Stewardship devotion: Excelling in Giving - 2 Corinthians 8:7

Today’s readings: Judges 9:7-21 and 2 Corinthians 8:1-12

2 Corinthians 8:7       But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

We've just completed a new stewardship campaign at our church called Consecration Sunday. A lot of hours, effort, and focus were put in by members of the Stewardship Team, along with prayers and presentations. It was a very upbeat method of helping the members of the congregation to think about not just what they give, but also how and why they give. I think most of the good folks bought into the aspect of honoring God with their financial commitment. There were no guilt trips or undue pressure put upon the people, so we’ll find out if this approach has worked in the weeks to come.

Most pastors, like myself, worry about giving, especially in uncertain economic times. Added to the burden is the sad fact that folks are beginning to adopt a laissez-faire attitude to church all across society. People say that they are spiritual and thankful to God, but it sometimes does not manifest itself into regular worship and giving. Taking God for granted has always been a part of the human condition; these days it appears as though more people are majoring in self and minoring in God, forgetting that we live as creatures in His Creation.

Giving money, giving our time, and giving our hearts to God shows others that our faith is actually real. Being a Christian is the hardest faith on the planet because it requires commitment, devotion, and loyalty to Christ above everything else. As human beings, we all have skills, pursuits, activities, and gifts that we excel in; the tough question that we should be asking ourselves this morning is this: do we also excel in giving?

Questions for personal reflection

What do I give to Christ through the church? Am I excelling in giving?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are the greatest gift in the history of the world. For our sake, You left the riches of Heaven and became part of a poor refugee family on Earth. For our sake, You gave everything that You had, including Your precious life, on the Cross at Calvary. Without Your gift, we would be cut off from God forever. By Your blood, Your Church was established to continue Your mission on Earth. Challenge us today, so that we may cheerfully, faithfully, and exceedingly give to You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to make a comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s drawing is one of John’s latest Nativity images called “Bethlehem Lullaby.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7459/10916628304_9c9bf3f08f_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: A Fatal Mistake - Acts 5

Acts 5:5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 

The sad story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira troubles me. It seems to be such a harsh and unjust punishment in a faith community that was supposed to be built upon love and compassion. The couple were guilty of keeping back some of their resources for themselves, which is something that we’re all guilty of at times. The questions that arise in my mind are these: why were they killed instantly for their greed and insecurity? Why weren’t they given the opportunity to repent of their lies and shown Christian mercy?

The circumstances behind this event also bother me. The young Jerusalem Church, which was led by Peter, believed that Christ was going to imminently return. Because of this, they thought that they had no need for possessions and that whatever resources they owned, they would share these together until Christ came back. This sounded ideal, but in practice it was an unmitigated disaster. Within a couple of years, the Church was starving and this was one reason why Paul had to collect money for the Jerusalem Church in the years to come.

So if the Jerusalem Church was wrong in its beliefs about Christ’s return, why were Ananias and Sapphira so dreadfully punished?

It looks like they blasphemed against the Holy Spirit which, according to Christ, is the unforgiveable sin. Members of the Jerusalem church, like Barnabas, were inspired by the Holy Spirit to sell what they owned and give the proceeds to the faith community. Ananias and Sapphira were guilty of publicly making a show of what they were giving, so that they could be praised instead of God. And when they held back some of the proceeds for themselves, they were usurping the work of the Holy Spirit and being faithless. If they truly trusted the Holy Spirit, then they would have given cheerfully and not held anything back.

Did their sin merit the death penalty? I personally don’t think so, but obviously something gravely offended God. It seems harsh to us today because we want God to bless what we do and ignore our shortcomings. But perhaps we are deceiving ourselves by molding the Holy Spirit into what we want, instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to shape us. And isn’t that the very sin that Ananias and Sapphira were guilty of committing?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, this passage really troubles us because we know that we could be in the same shoes of Ananias or Sapphira. Forgive our insecurities and pretence. Help us to adhere to Your ways and apply Your teaching in our daily lives. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.