Giving, A Mark of Discipleship

 Sixth Mark of Discipleship: Giving
Audio Link

 

Psalm 37:4,21-22,25-26, 29-29

 

⁴     Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart. ^[1]

²¹   The wicked borrow, and do not pay back,

but the righteous are generous and keep giving;

²²   for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,

but those cursed by him shall be cut off. ^[2]

²⁵   I have been young, and now am old,

yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

²⁶   They are ever giving liberally and lending,

and their children become a blessing. ^[3]

²⁸   For the Lord loves justice;

he will not forsake his faithful ones.

The righteous shall be kept safe forever,

but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.

²⁹   The righteous shall inherit the land,

and live in it forever. ^[4]

 

Merciful Father, we offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us–our selves, our time, and our possessions, signs of your gracious love. Receive them for the sake of him who offered himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We say this prayer after our time of giving but is there just a time of giving or is giving more.  When you hear of giving, I suspect you also hear stewardship.  “Stewardship” means: using God given abilities to manage God given resources, to accomplish God ordained results.  Stewardship and giving then go hand in hand, right?

BUT giving money to church is not stewardship; it is merely part of stewardship.   Though you can’t be a steward without giving of money.

Well then, if stewardship isn’t about money, maybe it is about doing ministry (giving of my abilities).

But what you do in ministry for God is not stewardship either.   It is a part of good stewardship and you can’t be a steward without giving of your abilities.

Well, if stewardship is not about what I can give, and not what I can do… what is it about?

Stewardship is about having the HEART OF STEWARDSHIP.

In other words, good stewardship is a matter of ATTITUDE that stands behind your giving and your service.

 

Story of the Fifty-Seven Cents

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/368/368-h/368-h.htm#link2H_4_0008

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it ‘was too crowded’. “I can’t go to Sunday School,” she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.  Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday School class.

The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.

Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements.  As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribble in childish handwriting which read, “This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School.”

For two years she had saved for this offering of love.  When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion.

He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building.  But the story does not end there! A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands.  When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for a 57 cent payment.

Church members made large subscriptions. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000.00 a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the 19^th century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends. When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300, and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained.

Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of Sunday scholars, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside at Sunday school time.

In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr. Russell H. Conwell, author of the book, “Acres of Diamonds.” a true story.

 

The Six Marks of discipleship:

Daily Prayer

Weekly Worship

Bible Reading

Service

Spiritual Friendship

Giving

From, Power Surge: Six Marks of Discipleship for a changing church

“The marks of discipleship have nothing to do with a legalistic, law-oriented approach to Christian faith. The purpose is not to create super Christians or any kind of spiritual elite. No one earns salvation or gains any special favor from God by practicing the marks. They are simply habits of the soul that open us to the wonder and mystery of God’s active presence in our lives. They keep us focused; they fix our attention on the things of God. “[5]

“Stewardship is about having the HEART OF STEWARDSHIP.
In other words, good stewardship is a matter of ATTITUDE that stands behind your giving and your service.” [6]