October 9, 2005 Sermon

The Money Pit
Matthew 23:23-26

Elder Tom Tatar stands before the church this month to speak about stewardship. Veteran church hands think stewardship is a code word for giving money. But stewardship means more. It means acting as a faithful steward, a trustee responsible for property belonging to somebody else. As Christians we know all we have and are comes from God. So: how well will we steward it all?Ê

IÕm going to give it to you straight. At Northern Lakes Community Church we have two funds: operating and building. Oddly enough, the building fund covers the building. It pays the mortgage, plus the expense of designing and constructing future building(s). And though giving to the building fund is certainly good stewardship, nothing else I have to say about stewardship today has anything to do with the building fund.

The operating fund covers all the expenses of running a church. It pays the salaries of our employees, including the pastor. It pays for utilities, supplies, curriculum, youth groups (except for the annual mission trip). The operating fund covers building maintenance. It handles snow plowing and cleaning services. When Tom Tatar talks to you this month about stewardship heÕs talking about giving to the operating fund. So am I. We see stewardship the same way. The Bible says God gave us everything. God holds us responsible for stewarding these miraculous gifts. Giving to the operating fund of the church is one of the most important ways of making the love of Christ come alive for the world.

We ask all members and friends of the Northern Lakes Community Church to pledge (or promise) to give faithfully to the operating fund throughout 2006. And we will be asking you to make that pledge in writing before the end of this month.

Like I said, I am telling it to you straight. For years the elders have agonized over how best to approach the church about stewardship. We have debated and prayed over whether to be subtle, so as not to offend anybody; or to be clever; or just exactly how to talk about the money part of stewardship. After reading todayÕs Bible passage we should realize that Jesus demanded honesty. So letÕs be honest.

It costs money to run a church. Our operating budget next year will likely exceed $130,000. While part of that money comes in gifts from other churches and rentals of the building, the bulk of it comes from our pockets.

We believe in the vision of the Northern Lakes Community Church . Our offerings to Christ through the church make possible the music that builds our spiritual lives. ÊOur offerings support the work of the Presbyterian Church (USA), including sending missionaries around the world and working for justice in our nation. Our offerings help run the elementary youth group, which now sees 25 or more children each time it meets. We give to make ministry happen.

In a little while we will celebrate communion. This sacrament reminds us what Jesus gave us. The Bible says that though he had the power of God he willingly emptied himself of that power and submitted to death in our place. Though our sins make us fit only for death, we have eternal life through the sacrifice of his sinless Son. Talk about giving.

We give because Jesus gave his all for us. Jesus loves us. We give so that others might experience His saving love, the love that is changing our lives.

Tom Hanks and Shellie Long starred in the 1986 movie titled The Money Pit (a remake of the 1948 film Mr. Blanding Builds His Dream House, starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy). The story tells of a newlywed couple who buy a country home in need of just a touch of fixing-up. He carries her across the threshold, the ceiling falls in, the basement floods, and hi-jinks ensue. All stories need conflict to push along the plot. In this case the conflict comes from the fact that the audience knows, long before the characters in the story, that the smart move would be to walk away from a house that will suck every dollar from their wallets.

Why throw good money after bad?Ê Does the term Òmoney pitÓ describe how we feel about the church?Ê It does only if we fail to understand what we give, and why. We give money that comes from God to start with. And we give to repay, in a terribly small way, a minor portion of the debt we owe God in Christ.

The elders of this church and I understand that the economy in northern Michigan is not exactly roaring. Two of your elders have been out of work for quite some time. In my own household we have experienced the reality of underemployment and the pathetically low pay scale in this area. We understand full well that families must raise and educate children. We even have a couple of Òelder eldersÓ on the session who know all about getting by on fixed retirement income.

We have no desire to try to shame you into giving more than you can. But we also have no desire to sell Jesus Christ short. We have faith that God will provide. We believe that our church does the work God gives it to doÑand cheaply. Your elders have earned your trust. They have held fast to the vision God has given this church and they have faithfully stepped out on limb after limb to lead us according to that vision. They have been good stewards.

We give to support the ministry of a church that makes the love of Christ real. The world thirsts for the love of Christ. We thirst for the love of Christ. Please pledgeÑplease promiseÑto give to spread that love. Please make a written commitment to give money to support the operating fund at Northern Lakes Community Church in 2006.

Thank you for listening, and thank you for giving.