Principles of Stewardship

Principles of Stewardship
(Preached at Tuguegarao Central UMC)

Luke 19:11-27
When I was first asked to bring the Good news this Sunday, I asked Pastor Boni if I can focus about stewardship of the body, how to maintain good health, because I am a doctor. The pastor said “can you instead preach on the biblical principles on stewardship.” We are stewards of many things, not only our bodies, but also of our faith, our relationships to one another and even our health. Because these are all given by God. Something that we need to take care of. But I was tasked to preach on God's word about stewardship on resources and possessions. He asked me to focus on the biblical principles about these. And so let us prepare our hearts and minds as we listen to the Word of God. Let us pray…

Today is Laity Sunday. In other churches, we are reminded of the role the lay people play in church. The Methodist church grew over the years because of the laity movement. Today is also Harris Memorial College Sunday. Other churches, like ours, celebrate this day to support the ministry of this institution in molding young people into better Christians. Today is also Stewardship month. Like the other celebrations, we have reasons in celebrating this event. We celebrate stewardship month to remind us of our responsibilities as Christians. But do we practice Christian stewardship only during stewardship month?
Even though we only have stewardship month once a year, we should be Christian stewards’ everyday of our lives. We should remember to be Christian stewards in every activity that we do. From the moment we wake up, to the things we do during the day, when we eat, or work until we go to sleep. Our daily activities should be guided by the knowledge that we are Christian stewards. Do we know what it means to be a Christian steward?
The Gospel of Luke is a book full of stories about the stewardship, the kingdom of God and what it means to be stewards. One of the stories about that is our Gospel lesson for today. It tells the parable of servants who were entrusted by their master of his possessions. From this parable, we can learn what the Bible teaches us about the principles of Christian stewardship. There are several principles that we can learn, and today we will be highlighting seven of them.

1. Ownership - It is not yours, it is Gods (faith that is).

In verse 13, the master called for his ten servants and gave them each ten minas. Or equivalent to 3 months of salary. The average 3 month salary for a househelp here is Php 7500 to 9000. So the servants were given money to invest until the master comes back. So who owns the money? It is the master. Thus, as stewards, it is our Lord and Master who owns what we have now. The Bible is very clear on this. Even from the very beginning of the world, all the way back to Genesis, to the creation story, chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And God made the animals in the field, the fishes in the sea and the birds in the sky. Even man and woman are God's creation. Sometimes, I hear some Christians say that we are –co-creators. I don’t know what they mean. We are not creators. We are creatures. We are all created by God and everything else. And that means, everything here on this earth is God’s property.

2. Provision – God provides us; we do not need more because his grace is sufficient and he provides with equal opportunities

Still on verse 13, the master gave them ten minas. Something was given to all the servants for their custody. Other pastors have called this the allocation. Two things to note here: Everyone was provided with talents and resources. So do not say that you do not have talents because God provides us with everything we need. We do not need for more. Yet our human frailty always leads us not to be content as if we still lack something. But God provides and God provides us with enough. You see, the parable here in Luke is similar to the parable in Matthew about the master and the talents. But here in the provision lies the difference. In Matthew, the servants were given different talents. One servant had more talent than the others. While in the parable in Luke, all the ten servants received the same amount of minas. Biblical commentators have noted that the equal gift is the same gift and opportunity that we receive from God. We are all given resources and equal chances of successfully growing it. And what God provides for us is enough for our needs.

3. Obedience - use the gift according to God’s desire

We continue in verse 13, and the master said “Do business with this until I come back.” There are two points that is important to note in this verse. First is the instruction to use the resource. It is clear that the master wants the servants to do something with the minas that he entrusted them. Second, we are given a free will to how to use it. If we look clearly, he did not specify what kind of business the workers should do with it. Any business will probably do. This gives the workers freedom to choose how to spend the minas. That is why other pastors call this the principle of Freedom. This is an important principle for us stewards of God. We are given the liberty to choose how to use the resources that God has given us. However, John Wesley was quick to point out that as Christians our freedom is limited to obeying Gods will. Although we are given instructions to use Gods resources, the ways and how to use it is left to our own conscience. We are not God’s robots. We can choose freely. In the parable, the first servant used it in a way that allowed him to gain 10x more than the original pounds. The other servant traded the pounds and used it differently than the other servant that allowed him to gain 5x more than the original. The third one did not do anything and he gained nothing. Take note here of what the master said in verse 22, “I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave.” He said wicked, or in other words, immoral or sinful. The servant who did not use the gifts given to them was called sinful. Why? For the simple reason that he disobeyed God’s instructions. God said, do business with these and he did not obey the instruction. As stewards of God, we must listen to God’s instructions and OBEY.

4. Profitability - the gift should bear fruit for God (do not keep it to yourself)

Another important principle in stewardship is profitability. Now we cannot run away from this. It is not enough that we did something with the resources that God has given us. It is not enough to utilize it. It should bear fruit. In verses 14 to 21, we see the different outcomes of the businesses that the servants did with their resources. Some of them profited more than the other. What does it mean to be profitable? In the parable, the important point is that the resources bear fruit FOR GOD. Profitable does not mean you earn ten fold or five-fold. The amount of gain is not important. It is God’s discretion how he rewards us. What is important for God is that we have gained something FOR GOD and not for ourselves. In the parable, whatever the servants gained from the resources they have, they gave it ALL back to God. After they have returned it, then they were given corresponding rewards. The servants profit was not the profit from the gifts from the master but another gift from the master after they have returned the profit of resources to God. In our lives, we often think that the profits we gained from the gifts and resources from God is already the reward we “deserve.” That is why we no longer give it back to God. Or even if we give back, we give with a heavy heart because we think that it is ours already. We always forget that the money was not ours in the first place.


5. Accountability – we are answerable to God (need to be responsible for our actions)

In verse 15, the master came back from his journey and called all his servants. He then asked them how they did with the resources that he has given them. He was asking them to account for their actions. In the end, this is where it will all boil down. When the great master will come back, he will call us one by one and we will be asked, “What did you do with the resources I have entrusted to you?” this is something we should never forget. John Wesley reminded us that our job as stewards is numbered. There will come a time when we will no longer be stewards. That is the time when God will call all of us and we have to account for the actions and decisions we have done.

6. Application - use it for God (there is no indifference)

In science, we have what we call the law of use and disuse. If you do not use your muscles, it will deteriorate and become small. If you do not use your car for a long time, it will just rust and deteriorate over time. Same as in the parable, if we do not use the gifts from God it will be gone. It will be taken away from us and given to the one using it. But that is not all. The second part of the phrase is more important. John Wesley reminded us that when we apply or use the resources of God, either we use it for God or not. There is nothing in between. It is either we use our time, talents and treasures for the glory of God, for increasing our knowledge of God, in sharing the love of God, or not. And again, we have to be accountable to that.

7. Compensation – you will be rewarded accordingly

God has graciously compensated the faithful servants. The two servants who used their minas and resources properly were given extra rewards by God. Not only that, they were also commended for their efforts. This is our goal in life, to be like the other two servants. These two servants obeyed the six other principles. They recognized that they are not the owner of the minas. They were satisfied with the provisions provided to them by their master. They used their freedom wisely for the benefit of increasing the minas. They were productive with what they did. They were accountable for their actions. They did not run away from the consequence of their decisions. They used their resources and because of all that, they were compensated greatly. On the other hand, the wicked servant was punished.

This stewardship month, let us be reminded of our role as Christian stewards. The good news my dear brothers and sisters is that there is still time. We can still do something with the resources that God has entrusted us. Let us be faithful stewards from now on and onwards until our Lord and Master come back again. And so when God will call us to make an account of the resources he has entrusted us, God will say to us, “Well done, by good and faithful servant.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

_____________

1. Diaz, Ziegfred. Principles of Stewardship. From www.zdiaz.com (Accessed Oct 12, 2010)
2. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary. Luke 19. From jfb.biblecommenter.com (Accessed Oct 12, 2010)
3. Matthew Henry’s Commentary. Luke 19:11-27. From www.christnotes.org (Accessed Oct 12, 2010)
4. Patterson. Richard. The Use of Three in the Bible. From http://bible.org (Accessed Oct 13, 2010)
5. Warren, Rick. How to Invest Your Life. From www.preaching.com (Accessed Oct 12, 2010)
6. Wesley, John. The Good Steward. Sermon 51. From www.new.gbgm-umc.org (Accessed Oct 12, 2010)

Dressing Up

I am not a fashion guru. I don't even know anything about fashion. But as a professional, you need to know how to dress well and look good. But again, I am not trained how to dress that way. The question is how should one dress properly? There was even a research study about this.

"How should doctors dress up?"

I was in Church this morning and I sure wore my appropriate Sunday clothes - an untacked short-sleeve polo, khaki pants, and leather shoes. I did not dress as a doctor nor did I dress up as a clergy. I just go to church in my usual smart casual clothes. This is what makes me feel comfortable. I do not like dressing up to be recognized and given special attention for being this and that. After the service, I was greeting people and somebody who recognized me started introducing me as a doctor. Somebody then commented, "are you really a doctor? because you don't look like one." I just smiled. What she meant was that I was young and did not dress like the other doctors in the congregation, long-sleeves or Barong Tagalog with black silk pants and formal leather shoes. It's always a complement for me to not give an impression that I am a doctor or a clergy.

There is no prescribed attire of how doctors should dress save for the scrubs and the blazer when they are in the hospital. But when a doctor is out of his/her workplace, there is no way one can know he/she is a doctor. This is in contrast to some persons who can be recognized by their dress. For example, a clergy can wear his clergy attire or put on his clergy collar. Sometimes they wear their cross and we know that they are ministers. Obviously, I did not look any of the two.

But as I was reflecting on this, I remember one bishop who noted how I dress. He gave me an advice that we should dress appropriate to the occasion. He said, when we need to be seen as a doctor in the hospital, we should look like one. It helps the patients have confidence if they know they are being attended by a doctor who dresses like a doctor and not as a patient. If we are in the church, we should dress like a clergy as appropriate for the occasion. He also added that we must dress appropriately to where we are. If we are in the streets then wear street clothes. If we are in a formal event then we must be in coat and tie or gown. This also helps us blend with the crowd especially if we are trying to reach out to people. Most importantly, the way we dress or look will not become a reason for people to stumble in their growth.

I am not scared

"I am not scared of Jesus kasi mabait siya" (I am not scared of Jesus because he is good), exclaimed my daughter. We went to the Calvary Hills in Iguig one lazy Sunday afternoon. We were planning to take a little walk, have the little kids run around the cathedral grounds and appreciate and reflect on the depictions of the stations of the cross. So much for planning.

There were many people that day. Some highschool students were practicing their "sabayang pagbigkas" piece. Some students were practicing on their dances. There were lots of distractions and it was not a the perfect time for reflection. The little Nate was also asleep so there goes the hope of letting the kids run around to give me and my wife an opportunity to take a stroll. Since Nate was asleep, we had to carry him. That meant no more chance in walking and tracing the stations of the cross. We also wanted to come closer to the statues and appreciate the art and bust depiction of Jesus passion, but Nea was hesitant.

The first station that we passed through was the Pieta, where the badly beaten body of Jesus lies in the loving embrace of Mary. Nea saw Jesus all bloodied and miserable. But more than the image of Christ, I think she was scared of the oversized statues that looked so real. I asked her, "that is Jesus, do you want to touch him?" She replied, "No!" I asked again, "why, are you scared of Jesus?" She said, "I am not scared of Jesus kasi mabait siya."

I wondered what Nea meant with what she said. She explained that "mabait si Jesus di ba, kasi mabait siya sa mga kids like me. My teacher said in Sunday School that Jesus is so good he made us mother earth, the seas, the sky, the trees and all the animals. O di ba, he is good? So I am not scared of him."

"Oo nga naman." Why would I be scared of somebody that is good? If God is good, then why be scared of God? Of course, fear and scared are two different things but that's a discussion for another essay. I was thankful that at an early age Little Children, like Nea, already have an idea that our God is a good and loving God.

Worshipping in the Mall

Where is the proper place of worship?

This is the question that my friend ask me. But that got me to thinking, "should there be an exact location for worship?" I know that the OT tells us that people go to the "House of God" to worship because that is where God lives. But after the word was made flesh, we were taught that an all-powerful God can be anywhere. Of course, there are some things to be considered in the worship place but not necessarily an exact location. This is precisely why we now see worship services taking place in malls.

My friend who is a priest told me that after the Vatican II, the Roman Catholic church have been discovering innovative ways to reach out to the people. He said, statistics show that most people and families go to the mall on weekends, especially on Sundays. Its alright if people go to mass first before going to the mall, but that is not the case. The numbers of people attending church is declining because they are all in the mall. So the solution: bring the worship service to where the people are. That sounds familiar.

In the 18th century, a preacher named John Wesley was known for bringing the word of God to where the people are. He preached in the marketplace, in the coal mines and on top of tombstones just so he can bring the good news of salvation to the people. Thus, we can say that this evangelistic method is a Methodist legacy. But I am not confident enough to say that the Methodist are carrying on this tradition. I am not saying that Methodist or any other denomination should also put another place of worship in the mall opposite the place where the Catholics are worshiping. That will just give a whole new meaning to the mall as the "one stop shop."

I looked at my friend who asked me "where is the right place of worship?" I told him that was a tricky question. But offered a thought, "look into you heart first and know if you are indeed worshiping God."

Jesus is my Firecracker

We Filipinos always want to welcome New Year with a bang. Our most popular choice in doing this is using firecrackers. There are also other means like trumpets and drums. Of course, we should celebrate the New Year especially if we see it as a time for a new beginning, a new start, a time to change for the better. We always want to start the New Year right as we hope for a good year ahead. But should we celebrate with firecrackers, especially us Christians? I will argue that it is unwise for us Christians to use firecrackers. I will offer three insights on why Christians should not use firecrackers after giving a short background on the significance of firecrackers.

The use of firecrackers is a Chinese tradition that we Filipinos inherited. In a capsule, Chinese people welcome their new year with the loud sounds of firecrackers to scare the evil spirits away. They complement it with the dragon dance, red color and lots of circular shapes that all symbolize prosperity and good luck. This is their way of starting the New Year right - driving demons away and welcoming prosperity in. As the Chinese have become part of our Filipino community, we have assimilated their tradition. We have adapted their tradition of welcoming New Year in the hope that we may also be prosperous like most of our Filipino-Chinese brothers and sisters. We light up the air, make noises and wear lucky colors and shapes in hoping for good luck and good health for the New Year. However, is it wise for Christians to also use firecrackers?

Firecrackers will not make us healthy. In fact, they are hazardous to our health. Every year, hundreds of people seek medical attention due to firecracker injury or poisoning. Last year, the DOH reported 613 firecracker-related injuries from the period of Dec 21, '08 to Jan 3 '09. Of those injured, 24 underwent finger or hand amputation, 116 suffered eye injuries and the rest had blast and burn injuries. The use of firecrackers is risky for our bodies and health. The Bible reminds us to take care of our bodies, the temple of God. Caring for our bodies’ means walking away from risky and insignificant practices that nay hurt us

As Christians, we are to be stewards of this Earth. It is unwise for us to engage in practices that contribute to the destruction of our world. The smoke that comes from the firecrackers increases the carbon in the air that causes the environmentally destructive 'greenhouse effect.' Add this to the fact that the debris and empty shells of the firecrackers add to the pile of everyday garbage. The production and use of firecrackers also wastes our energy resources. We must be responsible stewards of Gods creation. Let us therefore refrain from hastening Earths destruction.

As Christians, we do not believe firecrackers have the power to defeat evil like Jesus does. Only Christ has the power to defeat evil. As Christians, we also do not believe in good luck. Our hope for a prosperous New Year does not lay with luck but with Jesus Christ our Messiah. He delivers us from harm and evil. Our faith in Christ is complete that He will do great things for us, things that will prosper us and not harm us. I do not mean in a simplistic way that Christianity spells prosperity. But we can boldly say that it is in Jesus Christ where we put all our hope, our future, and our successes. We don’t have to make the loudest bang of a firecracker, because Jesus is the firecracker that will bless us through the New Year and always.

Simbang Gabi: Ninth

Save the best for last. The last morning watch today was very artistic and symbolic. The theme centered on the light of the world - Jesus. The songs focused on Jesus being the light. The sermon centered on how Jesus brings light to our lives. The whole service was then highlighted by a very meaningful candle-lighting ceremony. This for me was very symbolic. The whole place was enveloped with darkness with the turning off of the lights. Add to this the fact that it was still dark outside. Only the Christ candle was the light on. The Reverend Boni then lighted a candle from the Christ candle. Then he lighted another persons candle, and another and another and another. And the lighted candles lighted another and another and another until the whole church was bright with candle lights. The candle lights were our only lights throughout the service. It kept the place bright until the Son (sun) was shining light to the whole world. It was already morning when the service ended and the darkness of the night was now replaced with brightness. Jesus has now given light to the world. Christmas is here. Merry Christmas!

Simbang Gabi: Eight

Today is probably the most humbling message that I have heard. Putting the delivery aside, I was so blessed by the content of the morning devotion today. The theological assertions were so sound and were very challenging too. One of the point is the intentionality of humility. The other point that really made me pause was the kind of humility we know and the kind that God demands.
Christian humility is different from being humble. Much more, our humility does not come from us but a humility that comes from God. This I guess, and rightly so, distinguishes human from Christian humility. This is the humility that Abraham, David and Mary exhibited when God demanded their obedience. I pray for such humility that I may serve and obey God rightly.