Dr. Ron Sumners
August 23, 2009
Few people expected World War I to become a reality. Economic and political tension had been building for a long time but the general feeling was that no wide scale conflict would erupt. Even when the war began, both sides thought it would be a gentleman’s war between professional armies which would be settled in a few weeks.
But then came the battle of the Marne and later the siege of Verdun where 676,000 died. The two sides were locked in hopeless blood-letting with no apparent end. The end came only when an outside force, the American Army, entered the war. With almost limitless industrial resources manpower of America the Allies quickly won the victory.
Many of you here this morning are at war-inside, a war that has little prospect of ending. The victory comes only when we allow the one to enter who can absorb the hostility and forgive the sin and erase the past. That one is Jesus. He comes as God’s gift of grace.
When we receive the gift, our guilt is forgiven. Our hostility is changed to peace. Our anxiety is changed into hope. All this happens when we are willing to accept God’s gift.
We can never become “O.K.” until we understand that God loves us, and that love is a gift. We are of infinite worth to God. He demonstrated that on the cross. His love frees us from the prison of our past. His love makes us friends.
To be a friend of God you must open your heart to receive a gift. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Thanks be to God for HIS unspeakable gift.” (II Cor. 9:15) It was a gift too wonderful for words, a wonder that can never be exhausted.
Jesus, for our sakes, emptied Himself and took on human flesh. He became a pauper on earth that we might become rich, rich in His grace, rich in abundant life. And He did it because He loves us. The cross was the full measure of that love.
But a gift must be received!
If it is a gift, it can’t be earned. If it is a gift of grace, it can’t be merited. There is nothing I can do to make myself worthy of that gift!
But the gift must be received!
The love of God, rich and free, measureless and strong, is a love for every person everywhere. It is a love God has for sinners.
But the gift must be received!
Jesus said, “Behold I stand at the door and knock!” He does not break the door down. He waits to be invited to enter. Jesus does not want followers who must be coerced whether physically or emotionally. The gift of salvation is for those who joyfully receive it. It is totally free and unearned. It is an act of God’s kindness and mercy.
Our sins, our disobedience to God’s commands, our lack of respect for His name, our abuse of His earth, our cruel thoughtlessness of others all have earned us death. But out of His grace, God has given us life. He has shared His best. He has given us the greatest gift of all gifts.
But the gift must be received!
To be a Christian you must also open your heart and make a gift.
The stagnant Christian is one who is always receiving and never giving. Have you ever noticed the unhappy members of the Church? The one who complains, the ones who have lost the joy of coming to church and participating enthusiastically in its life are those who do not give; money or service. If you could check the giving records of any church you’d find that those people who are supportive and enthusiastic and do the work, and are happy in their faith also give the money. Stagnant water stinks! A Christian who wants to take in all the blessings and then try to give in an unworthy manner will become stagnant. He gets critical, uncooperative, faultfinding, inattentive, disinterested and spiritually numb.
Stop giving and your relationship with the Lord grows cold. Stop giving and the fire in your heart goes out. Stop giving and the fear of dying looms with dread in your mind.
Almost everyone loves to share life with others. Hermits are not about to over populate the land. Yet sharing is not easy to do. The mature and joyous Christians are those who have learned the grace of giving. So many have hang-ups about their money. It is not a source of joy but pain.
Dr. Karl Menninger said to a patient one day, “What on earth are you going to do with all that money?” The fellow replied, “Just worry about it, I suppose.” The doctor asked him, “Do you get that much pleasure out of worrying about it?” “No, but I get such terror when I think of giving some of it to someone else.”
One of the grandest scenes in the book of Acts is the one that tells how the church met regularly for prayer. They were of one heart and mind. They didn’t hold on selfishly to what they had. Everyone was sharing. The apostles preached powerful sermons about the resurrection of Jesus and there was a warm fellowship among the believers. No one went in need because they shared what they had.
Christians want to give of themselves! There is a delightful story that I read about a teacher who was having her class tell what they wanted to become when they grew up. Some wanted to be doctors, nurses, teachers, farmers. (No one said they wanted to be a preacher) When they were almost finished, Johnny still had not responded. He wasn’t the brightest child in the class and the teacher hardly knew what to expect. In fact, she had almost decided not to ask. But to be fair, she did, “Johnny, tell us, what are you going to be?” Johnny replied, “When I grow up, I am going to lead blind men down the street.”
So often we choose our vocation on the basis of what we can get. How much happier we would be if we would choose on the basis of what we can give.
Some of you are thinking, “Ron, that’s too idealistic!”
No, it isn’t. It is the cure for the misery at the heart of this world! And seeing our relationship to this church as what we can give, will solve almost any barriers that we have in trying to be God’s true church.
Have you ever read O Henry’s Christmas story, The Gift of the Magi? It is a story of a man and his wife who are in love. They were poor but they had dignity and a sense of worth.
The man had a watch which had been passed from father to son for several generations. It was his most precious possession.
Christmas was coming. Neither had enough money to buy the other a gift. So, the man sold his watch and bought a pearl comb for his wife’s hair. At about the same time she cut her hair and sold it to buy a gold chain for her husband’s watch.
The story is simple yet profound: two people shared a treasured part of themselves with each other.
There is no better way to bring out that better part of you than to share yourself with others.
Many of you were asked to assume places of service in church for this year. You said, “No!” How much more meaningful would church be to you had you said “Yes”. And if you don’t start giving of yourself you’ll never have the joy you could have in your faith!
Mature and joyous Christians want to give their financial blessings.
Money is power. It is power in your hands to make the kingdom of God flourish. Money is power in your hands to ease the burden of the sick, the old, the homeless, the poor, the lost. The salvation of the world waits on our giving. Money is power in your hands not only to help those with whom you share but to help yourself. Nothing makes more demands upon us than money.
Do you control your money or does it control you?
The bible says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” (II Cor. 9:7) Paul called on Christians to be leaders in the spirit of cheerful giving. The word “cheerful” is better translated “with laughter and song.” Is there joy in your heart because God has given you the privilege of giving to advance His Kingdom?
Basically, there are two things a person can give; himself and what he owns. God lays claim on both. What you own is an extension of yourself. You cannot separate what you own from what you are. For life to be worth living, it must be given away. For seed to produce a harvest, it must be freely sown.
Paul appealed to the church in II Cor. 6:13, “Widen your hearts.” He wanted them to give the same kind of love they had received. What if we were to give like God has given to us? O my, what this church could do!
A big heart reduces conflict. It has more tolerance, a wider vision, a gentle spirit. Jesus widens hearts! He turns a lust for these things into a love for others. The blight of a narrow heart has kept the world ignorant of the gospel; it has made slums grow in polluted cities; it has bound the church and hindered its work more than any other disease. And the debilitation disease of a narrow heart still hinders the church from the glorious task God has given us.
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