Quote from Forum Archives on November 11, 2002, 9:15 am

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

WISE STEWARDSHIP
November 10, 2002

Text: Ephesians 5:15-21

Last Monday evening, Malia was watching one of her favorite weekly
television shows. Like many of us with a remote in our hand, though, she
would channel surf during commercials. Also airing that same evening on a
different channel was a remake of the movie “Carrie.” So we sort of
watched bits and pieces of that in between the other show.

It has been a lot of years since I watched the original movie and read
the book. I didn’t even know of the book’s author, Stephen King, when I
read it. Now almost everyone is familiar with the name of this author.
Anyway, I don’t know if Carrie’s plight and characterization were as
poignant in the original movie and book, or if the new movie version just
stressed it more. At any rate, what jumped out to me in the little
glimpses I saw of the new movie and my recollection of the other movie
and book is that the Church of Jesus Christ has probably never had as big
an uphill battle to reach the minds and hearts of non-Christian as exists
today.

The plot of Carrie revolves around an emotionally, mentally, and somewhat
physically underdeveloped teenage girl who is ridiculed relentlessly by
others in her school. The reason for Carrie’s underdevelopment stems from
her mother who is portrayed as a strict moralist and disciplinarian. We
learn that Carrie was conceived out of wedlock, a sin that warps and
wrecks her mother’s perspective on life. In order to try to protect
Carrie and prevent her from making the same mistake - or any other moral
mistake - her mother makes her adhere to very strict moral codes. So even
though Carrie is taught from childhood about Jesus and prayer and right
and wrong, there is no Christian joy in her life anywhere. Because of her
mother’s dominance, the constant torment from other students, and her own
confusion about life itself, Carrie’s life is miserable.

What caused me to connect this with the mission and outreach of the
Christian Church is that it is not at all unusual for Christianity to be
portrayed in this type of negativity. Think about how you have seen
religion, Christianity in particular, portrayed in modern media,
especially movies and television. Most of the time it is ridiculed,
mocked, and, as in the case of Carrie, grossly misrepresented. I don’t
know anything about his personal life, but I wouldn’t be surprised if
Stephen King did not have some kind of “negative experience” with
religion sometime during his childhood that influences his writings
today. The sad part of all this is that these kinds of negative media
images of the Christian faith are the only knowledge some people have of
Christianity. The sum total of all their Christian education comes from
television and movies! Understand now why I observe that the Church of
Jesus Christ has probably never had as big an uphill battle to reach the
minds and hearts of non-Christian as exists today?

If this is the image that we must overcome in people’s minds in order to
reach them with the saving grace of Jesus Christ, how do we do it? How
can we possibly overcome such negative, often reinforced images of
Christianity? A large part of the answer came to me from a chapter in our
current Bible study workbook. The chapter is entitled “The Responsible
Steward,” from Growing in Discipleship published by the Navigators
ministry.

Stewardship is the answer to combating false images of Christianity?
“C’mon, preacher, how can talking about money help us reach unbelievers?
That’ll make the problem even worse!” Yes, I see understanding
stewardship as part of the solution to this challenge because Biblical
stewardship is not just talking about money. Listen to the introduction
to this chapter: “Stewardship involves managing someone else’s property.
The Christian is steward of both his life and his possessions, since both
belong to God. As those who are accountable to God, we should become
responsible stewards of our time, money, gifts, and bodies.” (“The
Responsible Steward,” Growing in Discipleship, Design for Discipleship
Book 6, Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1973, p. 14) One of the study’s
questions asks, “What are some areas in which God expects you to be a
faithful steward?” One of the Scriptural references for this question is
Ephesians 5:15-16, “Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise
but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are
evil.”

Our treatment of the unsaved world, as well as our treatment of brothers
and sisters in Christ, can easily and legitimately begin here: “Be very
careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise…” We need to be
careful how we treat one another and how we allow ourselves to be
portrayed to a world full of people who believe that Christianity is
negative and something to be avoided. We are to be wise.

But Paul goes on to explain more fully what it means to “live carefully
and wisely” as a Christian. In a positive voice, he tells us to “speak to
one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music
in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for
everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another
out of reverence for Christ.”

Now isn’t this a far different image of the Christian faith than that
portrayed by Carrie’s mother? Yes, sure, her sexual indiscretion which
resulted in Carrie’s birth was a sin. But it is certainly a sin that was
covered in full by the blood of the Lamb! Confess it! Repent of it!
Forget about it as a continuing destructive mistake, and get on with
living life as a responsible Christian steward! This is the pattern that
Paul, certainly a sinner himself, taught and modeled. He did not advocate
keeping someone else in captivity because of our past sin. He did not
even advocate keeping ourselves in captivity because of past sin. He
clearly teaches us to be thankful to God: “Sing and make music in your
heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Thanksgiving to God is the basis
for wise stewardship.

One pastor shared a note that he received from one of the members of his
church. Writes this Christian, “I continue to struggle with an item on a
personal basis. You and I have discussed this in general terms before.
I'm hoping you can provide me with some Biblical and/or practical
insight. You guessed it - Stewardship is the topic. My wife and I got
into a ‘good’ discussion on this general topic last night. Why is it that
people who are Christians don't feel more responsibility for the Lord's
work in terms of time, talents, and dollars? I know that what one does
accounts for little, if anything, in terms of salvation, place in heaven,
etc. That's not the point. But, if on the other hand, I'm truly thankful
for my salvation, and believe in reaching out through an organized
church, then why shouldn't I feel like it’s a distinct privilege to
contribute to the extent that I have been blessed by time, talents, and
dollars? If I turn this around, it might imply that the reason one
doesn't contribute more is because they really aren't very thankful for
their salvation and they really just don't care much about other people.
I continually observe examples of this: people putting $1 in the
collection plate, people not stepping up when there is a chance to help
on a committee or with a project… people not showing up for important
meetings. The question I ask myself as a church leader is: What can or
should I do to help enable people around this topic?”

Pretty good observation and question, don’t you agree? I suppose one
answer would be to ask his brothers and sisters how thankful they are.
But even more, we are to encourage one another in thanksgiving to be wise
stewards for God.

As I shared at the outset of this sermon, a lot of people are given only
negative images of the Christian faith to work with. Any Christian can
argue against those images until he or she is “blue in the face.” Such
arguments become a truth which replaces those other images, though, only
when they are also made real in the lives of others. When people discover
that a Christian cares for them because Christ cares, then they become
interested and begin to express an interest in Jesus. Then the false
images of the Christian faith can be replaced with the truth and reality
of God’s love in Christ.

“Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making
the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil… Speak to one
another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in
your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for
everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another
out of reverence for Christ.”

Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN

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