July 4, 2006

Happy 4th of July to our visitors from the United States. Once again we thank the men and women of the armed forces of all nations for their service to their countries.

Today we continue discussing when God builds a church. Maybe if we did a better job building churches we wouldn't need to build armed forces, but that's another topic.

The pastor needs to depend on elders, deacons, staff members, and volunteers to help with the pasturing of the flock. You can have a counseling ministry with paid counselors, volunteer professionals, or highly trained mature Christian volunteers. But, not everyone who is hurting needs a counselor. Some times they just need a friend or someone to talk to.

 

The telecare ministry volunteers call each church household twice a year to ask how they are doing and ask if there is anything that the church could be praying about for them. Volunteers are convinced that the Holy Spirit leads them to families that need a phone call.

 

The hospital visitation ministry has volunteers who visit any members who are hospitalized. They stay and talk, pray, and offer to help the hospitalized member. The paid staff is not always the greatest at hospital pastoral care. They visit out of duty and often don’t stay long. They have been hired for their talents in other areas.

 

Wise stewardship of God’s resources is an important part of a healthy church. Biblical stewardship and generous giving can transform lives and significantly advance the kingdom of God. Yet most preachers don’t even want to broach the subject of money. It is fine to excuse your guests from the offering.

 

It’s important to preach on stewardship because God’s word speaks often about stewardship. Jesus talked about stewardship more than he did about heaven, hell, or even loving your neighbor. There are 2350 passages in the Bible dealing with money and material possessions, but it’s the least talked about subject in the church. If you fail to communicate that truth to people, you are doing them a disservice and failing to preach the whole will of God.

 

Generosity transforms people. When people release their grip on the things of this world, they are liberated. If you could just get people to give their hearts to Jesus, their treasures would follow. Generosity will result in an overflow of spiritual, emotional, and relational blessings in your life-and God promises to take care of your physical needs too.

 

Money is often necessary to advance the gospel. Almost every program, almost every plan for communicating the gospel costs money. How many times have good ideas been turned down and our vision limited because we’re worried about how much it costs. Generous giving is a positive testimony. Sincere efforts to help people overcome their addiction to the stuff of this world will result in attracting people to Jesus Christ, and a congregation of sacrificial givers is a powerful testimony to the community.

 

People need stewardship advice because money can be such a trap. Focus on regular stewardship, not crisis giving. People may give in response to a crisis, but the goal is to teach them to give out of love for God and a sense of duty to give back to him some of what he has so generously given to them. Conduct stewardship seminars and financial counseling.

 

Be sure to handle the money wisely. Poor money management will have a devastating effect on your church’s giving. Be sure to have proper accountability measures in place. Prayerfully spend money on the priorities. Financial decisions should always be made with the advancement of the gospel as the top priority. Financial decisions should be made on what is the best for the kingdom of God, not on what will receive the least criticism. A greater part of the church’s offerings should be given to trustworthy missions. The more we give, the more God blesses.

 

Special campaigns should be for a cause that will generate its own momentum and support. Pray for God’s guidance before a capital campaign. Hire consultants. The leaders need to set the pace. The leaders need to give a personal testimony of what they are giving. Share testimonies of sacrificing along the way. Ask the congregation to pray. Hold prayer vigils. Celebrate the victories.

Please take time to visit www.thegreatcommissionchurch.org . We pray for the ministry of their web site. Send me your thoughts at [e-mail] . Be sure to watch for tomorrow's podcast! Until then, thanks, and God bless.

Pastor Bob Emery