Generosity
How to Get Rich, 3 March 2024
04 03 24 Filed in: Sermons | God Cares More About Your Money Than You Do
How to Get Rich
God Cares More About Your Money Than You Do
1 Timothy 6:6-10, NLT
Series Big Idea: Money matters…to God, to us, and to those we love.
Big Idea: Intentionality is usually required to make us rich…financially and otherwise.
If you were offered one wish, what would it be? You can’t ask for more wishes!
A common wish people have is to get rich. Was that your wish? Today I’m going to tell you how to get rich…and I hope you’re paying attention!
Welcome to week two of our series God Cares More About Your Money Than You Do. It’s true. God loves you and wants you to flourish in this life—and the next—and money can be a tool for good…or an idol to destroy our lives.
It’s so easy to make money our god, our idol. It’s a common factor in divorce. It has split families and friendships. So is money evil?
No. It’s a tool, like food or a hammer or a book. It can be used for good or bad purposes. It can be used or abused. Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy and said,
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10, NIV)
The love of money is the issue, just like the love of pleasure or power or any number of things can get in the way of our relationship with God…and others.
God is more concerned about the heart than the wallet.
One of the problems with the love of money is there never seems to be enough. One billionaire was asked how much was enough and he replied, “Just a little bit more.” The love of money will never lead to contentment. Perhaps that’s why in the book of Hebrews it says,
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5, NIV)
God wants us to trust Him, not money. Isn’t it ironic that our currency says, “In God We Trust” when most of us put our trust in money?
I’ve titled this sermon, “How to Get Rich.” So how much money do you need to be rich? By the world’s standards, must of us are already rich. What are we doing about it?
Two weeks ago, Pastor Donald said God owns, we possess. Do you have possessions or does what you have possess you?
One of the core values of our Alliance family says, “Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards.” God owns it all. Your health. Your job. Your retirement account. Your house, car, baseball card collection, wardrobe, …
W. Graham Scroggie said, “There are two ways in which a Christian may view his money--"How much of my money shall I use for God?" or "How much of God's money shall I use for myself?"
Back in November, I said,
“Wealth is an issue of the heart, and our attitude should be one of gratitude and generosity.”
On the subject of tithing—giving ten percent of your income to the LORD—I like to say don’t tithe on what you earn. Tithe on what you want to earn! No, I’m not guaranteeing a raise, but it’s amazing how many people think they’ll tithe on a million dollars but refuse to give ten percent of a hundred dollars.
But back to how to get rich. Here’s a simple principle, maybe step one in getting rich…financially. Are you ready?
If you spend less than you earn, you will never be broke.
My late grandfather gave me a silver dollar when I was a boy and said if I kept it, I’d never be broke!
It’s no secret USAmericans are drowning in debt. Mortgages, car payments, student loans, medical bills, and perhaps worst of all, credit card debt. I hate debt. It is not only costly financially due to interest, it is an emotional burden.
Addison H. Hallock once said, “Before borrowing money from a friend, decide which you need more!”
Proverbs says,
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. (Proverbs 22:7)
Many of you just said a silent, Amen!” I must confess we owe a small amount on our house, but we have no other debt. I wanted to say we’re blessed to have no other debt, but it’s not accidental. If I had three pieces of advice about money, I would say,
Work hard.
Spend wisely.
Give generously.
How’s that for a three-point sermon? Let’s go!
Work hard.
I know it’s politically incorrect to say, but some people are just lazy! I’m grateful for government programs and charities who help the disabled who are unable to work, but able-bodied people who choose not to work are stealing from taxpayers who work hard.
Paul wrote to a church in modern day Greece and said,
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:7-10, NIV)
We were created to work. Adam and Eve were given the task of naming the animals and caring for the Garden of Eden before they sinned and disobeyed God. I’m quite confident that we will work in heaven, too. It won’t be boring work. We won’t have a mean boss! But we were created to work, to produce, to create, to serve.
We’ve had seasons in our nation when unemployment was high. It created hardships not only financially, but also mentally and emotionally. We were not created to watch tv or play video games or surf the Internet all day!
It’s no surprise to me that many people who retire early and move to Florida to play golf die early. Study after study has shown this. Able-bodied people—and I want to emphasize that again—need to work. It may or may not involve a paycheck. We have many retirees here in our First Alliance family who volunteer countless hours, enabling us to do things we could never afford to do if paid staff were required. Thank you!
I could preach an entire sermon series on work as worship. We spent much of our lives working, and beyond a paycheck, how we work matters. Paul wrote,
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)
Needless to say, hard work will often lead to raises, promotions, more money. So if you want to get rich, the first step is to work hard. The secret is not sports betting, the lottery, Hollywood Casino, or replying to that spam e-mail from Nigeria! It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme or running a shady business. It’s working hard…for the LORD…with rest…with sabbath…with quality time for family and friends…but work hard.
One more thing about work…in Matthew chapter 25, Jesus tells a parable about three workers. He says to two of them,
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:23)
He calls the third a “wicked, lazy servant” in verse 26. That’s not what I want Jesus to call me!
I want to slip in one Toledo reference. The seal of the city says in Latin, “To work is to pray.” The Alliance says, “Prayer is the primary work of God’s people.” It’s ok to ask God for a better job, more money, or favor with your boss. Virtually all of us experience emergencies in which we need help. It’s ok to ask God…and it’s ok to ask our church family, too. We have a Benevolence fund the Deacons administrate to assist with emergencies. Simply fill out the form in the lobby kiosk or at the bottom of Wednesdays’ FAC Focus e-newsletter. Family helps family.
Spend wisely.
This is a huge challenge in our consumer culture where every commercial is created to make discontent, conditioning us to want what we don’t have, promising eternal happiness if we just buy…now!
There used to be a time before credit cards when people would actually save up before buying a car or new furniture or even a tv! Contentment is a blessing…an attitude of gratitude. Instead of what you want, think about what you already have. Count your blessings. Many of the things we think we want or even need will end up in a garage sale—or dumpster—in a few years. Some money problems are related to income, but others are about consumption. Let me say it again
If you spend less than you earn, you will never be broke.
I have a helpful tool to help you. It’s called a…budget!
I used to struggle with budgets because my income changed from month to month. Then I learned a monthly budget might be more useful than an annual budget. I don’t want to insult anyone’s intelligence, but let me walk you through a simple budget.
Suppose you earn minimum wage…$10.45/hour. Most entry-level jobs pay more than that, but let’s use that. Your paycheck would be about $784 twice a month, so $1568/month. You can’t spend more than that or you’ll go into debt. Period.
The next step is to look at your expenses and, if necessary, find ways to reduce them. For example, housing is the largest expense for many of us. If you can’t find housing to fit your budget, you might consider a roommate (pets don’t count! They don’t share the bills!).
Food eats up much of our budgets (sorry for the pun). I’ve gone through seasons where instead of eating out, I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (which are still affordable even with inflation!). Sure, it’s tempting to see an ad for Mancy’s or even fast food these days (which has skyrocketed in price), but your budget will thank you if you go to Aldi or Kroger instead. Use digital coupons. Look for sales and stock up. If you like to eat out, consider buying a Save-around coupon book in the lobby to support the Germany trip. My $25 investment pays off with two meals using the book.
Transportation is another huge expense. When it’s 70 degrees in February, consider walking! Take the bus. Hang on to the used car before racing to buy a new one with all of the fancy features you can’t afford. Consider reliability over frills. The job of transportation is to get you to your destination, not give you a day at the spa! Maybe a bicycle would fit the bill, especially if we keep having mild winters.
These are some simple examples, and as your income increases, so can your spending…but not until!
A budget brings freedom, not bondage.
Take the time to create one. Income on one side and expenses on the other. As one author says, a budget tells your money where to go. You never need to feel guilty about spending on something that’s in your budget.
Give generously.
I know this one doesn’t make logical sense, but Kingdom math—God math—is amazing! No, I’m not promising that if you stuff the Drop Box you will win the lottery. I’m not saying name it and claim it. I am saying—Jesus said—
You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:23b)
If we work hard, spend wisely, and live open-handed, God will bless. It might be unexpected financial blessings. Pastor Will Henderson told a great story last week of being given $10,000 out of the blue! That happens to those who are generous. I can tell personal stories of cash taped to my office door, cash appearing in our medicine cabinet, and my favorite story of all, the gift of a minivan hours after we prayed for one (and didn’t tell a soul!). Those stories all happened when we had little people, couldn’t afford to give away a dime, yet chose to take God at His Word and give at least ten percent of our income to our local church. Again, I’m not promising that $100 in the Drop Box will mean $100 will appear in your mailbox or Venmo account this week…but it might…or even more!
The only place I know God says, “Test Me” is in the last book of the Old Testament.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10, NIV)
There’s an old adage that says, “Pay it forward.” God math often works like that. You can’t outgive God. I dare you to try! It’s such a joy to give. I’ve often said I love giving, especially to First Alliance Church. I see how our frugal budget is invested and the return on investment is amazing…it’s eternal!
This is not a fundraising pitch. God doesn’t need your money…even though First Alliance could use it! This is about an attitude of gratitude that results in generosity and blessing. It might be financial blessing. It might be physical health, enriching relationships, and certainly grace, mercy, peace, forgiveness, hope, and eternal life with God.
Conclusion
If you were offered one wish, what would it be? You can’t ask for more wishes!
King David had a brilliant answer.
One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)
Getting rich—being rich—is about so much more than money. No amount of money can buy you true and lasting joy. Money can buy you temporary happiness, and you can experience great peace when you discover contentment and exercise generosity. Being a good steward of the riches you’ve been given brings glory to God. Ultimately, only a relationship with the living God can bring the meaning, purpose, and satisfaction we all seek.
So work hard, spend wisely, give generously, …and seek first the Kingdom of God. He’s where the joy is!
One more thing…
I’m not sure you really want to be financially rich. Many millionaires have expressed the burden of riches.
Actor Jim Carrey said, “I think everyone should get rich and famous and do everything they dreamed of so they can see that it is not the answer.”
“Two things I ask of you, LORD;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:7-9)
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
God Cares More About Your Money Than You Do
1 Timothy 6:6-10, NLT
Series Big Idea: Money matters…to God, to us, and to those we love.
Big Idea: Intentionality is usually required to make us rich…financially and otherwise.
If you were offered one wish, what would it be? You can’t ask for more wishes!
A common wish people have is to get rich. Was that your wish? Today I’m going to tell you how to get rich…and I hope you’re paying attention!
Welcome to week two of our series God Cares More About Your Money Than You Do. It’s true. God loves you and wants you to flourish in this life—and the next—and money can be a tool for good…or an idol to destroy our lives.
It’s so easy to make money our god, our idol. It’s a common factor in divorce. It has split families and friendships. So is money evil?
No. It’s a tool, like food or a hammer or a book. It can be used for good or bad purposes. It can be used or abused. Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy and said,
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10, NIV)
The love of money is the issue, just like the love of pleasure or power or any number of things can get in the way of our relationship with God…and others.
God is more concerned about the heart than the wallet.
One of the problems with the love of money is there never seems to be enough. One billionaire was asked how much was enough and he replied, “Just a little bit more.” The love of money will never lead to contentment. Perhaps that’s why in the book of Hebrews it says,
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5, NIV)
God wants us to trust Him, not money. Isn’t it ironic that our currency says, “In God We Trust” when most of us put our trust in money?
I’ve titled this sermon, “How to Get Rich.” So how much money do you need to be rich? By the world’s standards, must of us are already rich. What are we doing about it?
Two weeks ago, Pastor Donald said God owns, we possess. Do you have possessions or does what you have possess you?
One of the core values of our Alliance family says, “Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards.” God owns it all. Your health. Your job. Your retirement account. Your house, car, baseball card collection, wardrobe, …
W. Graham Scroggie said, “There are two ways in which a Christian may view his money--"How much of my money shall I use for God?" or "How much of God's money shall I use for myself?"
Back in November, I said,
“Wealth is an issue of the heart, and our attitude should be one of gratitude and generosity.”
On the subject of tithing—giving ten percent of your income to the LORD—I like to say don’t tithe on what you earn. Tithe on what you want to earn! No, I’m not guaranteeing a raise, but it’s amazing how many people think they’ll tithe on a million dollars but refuse to give ten percent of a hundred dollars.
But back to how to get rich. Here’s a simple principle, maybe step one in getting rich…financially. Are you ready?
If you spend less than you earn, you will never be broke.
My late grandfather gave me a silver dollar when I was a boy and said if I kept it, I’d never be broke!
It’s no secret USAmericans are drowning in debt. Mortgages, car payments, student loans, medical bills, and perhaps worst of all, credit card debt. I hate debt. It is not only costly financially due to interest, it is an emotional burden.
Addison H. Hallock once said, “Before borrowing money from a friend, decide which you need more!”
Proverbs says,
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. (Proverbs 22:7)
Many of you just said a silent, Amen!” I must confess we owe a small amount on our house, but we have no other debt. I wanted to say we’re blessed to have no other debt, but it’s not accidental. If I had three pieces of advice about money, I would say,
Work hard.
Spend wisely.
Give generously.
How’s that for a three-point sermon? Let’s go!
Work hard.
I know it’s politically incorrect to say, but some people are just lazy! I’m grateful for government programs and charities who help the disabled who are unable to work, but able-bodied people who choose not to work are stealing from taxpayers who work hard.
Paul wrote to a church in modern day Greece and said,
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:7-10, NIV)
We were created to work. Adam and Eve were given the task of naming the animals and caring for the Garden of Eden before they sinned and disobeyed God. I’m quite confident that we will work in heaven, too. It won’t be boring work. We won’t have a mean boss! But we were created to work, to produce, to create, to serve.
We’ve had seasons in our nation when unemployment was high. It created hardships not only financially, but also mentally and emotionally. We were not created to watch tv or play video games or surf the Internet all day!
It’s no surprise to me that many people who retire early and move to Florida to play golf die early. Study after study has shown this. Able-bodied people—and I want to emphasize that again—need to work. It may or may not involve a paycheck. We have many retirees here in our First Alliance family who volunteer countless hours, enabling us to do things we could never afford to do if paid staff were required. Thank you!
I could preach an entire sermon series on work as worship. We spent much of our lives working, and beyond a paycheck, how we work matters. Paul wrote,
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)
Needless to say, hard work will often lead to raises, promotions, more money. So if you want to get rich, the first step is to work hard. The secret is not sports betting, the lottery, Hollywood Casino, or replying to that spam e-mail from Nigeria! It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme or running a shady business. It’s working hard…for the LORD…with rest…with sabbath…with quality time for family and friends…but work hard.
One more thing about work…in Matthew chapter 25, Jesus tells a parable about three workers. He says to two of them,
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:23)
He calls the third a “wicked, lazy servant” in verse 26. That’s not what I want Jesus to call me!
I want to slip in one Toledo reference. The seal of the city says in Latin, “To work is to pray.” The Alliance says, “Prayer is the primary work of God’s people.” It’s ok to ask God for a better job, more money, or favor with your boss. Virtually all of us experience emergencies in which we need help. It’s ok to ask God…and it’s ok to ask our church family, too. We have a Benevolence fund the Deacons administrate to assist with emergencies. Simply fill out the form in the lobby kiosk or at the bottom of Wednesdays’ FAC Focus e-newsletter. Family helps family.
Spend wisely.
This is a huge challenge in our consumer culture where every commercial is created to make discontent, conditioning us to want what we don’t have, promising eternal happiness if we just buy…now!
There used to be a time before credit cards when people would actually save up before buying a car or new furniture or even a tv! Contentment is a blessing…an attitude of gratitude. Instead of what you want, think about what you already have. Count your blessings. Many of the things we think we want or even need will end up in a garage sale—or dumpster—in a few years. Some money problems are related to income, but others are about consumption. Let me say it again
If you spend less than you earn, you will never be broke.
I have a helpful tool to help you. It’s called a…budget!
I used to struggle with budgets because my income changed from month to month. Then I learned a monthly budget might be more useful than an annual budget. I don’t want to insult anyone’s intelligence, but let me walk you through a simple budget.
Suppose you earn minimum wage…$10.45/hour. Most entry-level jobs pay more than that, but let’s use that. Your paycheck would be about $784 twice a month, so $1568/month. You can’t spend more than that or you’ll go into debt. Period.
The next step is to look at your expenses and, if necessary, find ways to reduce them. For example, housing is the largest expense for many of us. If you can’t find housing to fit your budget, you might consider a roommate (pets don’t count! They don’t share the bills!).
Food eats up much of our budgets (sorry for the pun). I’ve gone through seasons where instead of eating out, I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (which are still affordable even with inflation!). Sure, it’s tempting to see an ad for Mancy’s or even fast food these days (which has skyrocketed in price), but your budget will thank you if you go to Aldi or Kroger instead. Use digital coupons. Look for sales and stock up. If you like to eat out, consider buying a Save-around coupon book in the lobby to support the Germany trip. My $25 investment pays off with two meals using the book.
Transportation is another huge expense. When it’s 70 degrees in February, consider walking! Take the bus. Hang on to the used car before racing to buy a new one with all of the fancy features you can’t afford. Consider reliability over frills. The job of transportation is to get you to your destination, not give you a day at the spa! Maybe a bicycle would fit the bill, especially if we keep having mild winters.
These are some simple examples, and as your income increases, so can your spending…but not until!
A budget brings freedom, not bondage.
Take the time to create one. Income on one side and expenses on the other. As one author says, a budget tells your money where to go. You never need to feel guilty about spending on something that’s in your budget.
Give generously.
I know this one doesn’t make logical sense, but Kingdom math—God math—is amazing! No, I’m not promising that if you stuff the Drop Box you will win the lottery. I’m not saying name it and claim it. I am saying—Jesus said—
You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:23b)
If we work hard, spend wisely, and live open-handed, God will bless. It might be unexpected financial blessings. Pastor Will Henderson told a great story last week of being given $10,000 out of the blue! That happens to those who are generous. I can tell personal stories of cash taped to my office door, cash appearing in our medicine cabinet, and my favorite story of all, the gift of a minivan hours after we prayed for one (and didn’t tell a soul!). Those stories all happened when we had little people, couldn’t afford to give away a dime, yet chose to take God at His Word and give at least ten percent of our income to our local church. Again, I’m not promising that $100 in the Drop Box will mean $100 will appear in your mailbox or Venmo account this week…but it might…or even more!
The only place I know God says, “Test Me” is in the last book of the Old Testament.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10, NIV)
There’s an old adage that says, “Pay it forward.” God math often works like that. You can’t outgive God. I dare you to try! It’s such a joy to give. I’ve often said I love giving, especially to First Alliance Church. I see how our frugal budget is invested and the return on investment is amazing…it’s eternal!
This is not a fundraising pitch. God doesn’t need your money…even though First Alliance could use it! This is about an attitude of gratitude that results in generosity and blessing. It might be financial blessing. It might be physical health, enriching relationships, and certainly grace, mercy, peace, forgiveness, hope, and eternal life with God.
Conclusion
If you were offered one wish, what would it be? You can’t ask for more wishes!
King David had a brilliant answer.
One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)
Getting rich—being rich—is about so much more than money. No amount of money can buy you true and lasting joy. Money can buy you temporary happiness, and you can experience great peace when you discover contentment and exercise generosity. Being a good steward of the riches you’ve been given brings glory to God. Ultimately, only a relationship with the living God can bring the meaning, purpose, and satisfaction we all seek.
So work hard, spend wisely, give generously, …and seek first the Kingdom of God. He’s where the joy is!
One more thing…
I’m not sure you really want to be financially rich. Many millionaires have expressed the burden of riches.
Actor Jim Carrey said, “I think everyone should get rich and famous and do everything they dreamed of so they can see that it is not the answer.”
“Two things I ask of you, LORD;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:7-9)
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Gratitude & Generosity, 26 November 2023
26 11 23 Filed in: Sermons
Gratitude & Generosity
Luke 17
Big Idea: Every day is an opportunity to give thanks for our many blessings.
The year was 2004. I was in San Diego, California at the National Pastor’s Convention at the beautiful Town & Country Resort. Although I barely had a dollar in my bank account, I felt like a millionaire staying that this fancy place. I have many great memories of the event, but one that I likely never forget occurred in a breakout session with Dr. Tony Campolo, a sociologist who has done a lot of work with the poor, especially in Latin America. I don’t agree with everything he believes, but during a Q&A, someone asked, “Dr. Campolo, how can you talk about the poor while we’re staying in this luxurious resort.?”
I was on the edge of my seat! For years, I had struggled with being a USAmerican with virtually unlimited access to clean water, food, and shelter while millions are on the brink of starvation. I had felt some guilt about my religious freedoms knowing I have spiritual siblings imprisoned, tortured, and even martyred by the same faith I possess. What if the money I spent on this conference (actually, it was on someone else’s dime!) was used to print Bibles or feed hungry children? I loved the audacity of this man’s question and then Campolo responded something like this…
For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
He added something like…
“A time to stay in a fancy resort and a time to live and work among the least of these.
Wealth is an issue of the heart, and our attitude should be one of gratitude and generosity.”
Wow! I thought his response was brilliant, and it has stayed with me for nearly twenty years.
A lot has been said about the diversity of our First Alliance family. That diversity relates to age, ethnicity, education, zip code, spiritual background…and certainly income. Some of you own your home debt-free while others are unhoused. Some arrived in nice, newer vehicles while others wondered if they would have to push theirs to get here today…and still others took the shuttle. The issue of wealth is not what you possess, but what possesses you, and it’s our subject today.
As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:11-13)
Leprosy is a terrible disease, one so dreadful that it often required total quarantine…in another village! Perhaps the only thing worse than the physical agony of leprosy was the social toll it took. You remember lockdown three years ago and how lonely and awkward it was for all of us. Imagine being sent away to another village, leaving all of your family and friends and having no way to communicate with them…no FaceTime, e-mail, phone, or even letter. These ten men were desperate.
He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. (Luke 17:14)
Were they healed at that moment in the presence of Jesus? No! One of the fascinating things about Jesus is he rarely healed the same way twice. Sometimes he touched a person, but sometimes they were not present. His instruction to these ten men was simply to go to the priests, the ones who declared people clean or unclean. Departing Jesus’ presence was probably an act of faith, and certainly going to the priest was, since the priest could not touch a leper. “As they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy,” a brilliant miracle!
Have you ever been healed? Have you ever had God answer a prayer…perhaps for a physical healing, but maybe a relational healing, a financial situation, a prayer for a job, car, housing, food, spouse, or child?
We are all blessed. We are all rich, by the world’s standards.
According to the Global Rich List last year, if you have an annual income of $32,500, you are in the top 1% of global earners. This does not mean you’re in the top 1% in the USA, but globally, you are among the world’s richest 1%. If you earn $16/hour, that’s you! That’s most of us. If you earn $12,000 or $1000/month, you’re in the top ten percent!
Even if you have zero income, you are here today, have clothes, food, access to shelter, freedoms many in the world would envy, and greatest of all the opportunity to have a relationship with the Creator of the universe! You are blessed!
In our text for today, these ten men were blessed. Their lives were transformed from outcasts to recipients of healing and wholeness.
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” (Luke 17:15)
One out of ten.
He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. (Luke 17:16)
One out of ten gave thanks. Luke tells his readers he was a Samaritan, a half-breed, a despised one, yet he was another example of a “good” Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” (Luke 17:17-19)
We always need an attitude of gratitude. This isn’t just a November thing. I hope you were able to celebrate Thanksgiving this past week. It’s one of my favorite days of the year (despite spending it in Germany this year!). It’s a day to pause and give thanks…to God, and maybe others, too.
The challenge for many of us is the pause. We’re so busy. We’re not only busy in work and entertainment and parenting and activity, we’re busy comparing ourselves to others. Comparison kills. Our screens scream at us every day…look at that car, that vacation photo, that new outfit, that new gadget, that house, that beautiful person, that…
We’ve been blessed. You’ve been blessed. We need to count our blessings…daily. I have a friend who used social media to list his blessings…I think it was five per day. Think about your blessings.
Researchers have discovered the power of gratitude. When we focus on what we don’t have, it’s easy to become discouraged, discontent, and even depressed. When we pause and give thanks, the opposite occurs. As usual, “science” confirms the truth of the ancient scriptures. King David declared,
I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. (Psalm 7:17, NLT)
Paul wrote,
Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT)
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (Philippians 4:6, NLT)
The Bible is filled with instructions to give thanks. It’s also filled with instructions to give. Remember, wealth is an issue of the heart, and our attitude should be one of gratitude and generosity.
We are to give thanks, but we can also give. We can share. We can take what we have and be generous. Maybe it’s something as simple as a smile or a kind word. It might be taking someone out for coffee. Generosity might look like time, truly listening to someone’s story rather than being distracted by your phone.
We’ve all been blessed to be a blessing. The one thing we must never do with our gifts is hoard them. Jesus famously said,
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35b, NLT)
As I sat in that San Diego resort all those years ago, a sense of relief and mission came over me. I was relieved because I didn’t have to go home, sell my clunker of a car, and ride a bicycle to work in the winter snow! I didn’t have to feel guilty about the blessings I had received. Instead, I needed to have an attitude of gratitude. I also had a mission of generosity. It really is more blessed to give than to receive. I love to give. I love to give to First Alliance Church because I know every dollar is invested carefully in God’s Kingdom. It’s a joy to support the work here. As our income grew with Heather’s new job, we’ve been able to give even more. We’ve had occasions to take faith-filed risks financially, and it’s exciting! You can’t outgive God!
In this season of Thanksgiving (before Amazon and the mall begin telling you about all of the things you “need!”), let’s commit to being grateful and generous rather than greedy and fearful. Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards. Jesus said if we’re faithful in the small things, more will be given to us (Matthew 25). You may recall a young boy who only had a small lunch of bread and fish, yet when he was generous, thousands were fed…and he probably had the day of his life!
Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke 6:38, NLT).
Video: Extend Hope (Alliance Christmas Offering)
Wealth is an issue of the heart, and our attitude should be one of gratitude and generosity.
Even blogger Seth Godin came to this conclusion!
I pray that as we enter the season of consumerism, we will experience contentment, gratitude, and generosity.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Luke 17
Big Idea: Every day is an opportunity to give thanks for our many blessings.
The year was 2004. I was in San Diego, California at the National Pastor’s Convention at the beautiful Town & Country Resort. Although I barely had a dollar in my bank account, I felt like a millionaire staying that this fancy place. I have many great memories of the event, but one that I likely never forget occurred in a breakout session with Dr. Tony Campolo, a sociologist who has done a lot of work with the poor, especially in Latin America. I don’t agree with everything he believes, but during a Q&A, someone asked, “Dr. Campolo, how can you talk about the poor while we’re staying in this luxurious resort.?”
I was on the edge of my seat! For years, I had struggled with being a USAmerican with virtually unlimited access to clean water, food, and shelter while millions are on the brink of starvation. I had felt some guilt about my religious freedoms knowing I have spiritual siblings imprisoned, tortured, and even martyred by the same faith I possess. What if the money I spent on this conference (actually, it was on someone else’s dime!) was used to print Bibles or feed hungry children? I loved the audacity of this man’s question and then Campolo responded something like this…
For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
He added something like…
“A time to stay in a fancy resort and a time to live and work among the least of these.
Wealth is an issue of the heart, and our attitude should be one of gratitude and generosity.”
Wow! I thought his response was brilliant, and it has stayed with me for nearly twenty years.
A lot has been said about the diversity of our First Alliance family. That diversity relates to age, ethnicity, education, zip code, spiritual background…and certainly income. Some of you own your home debt-free while others are unhoused. Some arrived in nice, newer vehicles while others wondered if they would have to push theirs to get here today…and still others took the shuttle. The issue of wealth is not what you possess, but what possesses you, and it’s our subject today.
As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:11-13)
Leprosy is a terrible disease, one so dreadful that it often required total quarantine…in another village! Perhaps the only thing worse than the physical agony of leprosy was the social toll it took. You remember lockdown three years ago and how lonely and awkward it was for all of us. Imagine being sent away to another village, leaving all of your family and friends and having no way to communicate with them…no FaceTime, e-mail, phone, or even letter. These ten men were desperate.
He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. (Luke 17:14)
Were they healed at that moment in the presence of Jesus? No! One of the fascinating things about Jesus is he rarely healed the same way twice. Sometimes he touched a person, but sometimes they were not present. His instruction to these ten men was simply to go to the priests, the ones who declared people clean or unclean. Departing Jesus’ presence was probably an act of faith, and certainly going to the priest was, since the priest could not touch a leper. “As they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy,” a brilliant miracle!
Have you ever been healed? Have you ever had God answer a prayer…perhaps for a physical healing, but maybe a relational healing, a financial situation, a prayer for a job, car, housing, food, spouse, or child?
We are all blessed. We are all rich, by the world’s standards.
According to the Global Rich List last year, if you have an annual income of $32,500, you are in the top 1% of global earners. This does not mean you’re in the top 1% in the USA, but globally, you are among the world’s richest 1%. If you earn $16/hour, that’s you! That’s most of us. If you earn $12,000 or $1000/month, you’re in the top ten percent!
Even if you have zero income, you are here today, have clothes, food, access to shelter, freedoms many in the world would envy, and greatest of all the opportunity to have a relationship with the Creator of the universe! You are blessed!
In our text for today, these ten men were blessed. Their lives were transformed from outcasts to recipients of healing and wholeness.
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” (Luke 17:15)
One out of ten.
He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. (Luke 17:16)
One out of ten gave thanks. Luke tells his readers he was a Samaritan, a half-breed, a despised one, yet he was another example of a “good” Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” (Luke 17:17-19)
We always need an attitude of gratitude. This isn’t just a November thing. I hope you were able to celebrate Thanksgiving this past week. It’s one of my favorite days of the year (despite spending it in Germany this year!). It’s a day to pause and give thanks…to God, and maybe others, too.
The challenge for many of us is the pause. We’re so busy. We’re not only busy in work and entertainment and parenting and activity, we’re busy comparing ourselves to others. Comparison kills. Our screens scream at us every day…look at that car, that vacation photo, that new outfit, that new gadget, that house, that beautiful person, that…
We’ve been blessed. You’ve been blessed. We need to count our blessings…daily. I have a friend who used social media to list his blessings…I think it was five per day. Think about your blessings.
Researchers have discovered the power of gratitude. When we focus on what we don’t have, it’s easy to become discouraged, discontent, and even depressed. When we pause and give thanks, the opposite occurs. As usual, “science” confirms the truth of the ancient scriptures. King David declared,
I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. (Psalm 7:17, NLT)
Paul wrote,
Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT)
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (Philippians 4:6, NLT)
The Bible is filled with instructions to give thanks. It’s also filled with instructions to give. Remember, wealth is an issue of the heart, and our attitude should be one of gratitude and generosity.
We are to give thanks, but we can also give. We can share. We can take what we have and be generous. Maybe it’s something as simple as a smile or a kind word. It might be taking someone out for coffee. Generosity might look like time, truly listening to someone’s story rather than being distracted by your phone.
We’ve all been blessed to be a blessing. The one thing we must never do with our gifts is hoard them. Jesus famously said,
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35b, NLT)
As I sat in that San Diego resort all those years ago, a sense of relief and mission came over me. I was relieved because I didn’t have to go home, sell my clunker of a car, and ride a bicycle to work in the winter snow! I didn’t have to feel guilty about the blessings I had received. Instead, I needed to have an attitude of gratitude. I also had a mission of generosity. It really is more blessed to give than to receive. I love to give. I love to give to First Alliance Church because I know every dollar is invested carefully in God’s Kingdom. It’s a joy to support the work here. As our income grew with Heather’s new job, we’ve been able to give even more. We’ve had occasions to take faith-filed risks financially, and it’s exciting! You can’t outgive God!
In this season of Thanksgiving (before Amazon and the mall begin telling you about all of the things you “need!”), let’s commit to being grateful and generous rather than greedy and fearful. Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards. Jesus said if we’re faithful in the small things, more will be given to us (Matthew 25). You may recall a young boy who only had a small lunch of bread and fish, yet when he was generous, thousands were fed…and he probably had the day of his life!
Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke 6:38, NLT).
Video: Extend Hope (Alliance Christmas Offering)
Wealth is an issue of the heart, and our attitude should be one of gratitude and generosity.
Even blogger Seth Godin came to this conclusion!
I pray that as we enter the season of consumerism, we will experience contentment, gratitude, and generosity.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Take Away, 12 January 2020
12 01 20 Filed in: Sermons | A Fresh Start
Take Away (start doing)
Series—A Fresh Start
Series Big Idea: As we begin this new year/decade, it’s out with the old, in with the new.
Big Idea: There are many things we need to start doing in order to love God and others.
Several years ago I attended a conference. At the end, each person was given two Post-It Notes. We were instructed to use one to list one or two things that we wanted to leave behind. The other was used to list things we wanted to take away from the event.
Last Sunday we began a two-week series, A Fresh Start. We said that most of us have to-do lists, but few people take the time to create a stop-doing list. We need to leave behind some things from the past as we enter 2020. Maybe you want to leave behind those extra pounds you gained eating Christmas cookies! Perhaps you want to leave behind a bad habit such as biting your nails, smoking, or maxing out the credit card. In order to begin new habits or rhythms, we often have to let go of some things to make room in our lives for the things we want to start doing, which is our subject this morning.
Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Do you want it to matter?
I think deep inside of us, we all want to make a difference. We want our lives to count. We want something on our tombstone besides, “He lived and died.” How will you live your dash…that space between your birth and death?
It all begins today! Well, not exactly…but today can be a new beginning. As I took time to reflect upon 2019, I thought about what I want to be said at the end of this year. What will I do? Where will I go? Who will I meet? Most of all, who will I become…and worship.
One of our scriptures from last Sunday says,
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. (Ephesians 4:31)
We want to leave behind sin.
We want to leave behind all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and malice. Right?!
Paul continues,
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
We said last week it’s nearly impossible to just stop doing something cold turkey. You need to replace a behavior with a behavior. Paul’s saying stop treating others as enemies and then presents an alternative: be kind, compassionate, and forgiving. This sounds good, right? But how? The key is at the end of the verse. Do you see it? We can only be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to the extent that we have experienced the kindness, compassion, and forgiveness of Jesus.
You can’t share something you don’t possess. Have you experienced Jesus? Does your life reflect it?
We’re only twelve days into the new year. Now is a great time to start spiritual rhythms, to develop good habits (which often take 21 days), to cultivate our character. I want to offer a vision for what this might look like in your life. This may be familiar to many of you, but just imagine if you could look back at 2020 and say you have more of this:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We call that good fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, the result of doing life with God. Galatians chapter 5 provides us with this portrait of a mature follower of Jesus.
How do we get more of this fruit? We must let go and let God. We must surrender. We must follow Jesus. We must obey Jesus’ command to
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)
We all love the idea of love. We certainly love the idea of people loving us. I think most of us would say would want to love God. Hating God is a dangerous proposition, though indifference is also risky. The fact that you’re here today shows some desire on your part to know God, to love God. But what does Jesus mean when he says to love God with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind, and all of our strength? It means to love God with everything.
The reason most people make new year’s resolutions is because they want to improve themselves. They want to look better. They want to feel better. They want to have more money, more time, or improved health. Right?
There’s nothing inherently wrong with trying to improve yourself, but it should never be the primary goal of life. In his book SoulTalk, author Larry Crabb writes,
“…our first order of business is not to pursue satisfaction, but to identify what’s getting in the way of the deepest satisfaction available to the human soul.”
What is that? It's communion with God.
Too often we use God for our purposes. We give Him an hour on Sunday and otherwise ignore Him until we lose control. We seek His cooperation to improve our lives and a lifetime of blessings. If we do a few religious things, God owes us, right?
Anything that gets in the way of knowing, trusting, and following God is idolatry.
This includes church attendance, time with your family, serving those in need, giving money to charity, working on a degree, exercise, …anything!
To borrow Larry Crabb’s words, the world says, “I want to do something that will make my life better.” That’s good, but it’s secondary to the deepest satisfaction available to the human soul, which says, “I want to experience God through whatever means he provides and keep trusting him whether life gets better or not.”
Trust and obedience go hand in hand. I often say obedience is God’s love language. The number one command in the Bible is
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)
If you can do this, I promise you it will be better than losing all of the weight, gaining all of the muscle, eliminating all of the debt, and whatever else you might resolve to do this year.
I want to suggest three practical ways to love God in 2020 and beyond. This is not about you and your pleasure, but you will be blessed. This might not produce the immediate results you might get from giving up sugar or working out an hour a day. But if you want to experience the deepest satisfaction available to the human soul, it begins with loving God with all of you.
1. Love God with your time. I know, you’re so busy. We all get the same 24 hours each day. The average person spends 30 minutes in the bathroom. If we spent 8 hours working, 8 hours sleeping, and 90 minutes eating, that leaves six hours to…
What would happen if you spent one hour—or one additional hour—a week in prayer? That’s less than ten minutes a day. Pour out your heart to God. You can journal your prayers. You can pray out loud in a car or closet. You can silently pray anywhere.
What would happen if you spent one hour—or one additional hour—a week in God’s Word? Read it. Listen to it. Study it. Let it feed your soul.
What if you devoted two hours a week to attending the Alpha Course on Thursdays to really explore what it means to know and follow Jesus? If you’ve already been through Christianity 101, how about being a helper on the Alpha Course and helping others know and follow Jesus?
What would happen if you spent one hour—or one additional hour—a week in solitude, listening to God, being still, slowing down, resting, being fully present?
By the way, being here matters. Really. Many people are too busy to be here today. I chuckle when people talk as if another church is our competition. If they love Jesus, we’re on the same team! Our competition is the pillow, the golf course, the Internet, Netflix.
Love God with your time. Show me your calendar and I’ll show you what you really love.
2. Love God with your talents. We all have gifts and abilities.
What would happen if you spent one hour a week volunteering? You could serve in the nursery, prepare a meal for a family in need, listen to a shut-in tell their story, sing in the choir, or help at the Rosa Parks Teacher Pantry. One hour…out of 168. It would total 50 hours this year. Imagine how much impact 50 hours would have on the lives of others. It doesn’t have to be here on the campus of First Alliance Church, but we have so many ways for you to get connected, to bless others, …and nobody serves alone. One of the great things about joining a team at First Alliance is you get to serve alongside other people, making new friends. Each week the Connection Card is filled with opportunities ranging from ushering and greeting to leading a small group to serving on the kitchen committee to serving our students. We are always looking for artists, web designers, photographers, and digital storytellers. Our Trustees need help maintaining our beautiful campus buildings and grounds. What do you love to do? Do it for God! Love God with your talents.
3. Love God with your treasures.
This is where things really get interesting. Does your wallet or checkbook or online bank account reflect your love for God? Everything we have is a gift from God. Whether you have a penny to your name or a huge stock portfolio, all of our treasures are from God…on loan from God. He allows us to be stewards—overseers, managers—of stuff…money. The Bible never says we should give a certain dollar amount of money, but there is a concept in the Old Testament, the Jewish Bible, known as the tithe. Tithe simply means ten percent. We have sales tax, which means 7.25 percent in Ohio.
Actually, the state sales tax is 5.75% but we pay 7.25% because of county and city taxes (Michigan’s sales tax rate is 6%).
Whether you’re at Dollar Tree or Macy’s, you have to pay taxes on most everything you buy. The tithe is not a tax. It’s not a max, either. It was something of a starting point for generosity before Jesus.
There’s a fascinating passage in the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, in which God makes some incredible statements to the people of Israel. He says,
You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. (Malachi 3:9)
It’s one thing to think you’ve been cursed, but it’s quite another to have God tell you you’re under a curse! Imagine God came to you and said you are robbing Him. Wow! In the previous verse, the people ask God, “How are we robbing You? What do you mean?” God continues,
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10)
I think this is the only place in the Bible where God says, “Test Me.” The original Hebrew word, bahan, means “to test, try, probe, examine,” like seeing if a metal is pure.
Some tv preachers have manipulated this verse to say if you give them all of your money, God will make you rich. Actually, if you give them all of your money, you will make them rich! But that’s not the point.
God is saying be generous. Invest in eternal things. Support your church.
This does not mean if you put twenty dollars in the offering plate today you’ll find a twenty in your pants pocket tomorrow (though you might!). It does mean that you will be blessed when you bless God, when you surrender to God, when you love God with your treasures. The text continues,
I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty. (Malachi 3:11-12)
My parents taught me to tithe when I was a young boy. I have given at least ten percent of my income to God my entire life. I love to do it! Over the years, that’s added up to quite a bit of cash, but I don’t view it as money I’ve lost or spent. It’s money I’ve invested…in God’s Kingdom. He has blessed me with jobs, health, friends, and most of all Jesus. I could never begin to repay Him for His goodness and faithfulness to me. That doesn’t mean I’ve always been happy, healthy, and wealthy, but I have tested God in this area and He has never let me down.
I don’t have access to what people give around here, but I’ve been told many of you don’t give a dime. I feel bad for you. Really. Never mind what you give McDonald’s or Starbucks or Amazon or Kroger. You give to Columbus every day! A percentage of your money is given to our government, and I’m grateful for our government. But you’re missing out on the blessing of giving to God. He says, “Test Me!” Test Him!
If you don’t have much, you don’t have to give much. The tithe is a percentage thing. If you’ve got ten bucks, put one in the plate. If you’ve got a thousand, drop a Franklin! You can give online. You can text to give. You can do bill pay with your bank. We accept cash, checks, and even alpacas! On our website you can donate stocks and real estate and baseball cards and anything of value. This isn’t a fundraising pitch for First Alliance Church, but it is a challenge to test God, to invest in what He’s doing here in Toledo and around the world. There are a lot of great organizations out there, but First Alliance Church serves you AND others.
When you give here, you support Dinner Church, Sports & Arts Camp, and Elevate Student Ministry. Lives are being changed. People are being healed. Hope is being delivered. Masterpieces are being restored.
In this new year, I want to challenge you to love God with your treasures. If you give, great! What would it look like to test God and increase your giving? It seems like every time I increase my giving, I get an increase in my income somehow. It’s amazing! Again, I’m not making a promise that God will refund your money tomorrow if you give today, but the older I get, the more I believe you can’t out-give God.
Giving is fun, too! Sometimes we’ll get extra money when Heather works extra hours or when we get a Christmas gift and I love giving extra money to God. It really is better to give than to receive, and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, try it. Test God. Write a check. Give some cash. Invest in God’s work. I don’t know a better place to put your money.
I know some of you would love to give, but your finances are a wreck. We have a variety of resources to help you with finding a job, putting together a budget, and even saving money. You can call the office, send us an e-mail, or just write “Money Help” on your Connection Card.
Right Now Media has some great, free financial resources you can watch today on your phone, tablet, or tv. We can send you a free subscription if you request one on a Connection Card. Our sister church, Westgate Chapel, has invited us to their Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University course beginning this Wednesday. You can find details on our Facebook page.
You say you love God? Prove it! Loving God is more than just having positive thoughts in our mind. Love requires action. Show me your time, talents, and treasures and I’ll show you what you love. It might be your girlfriend, movies, pizza, work, football, or Jesus, but your calendar and checkbook will show what you really love.
My prayer for you—and me—in this new year is that we would go beyond good intentions and be intentional. We need to leave some things behind, stop doing them. We need to develop some new practices and start doing some healthy habits. Here are a few suggestions:
Generosity. Grace. Kindness. Exercise. Love. Healthy eating. Honesty. Forgiveness. Volunteering. Listening.
These don’t all directly show our love for God, but when we love others as we love ourselves, we declare our love for God. I want to close with one of the most important passages in the Bible, written by Jesus’ close friend John.
For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. (1 John 3:11)
Do you know what this means, family? Treat one another the way you want to be treated. It’s not rocket science, but it requires thought, action, and effort. This next section seems a little extreme, to be honest. I hope this doesn’t apply to anyone in this room!
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. (1 John 3:12-15)
Those are strong worlds. I know none of you would ever say, “I hate so-and-so,” right? But do we really love one another?
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)
Many people know John 3:16. This is 1 John 3:16. It sounds good, right? Love one another. But love is more than a feeling.
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:17-18)
Here’s what I want you to take away today: love with actions. Love God with actions—your time, talents, and treasures. Love others with actions—your generosity, your kindness, your listening ear, your undivided attention.
What’s your next step? What’s one thing you can do this week—and each week this year—that will show your love for God and others?
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
Series—A Fresh Start
Series Big Idea: As we begin this new year/decade, it’s out with the old, in with the new.
Big Idea: There are many things we need to start doing in order to love God and others.
Several years ago I attended a conference. At the end, each person was given two Post-It Notes. We were instructed to use one to list one or two things that we wanted to leave behind. The other was used to list things we wanted to take away from the event.
Last Sunday we began a two-week series, A Fresh Start. We said that most of us have to-do lists, but few people take the time to create a stop-doing list. We need to leave behind some things from the past as we enter 2020. Maybe you want to leave behind those extra pounds you gained eating Christmas cookies! Perhaps you want to leave behind a bad habit such as biting your nails, smoking, or maxing out the credit card. In order to begin new habits or rhythms, we often have to let go of some things to make room in our lives for the things we want to start doing, which is our subject this morning.
Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Do you want it to matter?
I think deep inside of us, we all want to make a difference. We want our lives to count. We want something on our tombstone besides, “He lived and died.” How will you live your dash…that space between your birth and death?
It all begins today! Well, not exactly…but today can be a new beginning. As I took time to reflect upon 2019, I thought about what I want to be said at the end of this year. What will I do? Where will I go? Who will I meet? Most of all, who will I become…and worship.
One of our scriptures from last Sunday says,
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. (Ephesians 4:31)
We want to leave behind sin.
We want to leave behind all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and malice. Right?!
Paul continues,
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
We said last week it’s nearly impossible to just stop doing something cold turkey. You need to replace a behavior with a behavior. Paul’s saying stop treating others as enemies and then presents an alternative: be kind, compassionate, and forgiving. This sounds good, right? But how? The key is at the end of the verse. Do you see it? We can only be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to the extent that we have experienced the kindness, compassion, and forgiveness of Jesus.
You can’t share something you don’t possess. Have you experienced Jesus? Does your life reflect it?
We’re only twelve days into the new year. Now is a great time to start spiritual rhythms, to develop good habits (which often take 21 days), to cultivate our character. I want to offer a vision for what this might look like in your life. This may be familiar to many of you, but just imagine if you could look back at 2020 and say you have more of this:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We call that good fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, the result of doing life with God. Galatians chapter 5 provides us with this portrait of a mature follower of Jesus.
How do we get more of this fruit? We must let go and let God. We must surrender. We must follow Jesus. We must obey Jesus’ command to
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)
We all love the idea of love. We certainly love the idea of people loving us. I think most of us would say would want to love God. Hating God is a dangerous proposition, though indifference is also risky. The fact that you’re here today shows some desire on your part to know God, to love God. But what does Jesus mean when he says to love God with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind, and all of our strength? It means to love God with everything.
The reason most people make new year’s resolutions is because they want to improve themselves. They want to look better. They want to feel better. They want to have more money, more time, or improved health. Right?
There’s nothing inherently wrong with trying to improve yourself, but it should never be the primary goal of life. In his book SoulTalk, author Larry Crabb writes,
“…our first order of business is not to pursue satisfaction, but to identify what’s getting in the way of the deepest satisfaction available to the human soul.”
What is that? It's communion with God.
Too often we use God for our purposes. We give Him an hour on Sunday and otherwise ignore Him until we lose control. We seek His cooperation to improve our lives and a lifetime of blessings. If we do a few religious things, God owes us, right?
Anything that gets in the way of knowing, trusting, and following God is idolatry.
This includes church attendance, time with your family, serving those in need, giving money to charity, working on a degree, exercise, …anything!
To borrow Larry Crabb’s words, the world says, “I want to do something that will make my life better.” That’s good, but it’s secondary to the deepest satisfaction available to the human soul, which says, “I want to experience God through whatever means he provides and keep trusting him whether life gets better or not.”
Trust and obedience go hand in hand. I often say obedience is God’s love language. The number one command in the Bible is
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)
If you can do this, I promise you it will be better than losing all of the weight, gaining all of the muscle, eliminating all of the debt, and whatever else you might resolve to do this year.
I want to suggest three practical ways to love God in 2020 and beyond. This is not about you and your pleasure, but you will be blessed. This might not produce the immediate results you might get from giving up sugar or working out an hour a day. But if you want to experience the deepest satisfaction available to the human soul, it begins with loving God with all of you.
1. Love God with your time. I know, you’re so busy. We all get the same 24 hours each day. The average person spends 30 minutes in the bathroom. If we spent 8 hours working, 8 hours sleeping, and 90 minutes eating, that leaves six hours to…
What would happen if you spent one hour—or one additional hour—a week in prayer? That’s less than ten minutes a day. Pour out your heart to God. You can journal your prayers. You can pray out loud in a car or closet. You can silently pray anywhere.
What would happen if you spent one hour—or one additional hour—a week in God’s Word? Read it. Listen to it. Study it. Let it feed your soul.
What if you devoted two hours a week to attending the Alpha Course on Thursdays to really explore what it means to know and follow Jesus? If you’ve already been through Christianity 101, how about being a helper on the Alpha Course and helping others know and follow Jesus?
What would happen if you spent one hour—or one additional hour—a week in solitude, listening to God, being still, slowing down, resting, being fully present?
By the way, being here matters. Really. Many people are too busy to be here today. I chuckle when people talk as if another church is our competition. If they love Jesus, we’re on the same team! Our competition is the pillow, the golf course, the Internet, Netflix.
Love God with your time. Show me your calendar and I’ll show you what you really love.
2. Love God with your talents. We all have gifts and abilities.
What would happen if you spent one hour a week volunteering? You could serve in the nursery, prepare a meal for a family in need, listen to a shut-in tell their story, sing in the choir, or help at the Rosa Parks Teacher Pantry. One hour…out of 168. It would total 50 hours this year. Imagine how much impact 50 hours would have on the lives of others. It doesn’t have to be here on the campus of First Alliance Church, but we have so many ways for you to get connected, to bless others, …and nobody serves alone. One of the great things about joining a team at First Alliance is you get to serve alongside other people, making new friends. Each week the Connection Card is filled with opportunities ranging from ushering and greeting to leading a small group to serving on the kitchen committee to serving our students. We are always looking for artists, web designers, photographers, and digital storytellers. Our Trustees need help maintaining our beautiful campus buildings and grounds. What do you love to do? Do it for God! Love God with your talents.
3. Love God with your treasures.
This is where things really get interesting. Does your wallet or checkbook or online bank account reflect your love for God? Everything we have is a gift from God. Whether you have a penny to your name or a huge stock portfolio, all of our treasures are from God…on loan from God. He allows us to be stewards—overseers, managers—of stuff…money. The Bible never says we should give a certain dollar amount of money, but there is a concept in the Old Testament, the Jewish Bible, known as the tithe. Tithe simply means ten percent. We have sales tax, which means 7.25 percent in Ohio.
Actually, the state sales tax is 5.75% but we pay 7.25% because of county and city taxes (Michigan’s sales tax rate is 6%).
Whether you’re at Dollar Tree or Macy’s, you have to pay taxes on most everything you buy. The tithe is not a tax. It’s not a max, either. It was something of a starting point for generosity before Jesus.
There’s a fascinating passage in the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, in which God makes some incredible statements to the people of Israel. He says,
You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. (Malachi 3:9)
It’s one thing to think you’ve been cursed, but it’s quite another to have God tell you you’re under a curse! Imagine God came to you and said you are robbing Him. Wow! In the previous verse, the people ask God, “How are we robbing You? What do you mean?” God continues,
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10)
I think this is the only place in the Bible where God says, “Test Me.” The original Hebrew word, bahan, means “to test, try, probe, examine,” like seeing if a metal is pure.
Some tv preachers have manipulated this verse to say if you give them all of your money, God will make you rich. Actually, if you give them all of your money, you will make them rich! But that’s not the point.
God is saying be generous. Invest in eternal things. Support your church.
This does not mean if you put twenty dollars in the offering plate today you’ll find a twenty in your pants pocket tomorrow (though you might!). It does mean that you will be blessed when you bless God, when you surrender to God, when you love God with your treasures. The text continues,
I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty. (Malachi 3:11-12)
My parents taught me to tithe when I was a young boy. I have given at least ten percent of my income to God my entire life. I love to do it! Over the years, that’s added up to quite a bit of cash, but I don’t view it as money I’ve lost or spent. It’s money I’ve invested…in God’s Kingdom. He has blessed me with jobs, health, friends, and most of all Jesus. I could never begin to repay Him for His goodness and faithfulness to me. That doesn’t mean I’ve always been happy, healthy, and wealthy, but I have tested God in this area and He has never let me down.
I don’t have access to what people give around here, but I’ve been told many of you don’t give a dime. I feel bad for you. Really. Never mind what you give McDonald’s or Starbucks or Amazon or Kroger. You give to Columbus every day! A percentage of your money is given to our government, and I’m grateful for our government. But you’re missing out on the blessing of giving to God. He says, “Test Me!” Test Him!
If you don’t have much, you don’t have to give much. The tithe is a percentage thing. If you’ve got ten bucks, put one in the plate. If you’ve got a thousand, drop a Franklin! You can give online. You can text to give. You can do bill pay with your bank. We accept cash, checks, and even alpacas! On our website you can donate stocks and real estate and baseball cards and anything of value. This isn’t a fundraising pitch for First Alliance Church, but it is a challenge to test God, to invest in what He’s doing here in Toledo and around the world. There are a lot of great organizations out there, but First Alliance Church serves you AND others.
When you give here, you support Dinner Church, Sports & Arts Camp, and Elevate Student Ministry. Lives are being changed. People are being healed. Hope is being delivered. Masterpieces are being restored.
In this new year, I want to challenge you to love God with your treasures. If you give, great! What would it look like to test God and increase your giving? It seems like every time I increase my giving, I get an increase in my income somehow. It’s amazing! Again, I’m not making a promise that God will refund your money tomorrow if you give today, but the older I get, the more I believe you can’t out-give God.
Giving is fun, too! Sometimes we’ll get extra money when Heather works extra hours or when we get a Christmas gift and I love giving extra money to God. It really is better to give than to receive, and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, try it. Test God. Write a check. Give some cash. Invest in God’s work. I don’t know a better place to put your money.
I know some of you would love to give, but your finances are a wreck. We have a variety of resources to help you with finding a job, putting together a budget, and even saving money. You can call the office, send us an e-mail, or just write “Money Help” on your Connection Card.
Right Now Media has some great, free financial resources you can watch today on your phone, tablet, or tv. We can send you a free subscription if you request one on a Connection Card. Our sister church, Westgate Chapel, has invited us to their Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University course beginning this Wednesday. You can find details on our Facebook page.
You say you love God? Prove it! Loving God is more than just having positive thoughts in our mind. Love requires action. Show me your time, talents, and treasures and I’ll show you what you love. It might be your girlfriend, movies, pizza, work, football, or Jesus, but your calendar and checkbook will show what you really love.
My prayer for you—and me—in this new year is that we would go beyond good intentions and be intentional. We need to leave some things behind, stop doing them. We need to develop some new practices and start doing some healthy habits. Here are a few suggestions:
Generosity. Grace. Kindness. Exercise. Love. Healthy eating. Honesty. Forgiveness. Volunteering. Listening.
These don’t all directly show our love for God, but when we love others as we love ourselves, we declare our love for God. I want to close with one of the most important passages in the Bible, written by Jesus’ close friend John.
For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. (1 John 3:11)
Do you know what this means, family? Treat one another the way you want to be treated. It’s not rocket science, but it requires thought, action, and effort. This next section seems a little extreme, to be honest. I hope this doesn’t apply to anyone in this room!
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. (1 John 3:12-15)
Those are strong worlds. I know none of you would ever say, “I hate so-and-so,” right? But do we really love one another?
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)
Many people know John 3:16. This is 1 John 3:16. It sounds good, right? Love one another. But love is more than a feeling.
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:17-18)
Here’s what I want you to take away today: love with actions. Love God with actions—your time, talents, and treasures. Love others with actions—your generosity, your kindness, your listening ear, your undivided attention.
What’s your next step? What’s one thing you can do this week—and each week this year—that will show your love for God and others?
Passion & Unity, 10 February 2019
11 02 19 Filed in: Sermons | Back to Basics
Passion and Unity
Series—Back to Basics
Romans 12:9-13; Malachi 3:10; Mark 12:30; Romans 15:1-7
Big Idea: We are discussing two of my four prayers for FAC: passion and unity and the stewardship and praise which result from them.
Passion
What do you love? Who do you love? Really!
I know, it’s Sunday so God must be the answer, right? If you have a family, your spouse or kids or parents should probably be mentioned. But what do you really love?
I know some of you are passionate about sports. You practice, play, and watch games. Others prefer the electronic variety and devote themselves to video games. Some of you are committed to cooking, your Facebook posts, caring for your pets, traveling, fashion, reading, Netflix, coffee, charity work, entertaining people in your home, going out to eat, cars, …
To quote John Maxwell,
What do you sing about?
What do you cry about?
These are things that we are passionate about today.
What do you dream about? This speaks to what you hope will bring you fulfillment tomorrow.
In the first part of my message today, we’re talking about passion. It has been described as fuel for the will. It motivates us. It drives us to do—or not do—things. What do you love? What’s your passion?
In our February series, we’re going Back to Basics. Last week we talked about mission, why we exist as a church. Although it is just the beginning of the process of living out God’s mission, we unveiled a mission statement for First Alliance Church.
We are a Jesus-centered family restoring God’s masterpieces in Toledo and beyond for His glory.
You are a masterpiece, God’s masterpiece. Like everyone in our city and world, we’re broken by sin and in need of restoration. We are privileged to partner with God in our own transformation into the image of Jesus as well as helping others become like Jesus. It’s all about Jesus and God’s glory, not our own, though it’s a wonderful—albeit often painful process—to be restored, redeemed, reconciled, repaired.
Last month we looked at the first eight verses of Romans chapter twelve. It continues,
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. (Romans 12:9-13)
Did you catch that in the middle? Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the LORD. That’s passion!
Family, one of my four prayers for First Alliance Church is passion…passion for God and the things that matter to God. In case you’re not sure what things those would be, let me draw your attention to one of our Alliance Core Values:
Lost people matter to God and He wants them found. (Luke 19:10)
This relates to our mission of restoring God’s masterpieces, loving our neighbors, caring for “the least of these,” extending hospitality to widows, strangers, and orphans.
The reason I pray for passion is because I can’t give it to you. I can model passion, I can preach about it, I can try to motivate you and challenge you, but passion is something that you have or you don’t. Either you were excited about watching the Super Bowl or you fell asleep during the big game. Either you devote yourself to politics or music or prayer or your kids or parents or neighbors or you don’t.
What’s your passion? Who’s your passion? Prove it!
One of the ways we can prove our passion is with our money. This week is Valentine’s Day, a day in which consumers will spend around $20 billion on flowers, candy, dinner, and gifts. That’s a lot of love!
If your passion is video games, you no doubt spend a lot of money—and time—on entertainment. If your passion is fitness, you probably have a gym membership in your budget and calendar. If you love shoes or pets or family, your Visa bill or bank account will reveal that passion.
See, love is a verb. It requires action. It’s more than just a word or two on a chalky candy heart (which you can’t even buy this year because of a change in manufacturer; don’t worry, they’ll be back next year!). Love requires commitment, sacrifice, cost. Show me your calendar and checkbook and I’ll instantly see your passion. Your time, talents, and treasures reveal what we truly love…and worship.
Where does God fit into your life? Most of you know Jesus stated the greatest command is to love God, but do you? Really?
Author N.T. Wright said,
“When human beings give their heartfelt allegiance to and worship that which is not God, they progressively cease to reflect the image of God. One of the primary laws of human life is that you become like what you worship; what’s more, you reflect what you worship not only to the object itself but also outward to the world around. Those who worship money increasingly define themselves in terms of it and increasingly treat other people as creditors, debtors, partners, or customers rather than as human beings. Those who worship sex define themselves in terms of it (their preferences, their practices, their past histories) and increasingly treat other people as actual or potential sex objects. Those who worship power define themselves in terms of it and treat other people as either collaborators, competitors, or pawns. These and many other forms of idolatry combine in a thousand ways, all of them damaging to the image-bearing quality of the people concerned and of those whose lives they touch.” (Surprised by Hope)
Remember, we were made by God, for God, and for God’s glory.
I want to offer a simple, practical challenge to you regarding passion. It involves your treasures. Just to be clear, we ended 2018 in the black. This is not a backdoor, passive aggressive fundraising tactic. I simply want to ask, “Does your budget reflect your passion for God?”
Some of you may be asking, “What’s a budget?” If so, I urge you to talk with me, Google search “budget,” watch some free Dave Ramsey videos on Right Now Media, or take a class on personal finances.
Like any challenge, this question is more relevant to some of you than others. To all of you who are faithful in your generosity, I want to say thank you on behalf of God. Thank you for honoring God with your finances. Thank you for declaring your allegiance to Jesus every time you write a check, put cash in the offering plate, or give online. I can think of no greater investment than in God’s Kingdom…and our family’s budget reflects that.
Everything We Have Belongs To God; We Are His Stewards (1 Chronicles 29:14)
The word “tithe” means 10% and was established in the Old Testament as a starting point for generosity and stewardship. 100% of what we have is from God and belongs to God. As this Core Value of The Alliance states, we are His stewards.
When you give with passion to your local church, three things happen:
1. You honor God. You put your money where your mouth is, so to speak. The only time in the Bible I know of where God says, “Test me” is with our finances. In the book of Malachi, the people were instructed to give at least a tithe—ten percent—to God. They were stingy, giving God their scraps and leftovers. Unfortunately, many do this today. When the offering plate comes by, if there’s some spare change in the pocket or purse, they’ll drop it in. If not, nothing. It’s really their loss. God told the people,
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10)
There have been many days when Heather and I could not afford to give, but we did anyway in obedience to God…and every time God provided. If you think you can’t afford to give, I’m here to say you can’t afford to not give. The dollar amount is not as important as the percentage. The city and state take 7¼% of everything we buy. Washington takes even more. And some of us give God nothing?
If ten percent—which I believe is God’s minimum—seems overwhelming, start with 5% or even 1%. If your boss came to you tomorrow and said you’d have to take a 10% pay cut, most of you would find a way to make that work. This isn’t a pay cut, though. It’s an investment in God’s Kingdom. Test Him! See how God honors your faith and obedience.
To be clear, I’m not guaranteeing that you’ll get $100 in the mail tomorrow after you put $100 in the offering plate today. But God honors those who honor Him. Don’t miss out on God’s blessing.
2. You bless our church, city, and world. God is at work in and through First Alliance Church. We are seeing broken marriages healed, the sick receiving care, the hungry fed, those in prison visited, children tutored, artists trained, youth challenged, meals delivered, and the homeless housed. Because of your generosity the gospel is proclaimed—both here and around the globe. God has used this church—His church—to send missionaries around the world, to plant churches, to launch ministries such as Cherry Street Mission and Proclaim FM, to bring hope to the hopeless, love to the unloved, and peace to the troubled. We are a family on mission, God’s mission, and I can’t imagine a greater investment.
Let’s face it, our world is messed up. It needs help, and our government, schools, and businesses are not the answer, though they do good work. There’s no force on our planet like the power of God moving in and through His people.
3. Thirdly, you experience freedom. So many people live paycheck-to-paycheck with a scarcity mentality, hoarding and living in fear. When you give to God before you pay your bills, you put your faith in action, trust God, and can truly pray for your daily bread. Remember, God says to test him. He can be trusted. In nearly 29 years of marriage, He’s never failed us (and we’ve been through some massive financial storms!).
As James K.A.Smith’s book title states, You are what you love.
When Jesus was asked the greatest commandment, He replied,
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)
What’s missing? Nothing! He said if we are his friends, we’ll do what he commands (John 15:14). He wants us to love him with ALL our heart, ALL our soul, ALL our mind, ALL our strength. When you are passionate about something, you give it your time, your attention, and your money. The word “passion’ means several things, including “a powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, a strong or extravagant desire, or a strong love,” but another definition is “the sufferings of Christ on the cross.” Jesus suffered because he is passionate about you and me. His love is so great that he gave everything for us—even his own life. That’s passion! That’s commitment. That’s love.
One of the primary ways we love God, one of the tools we have for surrendering to the Holy Spirit, one of the best expressions of trusting God, one of the most practical declarations of our faith is how we invest our money. I pray that your greatest passion in the world would be for God, and that your time, talents, and your treasures would truly reflect your worship and allegiance to Him.
Unity
Before we enter a time of worship through music in this slightly unusual Sunday morning gathering, I want to talk about another prayer I pray for First Alliance Church in addition to passion. It’s unity.
Two weeks ago we saw from Romans chapter 14 how judging and condemning others can threaten unity…and even cause people to leave our church family. After all, who wants to be with people who are critical, negative, and self-righteous? Tragically, I’ve learned of several people who no longer attend First Alliance Church because of judgmental attitudes and rejection. One Connection Card from two weeks ago said a young persons, “First Alliance peers no longer come because they say they are judged and spoke to as sinful ‘lost sheep’ when they visit so they go to different churches now, or not at all. So sad.”
Family, I don’t want to “judge and condemn” you, but we’ve got work to do. Actually, the Holy Spirit has work to do…on our hearts. I want to return to the book of Romans, this time chapter 15. Some preachers have spent years going through this incredible book of the Bible. Two weeks ago, we were in chapter 14 and it continues…
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. (Romans 15:1-2)
In chapter 14, Paul tells the church in Rome to avoid quarrelling over disputable matters (14:1). Furthermore, we must be sensitive to those whose faith is weak, not causing them to stumble. Love means looking out for the best interest of another person, and for me to truly love you, I must be willing to sacrifice my freedoms for your conscience. I used the example of a person choosing not to drink a glass of wine around their friend who is an alcoholic. We’re naturally selfish creatures, but love means thinking of others.
This is radical! This is counter-cultural. This is the way of Jesus. He did not come to be served, but to serve. He did not come to save His life, but to offer it up for us. He set a perfect example for us to follow…an example that requires surrender to God, a filling of the Holy Spirit, and a willingness to die to our own selfish desires for the sake of loving God…and others.
This Saturday I’m performing a wedding ceremony in Michigan and one thing I often say to couples is marriage is not 50/50. It’s 100/100. If your attitude is to go halfway, that might be fine in some situations, but there are times in life when the other person—a spouse, child, parent, friend—simply can’t go halfway themselves. Maybe they are sick or struggling in some area of life and they need you to go the extra mile, so to speak. Jesus went all the way with his love. It was unconditional. He didn’t say, “I love you if” or “I love you because,” but “I love you. Period.” As we remembered last Sunday, he gave everything for us, even his very life on the cross.
For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. (Romans 15:3-4)
I’m so glad Jesus did not live a selfish life. Aren’t you? Paul continues,
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6)
You were made by God, for God, and for God’s glory. When we live for ourselves, any hope of unity is lost. When we humbly gather together at the foot of the cross, bowing in adoration of Almighty God, seeking to love God and one another, unity is certain.
The ultimate purpose of unity is to glorify God, to worship and praise Him.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7)
This doesn’t mean to accept sin, but to accept sinners…that’s all of us. We’ve been accepted by Jesus, despite our brokenness. His love is amazing, and he commands us to love one another, to accept one another, and in doing so, we praise God, in word and deed.
This is really hard. It’s easy to disagree with one another. It’s easy to gossip, slander, and judge. It feels quite natural to be critical, negative and be divisive…especially in our current culture. I’m sorry to say I’ve witnessed this repeatedly within our church family…and it must stop. Now. Our mission is not to about a donkey or an elephant. What brings us together is not having similar educational or economic backgrounds. Our purpose in gathering is not to “have our needs met” or to enjoy the music or feel good about the preaching (especially today, right?!). We are a Jesus-centered family and we exist for the glory of God. Period.
Even if you were an only child, you know family can be difficult. You won’t always agree on what restaurant to visit on vacation, what color to paint the living room, or what to name the puppy. But God uses others to shape us, teach us, and transform us. Others help us to become patient, kind, generous, loving, and selfless…to become like Jesus.
Today we’re going to close with not one song but several. We want to create space for your voice to join others. You can download sermons all day long. You can give money online. You can chat with friends on Facebook. One thing that is unique about our gatherings is corporate worship. You can sing in your car, but there’s something so beautiful about praising God together. This isn’t glee club or choir hour, but rather singing songs to God. He’s the audience. The people on stage are not the performers. We all are performers, together, for God. As a symbol of our unity, of loving God and one another, as a family, we praise God.
Worship Music
I pray for passion, expressed in our time, talents, and treasures.
I pray for unity, expressed in our love for one another, encouragement, sensitivity to one another, and lack of condemnation.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
Series—Back to Basics
Romans 12:9-13; Malachi 3:10; Mark 12:30; Romans 15:1-7
Big Idea: We are discussing two of my four prayers for FAC: passion and unity and the stewardship and praise which result from them.
Passion
What do you love? Who do you love? Really!
I know, it’s Sunday so God must be the answer, right? If you have a family, your spouse or kids or parents should probably be mentioned. But what do you really love?
I know some of you are passionate about sports. You practice, play, and watch games. Others prefer the electronic variety and devote themselves to video games. Some of you are committed to cooking, your Facebook posts, caring for your pets, traveling, fashion, reading, Netflix, coffee, charity work, entertaining people in your home, going out to eat, cars, …
To quote John Maxwell,
What do you sing about?
What do you cry about?
These are things that we are passionate about today.
What do you dream about? This speaks to what you hope will bring you fulfillment tomorrow.
In the first part of my message today, we’re talking about passion. It has been described as fuel for the will. It motivates us. It drives us to do—or not do—things. What do you love? What’s your passion?
In our February series, we’re going Back to Basics. Last week we talked about mission, why we exist as a church. Although it is just the beginning of the process of living out God’s mission, we unveiled a mission statement for First Alliance Church.
We are a Jesus-centered family restoring God’s masterpieces in Toledo and beyond for His glory.
You are a masterpiece, God’s masterpiece. Like everyone in our city and world, we’re broken by sin and in need of restoration. We are privileged to partner with God in our own transformation into the image of Jesus as well as helping others become like Jesus. It’s all about Jesus and God’s glory, not our own, though it’s a wonderful—albeit often painful process—to be restored, redeemed, reconciled, repaired.
Last month we looked at the first eight verses of Romans chapter twelve. It continues,
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. (Romans 12:9-13)
Did you catch that in the middle? Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the LORD. That’s passion!
Family, one of my four prayers for First Alliance Church is passion…passion for God and the things that matter to God. In case you’re not sure what things those would be, let me draw your attention to one of our Alliance Core Values:
Lost people matter to God and He wants them found. (Luke 19:10)
This relates to our mission of restoring God’s masterpieces, loving our neighbors, caring for “the least of these,” extending hospitality to widows, strangers, and orphans.
The reason I pray for passion is because I can’t give it to you. I can model passion, I can preach about it, I can try to motivate you and challenge you, but passion is something that you have or you don’t. Either you were excited about watching the Super Bowl or you fell asleep during the big game. Either you devote yourself to politics or music or prayer or your kids or parents or neighbors or you don’t.
What’s your passion? Who’s your passion? Prove it!
One of the ways we can prove our passion is with our money. This week is Valentine’s Day, a day in which consumers will spend around $20 billion on flowers, candy, dinner, and gifts. That’s a lot of love!
If your passion is video games, you no doubt spend a lot of money—and time—on entertainment. If your passion is fitness, you probably have a gym membership in your budget and calendar. If you love shoes or pets or family, your Visa bill or bank account will reveal that passion.
See, love is a verb. It requires action. It’s more than just a word or two on a chalky candy heart (which you can’t even buy this year because of a change in manufacturer; don’t worry, they’ll be back next year!). Love requires commitment, sacrifice, cost. Show me your calendar and checkbook and I’ll instantly see your passion. Your time, talents, and treasures reveal what we truly love…and worship.
Where does God fit into your life? Most of you know Jesus stated the greatest command is to love God, but do you? Really?
Author N.T. Wright said,
“When human beings give their heartfelt allegiance to and worship that which is not God, they progressively cease to reflect the image of God. One of the primary laws of human life is that you become like what you worship; what’s more, you reflect what you worship not only to the object itself but also outward to the world around. Those who worship money increasingly define themselves in terms of it and increasingly treat other people as creditors, debtors, partners, or customers rather than as human beings. Those who worship sex define themselves in terms of it (their preferences, their practices, their past histories) and increasingly treat other people as actual or potential sex objects. Those who worship power define themselves in terms of it and treat other people as either collaborators, competitors, or pawns. These and many other forms of idolatry combine in a thousand ways, all of them damaging to the image-bearing quality of the people concerned and of those whose lives they touch.” (Surprised by Hope)
Remember, we were made by God, for God, and for God’s glory.
I want to offer a simple, practical challenge to you regarding passion. It involves your treasures. Just to be clear, we ended 2018 in the black. This is not a backdoor, passive aggressive fundraising tactic. I simply want to ask, “Does your budget reflect your passion for God?”
Some of you may be asking, “What’s a budget?” If so, I urge you to talk with me, Google search “budget,” watch some free Dave Ramsey videos on Right Now Media, or take a class on personal finances.
Like any challenge, this question is more relevant to some of you than others. To all of you who are faithful in your generosity, I want to say thank you on behalf of God. Thank you for honoring God with your finances. Thank you for declaring your allegiance to Jesus every time you write a check, put cash in the offering plate, or give online. I can think of no greater investment than in God’s Kingdom…and our family’s budget reflects that.
Everything We Have Belongs To God; We Are His Stewards (1 Chronicles 29:14)
The word “tithe” means 10% and was established in the Old Testament as a starting point for generosity and stewardship. 100% of what we have is from God and belongs to God. As this Core Value of The Alliance states, we are His stewards.
When you give with passion to your local church, three things happen:
1. You honor God. You put your money where your mouth is, so to speak. The only time in the Bible I know of where God says, “Test me” is with our finances. In the book of Malachi, the people were instructed to give at least a tithe—ten percent—to God. They were stingy, giving God their scraps and leftovers. Unfortunately, many do this today. When the offering plate comes by, if there’s some spare change in the pocket or purse, they’ll drop it in. If not, nothing. It’s really their loss. God told the people,
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10)
There have been many days when Heather and I could not afford to give, but we did anyway in obedience to God…and every time God provided. If you think you can’t afford to give, I’m here to say you can’t afford to not give. The dollar amount is not as important as the percentage. The city and state take 7¼% of everything we buy. Washington takes even more. And some of us give God nothing?
If ten percent—which I believe is God’s minimum—seems overwhelming, start with 5% or even 1%. If your boss came to you tomorrow and said you’d have to take a 10% pay cut, most of you would find a way to make that work. This isn’t a pay cut, though. It’s an investment in God’s Kingdom. Test Him! See how God honors your faith and obedience.
To be clear, I’m not guaranteeing that you’ll get $100 in the mail tomorrow after you put $100 in the offering plate today. But God honors those who honor Him. Don’t miss out on God’s blessing.
2. You bless our church, city, and world. God is at work in and through First Alliance Church. We are seeing broken marriages healed, the sick receiving care, the hungry fed, those in prison visited, children tutored, artists trained, youth challenged, meals delivered, and the homeless housed. Because of your generosity the gospel is proclaimed—both here and around the globe. God has used this church—His church—to send missionaries around the world, to plant churches, to launch ministries such as Cherry Street Mission and Proclaim FM, to bring hope to the hopeless, love to the unloved, and peace to the troubled. We are a family on mission, God’s mission, and I can’t imagine a greater investment.
Let’s face it, our world is messed up. It needs help, and our government, schools, and businesses are not the answer, though they do good work. There’s no force on our planet like the power of God moving in and through His people.
3. Thirdly, you experience freedom. So many people live paycheck-to-paycheck with a scarcity mentality, hoarding and living in fear. When you give to God before you pay your bills, you put your faith in action, trust God, and can truly pray for your daily bread. Remember, God says to test him. He can be trusted. In nearly 29 years of marriage, He’s never failed us (and we’ve been through some massive financial storms!).
As James K.A.Smith’s book title states, You are what you love.
When Jesus was asked the greatest commandment, He replied,
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)
What’s missing? Nothing! He said if we are his friends, we’ll do what he commands (John 15:14). He wants us to love him with ALL our heart, ALL our soul, ALL our mind, ALL our strength. When you are passionate about something, you give it your time, your attention, and your money. The word “passion’ means several things, including “a powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, a strong or extravagant desire, or a strong love,” but another definition is “the sufferings of Christ on the cross.” Jesus suffered because he is passionate about you and me. His love is so great that he gave everything for us—even his own life. That’s passion! That’s commitment. That’s love.
One of the primary ways we love God, one of the tools we have for surrendering to the Holy Spirit, one of the best expressions of trusting God, one of the most practical declarations of our faith is how we invest our money. I pray that your greatest passion in the world would be for God, and that your time, talents, and your treasures would truly reflect your worship and allegiance to Him.
Unity
Before we enter a time of worship through music in this slightly unusual Sunday morning gathering, I want to talk about another prayer I pray for First Alliance Church in addition to passion. It’s unity.
Two weeks ago we saw from Romans chapter 14 how judging and condemning others can threaten unity…and even cause people to leave our church family. After all, who wants to be with people who are critical, negative, and self-righteous? Tragically, I’ve learned of several people who no longer attend First Alliance Church because of judgmental attitudes and rejection. One Connection Card from two weeks ago said a young persons, “First Alliance peers no longer come because they say they are judged and spoke to as sinful ‘lost sheep’ when they visit so they go to different churches now, or not at all. So sad.”
Family, I don’t want to “judge and condemn” you, but we’ve got work to do. Actually, the Holy Spirit has work to do…on our hearts. I want to return to the book of Romans, this time chapter 15. Some preachers have spent years going through this incredible book of the Bible. Two weeks ago, we were in chapter 14 and it continues…
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. (Romans 15:1-2)
In chapter 14, Paul tells the church in Rome to avoid quarrelling over disputable matters (14:1). Furthermore, we must be sensitive to those whose faith is weak, not causing them to stumble. Love means looking out for the best interest of another person, and for me to truly love you, I must be willing to sacrifice my freedoms for your conscience. I used the example of a person choosing not to drink a glass of wine around their friend who is an alcoholic. We’re naturally selfish creatures, but love means thinking of others.
This is radical! This is counter-cultural. This is the way of Jesus. He did not come to be served, but to serve. He did not come to save His life, but to offer it up for us. He set a perfect example for us to follow…an example that requires surrender to God, a filling of the Holy Spirit, and a willingness to die to our own selfish desires for the sake of loving God…and others.
This Saturday I’m performing a wedding ceremony in Michigan and one thing I often say to couples is marriage is not 50/50. It’s 100/100. If your attitude is to go halfway, that might be fine in some situations, but there are times in life when the other person—a spouse, child, parent, friend—simply can’t go halfway themselves. Maybe they are sick or struggling in some area of life and they need you to go the extra mile, so to speak. Jesus went all the way with his love. It was unconditional. He didn’t say, “I love you if” or “I love you because,” but “I love you. Period.” As we remembered last Sunday, he gave everything for us, even his very life on the cross.
For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. (Romans 15:3-4)
I’m so glad Jesus did not live a selfish life. Aren’t you? Paul continues,
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6)
You were made by God, for God, and for God’s glory. When we live for ourselves, any hope of unity is lost. When we humbly gather together at the foot of the cross, bowing in adoration of Almighty God, seeking to love God and one another, unity is certain.
The ultimate purpose of unity is to glorify God, to worship and praise Him.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7)
This doesn’t mean to accept sin, but to accept sinners…that’s all of us. We’ve been accepted by Jesus, despite our brokenness. His love is amazing, and he commands us to love one another, to accept one another, and in doing so, we praise God, in word and deed.
This is really hard. It’s easy to disagree with one another. It’s easy to gossip, slander, and judge. It feels quite natural to be critical, negative and be divisive…especially in our current culture. I’m sorry to say I’ve witnessed this repeatedly within our church family…and it must stop. Now. Our mission is not to about a donkey or an elephant. What brings us together is not having similar educational or economic backgrounds. Our purpose in gathering is not to “have our needs met” or to enjoy the music or feel good about the preaching (especially today, right?!). We are a Jesus-centered family and we exist for the glory of God. Period.
Even if you were an only child, you know family can be difficult. You won’t always agree on what restaurant to visit on vacation, what color to paint the living room, or what to name the puppy. But God uses others to shape us, teach us, and transform us. Others help us to become patient, kind, generous, loving, and selfless…to become like Jesus.
Today we’re going to close with not one song but several. We want to create space for your voice to join others. You can download sermons all day long. You can give money online. You can chat with friends on Facebook. One thing that is unique about our gatherings is corporate worship. You can sing in your car, but there’s something so beautiful about praising God together. This isn’t glee club or choir hour, but rather singing songs to God. He’s the audience. The people on stage are not the performers. We all are performers, together, for God. As a symbol of our unity, of loving God and one another, as a family, we praise God.
Worship Music
I pray for passion, expressed in our time, talents, and treasures.
I pray for unity, expressed in our love for one another, encouragement, sensitivity to one another, and lack of condemnation.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
Rebel (and spend less), 11 December 2011
13 12 11 Filed in: Sermons | Advent Conspiracy
Big Idea: one way to make this Christmas season different is to spend less and give more.
We are in the most chaotic season of the year, businesses are doing whatever possible to lure us into their stores or onto their websites, credit cards are being used more than snow blowers in Alaska, and calendars are filled with parties and special events. So much for, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”
We continue Advent Conspiracy. The conspiracy is to do the season differently. The celebration of a king’s birth, lying in an animal food trough on a silent night has become the most stress-filled, debt-producing, narcissistic season of the year. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Each week we are focusing on one word. Last week it was worship. We said to do the season differently we need to worship more, focusing our attention on the one who is worthy and deserving of our affections and attentions—Jesus Christ.
Today’s word is rebel. Does this surprise you? What comes to mind when you think of rebel? I don’t think most people in our culture would think of Jesus-followers as being rebels, yet for centuries, many have led radical, counter-cultural lives. The context of Jesus’ birth itself was filled with rebels.
Rebellion is part of our tradition as followers of Jesus. I often talk about the importance of context when reading the Bible, and the Advent narratives are no exception.
We talk a lot about Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, but one of the dominant characters in the story is Herod. Herod was a nasty man. Actually, there several people named Herod as there were several names Caesar or the Pope. Herod was a governor appointed by the Roman Empire. He began his rule at age 25. He was obviously a friend of Rome and extremely insecure about his empire. He killed three of his sons, a wife, his mother-in-law, siblings, and even one of his key advisors. His empire was built on power and might. Even though he wasn’t Jewish, he held the title “king of the Jews.”
He was an impressive man. He built stadiums and coliseums. He built a palace on a huge hill that he had built even higher. He even rebuilt the temple, super-sizing it and placing a Roman eagle on it. The temple then became a huge business, with people selling sacrifices. Do you remember the story? Jesus goes postal and knocks over their tables.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” (Matthew 7:1-6)
We looked at this passage last week. Jesus had the right to be on the throne according to the genealogies in Matthew, so rather than seeking Jesus to destroy, he kills all baby boys.
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:7-12)
Jesus is very aware of Herod, his power, and his influence. His cousin, John the Baptist, was beheaded by Herod.
At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day — for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! (Luke 13:31-33)
Jesus knows He is going to die a political death. He is aware of Herod. We need to be aware of Herod. We need to be aware of our culture. Jesus wants us to pledge allegiance to a different empire. Which kingdom will we pledge allegiance to? That is the real question today. We can follow Jesus—the real King of Kings—or we can follow the kings and rules and marketers and leaders of this world.
Christ-followers for generations have been rebels. They have lived radical, counter-cultural lives. Many have given their lives for their faith, refusing to bow down to the idols and gods of this world.
What about us? Do we worship the idols of our world—money, success, power—or humbly surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ?
On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. (Luke 23:6-9)
Herod wants Jesus to entertain him!
Zealots were activists. They were protestors. Jesus did not join them.
How do we ignore the kingdom? We focus on another Kingdom.
Jesus ignored Herod because He was living for a different Kingdom.
My challenge to you is ignore Herod and our materialistic culture that says more and bigger is better. Do you need all of that stuff? Do you need to buy all of that stuff? Do you need to go into debt to get all of that stuff?
I’m not going Scrooge on anyone! I love to give and receive gifts. In fact, I’ve already done my part this year to stimulate the economy, but I’ve also done so challenged by the idea of spending less.
Are there gifts I can offer that aren’t found at Target? Can I give my presence rather than just a bunch of presents? Why do I give gifts? Really.
In 2007, film maker Morgan Spurlock of “Supersize Me” fame made a movie called “What Would Jesus Buy.” It’s makes quite a statement.
An article in this week’s AnnArbor.com noted that the Prosperity Gospel preached in many churches is to blame for some of the overspending. According to a Time magazine survey, more than 60 percent of Christians agree that “God wants people to be financially prosperous.”
Let’s be rebels this Christmas. Let’s be radical! Let’s give thought and care into not only what we buy, but why. Will it matter in six months? Will we still be paying for our gifts in six months? 50% of the people charging their purchases still owe for last year’s Christmas! Despite the recession, “the average American plans to spend $751 on gifts this year, up 22 percent from last year’s spending plans.”
Here’s a few questions to think about the next time you’re at the mall...
- why am I here?
- do I need this?
- how will I pay?
- what if I wait?
- where will I put it?
I want to offer two gift suggestions that will not end up in next year’s garage sale.
The first is a gift to Hope Clinic, our local ministry partner. We have catalogs of gifts you can purchase—everything from hot meals to medical care to prescriptions for needy in our community.
The second is clean water. Thousands of men, women and children die every DAY just because they lack clean drinking water. A gift to The Water Project can literally save lives.
We can serve MasterCard or the Master.
We can serve the king of this world or the King of kings.
We worship and live radical lives because He is worthy of our complete and total devotion.
Let’s worship more, spend less, give to Hope Clinic and the Water Project, and make this Christmas matter.
You can listen to the podcast here.
We are in the most chaotic season of the year, businesses are doing whatever possible to lure us into their stores or onto their websites, credit cards are being used more than snow blowers in Alaska, and calendars are filled with parties and special events. So much for, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”
We continue Advent Conspiracy. The conspiracy is to do the season differently. The celebration of a king’s birth, lying in an animal food trough on a silent night has become the most stress-filled, debt-producing, narcissistic season of the year. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Each week we are focusing on one word. Last week it was worship. We said to do the season differently we need to worship more, focusing our attention on the one who is worthy and deserving of our affections and attentions—Jesus Christ.
Today’s word is rebel. Does this surprise you? What comes to mind when you think of rebel? I don’t think most people in our culture would think of Jesus-followers as being rebels, yet for centuries, many have led radical, counter-cultural lives. The context of Jesus’ birth itself was filled with rebels.
Rebellion is part of our tradition as followers of Jesus. I often talk about the importance of context when reading the Bible, and the Advent narratives are no exception.
We talk a lot about Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, but one of the dominant characters in the story is Herod. Herod was a nasty man. Actually, there several people named Herod as there were several names Caesar or the Pope. Herod was a governor appointed by the Roman Empire. He began his rule at age 25. He was obviously a friend of Rome and extremely insecure about his empire. He killed three of his sons, a wife, his mother-in-law, siblings, and even one of his key advisors. His empire was built on power and might. Even though he wasn’t Jewish, he held the title “king of the Jews.”
He was an impressive man. He built stadiums and coliseums. He built a palace on a huge hill that he had built even higher. He even rebuilt the temple, super-sizing it and placing a Roman eagle on it. The temple then became a huge business, with people selling sacrifices. Do you remember the story? Jesus goes postal and knocks over their tables.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” (Matthew 7:1-6)
We looked at this passage last week. Jesus had the right to be on the throne according to the genealogies in Matthew, so rather than seeking Jesus to destroy, he kills all baby boys.
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:7-12)
Jesus is very aware of Herod, his power, and his influence. His cousin, John the Baptist, was beheaded by Herod.
At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day — for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! (Luke 13:31-33)
Jesus knows He is going to die a political death. He is aware of Herod. We need to be aware of Herod. We need to be aware of our culture. Jesus wants us to pledge allegiance to a different empire. Which kingdom will we pledge allegiance to? That is the real question today. We can follow Jesus—the real King of Kings—or we can follow the kings and rules and marketers and leaders of this world.
Christ-followers for generations have been rebels. They have lived radical, counter-cultural lives. Many have given their lives for their faith, refusing to bow down to the idols and gods of this world.
What about us? Do we worship the idols of our world—money, success, power—or humbly surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ?
On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. (Luke 23:6-9)
Herod wants Jesus to entertain him!
Zealots were activists. They were protestors. Jesus did not join them.
How do we ignore the kingdom? We focus on another Kingdom.
Jesus ignored Herod because He was living for a different Kingdom.
My challenge to you is ignore Herod and our materialistic culture that says more and bigger is better. Do you need all of that stuff? Do you need to buy all of that stuff? Do you need to go into debt to get all of that stuff?
I’m not going Scrooge on anyone! I love to give and receive gifts. In fact, I’ve already done my part this year to stimulate the economy, but I’ve also done so challenged by the idea of spending less.
Are there gifts I can offer that aren’t found at Target? Can I give my presence rather than just a bunch of presents? Why do I give gifts? Really.
In 2007, film maker Morgan Spurlock of “Supersize Me” fame made a movie called “What Would Jesus Buy.” It’s makes quite a statement.
An article in this week’s AnnArbor.com noted that the Prosperity Gospel preached in many churches is to blame for some of the overspending. According to a Time magazine survey, more than 60 percent of Christians agree that “God wants people to be financially prosperous.”
Let’s be rebels this Christmas. Let’s be radical! Let’s give thought and care into not only what we buy, but why. Will it matter in six months? Will we still be paying for our gifts in six months? 50% of the people charging their purchases still owe for last year’s Christmas! Despite the recession, “the average American plans to spend $751 on gifts this year, up 22 percent from last year’s spending plans.”
Here’s a few questions to think about the next time you’re at the mall...
- why am I here?
- do I need this?
- how will I pay?
- what if I wait?
- where will I put it?
I want to offer two gift suggestions that will not end up in next year’s garage sale.
The first is a gift to Hope Clinic, our local ministry partner. We have catalogs of gifts you can purchase—everything from hot meals to medical care to prescriptions for needy in our community.
The second is clean water. Thousands of men, women and children die every DAY just because they lack clean drinking water. A gift to The Water Project can literally save lives.
We can serve MasterCard or the Master.
We can serve the king of this world or the King of kings.
We worship and live radical lives because He is worthy of our complete and total devotion.
Let’s worship more, spend less, give to Hope Clinic and the Water Project, and make this Christmas matter.
You can listen to the podcast here.
Radical Giving, 16, October 2011
Last week we said that we must have a radical urgency for the things of God and the two things He cares most deeply about are the lost and the poor. The Bible is jam-packed with God’s heart for the spiritual and physically needy.
I believe the primary reason why the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not taking root and flourishing in our nation is our lack of need.
Think about it.
Do we need healing? That’s what Advil and the doctor do.
Do we need daily bread? Most of us have a pantry full of food plus a refrigerator and maybe even a freezer.
Do we need education and knowledge? We have more information in our pockets than could fill a library 20 years ago.
Do we need relationships? We connect with our deepest friends at bars and on Facebook.
Friends, our world is filled with needs, and God wants us to meet them. That’s our purpose. That’s why we’re still here and not zapped up to heaven after begin to follow Jesus.
Last week we focused on urgency for the spiritually needs and today we turn to the physically poor. Today we’re talking about radical giving.
I want to begin by saying we are not in a building campaign. We are not fundraising today. In fact, we already took the offering! My hope is that at the end of our time together your heart will beat more in sync with God’s heart and recognize not only the needs around us but also how you can change the world, one life at a time.
If you have your Bible, either paper or electronic, please turn to Luke 16. Luke is one of four biographies of Jesus, written by a doctor who paid great attention to detail in his account.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ (Luke 16:22-24)
Quick tangent: does Jesus ever talk about Hell? How is it described? Why did the beggar go to Abraham’s side (or heaven)? Why did the rich man end up in Hell?
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ (Luke 16:25-26)
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ (Luke 16:27-28)
My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.” - Psalm 35:10
I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. - Psalm 140:12
There are so many more. Now let’s look at what Jesus said...
The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” - Luke 4:17-19
Jesus came for the spiritually and physically poor. He didn’t come for the religious people. His mission was not to help the rich gain greater wealth. His purpose was not to create a safe, comfortable life for Himself and His friends.
Perhaps the most famous statement ever made about the poor came in a passage known as the Beatitudes.
Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. - Luke 6:20-21
Notice Jesus doesn’t say wealth is bad or wrong or evil, though He did make it clear that it can become an idol. The root of all evil, after all, is not money but the LOVE of money.
We play now and pay later or pay now and play later.
I believe that God responds to the needs of the poor with compassion because they are in need, they are broken, they are humble, they are not too proud to beg, so to speak. This does not mean that every poor person gets an automatic ticket to heaven, but it does mean that God cares for them and so should we.
We hear about the poor all the time, don’t we? Politicians talk about the poor. Guilt-inducing statistics are shoved in our face through various fundraisers and infomercials.
I often judge the poor. I’m not proud of this, but I sometimes look at the exit guys—the beggars at the exit ramps—and think to myself, “Go get a job!” I look at bums downtown and think, “Quit drinking and smoking and do something with your life.” It’s easy to get callous toward the poor, especially when you hear stories about con-artists that make five or even six figures panhandling or addicts that take your cash right to a drug dealer.
There are many reasons people are poor, but globally it is rarely the result of their choices.
I thought about rattling off a barrage of statistics on poverty to help you see the needs of the poor in our world, but you’ve probably heard them already. I will share with you two.
Nearly 3 billion people live on less than $2 per day. That’s $730 per year.
Today 50,000 people will die due to poverty-related causes.
Behind every statistic is a face, a friend, a family member, a person formed in the image of God.
God responds to the needs of the poor with compassion.
The second thing I want you to know is God responds to those who neglect the poor with condemnation.
We are the rich man in the story. Yes, I’m talking to you. Most of you children have more wealth than billions of people on this planet. Billions!
We are dressed in fine linen inside a building that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to build. We will soon get into hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cars to go to homes worth millions of dollars combined. Meanwhile, there are poor at the gate, both across the street and across the planet.
Many of you know about the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The term sodomy is derived from their behavior. Nevertheless, it was not their greatest sin.
“‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
- Ezekiel 16:49
God has blessed us with great wealth...to share.
Have you ever prayed for God to bless the poor? He probably responded by saying, “Go for it!”
Have you ever prayed for God to provide for starving children? That’s our job!
Again, wealth is not bad—unless it is hoarded. Followers of Jesus should be the most radical givers. We should be known for our generosity.
The rich man was sent to hell not because he had money, but because money had him. He neglected the poor.
Are we throwing our scraps to the poor while we indulge in our pleasures. Is our giving like an extra chicken for the slaves at Christmas. This is not what the people of God do. Regardless of what we say or sing or study on Sunday morning, rich people who neglect the poor are not the people of God.
Even the world knows this.
“If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn’t help the poor, either we’ve got to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don’t want to do it.” - Stephen Colbert
One of my dreams for Scio is that it if we ever closed our doors, people would miss us. They would miss the positive impact we made. They would miss the way we lived modest lives and gave abundantly.
There is good news. Even though we can’t control famines or oppressive governments or other factors that lead poverty, we can make a difference.
Are we willing to ask God if he wants us to sell everything we have and give the money to the poor? Are we willing to ask and wait for an answer instead of providing one of our own or justifying our ideas of why he would never tell us to do this? This seems a bit radical, but isn’t it normal and expected when we follow a Master who said, “…any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33)
That means our wealth. We are not supposed to give God 10%. It ALL belongs to Him! One day we will stand before God and have to give an account for how we used our wealth. This is not only money but also our time and talents.
What is true and acceptable religion (James 1:27)? We are all so rich, which is not a bad thing. We need to be conduits of blessing to our communities...and the nations.
One man said the goal of every follower of Jesus should be to make as much money as possible and live off of as little as necessary. To whom much is given, much is required and we have all been given so much.
So what now? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Visit www.ONE.org
A story is told of a starfish.
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.” “Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!” After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference for that one.”
"Don't fail to do something just because you can't do everything." - Bob Pierce, former president of World Vision
David Platt notes,
“We look back on slave-owning churchgoers of 150 years ago and ask, “How could they have treated their fellow human beings that way?” I wonder if followers of Christ 150 years from now will look back at Christians in America today and ask, “How could they live in such big houses? How could they drive such nice cars and wear such nice clothes? How could they live in such affluence while thousands of children were dying because they didn’t have food and water? How could they go on with their lives as though the billions of poor didn’t even exist?””
Jesus said...
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:19-21
Radical giving is not rooted in guilt, but in the Gospel. It’s a part of following Jesus.
“So how do we care for the poor in a way that glorifies God? Be captivated by Christ. Long for the new creation. Set aside empty promises and earthly ideas of success, and trust that Christ will do what he has promised as we, with thankful hearts for the mercy that God has shown us, extend mercy in word and deed to those who so desperately need it, whether they're down the street or across the globe.” -Aaron Armstrong
We have been blessed to bless others.
Where is your treasure? Where is your heart?
You can listen to the podcast here.