What day of the year do the churches of our country get the most visitors?

       How many of you would say “Christmas Eve”?  Let me see your hands.

       You’re wrong.

       How many would say “Easter?”  Let me see your hands.

       You’re wrong too.

       The day the churches of our country get the most visitors is today – the Sunday of the annual stewardship sermon.  I know that because so many people say: “Every time I go to church, all the church is doing is talking about money.”

       If you are a first-time visitor, please don’t give up on us.  Come back. I promise not to say a thing about—you know what.

       But this morning we need to talk about—you know what.

       The great passage of scripture I just read tells an interesting story.  Paul is collecting money for a hurting congregation in Jerusalem.  As he makes his way through the region of ancient Macedonia to the north of Greece, he shares the need of these fellow Christians in Jerusalem.

       Now what makes the story especially significant is that Macedonia was an economically depressed area.  Macedonia was to Paul a lot like parts of Mexico are to us.  Paul’s announcement would be like encouraging the people of Appalachia to send a gift to those who are hurting in the ghetto of Newark.  “You people on welfare—give to those people on welfare” would be a strange appeal today.

       But the most remarkable fact of this chapter is that they did!  These financially deprived Macedonian believers are so concerned over the need of their Christian brothers and sisters —people they had never met — that they give and give and give.  Paul says:  “According to their ability and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord, begging us with much entreaty for the favor of participating in the support of the saints, and this not as we expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.”

       Why did they do it?  They did it because that was the kind of believers they were. 

       An old country preacher described a person’s relationship with Christ with the phrase: “What’s down in the well will come up in the bucket.”

       That phrase might not mean a whole lot unless you’ve ever drunk water from an open well.  But some of you know what I mean.  If there was a dead animal down in the well, you would not know it until you drew a bucket of water.  They you would get the message in unmistakable terms.  The quality of the water shows what’s hidden deep down.  That’s what happens with the believers of Macedonia.  They overflow with joy and generosity because that’s who they are.  Their behavior is a clear demonstration that the life-changing gospel has taken root in their hearts.

       What should Christian giving look like and what should it say about us?  The Apostle Paul writes specific guidance on this question for the believers of Corinth and the believers gathered here this morning.

       First, he tells us that our giving must be cheerful.  Now frankly, even a grudging and grumpy gift if of value to the church.  Grumpy money spends just like happy money.  But is of no value to the one who has given it. 

       Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7: “The point is this, the person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and the person who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Let each one do as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.”  We need to remember that a Christian doesn’t give to a church budget – even though we support a lot of exciting, quality things through our budget. A Christian gives to God and God knows and rewards the intention of the heart.

       Second, Paul writes, giving is to be proportionate.  The Corinthian Christians asked, “How much should I contribute to the weekly offering?  What’s my share?”  Paul’s answer is simple.  Every Sunday each of you must put aside some money in proportion to what he has earned.”  The Bible is not concerned with your share of a budget.  What matters is God’s share of your income.  The biblical standard is a full tithe of ten percent.  If we aren’t there its something for us to move toward.

       Now here’s the amazing fact.  If we, as a total congregation actually tithed on our average household income, we could pay off half our building debt and double our operating budget in one year. 

       I’ve been concerned these past few months by the sizeable deficit in pledged giving both to the 2005 operating budget and the building fund.  The hard thing is that it is so unnecessary.  We have the resources in abundance for all good work.  The math is there.  The potential power is at hand.  The question is the commitment, the will, and the level of Christian maturity. 

       Now I recognize that tithing ranks right up there with “flossing for healthier gums” or “pre-planning your funeral.”  These are worthy topics, but hardly likely to put a song in your heart.  I doubt if anyone came this morning saying: “I sure hope Dave talks about tithing!”

       But look at the power of the tithe.  Dr. Hugh McLean of Thailand tells of a church of 400 members where every member tithes.  They each receive a weekly wage of less than twenty cents and their rice.  Out of this, each gives a tenth every week.  And because of this, they have done more for Christ in Thailand than any other church.  They pay their own preacher and have sent two missionary families to spread the gospel in a community cut off from the outside world.  They are intensely interested in all forms of Christian work, especially work for unfortunates of every kind; and their gifts for this kind of work are large.  They have not only accepted Christ, but also, having found him good, make him known to others.  Oh, by the way, this church of all tithers is also a church of all lepers—every person in that church has leprosy.

       Did you know that if every church member in the United States were to suddenly lose his or her job and go on public assistance – and were willing to tithe from the amount received from public assistance, that giving in the nation’s churches would immediately increase by over 30%?

       Third, our giving is to be sacrificial.  The widow in the temple was honored by Jesus not because she gave a lot in comparison to the others but because she gave all in proportion to what she had.  The rich folk who made a show of a big giving were ignored by Jesus because they gave out of their left overs, not out of what they needed to live on.  We are not to give to God what doesn’t really cost us.

       Fourth, Paul writes, our giving is to be intentional.

       With his deep concern for the poverty stricken Christians in Jerusalem—undergoing a terrible famine, Paul has a fundamental choice to make as to the method he will use in approaching the churches for raising relief.  He can use the quick and direct approach.  As he goes to each place he can make an impassioned plea, vividly describe the anguish of the current situation, using whatever is the first century equivalent of pictures of starving children, and call for an offering on the spot. 

       Knowing Paul’s keen abilities, and knowing how deeply he felt about this pressing need, it would undoubtedly have been an effective approach in raising a substantial sum.  Or, on the other hand, he can use a much slower and more deliberate approach.  He can ask the members of the churches to give an offering systematically, week by week, before he arrives.  This will be the more difficult of the two ways, the more uncertain and the one requiring more patience and understanding.  But it is also the way to teach them and us what Christian stewardship is about.

       George Siudy, in the “Journal of Stewardship” summarizes Paul’s message here in modern terms.  “We should be payday stewards,” he writes, “not Mayday stewards.”  Mayday stewards are those who give if things seem about to crash (from the use of the word Mayday as a distress signal).  It is giving in response to some urgent appeal or financial crisis or momentary whim.  “No wonder,” Siudy writes, “The church is often locked into a survival mentality—unable to dream and plan in ways that win people to Christ.”

       Writer Charlie Shedd tells of a young man in the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church of Houston, who went to a home on a stewardship visitation during Shedd’s time as Pastor.  The man in that home wrote out a chuck for $10,000, felt very pleased with his generosity.  He waited to see the smile of delight on the young man’s face.  Instead he was quite surprised and greatly impressed when the young man handed back his check without looking at the figure, and suggested that it would be far better for the family to make a prayerful decision based on their ability to give, and then make that gift on a regular, systematic basis throughout the year.

       Not all would be bold or scripturaly aware enough to take such action, but in this particular instance the young man’s action had a profound effect and led to a leap forward in the stewardship understanding and spiritual maturity of that home.

       There is a vast difference between an offering a collection.  When we take up a collection, it is from the financial resources that we just happen to have on tap at that moment.  We “pass the hat” to get enough money to buy equipment for the office softball team.  That’s a collection, gathered in a rather offhand manner.  An offering, however, is the result of carefully thought out decisions, is planned for in advance, and involves deliberate preparation of the part of those who give.  

       You see, the basic decisions of stewardship are made long before the plate is passed on Sunday morning. They are made in department stores, in automobile show rooms, in lending institutions, in travel agencies and in the room where the household budget is given shape.  They are made at all points where priority judgments are made as to what will or will not be a part of a particular individual’s or family’s lifestyle.

       It is also important that our giving be focused.  We need to decide what is the most important thing that can happen in the world and give to make it happen. 

       I heard of one man who called himself a tither because, as he put it, “every year, my wife and I sit down and figure our giving for the year to a variety of charities.  And then, one tenth of that amount we give to our church.”

       I think this man missed the point.  If the church is the vehicle of new life for the world, it deserves first place.  Not a tenth of a tenth.  It is not a charity among charities.  It is the body of our Lord Jesus Christ—a place where we have made a commitment to one another.  

       But what if you don’t feel the love?  What if you don’t feel the commitment? 

       Jesus said, “Where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  In other words, if you want to love something, support it.  Your heart will follow your giving every time.  There is no time that I value this church more than when I am writing our monthly check to support our shared ministry.

       Paul also writes that giving is to be faithful.  He writes that we should do as we have purposed to do.  We should do as we promise God in our hearts.

       Lois Chaney of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship wrote of a man who said, “If I had some extra money, I’d give it to God, but I have just enough to support myself and my family.”

      And the same man said, “If I had some extra time I’d give it to God, but every minute is taken up with my job, my family, my clubs and what have you—every single minute.”

       And the same man said, “If I had a talent, I’d give it to God, but I have no lovely voice; I have no special skill; I’ve never been able to lead a group; I can’t think cleverly or quickly the way I would like to.

       And God was touched, and God gave the man money, time, and a glorious talent.

       And then God waited and waited and waited and waited.  Then after a while he shrugged His shoulders, and He took back all those things right back from the man—the money, the time and the glorious talent.

       After a while the man sighed and said, “If only I had some of that money back, I’d give it to God.  If only I had some of that time, I’d give it to God.  If only I could rediscover that glorious talent, I’d give it to God.”

       And God said, “O shut up.”

       And the man told some of his friends, “You know, I’m not sure that I believe in God anymore.”

       Some were offended by Chaney’s parable because it has God saying, “O shut up.”  But let me assure you that God is not a whimp.  Even though He has tremendous love and He wants to express that love to you, He’s capable of calling people fools and telling them to shut up.  If you don’t believe it, read your Old Testament—or read Jesus’ Parable of the Rich Fool.  In fact, God is even capable of shutting people up.  God expects us to be faithful.  He fully expects us to keep the promises we make to Him.

       The sixth characteristic of Christian stewardship is that it is to be anonymous.  Jesus condemned those who made a show out of their giving.  He called us to secrecy.  “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” He instructs in Matthew 6:3.  Not one church is mentioned in our passage but the churches of Macedonia.  Not even one individual is highlighted.  That’s the way it was then and that’s the way it’s done now.  Don’t expect me to be either impressed or unimpressed with what you pledge or what you give because I will never know.  I only know what one family in the church gives and that family is my own.

       Raymond Balcomb in a book, Stir What You’ve Got tells of a young kindergartner’s first day in school.  He wandered around examining the low tables and chairs; the cupboard with the coat hooks just his height, even the washroom where everything was scaled to five-year-old size.  Finally he walked up to the teacher and announced, “I don’t like it here.  There’s nothing to grow up to.”

       Well that is not our problem here.  We have plenty to grow up to.  We have a youth ministry to build and children’s ministries to increase.  We have buildings to finish.  We have increased opportunities for outreach in our local community and can increasingly participate in the local and worldwide ministry of the church of Jesus Christ.

       In many ways—certainly by age—we are still a young church.  And that’s kind of exciting.  Because God has ways of working through babies.

      For example, 1809 was a big year.  Napoleon was on the march and people watched his progress with dread and awe.  Babies were being born, of course.  But who thinks about babies when battles are raging and the world hangs in the balance?

      But in that year, 1809, there stole into the world a host of giants.  Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Massachusetts.  Alfred Tennyson was born at Somersby Rectory.  Charles Darwin was born in England and Abraham Lincoln drew his first breath in Kentucky.  Music was enriched by the advent of Felix Mendelssohn in Hamburg.

       Except for the proud parents and their friends, nobody thought of the babies.  Everyone was thinking of battles.  But which of the battles of 1809 matters more than the babies of 1809?  We think that God manages the world with armies when all the while it is being done with babies—including a baby born in a stable and laid in a manger.

       It is exciting to be a young church.  It is exciting to stand in the place that fifty or a hundred years from now people may look back and say—“That’s when it started.  I wonder if those people ever dreamed all that this church would become?
       We are not yet all that we will be.  But that still doesn’t mean that we are at all powerless in the present.  The decisions we make and the directions we set through our giving, our prayers, our love, our involvement, will set the direction of this church for years to come.

       I am excited about what has happened in this church in the past nineteen years.  I am even more excited about the next nineteen years.  I hope that as you look at and pray over the operating fund and building fund pledge card this week you are also excited about what God has done, is doing, and will do in your life and with this church He has planted. 

       If you are, then what is down in the well will come up in the bucket.