Later this summer, my son is playing in a week-long baseball tournament in Cooperstown, New York. It is an incredibly exciting opportunity. Once in a lifetime. They will play other teams from all over the country and create memories to last forever. But it is also a trip that is not cheap. The cost for this 6-day baseball getaway is cringeworthy indeed. All the parents on the team are now brainstorming ways to raise money. One such fundraiser is to sell spirit wear. This is not innovative; most teams and schools do this. We ask people to purchase all kinds of things—shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, umbrellas—with the SPARTA name and logo emblazoned on it.  Not only will the team make money, but all our fans in the stands can proudly show their support.  Just a quick glance, and you’ll know which team they are there to cheer for. It will be obvious by the colors they wear, the umbrellas they hold, the names they scream, and the banners they wave.
 
In the church, we have no such banners or team apparel. (Although, it could be cool to have some fun King of Kings swag to wear. Someday…)  In the church, we have a different type of “spirit” wear that is not evident in logos or team colors. Instead, as the old hymn refrain declares, “… they will know we are Christians by our love.”  As Christians, we believe that the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in our lives.  God lives within us. This is the gift of baptism. He literally dwells within us.  None other than the Holy Spirit is active in our lives creating and sustaining us in the one true, saving faith. As such, how we live our lives should consistently display who we are and what we believe.  During our past month of “stewardship” reflections, this has been the underlying premise. Our faith is what inspires us to invite others into the life of His church. Our faith is what pushes us out of our comfort area to care for others. Our faith is what nudges us to find ways to volunteer. Our faith is what motivates us to be good stewards of the countless gifts and abilities that the Lord has given to us. The faith that we have in God is not something we should only pull out for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning. It needs to permeate every part of our lives. Our faith should impact how we treat each other, how we spend our money, how we conduct our business, how we interact with our coworkers, how we take care of ourselves, and so on. There is no compartment of our lives that should ever be disconnected from our discipleship with Jesus.  To be sure, this is not easy. There is forgiveness for every time we fail, grace for all imbalances.
 
More than walking around decked out in crosses and clever churchy t-shirts, God says that our fandom and faithfulness should be evident in how we worship Him and interact with others.  This is good news. We don’t have to purchase anything. In fact, God has paid the price already. So let us embrace and live in the freedom and forgiveness that comes with being a child of God. Rejoice. Be faithful. Let us make this evident to all—where we live, work, and play!
 
“If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” (unknown)
“Live in such a way that those who know you, but don't know God, will come to know God because they know you.” (unknown)
“How you express and live out your faith may have a greater impact on your son or daughter than anything else.” (Kara E. Powell)
“Our conduct is an advertisement for or against Jesus Christ.” (Elizabeth George)

​I remember, before going to seminary, while working at a church in the Twin Cities area, thinking… “If I ever become a pastor, I will never talk about money.” After all, it is way more fun to talk about Jesus walking on water or feeding five thousand people than talking about church finances and red-numbered budgets.  At the time, it felt like all the church leadership did was talk about the need of money for different reasons and projects. That may not have been reality, but it was my perception in that moment.  I was working in the church myself and it felt very off-putting. I could only imagine the consensus of the membership was similar.  So naturally, I naively decided that if it were me in the pulpit, I would do it differently. I would never talk about money. Keep the cash out of the sermon. Talk about love, grace, and all that pleasurable (not off-putting) stuff.  Even to this day, I do try to limit the amount of time we talk about money, but the reality is that Jesus spends more time talking about money and treasures than any other topic aside from the Kingdom of Heaven.  What does this tell me? If such a topic is important enough for Jesus to talk about it, then apparently, we in His church, should continue this conversation.   To be sure, we definitely want to temper our discussions and not overdo it. And we definitely do not want to use guilt or manipulation. Money is never the most important thing (that would be the Great Commission of last week’s blog), but it is a needed thing. Necessary to keep the church open, to bless others in the community, etc.
 
Hopefully, by now you have received the 2024 Stewardship Letter & Update from this Monday.  Feel free to reach out if you missed it, or you want to re-read my incredibly eloquent words. In light of all this, I want to share with you this devotion below (blue italics) that came across my desk many months ago. It is very relevant to this topic and equally convicting. It was convicting to me when I first read it.  Why? Because it tells me that the how I handle the material gifts of this world, can by symptomatic and quite revealing in regard to my relationship with the Lord. After I have paid for all the piano lessons, the softball registration, and the private baseball lessons… How do I consider my giving to the Lord? Am I giving Him my first fruits or barely what is left over? Is the Lord’s work a priority for me or is it not?  Check it out:
 
I’ve been thinking about some words from Jesus. Jesus says, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near, and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:32-34).

I have to admit, that last sentence is one I’ve often misunderstood. I’ve usually thought, “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be.” But that’s not what Jesus says. He says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be.” In other words, Jesus encourages you to look at where you put your money. That’s how you can tell what’s really in your heart. We can say what we want about what we believe and value, but what you spend your money on is a clear indication of where your heart really is.

So where is your treasure? I don’t want to hear that question. I bet you don’t want to hear that question either. Why? Because we love money, and we love things, and we love the things we do with money. And we like to think that my money is separate from my relationship with God. “Don’t talk about money at church!” Except Jesus tells us that the opposite is true. My use of God’s money tells a lot about my relationship with God. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” He’s right.

What’s amazing is that God applies that same statement to himself. Where his treasure is, there is his heart too. So where is God’s treasure? He tells you, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” God has an enormous chest of treasures – love, grace, forgiveness, blessings, the kingdom of heaven. What has he done with them? He has given them to us through Jesus our Savior. God has given you his treasure, and where God’s treasure is, there his heart is also – with you! What more could God give? God loves you more than anything in the world!

So where is your treasure? There your heart will be too.
 
So, what will this mean for YOU?  What will this mean for the membership of our church?
Thank you for carefully and prayerfully considering this topic—as unpopular and not-fun as it may be. 😉
 
“Stewardship is not about raising money; it’s about raising Christians who willingly trust God.” (Unknown)
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)
“No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.” (Calvin Coolidge)

​Hope you all were able to weather the storm the past two days. That was a lot of rain! As I write this, the sky is blue and the warm sun is beaming through the window. Yet at the same time, I can hear the sump pump in the basement of my house churning out water.  It quite possibly has gone off more in the last 36 hours than it has in the previous 3 years we have lived here.  In last week’s blast I shared my goals for our congregation in this New Year. The first one was to grow towards and then average 100 people in worship each week. The second goal is to maintain a healthy financial budget with no signs of red. More on that in the coming weeks, but today I would like to reflect on the first goal.  As I shared last week, this does not come from a desire to impress others or “beat” the numbers of other churches.  It is simply, but very seriously, taking Jesus’ great commission to heart.  In the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, we immediately see some surprising people worshiping the infant Jesus. The “magi from the East” were unexpected guests, but their mere presence declared a radical, awesome new reality for God’s Kingdom. (More on this in worship this coming Sunday 😉).  This gospel then concludes with the words of Jesus, instructing and expecting His followers to be on the move and sharing the Good News with everyone. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19-20)
 
America, a nation on the go. We work, travel, exercise, play, and celebrate. Especially in this part of the country, we go.  We get up early, work through lunch, and stay up late. We live by the clock and the digital watch and odometers. We lack sleep and sacrifice health. And we need “go power” to keep moving – breakfast cereals, power bars, energy drinks, vitamins, candy bars, and pep pills.  There is no rest for the weary, we have to keep going, keep moving.  Nevertheless, we frequently run out of gas and lie exhausted in front of the television.

Most of us would agree that some of this “going” makes little sense—like a hamster running pointlessly in his wheel but getting absolutely nowhere.  However, there is one going that is of utmost importance. Not a going to get rich or to find thrills, but a going to make disciples of all nations, to share that Gospel Word power with family members, neighbors, co-workers, golfing partners, church friends, and people in other lands.  Jesus speaks of it when He says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”  With these words, Jesus declares and establishes the fundamental mission statement and guiding principle of every church. Do good deeds? Yes.  Serve those who lack? Of course. Have great programs? Certainly. Engage the community? Without question.  But the underlying goal of everything the church is and does must take the Great Commission to heart. If who we are and what we do does not invite people into a relationship with Jesus and the life of His bride, the Church, then we have lost our way. We have lost our identity.  We must be “on the move” and “going” for the right reason—disciple making. Good reason for going. The only worthwhile reason.
 
Thus, this first goal for our church. For any church. We need to commit ourselves to the business of disciple making. This means we share the love and peace we have in Jesus. We let our faith shine forth. We shine the light of Christ. We unashamedly give answer for the hope that lives within us to those that we interact with at work, at home, and at play.
 
And where do we get the power for such going? Jesus answers that question on the Great Commission mountain. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me,” the resurrected Jesus says. He supplies the Spirit-infused “go power” from His limitless supply. Crucified and risen from the dead, He offers forgiveness and endless refreshment. Through Word power – His Gospel – we receive all the “go power” we will ever need. He promises to be with us always, to the very end of the age. What comfort!
 
“The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.” (Hudson Taylor)
“Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.” (Oswald J. Smith)
“The Great Commission will not be fulfilled if we only give our spare time or spare money.” (David Kim)

* Blog was inspired by and incorporated thoughts from LHM devotional, 1-24-2004.