Valley View Chapel August 28, 2016 Believe Part 9 STEWARDSHIP John 13:36-38; 21: Introduction

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1 1 Valley View Chapel August 28, 2016 Believe Part 9 STEWARDSHIP John 13:36-38; 21:15-19 Introduction Stewardship is the management of our God-given resources. With James in the New Testament, we confess that Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. James 1:17 (NIV) That s why each of us ought to be able to say: I BELIEVE EVERYTHING I AM AND EVERYTHING I OWN BELONG TO GOD. Today is the day to decide if we are going to buy-in to the doctrine of biblical stewardship. Today is the day when we consider the challenge be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ concerning our God-given resources. Stewardship is really all about true commitment. There is also a false commitment. False commitment is when we say we love Jesus but we don t obey Jesus. False commitment is when we obey Jesus only when it s convenient and doesn t cost anything. False commitment is when we give God an hour of our time on Sunday morning, but leave him out of our activities on Saturday night. False commitment is when we say we re willing to die for Jesus, but we re not willing to live for Jesus. When it comes to true commitment, there are two passages that I want to call to your attention. The first is in John 13: It s the: Demonstration of True Commitment John 13:36-38 The night before Jesus died, Jesus and his disciples were in the Upper Room. Judas had just left to do his treasonous work. Jesus reminded his men of the importance loving one another. Peter sensed that something big was on the horizon, so he cut right to the chase in verse 36, Lord, where are you going? Jesus answer was ambiguous: Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later. With his usual bravado and impetuosity, Peter replied: Lord, why can t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you. Now here s the question I want us to think about deeply because it lies at the heart of true commitment Will you really lay down your life for me? When it comes to true commitment, this is the inescapable question which Jesus puts before all who claim to love him and follow him Will you really lay down your life for me?

2 2 Though Peter had just testified that he was willing to do just that, Jesus asked him to think again. It s as if Jesus was asking, Peter, do you really know what you re saying? Peter claimed that he was willing to die for his Lord. Yet, within a few hours he proved that he wasn t willing to live for Christ. He denied Jesus three times to save his own neck. If Jesus asked us that question Will you really lay down your life for me? I m fairly certain that most of us would answer with a resounding Yes! In studying for this message, I discovered some fully devoted followers of Jesus who actually paid for their faithfulness with their lives. The year was A.D. 155, and the persecution against Christians had swept across the Roman Empire as far as the city of Smyrna in eastern Turkey. The authorities issued an order that the Bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp, be arrested and brought to the public arena for execution. The government goon squad found Polycarp and brought him before the proconsul and thousands of spectators. But the government official felt sorry for the old man who was almost a hundred years old. He signaled the crowd to silence and said to Polycarp, "Curse the Christ and live." The crowd waited for his answer. In a strong voice, Polycarp replied, "Eighty and six years have I served him, and he has done me no wrong. How dare I blaspheme the name of my king and my Lord!" With that testimony fresh on his lips, Polycarp sealed his fate. I d like to think most of us would have done the same thing if we had been in Polycarp s position. Now go with me to China. The year is John and Betty Stam were serving there as missionaries. They had a three-month baby girl named Helen. At the age of 18 Betty Scott wrote this vow to the Lord: Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes All my own desires and hopes And accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all Utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt And work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost now and forever. Communist forces swept into Tsingteh and forcibly brought the Stams to Miaosheo, twelve miles away. The next morning, the two missionaries were beheaded in the town square for their faith in Christ.

3 3 John had written a letter to the China Inland Mission the day before he and Betty were martyred. He had hidden it and it was later found. Dec. 6, 1934 China Inland Mission, Shanghai Dear Brethren, My wife, baby and myself are today in the hands of the Communists in the city of Tsingteh. Their demand is twenty thousand dollars for our release. All our possessions and stores are in their hands, but we praise God for peace in our hearts and a meal tonight. God grant you wisdom in what you do, and us fortitude, courage and peace of heart. He is able-and a wonderful Friend in such a time. The Lord bless and guide you, and as for us, may God be glorified whether by life or by death. In Him, John C. Stam I d like to think most of us would have done the same thing if we had been in John and Betty Stam s position. Then, I read the story of Dr. Paul Carlson. Paul Carlson was a medical missionary to the Congo in Fourteen months after arriving in the Congo, the American doctor became aware of growing tensions in the country. The Simba rebels were a few hundred miles south of the Wasolo compound where Dr. Carlson served but threatened to overrun defenses in Ubangi in the north. Carlson, realizing the danger, relocated his family across the river into the Central African Republic. Because of the overwhelming needs at his hospital, Carlson felt compelled to return. In mid-september 1964, the hospital in Wasolo was ambushed and Carlson taken hostage. Charged with working for the U.S. military, he was eventually taken to Stanleyville where other hostages were held. On Nov. 24, 1964, Carlson and 37 other hostages were killed an hour before Belgian paratroopers swarmed the area. Before his capture, Carlson sent a recorded message to his church in Los Angeles. His last words were: In days like this we certainly have to leave the future in God s hands. Continue to uphold us in prayer. Pray that through the trials we face here we may be an effective witness for Christ. I d like to think most of us would have done the same thing if we had been in Dr. Paul Carlson s position. But the chances are slim that we will ever be in Polycarp s position; in John and Betty Stam s position; in Dr. Paul Carlson s position. So, what is the relevance of Jesus question: Will you really lay down your life for me? The relevance of Jesus question was brought home to me when I read a sermon preached by Dr. Fred Craddock, Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Candler School of Theology

4 4 in Atlanta. Hear clearly his powerful and practical words: To give my life for Christ appears glorious. To pour myself out for others.to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom I ll do it. I m ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table Here s my life, Lord. I m giving it all. But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid s troubles instead of saying, Get lost. Go to a committee meeting. Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isn t glorious. It s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it s harder to live the Christian life little-by-little over the long haul. So the thrust of Jesus question for us is no: Are you willing to die for me in one heroic and selfless act? Rather, it s Are you willing to spend your life a quarter at a time to serve me in the daily responsibilities of life? Are you willing to care for a baby in the nursery? Are you willing to show children my love in Vacation Bible School? Are you willing to teach a class? Are you willing to volunteer and hour or two of your time on Wednesday night so that Jesus can be declared and glorified? Are you willing to give ten percent of your income to my work so that others can come to know me like you do? Are you willing to lay down your life for Christ in joyful, thankful obedience, one quarter at a time? That s the demonstration of true commitment. The Motivation for True Commitment John 21:15a Shortly before Jesus went back to heaven, he asked Peter another question. The disciples and Jesus were together on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus asked Peter: Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Peter answered with haste and confidence: Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. I think most of us can identify with Peter. If Jesus asked us, Do you love me? the majority of us would give the same answer that Peter did: Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. But let s look more closely at his question. Jesus didn t simply ask: Do you love me? He asked, Do you love me more than these? Jesus knew that Peter loved him. But Jesus wanted Peter to think about how much he loved him. Did Peter love Jesus more than these? What are these that Jesus was talking about? Did Peter love Jesus more than what? Peter had just gotten off his boat, for he was a fisherman. Jesus may have looked in the direction of Peter s boat and asked: Peter, do you love me more than your job? That s a good question to ask in the work-driven, work-dominated-environment in which we live. Do we love Jesus more than our job?

5 5 While it is true that our jobs require a huge time commitment, does the scope of this commitment prevent us from spending time with God in Bible reading, prayer, and fellowship? Does our work prevent us from serving the Lord in a ministry to which we have been called and for which we have been gifted? Does our job take such a high toll physically, emotionally and mentally that there s little or nothing left to give back to God? Peter had just hauled in a huge catch of fish. The Bible specifically says that Peter caught 153 large fish! Fish translated into income, money, material possessions. Peter, do you love me more than money? Do you love me more than what money can buy? That s a good question to ask in the materially-driven culture in which we live. Do we love Jesus more than money or what money can buy? Are we so in love with money that we keep for ourselves what rightfully belongs to God? For every dollar God gives us, he only asks for a dime in return. Yet, some of us who claim to love Jesus and claim to be fully devoted followers think that a dime on the dollar is too much to give to God. Are we so in love with the things that money can buy that we have gotten ourselves so financially extended that we rob God of the tithe that belongs to him in order not to rob the bank that issued our Visa or Master Card? Standing nearby were the disciples. They were Peter s friends. Jesus wanted to know: Peter, do you love me more than your friends? That s a good question to ask in a society that applies an ordinate amount of peer pressure to conform to the values and priorities of a culture that largely neither knows Christ nor his principles. Do we allow our friends to influence our behavior to the extent that we would sooner disobey God and have our friends approval than obey God and have his approval? Are we willing to risk losing a friend because of our stand for Christ or are we willing to risk losing the blessing of Christ in order to keep our friend? In Win a Date with Tad Hamilton, Rosalee Futch is a small-town, West Virginia girl who enters a contest and wins a date with movie star Tad Hamilton. After their date in Hollywood, Rosalee flies back home to resume her life. Her date with Tad, however, causes him to reflect upon who he has become. He decides he needs to change who he is and flies to West Virginia, hoping Rosalee's small-town values will rub off on him. Meanwhile, Rosalee is unaware that her best friend and boss at the local Piggly Wiggly grocery store, Pete, is secretly in love with her. As the romance between Rosalee and Tad blossoms, Pete suffers in silence. Angelica, the local bartender, eventually convinces him to talk about what is bothering him. Pete open up, "Okay. I think that our friend Rosie might be falling in love with Tad Hamilton. but the problem with that is that I'm in love with Rosie." Angelica asks: "So how much do you love her? Is it love, is it big love, or is it great love?" Pete s confused, "Like, what do you mean?"

6 6 Angelica answers, "Well, love, you get over in two months. Big love two years. Great love great love changes your life." Love you get over in 2 months. Big love 2 years. Great love changes your life. Great love great love for your spouse, your child, or Christ changes your life. Great love is the motivation for a great commitment. Conclusion I m going to ask you to move to the level of great commitment in your financial stewardship. Why do I emphasize the financial side of stewardship? Because, after more than 42 years as a pastor, I ve discovered that our finances are usually the last thing we surrender to Jesus Christ. Many Christians would rather surrender their children as missionaries to Africa than surrender their tithe to the Lord. Moreover, Jesus himself said, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 Randy Alcorn observed in The Treasure Principle: Suppose you buy shares of General Motors. What happens? You suddenly develop interest in GM. You check the financial pages. You see a magazine article about GM and read every word, even though a month ago you would have passed right over it. As surely as the compass needle follows north, your heart will follow your treasure. Money leads; hearts follow. Let s move together as one family into the arena of Bible-believing, risk-taking, Jesusloving obedience.

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