Pastor Michael Todd says that when God gives us skills, talents and money, He expects us to use them generously, to help people and thereby glorify Him. If we keep it all to ourselves for fear of losing something, we’ll stay stuck in one place for a long time.
But as we obediently steward God’s gifts, we can expect God to bring along more opportunities to serve His kingdom in great ways. However, we cannot be motivated by the idea that we’ll receive anything in return for our generosity, and we also cannot be motivated by fear of someone taking advantage of us. Regarding the latter, Todd apologized on behalf of all the pastors from countless different churches who have betrayed people by mishandling God’s money.
“The reward of being a good steward is more responsibility,” Todd says. “You thought it was more money. You thought this was a magic trick. You thought this was the Lotto. God says, ‘When you handle what’s in your hand, I’m going to give you more responsibility.’ This is not a gospel of prosperity; this is a gospel of responsibility. Can God trust us?
“I have to apologize on behalf of all the pastors and leaders who have mishandled the responsibility of guarding people’s finances and trust in their lives. I’m so sorry that God would trust men with influence who are imperfect because they didn’t have accountability or were drunk on pride or didn’t understand the weight of what they were holding.”
To listen to Todd’s entire sermon on money, generosity and stewardship, click here.
