not tithing. We ask, “How can I pay my mortgage, make my cars payments, pay my taxes, keep food on the table, and still have a little bit of spending money if I give 10% to God?” Well, maybe God doesn’t want you to have all of this stuff! The real question is how much do you trust God? Do you trust him enough to be obedient to his Word? Do you trust him to provide all of your needs?

I have heard numerous people say things like, “Well, if I made more money it would be easier to tithe.” That is not true! As revealed in Jesus’ parable of the talents, how can God trust us with much if he can’t trust us with little?

A man came to Peter Marshall, former chaplain of the Unites States Senate, with a concern about tithing. He said: “I have a problem. I have been tithing for some time. It wasn’t too bad when I was making $20,000 a year. I could afford to give the $2,000. But you see, now I am making $500,000, and there is just no way I can afford to give away $50,000 a year.”

Dr. Marshall reflected on this wealthy man’s dilemma but gave no advice. He simply said: “Yes, sir. I see that you do have a problem. I think we ought to pray about it. Is that alright?”

The man agreed, so Dr. Marshall bowed his head and prayed with boldness and authority. “Dear Lord, this man has a problem, and I pray that you will help him. Lord, reduce his salary back to the place where he can afford to tithe.”

We all can afford to tithe if we really want to! Really, we can’t afford not to tithe!

2.) Should I tithe the gross or the net income?
The answer to this question is simple. God wants us to tithe our gross income. Just because our government takes out our income tax before we receive our paycheck doesn’t mean that our income is any less. We give God the first 10% of what we make before anything else!

3.) Can I tithe my time instead of my money?
No! Money and service are separate areas of faithfulness. One is not a substitute for another. As we have learned over the past few weeks, we are all called to use our talents and gifts to serve the Lord, but we are also called to serve the Lord by giving our tithe. If that doesn’t compel you, maybe this will! There are 168 hours in a week. Unless you plan on volunteering 16.8 hours to the church every week, you better just stick to money.

4.) Does my tithe have to go to the church?
Yes. The biblical and historical precedent is to give the first ten percent of your income to your local church to support your local minister and the local ministry. I have heard people say, “I tithe to missionary friends, Christian organizations, or give money to cancer research.” These are all good causes but they do not take the place of the tithe to the local church. After you give your tithe to the local church, you are free to give to whatever causes you feel are important. God loves a cheerful giver!

5.) What if I don’t like the way the church uses the money?
Well, let me make this clear: It doesn’t matter! No one is going to agree with the way a particular church uses every dollar that is collected, and that is OK. But this is not a valid excuse for refusing to tithe. If you really care about the way the church spends the money, I would recommend getting involved in its ministry and help determine how the money is used.

6.) Do pastors have to tithe?
Yes! Pastor, priests, and missionaries are not exempt from this biblical command. We work hard for our wages like everyone else and we are commanded to tithe like everyone else. This is exemplified in Numbers 18 where the Levites were commanded to tithe their portion!

Now that we have been introduced to the practice of tithing, every time we get paid, whether from our jobs or from rent we collect or from a sale of land or from whatever else we receive income, our first check should be written to the church! In light of what we have learned today, some of us will have to radically rethink our finances. May the Lord help us to be obedient to his Word and be faithful stewards of his resources!

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Chapter 12 marks the major theological shift in the Book of Romans. In chapters 1-11, Paul explains Christ’s work of redemption. In chapters 12-16, he exhorts us to live as a redeemed people. He begins with an emphasis on belief, then he moves to behavior; he portrays the principles then the practice; he writes about God’s revelation then our responsibility. The first division deals with doctrine; the second division deals with duty! After he announced God’s mercy in our lives, now he is ready to proclaim Christ’s mastery over our lives!

That is why chapter 12 begins with the little phrase “in view of God’s mercy.” Throughout the rest of the book, everything Paul commands us to do is in response to God’s mercy for us. This opening section of Romans 12 sets the stage for all of our responses to God’s mercy. Verses 1-2 tell us that God’s mercy compels us to a life of sacrifice. Just as Christ sacrificed his body for us on the cross, we are to be living sacrifices for him every day. Verses 3-8 tell us that God’s mercy compels us to a life of service. Just as Christ served us with his life and death, we are to serve him every day.

As we continue our little series on stewardship, I want to focus on verses 3-8 and explore how we are to use our talents and gifts to live a life of Christian service. This passage offers us a wellspring of wisdom about Christian service. Let’s look at three aspects of Christian service!

1.) Christian Service begins with Humility (3)
As Paul exhorts the Romans to respond to God’s mercy with active Christian service, he begins with a moral challenge of humility. He knew that their service to others would be utterly worthless if it was conducted in a spirit of pride, arrogance, or selfishness. Humility is vital for any type of service in Christ’s kingdom.

Paul practices what he is preaching when he says, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you.” He refers to his own call to be an apostle as the basis for this command to serve with humility. He is not commanding them on the basis of his own knowledge, intellect, or skill; he is saying “because Christ has called me to be his apostle, I am telling you that Christian service begins with humility.

When he says “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought” he is referring to status. Status is meaningless when it comes to Christian service. No Christian should think that he or she is better than anyone else. Rather, all Christians should think of themselves with sober judgment—that is accurate thinking.

The reason for this is because God hasn’t given all Christians the same measure of faith. Since God has given different amounts of faith to different Christians, it is really unfair and inappropriate to make comparisons. Comparing Christians is like comparing apples and oranges. Therefore, there is no place in the Christian life or in Christian service to compare yourself with anyone else. No one should ever believe they are better than anyone else! Christian service always begins with humility!

A truly humble person is hard to find, yet God delights to honor such selfless people. Booker T. Washington, the renowned black educator, shortly after he took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, was walking in an exclusive section of town when he was stopped by a wealthy white woman. Not knowing the famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her. Because he had no pressing business at the moment, Professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested. When he was finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace. A little girl recognized him and later revealed his identity to the lady.

The next morning the embarrassed woman went to see Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely. “It’s perfectly all right, Madam,” he replied. “Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend.” She shook his hand warmly and assured him that his meek and gracious attitude had endeared him and his work to her heart. Not long afterward she showed her admiration by persuading some wealthy acquaintances to join her in donating thousands of dollars to the Tuskegee Institute.

If Booker T. Washington had looked at the woman said, “Madam, do you know who I am?” or if he would have asserted his status as president of the Tuskegee Institute, he would not have had the opportunity to serve the woman, and thereby, would have missed out on thousands of dollars. Likewise, if we are to truly serve Jesus Christ and his kingdom we have to forget about social class, economic status, or past successes. We must think of ourselves with sober judgment and realize that anything we have is a gift from God. How humble are you? Do you possess enough humility to serve?

2.) Christian Service works as a Community (4-5)
After Paul asserts that Christian service begins with humility, he then tells the Romans that Christian service works as a community. Here he employs body language to explain how the church is to function and serve. Just as each one of us has one body with many different parts that serve many different functions, so Christ’s church is made up of a whole community of members who serve in many different roles and perform many different jobs. One member cannot perform all of the function nor should everyone in the community perform the same function.

Can you imagine if your body functioned like that? How well would you function if you had twelve ears and no toes? Well, you would be able to hear a lot, but you wouldn’t be able to walk. Can you imagine if you had 12 eyes and no fingers? You could see really well but you wouldn’t be able to pick anything up.

In March of 1981, President Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Jr., and was hospitalized for several weeks. Although Reagan was the nation’s chief executive, his hospitalization had little impact on the nation’s activity. Government continued on. On the other hand, suppose the garbage collectors in this country went on strike, as they did not long ago in Philadelphia. That city was not only in a literal mess, the pile of decaying trash quickly became a health hazard. A three-week nationwide strike would paralyze the country. Who is more important–the President or a garbage collector? In the body of Christ, seemingly insignificant ones are urgently needed.

So it is with Christian service—we function as a community. Everyone has a place to serve and a part to play. God wants all of us to work together and fulfill our roles as the community of Christ. Our service should complement one another rather than competing or working against each other.

3.) Christian Service is determined by Grace and Giftedness (6-8)
Once Paul states that Christian service begins with humility and works as a community, he completes the section by affirming that it is determined by grace and giftedness. In verse 6 he tells us that God has given each of them spiritual gifts according to the grace given us. We do not choose our spiritual gifts; the Holy Spirit determines which gifts we have and the amount we possess. When we become believers in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit endows us with supernatural gifts which we are to use to strengthen and serve God’s church. It is not our responsibility to acquire or choose our giftedness, but it is our duty to use our gifts for the glory of God. He wants us to be good stewards of the gifts he has given us.

In verses 7-8 he gives us seven examples of spiritual gifts so we would know what he is talking about. They are each accompanied by a challenge to use the gift. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but many people have these gifts that are mentioned. Do you have any of these gifts?

• Prophecy: This is the ability to receive and proclaim a message from God. Prophecy has two dimensions: foretelling and forthtelling. The former occurs when a prophet speaks about a future event. The later is speaking to strengthen, challenge, and comfort God’s people.

• Service: The gift of service encompasses a wide variety of activities such as organizing and performing activities which provide the needs of people in the church and/or community.

• Teaching: This is the ability to cause other people to learn. It includes the ability to research, organize, and present material in ways that are helpful to others.

• Encouraging: This is the ability to come alongside another with words of support, counsel, and motivation so that people will take actions and develop attitudes consistent with the Christian calling.

• Giving: This is the ability to acquire and disperse money and material resources to meet the needs of the church and community.

• Leadership: This is the ability to determine priorities, set goals, establish directions, influence others, and achieve results.

• Mercy: This is the ability to show great compassion for the sufferings and needs of people without judgment.

So, do you have one of these gifts? Are you being a good steward of what God has given you? How are you using your gifts? If you are faithfully using your gifts, keep up the good work! If you are not, let me make a few suggestions!

If you have the gift of service, do something for someone! If you have the gift of leadership, organize some people and start some sort of ministry. You don’t need my permission to do it! If have the gift of encouragement, send a card or a letter to someone who is going through a difficult time. If you have the gift of giving, write that check and add a few more zero’s to the end of it! If you have the gift of teaching, join the Sunday school team or start a Bible study group!

Maybe your gift isn’t on this list! It could be any number of other things! Ask God to reveal it to you, and then ask him to help you use it. Be a good steward of the gifts God has given you!

Several years ago, two students graduated from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. The highest ranking student in the class was a blind man named Overton and, when he received his honor, he insisted that half the credit should go to his friend, Kaspryzak. They had met one another in school when the armless Mr. Kaspryzak had guided the blind Mr. Overton down a flight of stairs.

This acquaintance ripened into friendship and a beautiful example of interdependence. The blind man carried the books which the armless man read aloud in their common study, and thus the individual deficiency of each was compensated for by the other. After their graduation, they planned to practice law together.

One had the gift of sight; the other had the gift of arms! They used their gift to bless each other. This is exactly how God designed his church to work. Each of us has a vital function. When one member neglects their gift, the body suffers, but when we all share our gifts with one another, we become what the body of Christ was meant to be!

I am generally not a fan of contemporary Christian music, but a few years ago I heard a song from the band Casting Crowns that I deeply appreciated. Let me conclude today by sharing the words of the chorus from their song “If We Are the Body”:

But if we are the Body
Why aren’t His arms reaching
Why aren’t His hands healing
Why aren’t His words teaching

And if we are the Body
Why aren’t His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way

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If you knew you were going to die next week, how many of you would make some preparations this week? That’s what I thought! Jesus was no exception. During the last week of his life he made some final preparations.

On Palm Sunday Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem amid a myriad of waving palm branches and triumphant shouts of “Hosanna in the highest!”—thus declaring his Messiahship to the crowds for the final time. On Monday, Jesus cleaned his house one last time by charging into the temple and overturning the moneychangers’ tables. On Tuesday morning, Jesus engaged in his final debates with the religious leaders. On Tuesday afternoon, while sitting in the Mount of Olives, Jesus preached his final sermon to his disciples. On Wednesday, Jesus took his final bath as a woman poured an expensive bottle of perfume over his head. On Thursday, Jesus ate his final meal. And on Friday, Jesus breathed his final breath!

The purpose of Jesus’ final sermon on Tuesday afternoon was to prepare his disciples for life and ministry without him. His disciples had asked him what would be the sign of his coming at the end of the age. So, Jesus gave them some instructions and told them some parables about what to do while they awaited his return.

Have you ever wondered about that? What are we supposed to do while we await Jesus’ return? Well, he answers that question for us in the parable of the talents! Listen to the story again!

Scene 1- “A Long Journey” (14a)
The parable begins with Jesus painting a picture of a wealthy man going on a long journey. While he is gone, he entrusts his entire property to three of his servants. He doesn’t tell them where he is going or when he will return, but he implies that he will return one day.

The “long journey” in this parable represents Jesus’ physical absence from his church. Since his ascension into heaven, he has been physically away from his people for the last 2000 years. Like the servants in the parable, we have no idea when he will return. It could be at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon or it could be another 2000 years until he comes back.

It is rather easy for us to forget that Jesus will return someday. He has been gone for so long and we’ve sort of gotten used to his physical absence. In spite of the fact that Jesus promised us that he would return, our experience makes us wonder if he really is coming back. As the days and years of our lives pass by with the ticking of the clock, it is easy to get lulled into a spiritual sleep.

One of the purposes of this parable is to wake us up from our spiritual slumber and make sure we are ready for Jesus’ return. Yes, he has been gone for a long time, but he is coming back! Do you believe it? Are you ready for it?

Scene 2- “Stewardship of Kingdom Resources” (14b-18)
Before the wealthy master departed for his journey, as I mentioned, he entrusts his property and resources to three of his servants. He delegates 5 talents to the first servant, 2 to the second, and 1 to the third. This master is quite wealthy! The word “talent” is a monetary term that was equivalent to able 15 years of wages for an average day laborer in the Ancient Near East. By today’s standards, one talent would amount to somewhere between $250,000 and $300,000. The NIV’s rendering “more than $1,000 is far too low.

All three servants are entrusted with an extraordinary amount of resources and there is an implied expectation that the servants will use these resources to expand the master’s property. Although the resources are distributed according to the individual servants’ ability, they are each responsible for what they were given. The stewardship of these resources is an enormous responsibility.

Just as the master’s long journey represents Jesus’ physical absence, the servants in this parable represent us (Jesus’ servants) and the talents symbolize our giftedness and abilities. The definition of our English word “talent” which literally means innate personal giftedness or skill actually originated with this parable. As in the parable, Jesus has endowed every one of us with special talents, gifts, skills, and abilities. While he is away on his long journey, he expects us to be good stewards of these resources by using them to expand his kingdom. What an incredible responsibility he has given us!

Not only has God endowed us with different talents, but he has also endowed us different amounts of talents. Two people may be talented runners, but one may be faster than the other. Two people may be gifted cooks, but one’s food might taste better than the other’s. God holds us responsible for the amount of talent he has given us, not the amount of talent he has given someone else. Regardless of what talents he has given us or how much of them we have, God expects us to be using them to expand his kingdom. He wants us to be good and faithful stewards of the talents he gave us.

So, let me ask you: What are your talents? What skills and abilities has God given you? Are you a strong leader? Are you good teacher? Are you gifted in organization or administration? Are you a skilled musician, artist, writer, builder, or crafter? Do you excel in compassion, hospitality, or generosity?

What talents has God given you, and more importantly, are you using them for the Lord? Are you being a faithful steward of the resources he has entrusted to you? Are you using your talents to expand Christ’s kingdom while he is away? How are you doing it?

Scene 3- “The Day of Reckoning” (19)
Well, just as we expected, the master returned from his long journey and he wanted to settle accounts with his servants. This is a day of reckoning when each of the servants appears before the master to give an account of what he did with the resources that were entrusted into his care. This is where we find out if the servants are faithful stewards.

This is exactly what will happen with us! Someday Jesus is going to return to the earth for a great day of reckoning. We will each appear before him to give an accounting of how we used the gifts, talents, and resources he has given us. When we look into Jesus’ eyes, what will we have to say for ourselves? Will you say, “Oh, I had a talent, but I never really used it!”? Will you say, “I guess I used my talents for my own gain instead of yours!”? Will you say, “Well, I knew I have a talent but I was too afraid to use it or the right opportunity never came along.”? Or will you be able to say, “Lord, thank you for the talents you gave me! It was a pleasure to serve you! Here is what I did with them!”? What will you say on the day of reckoning?

Scene 4- “Good and Faithful Servants” (20-23)|
As each of the servants appear before the master, we learn that the first two servants immediately made effective use of their entrusted amounts, probably setting up some kind of business and making a capital return that doubled the original investment: 5 talents turned into 10 talents and 2 talents turned into 4 talents. Although the actual amounts are different, the master delivers the same response to the first two servants, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” The identical statement of praise to both servants indicates that the point of the parable is not the total amount earned but on faithful responsibility to live up to one’s potential and giftedness. The reward of earnings bestowed may differ, but both servants received more joy in the master’s presence and more responsibility in his kingdom. (Wilkins 807)

So it is with us today! Jesus isn’t nearly as interested in the amount of gain we make for his kingdom as he is with our stewardship of his kingdom resources and faithfulness in his kingdom service. All of our service in his kingdom is inherently valuable, whether in the sacred or secular realms or whether it receives a greater or lesser return.

Likewise, if we are faithful stewards and servants, we will gain the same rewards described here. We love receiving verbal praise and adoration from anyone, but can you imagine what it would be like to receive verbal praise from Jesus our Master, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”? Wow, how overwhelmed would we be to hear those words!

Also, we all enjoy a sense of satisfaction when we fulfill our responsibilities, but can you imagine the sense of satisfaction we will experience when Jesus says, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things!”? So many people today want the reward but they are not willing to fulfill their responsibility. They want the glory but want nothing to do with the grit it takes to get the glory. If we want to be in charge of many things, we must first be faithful with a few things. That’s the way God’s kingdom works! The reward for faithful service is more responsibility!

In addition to verbal praise and increased responsibility, faithful servants of Christ receive more joy in the master’s presence. Can you imagine what it would be like to hear Jesus say, “Come and share in my happiness!”? What a day that will be!

Scene 5- “A Wicked and Lazy Servant” (24-30)
In contrast to the first two servants, the third comes to the master with a different story: he hid his one talent in the ground and gave it back to the master without any return. The master responds with the dreadful words, “You wicked and lazy servant!” The charge of wickedness stems from his attitude toward his master, which in turn led to his laziness and bad stewardship. The fact that he perceives his master as a hard and unethical man (harvesting where he has not planted) shows that he does not really know his master and therefore caused him to be ambivalent toward the talent he received and apathetic about seeking to advance his master’s kingdom. This misperception produced alienation, fear, mistrust, and personal sloth. Had he truly loved his master, he would have been faithful instead of blaming his master for his lack of productivity.

The master shows his displeasure by accusing him of being so lazy that he didn’t even deposit the talent with the money-changers to earn a little bit of interest, which would have required minimal effort. Then the talent is taken away from him and given to the one having 10 talents; fulfilling the promise that the faithful will receive abundance. And finally the wicked and lazy servant is called “worthless” and is thrown into the darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

As in other parables, the contrast is between those whose eternal destiny is salvation in the presence of the long-expected Son of Man and eternal damnation. The first two servants are true disciples; the third one is not. A person’s faithfulness is evidence as to whether he or she is truly one of Jesus’ own. True disciples prove it by being good stewards of the talents God has given them and faithfully working to expand Christ’s kingdom. (Wilkins 808)

Unfortunately, this wicked and lazy servant represents so many people in the world today. God has given us so much—more talents, gifts, and resources than we know what to do with, but all they do is blame God for what they don’t have. Their wrong attitude about God (God is mean or unethical or doesn’t care about them) results in excuses for disobedience, poor stewardship, and unfaithfulness. This type of thinking has grave consequences!

What is your view of God? Do you recognize that everything you have, including your talents, are gifts from God? Are you using them for him or for yourself? Don’t blame God for your laziness and lack of productivity. Don’t be like this wicked servant!

This parable teaches us that a correct understanding of God will bring about the productive investment of our lives. When we truly understand who Jesus is, what he has done for us, and that he will return one day, we will be motivated to be good stewards of the talents he has given us and be faithful servants of his kingdom. This should cause us to examine our lives! It should cause us to ask questions like: Am I really one of Jesus’ disciples? How do I show it? Am I using my talents to serve him? Am I faithfully attempting to expand his kingdom? And finally, if he returns today, will he say to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”?

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Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Goldilocks. She went for a walk in the forest. Pretty soon, she came upon a little house. She knocked and, when no one answered, she walked right in.

At the table in the kitchen, there were three bowls of porridge. Goldilocks was hungry. She tasted the porridge from the first bowl. “This porridge is too hot!” she exclaimed. So, she tasted the porridge from the second bowl. “This porridge is too cold,” she said. So, she tasted the last bowl of porridge. “Ahhh, this porridge is just right,” she said happily and she ate it all up.

While reading the story of Goldilocks and the three bears to my children, I couldn’t help but think about the human propensity to be out of balance. Our food is too hot or too cold, too spicy or too bland! Our clothes are too tight or too loose! Our house is either too big or too small. We either have too much money or not enough! Although most of us would say don’t have enough, the truth is that many of us have too much! Seldom do we ever experience Goldilocks’ sense of satisfaction when she ate Baby Bear’s porridge. Very rarely can we sit back and say, “Ah, just right!”

Similarly, people are often out of balance when it comes to time. We tend to be either too early or too late; in a mad rush or just waiting around! For instance, raise your hand if you were in a hurry before church this morning! Raise your hand if you had to wait for someone before church this morning! That’s what I thought! When was the last time you heard someone say, “Ah, I always have just the right amount of time?”

I believe that one of the primary reasons why people’s time is so out of balance is because they have ignored God’s pattern of work and rest. Last week we looked at Genesis 1 and discovered that God instilled rhythms of work and rest into his creation. Today I want to show you how God reaffirmed these creation rhythms in his Law and reflect on their significance for our stewardship of time now.

Keeping the Sabbath Holy
Did you know that the Ten Commandments are recorded in two places in Scripture: Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. In Exodus we find the story of the original giving of the Ten Commandments. After God delivered the Israelites from 400 years of slavery in Egypt Moses led them through the Red Sea, they came to the sandy foot of Mount Sinai. There Moses ascended the jagged mountain and received the Ten Commandments from the Lord. When he descended, he delivered God’s Law to the people of Israel.

In Deuteronomy, which actually means “second law”, Moses recounts the Ten Commandment while the Israelites are camped along the east bank of the Jordan River. The people were reminded of God’s mighty deeds and Holy Law before they were to cross the Jordan and take possession of the Promised Land. They needed this spiritual renewal before they could take another step of faith.

The Sinai command to keep the Sabbath holy is the fourth in the listing of the ten revealed to Moses. Notice that the Fourth Commandment in Exodus and Deuteronomy are nearly identical in the two listings but the reasons supporting the commands differ! The reason given in Exodus is that this is what God did: God worked six days and quit working on the seventh. The reason given in Deuteronomy is that when God’s people were slaves in Egypt it was work, work, work—incessant, unrelieved work; they must never themselves perpetuate such oppression; they must quit work each seventh day so that their slaves and livestock and children will get a day off.

The Exodus reason supports a life of loving God—Sabbath keeping is a way to get in on what God does; the Deuteronomy reason supports a life of loving people—Sabbath keeping is a way to love your neighbor, a simple act of justice. (Peterson 111)

Let’s take a closer look at these two passages!

Exodus 20:8-11
The Exodus command is to remember the Sabbath is backed up by the precedent of God, who rested on the seventh day. When we remember the Sabbath and rest on it we enter into and maintain the rhythm of creation. We keep time with God! Sabbath keeping preserves and honors time as God’s gift of holy rest: it erects a weekly bastion against the commodification of time, against reducing time to money, reducing time to what we can get out of it, against leaving no time for God or beauty or anything that cannot be purchased. It is a defense against the hurry that desecrates time. (Peterson 111)

This is so true, when we reduce time to money or what we can get out of it, we desecrate God’s gift. When we are poor stewards of time, we do not love God. Like a child who gets a birthday gift that he does not like, throws a fit, and smashes the toy against the floor, when we either work too much or rest too much, we destroy God’s gift of time and show a lack of appreciation for it! God wants us to love him with six days of good work and one day of good rest and worship!

Deuteronomy 5:12-15
The Deuteronomy command to observe the Sabbath is backed by a sense of social justice in the neighborhood. We remember the Sabbath and rest on it in order to enter into and maintain the freedom of creation, to experience and share God’s deliverance and love for others. Sabbath keeping preserves and honors time as God’s gift of holy freedom: it erects a weekly bastion against the lethargic procrastination that breeds oppression, that let’s injustice flourish because we are not attending in holy obedience and adoring love to the people and animals and things God has placed around us. (Peterson 111)

When we are poor stewards of time, we are not loving people. Other people are affected by our hurry and procrastination. Other people are affected when we work too much or too little. How many families have been torn apart because time abuse? Think of the parent who oppresses their family financially because they refuse to work! Think the parent who oppresses his family emotionally because of he is always at work and is never home!

A first grader became curious because her father brought home a briefcase full of papers every evening. Her mother explained, “Daddy has so much to do that he can’t finish it all at the office. That’s why he has to bring work home at night.” “Well then,” asked the child innocently, “why don’t they put him in a slower group?”

God wants us to love people by balancing six days of good work and one day of good rest and worship!

Balancing Work, Rest, and Worship

Let’s think about work, rest, and worship for a few minutes!

Work
We cannot understand either the character or significance of Sabbath apart from work and workplace. Work doesn’t take us away from God; it continues the work of God through us. Sabbath and work are not in opposition; Sabbath and work are integrated parts of an organic whole. Either apart from the other is crippled. (Peterson 115)

Martin Luther, we are told, said this about work: “The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays—not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”

God wants us to work hard and work well. If you are a farmer, may you have a dairy of distinction in God’s eyes! If you are a teacher, may you be teacher of the year in God’s eyes! If you are a nurse, care for people as if every one of them was Jesus! Whatever work you do, do it for the glory of God!

Rest
According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. He laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity.

Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian, “Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bows implies.”

The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, “If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it.”

People are also like that. That’s why we all need to take time to rest. Shouldn’t we take His example seriously? Start by setting aside time to relax physically and renew yourself emotionally and spiritually. You will be at your best for the Lord if you have taken time to loosen the bow.

Worship
Storyteller Garrison Keillor comments, “Sunday feels odd without church in the morning. It’s the time of week when we take our bearings, and if we miss it, we’re just following our noses.”

Two weeks ago I preached a portion of this message at the Franklin Carriage house. Afterwards, an elderly woman told me a fascinating story about her grandparents. They were family dairy farmers and devout Christians. They never missed church and always reserved Sunday as a day of rest. Other than feeding their animals and milking their cows, they didn’t do any other farm work.

One spring, the weather was especially terrible and all of the farmers were having difficulty getting their seeds planted. They began to panic because they thought they might not get their crops planted in time. The first day decent enough that the farmers could get a horse into the fields just happened to be a Sunday. When her grandfather came in from his chores, he notified his wife that he wouldn’t be going to church that morning because he had to get his seed planted. He ordinarily wouldn’t have done this, but he was really feeling the pressure.

His wife didn’t argue with him, but as she walked out the door on her way to church by herself, she very calmly whispered, “You’ll regret this!” He worked hard that day, and by evening, all of his seed was planted. He felt good about his decision until the next morning when he went to the barn and discovered that his best horse was dead. He never missed another day of church the rest of his life!

Hard work needs to be balanced with consistent rest and worship. Our bodies need weekly rest and our souls need weekly worship. God gave us these laws for our good, not his! He gave us this pattern to help us be good stewards of his time!

The “Coronary and Ulcer Club” lists the following rules for members…

1. Your job comes first. Forget everything else.
2. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays are fine times to be working at the office. There will be nobody else there to bother you.
3. Never say “no” to a request. Always say “yes.”
4. Accept all invitations to meetings, banquets, committees, etc.
5. All forms of recreation are a waste of time.
6. Never delegate responsibility to others; carry the entire load yourself.
7. No matter how many jobs you already are doing, remember you always can take on more.

The fourth commandment tells us to remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. For most people today, Sunday makes the most sense for honoring the Sabbath. Have you set apart one day a week for rest and worship? Is your life balanced between rest and work?

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A number of years ago when I was youth pastoring in Massachusetts, our youth group acquired a djembe, an African drum, to accompany our praise and worship services. We thought one of the kids would either know how to play it or be interested in learning how to play it, but when no one was willing to do either, I decided that I would give it a shot. If you can play any sort of drum, you can play a djembe, and I said proudly, “How hard can it be?” Besides, I was going to be taught by the world’s greatest music teacher, my wife.

After she taught me the basics about how to hold and strike the djembe, I was ready to rock and roll, or so I thought. Over the next few weeks I practiced regularly. I practiced at church, at home, and even in the car when Jennifer drove. I gave it an honest try, but it was to no avail. Eventually, I recognized that I wasn’t cut out for percussion and I gave it up. The exacerbated looks on my wife’s face helped me come to that realization. She was much too kind and far too committed to grammatical correctness to ever say it, but her face communicated, “Give it up baby! You just ain’t got no rhythm!”

Do you ever feel that way in life? Do you ever feel out of rhythm? Do you ever feel like your life is too fast or too slow? Do you feel out of step or off the beat?

Some people are constantly frustrated because they have too much time on their hands. They complain because they are bored and can’t find anything to do. If you call them up and ask them what they are doing, they say, “Nothing, just killing time!”

On the other hand, some people are constantly frustrated because they never have enough time. They complain because they are always rushing around and have a hard time fulfilling all of their commitments. If you call them up and ask them what they are doing, they say, “I’m sorry, I can’t talk right now; I’m on my way out the door!” That is, if you can even get them on the phone!”

Whereas most people are inclined to believe that they are out of rhythm because of either an abundance or lack of time, the problem is actually with us. God created time and gave it to us to manage. Contrary to popular opinion, time is not ours. It is God’s! He has called us to be good stewards of his time.

The Bible opens with two creation stories, set by side in Genesis 1 and 2. These two chapters have been studied meticulously for two thousand years by Christian and Jewish scholars, and their collective insights stagger our imaginations. But what is often missed in the cascade of exegetical brilliance is how skillfully these texts prepare and lead us as ordinary working Christians into better lives today. Far too many Christians reduce these stories to only a defense of creation against evolution that they fail to see any other significance for today.

These two creation stories, set at the entrance of our Bibles, are primary texts for living in the time and place that we wake up each morning. Genesis 1 focuses on God’s creation gift of time and Genesis 2 focuses on God’s creation gift of place. As we consider the topic of stewardship of time, I hope to center our attention on Genesis 1and help us to recover the rhythms of creation for our lives today. (Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten-Thousand Places, 63)

The Creation Gift of Time (Genesis 1:1)
So, let’s look at Genesis 1 again! The first three words of the Bible set creation in time. Before we know what God did, we know when he did it—“In the beginning”—he created the heavens and earth in the beginning! Now no one knows exactly when the world began. Even among Christian scientists, theologians, and scholars there is considerable debate. Depending on whether you take the Young Earth or Old Earth Theory, God created the world somewhere between 6,000 and 4.5 billion years ago. Personally, I don’t think it is nearly as important to know precisely when God created the world as it is to simply know that God created the world and set it in time.

God gave us the gift of time while we are here on earth and he wants us to enjoy it and be good stewards of it. God embedded rhythms into his creation to help us be good stewards of time. Have you ever noticed how creation functions in rhythms—consistently repeated patterns of time—60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 52 weeks in a year, and so on! One of my favorite aspects of time in creation is the changing of the four major seasons. As soon as you start to get bored with one season it changes and adds beauty and variety to life.

Don’t you just love the new birth of springtime? The brown tree limbs awake from their slumber and bloom into glorious glades of green; flowers arise from the ground and stretch their multi-colored hands across the ground; songbirds return to fill the air with marvelous melodies!

Don’t you just love the growth of summer? The sight of corn rows rising out of the dust; the smell of a freshly cut hayfield or golf course; the taste of homegrown fruits and vegetables from the garden; the rush of cool water encompassing your body when you plunge into a mountain stream!

Don’t you just love the autumn harvest? The hillside foliage bursting with brilliant colors; the sound of choppers in the field; the smell of a Cortland apple pie baking in the oven; the early evening sunset shimmering across the lake!

Don’t you just love the winter sleep? When all nature around us rests and that first snowfall glistens over the ground; when you hear the crackle of the fire and watch the flames dance in the woodstove; when your boots lock into those skis and you feel the icicles form on your nose hairs as you soar down the slopes! Yes, these are all parts of God’s gift of time! Each day of creation gave us a different rhythm to enjoy!

The Creation Rhythms of Time (Genesis 1:3-2:3)
All of these rhythms are embedded in the creation order as described in Genesis 1. Even the structure of Genesis 1 is rhythmic. The creation account is arranged in a sequence of seven days. Six times a segment of creation work is introduced with the phrase, “And God said…” and six times is concluded with the phrase, “And there was evening and morning…” followed by the number of the day, one through six.

But the seventh day is treated differently and that difference sets it off for special emphasis and attention. Instead of the number being in the concluding phrase, it is in the introductory: “And on the seventh day.” This number seven is then repeated twice more in successive sentences. So, “seventh” is repeated three times, giving this seventh day an emphasis far beyond that of the first six.

So, here is what we notice: God’s work of creation is revealed to us in a rhythmic pattern—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7. There are two sets of three days each of creation activity. The first set of three gives form to the pre-creation chaos of verse 2; the second set of three fills the pre-creation emptiness. These two sets of creation days, days 1-3 forming the “without form” and days 4-6 filling the “void,” are then followed by the seventh day of creation rest in triple emphasis. As we assimilate Genesis 1, we find ourselves “keeping time”: one two three, four five six, seven seven seven! (Peterson 67)

We are created to live rhythmically in the rhythms of creation. We are created to live in the patterns of days, weeks, months, seasons, and years. There is nothing we can do to speed time up or slow it down, but we can certainly embrace the rhythms God has placed in nature and inside us. Probably the most important rhythm we see here is the balanced pattern of work and rest. God has shown us how he wants us to use the time: six days of work and one day of rest per week.

I believe that one of the chief reasons why so many people’s lives are so messed up today is that they are out of sync with God’s creation rhythms. They are not good stewards of the time God has given them. Some people make the mistake of ignoring God’s rhythm of work. They refuse to follow God’s pattern of six days of work and then wonder why they suffer financially or lack a sense of purpose and fulfillment in life.

Other people make the opposite mistake by ignoring God’s rhythm of Sabbath worship and rest. They refuse to follow God’s pattern of one day a week being set apart for worship and rest and they wonder why they are always stressed out, filled with anxiety, and lack a sense of peace in life. This often leads to relationship problems and say things like, “I just don’t see God working in my life!”

So, consider your own life for a minute! Are you in step with God’s creation rhythm of work, worship, and rest? Are you working? Are you resting? Are you worshipping?

Desecrations of Time
Before I conclude today, I want to briefly discuss the twin enemies of God’s creation rhythms: hurry and procrastination. Have you ever noticed that God is never in a hurry? Have you ever noticed that God never procrastinates? Even when Jesus lived on earth, he was never in a hurry nor did he ever procrastinate. Both of these are violations of God’s nature and desecrations of his creation rhythm. Listen to what Eugene Peterson says:

The understanding and honoring of time is fundamental to the realization of who we are and how we live. Violations of sacred time become desecrations of our most intimate relations with God and one another. Hours and days, weeks and months and years, are the very stuff of holiness. Among the many desecrations visited upon the creation, the profanation of time ranks near the top, at least among North Americans. Time is the medium in which we do all our living. When time is desecrated, life is desecrated. The most conspicuous evidences of this desecration are hurry and procrastination. Hurry turns away from the gift of time in a compulsive grasping for abstractions that it can possess and control. Procrastination is distracted from the gift of time in a lazy inattentive or by a procrastinating inattentiveness to the life of obedience and adoration by which we enter the “fullness of time.” Whether by a hurried grasping or by a procrastinating inattention, time is violated! (65)

Hurry
When I think about hurry, the chorus of that old Alabama country song comes to mind: “I’m in a hurry to get things done, I rush and rush until life’s no fun. All I really got to do is live and die, but I’m in a hurry and don’t know why!”

Do you ever feel like that? Like your always in a hurry and don’t know why? We certainly live in a culture that is always in a rush. Hurry is a desecration of God’s gift and rhythm of time! How about you? How often do you find yourself in a hurry?

Procrastination
I have a friend (whose identity will remain hidden) who wears a tee shirt with a very simple and ironic message on the front of it. It says: Procrastinators Unite: Tomorrow!

Do you ever find yourself saying, “Tomorrow!” When we procrastinate our responsibilities, we desecrate God’s gift and rhythm of time. Oftentimes we wind up being in a hurry because we have procrastinated. Are you a procrastinator?

God created time and gave it to us as a gift. He instilled beautiful rhythms of time in us and the created order. These rhythms reflect his very nature and provide the pattern for abundant life: Work, worship, rest! Work, worship, rest! How well do you keep the rhythm? Are you a good steward of the time that God has given you?

I want to ask you to do something! Sometime this week, take your Bible and read through Genesis 1 again. Read it out loud several times in a row and try to keep the verbal rhythm! Let the pattern of the words sink into your mind and soul! Then, on a sheet of paper, write down some ways that you are a good steward of time and some ways you are a bad steward of time. Finally, pray and ask God to help you maintain the areas where you are strong and improve the areas where you are weak, especially if you are prone to hurry or procrastination!

And may we always be thankful for the time God has given us and use it to his glory!

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J.R.R. Tolkien, in his epic trilogy The Lord of the Rings, explores antithetical relationship between stewardship and kingship. On one hand, there is a character named Denethor, who is in the position of steward of Gondor. He is the temporary ruler of Gondor in the absence of the proper king, but he has grown corrupt and weak-minded. On the other hand, the character Aragorn is the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor, but at the beginning of the trilogy, he hides this identity and pretends to be a ranger named Strider.

When Aragorn rises to power and is ready to take his proper place as king, Denethor is reluctant to give up his ownership of the kingdom. He confused the role of steward and king and it eventually led to his downfall. The inhabitants of Gondor learned that there is a major difference between a stewardship and kingship. A king has ultimate power and authority over his kingdom; a steward is a temporary manager of someone else’s resources. When a steward tries to assume the role of the king, it always spells disaster.

I believe there are many people in our world today who confuse the roles of steward and king with their lives. Many of us have been taught that we are kings of our individual lives. We believe that we have ultimate power and authority over our lives. We believe that what we have and have worked for is ours. Many of us have forgotten that God is the rightful king of our lives and we are merely stewards of his resources. Psalm 24 counteracts this mentality by reminding us that God is the only and rightful king of the universe!

The unifying theme throughout the psalm is the worship of God the king. The opening verses (1-2) establish the foundation of God’s kingship in his creation of the world. The second part of the psalm specifies the conditions that must be met by those who would worship the king of creation. The third part celebrates the kingship of God in military language, having associations with the Ark of the Covenant, which symbolized God’s sovereign presence in battle. Thus, this psalm was most likely composed as a hymn of praise to God for a great military victory—celebrating the fact that God is the king of the whole earth.

As we consider the difference between stewardship and kingship today, I want to focus on just the first two verses. The two opening lines of the hymn praise the Lord for his establishment of the world and his ownership of everything in it. These two verses provide a powerful corrective to the way so many people today undervalue God and overvalue themselves. Let’s examine these verses more closely!

God Owns Everything (1a)
The dramatic declaration at the beginning of this hymn of praise sets us straight as to who is the king and who is the steward. Make no mistake about it—God is the sovereign king over the whole universe and everything in it belongs to him.

In verse 1 David uses a common feature of Hebrew poetry called synonymous parallelism to describe the breadth of God’s ownership. He uses the term “earth” in the first line and “world” in the second line. They both refer to the vastness of God’s creation. The phrase “everything in it” distinguishes God’s ownership of every inanimate and impersonal material object in the universe. This includes everything from the sun, moon, and planets that illumine the sky to every mountain, hill, tree, and river, on earth. This includes everything from the largest star to the smallest quark!

The largest known star is VY Canis Majoris; a red hypergiant star in the constellation Canis Major, located about 5,000 light-years from Earth. University of Minnesota professor Roberta Humphreys recently calculated its upper size at more than 2,100 times the size of the Sun. Placed in our Solar System, its surface would extend out past the orbit of Saturn. Light takes more than 8 hours to cross its circumference!

You chemistry majors know that a quark is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nuclei. This means that quarks are even smaller than atoms!

When the text says “everything” it means everything! God owns absolutely everything in the universe!

God Owns Everyone (1b)
In the second line, David employs the phrase “all who dwell in it” to deepen his description of God’s sovereignty and ownership over his creation. This phrase refers to every living creature and person in existence. This includes everyone from the richest to the poorest person in the world. This includes the child who was just conceived in the mother’s womb to the oldest person in the world. By the way, the world’s current oldest person is Kama Chinen. This Japanese woman is who will turn 115 on May 10, 2010 if she can just hang in there for another week or so! It also includes everyone from Adam, the first human being to ever walk on the face of the earth to last person who will live here.

God Created Everything (2)
Once David declares that everything and everyone in the world belongs to God, he goes on to explain why. God owns everything and everyone because he created everything and everyone! Verse 2 says that he founded the earth upon the seas and established it upon the waters. This is not saying that the earth actually floats on some sort of terrestrial ocean. Rather, using poetic language, this verse refers back to Genesis 1 where we have a picture of how God created, established, and ordered everything in the world. This language recalls the act of creation in which God summoned the dry land to rise from the watery surface. The earth is portrayed as having a foundation like a large cathedral built to the glory of God. He is Lord over all the works of his hands, putting everything in its rightful place, including human beings!

Do you remember where God originally placed Adam and Eve? That’s right, the Garden of Eden? Do you remember whose garden Eden was? That’s right, it was God’s! Eden was God’s garden because he created it, but he gave Adam and Eve the responsibility of being stewards of the garden. They were to tend, work, and rule over the garden, and in return, God blessed them with everything they needed for a fulfilling physical and spiritual life.

The problem came when they confused the roles of stewardship and kingship. They were merely stewards of the garden, but the serpent deceived them into believing that they were kings of the garden. They usurped God’s authority and assumed the role of king when they took ownership of what did not belong to them. When they ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they lost the blessings of the Garden of Eden. God reminded them that he is the only king of the universe!

This is exactly what happens to us today when we, the stewards of the earth, usurp God’s authority and set ourselves up as kings of the earth. When we act like everything and everyone is ours, we play the part of king rather than steward. As God did with Adam and Eve in the garden, God has ways of reminding us that we are not kings and that we don’t own the earth. Every time there is an earthquake, hurricane, or tornado, God reminds us of how little power we have over nature. Every time there is an economic collapse, God reminds us of how little control we actually have over our money. Every time we lose a loved one, God reminds us that he is the giver and taker of life, not us!

So, let me ask you: When do you tend to forget that we are merely stewards instead of kings? What areas of your life do you tend to act like a king instead of a steward? Where you need to be reminded that God is the owner of everything and that we are simply temporary stewards of his resources?

1.) The Environment
One area where many people confuse roles of stewardship and kingship is the environment. On one hand, God is the only king of the earth. He alone can change the weather and manipulate the wind and waves. On the other hand, he has charged us to be good stewards of his creation, and it is amazing how many people minimalize this responsibility. It is particularly sad when Christians are more interested in disputing the science behind global warming than they are about reducing the amount of trash that destroys our planet. I don’t understand all the details about global warming, but I do know that the amount of trash we put in the land, water, and air cannot be good for God’s creation.

I believe this mentality stems from an attitude of ownership and entitlement toward the earth. I have heard people say, “It’s my land, I can do whatever I want with it.” “It’s my property, and it’s nobody else’s business what I do with it!” “The environment isn’t my problem, it’s someone else’s problem.” Do you think these attitudes are glorifying to God or his creation?

The earth in which we live is a gift from God’s from God’s own hand, and it is our responsibility to take care of it. God has called us to be stewards of his creation! Are you taking care of your responsibility? What steps are you taking to conserve energy? What changes are you making to reduce waste, trash, and pollution? The earth is the Lord’s; what is your attitude toward God’s creation?

2.) Church
Another area where people tend to play the role of king rather than steward is church. It is natural that the longer we are members of a particular local church, the more we tend to take ownership of it. This is true of both pastors and parishioners. It certainly isn’t wrong to care deeply about your local church, but we must always remember that every church belongs to God. It never belongs to any individual or group!

I have seen people in some churches who take so much ownership that they become hostile toward new people and they never let anyone else do anything. Some people take so much ownership that they balk anyone who would even suggest changing something. Likewise, I have seen some pastors who believe the church belongs to them and they shepherd their people like tyrannical dictators. Regardless of who we are, how long we have been here, or what we like or dislike, we must always remember that the church belongs to God! We are just stewards of his church!

3.) Family
Family is probably the most delicate issue of all when it comes to stewardship. Many people develop a belief that their family belongs to them. We tend to go through life thinking that our spouse and our children belong to us, but they don’t! They belong to God!

I think parents especially struggle with this when their children finish high school. God entrusts them to us to raise for eighteen years, and then the day comes when they leave for college, get married, or simply move away for some other reason! This is the real test of whether we see ourselves as stewards or kings. Parents who act as kings refuse to let their children go! They try to manipulate their children into doing what they want them to do, even if God is leading them somewhere else. Parents who act as stewards thank God for the wonderful opportunity he has given them, but they are willing to trust God enough to turn them back over to him.

Think about your children for a minute! Do you parent like a king or a steward? Do you act like your kids belong to you or to God? Remember, everyone who dwells in the world belongs to God!

I suppose the greatest test of whether we believe we are a king or steward of our family is how we respond when they die. If your spouse or one of your children passes away and you respond with anger or bitterness toward God, you probably see yourself as a king. I know many people who shake their fists at God and say, “How could you do this to me? How could you take him away from me? Why would you let her go like that?” When we say things like this, we deny that they really belonged to God in the first place and assert that we are wiser or more compassionate than God.

Contrarily, when you lose a loved one and respond by saying, “The Lord gives and takes away! Blessed be the name of the Lord!” you probably see yourself as a steward. When you simply thank God for the years you were able to enjoy with that person, you probably understand the difference between stewardship and kingship.

One of the most powerful sermons I have ever heard was preached by Dr. E.V. Hill, the late pastor of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. The sermon was preached in 1987 and is titled “My Wife’s Death in Biblical Perspective.” His text was Job 1:21, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Throughout the sermon he refers to his wife with the name he called her, “Baby.” He explains at the beginning of the sermon that he did not choose to preach her funeral to display special strength; rather, he said, “I stand fulfilling a task my member asked of me.” His wife, one of his church members, asked him to preach her funeral so he did so. Toward the end, he takes up “the Lord taketh away” making the important point that a sign of Christian maturity is being able to say “Blessed be the name of the Lord” not only when the Lord gives but also when He takes away.

The reality is that none of us really own anything. Everything that we ever had, have now, or will have sometime in the future belongs to God. Whether it is his land, his church, his family, or something else, let us never forget that we are mere stewards who are temporarily managing God’s resources. If you really believed that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, how would it change your view of life? Do you see yourself as a king or as a steward? Do you know your rightful place in the world?