The first objective of this lesson: to increase the students' realization that the foundation of stewardship is internal. It is found in the heart and mind of the individual Christian. Material wealth is not the foundation of stewardship. The use one makes of material things is not the foundation of stewardship [that is one expression of stewardship]. The wise utilization of those things under one's control is not the foundation of stewardship. Stewardship flows from the appreciative, gratitude-filled heart and mind that belong to God. Because the heart and mind belong to God, one uses material things in God's best interest. Because the heart and mind belong to God, one uses wisdom in utilizing what is under his or her control.
The second objective of this lesson: to increase the students' awareness that every Christian has a spiritual need to be a steward. [Stewardship is frequently presented as a responsibility, not a need. It is a spiritual need living in the soul of the Christian steward.] Even the poor need the experiences produced by stewardship. Stewardship provides the Christian with an essential avenue for expressing appreciation and showing gratitude. Poor Christians need those experiences as surely as do prosperous Christians.
The most difficult reality an American missionary faces when teaching in most third world situations is the reality of poverty. Adjusting to the widespread, common place poverty is an enormous challenge for most American missionaries. But that is not the most difficult poverty reality he or she faces. Adjusting to being the "symbol of wealth" is an enormous challenge for most American missionaries. His or her standard of living commonly exceeds the imaginations of the third world poor. But that is not the most difficult poverty reality he or she faces. Adjusting to the knowledge that "money is not the answer" is an enormous challenge for most American missionaries. But that is not the most difficult poverty reality he or she faces.
Those who send the missionary to an economically deprived society are frequently impressed with his or her material sacrifices. Those who receive the missionary in that society are frequently impressed with his or her prosperity.
"Then what is the most difficult poverty reality?" The most difficult poverty reality he or she faces is this: understanding Christians in poverty need (not are responsible) to be stewards. Good missionaries commit themselves to mission work because they (1) love God and (2) love and care about people. Good missionaries are not motivated by material considerations. Values that exceed money and material things motivate such Christians to share Christ with those in poverty. The missionary serves to give, not to receive. Initially, the missionary wants poor believers to receive, not to give.
Many conscientious Christians willingly give to others, but resist receiving from others. They rejoice in helping, but absolutely do not wish to be helped. While each Christian has the need to be a steward, each Christian also has the responsibility to allow others to practice stewardship.
One of the greater difficulties I experienced on the mission field was accepting gifts of appreciation from poor Christians. I worked among people who were extremely poor. Half of their children died before the age of five. Life expectancy was forty years. On an average day, most people had a malaria headache and low grade fever, and few had even an aspirin. A man, his wife, his children, and his possessions could (and did!) fit in a twelve foot by twelve foot room. The typical person ate one significant meal a day, usually the evening meal. The goal at Christmas was to have enough to eat so the entire family could eat all they wanted. Most men would not have the opportunity to have one salaried job in his lifetime. There were few jobs. Even when an extended family made enormous sacrifices to educate one member of the family, there still were few jobs.
To accept any gift of gratitude from Christians (or people!) who had so little was difficult. But to refuse their gift was an insult. They appreciated what they received. They wanted and needed to say, "Thank you." In specific instances, they wanted and needed to help others.
When a Christian refuses to accept the kindness of other Christians, he or she is being selfish. While that may sound shocking, it is true. The Christian who refuses the kindness focuses on how he or she feels, not on the feelings of the Christian who wishes to be kind. To him or her, it is blessed to give, but awkward to receive.
Stewardship expresses gratitude. Stewardship powerfully addresses a genuine spiritual need, even when the Christian is poor. To the poor Christian, ingratitude is unthinkable.
Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-9.
Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians to know about "the grace of God" expressed through the congregations in Macedonia.
The Macedonian Christians existed in "a great ordeal of affliction." Life was tough for the Macedonian Christians. When life is tough, it is easy to think only of yourselves.
Their joy was abundant. It is unusual for people to experience exceptional joy in the face of exceptional difficulty. The Macedonian Christians experienced such joy because of their relationship with God.
The overflow of their deep poverty produced the wealth of their liberality. These Christians living in deep poverty were incredibly generous.
They saw their ability, not their poverty. They participated in the collection because they wanted to help. Desire, not necessity, motivated them.
They "begged" Paul "with much entreaty" to allow them to participate in the collection by accepting their gift. They earnestly insisted. In our vocabulary, "They refused to take 'no' for an answer."
The foundation of their generosity was internal. The first thing they did [their awareness, desire, and understanding at conversion] was give themselves to the Lord. It was their desire to be sensitive to the will of God that created their desire to be part of the collection.
Paul urged Titus to encourage the Corinthian Christians to 'follow through' on their intention. They committed themselves to help in the contribution. Titus was to encourage them to make necessary preparation to do what they planned to do.
Paul said the Corinthian Christians realized they experienced spiritual abundance in spiritual blessings. Just as they made abundant use of their spiritual blessings, they should be also be abundant in this work. They were to make generous use of the opportunity by giving generously.
Motivation one: realize the godly power of your example to other Christians.
Motivation two: act in the sincerity of your love.
They knew his grace. Knowing the grace Jesus used to respond to them should cause them to respond to others with grace.
For their benefit, Jesus gave up his riches (wealth) and became poor. The deepest internal motivation for them to assist the poor in Judea arose from their clear awareness of what Jesus did for them.
Jesus became poor for them in order that they could become rich through his poverty. Jesus' willingness to experience poverty created their opportunity for spiritual wealth.
The basic nature of stewardship must capture our understanding. Stewardship is based on internal gratitude, not on external responsibility. Internal desires motivate a Christian steward to use his or her abilities, opportunities, and material goods for God's purposes and objectives. A Christian steward's primary motivation is not a sense of obligation. He or she does not "take action" because he or she fears the consequences of a failure to act. A Christian steward loves his or her master. The gratitude of love is his or her primary motivation. Love for God and Christ produces an internal change. This love produces a sense of stewardship that arises from gratitude for God and Christ's love.
Christian stewardship has not been a powerful force in the lives of today's American Christian for three reasons. First, the church has assigned stewardship to collecting money. Obviously, stewardship involved money and material things in the first century. Yet, the greatest example of stewards were the poor Macedonian Christians. Why? They first gave themselves the God and His purposes. Their generosity was the overflow of their love for God.
Second, the church has not helped Christians understand that total life is surrendered to God's purposes. In a prosperous society, money is the easiest thing to give. Time is the most difficult. We cannot share our abilities if we do not give our time. The greatest struggle in the American church today centers in service, not in finances. We are more willing to "hire" it than to "do" it.
Third, the church has removed gratitude from salvation. This was not done intentionally. We placed so much emphasis on the necessity of baptism that we neglected the joy of conversion. Few have a sense of being saved. Most feel they fulfilled a responsibility. Conversion produces stewardship. Fulfilling an obligation produces a false sense of security.
Suggestion to teachers: have your students share their thoughts about the three suggested reasons that Christians today do not experience stewardship's power.
Today, it is too easy for the church to focus on 'acquiring' to meet its goals and to neglect motivation. Too often financial goals represent our desires. To God, the motivations behind the material gift is more important than the gift itself. See Matthew 6:1-4.
Link to Student Guide Quarter 4, Lesson 9