Contentment

In conjunction with the Message: "The Contentment Factor"
United Presbyterian Church, Rev. Ross Slaughter, August 19, 2007

In our society we must battle dissatisfaction with our condition in life, or with other people, or with whatever …! We want things to be different. And many times circumstances should be different. So, how can we live with more contentment and less complaint, bitterness and anger in our lives.

Paul said in Philippians 4 that he had learned the secret of contentment … He knew how to live independently of outward circumstances. Keep in mind that Paul is writing from a jail cell (and in Paul’s time prison and the word "wretched" were not too far apart in meaning …!)

My suggestion is that we go straight to the Word of God on this matter and get that Word in us by personalizing its promises …


Philippians 4.6
"Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

I turn my anxious thoughts in to prayers to God. I will tell Him exactly what is bothering me so that He can lift my anxiety from me. As I pray, I will thank Him and let gratitude grow in my heart."


Philippians 4.12-13
"I know how to be in need and how to live with more than enough. I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and lack. I can do all things in Him who strengthens me."

Whether I have a lot right now or finding my situation challenging to my pocketbook and my faith, God is teaching me to live independently of my circumstances and feelings. I can do this and all things through Christ who is actively giving me more-than-enough strength.


Philippians 4.19
"And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

My God is supplying me even now with what I need. I will follow His lead and wisdom with confidence, not in fear.


Matthew 6.25 & 33
"Do not be anxious about your life … But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be yours as well."

God, I’m feeling anxious again about my circumstance. I choose to seek You and to understand Your way and to draw on Your wisdom and power, rather than to dwell on things I cannot control. I know that You know my problems and that You always care.


Psalm 103.1-5
"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all that He has done!
He forgives all your sins.
He heals all your diseases.
He redeems your life from the Pit.
He crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.
He satisfies you with good as along as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s."

Today, I choose to bless You, Lord, and not live in perpetual complaint. I will not forget all that You have done for me … You forgive me of my sins and relieve me of my shame. You are my source of health continually. You redeem me and keep my days from being wasted. You focus steadfast love and mercy into the center of my spirit. You satisfy me with good things and I have a sense of new vitality within me. Thank you, Lord.


Hebrews 13.5-6
"Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for He has said, ‘I will never fail you nor forsake you.’ Therefore we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can other people do to me?’"

Lord, protect me from being too attached to money I have and the money I don’t have. I choose to be content with what you have provided for me today. You are my helper. I will not live in fear. Replace my fear with faith in You so that I can look anyone in the eye with patience and love.

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These are some verses and suggested verse-based prayers and affirmations you can use to help drive you closer to God’s goodness and will. It is preferable that you say these out loud, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10.17).

Saying these verses and affirmations help get the Word more inside of your thinking and perspective where it can do the most good.

Overflow Ministry

"The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work. … He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the rendering of this service not only supplies the wants of the saints but also overflows in many thanksgivings to God." -- 2 Corinthians 9.6-12

My goal is to support stewardship awareness on a more personal level this year as the Finance Committee, the Church Session and the Congregation thinks through, prays through and plans financially toward 2008. Instead of doing full-blown messages on financial stewardship, I thought I would write a series of short flyers written from a personal point of view. Two weeks ago: "Why I Tithe." Last week: "Why I Pledge." And then for today, Stewardship Sunday: "Overflow Ministry."

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What would happen if today’s believers tithed on their income blessing and pledged financial partnership to their church? I believe that the ministry capabilities of the local congregation would explode with energy to witness to Christ and to bless others in an unprecedented and compassionate way. We would be leaving our budget in the dust and serving in an "overflow" dimension to the glory of God who desires to bless His people – and through them, bless the world.


Poverty Minded or Prosperity Minded?

Up to a year ago I would not have written these flyers in the way that I have, and I certainly would not have written this third one on prosperity. My religious upbringing and training had me set on the conviction that God was against abundance and much happier with poverty … that God was happier with us poor, and that God wanted the church to be poor and struggling and kept "humble."

Many have been similarly taught, and, as a result, churches struggle to get by … I mean struggle to get by with just the basics of maintaining a building and providing the minimal pastoral services for a congregation. (One can certainly make a good case for the North American Church being too materially encumbered. One can make an equally valid case for a church or faith community to have a home base for ministry work and witness … the ‘synagogue’ idea)

Finance committees all over are going to their members trying not so sound as though they are begging, but hoping against hope that the church can operate without significant loss for "just one more year." As a result, ministry dreams never see the light of day and the church’s witness is severely truncated.

Is this the best or only vision for the church when it comes to finances and resources? I hope not. I am willing to give God-provided, God-blessed abundance a try.

Proverbs 10.22: "The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it."

We serve a God who longs to bless and to bless us with abundance. If you have taken a look at the 2 Corinthian passage on the other side of this flyer, you get a glimpse of a very generous God, not a stingy God. Jesus came, He told us, that we "may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10.10b).

The same Jesus who said "consider the lilies of the field, how they grow …" in Matthew 6 also said in Luke 6.38, "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you give will be the measure you get back." … This is the language of God-provided overflow.


Giving to the Church Budget?

Most churches have some guideline for spending the resources entrusted to them. This is basic, good and faithful financial stewardship. The finance committees that meet late into the night trying to make things work for the good of the congregation are made up of sincere, hardworking people who give of their time to do right by their church. Most church budgets are the best prayerful and educated guesses of how resources can and should be used to do the ministry work of the church. And by the same token, many, if not most church boards, are unsure if enough will come in, and what adjustments downward may be needed on a gamble to survive.

Is there an alternative?

I think there is and I want to propose one to you.


Giving to God According to Blessing

When I give, I do not give to the church budget. My giving is not at all determined by the church budget. If I were in a church of 65 members or 650 members, my giving would be exactly the same. Why? Because I have been taught through the Scriptures to give according in proportion to how God has blessed me. As I mentioned in the flyer "Why I Tithe," ten percent of one’s blessing is exclusively God’s.

On the personal and prayerful level in my life - half of my tithe goes directly to the church. Others will work this out differently.

Depending on the research consulted, Presbyterians on the national average contribute between 2.1% to 2.3% of their income blessing to the local church.


Participating More Fully in the Work of God

Giving in proportion to how God has blessed us, with the priority on the work of the local congregation, will result in ministry that goes well beyond current budgets and enters the realm of vision … blessing … compassion … generous service … mission … greater lay training and competence in practical ministries that will touch peoples lives in redemptive ways.

I’m tired of the beggarly way of doing church finances. May be others are too. Our God is a blessing-giving God! Philippians 4:19-20: "My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God be glory for ever and ever! Amen!"

For Bulletin Flyer ... October 14, 2007

Why I Pledge

"Now concerning the contribution for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be made when I come . ..." -- 1 Corinthians 16.1-2

My goal is to support stewardship awareness on a more personal level this year as the Finance Committee, the Church Session and the Congregation thinks through, prays through and plans financially toward 2008. Instead of doing full-blown messages on financial stewardship, I thought I would write a series of short flyers written from a personal point of view. Last week’s topic: "Why I Tithe." This week: "Why I Pledge." And then for Stewardship Sunday, next week "Overflow Ministry."

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Pleding is another … I don’t want to say controversy, but ... topic around which there is a variety of perspectives. That’s OK. I understand that. My perspectives have changed over time. I hope to show a good set of reasons why the practice of pledging is legitimate and helpful. Again, I hope that people who have not pledged before – pledge financially to this church. I have no qualms about being "up front" with that. I am one Christian among many on this issue; however, I think it is fair that you hear from your pastor on this issue as well.

So … Here goes … !

1 Corinthians 16

I did not choose this passage as a proof text to say: "Thou shalt pledge," because the Bible does not command this. I chose this passage because Paul counsels that the Christians in Corinth were to lay up a certain amount of their income/blessing ("…as he may prosper …") on a regular basis, in this passage, on the first day of the week (the day that the Christian community met for worship). Evidently, this directive of Paul’s was not just limited to the Corinthian Christians, but was a recommendation/expectation Paul had of the many churches he had established in the region of Galatia. One can certainly point out this Paul’s financial campaign to the poor Christians in Jerusalem was an exception … a special offering under special circumstances. Yet, I want us to see a principle at work in Paul’s approach.

Similar to the flyer I wrote on tithing for last week, you can see the idea of proportional giving in operation, rather than an expectation of a certain, preset amount. If you were to read this passage in 1 Corinthians and compare it to Paul’s extended and fuller explanation of this financial offering to the poorer Christians in Jerusalem in 2 Corinthians, chapters 8 and 9, you will get an excellent overview of New Testament financial stewardship principles.


Giving from the Heart

Occasionally people want me to consider an alternative to pledging, saying that giving should be from the heart and not as a matter of dutifully seeing a pledge through, explaining to me that we should give as we feel we should give – out of a genuine "want to." I agree that giving should be from the heart, but that heart should have a heartbeat, that is a regularity to it. As I give in terms of a long term commitment (which is a pledge), whether to the church or to a mission cause I believe in, I am giving from the heart. I am not always led to pledge, sometimes one time gift is all that is needed and for other types of ministry I want to give over time because of the nature of the need. I think that only makes practical sense.


Living on Faith

It has been said to me over the years that it is not right for a church to ask or expect a financial pledge on the part of its members … It comes across as an invasive technique to for a church to get money … and, that the church needs to operate on faith instead.

Operating by faith is more than ‘just getting by’ if you can ‘just get buy.’ … Being in a position of wondering and lack … wishing and hoping for better, yet not convinced that the situation will improve very much … Always considering that the church should be poor and strung out financially to meet its basic financial obligations … And, "Well, if the money comes in, then it comes in! Praise God!"

Operating by faith means … Knowing the promises of prosperity chapter and verse from God’s Word and claiming those promises in our lives and in our church … Praying that God will release generous hearts to give to this ministry we call U.P.C.

… Changing the flow of reason and emotion from "How little can we get by with?’ to "What can God do with the financial seeds we give and sow into His care?" … Confidence in the principle that if we sow abundantly we will reap abundantly (see 2 Corinthians 9.6-12).

Operating by faith means responding to His invitation to join Him in His work. That’s not just a financial point of obedience, that is a whole-life, whole-faith response to the leading of God and it will include our finances on some level.


My Number One Reason for Pledging is …

… to relieve the church of the unnecessary burden of financial anxiety. I want my church to know that it can count on me to do my part. I can’t do everything, but I can let the church know by my pledge up front that it does not need to live with financial anxiety. Financial anxiety, for those who have gone through it, drains a lot of energy, often physically and certainly emotionally. The church needs to be in a position to plan and follow through, without the added and unnecessary burden of financial anxiety. We have God’s work to get on with!


Next Post: Overflow Ministry

I want to talk about ministry beyond the church budget … Overflow Ministry. We have yet to see where biblical and prayerful tithing and pledging will take us.

For Bulletin Flyer ... October 7, 2007

Why I Tithe

"Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts." -- Malachi 3.10-12

My goal is to support stewardship awareness on a more personal level this year as the Finance Committee, the Church Session and the Congregation thinks through, prays through and plans financially toward 2008. Instead of doing full-blown messages on financial stewardship, I thought I would write a series of short flyers written from a personal point of view. This week’s topic: "Why I Tithe." Next week: "Why I Pledge." And then for Stewardship Sunday "Overflow Ministry."

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Tithing is a confusing and somewhat intimidating issue for many in the pews. I want to let you in on why I tithe from a personal point of view. I am not saying that you have to do as I do or think as I think – there are various schools of thought when it comes to tithing and people of godly character vary in their interpretations of this teaching. I am one Christian among many on this issue, and I think it is fair that you hear from your pastor on this issue as well.

So … Here goes … !

The Tenth Part

The word tithe is a word hardly anyone uses in every day speech. It means the tenth part of something. In the Bible people were to give a tenth of their crops and flocks as well as their money. The tenth part was considered holy or dedicated to the Lord. The basic rule of thumb for the Hebrew people was: A tenth of what we have is exclusively God’s.

Although the rules concerning tithes and offerings are fairly complicated (to our way of thinking), the conscientious Jew would be in fact giving 21% of his blessings/income in whatever form to Temple and King.
The Hebrews did not proscribe amounts for offerings, but percentages for the most part. The reason – They were an agricultural society. Some seasons were better than other seasons. They were to bless as they had been blessed by God. The fairest way to assign a consistent offering was to calibrate it by percentage. Many churches today emphasize the same concept of proportional giving … to bless others in proportion to how you have been blessed by God.


The Least I Could Do

Early in my Christian life (late teens for me) the concept of tithing was brought to my attention and I have regarded the practice (also known as a spiritual discipline) of tithing to be a basic form of Christian obedience. I considered the giving of ten percent to be a biblical standard for my own giving … that if I were faithful in this, I was doing my part. I am always free to do more, but this was the benchmark.

I also considered my tithe as a seed for continued blessing. Some may take issue with this. For me – this is how it has worked. God sustained me in lean times (I have real stories to share here) and I am convinced that it was directly linked to my willingness to give to Him come what may (see Malachi 3.10-12).


Learning All Over Again

After we were married, Sheila and I had to come to agreement as to how we were going to give as a couple/family. We had differing perspectives and it took a while to sort things out. During that time we were under teaching that emphasized the necessity and blessing of tithing and we came to the prayerful agreement on how we were going to disburse God’s exclusive portion of our income (blessing). It has been amazing to see how God has blessed our 90% over the years …!


Tithing is not a matter of Old Testament Law. It is a way we relate to Jesus.

One of the considerations that often comes up in a discussion of tithing is that this was a matter of Old Testament law and is not binding to believers today. I understand that and respect peoples’ differing views on this matter.

However, my eyes were opened to keen biblical observation that tithing was considered the basic form of giving and gratitude to God long before the Law/Torah. We have two Old Testament examples of tithing in the lives of Abraham and Jacob, both of whom lived hundreds of years prior to the Law.

The Book of Hebrews (read Genesis 14.1-24 and Hebrews 6.9-7.19) refers directly to the tithing story of Abraham and interprets it significance for us. Space does not allow me to go into detail (… happy to discuss it, though) … But, to make a long story short: Abraham gives a tenth of everything to the Priest Melchizedek. According to the writer of Hebrews, Melchizedek is a type or Old Testament prefigurement of Jesus Christ. In essence (see Hebrews 7.4-10) the descendants of Abraham gratefully acknowledges the greatness of Jesus Christ through the giving of the tithe. Again, this is not a law for us, but a pattern worthy of consideration for the Christian’s growth in the grace of giving.


Next Post: Why I Pledge

I will deal with another controversial matter of stewardship … Pledging. Again, it will be from a personal and pastoral point of view. But, to be up front, I am hoping to lead others to actions that will result in tithing and pledging toward the work of God here, blessing in proportion to how God has blessed us. We need to move forward together on the financial level with Biblical guidance and insight …! We have nothing to lose by doing this kind of study ... and most everything to gain.

Bulletin Flyer ... September 30, 2007