Is it a Sacrifice?

HFUMC
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Mark 12:38-44
Nov 11, 2018

13 Let brotherly love continue. ² Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. ³ Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you also are in the body. ⁴ Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the immoral and adulterous. ⁵ Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never fail you nor forsake you.” ⁶ Hence we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper,
I will not be afraid;
what can man do to me?”

⁷ Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.

¹⁵ Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. ¹⁶ Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

³⁸ And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places ³⁹ and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, ⁴⁰ who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

⁴¹ And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴² And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. ⁴³ And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. ⁴⁴ For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.”

Today’s scripture comes from Hebrews, but it feels like it comes from Proverbs.   Little nuggets – each one line long.   It is hard to preach on this whole scripture because it bounces all over and doesn’t have any one common theme to it.    So I am going to focus in on one verse of it today.   We have read the whole thing so you can hear it and learn from it but I am going to talk about the last line.

Verse 16:  “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Pretty easy passage I would think.  Short and sweet.  You might want to hit the Easy Button and say that was easy and go home.    Not so quick!   There is one word in that short little line that is exploding with meaning.   Can anyone guess what it is?

Sacrifices……Yes Sacrifices….. “for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”    Why Pastor Joelle what do you mean?  We do good every day and share what we have.  Yes you do.  I have witnessed it, I have seen it and I have even been a recipient of it.  This church is a very loving church and I Praise God he placed me here among you.   I love it here.  But here is the question.   Does it hurt?  Does it hurt when you do good and share what you have?  I am not saying it has to hurt, but I am saying that God is smiling if there is a sacrifice involved.    When we share out of our excess it is not really a sacrifice now is it.  When our giving has a sacrifice to it, it means a whole lot more to the receiver as well as God.

Let me ask a few questions.   Don’t answer out loud…to yourself…think about these questions.

1. Have you ever let the offering plate pass you by because you have nothing left to give? I know some give monthly but I am not referring to that.
2. Have you ever calculated your tithe right down to the last dollar or penny and only give that and nothing more?
3. Have you put your check or money in the plate so that all could see how generous you are?
4. Have you rolled or folded up your money when it is only a dollar or two so that someone doesn’t know it is only a dollar or two and you would rather them think it might be a $20 or more when you put it in the plate?
5. When faced with the decision to give your last bit of something (doesn’t have to be money) to someone else that is in need you hold back because you might want or need it yourself?
6. Do you ever fall into the trap of giving primarily for the approval of others? Why do you think this is?
7. Have you ever given all you had? Why or Why not?

These are just a few examples I wanted you to think about.   I could keep going. Would you be shocked to know that your pastor has answered yes to all these things at one time or another in her life……I know shocking isn’t it?   What, I am not perfect?   Yes, I am not perfect.

God has done a whole lot of teaching with me and he isn’t done with me yet…….I can tell you that I am not proud of a lot of things I have done in the past.

So let’s talk sacrifice……If I was wealthy and I only gave back to God 10% do you think that would be a sacrifice?   To be a sacrifice I think you need to feel a little something of pain or sadness to make it really be a sacrifice.  If I was writing a check to an organization like a bill and it didn’t really take all that much from me to do it, I don’t know as that would be called a sacrifice.    Yes, you give something up but did you really sacrifice something?

Remember in the scriptures when we learned about the widow.

⁴⁴ For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.” Mark 12:44

The widow gave “two small copper coins, which amount to a cent” (Mark 12:42). The King James version refers to them as “mites.” Although we can’t calculate their exact value in today’s money, we know these were the smallest coins used by the Jews at the time.

Jesus was teaching us that the widow’s gift was much greater because from her it was a sacrifice.   She has given more.   She didn’t have anything else to give, but gave it all up.  That which she needed to live.  Nothing left to buy food with.  I bet that made God smile.

(insert a smiley face on powerpoint) 

Let’s look at another scripture:

Matthew 6:1-4. 6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Now it was clear that Jesus noticed how much the rich put in the collection.    I would probably be right if I guessed they probably had their chests puffed out a bit and put it in so that all could see how much they put in.   Wanting all to see how generous they were.    I am reminded of a time when James and I took our turn ringing the bell at the kettle at Christmas time outside a store.   Everyone came up and put in their money in the kettle, pennies, nickels, dimes, dollars, whatever they had.   One man made a point of handing me $100 bill.  I said to him, no don’t give it to me but put it in the kettle.   He said to me.   No you do it, I wanted you to see how much I gave.  That really sickened me.   He was doing it for the glory of himself.   Look at me.   That is what the rich men were doing in this passage.   If I am honest with myself, I have done it too in my life.    Not proud of it.    However I don’t think in either case God was smiling.

(insert a frown face)

Now the widow who gave all she had.   Wow.    I can tell you that I have sat in the pew many a time when I had nothing to give and gave nothing.  There was a time in our life when James was out of work because of medical issues and in and out of hospitals.   I had to pay the COBRA payments because we couldn’t afford to not pay them with all the medical bills.   Our lives were set up with expectation of two incomes.   I was still working and my whole paycheck went to the mortgage, cobra, insurance and required bills.  We had two young kids.   We made too much to eligible for public assistance.   Well really we had $77 left for the month for food.  I didn’t have anything to give.   I was in that widow’s shoes (actually probably better off than she was) and I had kids counting on me.   But I did not sacrifice like she did.   I let the collection plate go right by me week in and week out.    I did not even have the energy in me to give of my time because I was working, going to school and taking care of a family.   So I gave nothing.   God never let us go hungry though.   I do not know how it happened but we always had something to eat.   But I did not have the faith that widow had to put in all she had.   Was God smiling or frowning?  I do not know.   But I know when I look back at that, I am frowning and unhappy with myself.  I was sacrificing for my family but not for God.   There were certainly others who were worse off than I.   I did not put God first.  I did not trust God to take care of me if I gave my last.

(insert a smile and a frown)

We have gone through many seasons of growth and learning on the road to understanding the word sacrifice in this passage.  He is still teaching me about this today.   We are on a never-ending path of learning.

Fast forward many years when our lives were more on track with where God wanted us to be.  We have learned much more about putting God first.  We went through a period when we calculated our tithe to the exact amount and made sure we met that tithe.   And then God walked us through learning to lean on him and to still put the tithe in first, even when we couldn’t afford it.   Our thought process had evolved to Pay God First.  He gets the first fruits and the best of what we have.   What is left over gets divided and if there is not enough to go around, someone else would be the one to not get paid or we would not be buying groceries.  But God would be first to be paid.   When money was so tight we would pull the money out as soon as the paycheck came around and put it in our envelopes so that we would not have any fear of spending it before God got paid.    The action helped us to feel he was FIRST.   I want to believe that God was smiling.

(insert smiley face)

This passage teaches that God considers the motive, attitude, and financial condition of the giver when determining the gift’s value.

He wants a cheerful giver – he tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:7:

⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Those who have an abundance usually spend it on themselves–better possessions, nicer vacations, or upgraded homes or cars. Or they may pay for more services and conveniences.  Those with financial shortages often resist giving to the Lord’s work or to those less fortunate. They cling to what little they have, fearing there won’t be enough if they give.  No matter which category we fall into, as a believer, we are called to be generous. Even the poor should give to the church and other people in need.  This is contrary to worldly wisdom, which says not to give if you have a shortfall. But poverty is not an excuse to hold back.

Jesus commended the widow for giving, though she had almost nothing. Each person should give in proportion to his or her income.   If you have much to give, you should give much.  If you don’t have much to give you give less.   But you give.   If you have been blessed to the point that a 10% tithe is not really sacrificing for you, you may want to rethink that.  Pray about it!  The Lord reminds us that it is very hard for a rich person to make it to the kingdom of heaven.

Luke 12:42-48

⁴² The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³ It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. ⁴⁸ But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

 We have been talking money here but it doesn’t even have to be monetary.   Helping people out with the gifts that God has graced you with.   Helping with projects around the house, or cooking, cleaning, taking care of people, giving of our time.

Now it tells us in

1 Corinthians 16:1-2:  16 Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. ² On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

Note it says on the first day of the week put it aside…..not at the end of the week after everything else is paid.  This is the concept of GOD FIRST.

Proverbs 11:24-25 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Proverbs 22:16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich — both come to poverty.

Proverbs 28:27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

I pray that when we give of our time, energy and money to our Lord we are not using the EASY button but worshipping him by our sacrificial giving.   Let us make God Smile.

(insert smiley face)

AMEN!

Testify to the Truth

HFUMC
November 25, 2018
John 18:33-37
Rev 1:4b-8

³³ Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” ³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.” ³⁷ Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.”

 

⁴ John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶ and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. ⁷ Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

 

This is Christ the King Sunday.   What makes a person a King?    There is Pedigree.  They are born into that role.   Kings are not elected like our Presidents are.   They are born to be a king to replace their father who reigned before them.   They are groomed from a very young age to be prepared to take over as king one day.    Kings are usually quite wealthy, have a silver spoon in their mouth, so to speak, and have been treated with favor from the day they were born.  Once they are Kings, they generally have a huge military to protect their servants and their kingdom.    They wield an awful lot of power.   Many people have died at the hand of a King who has wielded his power.    There also is a great deal of respect for the office of King as well as the fear of the power of the King.

Jesus was not recognized as a King because even though He was born into that role, no one recognized that.   Why is that?   Well first of all he was born of an unwed mother, which in those days was a very shameful thing.   For a mother in that situation, she was shunned or even stoned.   People questioned who the father was.    Because of that Jesus lineage was in question.    And even if it wasn’t in question, the family was not wealthy by any means or considered to be royalty.   The blood line was there but it wasn’t obvious to ANYONE.  In hindsight, we can go back through the lineage and see it, but they didn’t see it.   He had the Pedigree but it was not honored or even recognized.  There were many skeletons in the closet of Jesus’ family tree.   Humble beginnings, being born into a stable for one.   No silver spoon there.   He certainly didn’t have anyone fearing Him or he would have had a room when He was born.   He wasn’t groomed to be king when he grew up.  He didn’t have a military for him to command either    When he did go into ministry though, he did have quite a rag tag bunch of groupies following Him.   Probably the kind of folks that the good mothers of the young Jewish boys would tell their boys to stay clear of.   He had some radical ideas that didn’t exactly mesh with the established Jewish practices of the day.  There was nothing regal about him at all. His followers were from the lowest classes of society. He attracted Samaritans, lepers, demon possessed folks, tax collectors, fishermen, women of ill repute, the poor, and those marginalized by the ruling class of religious leaders. At best, Jesus could easily be confused with the many other zealots and rabble rousers that appeared on the scene during Rome’s occupation of Palestine.

Pilot asks Jesus if he is the King of the Jews.   That is kind of a weird question, isn’t it?   After all Jesus was at Pilot’s place because the Jewish ruling class and religious leaders sent Him there.   They wanted Pilot to fix this problem that this rabble rouser Jesus was to them.   Calling him the King of the Jews.  Can you imagine Pilot’s confusion?  He doesn’t know what to do either.    Then Jesus tells Him that His kingdom is from another world.    Not another country, but another world.   What kind of answer is that to a person like Pilot?   Yeah, beam me up scotty.    I want to see this other world.   What do you mean another world?   Where is it?  If this happened today, it would be all over the news about this “fake news” that Jesus claims to have a Kingdom in another world.  Oh there is so much politics and power play going on wherever Jesus walked — between Ceasaer, Herod, Pilot.   It is all everyone.  Who has the power in this story?   The rulers of the establishment, the true kings, the religious leaders or Jesus?  When Jesus is questioned more he tells them that His servants would fight for Him if there were in His kingdom.   He tells them:

“You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Ooh, this tells us that truth has sides.  The truth can be hard to hear.   The truth can sound like it doesn’t make sense?   What Jesus was telling them didn’t make sense.   Jesus tells us He is here to testify to the truth.   The truth can be weird.   And there is another side of truth that is not truth and that side doesn’t listen to Jesus.  This is a pretty important concept for us to hear.   Another thing that completely stood out to me was that Jesus said, “But now my Kingdom is from another place.”    The part I want you to notice is the “But now”.    That tells us there will be a later doesn’t it.   So at this time, Jesus’ Kingdom is elsewhere while he is still here in the kingdom of the earthly kings and under the authority of the rulers here in this world.    And because His kingdom is elsewhere that is why his servants didn’t fight his arrest.     So Jesus is wielded to the authority of the earthly leaders and kings.    And those leaders who have the military might and seemingly all the power of coercion and reciprocity that a person of this world could have were completely rendered impotent over the power of death by Jesus’ death and resurrection.    And Jesus who seemingly had no power, no military might, no power of coercion or reciprocity had the ultimate power over death by his death on the cross and his resurrection.

That truth just didn’t make sense did it.   It was other worldly.   And still today people are screaming “fake news” when presented with the gospel.    And as Jesus clearly stated, “everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”    And we see those who are on the other side of truth don’t listen to Him.   They try to silence Him at every turn.    It completely amazes me how hard people still try to silence Jesus.  Over 2000 years later, He still is not silenced and He still causes people to get so angry while they try to eliminate Him from this world.   They have not been successful and they will not be successful.   The harder they try to rid the world of Him, the more people recognize Him.  It just doesn’t make sense….but on the other hand, if you are on the right side of truth, it makes complete sense.

Truth doesn’t need coercion.   Truth doesn’t need power or authority or respect of office.   Truth just is and is always right.    Truth may not make sense, but we no matter how much you argue against it, it is always truth.     Jesus came to testify to truth.  And since the rulers and leaders with all the power failed to subdue Him, Jesus proved that no earthly kingdom has the power and authority over Jesus’ other worldly kingdom.

So the question of the day is which side of truth are you on?   We know there are two sides.    And whichever side we are on is the side that we serve.    Because King’s are served by their subjects.   Earthly king’s or leaders are served by their subjects or people and so is our heavenly King, Jesus.   If you are on His, Jesus, side of truth, then that means something to us.   We are to serve.     In our reading in Revelation we see that Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth even.

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits^[a] before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶ and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. (v4-6)

If we are on the right side of truth then we are part of His kingdom and are priests to serve his God and Father.   That makes Him our King.   That places Him over other rulers and authorities here on earth.   He may let them have their way and think that they have the power and authority.   They may wield that power and authority, and only because they are allowed to do so.  They may even do evil with that power.  But they still do not have the ultimate authority.   Our King does not Lord it over them.   He simply loves and serves.   This is where his weapons of warfare are.   He overcomes evil with good.  Hate with Love, Love trumps all.   Light, Love and Truth.   That is our King Jesus!  Which side of truth are you on?  Do you stand with Jesus or with the world?   We all serve someone.  Whom do you serve?  Who is your King?  Amen!