“Preparing Our Home for Christmas”
Luke 10:38-42
Everyone knows the song, “Santa Claus is coming to Town.” In the song, we are given certain instructions on how to prepare ourselves for Santa’s arrival. We are told that Santa is making a list, checking it twice and he is going to find out who is naughty or nice. Therefore, we have to make sure not to pout, or cry and that we better be good for goodness sake.
As we gather together to worship during this season, we are preparing, not for Santa’s arrival, but for the arrival of Jesus. Over the remaining Sundays in Advent, I want to talk about how we prepare for Jesus coming to town. Today I want to talk about getting our Home ready for Jesus to come.
I am sure if you are like Melanie and I, you take time to prepare your house for Christmas. This year, we began the process of preparing our home the weekend before Thanksgiving. On Friday, I got all the Christmas stuff down from the attic. On Saturday morning we put the tree up and then we made home aid soup and invited my parents over. After we ate soup, Melanie made chocolate chip cookies. Melanie and mom put the ornaments on the tree while Dad and I watched Tennessee play football.
As great as that day was and as fun as it is to fix your home up for Christmas, there is something that we, as Christians, should be more excited about preparing for the coming of Jesus.
In Luke’s gospel, we find a story of Jesus coming to visit Martha and Mary. The text is found in Luke 10:38-42. It says,
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
This is a short story, but it has so much stuff in it. In this passage, Jesus is traveling towards Jerusalem and stops by to visit a lady named Martha. She has a sister named Mary. Luke tells us first that Mary is sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to him. Luke tells us that Martha had a lot of tasks to do and was distracted. The TNIV says she was distracted by all the preparations she had to do.
We read that Martha was a little upset because she sees her sister listening to Jesus, but not making preparation for him. In other words, she is not being hospitable. Martha then points this problem out to Jesus. Jesus then does something the reader should not expect. He tells Martha that Mary is actually doing what is correct while Martha is distracted and worried about many things. He tells her that only one thing is necessary and Mary is doing it.
Honestly, I struggle some with the passage because on face value, it appears that Jesus is rewarding laziness. But, if we take a closer look, I think you will find that Jesus actually does get it. I had never noticed this before, but look at how Luke frames this story. Before Jesus says a word, notice that Luke tells us “Martha was distracted by all the preparations.”
Oftentimes we think that we are distracted from Jesus at Christmas because we get so busy and forget, but I think it is more than that. Melanie and I have some shows that we always watch each week. One of the shows that she likes and somehow got me hooked on is Samantha Who. In the episode just before Thanksgiving, Samantha’s best friend Dena is having relationship problems with her boyfriend. There relationship had begun well, but as of late; he was working all of the time. They break up and then Dena’s boyfriend finds her in the movie theater to explain his actions.
He tells her that, quote, “I have not been neglecting you, I have just been taking you for granted.” In the show, he explains that this is a good thing because he feels comfortable enough with her to take her for granted. I asked Melanie If I could use that excuse and she said no. Oh well.
I think too often we take Jesus for granted and therefore, we become distracted by all of the other holiday things just like we take Jesus for granted with other things most all of the other time as well. We take it for granted that Jesus will be there for us. Therefore, Jesus is not our top priority. One of the things Jesus is telling us through this story is that we ought to stop taking Jesus for granted because sitting at his feet and listening to him is vital during Christmas and any other time of the year.
Oftentimes when we look at this story we say that this is a story about doing verses being. We read this story and conclude that we must spend time with Jesus before we can serve Jesus. I think this is part of the story, but there is more to it than meets the eye.
To understand the importance of where this passage is located can help us better understand the message that Luke wants us to get from the passage. In this chapter, Jesus has already sent out seventy of his followers in hopes that when they arrive, people will be hospitable to them. If they don’t welcome them, they are in essence rejecting God. Then Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan who showed hospitality to the injured man. Now Jesus tells a story of Martha, who is busy in preparation for Jesus. She is doing what she is supposed to and being hospitable to Jesus. The way the story is set up, Martha would be the one who is doing what she is supposed to do and following through to be a good host.
It is also helpful to understand what Mary is actually doing and why Martha is actually so upset about. Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to him. This does not mean that she was just sitting at his feet like a puppy dog, she was listening to him and learning. This is what a student would do if a rabbi was teaching. They would say they “sat at ones” feet. Mary was actually acting as one of Jesus’ male disciples and learning to follow him.
The reason Martha was so upset was because Mary was acting outside of her role as a female. Women would have been making all the preparations while the men listened to Jesus teach. Mary was acting outside her role as a female, thus upsetting Jesus.
If we put all of this together, Jesus wants our hospitably to lead to discipleship. In other words, inviting someone in and showing hospitality should then lead to us growing closer to God.
Jesus says that in the end, only one thing is necessary. This does not mean that all the work Martha is doing is not important. After all, someone has to do it. Jesus just said that Mary was doing the one that that was necessary.
This Christmas season, we will all be very busy celebrating Christmas. We will all work hard to decorate our homes, buy gifts, make cookies, and have family parties. These are all good things. They are all important, but remember that only one things necessary and that is being at the feet of Jesus and listening to him.
My challenge this advent and Christmas season is for you and your family to find ways to share the story of Jesus and to make this Christmas season about becoming a better follower of Jesus. I believe one of the best things about advent is that it gives us practice for the rest of the year. If we can find a way to sit at the feet of Jesus during Advent, hopefully we can do it year round.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Stewardship Sermon 11/23/08 "What's In Your Heart" Part Three: "Being Thankful: Priceless"
“Being Thankful: Priceless”
2 Corinthians 9:1-15
One of my fondest Thanksgiving memories happened when we all set down for Thanksgiving dinner and just when we began to eat the turkey and dressing, our cat, who was outside walked up to the door with a special gift for us. She had caught a mouse and she brought it up to the door for all of us to see.
I have learned a funny think about cats. Apparently when they want to show their owners gratitude, instead of people a normal pet and letting you pet it, they go out and catch a mouse and bring it to the door as a Thanksgiving offering.
For the best several weeks, we have been focusing on Christian Stewardship. We believe stewardship is not about how much money is in your wallet, it is about what is in your heart. The first week of the sermon series, we said that we give because we are responding to God grace, by showing grace. Last week we said that giving is about trusting that God can do more with our money than we can. Today, on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, I want to add one last piece to the puzzle and suggest that we give to God out of our gratitude or our thankfulness.
Before I read the passage that we are going to study, I need to give you some background about Paul and his dealings with the Corinthians. In our Bibles, we have two letters written to the Corinthians. We also know that Paul helped establish the church there and spent quite a lot of time in Corinth. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in response to a letter that he had received from Chloe’s household in order to address some problems that has come up after his departure. Some scholars believe there is a missing letter written to the Corinthians that we no longer have. Other scholars believe the missing letter is actually 2 Corinthians 10-13.
In this missing letter, the Corinthians took offense to Paul for several reasons. First, they felt that he hid behind his words. In other words, they believed that he was unfair in his letter and that he refused to show up in person to defend his letter. Secondly, and most important for our purposes, Paul did not take any money from the Corinthians for himself. He did take up money for himself from other churches in Macedonia, which made the Corinthians very upset. Paul did however; take up a collection from all the churches, including Corinth, for the struggling churches in Jerusalem. He ahs asked the churches to take up a collection when they would meet and then one of Paul’s helpers would come and collect it. This was probably Titus.
In this passage, we have already noted that Paul used the Macedonian churches as an example of how the Corinthians should give. The Macedonians gave more than they were capable of. Paul then encourages the Corinthians to do as the Macedonian churches did and practice the gift of giving.
Paul then uses the example of Jesus’ giving as a model for their own giving. Paul believes that by giving, God will take care of the needs of both the giver and the receiver. In other words, giving is about trusting God. The rest of chapter 8 is Paul explaining to the Corinthians that Titus is coming with another person to collect the offering. Paul then begins chapter nine,
There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the Lord's people. For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: "They have scattered abroad their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever."
2 Corinthians 9:1-15
One of my fondest Thanksgiving memories happened when we all set down for Thanksgiving dinner and just when we began to eat the turkey and dressing, our cat, who was outside walked up to the door with a special gift for us. She had caught a mouse and she brought it up to the door for all of us to see.
I have learned a funny think about cats. Apparently when they want to show their owners gratitude, instead of people a normal pet and letting you pet it, they go out and catch a mouse and bring it to the door as a Thanksgiving offering.
For the best several weeks, we have been focusing on Christian Stewardship. We believe stewardship is not about how much money is in your wallet, it is about what is in your heart. The first week of the sermon series, we said that we give because we are responding to God grace, by showing grace. Last week we said that giving is about trusting that God can do more with our money than we can. Today, on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, I want to add one last piece to the puzzle and suggest that we give to God out of our gratitude or our thankfulness.
Before I read the passage that we are going to study, I need to give you some background about Paul and his dealings with the Corinthians. In our Bibles, we have two letters written to the Corinthians. We also know that Paul helped establish the church there and spent quite a lot of time in Corinth. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in response to a letter that he had received from Chloe’s household in order to address some problems that has come up after his departure. Some scholars believe there is a missing letter written to the Corinthians that we no longer have. Other scholars believe the missing letter is actually 2 Corinthians 10-13.
In this missing letter, the Corinthians took offense to Paul for several reasons. First, they felt that he hid behind his words. In other words, they believed that he was unfair in his letter and that he refused to show up in person to defend his letter. Secondly, and most important for our purposes, Paul did not take any money from the Corinthians for himself. He did take up money for himself from other churches in Macedonia, which made the Corinthians very upset. Paul did however; take up a collection from all the churches, including Corinth, for the struggling churches in Jerusalem. He ahs asked the churches to take up a collection when they would meet and then one of Paul’s helpers would come and collect it. This was probably Titus.
In this passage, we have already noted that Paul used the Macedonian churches as an example of how the Corinthians should give. The Macedonians gave more than they were capable of. Paul then encourages the Corinthians to do as the Macedonian churches did and practice the gift of giving.
Paul then uses the example of Jesus’ giving as a model for their own giving. Paul believes that by giving, God will take care of the needs of both the giver and the receiver. In other words, giving is about trusting God. The rest of chapter 8 is Paul explaining to the Corinthians that Titus is coming with another person to collect the offering. Paul then begins chapter nine,
There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the Lord's people. For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: "They have scattered abroad their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever."
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
Paul makes me laugh in this passage. Notice he first uses the Macedonians to inspire the Corinthians to give and now he tells the Corinthians that he used them to inspire the Macedonians to give. Paul has already laid out his travel plans to collect the offering so he tells the Corinthians to be prepared with the offering so that the Macedonians will not be disappointed.
Giving Comes From the Heart
Paul has two main points to finish off his plea for the Corinthians to give. He tells them that a person should give out of their heart, not out of compulsion. In other words, we should not give because God dictates us to do it, but we should give out of a heart that wants to give.
I do want to mention one piece of this text that I believe has been taken out of context. In verse six, Paul says that the person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will reap generously. I have heard it said that Paul tells the Corinthians to give so that they will get a lot more back. This is normally used in the context of saying if you give 10 percent, God will give you back 20 percent. The problem comes in when people follow this logic and find that they still have to struggle to pay the bills. Then they question their own faithfulness and the faithfulness of God.
To understand the context of what Paul is saying , we need to understand what Paul has in mind. He quotes from Proverbs 22:8, “God blesses a cheerful giver.” This is actually not in your English Bible, it is in a Greek translation that Paul would have used. Paul obviously has this who Proverb in mind. Proverb 22:8 says, “He who sows injustice reaps destruction.” “The beginning of this Proverb says, “A good name is to be chosen over great wealth; favor is better than silver or gold.”
What Paul is saying is that when we give with a cheerful heart, God will bless our giving because out of a cheerful heart we will sow great things. God’s blessings are greater than giving you 10 percent back; God’s blessings come from doing what pleases God, because we know that God will be pleased with us. Paul then reiterates a point we made last week that God will provide for their needs when they give from their hearts.
Giving is About Being Thankful
Secondly, Paul tells them in verse 11 that God will supply their need so that they it can produce generosity in them. In other words, they should give out of thanksgiving. Paul seems to actually be saying to the Corinthians, if you are not giving, then you believe God is not supplying your needs, therefore you have no reason to be thankful.
I read an interview with our Bishop, James Swanson, about the current economic times. He says this about giving, “For us to quit giving to God when times are tough indicates that we were only giving out of our surplus rather than out of regular, faithful giving.” I do want to stop here for a second because I have talked with some of you who are really struggling financially and it has hurt your giving. However, the people I have talk to all still find a way to give and for many of them, it is really a leap of faith. They are giving from their budget because they do not have surplus. The point is this, ‘THEY KEPT ON GIVING” Why, because they were thankful that God had given them what they have.
Bishop Swanson goes on, “To put God on the backburner- when he has never put us on the backburner- is the height of ingratitude.” WOW. What Paul and Bishop Swanson are saying is that God has always, no matter what situation we have been in, came through for us. He has never made us priority two. In response to God’s grace, we should respond back with gratitude and thanksgiving.
Stewardship Sermon11/16/08 What's in Your Heart" Part Two: "Trusting God: Do More"
“Trusting God: Do More”
2 Corinthians 8:9-15
This is the second week of our Stewardship Campaign. For those who missed last week, our sermon series is entitled, “What is in Your Heart.” As we said last week, stewardship is not about how much money you have in your wallet, it is about what is in your heart. Last week we talked about giving being a spiritual gift that we give to others. It is giving the “grace of giving.” This week, I want to talk about giving as an act of trusting God.
In preparation for this sermon, I did a little research about church giving and the giving for the previous presidential election. Here is what I found. Barna Research group concluded,
Almost two-thirds of the public (64%) donated some money to a church, synagogue or other place of worship. The median amount donated to those religious centers was $101; the mean amount was $883. Those figures were up slightly from the previous year.[i]
In the 2008 Presidential election, the follow dollar figures where donated to help get these candidates elected.
Obama- Over 603 million dollars
McCain- Over 357 million dollars
Clinton- Over 247 million dollars
Huckabee- Over 16 million dollars [ii]
According to the numbers, where do most Americans place their trust, in the President or in God? It would be very interesting to find out how much Christians donated to the Presidential campaign as opposed to how much they gave to church, but I do not have those numbers. I would submit that like Paul, I believe Christian Stewardship is a trust issue.
Paul, in one of his letters to the Corinthians, explains why they should give to the collection he is taking up for the Jerusalem churches. To help you better understand this letter, I want to again go over some issues that Paul is dealing with in his letters to the Corinthians. In our Bibles, we have two letters written to the Corinthians. We also know that Paul helped establish the church there and spent quite a lot of time in Corinth. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in response to a letter that he had received from Chloe’s household in order to address some problems that has come up after his departure. Some scholars believe there is a missing letter written to the Corinthians that we no longer have. Other scholars believe the missing letter is actually 2 Corinthians 10-13.
In this missing letter, the Corinthians took offense to Paul for several reasons. First, they felt that he hid behind his words. In other words, they believed that he was unfair in his letter and that he refused to show up in person to defend his letter. Secondly, and most important for our purposes, Paul did not take any money from the Corinthians for himself. He did take up money for himself from other churches in Macedonia, which made the Corinthians very upset. Paul did however; take up a collection from all the churches, including Corinth, for the struggling churches in Jerusalem. He has asked the churches to take up a collection when they would meet and then one of Paul’s helpers would come and collect it. This was probably Titus.
In the first part of Paul’s plea to the Corinthians, he tells them to follow the example of the Macedonian churches in their faithful giving. He tells them that these churches went above and beyond the giving means. He then challenges the Corinthians to “excel in the grace of giving.” In the test for this morning, he continues his challenge,
8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: "The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.[iii]
Notice, the first thing Paul tells the Corinthians that he is not trying to make them feel guilty by using the Macedonian churches as a means to show them up, but that he wants to challenge them. He then goes beyond the example of the Macedonian churches about points to the example of Jesus. In other words, if the Macedonian churches do not encourage you to give and challenge the sincerity of your heart, then hopefully the example of Jesus will.
Paul then shares the heart of the situation in Corinth when it comes to giving. He seems to pinpoint the two real issues that he believes is keeping the Corinthians from the grace of giving. First, he tells them that their eagerness has died. More than likely, Paul established this pattern of giving in Corinth with the help of the Corinthians. He tells them that they began this giving project with earnestness, but now that the excitement has died down, so has their commitments to giving. He encourages them to finish the commitment that they first began.
I remember the first full year of being back in Chattanooga and being at First-Centenary. The Vine was a brand new worship service and we had help out first stewardship campaign. Of coarse I was committed to giving to the church. I had never really made mush money before this so I was making a huge commitment for me. I began the next year with “giving gusto.” I gave very faithfully for about 8 months and then I just got preoccupied with life. The excitement of the Vine had diminished some and work was really business as usual.
Then, in December I received my giving statement from the church and I saw where I was behind in my commitment. I thought for a minute about just not fulfilling my pledge for the current year and starting over with a new commitment, but then I believed God was telling me that giving was about making a commitment to God, not just following the emotions I was feeling. And so, I wrote the check.
Paul is trying to tell the Corinthians that giving is a commitment you make to God, even if they are not feeling excited about the project. Paul then goes on to respond to a second issue. It seems that some in Corinth was accusing Paul of wanting them to give and then as a result, wanting them to suffer hardships. In other words, they were saying that if they were to give to others, then they would be putting themselves in dire straights.
Paul quickly responds by telling them that this is not what he or God intents. God does not want us to give so much that we are suffering. Paul says that his goal is to have every person’s needs being met. His goal is equality. This is seen in the Old Testament text that Paul quotes. It comes from the story in Exodus where the people are complaining that they are going to starve now that they are in the middle of no where. In the story God provides for his people by giving them manna. No matter how much or how little the people collected, their needs where all met.
In the society in which Paul writes, there was a common misconception. People believed that there was only so much to go around, so if they were to give what they have, then they would suffer. Paul is trying to tell them that they can give from what God has already given them and then trust that God will provide for their needs.
This morning I want to suggest that there is one truth that transcends this whole passage and it is this: We ought to trust that God can handle our money better than we can. NT Wright says it like this,
When people who follow him are ready to put their resources at his disposal, the world and the church may benefit, not only from the actual money, but from the fact that when the Jesus-pattern of dying and rising, of riches to poverty-to riches, is acted out, the power of the gospel is let loose afresh in the world, and the results will be incalculable. [iv]
The truth of the matter is that oftentimes we act as if we believe that we can actually do more with the money that God has given us that God can do with it. Just image that if Christians right now give about 3 percent of their income to God and look at the things God is doing around the world, just image what would happen if Christians trusted God with ten percent. If you think that would be amazing, imagine what would happen if Christians trusted God with all their money. Imagine what our world would be like. Now, stop imaging it and make it happen in Chattanooga, TN!
[i] http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrowPreview&BarnaUpdateID=296
[ii] http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/
[iii] TNIV 2 Cor. 8:8-16
[iv] NT Wright, Paul For Everyone: 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 8:9-15
This is the second week of our Stewardship Campaign. For those who missed last week, our sermon series is entitled, “What is in Your Heart.” As we said last week, stewardship is not about how much money you have in your wallet, it is about what is in your heart. Last week we talked about giving being a spiritual gift that we give to others. It is giving the “grace of giving.” This week, I want to talk about giving as an act of trusting God.
In preparation for this sermon, I did a little research about church giving and the giving for the previous presidential election. Here is what I found. Barna Research group concluded,
Almost two-thirds of the public (64%) donated some money to a church, synagogue or other place of worship. The median amount donated to those religious centers was $101; the mean amount was $883. Those figures were up slightly from the previous year.[i]
In the 2008 Presidential election, the follow dollar figures where donated to help get these candidates elected.
Obama- Over 603 million dollars
McCain- Over 357 million dollars
Clinton- Over 247 million dollars
Huckabee- Over 16 million dollars [ii]
According to the numbers, where do most Americans place their trust, in the President or in God? It would be very interesting to find out how much Christians donated to the Presidential campaign as opposed to how much they gave to church, but I do not have those numbers. I would submit that like Paul, I believe Christian Stewardship is a trust issue.
Paul, in one of his letters to the Corinthians, explains why they should give to the collection he is taking up for the Jerusalem churches. To help you better understand this letter, I want to again go over some issues that Paul is dealing with in his letters to the Corinthians. In our Bibles, we have two letters written to the Corinthians. We also know that Paul helped establish the church there and spent quite a lot of time in Corinth. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in response to a letter that he had received from Chloe’s household in order to address some problems that has come up after his departure. Some scholars believe there is a missing letter written to the Corinthians that we no longer have. Other scholars believe the missing letter is actually 2 Corinthians 10-13.
In this missing letter, the Corinthians took offense to Paul for several reasons. First, they felt that he hid behind his words. In other words, they believed that he was unfair in his letter and that he refused to show up in person to defend his letter. Secondly, and most important for our purposes, Paul did not take any money from the Corinthians for himself. He did take up money for himself from other churches in Macedonia, which made the Corinthians very upset. Paul did however; take up a collection from all the churches, including Corinth, for the struggling churches in Jerusalem. He has asked the churches to take up a collection when they would meet and then one of Paul’s helpers would come and collect it. This was probably Titus.
In the first part of Paul’s plea to the Corinthians, he tells them to follow the example of the Macedonian churches in their faithful giving. He tells them that these churches went above and beyond the giving means. He then challenges the Corinthians to “excel in the grace of giving.” In the test for this morning, he continues his challenge,
8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: "The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.[iii]
Notice, the first thing Paul tells the Corinthians that he is not trying to make them feel guilty by using the Macedonian churches as a means to show them up, but that he wants to challenge them. He then goes beyond the example of the Macedonian churches about points to the example of Jesus. In other words, if the Macedonian churches do not encourage you to give and challenge the sincerity of your heart, then hopefully the example of Jesus will.
Paul then shares the heart of the situation in Corinth when it comes to giving. He seems to pinpoint the two real issues that he believes is keeping the Corinthians from the grace of giving. First, he tells them that their eagerness has died. More than likely, Paul established this pattern of giving in Corinth with the help of the Corinthians. He tells them that they began this giving project with earnestness, but now that the excitement has died down, so has their commitments to giving. He encourages them to finish the commitment that they first began.
I remember the first full year of being back in Chattanooga and being at First-Centenary. The Vine was a brand new worship service and we had help out first stewardship campaign. Of coarse I was committed to giving to the church. I had never really made mush money before this so I was making a huge commitment for me. I began the next year with “giving gusto.” I gave very faithfully for about 8 months and then I just got preoccupied with life. The excitement of the Vine had diminished some and work was really business as usual.
Then, in December I received my giving statement from the church and I saw where I was behind in my commitment. I thought for a minute about just not fulfilling my pledge for the current year and starting over with a new commitment, but then I believed God was telling me that giving was about making a commitment to God, not just following the emotions I was feeling. And so, I wrote the check.
Paul is trying to tell the Corinthians that giving is a commitment you make to God, even if they are not feeling excited about the project. Paul then goes on to respond to a second issue. It seems that some in Corinth was accusing Paul of wanting them to give and then as a result, wanting them to suffer hardships. In other words, they were saying that if they were to give to others, then they would be putting themselves in dire straights.
Paul quickly responds by telling them that this is not what he or God intents. God does not want us to give so much that we are suffering. Paul says that his goal is to have every person’s needs being met. His goal is equality. This is seen in the Old Testament text that Paul quotes. It comes from the story in Exodus where the people are complaining that they are going to starve now that they are in the middle of no where. In the story God provides for his people by giving them manna. No matter how much or how little the people collected, their needs where all met.
In the society in which Paul writes, there was a common misconception. People believed that there was only so much to go around, so if they were to give what they have, then they would suffer. Paul is trying to tell them that they can give from what God has already given them and then trust that God will provide for their needs.
This morning I want to suggest that there is one truth that transcends this whole passage and it is this: We ought to trust that God can handle our money better than we can. NT Wright says it like this,
When people who follow him are ready to put their resources at his disposal, the world and the church may benefit, not only from the actual money, but from the fact that when the Jesus-pattern of dying and rising, of riches to poverty-to riches, is acted out, the power of the gospel is let loose afresh in the world, and the results will be incalculable. [iv]
The truth of the matter is that oftentimes we act as if we believe that we can actually do more with the money that God has given us that God can do with it. Just image that if Christians right now give about 3 percent of their income to God and look at the things God is doing around the world, just image what would happen if Christians trusted God with ten percent. If you think that would be amazing, imagine what would happen if Christians trusted God with all their money. Imagine what our world would be like. Now, stop imaging it and make it happen in Chattanooga, TN!
[i] http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrowPreview&BarnaUpdateID=296
[ii] http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/
[iii] TNIV 2 Cor. 8:8-16
[iv] NT Wright, Paul For Everyone: 2 Corinthians
Stewrdship Sermon 11/9/08 What's in Your Heart Part One: "Grace: Don't Leave Home Without It."
“Grace: Don’t Leave Home Without It.”
2 Corinthians 8:1-7
The other day I left my office at the church and went downstairs to the first floor to get a Diet Coke. I was sleepy and hot, so I thought a cold caffeinated drink would be perfect. I put my 50 cents into the machine (which you must admit is a god price for a Coke these days) only to have the quarters come right back out. I tried again and again with no luck.
At this point, an interesting thought crossed my mind. You must know that I was extremely disappointed that I could not get a drink so the thought crossed my mind, “This machine is the only think in the church that won’t take your money.”
I know that was a harsh statement that is actually untrue, but often time’s people see the church as existing to take our money and to make us feel guilty for not giving enough. This week we are beginning our stewardship campaign and will be studying three passages in 2 Corinthians about the offering Paul was asking the Corinthians to be a part of.
I want to be upfront and clear about something. I understand that there are lots of people who are having financial hardships right now. I have talked to some of you who are really struggling to pay the bills and to fulfill your church pledge from last year. I am not here to make you feel even worse about your finances. I am not here to simply tell you to give more money to the church. I want to spend the next three weeks talking about our motivation for giving. I want us to understand why Paul felt the Corinthians should give and why God thinks we should give. I hope you will understand that giving is not about how much is in your wallet, but what is in your heart.
Before I read the first passage that we are going to study, I need to give you some background about Paul and his dealings with the Corinthians. In our Bibles, we have two letters written to the Corinthians. We also know that Paul helped establish the church there and spent quite a lot of time in Corinth. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in response to a letter that he had received from Chloe’s household in order to address some problems that has come up after his departure. Some scholars believe there is a missing letter written to the Corinthians that we no longer have. Other scholars believe the missing letter is actually 2 Corinthians 10-13.
In this missing letter, the Corinthians took offense to Paul for several reasons. First, they felt that he hid behind his words. In other words, they believed that he was unfair in his letter and that he refused to show up in person to defend his letter. Secondly, and most important for our purposes, Paul did not take any money from the Corinthians for himself. He did take up money for himself from other churches in Macedonia, which made the Corinthians very upset. Paul did however; take up a collection from all the churches, including Corinth, for the struggling churches in Jerusalem. He ahs asked the churches to take up a collection when they would meet and then one of Paul’s helpers would come and collect it. This was probably Titus.
In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul begins to encourage the Corinthians, who are mad at him, to continue to give for the churches in Jerusalem. It could be that the Corinthians, in their anger, stopped giving or they could have just grown weary and uninterested in the project and stopped giving. Here is what Paul says,
And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege (grace) of sharing in this service to the Lord's people. And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
You will probably notice from the outset, that Paul begins his plea for the Corinthians to give by using the example of who… the Macedonian Churches. The Macedonian churches would have been Thessalonica and Philippi which which was north of Corinth. There were already some hard feelings between Corinth and these churches over Paul, but Paul uses them as examples anyway.
He says that in the midst of their extreme poverty, due to their overflowing joy, they gave generously. Paul says that they gave over and beyond what he had expected them to give because they gave beyond their ability. Notice that Paul does not say that these church out gave Corinth or any other church. He does not even mention how much money they gave, just that they gave beyond their capacity to give.
This is a very important point he is making. These churches may or may not have out given other churches by dollar amounts, we don’t know. What we do know is that Paul does not use them as an example because of a dollar amount, but uses them as an example because they gave beyond what they were capable of. It was not what was in their wallet or offering basket, it was what was in their heart that Paul believed was important.
Paul then makes a second point about their giving. He says that they gave first to God and then to Paul. The reason they gave so much was not because they liked Paul and believed in the mission project, but because they gave to God first. This is an important point Paul is making to the Corinthians. Remember the Corinthians are upset at Paul and many may have stopped giving to this mission. Paul is arguing that the Corinthians giving should not be about whether or not they like Paul or whether or not they think this is a worthy mission, but they are to follow the example of the Macedonian churches in giving to God first and Paul second.
I am not suggesting that we blindly give our money (more on this next week). We should care about who receives it, but Christian Stewardship begins with our commitment to God first. We may not like a preacher or think a mission project is dumb, but that should NOT give us the excuse to not be faithful to God.
Paul then goes on to give a concluding statement. He says that they are to “excel in this grace.” What does he mean by “excelling in this grace?” If you look at these seven verses, he uses the phrase “grace” four times. The Greek word for grace is charis from which we get our word “charisma” or gifts for spiritual gifts. In verse one Paul tells them of the “grace” of God which is the story of the Macedonian giving. He says in verse four that they begged God for to take part in the “grace” of sharing. Then, Paul says the Corinthians should also take part in the same grace and that they would excel in it.
The kicked comes just before verse 7 that as they excel in other gifts or graces like faith, speech, knowledge, diligence, and love; they should excel in this gift as well. I actually think Paul is being sarcastic with the Corinthians because they think they are excellent is so many things, he is trying to use their arrogance against them here, but the point is the same. Stewardship is a gift that we develop. It is about the grace of God working in and through us and it is about allowing others to see the grace of God at work.
Giving is not just about the have’s giving to the have not’s. Giving is something that both the have and the have not’s participate in because in doing so, we participate in the work of God in the world by his grace.
A couple of years ago we hosted a soccer team from the Dominican Republic. This came about when I was in the Dominican Republic and met a guy named Samuel who had a dream to let young kids from the Dominican Republic travel to the US so they could see a world outside their small town. Samuel does not have much money and he lives off of the support of people like us who believe in his work.
When he was here, he and his family stayed with Tracie for the week. She cooked for them and gave them a place to stay. The evening before they were to leave, Samuel wanted to take Tracie out to eat to thank her for her hospitality so they went out. When it came time to pay, Tracie told Samuel that he did not need to pay, that she would get it. She was thinking that he does not have much money so her paying would be the right thing to do. She told me months later what Samuel said to her and I think it so profound. He told her, “You think I should not pay because I have little money, but when you don’t let me pay, you rob me of the chance to show you grace.” WOW. Samuel, despite living off of pennies, knew what it meant to give. In this tough economy, with all the pressures of life, I encourage you to heed the words of Paul and Samuel, “Don’t all anything to rob you of the chance to show grace.”
2 Corinthians 8:1-7
The other day I left my office at the church and went downstairs to the first floor to get a Diet Coke. I was sleepy and hot, so I thought a cold caffeinated drink would be perfect. I put my 50 cents into the machine (which you must admit is a god price for a Coke these days) only to have the quarters come right back out. I tried again and again with no luck.
At this point, an interesting thought crossed my mind. You must know that I was extremely disappointed that I could not get a drink so the thought crossed my mind, “This machine is the only think in the church that won’t take your money.”
I know that was a harsh statement that is actually untrue, but often time’s people see the church as existing to take our money and to make us feel guilty for not giving enough. This week we are beginning our stewardship campaign and will be studying three passages in 2 Corinthians about the offering Paul was asking the Corinthians to be a part of.
I want to be upfront and clear about something. I understand that there are lots of people who are having financial hardships right now. I have talked to some of you who are really struggling to pay the bills and to fulfill your church pledge from last year. I am not here to make you feel even worse about your finances. I am not here to simply tell you to give more money to the church. I want to spend the next three weeks talking about our motivation for giving. I want us to understand why Paul felt the Corinthians should give and why God thinks we should give. I hope you will understand that giving is not about how much is in your wallet, but what is in your heart.
Before I read the first passage that we are going to study, I need to give you some background about Paul and his dealings with the Corinthians. In our Bibles, we have two letters written to the Corinthians. We also know that Paul helped establish the church there and spent quite a lot of time in Corinth. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in response to a letter that he had received from Chloe’s household in order to address some problems that has come up after his departure. Some scholars believe there is a missing letter written to the Corinthians that we no longer have. Other scholars believe the missing letter is actually 2 Corinthians 10-13.
In this missing letter, the Corinthians took offense to Paul for several reasons. First, they felt that he hid behind his words. In other words, they believed that he was unfair in his letter and that he refused to show up in person to defend his letter. Secondly, and most important for our purposes, Paul did not take any money from the Corinthians for himself. He did take up money for himself from other churches in Macedonia, which made the Corinthians very upset. Paul did however; take up a collection from all the churches, including Corinth, for the struggling churches in Jerusalem. He ahs asked the churches to take up a collection when they would meet and then one of Paul’s helpers would come and collect it. This was probably Titus.
In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul begins to encourage the Corinthians, who are mad at him, to continue to give for the churches in Jerusalem. It could be that the Corinthians, in their anger, stopped giving or they could have just grown weary and uninterested in the project and stopped giving. Here is what Paul says,
And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege (grace) of sharing in this service to the Lord's people. And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
You will probably notice from the outset, that Paul begins his plea for the Corinthians to give by using the example of who… the Macedonian Churches. The Macedonian churches would have been Thessalonica and Philippi which which was north of Corinth. There were already some hard feelings between Corinth and these churches over Paul, but Paul uses them as examples anyway.
He says that in the midst of their extreme poverty, due to their overflowing joy, they gave generously. Paul says that they gave over and beyond what he had expected them to give because they gave beyond their ability. Notice that Paul does not say that these church out gave Corinth or any other church. He does not even mention how much money they gave, just that they gave beyond their capacity to give.
This is a very important point he is making. These churches may or may not have out given other churches by dollar amounts, we don’t know. What we do know is that Paul does not use them as an example because of a dollar amount, but uses them as an example because they gave beyond what they were capable of. It was not what was in their wallet or offering basket, it was what was in their heart that Paul believed was important.
Paul then makes a second point about their giving. He says that they gave first to God and then to Paul. The reason they gave so much was not because they liked Paul and believed in the mission project, but because they gave to God first. This is an important point Paul is making to the Corinthians. Remember the Corinthians are upset at Paul and many may have stopped giving to this mission. Paul is arguing that the Corinthians giving should not be about whether or not they like Paul or whether or not they think this is a worthy mission, but they are to follow the example of the Macedonian churches in giving to God first and Paul second.
I am not suggesting that we blindly give our money (more on this next week). We should care about who receives it, but Christian Stewardship begins with our commitment to God first. We may not like a preacher or think a mission project is dumb, but that should NOT give us the excuse to not be faithful to God.
Paul then goes on to give a concluding statement. He says that they are to “excel in this grace.” What does he mean by “excelling in this grace?” If you look at these seven verses, he uses the phrase “grace” four times. The Greek word for grace is charis from which we get our word “charisma” or gifts for spiritual gifts. In verse one Paul tells them of the “grace” of God which is the story of the Macedonian giving. He says in verse four that they begged God for to take part in the “grace” of sharing. Then, Paul says the Corinthians should also take part in the same grace and that they would excel in it.
The kicked comes just before verse 7 that as they excel in other gifts or graces like faith, speech, knowledge, diligence, and love; they should excel in this gift as well. I actually think Paul is being sarcastic with the Corinthians because they think they are excellent is so many things, he is trying to use their arrogance against them here, but the point is the same. Stewardship is a gift that we develop. It is about the grace of God working in and through us and it is about allowing others to see the grace of God at work.
Giving is not just about the have’s giving to the have not’s. Giving is something that both the have and the have not’s participate in because in doing so, we participate in the work of God in the world by his grace.
A couple of years ago we hosted a soccer team from the Dominican Republic. This came about when I was in the Dominican Republic and met a guy named Samuel who had a dream to let young kids from the Dominican Republic travel to the US so they could see a world outside their small town. Samuel does not have much money and he lives off of the support of people like us who believe in his work.
When he was here, he and his family stayed with Tracie for the week. She cooked for them and gave them a place to stay. The evening before they were to leave, Samuel wanted to take Tracie out to eat to thank her for her hospitality so they went out. When it came time to pay, Tracie told Samuel that he did not need to pay, that she would get it. She was thinking that he does not have much money so her paying would be the right thing to do. She told me months later what Samuel said to her and I think it so profound. He told her, “You think I should not pay because I have little money, but when you don’t let me pay, you rob me of the chance to show you grace.” WOW. Samuel, despite living off of pennies, knew what it meant to give. In this tough economy, with all the pressures of life, I encourage you to heed the words of Paul and Samuel, “Don’t all anything to rob you of the chance to show grace.”
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