Extract from Church Manual (19Th Ed.) on Stewardship Ministries, Pp. 102,103, 177

Stewardship

Extract from Church Manual (19th ed.) on Stewardship Ministries, pp. 102,103, 177

Stewardship ministries encourages members to respond to God’s grace by dedicating all they have to Him. Stewardship responsibility involves more than just money. It includes, but is not limited to, the proper care and use of the body, mind, time, abilities, spiritual gifts, relationships, influence, language, the environment, and material possessions. The department assists members in their partnership with God in completing His mission through the proper utilization of all of His gifts and resources.

When the Spirit of God takes possession of the life, “those whose hearts are filled with the love of Christ will follow the example of Him who for our sake became poor, that through His poverty we might be made rich. Money, time, influence—all the gifts they have received from God’s hand, they will value only as a means of advancing the work of the gospel.”— AA 71.

Stewardship Ministries Leader—The stewardship ministries leader should practice the principles of Christian stewardship and should have an understanding of the spiritual and financial ministry of the Church. The leader will work in cooperation with the conference stewardship ministries director, the pastor, and the board. The leader acts as a liaison between the conference stewardship ministries department and the congregation.

Stewardship Ministries Resources—Steps to Discipleship (2009). Silver Spring, Md.: Stewardship Ministries, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. For further information, contact your local conference, union, or division stewardship ministries department or visit

Christians are God’s stewards, entrusted with His goods and, as His partners, responsible to manage them in harmony with His guidelines and principles. The divine counsel is that as His stewards, we are to “be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2). Though the question of stewardship covers many aspects of Christian life and experience, without doubt the stewardship of our means is vitally important. It concerns the entire Church family and involves our recognition of the sovereignty of God, His ownership of all things, and the bestowal of His grace upon our hearts.

While this aspect of Christian stewardship concerns our material possessions, it nevertheless reacts upon our Christian experience. The Lord requires certain things of us, in order that He may do certain things for us. Our yielding obedience to what our heavenly Father requires places this phase of stewardship upon a high spiritual plane. He does not arbitrarily demand either that we serve Him or that we recognize Him with our gifts. But He has so arranged that when we work in harmony with Him in these things there will flow to our own hearts great spiritual blessings.

“God desires all His stewards to be exact in following divine arrangements. They are not to offset the Lord’s plans by performing some deed of charity or giving some gift or some offering when or how they, the human agents, shall see fit. It is a very poor policy for men to seek to improve on God’s plan, and invent a makeshift, averaging up their good impulses on this and that occasion, and offsetting them against God’s requirements. God calls upon all to give their influence to His own arrangement.”—9T 248.

The following is based upon presentations made by Erika F Puni, PhD, Stewardship Ministries Director, General Conference of SDA

The question has been asked, “What is Stewardship?” The simple answer is, “ALL of me in response to ALL of God”.

There is a narrow view of stewardship, which focuses on the superficial, and a broad view, which focuses on the true meaning of stewardship: a total response to God. The following table illustrates some aspects of this.

Narrow View of Stewardship / Broad View of Stewardship
Tithes and Offerings / Lordship of Christ
Church Member / God as Creator
Behaviour / Values
Pocket and Wallet / Heart
Programmes / Lifestyle

“All of me in response to All of God” calls for a total and full commitment, which we see in Jesus’ words found in Mark 12:30.

“Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL yourmind and with ALL your strength.”

And is also what the first commandment requires of us:

“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 (NIV)

The narrow and broad view of stewardship reflects the essence of human life, the Surface Level and the Deep Level. Jesus identified these two levels when He said,

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 23:27,28 (NIV)

From this, then, we can see that stewardship will inform our values and behaviours. True stewardship should capture not only the existence of the deeper level, but address the core values and principles that are behind peoples’ behaviours.

Not only is stewardship aimed at core values, it seeks to ensure the values are centred in Christ and not in self. In other words, stewardship seeks to compete with values focussed on self, and redirect them to values focussed on Jesus Christ.

COMPETING VALUES

FOCUSSED ON SELF / FOCUSSED ON JESUS CHRIST
Self-Serving / Service
Self-indulgence / Simplicity
Self-gratification / Sacrifice
Self-seeking / Surrender
Self-centeredness / Submission

We can also see that it is impossible to develop right core values unless our lives are firmly established upon the rock of Jesus Christ, as the following Biblical passage illustrates.

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:1,4 (NIV)

Correct stewardship, then, has its origins within Jesus Christ. We need to have Jesus as the bedrock of our lives in order to have correct stewardship values.

Lordship of Jesus Christ

Lifestyle of daily submission

Living the will of God

Life time partnership with God

Personal relationship with Jesus

Servant leadership in community

Commitment to spirituality

Care and service to the poor

Devotion and worship of God

Involvement in discipleship

So the question then remains, what are your values? Why not review the foregoing tables and evaluate where your values are. Then compare them with the following to see if they are secular or spiritual.

WHAT ARE YOUR VALUES

SECULAR / SPIRITUAL
Perishable / Infinite
Self-centred / Christ-Centred
Body / Spirit
Short-term / Long-term
Self-control / Spirit-controlled

Since stewardship is really about values, then practicing stewardship should transform us into something God wants us to become. We can see this in Romans 12:1-2

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies [total self] as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 . . . be transformed by the renewing of your mind [heart]. Romans12:1-2 (NIV)

True stewardship occurs when the rule of Jesus Christ breaks into the deep level of our lives, and transforms our core values into His kingdom values

Stewardship should have an impact on every aspect of our lives: our worship; how we lead others; our relationships; impact of how we relate to the ‘lost’/our non-SDA neighbours; how we handle our possessions; how we manage our finances, and the language we use.

Look at the following graphic and identify if the Gospel message of Jesus Christ has changed your behaviour and your core values.

Can you think of any other areas in your life that the Gospel message has impacted, or can impact?

Stewardship is not only rooted in Jesus, in reality it should be all about Jesus. In one sense, discipleship and stewardship are two sides of the same coin. Stewardship encapsulates where are values are, which in turn, inform our lives as disciples.

One of the images Jesus used was the vine to portraythe disciples remaining in Christ. Remaining in Jesus is at the heart of stewardship, as we see in John 15:4-5

4 Remain in ME [Jesus/HS], and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in ME. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in ME and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from ME you can do nothing. John 15:4-5 (NIV)

We can say that remaining in Christ is stewardship, and bearing fruit (in whatever form) is discipleship.

The heart of the gospel is Jesus the vine; and the essence of discipleship and stewardship is to be connected to Him and remain in Him. Sanctification is more than a one off act of connecting to Jesus. It’s a lifetime process of being with Him and in Him.Stewardship is about Jesus – the vine; and the “branches” are an extension of Him. We exist because of Jesus.

What matters most in Christian stewardship (discipline), and in stewardship education (process), is an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. The focus has to be Jesus, and when Jesus is in the heart and life of the disciple the fruit(s) will come - naturally. Consistent faithfulness in financial stewardship (how we live our lives; return of tithe and giving of free-will offerings, meet the needs of the poor) is the work of God in us; not our work for God.

In practical terms a right approach to life will produce the right kind of stewardship. In Matthew 6:21, Jesus said that “where your treasure is, there your HEART will be also.”

WHERE’S YOUR HEART

EARTHLY / HEAVENLY
Risky Investment / Secure Investment
Temporal / Eternal
Money / God
Worry / Faith
Unbeliever / Believer

It is natural for the human heart (mind) to focus and follow what it perceives as important in life. And this is what Jesus spoke about in Matthew 6:24:

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

WHOM TO SERVE

MONEY / GOD
Means of Worship / Object of Worship
Human Product / The Creator
God’s Gift / The Giver
No Life / He is Life
Limited Value / Eternal Value

Jesus went on in Matthew 6 to mention the things we worry about. For example, we worry about:

Life: Food and Drinks
Look at the birds of the air (Matthew 6:26)
Body: Health and Clothes
Look at the grass of the field (Matthew 6:28-30)

But Worry

Is not Healthy
It will not extend life (Matthew 6: 27)
Is Pagan
Ungodly behaviour – unbelief (Matthew 6:32)

So Basically Don’t Worry

About things that you can’t control (Matthew 6:34)
About things that are in the future (Matthew 6:34)

Instead, Jesus counsels us to “seek first his KINGDOM and his RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

This applies to all areas of life, including, but not limited to:

Money, Retirement Plans, Sustentation
Food and Water
Clothes, Shoes, Houses and Cars
Health Insurance, Medications and Education
Security and Safety
Marriage, Children, Special Friends
Plus many other things we may need in life

Rather than worry about things we might or might not have, stewardship calls us to focus on what is important, such as:

God and Heaven
The Lost
Important Things and Priorities
Lordship and Surrender
Faith and Trust
Commitment and Loyalty
Allegiance and Worship
Discipleship and Relationship

An important question to ask is, who – or what – reigns in our hearts?

Kingdom means the rulership and lordship of Jesus Christ in our hearts. Righteousness is God’s gift that comes from being in a right relationship with Him today. Stewardship is about who is number one in your life? Stewardship is about Jesus as Lord and King of your heart. Stewardship is about having a personal relationship with Him now.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Rev 3:20 (KJV)

A THEOLOGY OF TITHE AND PRACTICE OF TITHING IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

“STEWARDSHIP IS ALL OF ME IN RESPONSE TO ALL OF GOD”

Narrow View of Stewardship / Broad View of Stewardship
Tithes and Offerings / Lordship of Christ
Church Member / God as Creator
Behaviour / Values
Pocket and Wallet / Heart
Programmes / Lifestyle

FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

Acknowledgment of God’s Creatorship
Expression of Partnership with the Divine
Commitment to the Lordship of Jesus
Recognition of God’s Blessings of Grace
Believers response of Love and Gratitude
Demonstration of our Faith in Christ
Living the Covenant Relationship with God

THEOLOGICAL BASIS

God is Creator and Owner of all things
God is Saviour of all mankind
God is both Provider and Sustainer of life
God is the Giver and Source of all Blessings
God is a Personal Helper and Protector
God alone is Worthy of our Worship
God alone is Trustworthy

FUNDAMENTALS OF TITHING

Tithe is returned out of God’s blessings
Tithe is returned based on income/increase
Tithe is returned in CASH and in KIND
Tithe is returned by the believer/disciple in relationship with God
Tithe is returned for the believer’s benefit
Tithe is returned as an act of worship
Tithe is returned to God’s Church – His storehouse

APPLICATION OF TITHE

PRINCIPLE / MEANING
Belongs to God / We don’t keep it
It is Holy / We don’t take or use it
God specifies it / We obey and follow
Act of Worship / It’s about God
Spiritual response / It’s about the Heart
Expression of Loyalty / It’s about faithfulness

KEY OT TITHE PASSAGES

Genesis 14 – Abraham’s Tithe
Genesis 28:10-22 – Jacob’s Tithe
Leviticus 27:30-33 – Tithing Legislation
Numbers 18:21-32 – Priests and Levites
Deut 12,14,16 – Central Sanctuary
2 Chronicles 31:4-6,12 – Hezekiah Reform
Nehemiah 10,12,13 – Covenant Renewal

TITHE RESTATED

1.Tithing acknowledges God as Creator & Owner

2. Tithe is an expression of personal worship

3. Tithe is to be returned to God first

4. Tithe is to be returned to the storehouse

5. Tithe is returned by tithe recipients to God

6. Tithe is holy at all times (OT, NT, and beyond)

7. Tithe is not tied to the Levitical system only

OUR STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE

God made all things and He has sustained them by His power. As Creator God He owns everything including us – the totality of our human life and experience. This God – Jesus Christ - is Saviour and King of the universe. As His subjects, we live for Him; and our purpose in life is to honour Him by surrendering our hearts and everything that we are and have to His control. As stewards of His kingdom, we’re also partners with Him in His mission in the world to make disciples of all peoples.

GOD’S PROMISE

“Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:10 (NIV)