Lifestyles Of The Rich And Faithful
Sermon
Sermons On The Second Readings
Series II, Cycle A
Object:
When a carnival came to town, the strong man was one of the most popular attractions. One of his tricks was to squeeze an orange dry with his bare hand. Then he would offer $1,000 to anyone in the audience who could manage to squeeze even one more drop from that orange.
Having nothing to lose, people were always ready to accept the challenge to make an easy $1,000, but they always failed. They would squeeze and squeeze, but their efforts were fruitless. Then, an older man stepped up to try his strength. Other observers looked at one another and smiled slyly, knowing this fellow didn't stand a chance. The older man took the crushed orange and began to squeeze.
Do you know, he didn't get one single drop, he got six more drops from that flattened orange. The strong man and the spectators were amazed, but the older man looked the strong man in the face, shrugged his shoulders and humbly said, "Oh, it's no big deal. I'm the treasurer over at First Church, and I do this with our budget all the time."
The apostle Paul is feeling a little squeezed, also, as he takes his financial concerns to the Corinthian congregation. The illustration of sowing seeds that Paul uses to explain himself sounds a little like one of Jesus' parables, doesn't it?
However, Paul is talking about money when he says, "the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" (2 Corinthians 9:6). This represents Paul's "Sermon on the Amount." It may be that Paul is implementing the very first church stewardship campaign. He has a real passion for stewardship, knowing that heartfelt giving sows the seeds of an eternal harvest.
Paul is collecting a love offering for the mother church in Jerusalem, which has fallen upon hard times. The church that commissioned and sent missionaries such as Paul and Silas out to spread the gospel now needs assistance. The newly established churches seem to be fairing much better financially than the original church. Paul explains that because of their rich blessings, and all they have to be thankful for, it is their turn to help others.
"Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver," explains Paul to the new church at Corinth (2 Corinthians 9:7). The original Greek word for cheerful is hilaros, which is the root of our word hilarious. In other words, we are to be hilarious over the prospect of giving. We are to be hilarious as we share from our bounty, our many blessings, and our indescribable gifts, not the least of which is our salvation.
Paul explains that helping the Jerusalem church in its time of need is a way of giving thanks to God for all of God's generous gifts. Paul then thanks God for God's "indescribable gift" to them and to us (2 Corinthians 9:15). He has also bragged about Corinthian generosity to the churches in Macedonia, in the northern area of Greece, so he challenges the Corinthians to live up to the reputation he has established for them. Paul also praises the efforts of the churches in Macedonia, hoping to stir up a little healthy competition among the various churches.
Today we practice anonymous giving since it is impolite for church people to talk about their giving. But doesn't anonymous giving easily become anonymous non-giving? While spiritual humility insists that we not flaunt our giving, most of us would be embarrassed for others to know how little we actually give. John Wesley opposed tithing because he thought 10% was too stingy.
I was amazed to learn that some of my African-American colleagues regularly publish or post their congregational giving records so that everyone knows what everyone else is giving. After recovering from my initial shock, and thinking a little more about it, I decided that it might not be such a bad idea. But don't worry. I'm not planning to implement that practice. This custom was begun by Martin Luther King's father.
During a time of great financial need, Martin Luther King Sr. revolutionized the budget of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta when he declared that all contributions would appear on an open ledger. Suddenly, people began giving like never before. Maybe their exceptional giving began for the wrong reason, but good stewardship can become a habit, just like our other spiritual disciplines, which include Bible reading, praying frequently, and attending worship.
As followers of Christ, we make a decision to follow each of these spiritual disciplines, even when it isn't convenient. They are a demonstration of our faith, love, and thankfulness to the God who has been so generous to us. Both those who give and those who receive are united in mutual devotion to God.
Imagine for a moment that you are alive in 1865 at the end of the War Between the States. You are living temporarily in the South, but your home is in the North. While in the South, you have accumulated a large amount of Confederate currency. It looks as if the North will win the war very soon. What are you going to do with all that Confederate money?
If you are smart, you will cash in your Confederate currency for US dollars, the only money that will have any value after the war is over. You keep only enough Confederate currency to meet your basic needs for the short time until you return to the North.
The currency of this world will be worthless at your death or at Christ's return. For you to accumulate vast earthly treasures in the face of the inevitable future is the equivalent of stockpiling confederate money. Jim Elliot, a martyred missionary explains it this way. "You are no fool if you give what you cannot keep to gain what you cannot lose."1 In other words, the "no dollar left behind" philosophy won't fly in heaven.
Throughout the gospels, Jesus talks more about the uses of money than he does about prayer. He knows how important money is to us, and, how reluctant we are to make a real choice between God and money. A woman recently phrased it very aptly, saying, "For the past few years, my watchword has been, 'I came, I saw, I bought!' Or, as they say in Latin, 'Veni,Vidi, VISA!' "
Peter Marshall, whose life was immortalized in the book and movie, A Man Called Peter, had an uncanny ability to capture people's attention and cause them to think. On one occasion when he was pastor of Atlanta's Westminster Presbyterian Church, Dr. Marshall interrupted the worship service as the congregation was singing the hymn "Take My Life And Let It Be." He called everyone's attention to the lyrics they were about to sing: "Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold."
He explained the significance of "Not a mite would I withhold," reminding the congregation of the Bible story about the widow's mite. Jesus praises the widow who places two small coins into the offering. Jesus says, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all [the rich people], for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she has to live on" (Luke 21:3-4).
Dr. Marshall asked all who could not sing the line "not a mite would I withhold" with absolute sincerity not to sing it at all. The organ again began to play, and the hundreds of voices that had been singing so energetically were completely silent. As the organ accompaniment died down, Marshall stepped to the pulpit and made his final point. It's okay for this to make us stop and think, because giving really matters and we must take it seriously.2
Both Peter Marshall and the apostle Paul recognized that our giving is itself an act of thanksgiving to God. It will also produce thanksgiving in those who receive. We give because of all God and Christ have first given to us. Giving enriches the giver as much as the receiver. What a different world this would be if we took Paul's advice to heart. Bountiful sowing yields a bountiful harvest, and we have seeds for scattering and sowing in abundance.
Robert Louis Stevenson, author and poet, spent most of his life in a sickbed, dying at age 44. A look into his life would leave one with the impression that he did not have much to be thankful for. Yet, his works are full of gratitude and joy. Stevenson penned numerous appreciative, uplifting words such as, "The world is so full of a number of things. I'm sure we should all be happy as kings."
Paul has sounded forth the "call to alms" for the early church and for us today. All that we have belongs to God. To celebrate Thanksgiving in its truest sense is to place life into its proper perspective. We began life with empty hands and will leave it the same way. All we have belongs to God, who loans it to us to use as good stewards. In doing so, our thanksgiving becomes thanks-living.
We are not self-sufficient. We are totally dependent on the grace of God. All that we have is a gift from God to be shared freely. Thanksgiving Day offers us an opportunity to express our appreciation for the gift of life. Generous and cheerful giving is an act of worship that honors our God. It is a privilege to share our blessings. Giving is sacramental, an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual reality. God's love for us knows no limits as God's grace flows through our lives. God's abundant, overflowing grace provides all things good and necessary. May our lifestyles reflect our faith and thanksgiving. Amen.
____________
1. Howard Dayton, Your Money Counts (Greeneville, Georgia: Crown Financial Ministries, 1996), p. 76.
2. Kirk Nowery, The Giving Christian: Sowing Seeds for an Eternal Harvest (Camarillo, California: Spire Resources, Inc., 2005), p. 46.
Having nothing to lose, people were always ready to accept the challenge to make an easy $1,000, but they always failed. They would squeeze and squeeze, but their efforts were fruitless. Then, an older man stepped up to try his strength. Other observers looked at one another and smiled slyly, knowing this fellow didn't stand a chance. The older man took the crushed orange and began to squeeze.
Do you know, he didn't get one single drop, he got six more drops from that flattened orange. The strong man and the spectators were amazed, but the older man looked the strong man in the face, shrugged his shoulders and humbly said, "Oh, it's no big deal. I'm the treasurer over at First Church, and I do this with our budget all the time."
The apostle Paul is feeling a little squeezed, also, as he takes his financial concerns to the Corinthian congregation. The illustration of sowing seeds that Paul uses to explain himself sounds a little like one of Jesus' parables, doesn't it?
However, Paul is talking about money when he says, "the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" (2 Corinthians 9:6). This represents Paul's "Sermon on the Amount." It may be that Paul is implementing the very first church stewardship campaign. He has a real passion for stewardship, knowing that heartfelt giving sows the seeds of an eternal harvest.
Paul is collecting a love offering for the mother church in Jerusalem, which has fallen upon hard times. The church that commissioned and sent missionaries such as Paul and Silas out to spread the gospel now needs assistance. The newly established churches seem to be fairing much better financially than the original church. Paul explains that because of their rich blessings, and all they have to be thankful for, it is their turn to help others.
"Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver," explains Paul to the new church at Corinth (2 Corinthians 9:7). The original Greek word for cheerful is hilaros, which is the root of our word hilarious. In other words, we are to be hilarious over the prospect of giving. We are to be hilarious as we share from our bounty, our many blessings, and our indescribable gifts, not the least of which is our salvation.
Paul explains that helping the Jerusalem church in its time of need is a way of giving thanks to God for all of God's generous gifts. Paul then thanks God for God's "indescribable gift" to them and to us (2 Corinthians 9:15). He has also bragged about Corinthian generosity to the churches in Macedonia, in the northern area of Greece, so he challenges the Corinthians to live up to the reputation he has established for them. Paul also praises the efforts of the churches in Macedonia, hoping to stir up a little healthy competition among the various churches.
Today we practice anonymous giving since it is impolite for church people to talk about their giving. But doesn't anonymous giving easily become anonymous non-giving? While spiritual humility insists that we not flaunt our giving, most of us would be embarrassed for others to know how little we actually give. John Wesley opposed tithing because he thought 10% was too stingy.
I was amazed to learn that some of my African-American colleagues regularly publish or post their congregational giving records so that everyone knows what everyone else is giving. After recovering from my initial shock, and thinking a little more about it, I decided that it might not be such a bad idea. But don't worry. I'm not planning to implement that practice. This custom was begun by Martin Luther King's father.
During a time of great financial need, Martin Luther King Sr. revolutionized the budget of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta when he declared that all contributions would appear on an open ledger. Suddenly, people began giving like never before. Maybe their exceptional giving began for the wrong reason, but good stewardship can become a habit, just like our other spiritual disciplines, which include Bible reading, praying frequently, and attending worship.
As followers of Christ, we make a decision to follow each of these spiritual disciplines, even when it isn't convenient. They are a demonstration of our faith, love, and thankfulness to the God who has been so generous to us. Both those who give and those who receive are united in mutual devotion to God.
Imagine for a moment that you are alive in 1865 at the end of the War Between the States. You are living temporarily in the South, but your home is in the North. While in the South, you have accumulated a large amount of Confederate currency. It looks as if the North will win the war very soon. What are you going to do with all that Confederate money?
If you are smart, you will cash in your Confederate currency for US dollars, the only money that will have any value after the war is over. You keep only enough Confederate currency to meet your basic needs for the short time until you return to the North.
The currency of this world will be worthless at your death or at Christ's return. For you to accumulate vast earthly treasures in the face of the inevitable future is the equivalent of stockpiling confederate money. Jim Elliot, a martyred missionary explains it this way. "You are no fool if you give what you cannot keep to gain what you cannot lose."1 In other words, the "no dollar left behind" philosophy won't fly in heaven.
Throughout the gospels, Jesus talks more about the uses of money than he does about prayer. He knows how important money is to us, and, how reluctant we are to make a real choice between God and money. A woman recently phrased it very aptly, saying, "For the past few years, my watchword has been, 'I came, I saw, I bought!' Or, as they say in Latin, 'Veni,Vidi, VISA!' "
Peter Marshall, whose life was immortalized in the book and movie, A Man Called Peter, had an uncanny ability to capture people's attention and cause them to think. On one occasion when he was pastor of Atlanta's Westminster Presbyterian Church, Dr. Marshall interrupted the worship service as the congregation was singing the hymn "Take My Life And Let It Be." He called everyone's attention to the lyrics they were about to sing: "Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold."
He explained the significance of "Not a mite would I withhold," reminding the congregation of the Bible story about the widow's mite. Jesus praises the widow who places two small coins into the offering. Jesus says, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all [the rich people], for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she has to live on" (Luke 21:3-4).
Dr. Marshall asked all who could not sing the line "not a mite would I withhold" with absolute sincerity not to sing it at all. The organ again began to play, and the hundreds of voices that had been singing so energetically were completely silent. As the organ accompaniment died down, Marshall stepped to the pulpit and made his final point. It's okay for this to make us stop and think, because giving really matters and we must take it seriously.2
Both Peter Marshall and the apostle Paul recognized that our giving is itself an act of thanksgiving to God. It will also produce thanksgiving in those who receive. We give because of all God and Christ have first given to us. Giving enriches the giver as much as the receiver. What a different world this would be if we took Paul's advice to heart. Bountiful sowing yields a bountiful harvest, and we have seeds for scattering and sowing in abundance.
Robert Louis Stevenson, author and poet, spent most of his life in a sickbed, dying at age 44. A look into his life would leave one with the impression that he did not have much to be thankful for. Yet, his works are full of gratitude and joy. Stevenson penned numerous appreciative, uplifting words such as, "The world is so full of a number of things. I'm sure we should all be happy as kings."
Paul has sounded forth the "call to alms" for the early church and for us today. All that we have belongs to God. To celebrate Thanksgiving in its truest sense is to place life into its proper perspective. We began life with empty hands and will leave it the same way. All we have belongs to God, who loans it to us to use as good stewards. In doing so, our thanksgiving becomes thanks-living.
We are not self-sufficient. We are totally dependent on the grace of God. All that we have is a gift from God to be shared freely. Thanksgiving Day offers us an opportunity to express our appreciation for the gift of life. Generous and cheerful giving is an act of worship that honors our God. It is a privilege to share our blessings. Giving is sacramental, an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual reality. God's love for us knows no limits as God's grace flows through our lives. God's abundant, overflowing grace provides all things good and necessary. May our lifestyles reflect our faith and thanksgiving. Amen.
____________
1. Howard Dayton, Your Money Counts (Greeneville, Georgia: Crown Financial Ministries, 1996), p. 76.
2. Kirk Nowery, The Giving Christian: Sowing Seeds for an Eternal Harvest (Camarillo, California: Spire Resources, Inc., 2005), p. 46.
