The Goehner Group

We must recognize the ownership of God

In Timothy 6:17-19, Paul does not condemn wealth.  Instead, he instructs Timothy to teach the church how to use their wealth.  Paul tells them not to put their hope in money, but to trust the God who will meet their needs.

In verse 18, Paul instructs Timothy to teach the breadth and width of godly stewardship.  First, people are to give themselves in personal commitment, as the Macedonians had done in their example of sacrificial giving.  Second, we must touch others with our time and talent, reaching out to hurting people and making a difference.  Finally, we’re to be generous in sharing our resources.  Stewardship begins with a personal commitment to Christ.  It is only after that foundational commitment that we can have the proper motivation to reach out and give to others.

Paul concludes by informing Timothy that as Christians invest in the kingdom they’re building up treasure in heaven.  This is the same principle Jesus taught in Matthew 6:  where your treasure is, your heart will be also.

God’s plan for funding His work

In resource development we emphasize planning and strategy.  Nehemiah is a sterling example of someone who adopted God’s strategy.  As the king’s cup bearer, Nehemiah had a grasp of palace politics.  He was both highly trusted and considered very stable, yet he risked it all because of his passion for God and his understanding of stewardship principles.

Nehemiah had heard about the walls not being completed in Jerusalem.  He cries out to God for wisdom and guidance, seeking courage to address this problem.  Reading on, we discover:

• Nehemiah had pure motives.  He spent hours in prayer as a broken, repentant man, aware that the reason for the problem was Israel’s sin.  At the same time, he asked God to speak to the person with the resources.
• Nehemiah hd a sense of mission.  He was called to rebuild the city.  He has a focused plan and did his homework so he knew what was needed to complete the project.
• Nehemiah asked directly for what was needed.  In Chapter 2, Nehemiah comes before the king looking dejected.  He risked his life with this sad appearance and was questioned by the king regarding his countenance.  After a quick prayer, he explained his cause and made a direct request for funds. 
• Nehemiah understood the resources were God’s not his.  It was God’s city he was rebuilding, God’s kingdom he was attempting to expand.
• Nehemiah got a response from the king:  What is your cause?  What is your need?  How long will you be gone?  The king says yes by asking, “How long will you be gone?”

It has been some time since I have written and I have given thought to what needs to be said.  I have reread some of my previous workshops and seminars and discovered that I have some material that I would like to share.

Some of my motivation is my concern with the response of Christian to the current economic downturn.  Unlike previous recessions and depression, giving is down and in some cases significantly.  I am certain there are many reasons but I believe one is that we, as the church, have been sucked into the greed mentality sweeping our culture.  I hope the next few blogs will help to give some Biblical perspective.

An eye opening trip

In 1985, I was on assignment for World Vision as an independent consultant working with the Ethiopian Famine Project.  One week after I completed this project, I flew to El Salvador and worked with Christian national who were involved in evangelism.  During that six months, I reached some life-changing conclusions:

• I was among the rich of the world
• My giving must be the result of my spiritual commitment, not my financial ability
• If I was going to ask people for financial resources, I had to become a sacrificial giver
• I needed to re-discover the biblical standard for stewardship

For more than 30 years, I have worked with Christians, encouraging their financial commitments to Christian ministries.  For half that time I considered my work to be fundraising; then I discovered it should be challenging people to biblical stewardship.

Paul warned against greed when he wrote to Timothy:  “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.  Some people eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”  1Timothy 6:10

The love of money corrupts

Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and mammon.”  God, in His love and jealous righteousness, will not accept co-billing with anything or anyone.  Listen to the Preacher in Ecclesiastes  5:10-12:

1. Money does not satisfy (v. 10).  In fact, the love of money only creates a desire for more, yielding more greed and self-centeredness.
2. We never have enough (v.11).  Money, greed, and possessions are not an economic issue:  they’re a heart issue.  As consumption increases, life gets out of control.
3. The soul is not peace (v. 12).  Dietrich Bonhoeffer exhorts us:  “Our hearts have room for only one all-embracing devotion, and we can only cleave to one Lord.”

God’s antidote to greed is stewardship.  The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy about stewardship so he could then teach the church.  What can we learn?

Hello Don,

Thank you sharing your gifts and expertise on board development.
The session on Thursday provided practical help that has given us hope in our current situation. Thank you on behalf of the UMC in Latvia and all the kids who will experience love and hope
Thank you!

In Peace, Dan Randall