Today is the last in our Stewardship Series. Over the last couple of weeks, we have been looking at stewardship in a different light. With Thanksgiving coming up in just a couple of days, it may be worthwhile to stop and reconsider the first part of this series.
This Thursday, hopefully each of us will take a moment to thank God for all the blessings we have been given. When we really stop and take an introspective inventory, we really do have a lot to be thankful for. Yeah, it’s true that some have it better than others, but the one thing that we all have equally is the love of God’s Son, who died so that our sin would never again separate us from God. If for nothing else this Thursday, that is something for which we all need to give thanks.
But, as I spoke of two weeks ago, I think it would be good for us also to stop and listen for God to whisper to us, “Thank You.” That’s right, I believe that God does thank us for those times when we look beyond ourselves and we give of our time and money so that someone else’s life may be touched in Jesus’ name and be given some hope.
God loves it when our attitude is about helping each other out. That’s because God treasures each and every one of us. Stop for a moment to consider just how wonderfully and uniquely each one of us is created. Take a look for a moment at your fingers. Though almost every other person in the world has ten fingers similar to ours, no one else in the world has the same fingerprint. That is amazing! How is that possible? Each one of us, created by a loving God who blew the breath of life into us – and when that breath ceases, this same God promises to bring us together with all the other saints in a place called Heaven.
Why? Why would God do this? Because God loves and treasures you and me. And God asks us to do the same.
Here’s how I know that to be true. Look with me if you will at a passage of scripture from Matthew – a section often referred to as the Greatest Commandment.
This section is prefaced by a few accounts where Jesus made some of the religious rulers mad because he was pointing out that they were missing the point of their religion. They were concentrating on the rules rather than the intent. So, being angry with him usurping their authority, they began questioning him, trying to trap him in something that would allow them to have him arrested. So here we go
Matthew 22:36-40
36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Even this made them angry. Why, because the answer Jesus gave was one they could not dispute. But they still didn’t get it, even with Jesus plainly stating it for them, they still didn’t get it. But you know, they have some good company. It appears that most of us don’t get it either or at least, we forget it quite often.
Let’s take a look here at Jesus’ response to the question. Now to help us do so, let’s pretend we are back in school for a moment and let me ask, What do you suppose is one of the most important words in this passage, but also one of the most overlooked? Well, being back in school, here’s a little ditty to help stimulate your thinking
(Video Clip shown)
And. That one little word makes a huge difference, doesn’t it? What kind of difference would there be if that commandment read something like “Love the Lord you God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength or love your neighbor as yourself.” While there are some people who would like for it to be that way, it’s just not. There is no way that you can make it that way either. You cannot do one without the other. You cannot truly love God without loving your neighbor (yeah, even that mean one who kicks your dog and bites you kids). That’s because God loves our neighbors just as much as us and we cannot love and honor God without loving those God loves.
So, maybe by now you are asking, “How do we love that which God loves?” One of the mainstay hymns of the Christian Faith gives a glimpse into this understanding. Let’s look at it:
The Church’s one foundation
is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is his new creation
by water and the Word.
From Heaven he came and sought her
to be his only bride;
with his blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.
There is a reason that the Church is called the Body of Christ. It is the Church, you and me friends, that Jesus has entrusted the propagation of the gospel, the Good News of Jesus. That’s our mission; to invest our time, our talents, our prayers, our presence, our money, our resources in the Good News of Jesus!
We see this in scripture at the very end of Matthew. Just before Jesus goes up to Heaven, he gathers all his followers together to give them one final instruction – to make sure that his mission, his saving grace is extended to everyone. Here is what he said:
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
In order for his followers to do so, they must be vested in his mission, feel some ownership in it, become the Body of Christ.
And friends, that’s what we must do also, have a vested interest in the mission.
This is the purpose of this series, to help you see that Jesus has entrusted to you the purpose of his being and to change the world.
(Change the World video)
Those were but a few pictures of how we invested ourselves over the last year. Now, God is calling us to even greater areas. Just as we heard last week of the faithful stewards being given even more, so are we. It’s exciting times here at Sunrise!
The packets that you were given last week are tools to help you determine how you can invest in this great commission to go a change the world. Oh, those Estimate of Investment Cards, they are fluid. You can change them as the Spirit enables.
Pray with me.
Sending Out
In the Great Commandment, we often hear it phrase as “Go.” But in the original language, the word “go” is present participle. That means that it is probably better translated to say, “As you are going.” So, here you go friends, “As you are going about you daily lives, love God, love others, make disciples of Jesus.” Go in peace! Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment