Why We Give:
Love
2 Corinthians: 8:8-9, 24; 1 John 3:17-18
Sweetest Day is coming up this next Saturday. You may or may not be aware of Sweetest Day as if we needed another day to buy candy but it evidently is popular in the Detroit area. It has become sort of fall Valentine’s Day.
Giving gifts to people we love has a long history and most of us enjoy the gift giving if not necessarily the gift shopping (I am speaking as a guy). In a sense it is a test of our love for another. Extravagance and expense say one thing but most of the time it is thought and concern behind the gift that speak the loudest.
I. Testing Love
The passage from Paul is rather blunt. The Corinthian gift that they agreed to is a test of their sincerity of love. We talked a few weeks ago about giving as a test of our faith, that is what we believe about God and his promises concerning giving. It is probably easier to think about testing our faith. Usually we think that trials are the test of our faith. How will we respond in a crisis? What will I say if someone attacks what I believe? There are many different ways that our faith is tested.
But I believe testing love is different. For sure love is tested in crisis. Can I forgive when a loved one betrays me? Can I continue to love someone who isn’t very lovable? Those are tests. But I believe love is tested in a more positive way by our desire to do or to give to the object of our love and affection. We smile at the rather sometimes silly and extravagant ways people demonstrate love when they are building a relationship. Giving gifts is part of this. It is not necessarily the cost of the gift but the thought and sentiment behind it that is important.
Love is also tested in our giving of time and attention to the one we love. This is probably one area where couples that have been together for many years slip. It is easy to slip into patterns of only giving partial attention when we really should give total attention to the one we love. I learned, long ago, that I needed to put down the book, turn off the TV, pause the game and really listen to Diane. Multi-tasking may work at work or in some areas of life but it doesn’t work in relationships.
Love is also tested in character. Who and what we love changes us. This is something that people often overlook as they consider friends and even marriage. It is true about hobbies and passions that we love and enjoy. All these things change us for good and bad. If you are around cynical people you will become cynical. This is part of the reason I rarely watch things like the “Daily Show”. If you are around angry and abusive people you will probably become angry and abusive. In the same way if you are around friendly people, loving people, or devoted people that association will change you.
II. Whom Do We Love?
Paul describes giving as a test of love but the question is love of whom? I believe there are two answers. First, it is love of others. For the Corinthians it was love for Christians living in Jerusalem, in other words Jewish Christians. How do you love someone you have never met? After all, in Paul’s day there were no pictures to show of needy Jews. The pictures of suffering weren’t on the TV to be caught as you channel surf.
It sometimes takes people a while to understand what becoming a Christian does to us. We often focus on salvation, forgiveness of sins, and a new relationship to God but becoming a Christian connects us to a body and every other member in that body. How many Christians do you know? We might know a few hundred Christians if we have traveled or lived in other parts of the country. Many of those Christians are probably a lot like you in terms of ethnicity and background. But Christ connects us to millions of Christians of every color and culture imaginable. Of course it is humanly impossible to do this but we are no longer simply human, we are children of God. The result is that we give. John makes this point when he writes, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:17-18) The test of our love is our generosity towards people around us and people we will never see. Most of you will never meet people who are reached by the team in Cochabamba, Bolivia. You have never met people you provided food for in Kenya during floods and famine. Generosity was a test of love for the Corinthians; it is a test of love for us too.
There is another aspect of this test. Our giving is a reflection of our character. There is a story about a man who came to his minister with a problem. “When I was young and only making $20,000 a year I committed to giving a tithe which was $2000. But now I’m making $500,000 and my tithe is $50,000. I just can’t afford to give that much.” So the minister prayed, “Lord, help this man make less so he can afford to give his tithe.” Over and over it has been shown that the more people make, the less they give in terms of percentage of their income. As Jesus said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" (Mark 10:23) This, of course, is possible with God. There are many who are rich and extremely generous but it is because the Spirit of God is working to change their hearts.
We are called to reflect God’s character and God is generous. The psalmist writes, “The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” (Psalms 145:9) If you want to grow spiritually then you must learn to be generous like God. We grow this way when we walk with God. It is easy to trust him when you have tested God and found him faithful.
We began this series several weeks ago as we talked about the budget problems facing the church. As a leader in this congregation I want to see our church do more, not less. But I think it is more critical than just doing more. It is about becoming like our Father in heaven. It is about loving others more than I love the convenience and ease that my prosperity can give me. This is the challenge we all face as God tries to form us into a people who reflect his glory.
Livonia Church of Christ: October 15, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Why We Give: Hope
Why We Give: Hope
2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Luke 6:38
I know a lot of people who love the fall season; it is one of my favorite times of year. One of the reasons is it is a time of harvest. Here in Michigan it is a time for fresh apples, cider, and pumpkins. We enjoy the fruit of our world’s bounty. It is one of the basics of the creation, planting, cultivation, and harvest. The bounty of the harvest depends on the first two.
I. Jesus and the Harvest
Jesus had a lot to say about life in our world and our relationship to it. He makes some rather extravagant promises to those who follow him. He tells his disciples, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38) Jesus brought spiritual blessing to those who believe in him but also promises physical blessing. Another statement is, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29) The last statement is made in the context of the road to Jerusalem and the cross.
This principle is related the concept of ‘shalom’, which is often, translated ‘peace’. No one word in English captures the sense of the word. It means peace or the absence of conflict but it also means prosperity, fruitfulness, and joyful contentment. While we tend to emphasize the spiritual blessing we sometimes forget that God created a good earth for his children to enjoy and prosper in.
Jesus teaching reflects something that is common in the Old Testament; God blesses his people with physical blessings. This is a general truth, one that probably plays out over generations rather than years. It has often been observed in missions but is true of our own experience here in the United States. Three or four generations ago most members of the Church of Christ were “other-side-of-the-tracks” people. There are many in our church today who were the first in their families to earn a college degree. In missions this is called “lift”; the almost inevitable improvement of people who become faithful Christians. Of course the downside is that as people become more prosperous they often forget the Lord. It is one of the sad things about doing funerals for some of our elderly members where few of their descendents are Christians of any church. They are reaping the benefits of their ancestor’s faithfulness but the same road that goes up can also go down.
II. Joyful Planting
The principle that Paul articulates in 2 Corinthians 9:6, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously,” is one that is true in many areas of life. Paul applies it to financial giving but it is true in every important arena of life. God blesses the life that is given to him. As a parent this does not mean investing everything in your children. It means giving our children to God and serving our children in God’s name. As a marriage partner it means giving your marriage to God and loving each other, as God desires. Marriage and children are vitally important relationships that God blesses us with, but when God is forgotten then they can never become what God intended, a blessing to the world.
While we enjoy the harvest there is tremendous joy and satisfaction in planting and cultivation. God created us for work in his world, to join him in his purposes, his mission. I have great joy in the harvest God is bringing in Africa but those years of work, hardship, and discouragement are precious experiences that I treasure.
Imbedded in this principle is the concept that there is waiting between planting and harvest. Some things we do will not directly benefit us because there is always a wait between planting and harvest. Our society is caught up in the urgent and immediate, the need for instant results. It is like the instructions for microwaving pop tarts because we are too much in a hurry to wait for the toaster. We want what we want and we want it now. Not only is such an attitude infantile, it is of the devil.
III. Abundant Harvest
We give because we hope to see a reward. Of course for many that is only seen in material possessions and physical blessings. Our world measures success in such terms and many Christians do also. If we don’t have the physical blessings then God must not love us as much as the guy with the new car and the bigger house.
The promise of Jesus is to give ‘abundant life’ (John 10:10). The New Testament has two different words for life. One is “bios”, a word we see in our language as in biology, the study of life. It refers to the physical life that every living creature has. But the other word that is used here is ‘zoe’ refers to something beyond the biological life. A drug addict can have ‘bios’ but very little ‘zoe’. A person can be rich in material things and have little ‘zoe’ as Jesus said, “a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15) God does care for and bless his people physically but that can mean different things in different contexts.
So if life is not about possessions and wealth what is the harvest that we can expect from God as we give not only our money but also our lives in his service? First and foremost is what Jesus said, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) Eternal life begins when you become a Christian. How much we experience in this life depends on how much we pursue God and knowledge of him.
But that is only part of it. We gain a wealth of relationships. Jesus promised his followers, “I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30) This is true wealth, the love and relationships we experience as we live for Christ.
The question is what are we giving? What do we hope for as we give? As a church we depend on each member’s fiscal faithfulness. We also depend on your willingness to give time and effort to reach out to our community. But as you faithful give know that God is a generous God who blesses far more than we can think or imagine, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38)
Livonia Church of Christ: October 1, 2006
2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Luke 6:38
I know a lot of people who love the fall season; it is one of my favorite times of year. One of the reasons is it is a time of harvest. Here in Michigan it is a time for fresh apples, cider, and pumpkins. We enjoy the fruit of our world’s bounty. It is one of the basics of the creation, planting, cultivation, and harvest. The bounty of the harvest depends on the first two.
I. Jesus and the Harvest
Jesus had a lot to say about life in our world and our relationship to it. He makes some rather extravagant promises to those who follow him. He tells his disciples, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38) Jesus brought spiritual blessing to those who believe in him but also promises physical blessing. Another statement is, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29) The last statement is made in the context of the road to Jerusalem and the cross.
This principle is related the concept of ‘shalom’, which is often, translated ‘peace’. No one word in English captures the sense of the word. It means peace or the absence of conflict but it also means prosperity, fruitfulness, and joyful contentment. While we tend to emphasize the spiritual blessing we sometimes forget that God created a good earth for his children to enjoy and prosper in.
Jesus teaching reflects something that is common in the Old Testament; God blesses his people with physical blessings. This is a general truth, one that probably plays out over generations rather than years. It has often been observed in missions but is true of our own experience here in the United States. Three or four generations ago most members of the Church of Christ were “other-side-of-the-tracks” people. There are many in our church today who were the first in their families to earn a college degree. In missions this is called “lift”; the almost inevitable improvement of people who become faithful Christians. Of course the downside is that as people become more prosperous they often forget the Lord. It is one of the sad things about doing funerals for some of our elderly members where few of their descendents are Christians of any church. They are reaping the benefits of their ancestor’s faithfulness but the same road that goes up can also go down.
II. Joyful Planting
The principle that Paul articulates in 2 Corinthians 9:6, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously,” is one that is true in many areas of life. Paul applies it to financial giving but it is true in every important arena of life. God blesses the life that is given to him. As a parent this does not mean investing everything in your children. It means giving our children to God and serving our children in God’s name. As a marriage partner it means giving your marriage to God and loving each other, as God desires. Marriage and children are vitally important relationships that God blesses us with, but when God is forgotten then they can never become what God intended, a blessing to the world.
While we enjoy the harvest there is tremendous joy and satisfaction in planting and cultivation. God created us for work in his world, to join him in his purposes, his mission. I have great joy in the harvest God is bringing in Africa but those years of work, hardship, and discouragement are precious experiences that I treasure.
Imbedded in this principle is the concept that there is waiting between planting and harvest. Some things we do will not directly benefit us because there is always a wait between planting and harvest. Our society is caught up in the urgent and immediate, the need for instant results. It is like the instructions for microwaving pop tarts because we are too much in a hurry to wait for the toaster. We want what we want and we want it now. Not only is such an attitude infantile, it is of the devil.
III. Abundant Harvest
We give because we hope to see a reward. Of course for many that is only seen in material possessions and physical blessings. Our world measures success in such terms and many Christians do also. If we don’t have the physical blessings then God must not love us as much as the guy with the new car and the bigger house.
The promise of Jesus is to give ‘abundant life’ (John 10:10). The New Testament has two different words for life. One is “bios”, a word we see in our language as in biology, the study of life. It refers to the physical life that every living creature has. But the other word that is used here is ‘zoe’ refers to something beyond the biological life. A drug addict can have ‘bios’ but very little ‘zoe’. A person can be rich in material things and have little ‘zoe’ as Jesus said, “a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15) God does care for and bless his people physically but that can mean different things in different contexts.
So if life is not about possessions and wealth what is the harvest that we can expect from God as we give not only our money but also our lives in his service? First and foremost is what Jesus said, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) Eternal life begins when you become a Christian. How much we experience in this life depends on how much we pursue God and knowledge of him.
But that is only part of it. We gain a wealth of relationships. Jesus promised his followers, “I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30) This is true wealth, the love and relationships we experience as we live for Christ.
The question is what are we giving? What do we hope for as we give? As a church we depend on each member’s fiscal faithfulness. We also depend on your willingness to give time and effort to reach out to our community. But as you faithful give know that God is a generous God who blesses far more than we can think or imagine, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38)
Livonia Church of Christ: October 1, 2006
Why We Give: Faith
Why Do We Give? Faith
Hebrews 11:6,17-19; Malachi 3:8-10
Introduction: There are things people don’t like to talk about and most of them need discussion. We tend to avoid topics like sexuality as embarrassing or too personal. Things associated with death like funeral arrangements or wills are another area. And finally money and finances are often off limits for openness and discussion. As a preacher I have hesitated to preach on money for the simple reason people accuses churches of only being interested in money. If you have been here any length of time you know that is not the case. If you are a visitor or an occasional attendee you may draw that conclusion but again it is a wrong conclusion. Jesus never apologized for talking about money or finances. He knew how we view and spend our money is a reflection of our spiritual heart.
I. The Importance of Faith
We all know about faith. We all have to have some faith to become a Christian. There are several different understandings of what faith is. Most people understand faith to have something to do with what a person believes to be true. Of course we believe many different things, some of them true, some of them not true. But the main test of any belief or faith is what one does with that belief. If I believe it is more dangerous to fly than it is to drive then I won’t fly, even though it has been shown over and over that flying is one of the safest forms of travel.
So what do we believe about God? The Hebrew writer gives us some basics, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) First God is looking for faith. Do you think God could provide irrefutable proof of his existence if he so desired? He could without a doubt. So why doesn’t he? Because God desires to be with people who seek him and people who have faith. Faith is always based on evidence but must inevitably go beyond the evidence. That is why true faith is hard to come by. It is rare or at least Jesus found it rare in his day and time. I don’t imagine he would find it that different today.
II. The Test
I believe that this is why we have tests. A lot of people have jitters about tests. We often see them as obstacles to overcome or barriers that keep us from what we want to do. The pressure from tests like the ACT or SAT are high stress events in our children’s lives. It can be devastating to fail a test.
But another purpose of tests is to help us see where we are, how well we are doing. Of course we may fail more often than we pass but we often learn more in our failures. I believe this is why Paul had such a unique philosophy, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:9-10)
There are many kinds of tests. Many of those tests are found in marriage or other close relationships with people. We are tested when things don’t go our way or when we have power over people and then how we treat them. In a sense almost every thing is a test.
But one of the big tests for us as Christians is our money. It doesn’t matter if you have a lot or a little, but how we relate to money and how we use it. (This type of test is not always about money, some things are more valuable like a child.) That is what the Hebrew writer brings to mind as he writes about faith. He mentions Abraham and the test of offering Isaac as a sacrifice to God. God was testing Abraham’s faith in him and he passed the test.
The Israelites in Malachi’s day were also being tested and they weren’t doing well. The law clearly stated what offering should be made and they were not fulfilling their covenant promise to God. Why? They didn’t trust God to provide for them, to fulfill his covenant promises to them.
We face the same test when it comes to our finances. We do not find in the New Testament a percentage as we see in the Old Testament. The tithe was a tenth of what they received though many have concluded it was higher. The question is how is our faith?
The New Testament takes giving out of the realm of law and puts it in the realm of grace; that it is a gift of free will that comes from the heart of gratitude. It would be so much easier if we had a percentage to say, “Do this and you are okay.” But this is a faith test and part of the test is how you decide to give as well as how much. It is time for us to take this test with some seriousness. We develop our faith by exercising that faith therefore I would encourage you to do several things.
1. Look at your finances.
2. Decide how much you want to give.
3. Make giving to God a priority.
4. Be faithful.
Will God take care of you? God responds to faith, he rewards those who seek him. Our finances are one area where we need to seek God.
Livonia Church of Christ: September 24, 2006
Hebrews 11:6,17-19; Malachi 3:8-10
Introduction: There are things people don’t like to talk about and most of them need discussion. We tend to avoid topics like sexuality as embarrassing or too personal. Things associated with death like funeral arrangements or wills are another area. And finally money and finances are often off limits for openness and discussion. As a preacher I have hesitated to preach on money for the simple reason people accuses churches of only being interested in money. If you have been here any length of time you know that is not the case. If you are a visitor or an occasional attendee you may draw that conclusion but again it is a wrong conclusion. Jesus never apologized for talking about money or finances. He knew how we view and spend our money is a reflection of our spiritual heart.
I. The Importance of Faith
We all know about faith. We all have to have some faith to become a Christian. There are several different understandings of what faith is. Most people understand faith to have something to do with what a person believes to be true. Of course we believe many different things, some of them true, some of them not true. But the main test of any belief or faith is what one does with that belief. If I believe it is more dangerous to fly than it is to drive then I won’t fly, even though it has been shown over and over that flying is one of the safest forms of travel.
So what do we believe about God? The Hebrew writer gives us some basics, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) First God is looking for faith. Do you think God could provide irrefutable proof of his existence if he so desired? He could without a doubt. So why doesn’t he? Because God desires to be with people who seek him and people who have faith. Faith is always based on evidence but must inevitably go beyond the evidence. That is why true faith is hard to come by. It is rare or at least Jesus found it rare in his day and time. I don’t imagine he would find it that different today.
II. The Test
I believe that this is why we have tests. A lot of people have jitters about tests. We often see them as obstacles to overcome or barriers that keep us from what we want to do. The pressure from tests like the ACT or SAT are high stress events in our children’s lives. It can be devastating to fail a test.
But another purpose of tests is to help us see where we are, how well we are doing. Of course we may fail more often than we pass but we often learn more in our failures. I believe this is why Paul had such a unique philosophy, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:9-10)
There are many kinds of tests. Many of those tests are found in marriage or other close relationships with people. We are tested when things don’t go our way or when we have power over people and then how we treat them. In a sense almost every thing is a test.
But one of the big tests for us as Christians is our money. It doesn’t matter if you have a lot or a little, but how we relate to money and how we use it. (This type of test is not always about money, some things are more valuable like a child.) That is what the Hebrew writer brings to mind as he writes about faith. He mentions Abraham and the test of offering Isaac as a sacrifice to God. God was testing Abraham’s faith in him and he passed the test.
The Israelites in Malachi’s day were also being tested and they weren’t doing well. The law clearly stated what offering should be made and they were not fulfilling their covenant promise to God. Why? They didn’t trust God to provide for them, to fulfill his covenant promises to them.
We face the same test when it comes to our finances. We do not find in the New Testament a percentage as we see in the Old Testament. The tithe was a tenth of what they received though many have concluded it was higher. The question is how is our faith?
The New Testament takes giving out of the realm of law and puts it in the realm of grace; that it is a gift of free will that comes from the heart of gratitude. It would be so much easier if we had a percentage to say, “Do this and you are okay.” But this is a faith test and part of the test is how you decide to give as well as how much. It is time for us to take this test with some seriousness. We develop our faith by exercising that faith therefore I would encourage you to do several things.
1. Look at your finances.
2. Decide how much you want to give.
3. Make giving to God a priority.
4. Be faithful.
Will God take care of you? God responds to faith, he rewards those who seek him. Our finances are one area where we need to seek God.
Livonia Church of Christ: September 24, 2006
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
A Friend for the Journey
A Friend for the Journey
Eccl. 4:9-12
Introduction: I hate to travel alone. I know those of you with small children are thinking, “Is he kidding?” Or maybe you had a rather tense road trip with you kids this past summer and dreamed about a nice, peaceful vacation without that tension. There are times when we just want to get away from people. But in the end we know we need others. Kids may drive parents crazy and parents do the same thing to their kids. But take them away for a while, let one get lost on a camp out and suddenly all that irritation drops off the map.
I. We Need People
The reading this morning comes from a book of wisdom in the Old Testament called Ecclesiastes. The writer makes the observation that being alone is tough, “But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:10) I don’t know if you have ever observed trees when we get a heavy snow. The lone tree has a big problem because heavy snow can topple it over. Trees in a group tend to support each other and it is more difficult for that to happen. Most of us realize it is that way with people also. We are like that; we can go along quite okay on our own but when the pressure of a crisis happens then we realize we need others.
That is why one trend in our society is so troubling. A recent study showed a steep decline in close personal relationships here in the US. Ten years ago 10% said they had no close friend or confidante. Today 25% said they had no close confidante. Another 19% said they had only one close friend they could confide in. We have a lot of lone trees in our society. Some years ago Robert Putnam wrote a book called "Bowling Alone" in which he observed the collapse of the sense of community in our country.
No matter how smooth things may be going in your life right now you will face a crisis, all of us will. You will lose someone close to you. You will face a health crisis of some kind. There could be a crisis of employment or money problems. In Michigan the number of foreclosures have doubled in the past two years. Quite a number of them are in this area. There will probably be some national crisis that will take our breath away just as 9/11 did five years ago.
We are aware of the problem. The question is what will we do about?
II. Looking for Answers
There are many ways people try to answer this problem. Women are probably better suited to building friendships than are men though the decline in relationship is across the board for men and women. We may find friends in areas of common interest. There are clubs and organizations that we can join or serve in. Some find a sense of community on-line. A church is another place where people come looking for an answer to loneliness.
Of course a church might be the last place some would choose. As one person once remarked, “Why would I go there? I already feel bad enough about myself.” I suppose as long as people are in churches you will find imperfection. The church has never been all that Jesus wanted it to be. Yet I think he knew this even while he was here. He knew how messy friendships could be and how disappointing. He knew the pain of betrayal and the joy of fellowship that comes through friendship. In spite of the imperfections he called his people into communities called churches.
There are all kinds of churches with a variety of shapes and sizes. Some churches are alive and active and others seem asleep or even dead. And, unfortunately some churches are toxic and poisonous to the soul. You might find levels of all the above in every church to some extent. Churches are imperfect just as people are imperfect.
But the church Jesus wants will try to reflect certain things however imperfectly. The apostle Paul described the church with these words, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27) There are many organizations in the world that are doing good works but there is only one body of Christ. To be the body of Christ is to commit to being the hands, feet and voice of Jesus in our world today. That means several things.
First, it means we are to reflect the grace of Jesus towards people. This is a concept that is easily misunderstood. Grace is expressed in acceptance of others where they are. Jesus reflected this constantly in his ministry. He welcomed a common fisherman like Peter. He welcomed a rich corrupt tax collector like Zacchaeus. He welcomed a woman divorced and remarried several times at a well in Samaria. He welcomed people with leprosy. The reason Jesus did this is that he could see the image of God in each and every person no matter how clouded or marred with sin or disease. Becoming a Christian means starting to see people in this way. Paul wrote, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)
This brings us to another aspect of grace as Jesus displayed it; grace is there to change people. Jesus never left people where they were. Jesus would forgive people but then call on them, in the light of that forgiveness, to live differently. He wanted people to live their lives pleasing God. So Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery when others were condemning her. The Jesus said these words, "Go now and leave your life of sin." Sin deforms people’s hearts and minds and it is only by Jesus’ grace that people can be healed and changed.
Another characteristic where churches try to reflect Jesus is in love. Jesus told his followers, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) Jesus was the ultimate friend. He was someone who would give everything for his friends, even his own life. Admittedly Christians fail here more often than they succeed. But we hold love as a goal because we need friends. We need people to walk beside us and help us when we fall. We need the warmth of friendship in the harsh realities of this life. We need the strength that comes from standing with others in a dangerous and unpredictable world.
The lone tree is vulnerable to wind and elements. But scientists have discovered something remarkable in forest with diverse trees. When the roots begin to contact the roots of other trees a fierce competition begins for resources. But where a certain fungus is present instead of competing the trees share resources of sunlight, water, and minerals among the group. It is an amazing example of interdependence. Churches are like that. We have people from all kinds of different backgrounds. It would be easy to get into conflict much like we see in our world. But there is one different element, our Lord Jesus. With him in our midst things change, we change. We become the kind of people God intended us to be, a community of Christ. If you want to know more about us and become a follower of Christ then just ask. We love to talk about Jesus.
Livonia Church of Christ: September 10, 2006
Eccl. 4:9-12
Introduction: I hate to travel alone. I know those of you with small children are thinking, “Is he kidding?” Or maybe you had a rather tense road trip with you kids this past summer and dreamed about a nice, peaceful vacation without that tension. There are times when we just want to get away from people. But in the end we know we need others. Kids may drive parents crazy and parents do the same thing to their kids. But take them away for a while, let one get lost on a camp out and suddenly all that irritation drops off the map.
I. We Need People
The reading this morning comes from a book of wisdom in the Old Testament called Ecclesiastes. The writer makes the observation that being alone is tough, “But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:10) I don’t know if you have ever observed trees when we get a heavy snow. The lone tree has a big problem because heavy snow can topple it over. Trees in a group tend to support each other and it is more difficult for that to happen. Most of us realize it is that way with people also. We are like that; we can go along quite okay on our own but when the pressure of a crisis happens then we realize we need others.
That is why one trend in our society is so troubling. A recent study showed a steep decline in close personal relationships here in the US. Ten years ago 10% said they had no close friend or confidante. Today 25% said they had no close confidante. Another 19% said they had only one close friend they could confide in. We have a lot of lone trees in our society. Some years ago Robert Putnam wrote a book called "Bowling Alone" in which he observed the collapse of the sense of community in our country.
No matter how smooth things may be going in your life right now you will face a crisis, all of us will. You will lose someone close to you. You will face a health crisis of some kind. There could be a crisis of employment or money problems. In Michigan the number of foreclosures have doubled in the past two years. Quite a number of them are in this area. There will probably be some national crisis that will take our breath away just as 9/11 did five years ago.
We are aware of the problem. The question is what will we do about?
II. Looking for Answers
There are many ways people try to answer this problem. Women are probably better suited to building friendships than are men though the decline in relationship is across the board for men and women. We may find friends in areas of common interest. There are clubs and organizations that we can join or serve in. Some find a sense of community on-line. A church is another place where people come looking for an answer to loneliness.
Of course a church might be the last place some would choose. As one person once remarked, “Why would I go there? I already feel bad enough about myself.” I suppose as long as people are in churches you will find imperfection. The church has never been all that Jesus wanted it to be. Yet I think he knew this even while he was here. He knew how messy friendships could be and how disappointing. He knew the pain of betrayal and the joy of fellowship that comes through friendship. In spite of the imperfections he called his people into communities called churches.
There are all kinds of churches with a variety of shapes and sizes. Some churches are alive and active and others seem asleep or even dead. And, unfortunately some churches are toxic and poisonous to the soul. You might find levels of all the above in every church to some extent. Churches are imperfect just as people are imperfect.
But the church Jesus wants will try to reflect certain things however imperfectly. The apostle Paul described the church with these words, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27) There are many organizations in the world that are doing good works but there is only one body of Christ. To be the body of Christ is to commit to being the hands, feet and voice of Jesus in our world today. That means several things.
First, it means we are to reflect the grace of Jesus towards people. This is a concept that is easily misunderstood. Grace is expressed in acceptance of others where they are. Jesus reflected this constantly in his ministry. He welcomed a common fisherman like Peter. He welcomed a rich corrupt tax collector like Zacchaeus. He welcomed a woman divorced and remarried several times at a well in Samaria. He welcomed people with leprosy. The reason Jesus did this is that he could see the image of God in each and every person no matter how clouded or marred with sin or disease. Becoming a Christian means starting to see people in this way. Paul wrote, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)
This brings us to another aspect of grace as Jesus displayed it; grace is there to change people. Jesus never left people where they were. Jesus would forgive people but then call on them, in the light of that forgiveness, to live differently. He wanted people to live their lives pleasing God. So Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery when others were condemning her. The Jesus said these words, "Go now and leave your life of sin." Sin deforms people’s hearts and minds and it is only by Jesus’ grace that people can be healed and changed.
Another characteristic where churches try to reflect Jesus is in love. Jesus told his followers, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) Jesus was the ultimate friend. He was someone who would give everything for his friends, even his own life. Admittedly Christians fail here more often than they succeed. But we hold love as a goal because we need friends. We need people to walk beside us and help us when we fall. We need the warmth of friendship in the harsh realities of this life. We need the strength that comes from standing with others in a dangerous and unpredictable world.
The lone tree is vulnerable to wind and elements. But scientists have discovered something remarkable in forest with diverse trees. When the roots begin to contact the roots of other trees a fierce competition begins for resources. But where a certain fungus is present instead of competing the trees share resources of sunlight, water, and minerals among the group. It is an amazing example of interdependence. Churches are like that. We have people from all kinds of different backgrounds. It would be easy to get into conflict much like we see in our world. But there is one different element, our Lord Jesus. With him in our midst things change, we change. We become the kind of people God intended us to be, a community of Christ. If you want to know more about us and become a follower of Christ then just ask. We love to talk about Jesus.
Livonia Church of Christ: September 10, 2006
Being a Friend Like Jesus
Being a Friend Like Jesus
John 15:9-17
Introduction: Next Sunday is Friend Day and our annual picnic so I hope you are planning to invite someone to join us that Sunday. Friendship is a glorious thing. It is something that brings sweetness to life that we all want more of. I especially treasure friendship that I made in Kenya with both my American and Kenyan brothers. Part of it grew out of the common goals we had there as well as sharing the victories and adversity of that time. I think there is that sense of friendship found in today’s passage. It tells us something of what it means to be Jesus’ friend but also it tells us something of how Jesus wants us to be friends.
I. Acceptance
These words of Jesus were spoken at the end of his ministry with and to his disciples. Jesus used the word ‘friend’ in casual ways but this time it is different. It is after three years of his constant presence and the hardships of ministry that Jesus calls them friends. How did Jesus form these friendships?
The first step in friendship is acceptance. One of the outstanding things about Jesus was his ability to accept people where they were. This was certainly true of the disciples. They were men of various backgrounds, learning, abilities and prejudices. Jesus was constantly calling people to follow him and yet there were other callings and levels to the relationship Jesus had with people. At one point in his ministry Jesus went out and prayed all night before choosing twelve men to be in a special relationship with him. Why these twelve? Anything we say is speculation but they were men Jesus could teach and would accept his teaching. But more than that, I think Jesus chose them because they would be his friends.
Of course Jesus accepted more than just these few men. Jesus accepted the unacceptable, at least unacceptable to the standards of the day. Many churches might not accept such people today. Jesus accepted prostitutes, the greedy; he even ate with religious people. He accepted people with socially isolating diseases. It was this acceptance that marked the early church. It shaped the church’s evangelism to the point where slaves and women found such acceptance. The early church was criticized and scorned for its acceptance of such people. Paul put in it this way; “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15:7) To be a friend like Jesus is to accept others no matter what. Our human tendency is to reject those we don’t approve of; those not like us, or those that don’t agree with us. It is interesting that such a heart of acceptance of others will lead some people to exclude us. Why did some accept Jesus and others reject him? Why did some follow and some walk away in sadness? There is a price to be paid for friendship, especially friendship with God.
II. Expectation
While Jesus accepted people where they were, he also has expectations if people were to walk with him, if they were to become his friends. Jesus put it plainly; “You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:14) That at first glance seems an extreme condition for friendship. Yet every friendship has expectations and commitments. My closest friendship is with Diane and there are mutual expectations and commitments that are very exclusive to that relationship. This may be another factor in the decline of close friendships in the United States, the fear of commitment. Friendship demands time. We commit to honesty with each other. It means doing things together. The depth of the friendship is measured in the depth of commitment to these things.
Who were these men whom Jesus called friends? They were the ones who went with Jesus to the next town when they could have stayed at home. They were the ones who went into dangerous unfriendly places like Samaria when Jesus said, “I’m going there.” They stayed with him when others got angry with Jesus and walked away. They were the ones who committed to doing what Jesus taught and Jesus called them his friends.
We are here today as friends because our main desire is to be Jesus’ friend. Would Diane and I be here among you this morning without our friendship to Jesus? It is unlikely that we would have ever come to Livonia let alone met or become friends with any of you. That is probably true for all of us. That is why Jesus’ command makes sense, “This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:17) Jesus wants all of his friends, those who love him and keep his commands to love all those who have made the same commitment to Jesus’ friendship. As we consider what that means to our invitation to those we invite to our church this means we want them to meet the one who is the reason for our being here, Jesus the Son of God. The Livonia church has a lot to offer people but it is this relationship, this commitment that is primary.
III. Friend of God
We become like our friends. It is natural that we do that. We become like people we admire and are with on a consistent basis. That is why being a friend of God is such an incredible invitation, opportunity, and responsibility. It was that way for Abraham who is referred in scripture as “friend of God”. Now we are invited to be friends of Jesus, friends of God.
Do you ever become jealous of your friends especially if you have a close friendship? I suppose this is a natural reaction because we have such a limited capacity for relationships. But God is not that way. The infinite God has an infinite capacity for friendship and he has invited each one us to be his friend. How close a friend we become depends to a certain extent on our love for him and our obedience to him.
That is why we invite people to join us, a fellowship of Jesus’ friends. Being a friend like Jesus means we learn to accept others as he did. It means we call people to follow Jesus, to walk a different direction from where they have been going. Following Jesus is an adventure that can lead you to places you never dreamed of being. If you don’t think this is true then talk to Paula, Jill, and Karen about their trip to Nigeria. Talk to Diane and me about Kenya or about coming back to Livonia. Jesus is willing to become as close a friend, as we will allow him to become.
Being a friend like Jesus means loving like Jesus also. That means loving people into the image of God and not anything less. It means loving to point of laying ourselves out on behalf of our friends. Being a friend is not some light commitment but a willingness to give everything for our friend Jesus, and all of Jesus friends.
If you are not Jesus friend why don’t you join us in the adventure of a lifetime, of an eternity.
Livonia Church of Christ: September 3, 2006
John 15:9-17
Introduction: Next Sunday is Friend Day and our annual picnic so I hope you are planning to invite someone to join us that Sunday. Friendship is a glorious thing. It is something that brings sweetness to life that we all want more of. I especially treasure friendship that I made in Kenya with both my American and Kenyan brothers. Part of it grew out of the common goals we had there as well as sharing the victories and adversity of that time. I think there is that sense of friendship found in today’s passage. It tells us something of what it means to be Jesus’ friend but also it tells us something of how Jesus wants us to be friends.
I. Acceptance
These words of Jesus were spoken at the end of his ministry with and to his disciples. Jesus used the word ‘friend’ in casual ways but this time it is different. It is after three years of his constant presence and the hardships of ministry that Jesus calls them friends. How did Jesus form these friendships?
The first step in friendship is acceptance. One of the outstanding things about Jesus was his ability to accept people where they were. This was certainly true of the disciples. They were men of various backgrounds, learning, abilities and prejudices. Jesus was constantly calling people to follow him and yet there were other callings and levels to the relationship Jesus had with people. At one point in his ministry Jesus went out and prayed all night before choosing twelve men to be in a special relationship with him. Why these twelve? Anything we say is speculation but they were men Jesus could teach and would accept his teaching. But more than that, I think Jesus chose them because they would be his friends.
Of course Jesus accepted more than just these few men. Jesus accepted the unacceptable, at least unacceptable to the standards of the day. Many churches might not accept such people today. Jesus accepted prostitutes, the greedy; he even ate with religious people. He accepted people with socially isolating diseases. It was this acceptance that marked the early church. It shaped the church’s evangelism to the point where slaves and women found such acceptance. The early church was criticized and scorned for its acceptance of such people. Paul put in it this way; “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15:7) To be a friend like Jesus is to accept others no matter what. Our human tendency is to reject those we don’t approve of; those not like us, or those that don’t agree with us. It is interesting that such a heart of acceptance of others will lead some people to exclude us. Why did some accept Jesus and others reject him? Why did some follow and some walk away in sadness? There is a price to be paid for friendship, especially friendship with God.
II. Expectation
While Jesus accepted people where they were, he also has expectations if people were to walk with him, if they were to become his friends. Jesus put it plainly; “You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:14) That at first glance seems an extreme condition for friendship. Yet every friendship has expectations and commitments. My closest friendship is with Diane and there are mutual expectations and commitments that are very exclusive to that relationship. This may be another factor in the decline of close friendships in the United States, the fear of commitment. Friendship demands time. We commit to honesty with each other. It means doing things together. The depth of the friendship is measured in the depth of commitment to these things.
Who were these men whom Jesus called friends? They were the ones who went with Jesus to the next town when they could have stayed at home. They were the ones who went into dangerous unfriendly places like Samaria when Jesus said, “I’m going there.” They stayed with him when others got angry with Jesus and walked away. They were the ones who committed to doing what Jesus taught and Jesus called them his friends.
We are here today as friends because our main desire is to be Jesus’ friend. Would Diane and I be here among you this morning without our friendship to Jesus? It is unlikely that we would have ever come to Livonia let alone met or become friends with any of you. That is probably true for all of us. That is why Jesus’ command makes sense, “This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:17) Jesus wants all of his friends, those who love him and keep his commands to love all those who have made the same commitment to Jesus’ friendship. As we consider what that means to our invitation to those we invite to our church this means we want them to meet the one who is the reason for our being here, Jesus the Son of God. The Livonia church has a lot to offer people but it is this relationship, this commitment that is primary.
III. Friend of God
We become like our friends. It is natural that we do that. We become like people we admire and are with on a consistent basis. That is why being a friend of God is such an incredible invitation, opportunity, and responsibility. It was that way for Abraham who is referred in scripture as “friend of God”. Now we are invited to be friends of Jesus, friends of God.
Do you ever become jealous of your friends especially if you have a close friendship? I suppose this is a natural reaction because we have such a limited capacity for relationships. But God is not that way. The infinite God has an infinite capacity for friendship and he has invited each one us to be his friend. How close a friend we become depends to a certain extent on our love for him and our obedience to him.
That is why we invite people to join us, a fellowship of Jesus’ friends. Being a friend like Jesus means we learn to accept others as he did. It means we call people to follow Jesus, to walk a different direction from where they have been going. Following Jesus is an adventure that can lead you to places you never dreamed of being. If you don’t think this is true then talk to Paula, Jill, and Karen about their trip to Nigeria. Talk to Diane and me about Kenya or about coming back to Livonia. Jesus is willing to become as close a friend, as we will allow him to become.
Being a friend like Jesus means loving like Jesus also. That means loving people into the image of God and not anything less. It means loving to point of laying ourselves out on behalf of our friends. Being a friend is not some light commitment but a willingness to give everything for our friend Jesus, and all of Jesus friends.
If you are not Jesus friend why don’t you join us in the adventure of a lifetime, of an eternity.
Livonia Church of Christ: September 3, 2006
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