It’s All About Jesus Erika F Puni, PhD Stewardship Ministries Director General Conference

“Stewardship is ALL of me in response to ALL of God” NARROW VIEW BROAD VIEW Tithe & Offerings Lordship of Christ Church Member God as Creator Behavior Values Pocket and Wallet Heart Program Lifestyle

Total and Full Commitment “Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your mind and with ALL your strength.” Mark 12:30 (NIV) “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 (NIV)

JESUS IS LORD OF ALL

Human Life in Two Levels Surface Level Expressive Behavior Temporary Views Activities & Products Deep Level Peoples Worldview Core Beliefs Values and Principles S E E N N O T S E E N

Jesus and the Two Levels “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 23:27,28 (NIV)

Stewardship In Two Levels Surface level Expressive behavior Temporary views Programs & Products Deep level Peoples Worldview Core Beliefs Values and Principles

Values Inform Behavior Lordship, Relationship, Surface Level Expressive Behavior Temporary Views Activities & Products Deep Level Peoples Worldview Core Beliefs Values and Principles Returning of Tithe and Giving of Offerings S E E N Lordship, Relationship, Worship, and Lifestyle N O T S E E N

Life Without Jesus Christ Surface Level Expressive Behavior Temporary Views Activities & Products Deep Level Peoples Worldview Core Beliefs Values and Principles S E E N Hoarding, Greed N O T S E E N Self (I/Me/You)

Value Transformation “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 (NIV) “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24,25 (NIV)

Faithfulness, Sacrifice Jesus Christ: Savior and Lord Life With Jesus Christ Surface Level Expressive Behavior Temporary Views Activities & Products Deep Level Peoples Worldview Core Beliefs Values and Principles S E E N Faithfulness, Sacrifice N O T S E E N Jesus Christ: Savior and Lord

Competing Values Self Jesus Christ Self-serving Service Self-indulgence Simplicity Self-gratification Sacrifice Self-seeking Surrender Self-centeredness Submission

The Relational Link The Missing Piece Right Information Right Relationship Right Behavior Jesus left His followers, disciples of all ages, with a commission. It is good to analyze just what the commission is and to evaluate how well the various “ministries” of the church are carrying out their part. From Ministry article manuscript, November 26, 2006: The verbs we associate with Christ's Commission to His disciples are go, make disciples, preach, baptize, and teach. Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV) speaks of making disciples and teaching, which indicates that we are to instruct and mentor. Mark 16:15-18 gives a version of the Great Commission that uses the word preach with the implication of being a public crier of the truth (of telling people things, telling the whole world). Although they might be hard-pressed to explain it, most parents and teachers know the difference between the activities of teaching and telling. Teaching implies that some type of plan or method repeatable by the learner exists, that the needs of the learner are taken into consideration, that some type of two-way communication continues, especially when mentoring is involved. Telling is more of a one-way street. So is preaching. In our current working structure, however, it seems as if we prefer Mark’s record of the commission over Matthew’s, and actually put much more intentional effort into “publicly crying the truth” (telling) than we do in instructing and discipling (teaching). The key to sustainable stewardship is experiencing the life of Jesus in us – it’s called relationship!

The Relational Link 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:1,4 (NIV)

The Relational Link The Missing Piece Right Information Right Relationship Right Behavior Jesus left His followers, disciples of all ages, with a commission. It is good to analyze just what the commission is and to evaluate how well the various “ministries” of the church are carrying out their part. From Ministry article manuscript, November 26, 2006: The verbs we associate with Christ's Commission to His disciples are go, make disciples, preach, baptize, and teach. Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV) speaks of making disciples and teaching, which indicates that we are to instruct and mentor. Mark 16:15-18 gives a version of the Great Commission that uses the word preach with the implication of being a public crier of the truth (of telling people things, telling the whole world). Although they might be hard-pressed to explain it, most parents and teachers know the difference between the activities of teaching and telling. Teaching implies that some type of plan or method repeatable by the learner exists, that the needs of the learner are taken into consideration, that some type of two-way communication continues, especially when mentoring is involved. Telling is more of a one-way street. So is preaching. In our current working structure, however, it seems as if we prefer Mark’s record of the commission over Matthew’s, and actually put much more intentional effort into “publicly crying the truth” (telling) than we do in instructing and discipling (teaching). The key to sustainable stewardship is experiencing the life of Jesus in us – it’s called relationship!

What are your values? SECULAR SPIRITUAL Perishable Infinite Self-centered Christ-centered Body Spirit Short-term Long-term Self-control Spirit-controlled

Transforming Stewardship 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies [total self] as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 . . . be transformed by the renewing of your mind [heart]. Romans12:1-2 (NIV)

Gospel Behaviour Values Stewardship is the breaking in of the rule of Jesus Christ into the deep level of our human culture and experience, and transforming our belief systems into His kingdom values

Department Contact Larry Evans - Associate Director Email: EvansL@gc.adventist.org Mario Nino - Associate Director Email: NinoM@gc.adventist.org Erika Puni - Director Email: PuniE@gc.adventist.org Website: www.adventiststewardship.com