“The Generous Church: Plan As if For God” Proverbs 3:9

As the Church of Jesus Christ, and as disciples who follow a Savior, I think we can often have an uncomfortable relationship to money. On the one hand, we have the world whispering into our ear that we have earned everything we have - that its by the sweat of our own brow, by the work of our hand, by showing up day after day, sometimes at places of work that we would rather not be, that we have earned a paycheck. But on the other hand, we have scripture that teaches us that all we really have is first from God, and we are called to be stewards of what God has entrusted to us. Enter today’s scripture verse from Proverbs.

We are now in the second week of our sermon series about what it means to be a generous church, and yes, while this sermon series most certainly addresses the topic of material wealth, about money, it is my ultimate hope and prayer that it also serves to be a call to be generous with all we have and all we are. For it is through our generosity, opening our lives and hearts up to others, that we can share the light of the good news of the Gospel. 

Proverbs 3:9 invites us into a marriage between the idea that yes, we have earned what we have in terms of wealth, however, we are to honor God with it. Its not ours to spend on anything and everything we may want, but instead we are to ask ourselves if we are using what we have in a way that honors God. 

But what does that practically look like? First and foremost, its a change in perspective that starts with our heart. When I look at my paycheck, I know the work that went into that. I know the hours and the hard work. So common sense would say that it is mine. But I also know that I was called to this work by God. That I was given the opportunity and gifts to be here and do this work amongst you, therefore, it is God who needs to be glorified in and through me. Both with how I show up to do my job day in and day out, but also with how I spend the fruit of that labor. 

The thing is, that’s not just a perspective I have because I’m a pastor, working for the Church. Its a perspective I have because I’m a follower of Jesus. But that doesn’t mean that it is always easy. It is so hard to invite God to be part of every area of our lives, including and perhaps most trying our finances. We are used to money being “ours” to do with what we see fit. So a change of heart needs to place as we surrender our finances to God. 

Therefore, when we embark on that journey towards surrender, some of the questions and attitudes that we have must shift. No longer can we say that we want to know if our  money is well spent, so much as we want God’s money to be well spent. One of the ways that we do that as a local congregation is by looking for God’s vision and funding not necessarily our own preferences, but where God is calling us to go as a congregation. What does God want this church to be about? What are we building with God for the sake of God’s Kingdom? What do we value? And how does our budget and spending reflect those Kingdom values?

But there is also a second part to Proverbs 3:9. Honor God with what? With the first fruits of your produce. This, friends, is the tithe. The first ten percent of what we have produced. Back in an agricultural society that may have been the first part of their crop or their herd. Or money from selling their goods. For us, its the first ten percent of our paychecks. Which is something else that sometimes we don’t want to talk about as modern day Christians. 

I want to spin this around a little. What happens if we don’t give? I don’t know about your experience, but when I don’t give, I feel like I’m not being fair to God. Now there are certainly times in our lives, seasons if you will, when it is really hard to give a full ten-percent. I understand that. But during those times are we at least a.) setting aside a certain percentage of what we have to give God as a first fruit - in other words giving out of what we first have instead of what is left over at the end and b.) do we have a plan to work towards a tithe? In other words, is God part of our financial plan. Is giving to God a priority for us in some way, shape, or form? Because when God is not part of the plan of how we spend our money, it becomes really easy to slip into the mindset of the world that all I have is “mine” and God has nothing to do with it.

Another question I think we need to ask ourselves about modern day first fruits, is not just what happens if we don’t give but also why do we put money in the church plate at all? For some of us, it may be a sense of duty - feeling like we have to give as the plate is passed along our pew. For others, they give because of the immense benefit of the local church to them and their family. And for still others, they give because of how richly they feel that God has blessed them, no matter what they may be facing in their lives. 

At annual conference this past year, we did something a bit different during one of the worship services. We have three major worship services during each annual conference session and during each the offering goes to a designated ministry that is changing hearts and lives. During the ordination service this year, the offering went to the Bishop’s Partners in Mission - which goes to alleviate the debt of Mission Central and the United Methodist mission of Imagine No Malaria. The bishop had just returned from a church that had a several hour long worship service where folks danced their offering forward. It reminded me of a church I attended during college where the plate wasn’t passed, but jars were placed off to the side where you could prayerfully present your offering before God. So the bishop decided we, too, were going to dance our offering forward. Our lay delegate had the check from the charge, and I notoriously do not carry cash, but one of my colleagues leaned over, handed me cash, and said I want you to be able to participate. I want you to be able to dance and give, too. 

Friends, why did he do that? Because of duty? No. Because of the particular mission and ministry? Maybe, but I would venture to guess not. He gave because God has so blessed him and he wanted me to be able to share in that joy too. And that joy became contagious that day. As we danced and sung our hearts out as we gave to a Holy God. 

I think we spend a lot of time thinking about why we can’t give. This isn’t the time in our financial lives to do so. I can’t give a full tithe so I can’t give anything. Its my money and that’s not how I want to spend it. But what shift would we have if we looked at our finances and especially our first fruits as a way to honor God? What would we be able to do as a local church? How could we reach out and touch lives with the Gospel? How could this community be transformed? What are we willing to risk in terms of our finances and spending for the sake of the Gospel as we bless people with the ministry of this church? Amen.