We have reached the end of our stewardship focus month. So far, we’ve talked about our duties to one another as churchgoers, we’ve talked about how to steward our time, how to utilize our talents, and now it is time, and we’ve been hinting at it through all these weeks, to talk about treasure. Growing up, I always thought that when the pastor was talking about treasure, he was talking about pirates, because, let’s be honest, stewardship seems boring, whether you’re a kid or an adult, and I wasn’t paying attention. But I think this idea of treasure can actually be really good for us to understand.
A pirate has treasure he gets from looting and plundering. It’s not his investment portfolio. It’s not from an honest day’s work. It’s from taking from others. And what does he do with it, at least in our minds? He hides it away. He buries it on some deserted island to keep it safe; he hoards it and kills anyone who comes near it. Don’t we do the same?
I’m not saying we’re a church of thieves here, but I think it might be good to understand that the treasure isn’t really the pirate’s. It belongs to someone else. And should that someone desire it back, it should belong to the pirate the ideal to give it back, but he won’t. He’ll protect it with all his might. When it comes to our treasure, our goods, whether they be our time, our talent, our money, our possessions, we need to realize that any of this isn’t really ours. It’s not. It might be in your care. It might be yours to use, but it doesn’t belong to you.
It all is a gift of God to you. It belongs to Him and He gives it to you to use and He will ask you at the end of time for an accounting of how you used the gifts. He’s not asking for a log book, an accounting ledger, but I think it’s close. You see, to the one who loves Christ, they will utilize all the gifts He’s given. The most important gifts, of course, are Word and Sacrament. These gifts He gives freely to bring Himself to you that you might live in peace with Him forever. And these gifts, then, inform the receipt of every other gift He gives.
You have money? Why? Because God gave it to you to use in this life until He returns. How should you use it? Well, what do the Scriptures say? Take care of one another. Live peaceably with one another. Support the ministry of the Church. Deal generously with one another. I’m not going to say that there are Biblical principles which we should live by. Instead, I will point you to the commands of God, both the explicit things, like “You shall not covet”’ and “You shall not steal, as well as the implicit things, like “The worker deserves his wages” and “A man reaps what he sows.” While God, in these passages, is not specifically saying utilize your money well or else, He is implying that you should.
Instead of hiding your treasure away and acting as if the next person who touches it shall die, give of your treasure. Give it away. Don’t do it wantonly or without thought. But give it away. Don't hold onto it. There are “charities” out there that specifically call the elderly, asking them for money and they just give it and give it and give it, and all of the sudden, it’s the end of the month and there’s nothing left. That’s not good stewardship, either by the giver or the thief. Instead, give it where you know it will be put to good use. If it’s a reputable organization you want to give to, great. If it’s an individual you want to help support through tough times, great. These are good ways to use your money, giving it to places that can make a difference on behalf of all of us, or to people you love who need you.
But, please, don’t forget the Church. Don’t forget to be giving to the Church. If you do not give out of your treasure to the church, it closes its doors. That’s just the reality. The reality is, in this life, your local church needs money to keep going, to pay the bills, to pay the staff. We live in a world dictated by money, and thus the Church needs to have it, too. I’m not saying that we should be giving so that our faculty and staff are living high on the hog, though we certainly do want to make sure they’re well taken care of. Instead, give so that they are comfortable. Watch the budget that comes out every year. Are the teachers getting raises? Are they getting cost-of-living increases? Are paying our bills? Are we paying our bills on time? Are we able to keep going?
Because, here’s the thing, my friends, if we can’t do what the world rightly demands we do, which is to pay everything that is owed, the rest of the ministry will shut down. And that’s really it. Everything we do in the Church is to support the Word and Sacrament ministry of the Church. Every thing. If we do a mission focus, it’s to support the Word and Sacrament ministry. The food pantry should do this. The school should do this. Everything flows out of the Word and Sacrament ministry. But, if you don’t pay the bills on time, the tax man comes and takes away the property and there is nothing left for the Word and Sacrament ministry to occur in this place. It’s just the reality.
Here’s the other reality: giving has been down in our church going over the last twenty years. People have left our church over the last twenty years. That means that not only is the percentage of people giving going down, but the amount those who are giving gives goes down, too. We’ve switched from a model where the school is a ministry of the church, to the school is the main provider for the church. This is a dangerous place to be, my friends. Right now, our school exists at the whim of the government. We’re only here because of governmental programs that we take advantage of, but what if they go away? With the church relying on the school, if the school is gone, so goes the church.
I say this to scare you a little. We all need to consider how we use our time, our talents, and our treasure to preserve the Word and Sacrament ministry of this place we all love to the people we all love. I’m not saying there’s an easy fix, I’m not even saying that I know if it’s possible. What I am saying is that we need to take a good look at ourselves and find out if we’re being faithful with what God has given us. Are we utilizing His gifts appropriately? Are we faithful in our attendance? Are we faithful in our receiving the Lord’s Supper? Are we faithful in repenting of our sins and receiving forgiveness? Are we faithful to each other, calling one another back when we’ve strayed? Are we faithful in our giving?
God has given us all the gifts we have, and we’re called to use them to bring Jesus to more people. Jesus says in the last chapter of Matthew, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” This is the main way the Church evangelizes and edifies people. We baptize the babies, and, of course, anyone else who would come, and we teach the faith. We do this because of the great love we have for our Lord who has redeemed us from our sin. Because He lived, died, and rose again for us, we want others to believe the same, to know the same, to be with us.
A great way to make sure this is continuing to happen is absolutely to make sure that we are giving to the ministry of the Church. If you want to give ten percent, a tithe, then great. If you can only afford less, that’s fine. If it’s a hardship, come and talk, let’s figure out other ways that you can give, not even money, but of yourself. We’re in this together, by a promise you made in your membership vows to one another. We’re a family; we take care of one another, and we take care of our house. We’re not pirates, hoarding our treasures away, but we use them for the sake of each other, we give to each other what God has given us, what belongs to Him, that we might be fed and feed all who would come the wonderful bread of life eternal, the Word and Sacraments of Jesus Christ Himself.
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