Often when I conclude a prayer with a group of people I will say something like, “all for your glory, Lord, and in your Name we pray.”  Sometimes I even sign my newsletter articles with “Soli Deo Gloria,” which is Latin for “To God Alone be the Glory.”  This month at Redeemer we are focusing on our stewardship of God’s gifts, and the point we want to make is that any giving we do needs to be done to God’s Glory. 

   It’s tempting to take the glory of our giving for ourselves; and yet a proper understanding of stewardship begins by recognizing that everything we have – EVERYTHING – comes from God.  So anything that we give is really something that belongs to God already.  When we faithfully and generously give, we glorify God by recognizing him as the owner.

   Another way that we glorify God in our giving is when we realize that God can take our gift, which may seem small to us, and He can make something big out of it!  Think of the little boy with five barley loaves and two small fish in John 6.  The Apostle Peter’s response was, “but how far will [these few loaves and fish] go among so many?”  We can relate to his comment when we are faced with the significant task of conducting ministry and reaching out with the gospel to those in need. It can seem to be an overwhelming and daunting task, one that we aren’t equipped to carry out.  Even our largest gift possible – one year’s salary or a lifetime of savings – still would not accomplish all the work that God has for us to do. Truly, you and I must approach our gift giving in the same way that the young man did.  He simply gave and trusted Jesus to make something more out of his gift.  When you and I give what we have, and we trust God to use it for a significant purpose, we glorify God.

   And we do have a significant calling and purpose before us.  Redeemer by the Sea has a beautiful building, and it took great faith on the part of many to get us to where we are today.  But God wasn’t done when He called Redeemer to build a building.  No, He has plans for our facilities.  He wanted them built so that they could be full. Before us today is just as daunting of a task as construction.  God is calling us today to make the resources available so that the ministry can grow into those facilities, and even beyond!

   This is really a BIG dream.  I am fond of big dreams.  Are you?  If you and I just dream dreams that we can accomplish, then how is God needed in those dreams?  No, it’s important for us to dream God-sized dreams – dreams that are so big that they can only be accomplished by God.  That way, when those dreams are realized, it is God who gets the glory!  It’s all about glorifying God.  And God is glorified when you and I step out on faith and trust God to accomplish our dreams – those dreams that we know He desires to bless.

   Consider the well known story in Matthew 14, where Jesus, walking on water, appeared to His disciples.  Jesus had just finished performing the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 (likely with the loaves and the fish from the young man in John 6), and yet the disciples were afraid.   Why were they surprised to see Jesus walking on water?  Is anything too hard for God?  Of course not.  Why then are we afraid to put our faith in a miracle-working God? 

   It’s very instructive for us to consider what happened next in the story.  Jesus called Peter to step out of the boat and walk on water!  Could anything be more absurd?  And yet Peter stepped out on faith, and he walked on water!  It’s important to note, however: he didn’t do it.  Christ did it. Jesus simply used Peter to demonstrate God’s power to do the impossible.  When Peter tried to accomplish the water-walking on his own, he looked around, saw the waves, was frightened and sank.  On his own, Peter failed.  It wasn’t until he looked to Christ for strength and power that he was able to make the journey.

   In fact, this Bible passage is very clear about who gets the glory.  As you recall, when Peter and Jesus got into the boat, did the disciples cheer for Peter saying, “Yay! Peter, you walked on water?”  No, the Bible says simply, “Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” (Matt. 14:33)  God got the glory.

   When you and I give this year – however much God leads us to give – may it be simply that we trust God to make something out of our gift, that we dream God-sized “impossible” dreams, and that we give to glorify God.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Augie