You do know that today’s message is about money, do you not? About giving? I had a colleague once who started a stewardship sermon by saying, “Today’s message is about money. Sorry about that.” It is not a comfortable subject for many people.  

In England there was a small church having it’s stewardship or pledge Sunday. The minister had titled his sermon “Your money or your life.” It is a line from an old Jack Benny skit. The only problem was that during the offering the anthem that the choir sang was Take my Life.” 

Did you know that Jesus talked more about money and possessions than any other topic in his New Testament message? Did you know that of the 37 or 38 parables of Jesus in the Bible, 16 are about money and possessions? Do you realize that Jesus never apologized for this? Can you imagine Jesus saying to the rich young ruler, “Young man I don’t want to hurt your feelings or offend you in any way, but you know that your money is getting in the way of your discipleship.” Can you imagine Jesus saying to the crowd one day, “Folks, I don’t want to hurt any body’s feelings here, but you really aught not to lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust consume and thieves break in and steal. Rather lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” 

Can you imagine Jesus telling the story of the farmer who built all the barns to store up all his worlds goods. Can you imagine Jesus ever saying in the context of that parable, “I am going to tell you a story now and I don’t want you to be offended by it.” 

Those of you who know me best know that I have never balked from talking about money as a discipleship issue. Perhaps in the spirit of all the television ads we heard over the recent weeks, I should say today, “I am Brian Bauknight and I approve of this message!” 

There was a sign outside a bank one time that said, “We love you for your money.” Too often that is the message that churches convey. But that is not our message. I want you to connect with God and grown as disciples. Then I want to allow you to grow in love toward God with your money. 

You see the aim of Stewardship is not to raise the funds for next years operating budget. The aim of good stewardship is to change lives.  

The theme for Consecration weekend this year is “Doing the work of the Lord.” The text for today actually makes puts a little more emphasis on it then just those words. That is why I call it “Abounding” or “Learning How to Abound”. The text says, “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord…” And the word abound in the dictionary means “to occur in great quantities or numbers.”  

Followers of Jesus need to learn how to abound. We need to learn how to stretch and strain forward in our abounding. So here is the question. What are some faith-based secrets or principles to “abounding?” 

PUT KINGDOM ISSUES FIRST 

First, you put kingdom issues as your highest priority. Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven, your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” 

The world of course lures us to other issues. The world lures me to other issues. It is very tempting. I heard about a young couple who had been married for a year and were struggling financially. They sat down one day to discuss a strategy. The wife said, “You know, if we miss two payments on the refrigerator and one payment on the washing machine, we will have enough money to make a down payment on a new television set.” 

God promises that when the Kingdom is first, good things happen. A preacher from earlier times in America said, “The purpose of life is not to find your freedom, but to find your master.” I suppose this is probably why 95% of all the giving that Elaine and I do goes thru Christ Church. I happen to believe that money goes farther and works harder and last longer when it is given through the church. 

This is not to demean or degrade other charitable efforts. But I live in with a certain view of reality. I believe that I am a citizen of a different kind of Kingdom. 

A colleague in west Texas at a very large church had a pastor’s column recently. Here is the title he put to it. “Stewardship is the eschatological hope of joining God in building a new world.” My title for today’s message could have been, “Your Eschatological Hope.” Maybe that will be for another day. I prefer “Learning How to Abound.” The translation of my friend’s title and of mine as well is this: Your pledges and mine are a commitment to God’s hope for a new and better world. 

You abound when you put Kingdom issues first. 

GIVE MORE 

The second principle in learning how to abound is to give more. That is not just a slogan. That is not a gimmick or a plea. Remember the church that designed an offering plate? If you put in a $20 bill it played the Alleluia Chorus. If you put in a $5 bill it rang a bell. If you did not put in anything, it took your picture.  

I read about a Presbyterian church that arranged to have Amazing Grace played on bagpipes on pledge Sunday. The minister said, “Presbyterians just can’t resist it.” 

Giving more is not a slogan or gimmick or an urgent plea. Rather is reflects a simple truth. Giving makes you generous. Generosity is one of the Fruits of the Spirit. And that is the way it works. That’s the way things are in God’s Kingdom. I think it was Bob Hope who said, “If you haven’t got charity in your heart then you have the most serious kind of heart trouble.” Or Anne Frank who wrote in her journal, “No one has ever become poor by giving.” 

Giving more is contagious. Look at what has happened to Bill and Melinda Gates. They have turned their life toward charity. They have had a radical mid-life change. Giving millions if not billions of dollars to AIDS, to scholarships for minority students, for vaccines for various kinds of diseases. But the important thing is that what they are doing is impacting other millionaires and multi-millionaires.  

I can’t write a 1 million check to anything. But I can give “aboundingly” through the church. I believe that generous people are more spiritually alive and spiritually fulfilled then those who are not generous. It has little to do with the size of the gift. Rather it has to do with what you are able to do with what God has blessed you. 

THE TITHE AS A SPIRITUAL GOAL 

The third way to abound is to set the tithe as your spiritual goal. In the Old Testament God seems to command the tithe. In the New Testament Jesus seems to commend the tithe. He commends it as a spiritual issue. Jesus saw tithing as a spiritual adventure. So do I. 

I remember the very moment when I learned to tithe. I had a Post Gazette paper route when I was about 10 years old. In those days you went out to collect on Thursday nights with a change maker hanging on your belt. When I came home from my first collection after my first week, my father was waiting in my bedroom with a box of church offering envelopes. He said to me, “Brian, how much did you make?” I said, “I don’t know, can you help me figure it out?” So we worked it out together and discerned how much needed to be given to the route manager and how much I could keep for myself. I think it was something like $3.50. Then my dad held up the offering envelope and he said, “Brian, 35¢ goes into this offering envelope next Sunday, the rest is yours to keep to enjoy in which ever way you choose.” And then he said this, ”Just remember that the first 10% of everything you earn and receive in life goes back to God.” The course was set for me and I have never looked back. 

The tithe is not merely a dollar goal. It is not something clearly measured or calculated. I don’t get caught up in whether you tithe your gross or your net or whether you tithe before or after taxes or whether you tithe before or after your mortgage. Just set 10% as a minimum spiritual goal. Move gradually toward that goal or take several giant steps toward that that goal or take a leap toward that goal. And your life will abound. 

About a year ago I received a beautiful letter from one of the members of this congregation. It said this:

“I want to share something with you regarding our journey with tithing. I know that our giving in the past has not been monumental or even note worthy.

Last year through prayer, we decided to tithe or give 10% of our income. Since it was never our strength or something we saw as worthy to God we did so out of obligation and habit rather than something worthy to be called “Important to our faith journey”. After prayerful consideration and prompting from the Holy Spirit we took the leap. At first it was scary, and down right painful to our budget.

However, we kept with it and after time and God’s help it became something that happened and became joyful. We continued finding ways to increase giving in other ways to that which God found worthy. It is a joy to get statements from Christ Church now and to see that we are above our pledge and above what we have ever given in the past.

Please know that I share this not to feel superior to anyone or anything, but to thank you for prompting us to take a leap of faith. God is good. We are so very thankful for what we have and hope how we use it is pleasing to God.” 

That letter reminds me of the statement from Rabi Abraham Heschel who said one time, “The distinguishing mark of a man or woman of faith is audacity.” Tithing feels audacious, it feels bold but if also freeing and even exciting. 

Another member of this congregation wrote these words:

“The joy that comes from tithing is now evident to me. I have found that the act of tithing has become another blessing in my life.” 

I read of a woman who talks about her pilgrimage toward tithing. At first it was difficult to accept that she could do it. She began by giving her first hour of earnings each week to the church. Then the first two hours, then three, then four which constituted a tithe. she was surprised by joy at how fulfilling it was. 

Tithing allows you to abound in the work of the Lord. Tithing is biblical, it is healthy, it feels right and tithing is fun. Tithing is a bold spiritual step. Tithing can make your heart sing. 

DO THE BEST YOU CAN 

How do you abound? You just do the best you can. That is the meaning behind the text for today. God does not expect you to give what you do not have. Instead, God asks you to do the best you can with what you do have. 

That’s what I ask of you for the coming year. Some changes are coming that require our best for 2007. We are boosting our Youth Ministry up a significant notch in these months. That too requires our best for 2007. Can we give our superb staff a raise? Can we resource and grow Wednesday Night at Church – a program that is becoming more and more exciting with each passing week. Doing the best you can will keep us in a forward vision, give us a forward thrust, keep us with growing momentum. 

I ask you to do the very best you can right now.  

Williams Sloan Coffin who died in April, 2006 was often quoted this way: “The glory of God is a human being fully alive.” To abound is tp be fully alive. 

As you come forward today, come abounding. Maybe even come bounding, leaping, dancing. Come grateful. Come trusting. Come filed with the hope that God give you. 

“Therefore be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that in the Lord your labor is never in vain.”