Sermon: “Shift Happens III: Shifting Our Beliefs about Stewardship”
Scripture: Exodus 1:8-2:10; Hebrews 11:23

Subtitle: Stewardship Lessons from a Mother

by Stan Kimer

Sunday, May 10, 2009
St. John’s MCC • 805 Glenwood Avenue • Raleigh, NC

Outline

Webster’s Dictionary’s definition of Stewardship – “an individual’s responsibility to manage his or her life and property with proper regard to the rights of others.”

Stewardship is about how each of us lives our lives individually and collectively as a church in terms of how we use the gifts, time, talents, resources and money that God has given each of us … how we maximize the use those resources to live in harmony with God, serving God, accomplishing God’s mission in this church, our community and the world. A very basic premise or foundational belief around stewardship is that all I have and am is not my own, but truly belongs to God and should be used to further God’s dominion and ministry here on earth. (Luke 12:42-48)

Key points of November, 2008 sermon:

1. The motivation for stewardship. We need to have the motivation that we want to live our lives for God and serving God
2. The call to stewardship. What are our gifts, talents and resources that God has equipped us with … our own calling?
3. The need for stewardship. We are all built with in innate desire and a deep yearning to be living for God and doing what he called us to.
4. The joy of stewardship. The greatest joy in life comes from being a good steward of our lives and doing exactly what God wants us to do.

Misconceptions about Stewardship that need to shift:

1. FROM: it’s only about money. TO: it’s a central tenant of a Christ-centered life.
2. FROM: it’s about the church wanting to get my money. TO: this is about me and God and about how my entire life is a gift from God - time, talents and money.
3. FROM: this does not concern me especially since I have so little. TO: it’s about faith and trust and what I do have to give to God, not about what I don’t have.

Stewardship lessons from Moses’ mother (read Exodus 1:8 - 2:10)

1. We are often called into stewardship during the most difficult of times.
2. We each have a unique and beautiful combination of gifts and resources over which God desires us to be the best of stewards.
3. Stewardship acts are creative, faithful and selfless.
4. The rewards of stewardship are being totally in tune with God, and marveling at how He can work through us to impact the world and those in it.

Are we willing as individuals and collectively as a church to place our resources into a basket (just as Moses mother placed Moses in a basket and laid him down by the river in faith) and bring them unreservedly to God as faithful stewards?