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This morning I would like us to think through the two bible readings – the first from the last book in the Old Testament – the Book of Malachi; and the second reading, our gospel for today – from Luke chapter 16: verses 1-15.

The Gospel reading is the parable of the Unjust Steward.  Its not an easy parable to understand because Jesus seems to weave about four different points into this parable, and there are different ways in which we can interpret what he says. But today I want to highlight just one of those points, and that is, that this parable is about US!  - and that we are called to be trustworthy with what we are given. This is a very simple and practical principle. We apply this principle with our children as they are growing up.

For example – when our children are very small, we firstly give them drinks in plastic cups and containers - and then later in crockery cups – then later in glass. We check out at each stage how they handle that container before we allow them to use the next, more fragile kind.   
Years ago we made the mistake of  giving one of our young daughters a sip of grape juice from a wine glass - - which she had never drunk out of before – and she bit a piece out of the side of the glass!    Fortunately she didn’t cut her mouth or try to swallow the piece. We learnt our lesson very quickly!  We do the same kind of gradual introduction with boys when we teach them how to use tools. We don’t give them a skill saw until they know the dangers of a handsaw and how to use it properly.  We give our children pocket money to help them learn how to develop good habits and practices in the use of their money!  - but  we failed miserably with one of our daughters on that front! 

So today we come to think again about what it means to be trustworthy with our possessions and our income.             

In the parable, the manager had been caught out by his master. He had run up a huge debt.- but now , the chickens had come home to roost!  - he had been found out! So he took some drastic action - firstly to try and keep face with his Master, and then secondly to put himself in a good position with his debtors. He developed a win/ win strategy.  Lets remember, that Jesus is telling this story as a parable. He is not necessarily condoning the actions of the manager. There is some deeper meanings here.  Its not just about how we use our money in relation to one another – its also how we use our money, or don’t use it, according to God’s directions. This parable is also about how WE can be good  or better stewards, or managers of all that God has given us. 

The bible makes it quite clear that one of the ways in which God wants us to be good managers is by returning to Him, for His work, through the church, a regular, systematic and proportionate part of our income.

In the Bible this is called a tithe – and that literally means 10% of our income,  given to God.

Now at the mention of this figure some people draw in their breath and say – “That’s totally impractical,  its unrealistic, I could never do that!”. Well, perhaps the question is  - “Do I want to?”  And that’s a question only you can answer. A better question for you to ask would be  - “Well , if this is what God wants, then how can I go about reaching that figure in my giving to God?”

As they say,   “Where there’s a will there’s a Way. – and that holds true for our giving to God.

If I want to start running a marathon, and I’ve never really done any long distance running before, I don’t set off to run a marathon on the first day of training, do I?     I build up to it slowly! I exercise some realism. I use common sense. So too with my giving!  I may have already committed myself – with other priorities, to spending all my income – probably on myself.  So I need to re-order my priorities and re-plan my budget  in order to introduce the concept of regular, systematic and proportionate giving. That’s how many of you started, isn’t it.  Its how I started!   And then each year, you tried to align your priorities with Biblical standards and principles and you gradually brought them more and more into line.  And I have never known any person who, in doing that, has found they were  WORSE off than before!

I received an appeal notice from Star Ship Hospital Foundation just yesterday, asking for funds. The letter told the story of a young boy, Scott, who lives on a farm at Wellsford.  It mentioned that when he began chemotherapy, the family had the regular and arduous traveling back and forth from Wellsford to Auckland for the treatment.  And I thought – they do that, because its important! Im sure the thought never crossed the parents mind for a moment to consider –“That’s too much of a hassle, I don’t have the time, I’m too busy”!!  – Of course they do it, because they know it’s the No.1 priority in their lives at this point in time! Its more important than anything else. So they do it willingly.

So our giving in God’s service, when it boils down, is also a matter of priorities.

It is up to us, individually, to decide what we want to do about our giving. I want you to decide what you are going to do about your giving NOT  because I tell you to, but because you can see and are convinced  that that’s what God wants you to do.

If your giving up until now has been sporadic, occasional, when you feel like it, - or more likely, when there is something left over at the end of the week, then now is the time, if God is speaking to you about this, to become a regular, systematic and proportionate giver.  You can do that through either using the envelope system, or an even easier way is to go on the automatic payment method through internet banking.  The first step is for you to decide to get on to that ladder. Fill in a Response Form – take some practical and positive action this morning. I would suggest, for a start, that you figure out what just 1% of your income is, and begin there.- and then as you reorganize your priorities each year, and review your giving, and see that you haven’t missed out on anything but that God has blessed you through your giving, that you can then move it up to 2% , and so on. Take God at His word. Check it out!

Tithing is the one specific, practical, material matter in the Bible where God tells us to try Him out, to Test Him, and to see that He is true to His word. The bible says that God will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on us as we are faithful to Him and return to Him our tithes and our offerings. The decision is ours. The Blessings will also be ours!