Stewardship
I know that the word stewardship and steward are not words
that we commonly use today. Therefore, I want to review the definition of
stewardship. A steward is a person who manages and administrates what has been
entrusted to him by another. In the context of Christian stewardship, a steward is a person who manages
what has been entrusted to him/her by God. God has entrusted us with many things. In this series we will focus on stewardship of our planet, our talents, spiritual gifts and abilities, our time, our bodies, other people, especially the poor, the Bible, and our money. Stewardship is the careful
and responsible management of the things God has entrusted to our care.
Week 1
Stewardship versus Ownership - 2 September 2012
Let’s start with
the foundational principle: ownership.
The truth of
God’s ownership is so simple, yet so profound!
Read I Chronicles
29:11-13.
“Yours,
Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
12 Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
12 Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.
14 “But
who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously
as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from
your hand.”
Read Psalm 24:1.
“The earth is the LORD'S,
and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
Discuss: What
is ownership?
Some answers: It
is the right of control; it is the right to use……………………………..
Discuss: What
does it mean when you claim Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord?
There are
hundreds of references to Jesus Christ as Lord!
Read 1
Corinthians1:9.
“God is faithful, by whom
ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Lord refers to
the one to whom a person or thing belongs; a lord has power of decision; He is
master.
Read Acts 4:24.
The Greek word
“Lord” in Acts 4:24 is despotes, a
term likened to “despot.” He is one who is in total control! When you say
“Lord” you are saying he is the one who has total control!
What is the
hardest area for us to let God have complete control?
Discuss: What
right does God have to claim ownership?
Some answers
might include: By right of creation, God has created you; by right of
redemption, God has redeemed you. He bought back a second time! Satan stole
mankind away. He held them in bondage. What did God do? He sent his Son to pay
the payment—the death penalty. Read I Corinthians 6:19,20 and Romans 10:13.
Why does God
expect us to make Him Lord?
Discuss: What
should be your response to God’s ownership?
Some answers
might include: Trust, eg Proverbs 3:5,6; Obedience; Stewardship
Concluding
discussion
What is
ownership?
What does “Lord”
mean?
What is the
hardest area in which to allow God complete control?
What does
stewardship mean?
What is the
relationship between ownership and stewardship?
Week 2
Stewardship
of Creation – 9 September 2012
The
environment: Pinpointing the problem
Aim of the lesson:
•
To consider what underlies and motivates the abuse of the environment
through thoughtless "progress" even among Christian people.
Study
passages: Genesis 1:20-31, Romans 8:5-25, Matthew 21:33-40
Notes
•
A Christian attitude? There should surely be a very great difference in
attitude to the physical world between those who believe that the universe came
into being by blind chance and those who believe it was created by God.
Christians must surely have a special element of respect in their dealings with
human beings, other living creatures and the natural environment in which God
has placed us. Yet, sadly, the evidence does not show this to be the case. We
Christians seldom show a special concern for our environment. Reluctantly, one
has to acknowledge a measure of truth in what Lynn White says:
"Christianity, in absolute contrast to ancient paganism and Asia's
religions ... not only established a dualism of man and nature but also
insisted that it is God's will that man exploit nature for his proper
ends".
•
Two key words have been highlighted in the quotation -' 'dualism"
and "exploit". They can help us understand why we as Christians do
not have a good track record where care of the environment is concerned.
•
Dualism. This is a way of thinking that creates ad vision between things
that essentially belong together. Dualism, for instance, sees a total
separation between the spiritual and the material aspects of life, between the
sacred and the secular, between religion and politics, and between God and
humanity. Dualism was initially foreign to biblical thinking. It was imported
from the ancient Persians and Greeks. Its effect has been to set up in us
undesirable, unhealthy and, one could say unbiblical, patterns of thought and
action, which have led us to believe that concern for the earth has nothing to
do with our spiritual lives.
•
Exploitation. Lynn White is far from the only one who accuses Christians
and Christianity of serving a God who wills His people to exploit and abuse the
earth for their own ends. Much of the evidence in recent centuries supports
their claim. Civilizations influenced by Christianity have laid waste the earth
in wars and industrial ' 'development". We have opened ourselves to the
charge in Ezekiel 34:18, that we have taken the good things of the earth and
left it in a mess! A criticism often leveled at the Bible's teaching on our
relation to the environment is that human beings were instructed by God at the
point of creation to "subdue" the earth and to "have dominion
over" all its creatures (see 20)
Genesis 1:26 and 28 - This appears to give
human beings the license, even the duty, to use and abuse the world and its
creatures to suit our whims. A common oversight is that the instructions were
given to human beings before they fell away from God. In their first
relationship with God, harmonious as it was, the ways in which they would have
gone about subduing and having dominion would surely have been in keeping with
the love of the creator-God who "saw everything that he had made, and
behold, it was very good" (v 31). There is no place for exploitation here
- only for appreciation and care as privileged fellow workers with God in His
creation. After all, it is His not ours!
Questions for discussion:
1.
Can you think of examples in your own environment in which we are
"guilty as charged" by Ezekiel (34:18)?
2.
In what ways are we (as Christians) separate from other people and in
what ways do we belong together with them?
3.
Can you think of other reasons why human beings exploit and abuse the
earth as they do?
4.
'Caring for nature is not merely a practical necessity. For the
Christian it is a primary spiritual responsibility". Discuss.
5.
What does the Romans passage suggest to you about the future of the
earth in God's scheme of things?
6.
Can you remember an experience in which the beauty of nature and the
wonder of creation were brought home to you? Share with the group.
7.
Is the saving work of Jesus intended for human beings alone, or do you
see it as having some effect on the whole creation?
8.
Can you think of some simple ways in which you (individually or as a
group) could celebrate creation?
Week 3
Stewardship of
Our Talents and Abilities (Spiritual Gifts)
16 September
2012
The
Parable of the Talents
Aim of the lesson
• To appreciate the gifts God has given us
and look at how we are using them.
Study
passage: Matthew 25:14-30.
Notes
• Jesus was on the Mount of Olives when the
parables in Chapters 24 and 25 were told (Mt 24:3). Across the Kidron Valley
they would have been able to see the walled city of Jerusalem and the
magnificent temple. It must have been a wonderful sight. Yet Jesus looked at it
and said it was all going to be desecrated and destroyed (Mt 24:1-2, 15). Why?
Was it because Israel had failed to use her 'talent', her covenant relationship
with God? This may have been one of the thoughts in Jesus' mind as He told the
story. But of course it has a much broader and deeper meaning for the religious
life as a whole.
• A talent was actually a measure of weight
(about 30 kg). A talent of silver would today be worth several thousand rands.
In the parable the talents are meant to represent all the gifts and blessings
which God gives us; nature, material wealth, abilities, opportunity, health,
character, intellect, grace, privilege, love etc. Some people receive in
abundance, others get just a few. The main point is that these gifts (talents)
really belong to God, not to us. They are loaned to us and we are accountable
to God for the way we use them or misuse them. Obviously too, they must not be
used selfishly but for Him, in His service, and in the service of others.
• Verse 14: 'a man going on a journey....'
The reference here is to the time in which we are presently living, the period
between Christ's ascension and His coming again. All three of the parables in
Matthew 25 focus on the return of Christ and the final judgment.
• Verses 21-23: These two men had different
gifts. But they had both worked equally hard and therefore they received equal
rewards. We are not rewarded for our abilities or the quantity of the talents
we have been entrusted with. We are rewarded for our diligence and for trying.
The person who has very little may in fact have worked harder with it than the
person who has plenty. It is interesting that the reward’ for work well done is
not rest, but more work. Is there an implication here that there will still be
work for us to do in heaven? It would seem so.
• Verses 18 and 25-27: This man failed to
use his talent, either for his own benefit or for anyone else's. Even if he had
ventured and lost God might still have said, 'well done'. We cannot excuse
ourselves because we have received little. We cannot say, my gift is so
insignificant that it doesn't matter if I don't do anything with it. God will
accept our work with all its shortcomings provided we have tried, and done it
with a good heart. • Verse 29: The law of gifts is very simple. If you don't
use it you lose it. If you do use it, you get more.
Questions for discussion:
Mt 25:14-30
1.
Why does God give some people many gifts and some just a few?
2.
Why does God hold people accountable for the way they use the gifts they
have been given? What right has He to do so?
3.
Why did the man with only one talent fail to use it?
4.
In the silence think for a moment what gifts has God given you? Make a
list on paper. What have you done with your gifts? What more do you think you
should be doing with them? Share what you have written with the group.
5.
How can we discover our gifts?
Week 4
Confirmation
Sunday – 23 September 2012
Duties of Church Membership
Aim of the lesson:
• To look at what is involved
in being full and responsible members of the
Church.
Church.
Study passages: 2 Corinthians 9:6-12, Colossians 3:5-17, Hebrews 10:19-25, 13:1-7, 1 Peter 4:7-11, Mark
1:14-20, Romans 8:12-17, Jeremiah
31:31-34
Notes:
• Conditions
of membership. Any club or organisation has conditions of membership and duties which it lays down for its members.
The Methodist Church is no different. It lays down three simple requirements for membership:
A sincere desire to be
saved from sin
Faith in Jesus Christ as
Saviour
Involvement in the
fellowship of the Church
• These three conditions are stated in our "Laws and
Discipline" as follows:
"Membership
is based upon a personal experience of the Lord Jesus Christ, brought about by his Spirit.
"All persons are
welcomed into membership who sincerely desire to be saved from their sins
through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and show the same in life and conduct, and who seek to have fellowship with Christ himself and his people by taking up the duties and
privileges of the Methodist Church.
"As membership
in the Church also involves fellowship it is the duty of all members in the Church to seek to cultivate
this in every possible way."
• Duties of Church
membership - The following eight things should probably be regarded as
minimum goals for members of the Church:
1.
To follow the example of Christ in home and daily life.
2.
To bear
personal witness to Jesus Christ.
3.
To be regular in private prayer each day.
4.
To read the
Bible each day and seek to be obedient to God's Word.
5.
To attend
worship every Sunday.
6.
To receive Holy Communion regularly.
7.
To give meaningful financial support to the work of the Church, locally
and for the
wider mission field.
8.
To be involved in serving others in the Church and community.
As
we grow in our faith and walk with the Lord we will understand these duties at a deeper and clearer
level. We may add others to the list, but these will always remain a basic
minimum for us.
Questions
for discussion:
1.
Read through all the study passages carefully. What do they teach us
about the
conditions of membership in the early Church? Make a list
2.
What do you think of the three basic conditions for membership in the Methodist Church? Are they
reasonable? Should there be others?
3.
Go through the eight suggested duties one by one. What does each one mean? Are they too strict,
not strict enough, or about right?
4.
What should the Church do about people who want to be members, but don't want to accept any of
the responsibilities of membership?
5.
As a group make a list of some ways in which you could become more involved in the activities
of your local church.
Something to do:
Spend some time thinking
about how you have worked out the implications of your Confirmation. Have you kept the vows
you once made?
How can you make your membership of the Church count for something?
Week 5
Stewardship
of People – 30 September 2012
Caring
for the Poor
Aim of the lesson:
• To examine our Christian responsibility
to care for, identify with, and give to the poor.
Study
passage: James 2:1-17, Luke 6:27-36, Luke 10:25-37
Notes:
• God has a deep concern for the poor. This
is evident throughout the Bible (Ps 12:5, Amos 4:1, Jn 13:29). In New Testament
times most people were poor and the gap between rich and poor was very great.
Even today the vast majority of people in the world are poor, and this is just
as true of Southern Africa, the area in which we live.
• There is a growing concern for equality
and a fair distribution of wealth, and a new awareness that we are part of a
world community in which we have a responsibility for the welfare of all.
Efforts are being made to care for the poor, the starving, the homeless, the
refugees, the aged, the young, the sick and the dying, and many more. The
modern world has the technology and the ability to feed and raise the living standards
of most people on earth. But unfortunately other factors like war, greed, sin,
ignorance, apathy and the unbelievable population explosion have hampered these
efforts.
• Christians should be in the front-line of
efforts to improve social justice, to provide better working and living
conditions, to ensure a better use of land and resources, and to provide a
larger share for all. We must work for a day when there will be no more poor.
But it will be a long time before that happens, and until then, the plight of
the poor will remain the special responsibility of Christians and one of the
main objects of our giving.
• Christians must also identify with the
poor far more than they now do, as for example Mother Theresa has done in
India. We must involve ourselves with their needs, through real caring love and
practical help, but not of course in a paternalistic or condescending way. The
Mission Department of our Church has just embarked on a programme called
'Zikhulise', meaning 'develop yourself’, which has precisely these aims. It
deserves our full support.
• Giving to the needy in the Christian
family is the first duty of Christian giving. The early Church in Jerusalem set
aside specially consecrated deacons (i.e. servers) for this work (Acts 6:1-7).
Paul also organized collections among the new churches for the poor in
Jerusalem. The poor of the church are to be the special objects of our care (1
Cor 3:3, Gal 6:10, Heb, 13:16). For a Christian to beg is a disgrace to the
Christian Church and so we must care for one another and minister to each
other's needs within the Body of Christ. As Christians we should support our
Poor Funds, and our Relief Funds as well as giving individual help wherever we
can.
• Our giving must also reach outside the
Christian fellowship. All those in need have a claim on our support and
service. One of the best forms of Christian witness is to help others. Then
those who receive our gifts may ask 'Why do you do this for me?', and it opens
doors to be able to tell them about a Father who cares for all His children. It
gives us an opportunity to witness to a Lord who has taught us to show our
faith through good works.
Questions for discussion:
Jas 2:1-17
1.
What does our study passage have to teach us about being a Church of the
poor?
2.
Is the Methodist Church today a Church of the poor or of the rich?
3.
In what practical ways could we be more active in caring for the poor,
giving to the poor, and identifying with them?
Group exercise:
Try to arrange a 'pilgrimage of pain and hope'
for your group or class during the week. Visit a needy part of the community.
Make sure you meet the people and talk to them. As a group reflect on your
experience and try to make some resolutions about helping and being involved.
Something to do:
Do something meaningful for a needy person
this week, something that will involve a sacrifice on your part. Or: Fast for
36 hours this week to see how it feels to be hungry. Give the money you would
have spent on meals to your Poor Fund, or to a Relief Fund, or to some other
cause.
Week 6
Stewardship of our Time – 7 October 2012
Study passages: Ephesians
5:8-17 (KJV – 16), Psalm 90:9-12
Read:
Time is the heritage of every person. Whether a king or street sweeper,
an astronomer or truck driver, a business tycoon or grocery clerk, each of us
has the same number of hours.
Many necessities and opportunities demand much of
our day. Our work takes up a large percentage of our life. Being a good husband
or wife, father or mother, employer or employee requires time.
As Christians, we have spiritual priorities as
well. How many hours or days in a month should we set aside for evangelism and
discipleship and the ministries of our church? What about caring for the poor,
the orphans, and widows as God's Word commands (James
1:27; Galatians 2:10)?
Right Attitude About Time:
Read:
What should be our prayer concerning the use of the
time that God gives us?
What does God demand of us in the stewardship of
our time? (Psalm 62:8) When
do you find this hardest to do?
If we are wise stewards and heed the commands of
our Lord, how will we use our time (Ephesians 5:15-16 )? What does making use of our time have to do with wisdom or with evil
days?
As wise stewards concerned over the use of our
time, what will we want to understand (Ephesians
5:17)?
What is necessary in order to know fully the will
of God concerning the duties of our stewardship (Ephesians
5:18)?
What will the Holy Spirit give the faithful steward
to enable him to perform the duties of stewardship (Acts 1:8)?
What should be our attitude as we utilize the time
over which God has made us stewards (Ephesians
5:19-21)?
As wise stewards who know and are obedient to the
will of God, what will we spend so much of our time aggressively doing? (Mark 16:15)
What is the greatest thing that has happened in
your life?
What then is the greatest thing you can do for
another?
Life Application:
Keeping track of how you spend your day can be of
great value in evaluating the stewardship of your time. Record the number of
hours spent on business, class, sleep, Christian service, recreation, etc.
Place the total hours per week used in each activity below.
|
Study &
Class:
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Activities
& Athletics:
|
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Devotional
Life:
|
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Commuting:
|
|
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Christian
Service:
|
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Employment:
|
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Rest:
|
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Laundry &
Clean-up:
|
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Recreation
& Social Life:
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Miscellaneous:
|
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Week 7
Stewardship of our Bodies – 14 October 2012
Objective: To surrender our
bodies to Christ, from the heart.
Some time ago, my heart grieved as I learned of a
respected Christian leader who had fallen into a life of sin. He had obviously
not intended to do so, but when the temptation came, he yielded. As a result,
his wife, his family, his friends, and fellow Christians suffered heartache.
Most tragically, his testimony and witness for the Lord Jesus has suffered
untold damage. Many have ridiculed and rejected the cause of Christ because of
his sin.
Since God wants us to live a holy life, the enemy seeks to entrap us in
sin and defeat. One of Satan's methods is to tempt us to misuse our bodies.
But God created our bodies for His glory. By
surrendering them to Him, He can use us to further His kingdom and help us grow
in our faith.
This study will help us understand the importance
of giving control of your body to God. You will also discover danger areas in
using your physical self and how to help further the cause of Christ with
different parts of your body.
The Spirit and the Body:
What does Christ's sacrifice mean to us? (Hebrews 10:10) Look up the word
"sanctified" in a Bible dictionary. How does this word relate to your
stewardship?
Express in your own words the additional reasons
given in I Corinthians 6:19-20 for being a good steward of your body.
Individual Parts of the Body:
The Tongue
Why should you know concerning its use? (Matthew 12:36) List areas where you
misuse your tongue. How has this affected your life? How should you use your
tongue properly? (James 3:9-10, Ephesians 4:24,
29, Proverbs 21:23, Psalm 39:1)
The Heart
What must we understand about the heart? (Jeremiah 17:9) How can we counteract our
natural tendencies? (Psalm 139:23-24)
What condition of heart does God require? (Psalm 51:17) What kind of heart does
God look for and why? (II Chronicles 16:9, Matthew
5:8, II Thessalonians 3:5, Psalm 15:1-2)
What is the result of keeping your mind focused on
God? (Isaiah 26:3) How
can you keep your mind on Him? (Philippians 4:6-7, Deuteronomy
11:18)
The Hands
What does God think about the work of your hands? (Proverbs 12:14, 24) How did the
apostles feel about the importance of what their hands had done? (Acts 20:34-35 and I Thessalonians 4:11-12)
How can we use our hands to glorify God? (Proverbs 31:20, Ephesians 5:28, Deuteronomy 15:10-11, Ecclesiastes 9:10)
The Feet
Contrast the feet of those who do evil with those
who do good. (Isaiah 52:7, 59:7, Romans 3:15, Psalm 119:101,105;
56:13)
The Eyes
What is the importance of the eyes (Matthew 6:22-23) Describe what
this means to you? What sins can we commit with our eyes? (Proverbs 21:4, 27:20, Jeremiah 22:17, Matthew 5:28, I John 2:16)
What privilege did the apostles have? (I John 1:1-3) How can we avoid
temptation? (Psalm 19:8, 119:37, 121:1-2, 123:1)
The Ears
Write down ways we can misuse hearing. (Proverbs 21:13 II Timothy 4:3-4) What
can listening to God give us? (Romans 10:17, John 5:24) How can you apply James 1:19-22 to your daily life? Give specific examples.
Sexual Expression:
God considered David a man after His own heart, yet
what was David's greatest sin? (II Samuel 11:2-5; 14-17; 26-27)
What is God's stern judgment against misusers and
abusers of sex? (I Corinthians 6:9-10) Why is it especially tragic if a Christian becomes involved in the
misuse of sex? (I Corinthians 6:15-18)
How can the application of the following verses
enable you to overcome sexual lust? (Philippians
4:8, Psalm 119:9, 11; I Corinthians 10:13; Romans 6:11-13; I Thessalonians
4:3-5)
List the things in your life that tempt you to have
impure thoughts. How can you apply these verses to each?
Life Application:
How does stewardship of each individual part of the
body affect each part?
How could it affect the body as a whole?
How would you apply I
Thessalonians 5:22 to the following: The use
of your tongue; desires of your heart; control of your mind; work of your
hands; where you go; what you see; what you hear; your conduct with members of
the opposite sex?
Week 8
Stewardship of the Bible – 21 October 2012
Aim of the lesson:
• To
encourage regular devotional reading of the Bible and give some pointers as to how to do it.
Study
passage: Psalm 119:89-112
Notes:
·
The Bible is the soil from which all Christian
faith grows. Who is God? Is there a Divine plan for the world? What is God's purpose
for us? How should we live today?
We cannot know these things ourselves. Only God can reveal them to us. There used to be a gramophone record label
"His Master's Voice", and
this is a good description of the Bible. In it we hear God's voice making known the Divine nature and
will.
· The
purpose of reading the Bible. There are various reasons why we should read it:
-
To develop our relationship with God by coming to understand more of his mind, what things
are truly important, how God works etc.
-
To meet with and get to know Jesus Christ, the Living Word (Jn 20:31).
-
To give God an opportunity to speak to us and guide us through the Holy Spirit.
-
To allow ourselves to become saturated with God's word. This will affect our thinking,
enabling us to bear fruit for God, and helping us to be obedient to the teaching of Jesus
(Jn 15:5-7, 2 Tim 3:16-17).
• How to read the Bible
-
Be regular and disciplined. The Bible rewards those who "stick
with it" Persistence is one of the essentials of all Christian living.
-
Read expectantly, believing that as we read God will meet with us and speak to us.
-
Come in reverence, for we are meeting with the living God.
-
Rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us and enable us to know God's will (Jn 16:13-14). (When we say God
"speaks" to us we do not usually
mean that we actually hear an audible voice, but rather that the Holy Spirit convicts us inwardly about truth, sin
or duty.)
-
Allow sufficient time. Bible study cannot be rushed. We are told to "wait" on the
Lord (Ps 27:13-14). Use the time as follows:
-
Read the passage slowly. Don't read too much at a time.
-
Think about it; allow the mind to grasp the meaning.
-
Where appropriate, use your imagination to picture the scene.
-
Ask what God is saying to you through the passage.
-
Ask how can I be obedient? What does God want me to do?
-
Keep a note book and write down special thoughts, commitments to be obedient etc.
· If
you are just setting out on this road and don't know where to start, begin in the New Testament
with Luke and move on to Acts, John, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Ephesians. Daily Bible
study notes can take you on from there. (See below)
· Commentaries
- Many
good commentaries exist and can help us to interpret the meaning of the passage.
Ask your minister or your local Christian bookshop to advise you. However, it is more
important to actually read the
Bible yourself, not just books about the Bible. The Holy Spirit guides us into the truth. Discover things
for yourself at first-hand.
· Daily
Bible study notes - These are intended to help with personal daily Bible study. A passage will
be given to read, followed by a page or so of devotional comment and explanation. Various series are
available: again, your minister or nearest
Christian bookshop will advise you.
· Bible
study in a group - We often learn more in a group than as individuals. An essential part of our
Bible study is to meet in Christian fellowship, in our class meeting or home fellowship
group (Heb 10.25). If you are not already part of such a group, make a serious
effort to join one.
Questions
for discussion:
1.
Have you ever had an occasion when you have felt that the Bible has
really "spoken" to you? Share what happened and how you felt.
2.
What benefits does the Psalmist get from studying God's Word (see the study passage)?
3.
What special things do we notice about a person who has spent many years
in faithful
study of God's Word?
4.
How can we
be more systematic and disciplined about reading the Bible? What problems do we experience?
5.
Why is it important to apply what we learn in our Bible study?
Week 9
Stewardship of Money – 28 October 2012
John
Wesley — the Use of money
Aim of the lesson:
•
To study some implications of the stewardship of money.
Study
passage: Luke 16:1-13
Introductory exercise:
Are group members intelligently informed
about your congregation's budget needs? Why not allow 10 minutes for someone
(e.g. Treasurer or minister) to explain how church finances work.
Notes:
•
A precious gift. Wesley's famous sermon on The Use of Money was preached
to Methodists whose industry and thrift were already bringing them wealth. He
makes it clear that it is not money, but the love of money, which is the root
of all evil. "The fault", he says, "does not lie in the money,
but in them that use it." In another sermon he speaks of "that
precious talent which contains all the rest — money." He pronounces it
"unspeakably precious if we are wise and faithful stewards of it."
•
Three Rules. Wesley reduced his instructions for the use of money to
three plain rules, and claimed that by keeping them we prove ourselves to be
faithful stewards of God's bounty. The rules are: Gain all you can; save all
you can; give all you can.
•
Gain all you can. Methodists were to work diligently and to trade
intelligently — but not to the extent of damaging their health. They were to
engage in no "sinful trade", contrary to the laws of God or the
country. They were forbidden to "rob the king of his customs";
today's equivalent would be to evade paying taxes. There was to be "no
cheating or lying, or whatever is not consistent with a good conscience."
They were to avoid unfair competition, which would damage their neighbor’s
trade. They were also to avoid selling anything that might impair health.
Gaining all one could was to be achieved only by honest industry.
•
Save all you can. This does not refer to building up a huge bank
account, but was to be done by avoiding all expense that was not absolutely
necessary. So Wesley cautions against expensive goods, needless ornaments,
superfluous clothing and furniture, even "elegant rather than useful gardens".
He also cautions against spoiling children with more money than necessity
requires, maintaining that this is simply to put temptation in their way.
Children should be educated in the right use of money and be taught not to
squander it.
•
Give all you can. In giving all we can, we must provide first for the
reasonable needs of our own families and dependants, and if there is anything
over, we must "do good to them that are of the household of faith",
and if there is anything still left, "do good to all men". "All
that is laid out in this manner", says Wesley, "is really given to
God." And this is as it should be, for Wesley maintained that all goods,
including money, are God's sole property, and that we are but stewards of His
bounty. In Wesley's own words: "Render unto God, not a tenth, not a third,
not a half, but all that is God's, be it more or less; by employing it all ...
in such a manner, that you may give a good account of your stewardship."
•
Wesley's own life squared with his teaching. It has been pointed out
that the sales of Wesley's published works alone were enough to make him a rich
man, but he never spent more than 30 pounds a year on his personal needs. Yet
in a single year he gave away 1400 pounds, "through his brethren, the
poor".
Questions for discussion:
1.
Examine the study passage. Is what Wesley taught consistent with it?
2.
Is Wesley's teaching in conflict with the traditional idea of the tithe?
3.
Wesley told his preachers: "You have nothing to do but save
souls." Isn't he then being inconsistent in preaching on the use of money?
4.
What do you make of the three rules?
5.
Should a Christian with money to spare, give first to the Church and to
the Christian poor, and only after that to needs in the outside world?
Something to do:
To what extent are you honestly
"giving all you can"? Think about this and if necessary, do something
about it.
Giving
in the Old Testament
Aim of the lesson:
• To examine some of the principles of
giving in the Old Testament and see what we can learn about our giving as
Christians.
Study
passage: Deuteronomy 26:1-15.
Notes:
• The first-fruits. In Old Testament times
it was the practice to bring the first part of the harvest and the first-born
animals to God (vs 2, Deut 15:19, Ex 23:16). Because the Jews had a strong
belief that God was the Creator, all living things, vegetable, animal and human
belonged to Him. It was therefore necessary to offer the first of these things
back to Him to acknowledge His ownership of them. The person was then free to
use the rest of them with His blessing. It was also believed that if they were
faithful in this regard God would bless the rest of the crop with abundance. As
Christians do we tend to give God the left-overs rather than the 'first-fruits'?
Note: In the New Testament the work of
Christ and the Holy Spirit are sometimes spoken of as the 'first-fruits' of
God's grace (Rom 8:23, 11:16, I Cor 15:20, Jas 1:18, Rev 14:4).
• Tithing. The normal standard of giving in
the Old Testament was a tenth of one's crops, produce, live-stock, income etc
(vs 12, Deut 14:22, Gen 28:22). In return God promised to bless the giver with
plenty (vs 15, Mai 3:10). Every third year the tithe was given entirely to the
poor and the Levites (priests), who had received no inheritance when the Promised
Land was divided among the twelve tribes (Deut 14:28-29, Josh 18:7). For
convenience people could give money instead of produce, but then they had to
give one fifth extra (Lev 27:30-31).
• Proportional giving. Giving in proportion
to the blessings one had received from God is mentioned in the Old Testament
but does not seem to have been widely practiced (Deut 16:10, 16). This seems to
be more in keeping with what Jesus taught about giving (Mk 12:41-44).
• Sacrifice. There were many different
types of sacrifice in the Old Testament, but the common purpose behind all of
them was to honour God, and in return to receive a blessing from Him. It might
be to give thanks or remember some great act of God. It might be to receive
forgiveness of sins, to restore fellowship with Him, or for good crops. An
important assumption of all sacrifice was that, for the person making it, it
had to cost them something (2 Sam 24:24). It meant giving up something precious
for God. Today we no longer need to make sacrifices of this sort because Christ
is our once-for-all sacrifice (Heb 7:27). But our giving to God still needs to
reflect something of the costliness of Old Testament sacrifice.
• Giving the best. An offering had to be
without blemish or defect because only the best was good enough for God (Deut
15:21).
• Thanksgiving. At the heart of all worship
in the Old Testament (and the New Testament) was gratitude for God's blessings
and goodness. It was as a sign of this thanksgiving that people were to bring
their gifts and care for the needs of the poor. In the same way our giving to
God must always be done in a spirit of thanksgiving, and it must be an
essential part of our worship.
Questions for discussion:
Deut 26:1-15
1. What lessons can we as Christians learn from
the principles of Old Testament giving referred to above (a) the first-fruits
(b) the tithe (c) proportional giving (d) sacrifice (e) giving the best (f)
thanksgiving?
2.
What are the most important standards of Christian giving?
3.
Why do Christians give to God? What are we to give Him?
Christian
Giving
Aim of the lesson:
• To examine our giving to the work of God
in the light of Paul's teaching. Daily Readings: Sun: 2 Cor 9:1-15; Mon: Mk
12:41-44; Tue: 2 Sam 24:18-25; Wed: Mai 13:6-12; Thu: Lk 19:11-27; Fri: Acts
27:27-44; Sat: Acts 28:1-30.
Study
Passage: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15.
Notes:
•
Background. In New Testament times at least two great famines affected
the Roman Empire. During the first the Christians in Antioch decided to take a
collection for the Christians in Judea, who were suffering more than most. They
gave, each one as much as he or she could, and sent their gifts by the hands of
Paul and Barnabas and the church elders (Acts 11:27-30). This was the first
recorded example of Christian famine relief that we know of where Christians in
one area got together to help the needy in another area. The same thing
happened about twelve years later, and this event provides the background to our
study-passage. In his instructions to the Christians in Corinth Paul teaches us
several things about giving.
• Verses 1-4. Paul was not afraid to
encourage a spirit of healthy competition. He told the Macedonian churches how
well the Corinthian church gave, and he now urges the Corinthians not to let
him down.
• Verse 5. When we give to God's work, or
to the needy (which is the same thing, Mt 25:40) it should be done willingly
and with a good heart (vs 7).
• Verse 6. We must give generously and not
sparingly. Tithing, giving one tenth of what we receive back to God, is a well
established biblical principle of giving (Mai 3:10) But truly speaking there
should be no limits to how much a Christian is prepared to give to God, because
we have acknowledged that everything we have belongs to Him anyway. If we sow
sparingly we will reap in the same way. We should give in proportion to what we
get. There should be no uniform assessments.
• Verse 7. Giving demands a purpose and a
plan (1 Cor 16:2). We should make up our minds before-hand what we intend to
give and carry out our purpose reverently and faithfully. Some people make
promises but are very slow to carry them out. Our giving should be a sacred
pledge. Being systematic also means we will keep an accurate account of our
income and what we spend.
• Verses 8-14. The Old Testament often
promises that if we give God will return our gifts to us with interest (Deut
15:10, 24:19). Paul however does not teach that we should 'give in order to
get' from God. He says we should give freely and even recklessly, without hope
of reward, trusting that God will meet our own needs (Phil 4:19). He might not
bless us with material things but we will certainly receive spiritual graces;
ability to do more good works and give more freely; the enlargement of our
heart and soul; the increase of our love and devotion; greater joy and
satisfaction. But more than this, those who receive our gifts will give thanks
for us, and hopefully also give thanks and praise to God.
• Verse 15. No giving can be adequate
return for the wonderful gift of God. The old Israelites were urged to give
because God had rescued them from Egypt. Christians give because they have been
saved by the precious blood of Jesus.
Questions for discussion:
2 Cor 9:1-15.
1.
Christians are asked to give to the work of God. What is the 'Work of
God'? To what should we give? Why?
2.
Jesus said it was more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).
What do you think He meant?
3.
How and what should Christians give?
4.
How can we be more systematic in our giving (a) as individuals, (b) as a
congregation?
Group exercise:
Decide as a group on a project or a
specific need to which you would like to give and make the necessary plans to
do so. Later on, assess what you have done.
Something to do:
Spend time this week examining your own
giving. Write down on paper what you are actually giving. How much do you
receive each month, or each week? How does what you give compare with what you
receive? What is God saying to you?
Tithing
Aim of the lesson:
•
General aim: Understanding Christian giving.
•
Understanding the biblical principle of tithing.
Study
passages: Mal 3: 6-12, Mark 12: 41-44.
Notes:
•
Tithing. When Abraham was successful in battle, he gave a tenth of his
possessions to the priest Melchizedek (Gen 14: 17-20). When Jacob dreamed of a
ladder reaching up to heaven he had such a deep sense of the power and presence
of God that he called the place Bethel (house of God), set up a memorial stone,
and promised to give Him a tenth of his possessions and the increase of his
possessions (Gen 28: 20-22). Tithing, giving a tenth of our income to God, is
the biblical standard of giving and He promises that if we are faithful in
this, He will bless us (Lev 27: 30, Deut 14: 22-29, 12: 6, 11, Neh 13: 5, Mai
3: 8-10, Heb 1: 5).
• Jesus accepted the principle of tithing
but He stressed that our giving should come from a pure heart. He condemned
those who tithed in a legalistic way but whose lives did not show evidence of
the more important aspects of the law such as justice, mercy and faithfulness
(Mt 23: 23, Lk 18: 12).
•
Christian giving requires more than just giving a tenth. Jesus taught
that tithing was a basic minimum for Christians and mat we only begin to give
when we have given over and above our tithe. The first tenth belongs to God
anyway. If we fail to give it to God, we have in fact stolen what rightfully
belongs to Him (Mai 3: 8-9). We start to really give to God when we give out of
our nine-tenths. For a Christian there really are no legalistic laws and
limits. Like the widow, we should be prepared to give our all to Him (Mk 12:
41-44).
•
What can we give to God? We can give Him nothing that He has not given
us in the first place, but there are three clear areas of our lives in which we
must give:
-
Our money. We must tithe our
income to the work of God. The Bible teaches that money is the root of all evil
(I Tim 6: 10) but also that we should be wise in putting it to work for God (Lk
16: 10-12).
-
Our time is also a gift from
God. We ought to make sure that at least a tenth of our time is devoted to Him.
-
Our talents and gifts. Some are
natural abilities, others are special gifts of the Spirit. God has many tasks
to be done. He needs our talents and gifts, and we must ensure that they are
consecrated to Him to be used in His service.
•
If we are faithful in giving, God promises to bless us (Mai 3: 10). We
do not subscribe to the "prosperity gospel" preached by some churches
these days, but there is clear teaching mat if we are faithful and obedient to
God, He will supply all our need (Mt 6: 33, Phil 4: 19, Gal 6: 8-10).
Questions for discussion:
Mai 3: 6-12, Mark 12: 41-44.
1.
What insights come to you from the Malachi passage?
2.
In the Mark passage what differences can you find between the way in
which the widow gave, and the way in which the rich people gave?
3.
Do you agree with the principle of tithing?
4.
Of what things is a Christian expected to tithe?
5.
Must our tithe be given to the Church or can we give it to the work of
God in other ways?
6.
If we are faithful in giving, in what way can we expect God to supply
our need?
