Reverend Raymond Osborne, Pastor

Please Note That Most Messages Follow
The Revised Common Lectionary

Last Sunday, as I met with the Administrative Board, it was decided that it would be a good thing for us to begin an emphasis on Stewardship. During the course of this week I tried very hard to prepare myself adequately in order that I may be able to lead our church through a successful Stewardship Campaign. During my studies and research I came across a story written by Joe Parrish and I’d like to share it with you.

"You've got to help me," wailed the elderly widow named Mrs. Andrews.

With a deep, and practiced reverent tone, the esteemed Methodist minister, The Reverend Doctor Steward Ship, calmly answered,

"Certainly, I'd be glad to help Mrs. Andrews."

"O Thank God," Mrs. Andrews immediately shot back. "You see, my beloved bulldog Pansy died last night. And I'm looking for someone to do his funeral."

Dr. Ship's voice seemed a bit put off as he replied, "I'm sorry Mrs. Andrews. This is a Methodist church. We simply don't do anything improper like holding a funeral for an animal. I suggest you contact the local Presbyterian pastor. I'm sure he'd be available for something of this sort."

Then with great relief Dr. Ship hung up the phone and did his best to put this incredible request far from his mind.

But, unfortunately for Steward, the problem wasn't solved. For Mrs. Andrews called back about a day later. And she was frantic. She told the pastor how the Presbyterian minister had referred her to an Orthodox Rabbi. The Rabbi suggested she call a Muslim Imam. The Imam gave her the number of a Christian Science practitioner.

"Over the last 24 hours," Mrs. Andrews blurted, "I've talked to every clergy person, of every religion, in the city. None of them will hold Pansy's funeral. They weren't even interested when I told them about the $20,000 I intend to donate to the church of the person who'll do this for me."

"Did you say $20,000," Dr. Ship explosively gasped. Then upon an affirmative reply to his question, he replied, in his most reverent tone, "Now Mrs. Andrews; why didn't you tell me Pansy was a Methodist!"

That cute story hits home doesn’t it? You see, I’m afraid that when we hear the words “Stewardship Campaign,” we often equate that with money and in many ways what I am about to share with you IS about money but beloved if all we see is the money issue, we’re in trouble before we ever begin. By the way, I wanted to take Stephanie and the kids out for Japanese after church does anyone have $100 dollars I can have? Thanks Doug! I appreciate it! Now where was I? Oh yeah, it seems to be a common question whenever we talk about stewardship to say, “Well how much does the church want me to give so that we can meet our budget?” Ever asked yourself that question? Sure you have. Well if you’ve ever asked yourself that kind of question guess what? You’ve been asking the wrong question. See stewardship is not about meeting a budget, stewardship is about being faithful in our giving to God. Again, the wrong question is “How much is the church asking me to give?” The right question is, “How much does God require I give and am I going to be faithful to what HE requires?”

In my opinion, you can never have a successful Stewardship Campaign without giving that campaign a name that is self-describing of the ultimate goal of the campaign. The name I have chosen appears in your bulletin as the title of this message, “Hungering for the Harvest in 2001.”

Like any good sermon there are 3 points to this sermon. If you want to write them down feel free, in fact I encourage you to do so.

Point #1: The goal of Stewardship is NOT to meet a budget, although that is inevitable when we practice true stewardship, the goal of Stewardship is found in harvesting, bringing on board new souls for the Lord. In other words, we must practice Stewardship if we are to do all that God requires of us in reaching a lost, dying, shepherd less world with the Good News of Jesus.

The text says that, “Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. And when he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Our motivation for giving ought to be multifaceted. Our motivation for giving and in fact increasing our giving ought to be first because God requires it. I am often amazed how small our Bibles are. You know why preachers carry such BIG Bibles don’t you? It helps us in our visitation. Yeah, it does! I mean have you ever tried to beat off a German Shepherd with an itsy bitsy New Testament? Let me tell you it doesn’t help much! Anyway, our Bibles are often small because we choose to ignore part of it. Listen as I read some of what we often want to ignore.

Deuteronomy 12:5-6 “But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes as his habitation to put his name there. You shall go there, bringing there your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and your donations, your votive gifts, your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and flocks.”

Malachi 3:8-10 “Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, "How are we robbing you?" In your tithes and offerings! You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me--the whole nation of you!” Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”

Now we can easily use the cop-out that those verses are from the Old Testament and we are under the New. However, let me remind you of some New Testament passages.

First the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:17-18, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.”

The words of the Apostle Paul in Corinthians 16:1-2, “Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave to the churches of Galatia. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come.” Paul carries us to a new principle in giving, that we give proportionally to what we have received.

The NIV uses the phrase, “you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income,” and the KJV says, “let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.”

Why do we give? Because God requires that we give. How do we give? According to how God has allowed us to prosper. I dare say each and everyone of us here can say that God has been good to me!”

Secondly, our reason for giving should be a normal part of our Spiritual maturity. When we are given the opportunity in the order of service, wherever that may come, to worship God with our tithes and offerings, our giving should be a natural response stemming from our growth in our journey of faith. We give because that is what comes natural. We have grown in our spiritual walk to the point that giving is as natural a way of worshiping God as breathing is natural to our sustaining life.

Point #2: Stewardship is our response to the Goodness of God!

I touched on this just a few minutes ago. Don’t raise your hands but I wonder how many of us are walking examples of what God can do? God healed me from cancer. I bet some of you have suffered other illnesses and God has come to your rescue. God has blessed me with a wonderful wife and two beautiful children.

The other night we all went to see the movie about the Grench. I commented to Stephanie after the movie that it was the first movie I have been too that taught my children a good moral value. That value being that Christmas is not about presents and insurmountable debt. It taught that Christmas is about family and I was so proud as my children added the birth of Jesus. Here we are about to enter Thanksgiving and I must ask you, do you have anything to be thankful for this year? My friends listen to me, you and I have so much to be thankful for and the only reason we have anything to be thankful for is because God is allowing us to have it. Everything you and I have we owe to God.

Point #3: We ought to be practicing good Stewardship because what you and I have isn’t really ours to begin with. Everything we have belongs to God anyway – He’s just lending them to us for a while.

I remember when I really began to sing and play the guitar. I began to play 70’s Rock-n-Roll. You know Zepplin, Steppenwolf, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Skynard, and many others. My dad sat me down and showed me his hand which had a big old scar in it that prevented him from playing the guitar as good as he once did. He showed me his hand and he said, “Son play your guitar and use your voice for the Lord. Look at my hand, this happened when I was playing and singing country music. If you don’t use what God has given you for His service, He can quickly take it away.”

I know you all have been wondering about the $100 I got from Doug. Well let me allow you to know the truth behind that $100. I talked with Doug yesterday on the phone and asked him to participate in this morning’s sermon with me. I gave him the $100 before church with his agreement to give it back when I asked for it. I’m glad he did and didn’t pocket it or forget about our arrangement.

Beloved that’s the way it is with God. He has given us all that we have and He expects us to be good stewards and give Him back what is His to begin with.

Did you ever see a ship launched? There she sits on the dry land, shored up by beams, perfectly safe, looking altogether out of place and utterly useless. Then the beams are removed and the champagne is broken across her bow. And, very slowly at first, but gathering speed and momentum she slides down the ways until she splashes in the water. And there is a sort of a shudder, and she rights herself. Then she’s afloat. She is where she belongs. She’s beautiful and useful, and terribly exciting. That is what happens when a Christian decides to launch out and begin to live by what we have called the deeply imbedded principals of tithing. Of course I hope we raise the budget next year, but that’s not of eternal importance. What IS eternally important is how many of us will move down the ways of our lives until – splash – we are afloat where we belong, on the broad adventurous ocean of the love and mercy of God as we devote ourselves totally to Him and become Good Stewards of all He blesses us with!

I am convinced that God has wonderful things for us here at Union. As I think about the future of this church I can hardly wait from Sunday to Sunday to see what God is going to do next. I am hungry but not for food, I am hungry for a harvest of souls. To see people who need to know Christ come to Christ! I’m hungry for the harvest! How about you?

Amen.

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