Giving to God in Gratitude for God’s Blessings
by David Busker (11/1/09) 

Based on: Matthew 25:14-30

Imagine how money affects you? Money is a subject with which most of us struggle. For some it is lack of money. For some it is the desire for money. For some it is wrong use of money. For some it is poor investment of money.

A man named stumpy illustrates how money affects people. Stumpy and his wife Martha went to the state fair every year and every year when Stumpy saw the antique bi-plane he would say, “Martha, I’d like to ride in that airplane.” Martha always replied, “I know Stumpy, but that airplane ride costs 10 dollars, and 10 dollars is 10 dollars.”

One year Stumpy and Martha went to the fair and Stumpy said, “Martha, I’m 81 years old. If I don’t ride that airplane I might never get another chance.” Martha replied, “Stumpy, that airplane ride cost 10 dollars, and 10 dollars is 10 dollars.”

The pilot overheard them and said, “Folks, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll take you both up for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say one word, I won’t charge you: but if you say one word it’s 10 dollars.”

Stumpy and Martha agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of twists and turns, rolls and dives, but not a word was heard. He did all his tricks over again, but still not a word.

When they landed, the pilot turned to Stumpy and said, “By golly, I did everything I could think of to get you to yell out, but you didn’t.”

Stumpy replied, “Well, I was gonna say something when Martha fell out, but 10 dollars is 10 dollars.”
 

A pollster was taking a survey of how much of people’s income goes to different kinds of spending. The person being interviewed said, "I spend 40 percent of my income on housing, 20 percent on clothing, 40 percent on food, and 20 percent on transportation and amusement." The pollster said, "But sir, that adds up to 120 percent." The reply was, "I know it!"

Some of us, when the credit card bills come due, are probably discovering that we are spending at least 100 percent of our income. As one man put it, "From the time an infant first struggles to get his toes in his mouth, life is a continual struggle to make both ends meet." Or as somebody else put it: "They say it’s better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable. But couldn’t something be worked out, like being moderately wealthy and just a little moody?"

Yes, money is on everyone’s mind these days. It was no different two thousand years ago. Jesus knew that money was a major matter to most people.  Jesus talked more about money than any other subject.

A man from out east had always dreamed of owning a cattle ranch and had finally saved enough money to buy his dream spread in Wyoming . His best friend flew out to visit and asked, “So, what’s the name of your ranch?” His buddy told him that he had a really hard time coming up with a name that he liked. He and his wife couldn’t agree on what to call it so they settled on, “The Double R Lazy L Triple Horseshoe Bar-7 Lucky Diamond Ranch.”

His friend was really impressed and then asked, “So where are all the cows?” To which the new rancher replied, “We had quite a few…but none of them survived the branding!”

As we come together to talk about stewardship our question needs to be, “Can we survive the branding?” 

Do we understand the responsibility of what it means to be a Christian and live out our faith by the money that we give back to God.  Can we survive being called a Christian? Or are we not living out our faith?

The key is not so much to identify what we have but to use what we’ve been given.  We need to become MANAGERS of what God has given us. (Never owners!) With the job of manager comes great responsibility.

This morning we are looking at Gratitude and Imagine, "If God Owns It All, What Am I Doing With It?"  Many of us have never gotten to the point of know that God owns it all. We may know it, but we never embrace it.
 

In Palm Springs not long ago, a TV crew went up to a house and knocked on the door and asked the people if they could film a scene of a television show in their front yard.  They agreed.   The only problem was, the occupants of the house were renters…when the owner of the house saw the tire truck marks in the yard all the trash, he was furious. How dare his renters assume the rights of the owner.

We many of us do that with God. We are managers of what God owns and God owns all of it.  If you made $400 last week, how much of that is God’s? ($400)  Some of you are doing the math and said "If we are tithing it is $40."  You see, it all belongs to God.
 

Today we’ll be looking at a text that you have probably heard preached on many times.  

1. Imagine that God owns it all.   Everything is God’s. God has asked us to manage it.  In MATTHEW 25:14-19, it says that God has a right to do whatever God wants with the possessions God has given each of us.
 

We read the Owner gave one employee 5 bags of gold, another 2 and another 1 and we think, that’s not fair.

The money belonged to the Owner and he had every right to do with the money what he wanted!
 

The Owner had the rights, the employees were responsible for handling the talents faithfully.  In vv:19 we see the Owner coming back and wants to know what the employees did with His money.

God’s right is to know what we’re doing with what God has given us.
 

Some of us are like Dennis The Menace. He’s leaving church with his parents, shakes hands with the preacher and asks "Preacher, what are you going to do with that dollar my dad gave you?"
 

Stewardship is the use of God given resources for the accomplishment of God given goals. When we make this leap (seeing God as owner of everything) we will see financial woes/difficulties differently. (Lose job, setback…God you’ve got a problem)

If we think we own the possessions God has given us, we don’t have it!  My name is on the title of my car as OWNER. But I don’t really own that car.  My car, family, checking account,…all God’s.
 

2.  Matthew 25:14-19 not only says that God owns it all but (2) imagine that every spending decision is a spiritual decision. Not only what we give to God, but what we do with the rest of our money.
 

Ron Blue says: "You can’t fake stewardship. Your checkbook reveals all that you really believe about stewardship. A life story could be written from a checkbook. It reflects your goals, priorities, convictions, relationships, and even the use of your time.

People who have been Christians for even a short while can fake prayer, Bible study, evangelism, going to church and so on, but we can’t fake what our checkbook reveals." *THAT’S WHY SO MANY OF US ARE SECRETIVE ABOUT OUR PERSONAL FINANCES.
 

A few years ago Enron/World Com were reporting huge profits, but they really weren’t. When the government prosecutors began investigating these companies, did they investigate the claims that the CEO’s made? No. They followed the "Money Trail." The "Money Trail" told about their intent, motive, deception, improprieties.
 

Easy for us to sing "I Surrender All" and "Surrender very little" Jesus follows the "Money Trail". Rich Young Ruler. Said all the right things, Jesus said give all your possessions away. (MONEY TRAIL)
 

Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." He’s still following the money trail. That is the principle for today- imagine that God owns it all and we give in gratitude for God’s blessings. 

As Rick Warren says in “The Purpose Driven Life”  “It is not about us- it is about God.”
 

Money and possessions are very effective TESTIMONIES that God uses in our lives.  The testimony and distinction of a Christian ISN’T if they are the richest or poorest person on their block.  It is not about poverty or prosperity, but how they view their possessions.

3.  Matthew 25:14-30 says that God owns it all,  imagine that every money decision is a spiritual decision, and third imagine that the Amount Is Not Important.
 

God is just as concerned about the attitude of the believer making $12,000 a year as the believer making $120,000 a year. God doesn’t care about the amount.  God cares about the attitude.

I run into people all the time who say "I can’t tithe. I don’t have enough. God doesn’t expect me to tithe." They don’t get it.  The amount they have isn’t important. It’s the faithfulness with the amount they have.

Of the 3 employees only one wasn’t told "good job." The one who took what he had and kept it, held it, didn’t do anything with it.

It was the employee who wasn’t faithful with the small amount that God had given him.
 

Some of us believe because we don’t have much that God doesn’t expect us to give much less tithe and put God first in various areas. You can’t leave here with that thought!

The employee that got banished ONLY had one talent. If you make $200 a week or $20,000 a week, God wants you to be responsible for it.

These aren’t comforting words. No warm fuzzes.  I’m sharing with you God’s word on possessions. Something God’s Word speaks about 3 times more than prayer.

4.  Imagine everything belongs to God, imagine that every money decision is a spiritual decision, imagine that it doesn’t matter about the amount and fourth imagine that Matthew 25:14-30 says that Stewardship requires action. (vv: 24 & 26)
 

This last steward knew what he was supposed to and he chose to do nothing!  Many of us know what to do but we disobey or delay. We make excuses but we have a chance to change that.
 

I spend a lot of time each year in churches talking about the stewardship of money.  The problem is not the money, it is our attitude toward it. 

My wife Jean and I began tithing when we had nothing not even a job.  We just started seminary.   As a result of tithing and giving God first and using wisely what we earn, we haven’t had any serious money problems.  Money is a tool.  I am now on a fixed income and I still tithe because I need to do it.

The bible is clear that where our treasure is, that’s where our heart is. We can try to fool God with the songs we sing, we can try to fool God with the testimonies we give. But we can’t fool God when God follow the money trail.

God knows our hearts especially those who have never tithed. I know it is an incredible step of faith to be someone to gives God 10% off the top in their lives. No doubt you’re looking at your budget and wondering how in the world you can ever put God first and give you that 10% and still have enough.  

I believe we need to start somewhere.  In the material you have been given there is a step chart that talks about growing in giving.  Start with 1% or 2% and gradually grow into giving God a 10th.

I believe Matthew 25 is teaching us that God has promised to take care of those who are faithful.  God can do more with that 90% than what each one of you can do with 100%.  That doesn’t mean we will be rich but it does mean God will bless our efforts- imagine that.

The pressure you may feel right inside us now is a battle. And the issue is obedience and trust. Do you trust God today that if you put God first in the area of money so that you will have enough to take care of  your other needs.

Imagine that God owns everything. Imagine that every money decision is a spiritual decision, imagine that the amount is not important, and imagine that now is the time to respond to God’s call on your life.

(I take a pie and tell the congregation that this pie represents their paycheck. 1 pie equals what comes into your household. I walk down on the main floor with pie and giant spoon in hand. I have one of the people in the church standing by with small plates spoons and napkins. I begin to poll the audience and ask them how they spend their money. The first one to answer is usually the longest wait, but do wait.

Let them answer, after all it is their money. I get all kinds of responses. Usually it is the house payment or rent. I then ask for a percentage and dig out an estimate of that percentage of pie and give to the one who gave me the answer. I never have a problem getting an answer after that. We go through several expenditures until the pie is gone and we just have crumbs left. I then take the crumbs and scoop them onto a napkin and give them to the pastor)

I wait for what seems to be a very long time and then tell the people if that is how we are investing in the work of God through this church then that is the kind of results we are going to get. Invest crumbs and get crummy results. What kind of Kingdom builder do you want to be?   

I pray God will bless you as you allow God to help you on your journey of faith.  Imagine that!