How sad for the gracious old building! The caravan park proprietor and family were living in part of it, but a sign advised the public that it was not "yet" available for inspection. Apparently there are places where the water comes in when it rains, and a good deal of restoration work was needed.
The church is not, of course, an old house of some historical value and interest, but a living Body, a spiritual house made up of living stones -you and me! The purpose of this spiritual house is twofold - offering spiritual sacrifices to God and declaring the praises of the one who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.
How is the Church able to be and do these things? Only as each of the living stones (you and me) is in place, giving form and strength to the whole, committed to the praise of God and the declaration of his goodness. Then and only then, the church, instead of falling down, falling apart, is able to be built up and to grow.
Sheldon Vanauken and his wife Davey had gone to Oxford to study and there, through the witness of C.S.Lewis and others, had become Christians, converted from a non-Christian background. They had a strong drive to learn all they could and to grow. When they returned to America, they received a shock.
"Compounding the cultural shock was a religious one. At Oxford we had remembered Lynchburg as a city of churches, not such venerable and beautiful churches as the English ones perhaps, but full, no doubt, of the Holy Spirit, full of constant lively searching into the meaning of the Christ-centred life. To be sure, we had not notices this vivid Christian life, doubtless surging all about us - but, then, we had not been Christians. Now it appeared to us that there was little interest in living a life centred in the Incarnate Lord. People went to church of course, but their conversation was about the convivial Couples Club or the radical ideas of the bishop. No doubt Christ was in the churches, but he was not easy to find." (A Severe Mercy, p.127)
Are you a living stone within the spiritual house that is God's people? Are you fair dinkum about being there, aware and thankful that you are now part of the people of God, aware and thankful that you have now received mercy?
Our focus tonight is on stewardship. A steward is a person entrusted with the management of another's property". Is that the understanding you have about all that you have - your time, your talents and your possessions?
1. Because we ourselves, and all that we have are God's. Jesus is our Lord. We have been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6.1920). In David's time the people gave freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord for the building of the temple. David prayed, "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give so generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand" (1 Chron. 29.14).
2. Because God commands it. Giving is not a matter of preference or taste, but is obligatory and binding because of the clear direction of God himself. "On the first day of the week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper" (1 Cor. 16.2). "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have" (Heb. 13.16). In Malachi 3, the failure of the people to bring their tithes and offerings is described as "robbing God".
3. Because God gave his Son for us. In 2 Cor.89, Paul gave the example of the Macedonian Christians. In essence he was saying, "The great expression of God's love is the gift of His Son to meet our need; we should express our love in return by giving to his needy ones as to him. The Macedonians did it out of their great poverty, for love must give. Let the Corinthians find in the need of the Christians at Jerusalem an opportunity which should be eagerly grasped to show their love to Christ and his brethren."
4. Because of its effect on our spiritual development. How we give is an expression of our worship and our whole lifestyle. Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Mt. 6.1921). It is also part of our trust in God - that's why Jesus said we don't have to be anxious about "things", we can to seek first God's Kingdom and righteousness and the other things will then take their proper place in our lives.
It is clear from both Old and New Testaments that all of God's people are expected to give to God. Some of the Old Testament gifts were obligatory, like the tithe (Lev. 27.3032), others were voluntary, like the gifts for the tabernacle (Ex. 25.2).
In the New Testament we think of the rich young ruler (Lk. 18.1825) and Zacchaeus (Lk. 19.110) among the rich; and of the widow (Lk. 21.14) and the Macedonians (2 Cor. 8.15) among the poor.
This is, of course, a personal matter. It is not for us to say, "Lord, what about this person?", but to hear our Lord say, "Follow me!".
John Wesley, in his sermon on the use of money, said, "Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can." We certainly need to ask, "How much?" not "How little?", for we are to give cheerfully, willingly, sacrificially, whole-heartedly, liberally...
1. We are to give according to God's blessing and our ability. "Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which he has given you" (Dt.16.17). "And the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judaea" (Acts 11.29).
2. We must offer to God nothing less than the best. "And when anyone offers a sacrifice ... to be accepted it must be perfect" (Lev.22.21). "'How have we despised your name?' By offering polluted food on my altar... When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that no evil?... Cursed be the cheat who...sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished" (Mal.1.6,7,8,14).
How did this apply in daily practice? Here is a list of the compulsory contributions that the Israelites were called on to give:
1. A tithe (one tenth) of their income for the maintenance of
the Levites;
2. A tithe of their income for the purposes of the festival;
3. A tithe of their income for the poor;
4. Wave sheaves;
5. First fruits;
6. Ungathered fruit left for the poor;
7. Tithes of the increase of cattle and vines;
8. The cost of sacrifices and loss of time involved in worship
at Jerusalem every three years.
When all this was done, faithful Jews could still only say, "We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty" (Lk.17.10). It was after this point that voluntary (free-will) offering began, and the extent of this is given on two great historic occasions - at the time of the erection of the tabernacle in the wilderness and of the Temple in Jerusalem (Ex. 35.436.7; 1 Chron. 29.119). In modern terms the gifts for the Temple probably represented more than $1000 per person - and that was in addition to the tithes, sacrifices, first-fruits and so on!
The Israelites must have given about a third of their income, and according to the New Testament we are to give as God has prospered us, bountifully, sacrificially. So the Scriptures lay down a basic principle of proportional giving. Some may give a tenth, some less, some more - let the proportion be decided in the presence of God, in the light of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in his great self-giving. Having made a decision, let it be solemnly regarded and reviewed from time to time.
Remember, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Giving is an essential part of the life of faith - and it makes us open to the more that God can give.
Somewhere on our holidays we came across this bumper sticker: "Jesus saves - but not on my income." As a statement it doesn't even try to understand the meaning of "Jesus saves". But, to turn it around, if you understand for yourself that Jesus saves, then is your income available to help others know that salvation too? Freely you have received, freely give!
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