A Return on Your Investment
Father O'Malley answers the phone...
"Hello, is this Father O'Malley?" "It is."
"This is the IRS. Can you help us?" "I can."
"Do you know a Ted Houlihan?" "I do."
"Is he a member of your congregation?" "He is."
"Did he donate $10,000.00?" (pause)
"He will."
I came across that joke last week as I was preparing my message from Malachi 3 on the subject of tithing. I know it always seems to get a little awkward when I share a sermon on the subject of money, and giving in particular, but obviously if I was going to preach through Malachi there was no skipping that passage.
And let me say up front, in reference to that joke, that I have no idea how much money you give to our church, and won't be in contact with the IRS on the subject any time soon. I've always tried to follow the Biblical decree to stay away from the "filthy lucre" (King James) when it comes to church money. But as Jesus reminded us in the Sermon on the Mount, God knows. Your right hand may not know what your left is doing, but He's paying attention. And He who is keeping up with what you do in secret also promises to reward your faithfulness.
One thing I can tell you with confidence, however much you may have given, is that your investment into the Kingdom through the ministry of The Church at Shelby Crossings is bringing a very good return. So, while we're on the subject of giving, I thought I'd remind you of the "ROI" and let you know about some of the dividends paid on what you invested in the Lord's work through our church.
To begin with, we can celebrate that more than a dozen people trusted Christ and testified to their faith in believer's baptism over the last year in our church. Dozens more moved into deeper levels of discipleship than they had ever imagined. Families were changed, and a number of marriages restored. There were teenagers and children who grew in their knowledge of God's word, and learned to live out the principles of Scripture. The hungry were fed and their homes kept warm.
We celebrated back in the spring that over the past 15 years our church has now given more than a million dollars to external missions causes outside our church walls. And in that light, the impact of your investment was felt literally around the world. There are churches that are being planted in at least four continents outside of North America because of our church's mission support. There are orphans who have a roof over their head, food in their bellies, and loving care the year round, not to mention the opportunity to hear the Gospel. There are ministries that are making a difference--some in very hard places, and others in fruitful missions where the work is joyous and the reports exciting. There are unwed mothers and unborn babies whose lives are preserved, and homeless men who are fed in the name of Jesus.
Thank you for your continued faithful "investment" into the ministry of The Church at Shelby Crossings. May we each be trustworthy managers of the resources God provides us, and may He be honored with the way we invest that which already belongs to Him to change the lives of others for eternity.
I am honored to be a part of The Church at Shelby Crossings, and I am glad we’re in this thing together! I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken
