This morning we begin a new five-week series that will take us through the month of June. This month we want to take a look at the topic of stewardship. Now, already I know some of you are thinking, “Pastor’s going to be talking about money.” To a certain extent you are right, but if you think stewardship is only about money you are wrong. This morning’s message will set the tone for the rest of the month and at the end we will conclude our time with communion.
This is not an original series created in only by your pastor. Once a year the Department of Stewardship Ministries sends us a CD with resources on it to plan a stewardship emphasis. Today you may be feeling how can God use us as a church? You might be thinking aren’t our resources limited? I would encourage you as Pastor Jesse did several weeks ago, that God can use the small/rural church, just like he can use the big/urban church. In the Wesleyan denomination, there are over 1,200 churches with an average attendance of 60 or less. That means that there are a lot of us. What if each small church did everything it could to reach just the community around it? With 1,200 churches, we could create a vast army. Check this out!
On June 5th, 1944, the men of Easy Company from the 101st Airborne Division embarked on a mission to capture and control a German garrison on the shores of Normandy. The mission was to be completed just hours before the Allied forces launched the largest military offense of World War II: D-day. A successful mission would connect the beaches of Utah and Omaha and would be a key position for advancing the troops inland. As the paratroopers landed, they encountered heavy fire and scattered among the woods of neighboring farmhouses. Their first objective was to find each other then mount the attack. For some of the soldiers, the whistling bullets and booming mortar fire paralyzed them with fear. Others faced that fear with courage and with action. Even though they didn’t know what was lurking in the darkness or around the next corner, they knew they had to move. Staying put would only lead to a cowardly death. With movement, they would either die with honor or live as heroes. Fear of what the future might hold paralyzes some churches. Bullets of doubt pierce the visionless. But we are not a visionless church. We may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. And He is calling us to join Him on His mission of spreading love and grace to the ends of the earth. It’s time to engage.
And that’s what we plan to do over the next five weeks. Jeremiah faced what he thought was a hopeless situation when the Lord called to him and gave him this promise, “11 For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) We do not serve a hopeless God and God’s vision is not limited by our circumstances or our resources.
First, let’s take a look at what it means to BUILD Kingdom Stewards.
BUILDing Kingdom Stewards. . .
Bowing together in reverential worship. (Worship)
Utilizing our gifts within the community of faith. (Partnership)
Immersing ourselves in spiritual disciplines. (Discipleship)
Leading our loved ones to Christ. (Friendship)
Dedicating our time, talent, and treasure to God. (Stewardship)
Some of you may say, “Pastor, these are different than those purposes you have talked about.” Well, not really. We have worship, then partnership or ministry service and fellowship. We have discipleship, friendship or evangelism and lastly stewardship. So you see only one point has anything to do with money.
This morning God has called me to give you hope. This sermon is really tied to last week’s sermon about worry. Last week, I mentioned that with the current state of the economy, I am concerned about you. I am concerned about our family. I am concerned about our church. Just this week, I saw a news report out of Memphis. At least 12 churches in the Memphis area are facing foreclosure. Can you imagine? So how can we have hope it these trying days?
In Jeremiah 33:3, we find these words, “3 Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” This morning God is declaring to us that He knows us. He loves us and intends the best for us. “How do we know that?” you ask.
First, we are told that God is true. Romans 3:4 says, “4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.”
Not only is God true, but God is faithful. Psalm 89:8 records, “ 8 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord? You are entirely faithful.” Like I said last week, God has proved over and over again that He is faithful – He will take care of us.
God is righteous. In Psalm 111:3 we find, “ 3 Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails.”
God is holy. In Isaiah, we are given a picture of the holiness of God as the prophet stands before the throne. “ 1 It was in the year King Uzziah died[a] that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 They were calling out to each other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.
5 Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
Those are God’s characteristics. God is true. God is faithful. God is Righteous. God is holy. Sometimes we wonder why a God like that would want anything to do with us. But God is also a God of love. We are reminded in 1 John 4:8, “8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
This is how we know that God knows us, loves us, and intends the best for us. We could say that about us as individuals, but we could also say that about us as a church. Do you know that God knows us (He knows what we are going through), that God loves us, and God intends the best for our church?
God knows where we are and where He wants to take us. So many times with think, we are just a small church and nobody cares what happens here. Nothing could be further from the truth. God cares – God knows what we are going through – and God has a plan to get us there. One of my favorite verses in the Bible reads, 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Where does God want to take us as a church?
- He wants us to grow spiritually – growing in grace and love.
- He wants us to be cultural – That means that we have an impact on our community. If Preston Wesleyan shut its doors today would any one notice? If we say no, then what can we do to change that? George Barna said, “The Christian church is struggling to influence the nation’s culture because believers think of themselves as individuals first, Americans second, and Christians third. Until that prioritization is rearranged, the Church will continue to lose influence.”
- Physically – making the church as close as the street. While our physical building is very close to the road, this means that our church is visible in our community. Both of these last two points are tied closely together.
Is it possible that we can get there? Yes, because God know who we can become when we hope in Him. 1 John 3:3, “3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.” This eager expectation is hope. What can our church become in God? What must we become?
- A loving fellowship — Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. (1 John 3:18)
- We must become a more joyful fellowship and we must remain a more peaceful fellowship — 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Matthew Henry wrote, “Peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble, but is rather the confidence that He is there with you always.”
This morning before we go to communion, I want us to sing together that great gospel song of hope – Because He Lives. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow.
