BuiltWithNOF

Readings (click here for full text of the readings):
   Jeremiah 23:1-6, Psalm 46, Colossians 1:11-20, Luke 19:29-38
 

I.       Ethics consultations

    A.  Lots of parentheses

    B.  Nothing simple

    C.  This depends on that, and that depends on …

    D.  Sometimes a situation is so complicated it demands that

      1.    But sometimes a situation is pretty straight-forward, and we’re just trying to wriggle out of doing something we don’t want to do

II.    Belief in God is a lot more straightforward than that

    A.  Sure, there are complex commandments that demand interpretation

      1.    Notice the current disagreements in the Anglican Communion

    B.  But some are pretty easy

      1.    Take today’s gospel reading, for instance

      2.    Jesus tells two of the disciples to go into the next village, where supposedly they’ll find a colt that has never been ridden.  They’re supposed to untie it (in other words, “steal it”) and bring it to Him, and if anyone asks them why, they’re supposed to say, “Because the Lord needs it.”

      3.    If someone gave me that plan to carry out, I’d have a bunch of questions

        a)    First, why does Jesus need a colt in the first place? Where does He need to go?

        b)    And if He needs a colt, won’t the one right over there do?  Why go all the way to another village?

        c)     And why’s it so important that the colt has never been ridden?

        d)    And how does Jesus know that a never-been-ridden-colt’s going to be waiting for the two disciples?

        e)     And while we know the Lord needs the colt – for some unexplained reason – is that going to satisfy the owner, whose colt we’re stealing?

    C.  But the disciples don’t ask any of those questions – they just go get the colt

      1.    And the owners do ask them, “Where exactly do you think you’re going with our colt?”

      2.    And the disciples say, “Jesus needs it,” and that seems to satisfy the owners

      3.    “Go figure”

    D.  This isn’t the only time Jesus did something like that

      1.    He told the disciples to gather up a few baskets of bread and fish, when it was painfully obvious that that wouldn’t come close to feeding 5000 people

      2.    He told the disciples to turn the other cheek to people who mistreated them

      3.    He told them to forgive people way more than those folks deserved to be forgiven

      E.  Jesus did that all the time – He told people what to do without telling them why, even when it made no sense

        1.    And He expected them to do it, because He knows what’s good for us better than we do

III.  Things are much different nowadays

    A.  We say we believe the Bible, but we don’t follow it as completely – some would say “blindly” – as the disciples did back then

    B.  If God were to walk in the door and ask us if we followed His commands, some would be simple

      1.    We don’t murder people

      2.    We don’t commit adultery

        a)    Or at least I hope we don’t do those things

    C.  But others would be more difficult

      1.    Like hunger

        a)    Jesus: “When I was hungry, you gave me food.”

        b)    800 million people in the world are malnourished

      2.    Like thirst

        a)    Jesus: “When I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink.”

        b)    ¼ of developing world without access to safe water

        3.    Like shelter

        a)    Jesus: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

        b)    100 million people homeless; 500 million more without adequate shelter

      4.    Like health care

        a)    Jesus: “I was sick and you took care of me.”

        b)    80 million Americans will be without health insurance at some point this year

      5.    Like tithing, which is part of how we help with all those other problems

        a)    There are tons of verses in the Bible about tithing – giving 10% of your income (not just money) to God’s work

          (1)  The firstfruits – the first and the best

        b)    God’s pretty serious about it

          (1)  In Malachi the Bible says that not tithing is equivalent to robbing God!

IV.Stewardship

    A.  It’s fitting that our stewardship sermon falls on Christ the King, because this is something we’re commanded to do

    B.  First, remember that stewardship isn’t just about money

      1.    Definition of stewardship

        a)    All that I do with all that I have, after I say, “I believe.”

    C.  In Scripture, the tithe pertains to the first fruits of our labors

      1.    Which means time and energy, as well as money

      2.    First hour of every day, first day of every week, first dime on every dollar

V.   This is a challenging topic to bring up, because it does have something to do with money

    A.  These are tough economic times

    B.  Lots of generosity this past year

      1.    New roof on rectory

      2.    New siding on rectory

      3.    Organ to be renovated

    C.  So I want to say first and foremost: THANKS

    D.  This is a challenging year, because there aren’t big projects

      1.    There’s the day-to-day

      2.    The valuing of people

      3.    The obedience to God’s word

VI.Let’s get concrete

    A.  Using unanimous vestry resolution

      1.    Can’t expect anyone to do what we won’t do

        a)    RESOLUTION

        We the vestry of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church believe that we should support God’s work with the first fruits of our labors. While we recognize that tithing is the scriptural goal, we all commit to prayerful consideration and proportional giving with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

    B.  First, tithing is the Scriptural goal

      1.    Full stop

      2.    It is possible

        a)    Pam and I tithe

        b)    Didn’t used to – but had to if we were going to ask others to

        c)     It’s hard

        d)    It’s odd – accountant always remarks on it

          (1)  The average American gives 3.2% of their money away

        e)     By the way, which demographic gives the most?

          (1)  Families earning <$10,000 give >5%

    C.  Second, this is about proportional giving

      1.    Not what’s left over: the first fruits

        a)    Then celebrate to the Lord by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord has given you. — Deuteronomy 16:10

      2.    Taking it off the top, and allowing everything else to fall into place

      3.    It’s like going to church

        a)    We don’t wake up on Sunday morning and see if we can squeeze in the time between paying the bills and doing the laundry

          (1)  Or at least I hope we don’t

        b)    Church is our duty, our pleasure, our solace – other things make room for it

      4.    Saint Paul’s does that, too

        a)    4% this past year, off the top, for outreach

        b)    Tithing on our heating oil so that others can stay warm

        c)     Recent decisions to tap into funds to contribute to the food shelf, to support the work of the Kellermann’s, etc.

VII.         Let’s get concrete

    A.  What am I asking you to do?

      1.    I’m asking you to prayerfully consider what you’re going to do with all that you have, after you say, “I believe.”

      2.    I’m asking you to face the fact that the Bible commands us to tithe

        a)    No parentheses

        b)    No “well, but …”’s

      3.    I’m asking you to engage in proportional giving

        a)    Don’t see what’s left over after you’ve done all the other things you want to do

        b)    Determine through prayer what God is calling you to give, and then give it

          (1)  In terms of time
          (2)  In terms of energy
          (3)  In terms of money

      4.    And I’m not asking you to give all of that to Saint Paul’s

        a)    There are a lot of other worthy causes out there

        b)    There are a lot of people who need help more than Saint Paul’s does

          (1)  We recognize that – 4% off the top last year, hopefully more this year

      5.    Lastly, I’m asking you to trust

        a)    To trust that God will provide

        b)    To trust that God will tell you what to give to others

        c)     And I’m telling you that Saint Paul’s is going to trust

          (1)  Because, and let me be clear: I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE!!!!!
          (2)  If I’m going to ask you to trust in God to take care of you, then Saint Paul’s also has to have that same trust
          (3)  Because in the end how much we give has little to do with faith
            (a)    Widow’s mite
            (b)   It’s about doing what God has called us to do, however much that is

VIII.       Finish with a story

    A.  Darfur has been on my heart

    B.  Had already decided to tithe

      1.    We’d already given away our 10% for the year

      2.    But in Darfur people were suffering

        a)    1.5 million displaced from their homes

        b)    Dying at a rate of 10,000 a month

        c)     These were the people Jesus was talking about: the homeless, the hungry, the oppressed

    C.  I thought about what to do, and God gave me a number

      1.    More than we could afford

      2.    More than we had allotted

    D.  Pam and I discussed, and we did it

      1.    It wasn’t easy

      2.    We had to do without some things we wanted

    E.  And I don’t think that God will one day say to us, “Wow!  That was great!”

      1.    I think God will say, “Yes, you did what I expected of you.”

      2.    Because we were just doing what God’s been telling us to do all along

      Then celebrate to the Lord by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord has given you.

    F.   And I hope that all of us will do that

      1.    Because God has told us to

      2.    Because our brothers and sisters need us to

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