II Corinthians 8:1-7; 9:6-15           How to Invest Your Money     March 29, 2009

     A missionary speaking about the foreign mission fields was to receive an offering to help out with the work. A man was sitting next to the aisle. His wife had made him come that evening and he clearly did not want to be there.  He had folded his arms and sat with a grim look.  When the usher held the offering plate in front of him, he just shook his head. The usher jiggled the plate. Still the response was the head shake. The usher leaned over and whispered, "It's for missions, you know." Still the scowl and a mumbled word, “No."  The usher stood there a moment, then leaned down, "Then you take some money out. It's for the heathen, anyway." 

       This morning, I am continuing a series for Lent on stewardship.  We have seen how all things come from God and all things belong to God.  We have talked about our time, our bodies, and our talents.  This morning, I want to talk about our possessions and our money.  In such hard economic times, many people wonder about where to best invest their money to get a good return.  It seems hard to make any interest at all these days.  James L. Kraft was born in 1874 to a Mennonite Christian family in Canada and in 1916 patented his method for processed cheese.  He served as president of the Kraft Foods Co. until his death in 1953.  Less known to the general public, James Kraft also served for decades as the Sunday School Superintendent of his church, giving generously of his time.  As for his money, year after year, he gave 25% of his enormous income to Christian causes.  Near the end of his life, he said, "The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord."   How about us?  Where can we get the best return on our money?  This morning, if you want to make the best investment of your possessions, I want to encourage you to begin faithfully giving to God’s work.  

        What does the Bible say about our giving?  In the Old Testament, early in Genesis, Abraham met the priest of El Shaddai, God almighty, who came out to bless Abraham with bread and wine.  And Abraham gave ten percent of what he had for the worship of the Lord.  Throughout the Old Testament, this is the standard.   Moses commanded in Leviticus 27 that ten percent of each person’s income would be given to the work of God.  This was called a tithe which means a tenth.  This continues down to the last book of the Old Testament when the prophet Malachi urged the people to bring the full tithe into the temple so that God would bless them.

        What about the New Testament?  Are we not now under grace and free from those Old Testament laws?  But Jesus in Matthew 23:23 said that we should pay the full tithe to the Lord.  And in fact, the New Testament understands even more so how all that we have belongs to God.  Not merely ten percent.   In our scripture passage today, Paul encouraged believers to give with a generous and cheerful heart.  A mother gave her little girl a quarter and a dollar to take to church.  She told the little girl to decide which one to give to the offering and which one to keep for herself.  Later that afternoon, the mother asked her what she had done.  “Well, I was going to give the dollar but the preacher said that God loves a cheerful giver.  Well, I knew that I would be more cheerful if I gave the quarter.”    

      Are you a cheerful giver?  Are you an open and full giver?  Or do you find yourself always holding back—calculating, figuring, worrying about what to give?  C. S. Lewis, the author of the Narnia series, said, “I do not believe one can determine how much we ought to give.  The only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.”  Now that is so very hard to most of us.   Even in normal times, we want to hold on to what we have.  We tend to give to God what is left over at the end of the month.  We give to God what we do not need.  But Mother Teresa said, “If you give what you do not need, it isn't giving.”         Now in hard financial times, we are especially worried about our money.   So for many of us, we give less and less to the work of God.   A recent IRS study showed that the average charitable giving in the United States is 1.7 percent of adjusted gross income. The average among Christians is 2.8 percent.   Now some folks say if they had more money, they would give more money.  But studies always show that families making lass than $100,000 per year give a higher percentage than families that make over $100,000 per year.   Studies also show that people over 65 on a fixed income are the highest giving group to the church.  They give an average of 4.4 percent. 

         In the end, it is never a matter of how much money you have.  It is a matter of how much faith you have.   You see, God is worthy of your trust.  Psalm 12:6 says that the promises of the Lord are pure.  God has said that He will care for us and we can trust him to do so.   Think with me for a moment.  What financial areas are hardest for you to put into God’s hands?   The great Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther said, “I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.”  This morning, prayerfully dedicate putting everything into the hands of God.  

       One way we can do that is to substitute faith for our fear.   You see, fear is the opposite of faith.  Fear can destroy faith.  When the disciples were caught in the storm on the sea, they cried out in fear.  But Jesus said to them, “O you of little faith.  Why were you afraid?”    Real faith cancels out all fear.  I know that many people in America today are afraid.  The talk shows are running up their ratings telling us how bad it is.  And the more we listen, the more afraid we become.   Let me suggest that if you want faith instead of fear, turn off the bad news.  Instead spend more time reading God’s Word.  A good way to build your faith and trust in God is to study the attributes and character and promises of God.  The more you read the Word; you will see that God is loving, merciful, faithful, truthful, and kind.  God is the Father who knows how to give good gifts to His children.  The more time we spend in prayer and in learning the Word of God, the more faith we will build.  We can come to trust that God can provide for our needs as we pray about those needs.

       Of course, a big problem is that we are confused about what we need and what we want.  Americans today are all stressed out about our pension funds not because we are really worried about going hungry and retiring into poverty.  We are stressed out that our pension funds may no longer give us every luxury we want in retirement.   I know these are stressful times financially, but these can also be opportunities to grow spiritually.  These days of less money in the bank can become days of more faith in our hearts.  These can be days to be set free from our possessions.   When John Wesley learned that his house had been destroyed by fire, he exclaimed, "The Lord's house burned. One less responsibility for me as I go on doing the Lord’s work!" 

         Are you doing the Lord’s work by your giving?  The money you give to God goes in many directions here in this community and around the world.  Can you work toward giving the tithe that God has asked of you?  Can you find faith to overcome your fear?  Can you pray about what you really need in life so that you can do more for the work of God?  

        Now I know these money sermons are always unpopular?  But why is that?  When you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he or she will often begin to poke, prod, and press various places, all the while asking, "Does this hurt? How about this?" If you cry out in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard, without the right sensitivity. Or, more likely, there's something wrong, and the doctor will say, “It's not supposed to hurt there.  Maybe we should look into that." So when pastors preach on financial responsibility, and certain members cry out in discomfort, either the pastor has pushed too hard, or perhaps there's something wrong.  So if there is some pain this morning, Jesus, the Great Physician would say to you, “It's not supposed to hurt there.  Maybe we should look into that."  Amen.