Summer Stewardship Sermon – Refuge

I over the last few weeks. you know, I’ve been studying the Old Testament. If you know me, you know, I, I love the Old Testament. And, one of the things that has been challenging to me as I’ve been reading the Old Testament is that, for hours, the people of God would gather at the temple and hear God’s word. Hours They would stand to listen earnestly, and then there’d be these people that would be walking through the crowds. That would be kind of, interpreting for the people so they could understand what they were hearing. And so I’ve really felt challenged, for myself, that when the word of God is read, to stand in kind of in solidarity with, with those who would stand for hours and listen. And so I’m going to ask us to stand as I read the word, over us, we’re reading out of Second Corinthians chapter eight, verses one through 15.

And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian church out of the most 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 of sharing in this service to the Saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your love for us, see that you also excel in the grace of giving. I’m not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich. And here’s my advice 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. Now finish the work so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has not according to what one does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved. While you may be hard pressed, but there might be equality. At the present time, your plenty will supply what they need so that in turn, their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality. And as it is written, he who gathers much did not have too much. He who gathered little did not have too little.

This is the Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

You guys can grab a seat. I feel really far away. So, I’m moving this up. Okay.

I’m going to give you a disclaimer at the very front end of this sermon, because I feel like there may be a slight elephant in the room because of the passage that I read. Yes. We’re going to talk about money today. We are. you have not fallen into a stewardship campaign that you didn’t know about for the last few weeks; I promise. this is not, we’re not going to harp on anything having to do with money. A few of you may be eager to hear how I’m going to tackle the conversation of money in church at all. But the truth is, there is a component here in this passage that has to do with finances. And we don’t talk about these important things too much within the church because we get a little bit uncomfortable. I know that when it comes to October, there are a few of you that look at the stewardship campaign weeks and go, I think I may have something to do on those Sundays. I will, it’s okay. It’s okay. But the church doesn’t do a good enough job of talking about the important topics. Money is an important topic that our world kind of moves around in. And there are tons of other topics that we should also talk about within the church. So today we’re going to tackle a little bit of the conversation of money. But bear with me because it is only a small component, and I don’t want you to get wrapped up in it too much. Keep your ears open to hear, all that God has for us within this passage. Okay, so disclaimer over, we’re going to continue on.

We need to have a little bit of context within this passage so that we know exactly what is being talked about. If you know me, I really love context. I like to understand the ins and outs of how we got to this passage, the things that were going on and the things that may be going on. So here we go. Paul is the author of this letter to the Corinthian. Paul wrote first Corinthians and second Corinthians. he is addressing some particular topics that are in this chapter of Second Corinthians that he actually referenced to back in the first letter to the Corinthians. And so he’s kind of doing a follow up in this passage that we’re looking at today. In fact, a few people speculate that chapter eight and nine of Second Corinthians may be actually a piece of a different letter that kind of got smushed into Second Corinthians. And there’s an argument that maybe they should even be pulled out, or at least put at the very end of Second Corinthians. Now, I’m not I’m not the person that helped develop, the structure of the Bible. So we’re not going to argue that. I’m just telling you that there’s a little bit of distinctive difference in the tone that Paul uses when he gets to chapter eight and nine. That’s different from one through seven. The whole point, though, is that he is trying to lead and guide these Corinthians about what it looks like to follow God. And the majority of these Corinthians are Gentiles. They didn’t grow up knowing about God. They didn’t grow up studying the Old Testament. And so all of this is really new for them. And so he’s trying to teach them and guide them what it really looks like to follow. Now, one thing that’s referenced in this chapter will kind of reference vaguely, but back in Galatians and in acts 15, there’s this thing called the Jerusalem Council that happens and the message of the way of, of Christ’s church is growing. And it’s not only growing among the Israelites, it’s growing among the Gentiles. And so the apostles meet with Paul and his followers, and they have this conversation about how then do we integrate this other group of people in to be part of the movement of the way? And so they have this, this conversation that the Gentiles need to kind of know some of the history. The Gentiles need to be assimilated into the group so they can become one, one body. But also this conversation opens up to, the Israel that the Gentiles need to remember. The poor and to give generously to the needs of the community, of the body of Christ.

You see, caring for the community was a foundation of God’s people. Back in the Old Testament, there was this thing called the gleaning laws. And for those who kind of fell outside of the lines of family, that would be the widows and orphans, maybe the traveler, maybe the lame, the weak. they fell outside this idea of family structure. But the people of God were still called to take care of them. So if you had a farm, then when you harvested your farm, you harvested just about all until kind of the very edges and those very edges were then for anybody who had need. And so that gleaning law was to protect those people who had a need that needed to be met, and they couldn’t do it on their own. The community was called to take care of one another. When we get to the New Testament and we look in acts two as this movement of the way is really transpiring, one of the things they do in acts two is they, talk about living together and meeting each other’s needs and selling something if someone else had a need that you could then meet by providing. And so again, we’ve taken this idea that we care for community, that we provide for one another, that we meet the needs of each other and trust that if we meet the need of someone else, when we have a need, they will take care of us as well. So Paul is saying in Corinthians that there is a need within a church. In fact, there is a need within the Jerusalem church.

In first Corinthians, if you were to read First Corinthians, you find out that in Jerusalem they are being persecuted greatly. There’s been a famine in the area. The Romans don’t like this movement of God’s people. And so they are struggling to survive. And so as Paul is traveling around to all of these churches, one of the things he does is he encourages them that there is a church that is connected to you, that has a need. Will you step in and meet the need? And in first Corinthians, he’s with the Corinthians. And they say, yes with exuberance. We will help in any way that we can. And one of the ways that they’re going to do that is they’re going to take up, a regular offering that then they will send to Jerusalem. Well, by the time we get to Second Corinthians, it hasn’t quite happened yet.

And so Paul is reminding the people that they have made a commitment to care for the community. In fact, he even says in the front end of chapter eight, there’s another group called the Macedonians who had very little, but they have given all that they can to help meet the needs of the Jerusalem church. Sin may tell us that we need to care for ourselves first. Make sure that we are provided for making sure there’s, extra insulation. But we were created innately to model our generosity by a God who is first and foremost generous to us. You see, generous living is a discipline of a Christ follower. Just as important as prayer, fellowship, fasting, and reading of the Scripture worship that we’re doing this morning, meditation and simplicity. And we need to come back to that one at some point, because the church needs to talk about what real simplicity looks like. But that’s another day. So we’re going to get back to where we were. This generous living is a giving of oneself furthering the kingdom, creating a discipline that draws us closer to God and hopefully draws others closer as well. It creates unity in the body as one Paul even says in Galatians three, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free male or free male, female. For you are all one in Christ. Everything is level at the foot of the cross. We are all God’s children, deeply loved, all called to learn and grow as disciples. Submit ourselves to the hearing and the and the the connection and the acting out of what it looks like to be saved by God.

We are called to spread the message of Christ, of love and hope and peace and salvation and life. And so how do we do it? Well, in this passage, Paul is conveying that one of the ways to live generously is to give financially, as you see, a need to give to the church. So wherever it is, it can further the message of Christ. And so that would be one way that we could live generously, one way that we are called to participate in the Kingdom. One way that we are called to be unified with one another. You see, in our world, the concept of covenant is lost. In fact, probably largely the concept of any type of commitment is lost. When I worked in college ministry, towards the end of my tenure there, we would talk about we’d do an event and we’d ask students to tell us if they were coming or not. And at the last minute, would we? We would really know if somebody was going to attend. And it was frustrating because we didn’t know how many to plan for. We kind of didn’t know what we were going to do. But one of the things that we learned about college students at the time, and I’m not saying that’s true now, but it was then, is that college students would only commit as much as until something else better, potentially came along, and then they do that. So I’m probably going to go to this Bible study, unless there’s this other thing that comes along that maybe would be at the same time, and I’m probably going to do that. So I can’t give you an 100% right.

That’s commitment. And that’s probably largely commitment of our world today. But we are not called to that type of commitment. We are called to a covenant agreement, and the difference between a commitment and a covenant agreement is a commitment is maybe between you and somebody else. A covenant is when you invite God to be a part of it. And so that puts more value on it. That puts more integrity and humility on it, that puts more, you know, if we don’t do it, it reflects not just on us, but it reflects on how we see God. It reflects on how we want him to participate in our lives. And so as Christ followers, when we say we’re going to do something or not do something, when our yes is a yes and or no is a no, we are bringing Christ into the midst of that commitment. We are making a covenant decision to serve, to be, to be a part of, to give to whatever perfect example of a covenant is marriage, right? When you are as a Christian, you get married. You invite the Holy Spirit to be a part of that covenant commitment with you and your spouse for the rest of your life. If you don’t, then it’s just a legal contract, right? And then a legal contract can kind of, you know, whatever. But when God is in the center of it, it brings such value and depth to the covenant that we’ve made the agreement, the pledge we want to be a part of.

At Trinity Methodist Church, if you are a member, you have made a covenant of membership. You have made a binding agreement with the Lord is at the center, and the whole community is a part that this church, you know, is going to feed you spiritually. And then you are going to participate in feeding, feeding others spiritually. You’re here to give of your prayers, your presence, your gift, your service, your witness. What are all those things have in common? They mean that you’re a part of something. You can’t stand on the outside and still be in covenant doing those things. So in covenant relationship and covenant membership, you have said, this is my place. This is where I invest. This is where I’m going to give my time and my energy and my resources. And yes, at times, my finances. Because to give and live generously is to recognize and practice the goodness of God. I ask you a question where do you spend the majority of your time? Where do you spend the majority of your money? Where do you spend the majority of your resources? The answer to those questions will tell you what you value and what you don’t.

They’ll tell you what you’re devoted to and then what falls, maybe under the line of attention that you have to give. In verse nine, Paul makes a point to say, 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. In this passage, he is not making the point that Jesus gave up a 401k and heaven and some extra stuff. If he would work a few extra hours with some matching funds and retirement and all that kind of stuff. He’s making the point that Jesus gave up dwelling and the glory of the Lord Almighty to come and sit and dwell with us, so that all of humanity could then be reconciled and drawn back and saved, so that we could be with God.

Jesus gave everything, gave everything. If he is our example, how then can we hold back being people who are of tremendous giving? All of us in this room, all of us have participated this year in something. I want to tell you about the last six months at Trinity. Through Trinity, some things that have happened. 23 people have joined this church in the last six months, finding a home here where they feel nurtured and loved and want to grow, and you have been a part of that. Six have been baptized, desiring to step into the faith, declare who they follow, believing that God is moving and will continue to move in their lives. You have been a part of that. Abide our women’s worship ministry is thriving. Every time we have it, we have at least 65 women who come in here and hear a testimony of God’s goodness. You’ve been a part of that. Family dinners on Wednesday night, that average over 50 people each week eating together and fellowshipping. Bible studies that people have been challenged by the Word of God. 80 kids in the last few weeks at VBS have come to hear about God. Youth Wednesday small groups averaging 50 or 60 youth that come every week to hear about God. 20, 25, 30 adults who invest in those youth’s lives. Nine adult Sunday school classes, 21 days of prayer that we did in January. People woke up at 6 a.m. to come and pray. We had an average of 25 people here every day for 21 days at 6 a.m. Sewing teams making tons of projects to meet needs in nursing homes. Freezer meals, providing healthy and easy meals for people to cook in our community. Confirmation class with 11 sixth graders who in May dedicated their lives and became members of this church. Easter egg hunts, family table, 50 kids coming on Wednesday nights in the in the children’s ministry. Reading to our adopted school, Ruston Elementary. Father daughter dances, mother and Mother’s Day and Father’s Day events, father son retreats, and on and on and on and on and on. And you have been a part of that because you’ve given generously of your time, your attention, your resources, your prayers.

In this next six months, what potentially could you be a part of? More youth events focused on their faith, more opportunities to reach out to our kids? Pack shack is going to happen in a few months, where we’re going to pack all these foods to feed to our community, more reading at our adopted schools, more worship nights for abide, men’s ministry opportunities, wheelchair ramps being built, Bible studies, fellowship nights, outreaches in our communities, more confirmation students’ opportunities to give Bibles to third grade third graders. Another 21 days of prayer in August, and then we can up the cross in just a few weeks. What do we need? What do we need to continue to be the body of Christ, unified for the vision and the mission to grow the kingdom? We need you. We need all of you that are sitting in this, these pews. We need all of you that may be watching. We need the guest for the first time. We need the guest who’s been here for six months and hasn’t quite become a member yet because they’re still wondering. And that’s okay. We need the member who just joined. We need the ten-year-olds with all the excitement that when they sing, they are jumping with joy. We need those people. We need the 15-year-old who is asking the awesome questions, the deep questions of faith. We need the member who has been a member for 30 years, the Bible study teacher, the passionate worshiper, the hugger.

You know, the hugger. We need the hugger. We need the person who greets you like they have known you for ten years and you’ve never even met. We need the seeking and the lost. We need the ones who follow faithfully. We need the ones who are in the lowest of lows. We need the struggling addict. We need the loud singer. We even need the one who tells the silly dad jokes. That’s just for you, Kyle. But we need you. And on and on and on and on. We need you. You are unique. You are special. And you give a gift that furthers this kingdom. And if you give it generously, God will meet the needs of the people around you, just as he will meet yours.

We are called church as the body of Christ, of diverse people striving to serve a good God who loves us, to give generously. To be a part of the movement of what God is doing. Paul says in Corinthians eight, at the present time, your plenty, whatever your plenty may be, will supply what you need, whoever they are. And believe me, there are people in this church inside and out, this church who have need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. There will be equality among us. So as we sit here, how can your presence be utilized? What is God wooing you to be a part of? Where can you give generously to the movement of this church? And yes, sometimes it has to do with money, but more than anything it has to do with a heart condition. So, as Paul has encouraged this Corinthian church to remember their commitment, I call you remember the commitment that you have made to the Lord. Have you remember the commitment you have given to this church? Prayers. Presence. Gifts. Service. Witness.

Give. Give and such joy will pour out of you, and it will with others as well.

Let’s pray.

God, we thank you for this time. And I pray, God, that you would lay upon each one of our hearts. Where do you need us in the church? Where do we make a difference and we make a difference? Where is the unique gifts and passions that you have given each one of us? Where do we plug into it? God, would you speak to us? Woo us in that direction? Don’t let us leave this place. Just saying well that was good, but let us dwell on the fact that you’ve called us up to something, and let us respond to God. We praise you because you have spoken to us. You’ve called us your own and then you call us to be a part of your kingdom. You don’t want to do it without us. So, God, we want to enter in and see your glory move in mighty ways. Amen.