Empowered by God, Responding by Grace
“. . . as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you — see that you excel in this act of grace also.”
— 2 Corinthians 8:7
This Autumn, we are calling our stewardship emphasis “Empowered by God, Responding by Grace.” We will consider how God has empowered us and how our response, by grace through faith, can be used by God throughout the world, and especially in the ministry here at St. Paul Lutheran Church.
Empowered by God Through Faith in Christ
Before we respond, we must be empowered! Just what does it mean to be empowered by God? The Lord Jesus said that His disciples would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). Hymn 497 in the Lutheran Service Book (“Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord,” stanza 3) states it well!
Come, holy Fire, comfort true,
Grant us the will Your work to do
And in Your service to abide;
Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Your pow’r prepare each heart,
And to our weakness strength impart
That bravely here we may contend,
Through life and death to You,
our Lord, ascend. Alleluia, alleluia!
Recognizing God as the Source of All Things
As we experience God’s power through faith in Christ, our hearts respond. Our response begins with the realization that God owns everything. As the psalmist puts it, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it!” God is our Source. God is the Creator and Sustainer of life. God is the Provider of all that we have, whether it be life itself, the air we breathe, water which sustains us, or financial resources through which we obtain the necessities of life. Every day, God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).
Responding to God’s Generosity
And what could be our response to God’s generosity? According to 2 Corinthians 8:7, we respond by “faith,” trusting God to provide all that we need. We respond by “speech,” sharing the good news of the Gospel with others. We respond by “knowledge” through worship and the study of God’s Word. We respond in “all earnestness,” that is, through a demonstration of the sincerity of our love for the Lord. And we respond by excelling in the grace of giving.
The Example of the Macedonian Christians
As an example of what it means to give by grace, the Apostle Paul points to the Christians at Macedonia. These were poor people, and they were commended by Paul for giving beyond their ability to give. How could they do that? The answer is found in 2 Corinthians 8:5: “…they gave themselves first to the Lord.” Giving does not begin with the movement of the hand to the wallet or the Venmo app. Giving begins in the heart.
Giving Our Time, Talents, and Treasure by Grace
In fact, this principle goes back to God’s instruction to Moses in Exodus 25:2, “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.” This principle is still in operation today. As we give our time, talents and treasure to the Lord, we do so by God’s grace because the Lord has already moved in our hearts.
Empowered by God, Responding by Grace at St. Paul
“Empowered by God, Responding by Grace.” That was true of the Macedonian Christians. May it also be true of us here at St. Paul Lutheran Church.
May the Lord richly bless you this season as you ponder his generosity and the Holy Spirit’s power in your hearts.
Written by Ken Williams, Stewardship Committee: We are embarking on an Autumn Stewardship focus at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. This is part one of four weeks of teaching on stewardship with in our congregational life.
