Sunday 11/19/23 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “Encourage One Another And Build Up Each Other!”
Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 123
New Testament Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 25:14-30
Imagine a church that loves Jesus, that
preaches the gospel, that is serious about missions, and that also loves and
cares for each other. I can preach the full gospel every Sunday, which through
the power of the Holy Spirit, I always strive to do. I can love Jesus and we
can all love Jesus. We can be serious about missions, like shoe boxes, the Food
Bank, missionaries, etc., but if we don’t truly love and care for each other,
are we really living into the fullness of what the body of Christ is supposed
to be?
By this I mean, a church can preach a
great gospel and biblical message, but it might not do any missions. A church
can love Jesus, but it not be very warm and loving to each other. For those of
us that have attended different churches in our lives, we have probably seen
different types of church, with different focuses, and different church cultures.
I believe that we have and are continuing to build a Christian family here at
Sidney UMC that spreads the gospel of Jesus Christ, loves Jesus, is serious
about missions and service, and also loves and care for each other deeply. The
body of Christ by definition is an extension of our family, and we love Jesus,
share Jesus, and serve others.
A healthy and growing church, I
believe strives to do all of these things well, and a healthy and growing
church also is strengthening current ministries and adding new ministries. A
healthy and growing church is seeking new ways to reach new people for Christ,
to meet the needs of people, and to speak and live our faith in Christ. I want
people to love being part of our church. I want people to grow closer to
Christ, closer to each other, and to be challenged to turn away from sin and brokenness,
as we seek Christ together. I want people to be part of a church where the
people feel like they can create and lead ministry, not just the pastor.
Specifically, a church where people are pursuing God’s call on their lives, in
the church, and in general. A church that looks and loves like Jesus Christ.
A church like that is a church worth
fighting for, investing in, and promoting. So much so, that if we love a church
like that enough, we might even be willing to give some of our time, our
talent, and our treasure to support the church. In fact, a church like this is
captured well this morning by the Apostle Paul, once again, in our reading from
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. The Apostle Paul ends this reading, once again, with
5:11 saying:
11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each
other, as indeed you are doing (1 Thess. 5:11, NRSV).
I
believe, brothers and sisters, we invest our time, our talents, and our
treasure in things that we believe in and care about. On this “Consecration
Sunday,” our church finance committee has asked me to give my famous “Sermon on
the Amount” message. To talk some about giving. I have been in churches where
the pastor railed about giving ten-percent to the church. Some did this because
they felt it was what was required, some did this happily, and some not so
happily. I met people unhappy with there church or pastor, or both, who keep
attending because it is, as they say, “there church”. That level of commitment is
admirable, but what does it say about us to stay part of something because you
made a commitment, but at the same time you longer get any growth or joy out of
it? Should we have expectations on the what our church is supposed to be? Yes,
I think so!
Given
all this, as I said, we give to what we love and believe in. Some of us really
love to give to the church of MacDonald’s, or perhaps the church of Pepsi or
Coke, to the church of Ford or Chevy, to the church of Spectrum TV, etc. If it
is something that we don’t like, and if we are not forced to use our time, our
talent, and our treasure we often do not extend those things.
What
I have hoped for all twelve years that I have been in ministry is to have
churches where the people feel like that, they are part of something
significant, and bigger than themselves. Being part of a church, because the church
is your people, your family, and because you love and learn with your family.
Most people that I know don’t feel this way when they pay their annual taxes to
the IRS or the State of New York.
The
question I have asked churches before, is if you had millions of dollars, what
would you spend it on? There are various options, but we tend to put our time,
our talent, and our treasure into things that we value and love. There are
things we have to pay, like taxes, insurances, etc., but we are excited to pay
that five-percent or ten-percent, or whatever it is? Imagine if were excited to
pay our taxes, if we were excited to pay our car insurance, mortgage, or rent?
Believing in something makes all the difference, and when a church is united in
mission, vision, and purpose, then we are more likely to offer our time, our
talent, and our treasure. I would say on some level it is not just biblical,
but it is also common sense.
If
our community of faith is part of the bedrock of our lives, then the church is
doing well what is supposed to be doing. The church grows because we are rooted
in Christ, because we preach and live like Christ, we love and serve like Christ,
and we love and serve each other. We hear in the first verse of our Psalm 123
reading for this morning, in Psalm 123:1, once again:
1 To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! (Ps. 123:1, NRSV).
Are we encountering Christ in this place, through our
community of faith, and are we living our faith out together? I know that I am.
I really love this church and the people in it. I love Sidney and the people of
Sidney. When my parents visited last Sunday, for example, they told me that if
they lived closer that they would be in this church every Sunday. This is not
just because their son is the pastor, but because this church preaches and shares
Christ, serves and loves like Christ, and loves each other like Christ. It is a
warm, friendly, and welcoming church.
The Apostle Paul says as much to the church in Thessalonica
or the Thessalonians this morning, once again, in our 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
reading. The Apostle Paul writes beginning in 1 Thessalonians 5:1,
5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you (1 Thess. 5:1, NRSV).
While the Apostle Paul does mention some concerns for the church
in Thessolica or the Thessalonians to consider in 1 Thessalonians, this is mostly
a letter of encouragement. Some of the Apostle Paul’s letters were written
because some churches had real problems that needed addressing. Further, I saw
a funny meme recently that said, “If the Apostle Paul was alive today, we would
be getting a letter.” Whether its Romans, or Philippians, or Ephesians, or Thessalonians,
this meme said we would all be getting a letter. I just like in this reading
though, that the Apostle Paul said to the Thessalonian, you don’t really need a
letter, but I wanted to write to encourage you. Amazing!
The Apostle Paul also wrote first Thessalonians to tell the
church in Thessalonica about the second coming of Christ to earth. To this end,
the Apostle Paul picks up in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, saying once again:
2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! (1 Thess. 5:2-3, NRSV).
Scriptures like this remind us that one day Jesus will
return, and that when bad things happen, it can get us thinking about how soon
this return will be. Whenever a war breaks out, there is genocide, or a massive
illness, many begin thinking and discussing if the time of the Christ’s return
is coming soon. We of course have no idea when this will be, and the Apostle
Paul tells us to stay ready and vigilant.
The Apostle Paul encourages the Thessalonians,
picking up in 5:4, saying, once again:
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6 So, then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober, 7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober and put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation (1 Thess. 5:4-8, NRSV).
The Apostle Paul tells the Thessalonians and us to stay focused
on Christ, to share Christ, to live and love like Christ, to serve like Christ,
and to love each other like Christ. We should not take our lives or our faith
for granted, as we have a promise from Jesus, both now and eternally. In fact, to
further encourage the Thessalonians and us, tell us, picking up in Thessalonians
5:9, once again:
9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing (1 Thess. 5:9-11, NRSV).
Preach and share Jesus Christ, love like Jesus, care for and
serve others like Jesus, reach out in missions and service, and love and care
for the body of Christ. The formula for the church that was instituted by
Christ, and is being emphasized by the Apostle Paul this morning.
On this our “Consecration Sunday,” where I was, I asked to
preach my annual “Sermon on the amount” sermon, you will notice that we have
giving cards for 2024. Bright orange, in fact! It is amazing to me that church
has existed in many countries for two-thousand years by the giving, the faith,
and the generosity of the body of Christ. Some countries still pay a “church
tax,” were citizens fund the churches through taxation, but many countries fund
the church through the giving of the people. The reality then is that the
church has the resources we need, when we are willing to give of our time our
talent, and our treasures. I tend to only want to give to those things that I believe
it. I believe in this church, and so Melissa and I give all we can.
In introducing our gospel lesson for this morning, which is
the parable or story of the talents, once again, we hear about handling what
God gives us wisely. This reminds me of when I started seminary school in 2010,
and then graduated in 2014. I was determined to finish with no student loans,
which was no easy feat! I also think of the Christian financial expert Dave
Ramsey, who often quotes part of Proverbs 22:7, which says:
the borrower is the
slave of the lender (Prov. 22:7b, NRSV).
In
order to achieve my goal of finishing seminary with no seminary debt I worked
up to 80-hours a week, while going to school full-time, and for two years of
seminary, serving two churches. I worked so much in fact, the last year that I
was a part time pastor I made almost twice what I make now. All this money
however, was going to pay for school, books, and school related expenses.
In hindsight
the schedule that I ran during seminary was reckless, to say the least, and the
last month I was in school, I was so burned out that sometimes when I woke in
the morning, I saw sparkles briefly for a few minutes. My body could not digest
meat, and I longed for sleep. I know many people that have a lot of student
debt however, and this is huge problem in our country today.
The
reason I was so vigilant, through scholarships, working, grants, etc., to pay
my way through seminary, was not because I was worried about the Christian
Church or the body of Christ. We know that in Matthew 16:18 that Jesus says
that the gates of hell will not overcome the church. I am not worried about the
future of Christian Church, but I do think that some of our institutions could
be in jeopardy. I want to be able to serve Christ and be less of a financial liability
for a church. Meaning I can serve Christ through the church, and will continue
to do so, even if I am at church that can’t pay me much at all. This is the sacrifice
that made for four years during seminary.
This
has allowed Melissa and I to be give more of our time, our talent, and our resources
to our church family, and to the church in general. Melissa and I don’t live
fancy lives, and after our basic expenses are met, we give as much as we can.
As the founder of the Methodist Movement, John Wesley said:
“gain all you can, secondly save all you can, then give all you can” (https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/book-review-of-simple-rules-for-money-john-wesley-on-earning-saving-and-giv#:~:text=Wesley%20famously%20preached%20that%20Christians,current%20ideas%20on%20living%20faithfully.)
It sounds easy, but it can be incredibly hard. We give of
who we are, what we are, and what we have, and hopefully to things that we believe
in. I remember reading once that John Wesley at his height earned about
$300,000 a year in today’s money, yet he gave away ninety-percent of it. Giving
can be a tough topic to talk about, but it is why this church family has
existed for almost two-hundred years.
In diving into the parable or the story of the talents for,
let’s look once again at our gospel of Matthew 25:14-20 reading for this morning.
Starting in Matthew 25:14, Jesus says once again:
14 “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. At once 16 the one who had received the five talents went off and traded with them and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’ (Mt. 25:14-30, NRSV).
Our relationship with our time, our talent, and our treasure
that God has entrusted us with matters. Many of us don’t like discussing this topic,
but it is important. If I didn’t run the crazy schedule that I had in seminary,
Melissa and I might not be able to fund our Compassion International Child and
other things. Could Melissa and I buy a new car with an expensive car payment?
I guess we could swing it, but then we wouldn’t be able to give away nearly as
much.
Again, we are all different, but where we put our time, our
talent, and our treasure speaks to what we love. As we prayerfully consider our
giving to God through our church family and the church in general in 2024, we
get to ask to God where we should best spend our time, our talent, and our resources.
Melissa and I plan to give a more next year. We will make sacrifices if needed,
because we believe we are in a church the preaches and shares Christ, serves
and loves like Christ, takes missions and outreach seriously, and are part of a
church that loves and cares for each other. We believe that we are part of authentic
Christian Church, and because we love Jesus and the church, we give.
We also believe that God blesses our faithfulness in various
ways. When we are faithful to God, God can bless us and grow us in a variety of
ways. As my step-dad Mike always said when I was young, “You can’t out give God”.
So, as we continue to “Encourage One Another And Build Up Each Other,” may we
prayerfully consider where we put our time, our talent and our treasure. With
this said, this concludes my annual “Sermon on the amount!” Amen.
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