Community Church Sermons
October 9, 2005
Philippians 4:4-20
Today marks the beginning of our annual “Trails Through Tellico” stewardship campaign. Members of our church and others who support our ministry have been gathered into “trails” of ten or twelve families living nearby each other, and each “trail” has a “trail leader.” Starting today, the “trail leaders” will bring you a very nice “trail book” like this. Inside you’ll find lots of information and pictures that capture a little bit of the scope of our church’s ministry. You’ll find out how and where you can get involved with your gifts of time, talent, and treasure. And yes, you’ll have the opportunity to prayerfully make a financial pledge to support our goals in the coming year. At the back of the “trail book” is an envelope with blank commitment cards inside. We hope you’ll take one, get together with God, and decide what your pledge will be for 2006. Then seal it up, and place it in the last envelope. No salesman will visit, no telemarketer will call, no collection agency will harass you. Then, all you have to do is pass on the “trail book” to the next person on your trail. If you bring it to their house at the dinner hour, who knows, but you might get invited in for supper! I’ve heard of some people who have never had to cook a meal in the month of October because of “Trails Through Tellico!”
Now if you’re not a member of our church and not on one of the “trails” let me invite you to pick up a package containing all the same material. Those are located out in the Narthex today. We’d love to have you join us in supporting the work of our church.
Now let me ask those who are serving as “trail leaders” to stand up just so everyone can see you! I hope all our church members and friends will greet these persons warmly and enthusiastically! And we all want to thank you for taking the lead in this year’s “Trails Through Tellico.”
God has given each of us many gifts – gifts that God intends us to use to provide for ourselves and our families, and gifts God wants us to use to benefit others and to help build the Kingdom of God. Some of those gifts reside within ourselves in the talents and abilities that are uniquely ours. Another of the gifts is time – each of us has been given 86,400 seconds a day to make the most of. Time is one of those equal opportunity gifts because we all have been given the same amount of time each day. But where time becomes critical is in the fact that none of us knows how many days we have on earth. That’s why the Bible constantly reminds us to use our time wisely. I’ll be preaching about the stewardship of time and talents in the next couple of weeks. But today, I want to talk about the stewardship of money.
Last week, one of our church members reminded me of the man who wanted to ask God three questions. Well, the day came for asking, and so the man said, “Lord, how much is a million years to you?” The Lord said, “Well, to me, a million years are but a fleeting minute.”
Then the man asked, “Lord, how much is a million dollars to you?” And the Lord, said, “To me, a million dollars are like a single penny.”
Then the man boldly asked, “Lord…..can I have a penny?”
And the Lord said, “In a
minute!”
I wonder what a million dollars really does mean to God? Better yet, what does a million dollars mean to you? And better still, what does money mean to you?
I can tell you that every day of my life since turning 50 I have launched my web browser out to check my pension accounts. How much did the investments make yesterday? Probably not as much as they will lose today! When will I be able to retire and live in the lap of luxury? WILL I be able to retire – with or without luxury’s lap?
Money means many things to us – the ability to provide for our families, to educate our children, to receive medical care, to enjoy sports and the arts, and yes, even to give us a comfortable retirement. And these are godly things! God WANTS our personal needs to be met!
But one of the greatest tests of faith occurs when Jesus challenges us to find a meaning for money beyond ourselves.
What does money mean to you?
In the boiling cauldron of the Auschwitz death camp during World War II, one member of the Nazi party found a deeper meaning for money. Shocked by the brutality inflicted upon Jewish people, Oscar Schindler devised a way to use his wealth and position to save as many Jews as he could. He bribed local authorities to let him hire Jews for his factory which was located near Auschwitz. Each person cost him money. At a moment in his life when Schindler could have made a fortune on the war effort, he chose instead to spend every penny he had bribing and paying off the German guards to “buy” the lives of Jewish people who would otherwise have died in the gas chambers. He provided them nutritious meals, and medicine, and devised clever ways to protect them. Old people who were to be cast off by the Nazis were registered as being 20-years younger. Children – all slated to be killed – were recorded as adults. Lawyers and doctors and artists were described as metal workers and mechanics so they could be protected as being necessary for the war effort.
In all, some 1200 people were saved by Oscar Schindler. 1200! Today, some 4,000 of their descendants still honor the memory of this man. Someone has estimated that Schindler spent more than 4-million German marks to save these lives. And when the war was over, Schindler never recovered financially.
Why would a man do such an amazing thing?
Well, because money came to mean something different to Oscar Schindler.
Money meant people – people who could be helped and protected and cared for and saved.
If you saw the movie “Schindler’s List” you may remember the powerful scene when the war was over and Schindler spoke with a friend about what more he could have done:
“This car. (Someone) would've bought this car. Why did I keep the car? Ten people, right there. Ten people, ten more people ... (He rips the swastika pin from his lapel) This pin, two people. This is gold. Two more people. He would've given me two for it. At least one. He would've given me one. One more. One more person. A person, Stern. For this. I could've gotten one more person and I didn't. I didn`t ..."
What does money mean to you?
In today’s New Testament text, the people of the tiny little church in Philippi have taken up a collection and sent it to St. Paul who was in prison. It’s not that the Philippian Christians could afford to send a gift. They were a poor congregation that could hardly meet their own needs. Paul acknowledges their sacrifice when he writes that they didn’t have to do such a gracious and generous thing. In fact, Paul says that he would never have even asked for a gift because he knew they couldn’t afford it, and besides, Paul had learned to be content in whatever state or condition he happened to be in. Paul said he could do all things through Christ who strengthens him!
But then, Paul says, “Thank you for the gift!” He is happy for the gift because it will help in his current circumstances. But just as importantly, Paul says – now listen to this – “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.”
In other words, Paul is overjoyed with the gift because it shows how the Philippians have grown into spiritual maturity. God would be so pleased to see that they had found a new meaning for money! No longer do they see their money solely as the instrument of their own well-being, but now they see their money in the form of the Gospel of Jesus – a ministry to a person in need – an encouragement to a friend in difficult circumstances – a living witness to the love of God for the world!.
And so Paul concludes his thank you note by saying that their gift is like a fragrant offering made to God, a generous sacrifice that honors God and gives God glory. And Paul writes: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
That’s what money came to mean to the Christians in Philippi.
What does money mean to you?
What does money mean for us – as a church family?
My hope and prayer for our church is that money will never mean as much about providing electricity and air conditioning and mortgage payments and bricks and mortar as it does about proclaiming the Good News of God - bringing the love of Jesus Christ in real ways to young and old, to the healthy and the infirm, to believers and to doubters, and to all the children of the world.
If you take a close look at how we need to financially grow our ministry in the coming year, it is almost ALL about ministries of Christian love and service to people. Tim Meadows joins our staff as a pastor who will help us grow in our ability to reach out beyond ourselves in mission to our community and our world. He also will have a special focus on ministering with handicapped persons. Pam Deyton is with us to help plant the seeds of Christian faith and nurture the growth of our kids who are growing up in the challenging world of the 21st century. Kids need a loving Christian presence in their lives who can support their parents and help them grow as followers of Christ! Mary McNeal – our Parish Nurse - is among us to bring a caring and healing touch to anyone who needs a Christian health advocate. And in our community, we have a ton of health-related challenges! You know that my greatest fear is that one Sunday morning during church, a big truck with an electro-magnet on it will drive by on the parkway, and everyone here with artificial joints will get sucked to the front of the church! It will be the greatest altar call ever, and we who lead the service from up front will be crushed to death!
Many of you know what a special angel Mary is to anyone who has a need! Our Parish Nursing ministry means powerful things to many, many people.
I want you to know that almost all of next year’s budget increase is related to fully funding for the first time a full year of these three areas that directly bring ministry to people and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ
And, of course, beyond that investment, we as a church have committed ourselves to setting aside 11% of our operating budget to missions. Our money means building houses for people who couldn’t afford one otherwise; our money means helping needy schoolchildren have the tools they need to learn and grow, our money means assisting families who need a hand up – not a hand out – as they try to be become self-sufficient; our money means providing Christian evangelists on college campuses; our money means adopting children who have no families, and healing children who have been abused; our money means sending kids to college who otherwise would not be able to afford it. Do you realize that our scholarship program is the largest such program in the area?
What does money mean to us?
It means building, strengthening and extending the Kingdom of God! And one other dimension of this ministry that I hope you will remember is what a unique role we play as an interdenominational church that seeks to be as inclusive as the love of God. You know, the world is hurting today because of the disservice to humanity of fundamentalism in all its forms. Islamic fundamentalism. Christian fundamentalism. These movements depend upon people who are lured into thinking that its okay for the rest of the world to go to hell so long as they get to go to heaven. These movements depend upon people who, instead of the grace and mercy of God toward ALL God’s children, take up the weapons of judgmentalism, exclusivism, and the propagation of ignorance through enforced literalism.
I believe the world needs another kind of church - a church where Christ is held high, and his arms are held open, and people are accepted and loved for who and what they are, and where saints and sinners alike can have room to grow into the people God created them to be.
That, too, is what our money means.
But what does money mean to you?
I know your money means something about God, and God’s love, and God’s ways. You beautifully demonstrate that meaning year after year after year as we seek to be faithful to our calling. You show that in your generous response to victims of hurricanes and tsunamis. You are a congregation of people who see more in money than just dollars and cents! You see the Kingdom of God!
How proud I am of you! But there’s more work to be done!
So I encourage you to try to grow in your generosity. Give, not until it hurts, but until it feels good!!
So let me close by saying the
same thing Paul said to the Philippians, “Thank you for your gifts!…And may
God meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Jesus Christ!”
Amen.