A major challenge in preparing this sermon is knowing that it is the first of four sermons on a similar topic, so I had to (and will continue to have to) try and keep the focus sharp enough that it does not blur into the next sermon.
“Teaching
Stewardship” Stewardship series 2013; FPC, Troy
Introduction:
Series on stewardship: teaching
it; living it; how our stewardship can continue after our deaths; celebrating
it;
We will have weekly
Minute for Missions as well as members share with us about stewardship
We begin this morning by reflecting on how we teach
stewardship – to everyone, but particularly to our children.
Move 1: Question
-- If we do not teach stewardship to our children, our grandchildren, to those in
our community of faith, how will they learn it?
a. “I asked an executive at the South Dakota
Community Foundation why South Dakotans donate so much of their incomes to
charity [the average S. Dakota family
donate 75% more of their income than the average San Francisco family]. Her response was immediate: religion. ‘We were all taught to tithe here,’ she told,
referring to the biblical injunction to believers that they donate 10 percent
of their incomes to charity. Further, she explained, even those who do not
attend church regularly donate a lot because they were taught to do so by their
parents, who probably did attend.” Who Really Cares: America
1.
Church was the place it was taught.
2.
Parents involved in the teaching.
3.
This is the place; you are the people.
B. A little boy in church for the
first time watched as the offering plates were passed. When it came to his
family, he said loudly, “Don't pay for me, Dad.
I'm under five.” Marj Carpenter,
“Presbyterian Outlook,” 9/19/11, p. 9
1. The
passing of the offering plates is rather odd, isn’t it?
2.
Imagine if you have never come to church before today.
3.
Some people put in cash; some do not put in anything, they just
pass the plates to the next person. Who
decides who actually puts something in the plates?
4.
Others use envelopes; what’s in the envelopes? Different colored
envelopes?
5.
What’s that about? The only
thing you know for sure is that no one is taking any of the money out of the
offering plate.
6.
If our children are going to understand what is happening, if
those worshipping with us are to understand, we have to teach about what we are
doing when we give our offering back to God.
c. We have that same responsibility as a church
1.
Start This, Stop That, by Jim and Jennifer Cowart argue that every
church should be teaching a financial management course.
2.
Like the Financial
Peace University
3. A class to teach how we handle our money and how
we give back to God.
If we do not teach stewardship, then our kids,
those who join with us, will never know about the privilege of giving back to
God.
Move
2: When teaching, simple and concrete.
a.
Dave
Conover – note the visual way he suggests teaching it; simple approach
b.
Tithe – we may not know the word, but it’s a simple word once we do know it,
and simple to explain.
1.
1 of 10.
2.
For every dime, a penny.
3.
or for every dollar, give a dime.
4.
or for every $10, give $1.
b.
Thanks – simple, but gets to the heart of things.
1.
I suspect most of our parents are already teaching about
gratitude.
2.
Say “thank-you”
3.
Stewardship grows out of giving thanks to God for all God has done
for us.
4.
When you talk to your child about why giving that $1 out of the
$10 they earned baby-sitting or got in their allowance, we remind them that
they do not give because you are forcing them to, or that God will be mad if
they do not; no, they give back to God because they are thankful.
Start teaching with two simple words – tithe and thanks.
Move 2:
Stories – I Chronicles
a. Chronicles shares the story of how David
teaches stewardship by his own example.
1.
They already know about King David.
2.
set the stage. Late in his
time as king. He wants to do something
magnificent to honor, to give thanks to God.
3. He wants to build God
a grand and glorious temple.
3.
But God tells David “NO.”
4. This is important. Ask your kids how they might feel if they
wanted to give something special and God said “No.”
5. You might note that David has several options
– eh can take his money elsewhere; he can not give anything.
6. But King
David chooses to give a great gift to the building of the Temple
d. he gives solely because he wants to give
thanks to God.
1.
David gets nothing in return.
2. His giving is about his thankfulness.
Teach the story; invite your child to give to God out of
thankfulness.
Move
4: Story from Mark – how Jesus teaches
stewardship.
a.
Jesus
and the disciples are in the Temple
1. Good lesson right
there.
2. People giving back to
God.
3.Part of being God’s
people is giving.
b. But then Jesus calls the disciples attention to
the widow (insight for this section of
the sermon comes from Patrick Willson’s sermon "Buying God Off," preached November 4,
2012 at First Presbyterian Church, Albuquerque, NM)
1.
The one who gives two small copper coins that amount to almost
nothing.
2.
Jesus points out her gift
and says, “that impresses me.”
3.
Two coins of such enormous insignificance that it takes both of
them to make up one penny.
4.
You might note that at cash registers there are often bowls with
pennies in them. You see those bowls at convenience store cash
registers: “if you need pennies, take them; if you don't want your
change, drop it here.”
5.
Into the treasury of the great Temple of Jerusalem
b. Why? Because everyone else is giving out their
abundance; the widow is giving out of her poverty.
1.
Jesus
sees lots of people giving gifts, some large amounts.
2.
but
the widow digs deep to give back to God.
3.
How
thankful she must have been.
4.
If
we follow the widow’s example, the tithe is just the beginning of what we give
back to God.
Conclusion:
Who will teach the young boy that the offering is not admission to
church?
We will.
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