Sermons for the Month
Giving: A Family Affair for this Lutheran Family
DATE: October 9th, 2005
SERVICE: 21st Sunday After Pentecost
TEXT: Philippians 3:4b-14“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
There are two images I would like you to place in your mind's eye this morning. They are a scale and a runner. The scale looks like the ones that are in the produce section at the grocery story, a large round "face" with "hands" pointing to zero and a basket hanging underneath it, but it has special measuring abilities. The other picture in your imagination is a runner, someone who is nearing the end of a long, hard race and is really pushing himself or herself toward the finish line. Can you see both the scale and the runner?
Now, bring the scale into view and imagine that you are going to measure what's of value in your life, and in God's eyes. The way this scale works is that it is able to "read" the value of an item from a photograph or a description; the more valuable the item, the higher the needle on the scale will climb.
So, I put on the scale a photo of my house, my car, the plants in my yard and my three sets of china as well as copies of my bank account and investment statements. Maybe the photos you are placing on your scale are different than mine and include a boat, or golf clubs, or up-to-the-minute electronic "stuff".
What's this??? To our surprise the arrow moves down below zero rather than above it. Ah, we say, those things are not really important, that's the problem! So, we gather together some photos of our families, our pets, copies of our diplomas and any awards we've won, as well as testimonials to the good that we have done, to the fact that we are respectable people with good reputations who have worked hard on behalf of the people we love, those in need and the church as a whole. Then we top it off with a statement about our commitment to being as perfect as we can be, and to do the right thing.
Then we pat ourselves on the back for finally putting on the scale that which carries weight with God. Smugly we look at the scale, expecting to see that the needle has climbed upward. What's this??? It has not done so! In fact, it has fallen further below zero.
It is then that Paul's words from Philippians reach our ears, "Yet, whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the passing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."
Paul is saying that what was gain for him - possessions, prestige, decency, respectability, a good reputation and record of achievement - have been turned into a loss. Please note, Paul does not say it was loss, but that his profits were discovered to be debts, his assets turned out to be liabilities. The things which he formerly cherished as valuable became not only worthless, but harmful to him.
In fact, he uses a pretty vulgar image in the Greek - which has been softened to read "rubbish" in the English translation - but actually he says that all those things that once were positive assets are now a pile of manure when compared to gaining Jesus Christ.
Now think about that for a minute. It's a pile of manure? Are we talking about our possessions, our families and friends, our good reputations and hard work, our commitment to the church?
And, speaking of the church, what about the ministry of the ELCA that was the focus of the video we just watched? What about the outreach at camps and colleges, the desire to meet the needs of people who are struggling and suffering and to proclaim the Gospel in new congregations? And, what about our congregation's worship services, Christian Education program and preschool and support of ministries beyond us? All of that is a pile of manure?
If so, then why do we even bother? Why do a stewardship emphasis that encourages people to commit their time, talents and money? Why focus on teaching children and youth to give? If it's all a pile of manure, then what's the point?
The point is this; everything I just mentioned is a pile of manure IF we depend on them as guaranteeing that God's love and forgiveness will come our way, or if we believe they will bring us true peace of mind. As a way to assure a "good" standing with God or to create contentment in our lives these things are worth as much as the manure in the Boes' barn.
The reality is that the arrow moves upward on the scale only when faith is placed on it. That which has true value in our lives is our faith in Jesus Christ - not what we own or what we do. Once we grasp that the gift of grace - which is the unearned and undeserved love and forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ - is the most valuable thing we posses, then everything else falls in place. Suddenly, our priorities line up with faith coming first. That which was once manure is transformed into gifts of God that not only bring satisfaction to our lives, but also are given back to God for the sake of Gospel. And, we become determined, like a runner who wishes to finish a race.
So, now get that image in your minds. Some of you who are runners may be able to identify with it a bit more than the rest of us, but imagine as Paul says, "forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal…."
For Christians the goal is two-fold. It is to become mature in one's faith, living as disciples of Jesus, striving to know the heart of God and to love sacrificially. And, our ultimate goal is that day when Jesus returns to gather his people, believers are raised from the dead, and the new age begins.
Now, imagine yourself - however you look at this moment - wearing a pair of good running shoes and striving toward those two goals. It does not matter how old or young you may be, everyone can join the race. And, there is no need to worry about falling or wearing out, because the Holy Spirit is within and around you to hold you up and there are sisters and brothers in Christ to help along the way. That's good, because every runner knows that self-sacrifice is required if one is going to run a successful race.
I would ask you to think about that as your prepare to turn in your Time and Talent Sheets, and to complete your Estimate of Giving cards, next Sunday. Be prayerful about the commitments you are making and consider how they reflect what is truly valuable in your life.
Remember … in the race of discipleship we count everything but our faith as loss, as a liability. What we own, who we are and what we have done cannot help us when it comes to restoring our relationship with God and gaining eternal life. Only faith is of value in this race. But, once we understand that, then what initially weighed us down - our abilities, our accomplishments, our money and possessions - is transformed into that which can be used to further the Kingdom of God.
So, take all that other stuff off the scale as you measure what's of value in your life, and replace it with faith. Then, lace up those running shoes and get ready for this race of discipleship. It may be the only marathon you ever run, and it certainly is the only one that you are sure to win. AMEN