Stewardship – Part 3

Speaker: V. P. Black
Date: April 11, 2004, Sunday Evening Worship Service During a Gospel Meeting Hosted by the Strickland church of Christ in Glen, Mississippi
Main Scripture References: Luke 6:38

Tomorrow night, the Lord willing, I plan to discuss the subject, “Saved By Grace Through Faith.” Most of the trouble that we’re having in the Lord’s church today was brought about because of a misunderstanding of the word, “grace.” And since there’s so much misunderstanding, even in the Lord’s church, so much trouble, so much division, over the word “grace,” tomorrow night I plan to discuss that subject.

Tonight, we will finish our series on the subject of “Stewardship.” If man—and listen to me carefully—if man is at liberty to give as little [as he pleases], or whatever he pleases, without seeking information from the Bible, then why wouldn’t man be free to be baptized as he believes without seeking information from the Bible? This idea of an individual just making up his mind what he’s going to give, without studying the Word of God, is contrary…to…every…principle taught in the Word of God. And we need to realize that.

Man has always had a problem with his money for the simple reason that riches and Christianity are seldom compatible. Sometimes they are; in most instances, they are not.

Some year ago, I was in a meeting in East Texas. And they were telling me about a family—members of that congregation—who so faithful and dedicated. And this was during the latter part of the Depression. This family did not own an automobile. They lived three or four miles from the building, but they never missed a service. So faithful; so dedicated to serving the Lord. They owned a little 40-acre farm. They struck oil on this farm. In less than two years, they moved into Dallas because they had become rich overnight. And the people who were telling me about it said, at that time [the time we were speaking], yes, it had been possibly 30 years since they had been inside of a church building unless it was for a funeral or a wedding.

Now, what happened in that case? The Christianity and the riches did not harmonize. They were not compatible. And this is true with so many people. That’s the reason many are so sensitive about this subject—it is because of their identity with material things.

Years ago in the old Plateau church in Mobile where we labored for many, many years, there was a man who attended a Gospel Meeting that we conducted, and he obeyed the Gospel the first…Gospel…sermon he ever heard! And he became so faithful to the Lord’s church. He was there Sunday morning for Bible study, Sunday night, Wednesday night; if they’d announce some work in the building, he was always there—very dependable; so loyal to the church and to the Lord. And he began to miss on some Wednesday evenings. And I became concerned about this because he was so faithful.

And I dare say, there are members of this congregation—if they were not here on Wednesday night that Brother Dillingham or Brother Watson or one of the elders would call this member, because something’s wrong—they never miss. Others, possibly, you would not call because they may be there, and they may not.

But this person was so faithful and so dedicated. I want to talk to him. I said, “I’ve observed that you’re missing some Wednesday evenings. You’ve always been so faithful.” And I shall never forget what he said, and I think he meant it when he said it. He said, “Brother Black, you don’t have to worry about me.” He says, “I love the Lord and I love the Lord’s church. And I’d never forsake my Lord.” I think he meant that. But he didn’t know the power of money. He didn’t know what money could do to him. And he said, “The reason I’ve missed some on Wednesday evenings [is] I’ve taken another job on the side.” I believe they call that “moonlighting”? And it wasn’t long until he was making more money on the side job that he was making on his regular job, so he quit his regular job and took this side job. And he made a lot of money.

In a few years, he divorced his wife, forsook his children and hadn’t been inside of a church building in years and years. Now, what happened in a case like that? A man who was so faithful, so dedicated, so loyal to the Lord, but he didn’t know the power of money.

And there are many, many members of the Lord’s church today, I’m thoroughly convinced, that their riches and their Christianity are not compatible. And every individual should ask himself the question: Are my riches and my Christianity compatible? Does my money control me, or do I control my money?

Let me state at this point: It’s not wrong for a man to possess money. Some of the greatest men I’ve known in my life have been exceedingly wealthy men—very wealthy. Where would Christian education be today had it not been for these wealthy church members? Such schools as Freed-Hardeman, Faulkner University. But these men possessed their money; their money did not possess them. But one of the great dangers of material things is that they can possess an individual—control his life, control his thinking.

There was a time in my preaching life when I would get greatly disturbed when an individual would get upset over my preaching on the subject of “giving.” But I can understand that now—I’ve grown older; I’ve preached more; I’ve dealt with people more. And I understand now why the get upset. It’s because money, consciously or unconsciously, has become their god. And no one wants to have his god condemned.