Common Sense Stewardship

Stewardship can be confusing which is weird because I grew up hearing about stewardship all the time. The church’s stewardship committee would organize Bible studies. They would hand out ‘spiritual gift inventories’ to give folks an idea of how much of their time, talent, and treasure they had available to give to the church. Spoiler alert: I never had much to offer. And yes, I’ve sat through my fair share of sermon series on stewardship. I’m sure some of the admonition was helpful. I’m sure some of it wasn’t, especially the “gift inventories” which carried with them a strong whiff of pentecostalism.

Here’s where it all left me. Shortly after I was a freshly minted Marine out of boot camp I remember walking a few miles off post most every Sunday to attend a local Missouri Synod church, though I found little joy in it. The whole year I was stationed at this little post in California the local pastor couldn’t stop haranguing the people about how little they gave of themselves for the church. They didn’t put enough in the plate. They didn’t volunteer enough. They didn’t care enough. It was tough for a very junior enlisted man to hear, because I suppose it was all too true. I didn’t give much on Sunday morning. I’d go to the ATM and pull out a twenty with a fair amount of guilt knowing that it didn’t come close to a genuine tithe. I didn’t volunteer. I was too busy finding something to do with my friends. And it jabbed my conscience to hear that I didn’t care because when I wasn’t inside the church’s building, I realized that I didn’t much. I made usual excuses. I was poor. I didn’t have a moment to spare. I was distracted. But it didn’t matter.

Stewardship preaching was the law’s gut punch that left me unable to breathe.

Time spent studying the Scriptures in the seminary helped to change my perspective. I learned about how the central message of the church wasn’t volunteerism and giving, but Christ. Pastors weren’t supposed to preach the law for the sake of the law, but for the sake of the Gospel which must predominate every sermon. Though compelling people through guilt and shame might work for NPR’s seasonal fund drives, they’re really good at it by the way, Christ desires saints who give freely and willingly. That’s why there’s no inspired giving tables appended to the end of the New Testament. Either a family or individual gives from the thanksgiving that flows from faith or they shouldn’t give at all. You can’t imagine the weight this took off my shoulders. I dreaded stewardship bible studies. I got queasy thinking about preaching about how people should be doing more and giving more. With a sigh of relief, I realized I could preach Christ without shame and leave the money matters to God.

The only trouble is that Christ and his apostles didn’t seem all that hesitant to talk about giving. Jesus preached the famous story about the unrighteous steward who used unrighteous wealth to gain friends for himself just as the ‘sons of light’ are to use their wealth not to preserve themselves in this doomed existence, but for the sake of the life to come (Luke 16:1-13).

St. Paul is direct in his stewardship preaching. Instead of framing it in terms of how much you should be giving or doing for the church, he talks about what Christians owe their pastors. “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and “The laborer deserves his wages”” (1 Tim. 5:17-18).

And again, “Let the one who is taught the Word share all good things with the one who teaches” (Galatians 6:6).

I think giving for the sake of the man who preaches and teaches instead of giving to a church in general fundamentally changes what stewardship is and how it’s understood. The church can be understood abstractly: a spiritual gathering of like minded individuals. Tithing, in that case, would carry about the same spiritual weight as paying your fee for your Portals of Prayer subscription. But what if you’re rejoicing in the gift of hearing and believing the gospel by which you have eternal life? What if you give thanks to God for your pastor and don’t want him to leave. What if you want your family to hear the gospel not only one week but for years into the future? This changes everything from how you understand and use money to how you understand and enjoy your church.

Giving to the church is giving to support the preaching of the Gospel. God set up his church in such a way that a preacher is called to live among the saints to administer the saving Word and Sacraments. You need a building set aside for the sacred work. You need sacred vessels to carry the water for baptism and the body and blood of Christ for communion. For this to work, the hearers of the Word need to set aside some of their earthly treasure to support their God sent preacher and shepherd.

It’s about this time that folks get uncomfortable in hearing about sharing “all good things” and “double honor.” They might bring up St. Paul’s tent making job by which he supported himself in Corinth. You’re right of course. He did. But it was to the Corinthians’ shame that he was forced into such straights. Because he didn’t want to put an obstacle in the way of the Gospel, the obstacle of demanding money to survive, he worked on the tents and preached at the same time. At some point there should have been a return from the saints who heard and believed. At some point the Corinthians should have seen the spiritual treasures being heaped up around them by St. Paul’s preaching and they should have given gladly to bless the one from whom it came. St. Paul himself says, “The Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14).

Contrary to popular belief, pastors and their families don’t live on air and the Holy Spirit. If you have been blessed by the Gospel, if you know the riches of Christ because of his labor in preaching and teaching, then to plan on giving a small token of your earthly riches to continue that preaching in your home church.

Is this law? For the hardened sinner who begrudges every penny for the preaching ministry, you bet. What about for the Christian who knows Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and the eternal blessings of God’s grace? It’s still law, but it doesn’t crush or fill the soul with dread. It’s the very thing that we are eager to do. Because what is money compared to heaven? What is ten percent of the family budget compared to the eternal riches of Christ’s righteousness given to you freely which you receive by faith?

Dear saints, if you know the gospel and believe it, then you will give. You will know the inestimable treasure God has placed into your lap in your local church. Here you have a pastor who shepherds the flock with the saving Word. Here you have a refuge from all the chaos and corruption of the world.

The devil tries to tempt us to give our first fruits far from where we receive Word and Sacrament. Perhaps because of an argument with one of the parishioners or because of a quibble with the pastor you’ve decided to give your offering to another “ministry” hours away. Don’t be deceived. The congregation is filled with sinners, true, but it’s God’s will that you love them anyway through your generosity in providing for the ministry that saves their souls. The Lord hasn’t given you wealth to use as a means of power and control to get your way. He gave it to you so your selfless generosity can be a blessing to your neighbors.

When you give, start at home where you and your family live. Think practically about the preaching ministry and how much it’s going to take to support it. Instead of focusing on designated gifts, which is appropriate on occasion, give to the general fund from which the bills are paid and the pastor is blessed with a living wage. After the needs of the ministry are met where you live, then it’s good to consider how we can use the extra blessings the Lord has showered on us to bless various good works that are happening nationally and internationally.

Dear saints, we have been richly blessed. Not only has Christ saved us from sin, death, and the power of the devil, he has abundantly given us worldly riches. The devil wants you to hoard it and keep it to yourself. He wants you to be afraid. In Christ there is no fear. You know that as he gives to you today, he’ll give to you tomorrow. That’s why the widow’s mites were so precious in the Lord’s sight. She gave fearlessly from faith (Luke 21:1-4).

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).