Living in the World as a Christian Part 2

Colossians 3:1-11 Living in the world as a Christian Part 2 8th Sunday of Pentecost Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship One: Our Loving God gathers us from the east and the west, from the north and from the south. Many: The Holy One is in our midst. Let us say so! One: We cried out to our God in the time of trouble and eased our distress. Many: The Holy One is in our midst. God leads us on right paths. One: Our Provider satisfies our thirst and meets our needs. Many: The Holy One is in our midst. Consider God’s steadfast! (United Church of Christ Worship Ways – Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay) Invocation Holy Love, we worship you as your people. You tether us to you in righteousness and covenant. Reveal your face to us. Let us see you in our midst, in our neighbors, and in ourselves. Clothe us in love and compassion, and continually fashion us as your people for you are our God. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay) Song Help Us Accept Each Other UMH 560 Prayer for Transformation and New Life Gracious One, you have knit us together wonderfully. You have promised your abiding presence in our lives and have guided us with love. We turn away from you and toward the path to destruction and discord. We judge our neighbor rather than love them and we fail to even honor ourselves as your beloved creation. Amen. ( United Church of Christ Worship Ways – Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay) Scripture Colossians 3:1-11 Sermon Being Christian in the World Part 2 Perhaps you have heard the story about the eagle that thought he was a chicken. Fable of the Eagle and the Chicken A fable is told about an eagle that thought he was a chicken. When the eagle was very small, he fell from the safety of his nest. A chicken farmer found the eagle, brought him to the farm, and raised him in a chicken coop among his many chickens. The eagle grew up doing what chickens do, living like a chicken, and believing he was a chicken. A naturalist came to the chicken farm to see if what he had heard about an eagle acting like a chicken was really true. He knew that an eagle is king of the sky. He was surprised to see the eagle strutting around the chicken coop, pecking at the ground, and acting very much like a chicken. The farmer explained to the naturalist that this bird was no longer an eagle. He was now a chicken because he had been trained to be a chicken and he believed that he was a chicken. The naturalist knew there was more to this great bird than his actions showed as he “pretended” to be a chicken. He was born an eagle and had the heart of an eagle, and nothing could change that. The man lifted the eagle onto the fence surrounding the chicken coop and said, “Eagle, thou art an eagle. Stretch forth thy wings and fly.” The eagle moved slightly, only to look at the man; then he glanced down at his home among the chickens in the chicken coop where he was comfortable. He jumped off the fence and continued doing what chickens do. The farmer was satisfied. “I told you it was a chicken,” he said. The naturalist returned the next day and tried again to convince the farmer and the eagle that the eagle was born for something greater. He took the eagle to the top of the farmhouse and spoke to him: “Eagle, thou art an eagle. Thou dost belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth thy wings and fly.” The large bird looked at the man, then again down into the chicken coop. He jumped from the man’s arm onto the roof of the farmhouse. Knowing what eagles are really about, the naturalist asked the farmer to let him try one more time. He would return the next day and prove that this bird was an eagle. The farmer, convinced otherwise, said, “It is a chicken.” The naturalist returned the next morning to the chicken farm and took the eagle and the farmer some distance away to the foot of a high mountain. They could not see the farm nor the chicken coop from this new setting. The man held the eagle on his arm and pointed high into the sky where the bright sun was beckoning above. He spoke: “Eagle, thou art an eagle! Thou dost belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth thy wings and fly.” This time the eagle stared skyward into the bright sun, straightened his large body, and stretched his massive wings. His wings moved, slowly at first, then surely and powerfully. With the mighty screech of an eagle, he flew. This story is a good summary of the message of Colossians. As I said this message is a continuation of last week message of what it means for us to live in the world as Christians. In chapter 2 Paul is doing some very gentle teaching about what it means to be a Christian. In chapter 3 he changes his intention a little and he is preaching – telling us what we should be doing with that knowledge. People who don’t know God live as chickens looking at the ground, and when we are resurrected in Christ we are encouraged to look up to the sky for our guidance. It is nothing wrong with identifying with the people of the world. But the mark of a true Christian is baptism. When we are baptized then we are dead to the sin of the world and alive and raised in the resurrection of Christ. We are eagles in the spirit, living in the mud of the world. Dr. John Maxwell writes: “When we become conditioned to perceived truth and closed to new possibilities, the following happens: We wee what we expect to see, not what we can see. We hear what we expect to hear, not what we can hear. We think what we expect to think not what we can think. (Take) the case (of) Henry J. Kaiser’s construction crew. While building a levee along a river bank, a violent rainstorm flooded the earth-moving machinery and destroyed the work that had been done. As Kaiser approached the work site to assess the damages, he found his crew bemoaning the mud and the buried earthmoving equipment. As his workers surrounded him, Kaiser asked, ‘Why are you so glum?’ ‘Can’t you see the disaster?’ they asked. ‘Our equipment is covered with mud.’ Smiling, Kaiser asked, ‘What mud?’ ‘You must be kidding. Look around you. We are surrounded by a sea of mud. How can you say you don’t see any?’ ‘Well,’ said Henry Kaiser, ‘what I see is clear blue sky filled with bright sunshine. I’ve never known mud to sustain itself against the powerful sun. Soon it will be dried up and then we will be able to move our equipment and start over. Furthermore, our attitude will not only affect how we see reality but will also affect the reality itself. Sun or mud, the choice is yours.’ The difference between sun or mud is a matter of perspective. Again, what we expect to see we see. This delightful story involving Henry J. Kaiser reinforces our choice to look at any situation from more than one point of view.”(Speaker’s Sourcebook II, page 50) A Man focused in the things of the earth An article in a San Francisco newspaper reported that a young man who once found a $5 bill on the street resolved that from that time on he would never lift his eyes while walking. The paper went on to say that over the years he accumulated, among other things, 29,516 buttons, 54,172 pins, 12 cents a bent back, and a miserly disposition. But he also lost something—the glory of sunlight, the radiance of the stars, the smiles of friends, and the freshness of blue skies. I’m afraid that some Christians are like that man. While they may not walk around staring at the sidewalk, they are so engrossed with the things of this life that they give little attention to spiritual and eternal values. Paul also likes to use the theme of putting on things and taking off things. Living in layers. Paul encourages us to put on the values of Christ. This is not the first time that Paul encourages us to be clothed in Christ. We all know that story of the emporer’s new clothes. The emporers tailors convince him that they have made a fine robe with material so exquisite that only the best of people can really see it. The emporer parades around town in his “fine robe” and the people pretend his robe is amazing. Only a little boy tells the truth that he has no clothes on. Paul says that when we are naked in the world there is sexual immorality, moral corruption, lust, evil desire, and greed. When we are clothed in Christ there is Peace, joy and wellbeing. Our perspective changes when we remember to look up once in awhile. In the early church, when people were about to be baptized, the bishop would yell to them to take off our clothes. Things have changed, in baptism people don’t have to get undressed (Oh, in the old days people would undress in private and put on a white robe). But today we are still encouraged to take off our old self and put on a new self. There is a Scottish “first footing” prayer to bring in the New Year. You can find it in the “Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community.” Will you repeat after me, line by line, as we pray it together: this day is a new day that has never been before this year is a new year, the opening door. Open the door... Open the door. But wait . . . Before you do, put on some clothes -compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love. When we come to church we are in the transformation place, the safe space for us to take off our old self, and to become anew in Christ. What parts of yourself that are better off left behind? And what behaviors that reflect the true character of God? what new clothes have you put on today? Something for us all to think about. Amen. Song In Christ There is no East or West UMH 548 Prayer of the Day Benevolent God, you are the source, the guide, and the goal of our lives. Teach us to love what is worth loving, to reject what is offensive to you, and to treasure what is precious in your sight, Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) Pastoral Prayer Lord’s Prayer Children’s Sermon By Lois Parker Edstrom Suggestion: Wear an article of clothing that is much too small. The kids will love the silliness of it. Today’s Bible verse talks about being angry, being hurtful to others, or saying nasty or untrue things. This verse says: “…put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth” (3:8). We are reminded that once we have accepted God’s love we need to put away those things that no longer suit us. It is like outgrowing your coat. When it no longer fits, it is time to replace that coat with one that fits better. God’s love helps us to overcome the bad choices we make such as hurting others, saying untrue, hurtful things, getting angry or telling lies. It’s not much fun to talk about these bad choices, but we all need a reminder once in a while. Once we know better, we can do better. God’s love teaches us how to be a better person. It teaches us how to feel more joy. God’s love teaches us to be all that we can be. Why would you want to wear a coat that is too tight and uncomfortable? Why would you want to live in a way that no longer fits who you are? Enjoy your new life, your new way of living. Stewardship Moment Moment for Stewardship (inspired by Luke 12) Jesus spent time teaching both his disciples and the crowds who gathered, often using parables as one form of instruction/inspiration. “The parable of the rich fool” may be heard as WARNING. But it also may be heard as an invitation. For those living selfishly, the warning sounds like a threat of life coming to an early end because of one’s greed and desire to pile up MORE. For those living “rich toward God”, this comes as an invitation to wisely apportion one’s wealth. Here’s the question: how are you living? Week by week, when we gather to worship God, we have opportunities to demonstrate ways we are aligned with God’s design for living. Do we exhibit fruit of the Spirit: joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Or do we exhibit works of the flesh: … anger, quarrels, strife, jealousy …(Gal.5: 19-21) Do we acknowledge our identity as part of community/ies such as this congregation, our neighborhood, service organizations, public service…? Do we share what we have (money, possessions, space, privilege…)? Please hear the invitation via the rich fool. Share now, as we receive our morning offering. Prayer of Thanksgiving God of all good gifts, thank you for this opportunity helping us learn from Jesus’ parable. Thank you for all who today acted out their desire to be rich toward you. Receive these gifts. Help us use them to build up a world where believers lead the way with generosity and all know the goodness of sharing in a life of abundance. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Happy are those who know real treasure and where to find it. Happy are those who receive God’s treasure and share it unselfishly. Invest your life and your heart in Christ, just as God has invested Christ in you. Happy are those whose reward is found in heaven, not on earth. Go now in the name of Christ, God’s ultimate gift of love. Thanks be to God. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, J. Wayne Pratt) Community Time Benediction As we have been led by cords of human kindness, let us live connected to all creation. As we have been freed, may we pursue liberty for all. As we have known God’s gracious love, may we embody God’s abundant love. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways – Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay) Additional Illustrations

Living Beyond Our Divisions

August 2, 2019 Colossians 3:1-11 8th Sunday after Pentecost Year C Living Beyond our Divisions Exegetical Aim: To demonstrate that there is no partiality in Christ. Key verse: 11. Props: A bowl of plain M&M's. Lesson: Today I want to share with you some of my favorite candy. Show them the candy. What kind is it? (M&M's) Right! M&M's! Let's all say, yea! (response) I'm going to give each of you some of this, but first you have to tell me which color you like the best. (response) I personally like the brown ones. Who likes green? (response) Red? (response) Orange? (response) The new blue? (response) Well, here's what I want you to do. Each of you can get three. But when you get them, close your eyes or turn your head away and reach into the bowl and don't look at them. Keep them closed in your hand. Okay, come and get them, and remember, don't look at them. When everyone has their M&M's: Now on the count of three, without looking at your M&M's, open your mouth, and eat them. 1, 2, 3! Make sure everyone follows the instructions. After the children have eaten: What colors did you eat? Who ate a red one? (response) Who ate a green? (response) Keep asking until someone says, "We don't know," or "They all taste the same." Application: That's right. Inside the different shells they all taste the same. Did you know that in a way Christians are like those M&M's? That's what the Apostle Paul said. He said that when Christ is in you and you are in Christ, there are no differences between us. We're neither black nor white, rich nor poor, or even male nor female. It doesn't make a difference to God what kind of shell we have -- the inside is what counts to him. And it shouldn't matter to us either. We should treat everyone the same no matter what color their shell. Let's Pray: Dear God, thank you for loving us no matter the color of our shell, and thank you for Jesus Christ, who makes us all children of God. Amen. CSS Publishing Company, Children's Sermons A to Z, by Brett Blair Colossians 3:1-11 New International Version (NIV) Living as Those Made Alive in Christ 3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life,appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander,and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised,barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Footnotes: a. Colossians 3:4 Some manuscripts our b. Colossians 3:6 Some early manuscripts coming on those who are disobedient New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Three Kinds of Givers There are three kinds of givers: the flint, the sponge, and the honeycomb. Which kind are you? To get anything from the flint, you must hammer it. Yet, all you get are chips and sparks. The flint gives nothing away if it can help it, and even then only with a great display. To get anything from the sponge, you must squeeze it. It readily yields to pressure and the more it is pressed, the more it gives. Still, one has to squeeze it. To get anything from the honeycomb, however, one must only take what freely flows from it. It gives its sweetness generously, dripping on all without pressure, without begging or badgering. The honeycomb is a renewable resource. Unlike the flint or the sponge, the honeycomb is connected to life; it is the product of the ongoing work and creative energy of bees. If you share like a honeycomb giver your life will be continually replenished and grow as you give. When we share we freely give and we acknowledge that all we have is on loan and others have as much right to the things of God’s creation as we do. Keith Wagner, But, I Need It! It has been said before that we are not flesh and blood beings seeking a spiritual life, but that we are indeed spiritual beings seeking and earthly life. God made a point to come into our lives through Jesus Christ to remind us of who we really are. We are all children of God with enormous power, given an amazing gift to give to the world, and when we are done, we return to the spiritual realm. That is the point that Paul makes for us in the book of Colossians. Paul gives us two important messages in all of his writings. First there is a difference in the quality of life of those who think beyond this world and those who are convinced that this is all that there is. Paul says that when we follow Christ, we should be the first of these. Putting spiritual things before earthly things. The second message that Paul gives us is that Christ is our life. For some people their life may be baseball, or their life may be their job, or their family, or their appearance. And it is nothing wrong with being involved in any of those things – but they are not our life, being a Christian is an all encompassing life. it touches everything it affects everything, and ultimately it changes everything. Because when we follow Christ, we not act differently, we respond to life differently. It was popular in Paul’s time for teachers to give list of virtues to live by. The virtues that Paul list are carefully chosen, they are the virtues that were present in the life of Christ. He says that we shouldn’t be unfaithful to people or our task, and that we should not be greedy and think only of ourselves, how do our actions affect other people. Oh and we should not respond to people in anger, but in understanding. We should be pure, kind and true in all that we do. Sometimes it gets hard to preach on the letters of Paul. Paul has a poetic way of explaining some very lofty beliefs. He is a genius in the ways that he convinces us that Christ should consume our life. I always choose these Paul text, and then when I am writing the sermon I get stuck, because I can never find any good stories to demonstrate his points. Today was not any different. I searched all weekend, and came up with nothing. But sadly I think that the reality of our life – is the best story of Paul’s last point. The one I wanted us to focus on today. Paul says that Christ was radically inclusive – he made a point to include everyone in what started out to be an pretty exclusive circle. Paul’s last point is that the differences that we create amongst our earthly life, all disappear in the spiritual world. In our visioning session, our last conversation was about who was welcome in our church – we decided that we would welcome all races, genders, ages, sexual orientation,economic backgrounds – because these are the people who Jesus would welcome into the kingdom of God. we still have a little work to do before we can adopt that as its own, we want everyone to be aware of the statement – and to think about what it means to be an inclusive church. But I think that none of us would argue that we live in a divided world. The headlines seems to show our differences each and every day. We go to a divided church, we have divided families, we have a divided community. Divisions are every where. But Paul tells us that when we follow Christ, those divisions disappear. Christ is life for all of us. What would that world look like? Until we are all united in spirit – we pray. Amen.

Seek Christ in all Things

August 4, 2013 Colossians 3:1-11 Luke 12:13-21 Year C 11th Sunday After Pentecost “Seek Christ in all Things” What does it mean to be rich? No I am really asking that question? As the bill continue to come in the mail, I am really asking myself what would it be like to be able to pay everything and to still be comfortable. I have really always challenged that notion that money can’t buy happiness. I challenged God to give me that opportunity and to let me be the judge. Money may not buy happiness, but it can buy enough comfort that it doesn’t matter. Or does it? I guess that depends on your answer to the question, what does it mean to be happy? What is happiness truly? Jesus answers that question in today’s lesson. The rich young ruler had a happy life. As a matter of fact, things were going so well, that he needed to expand his storage barns. He needed more space to hold all of his abundance. It is God himself that reminds the man that happiness wrapped up in the things of the world is only temporary. We are temporary – we all go back into the box The problem is not so much the things – the things don’t go away, they stick around. The problem is in us – we are only temporary. We are here for awhile and then we are gone. God reminds the man that you cant every well enjoy your things- when you are not here. Things will sitck around for awhile, but your life is not guaranteed. So where should you be looking for happiness? Here on earth or in heaven? One of my favorite pastors, John Ortberg compares life to a monopoly game. You can spend hours playing the game and moving the men, but when the game is over all of the parts go back in the box. You cant take anything with you, not even yourself. C.S. Lewis wrote, "It is he who thinks most of the next world that does the most in this world." Where there is no faith in the future, there is no work in the present. (From a sermon by Donald McCulley, Got Hope? 12/21/2010) Advice from Colossians The scripture in Colossians reminds us that when we are baptized in Christ, then all of our life is in Christ. If we die with Christ then we rise with Christ. Paul encourages us to make sure that we stay focused on things above, not here on earth. Our happiness is focused on the things of Christ – not on earth. Happiness is a Perspective Do you sing because you are happy; or are you happy because you sing? You’ve met the person. They always seem to have a positive attitude about nearly everything. They’re the people you see on the freeway in the midst of rush hour, bumper to bumper with frustration and impatience, singing sweetly inside their car as they slowly inch their way through traffic. You glance over at them and watch their lips moving and their head swaying back and forth as they watch the road, hit the brake and tap the accelerator. Your first thought might be, are they all there? How can they be singing when everyone else around you is pounding the dashboard and muttering under their breath? What makes some people better at coping with tension; coping with the multitude of everyday stressors that afflict us all? Are they possessed with a special gift that few people have or have they unearthed the secret to being calm when others are frantic that took them a correspondence course and several sets of behavioral modification tapes to discover? Over the years I have discovered a dusty old truth here and there. One that I perceive to be a real keeper is this. People who are happy are people who have made the decision that this is the way that they want to live their lives. Indeed they have discovered a great secret, but one that is not difficult to find. It is our choice to be happy or to be glum. People who can sing in traffic, however, have taken another step beyond just acknowledging that happiness is a choice. They have also discovered one additional maxim, the catalyst for singing when others are cursing. And this is the truth is not always what it seems. On the surface a traffic jam is an obstacle. In reality it may really be an opportunity. It is a matter of perception. Dr. John Maxwell writes: “When we become conditioned to perceived truth and closed to new possibilities, the following happens: We wee what we expect to see, not what we can see. We hear what we expect to hear, not what we can hear. We think what we expect to think not what we can think. (Take) the case (of) Henry J. Kaiser’s construction crew. While building a levee along a river bank, a violent rainstorm flooded the earth-moving machinery and destroyed the work that had been done. As Kaiser approached the work site to assess the damages, he found his crew bemoaning the mud and the buried earthmoving equipment. As his workers surrounded him, Kaiser asked, ‘Why are you so glum?’ ‘Can’t you see the disaster?’ they asked. ‘Our equipment is covered with mud.’ Smiling, Kaiser asked, ‘What mud?’ ‘You must be kidding. Look around you. We are surrounded by a sea of mud. How can you say you don’t see any?’ ‘Well,’ said Henry Kaiser, ‘what I see is clear blue sky filled with bright sunshine. I’ve never known mud to sustain itself against the powerful sun. Soon it will be dried up and then we will be able to move our equipment and start over. Furthermore, our attitude will not only affect how we see reality but will also affect the reality itself. Sun or mud, the choice is yours.’ The difference between sun or mud is a matter of perspective. Again, what we expect to see we see. This delightful story involving Henry J. Kaiser reinforces our choice to look at any situation from more than one point of view.”(Speaker’s Sourcebook II, page 50) People who sing in cars while others are cursing are not happy because they are singing, they are singing so that they might become happy. Where others perceive obstacles, they discover possibilities and opportunities. Singing takes them there and carries them beyond the perceived into the possible. These people are driving from their hearts and their heads, a pretty good combination. Where others see only mud, they see blue skies. Now they possess an attitude that is hard to put down. It feels too good. When the man in the crowd shouted out to Jesus to “make his brother share the inheritance” this is an example of mud-looking, not sky-gazing. He saw only the material implications of the situation, not the relationship possibilities that our Savior had on His mind. It was a matter of attitude. The man could choose to see greed and stinginess or he could, by overcoming the perception of these things, discover the possibilities that fixing the relationship with his brother was more important and far more satisfying. It simply was a matter of opening his heart to other opportunities. Values to put aside Colossians encourages us to put aside earthly values – which Paul names as fornification, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the last one he names if greed. In Luke, Jesus also talks about greed. A specific ugly kind of Greed. In greek the word used is pleonexia - pleon means more, echeion means to have – to get in the habit of having more and more. It is not just the sin of having more then you need, it is the sin of the more you get, the more you have to have. You start to seek more things to make you happy. The problem with that is that the things will last, you wont. Jesus advises us to be rich in the things toward God. What does it mean to be rich? To heavily invest in God’s will for your life and for the world. Happiness is a perspective – it all depends whether we are looking up or down. A Man focused in the things of the earth An article in a San Francisco newspaper reported that a young man who once found a $5 bill on the street resolved that from that time on he would never lift his eyes while walking. The paper went on to say that over the years he accumulated, among other things, 29,516 buttons, 54,172 pins, 12 cents a bent back, and a miserly disposition. But he also lost something—the glory of sunlight, the radiance of the stars, the smiles of friends, and the freshness of blue skies. I’m afraid that some Christians are like that man. While they may not walk around staring at the sidewalk, they are so engrossed with the things of this life that they give little attention to spiritual and eternal values. Perhaps they’ve gotten a taste of some fleeting pleasure offered by the world and they’ve been spending all their time pursuing it. But that is dangerous. When God’s children, who are “seated with Christ in the heavenlies,” give their affection and attention to a world that is A family rich in the things of God I'll never forget Easter 1946. I was 14, my little sister Ocy 12, and my older sister Darlene 16. We lived at home with our mother, and the four of us knew what it was to do without many things. My dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with seven school kids to raise and no money. By 1946 my older sisters were married and my brothers had left home. A month before Easter the pastor of our church announced that a special Easter offering would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone to save and give sacrificially. When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month. This would allow us to save $20 of our grocery money for the offering. When we thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as much as possible and didn't listen to the radio, we'd save money on that month's electric bill. Darlene got as many house and yard cleaning jobs as possible, and both of us baby sat for everyone we could. For 15 cents we could buy enough cotton loops to make three pot holders to sell for $1. We made $20 on pot holders. That month was one of the best of our lives. Every day we counted the money to see how much we had saved. At night we'd sit in the dark and talk about how the poor family was going to enjoy having the money the church would give them. We had about 80 people in church, so figured that whatever amount of money we had to give, the offering would surely be 20 times that much. After all, every Sunday the Pastor had reminded everyone to save for the sacrificial offering. The day before Easter, Ocy and I walked to the grocery store and got the manager to give us three crisp $20 bills and one $10 bill for all our change. We ran all the way home to show Mom and Darlene. We had never had so much money before. That night we were so excited we could hardly sleep. We didn't care that we wouldn't have new clothes for Easter; we had $70 for the sacrificial offering. We could hardly wait to get to church! On Sunday morning, rain was pouring. We didn't own an umbrella, and the church was over a mile from our home, but it didn't seem to matter how wet we got. Darlene had cardboard in her shoes to fill the holes. The cardboard came apart, and her feet got wet. But we sat in church proudly. I heard some teenagers talking about the Smith girls having on their old dresses. I looked at them in their new clothes, and I felt rich. When the sacrificial offering was taken, we were sitting on the second row from the front. Mom put in the $10 bill, and each of us girls put in a $20. As we walked home after church, we sang all the way. At lunch Mom had a surprise for us. She had bought a dozen eggs, and we had boiled Easter eggs with our fried potatoes! Late that afternoon the minister drove up in his car. Mom went to the door, talked with him for a moment, and then came back with an envelope in her hand. We asked what it was, but she didn't say a word. She opened the envelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were three crisp $20 bills, one $10 and seventeen $1 bills. Mom put the money back in the envelope. We didn't talk, just sat and stared at the floor. We had gone from feeling like millionaires to feeling like poor white trash. We kids had such a happy life that we felt sorry for anyone who didn't have our Mom and Dad for parents and a house full of brothers and sisters and other kids visiting constantly. We thought it was fun to share silverware and see whether we got the spoon or the fork that night. We had two knifes that we passed around to whoever needed them. I knew we didn't have a lot of things that other people had, but I'd never thought we were poor. That Easter day I found out we were. The minister had brought us the money for the poor family, so we must be poor. I didn't like being poor. I looked at my dress and worn-out shoes and felt so ashamed that I didn't want to go back to church. Everyone there probably already knew we were poor! I thought about school. I was in the ninth grade and at the top of my class of over 100 students. I wondered if the kids at school knew that we were poor. I decided that I could Quit school since I had finished the eighth grade. That was all the law required at that time. We sat in silence for a long time. Then it got dark, and we went to bed. All that week, we girls went to school and came home, and no one talked much. Finally on Saturday, Mom asked us what we wanted to do with the money. What did poor people do with money? We didn't know. We'd never known we were poor. We didn't want to go to church on Sunday, but Mom said we had to. Although it was a sunny day, we didn't talk on the way. Mom started to sing, but no one joined in and she only sang one verse. At church we had a missionary speaker. He talked about how churches in Africa made buildings out of sun dried bricks, but they need money to buy roofs. He said $100 would put a roof on a church. The minister said, "can't we all sacrifice to help these poor people?" We looked at each other and smiled for the first time in a week. Mom reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope. She passed it to Darlene. Darlene gave it to me ,and I handed it to Ocy. Ocy put it in the offering. When the offering was counted, the minister announced that it was a little over $100. The missionary was excited. He hadn't expected such a large offering from our small church. He said, "you must have some rich people in this church." Suddenly it struck us! We had given $87 of that "little over $100." We were the rich family in the church! Hadn't the missionary said so? This is a family that is truly rich in the things of God? What is your story? Let us pray…… There have been times when we have gone to a high school football/basketball game and the kids asked for some money to buy candy. I gave them $5 and they returned with some candy. I ask for a piece and their answer is “no.” Here is what they don’t realize. First – I could take the candy away and eat it all my self. Because I am bigger and stronger I could do that. Second – I gave them the money in the first place, I paid for the candy so really it is mine. Third – I could have bought so much candy that they couldn’t have possibly eaten all of it. Now look at this from God’s view when He blesses us with His power and everything else for that matter. 1st – He has the power to take it all away if/when He wants. 2nd – He gives us everything. 3rd – He can supply endlessly. This goes for our finances, health, and His power. He supplies power to the believer endlessly if we seek Him. "Self adaption from an Ed Young Illustration" By Susan Sauer I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back. I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it. I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts. I've learned that you can get by on charm for about 15 minutes. After that, you'd better know something. I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do. I've learned that it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do about it. I've learned that you can do something in an instant that will give you a heartache for life. I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides. I've learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. I've learned that it's a lot easier to react than it is to think. I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them. I've learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't. I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you. I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I've learned that learning to forgive takes practice. I've learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it. I've learned that money is a lousy way of keeping score. I've learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time. I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down may be the ones to help you get back up. I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel. I've learned that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love. I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have. I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated. I've learned that you should never tell a child her dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if she believed it. I've learned that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you too. --from my wise Uncle Bill Morgan & Aunt Carroll, about to celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary. John Tillotson said, "He who provides for this life, but takes no care for eternity, is wise for a moment, but a fool forever." “Mud-Gazing?” Luke 12:13-15 Key verse(s) 13:“Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, The Scottish preacher John McNeill liked to tell about an eagle that had been captured when it was quite young. The farmer who snared the bird put a restraint on it so it couldn’t fly, and then he turned it loose to roam in the barnyard. It wasn’t long till the eagle began to act like the chickens, scratching and pecking at the ground. This bird that once soared high in the heavens seemed satisfied to live the barnyard life of the lowly hen. One day the farmer was visited by a shepherd who came down from the mountains where the eagles lived. Seeing the eagle, the shepherd said to the farmer, “What a shame to keep that bird hobbled here in your barnyard! Why don’t you let it go?” The farmer agreed, so they cut off the restraint. But the eagle continued to wander around, scratching and pecking as before. The shepherd picked it up and set it on a high stone wall. For the first time in months, the eagle saw the grand expanse of blue sky and the glowing sun. Then it spread its wings and with a leap soared off into a tremendous spiral flight, up and up and up. At last it was acting like an eagle again. Perhaps you have let yourself be comfortable in the barnyard of the world—refusing to claim your lofty position as God’s child. He wants you to live in a higher realm. Confess your sins, and “seek those things which are above.” You will soon be longing to rise above the mundane things of this world. Like the eagle, it’s not too late to soar to greater heights again. – P R Van Gorder Look … • Look around and be distressed. • Look inside and be depressed. • Look at Jesus and be at rest. --Corrie Ten Boom OLOSSIANS 3:2 "VULTURE" APPETITES While driving along a highway, I have often seen vultures soaring high overhead, swooping down, and then rising up again with the air currents. Every so often, a small group of them can be seen sitting right on the roadway, tearing apart and gobbling up the carcass of some unfortunate creature. I get the impression that these ugly birds are on the lookout continually for what is loathsome and repulsive! Some people are like that. Nothing seems to satisfy them more than feasting on what is sinful, corrupt, and immoral. The books and magazines they read, the TV programs they watch, the conversations they engage in, and the activities they pursue reveal a vulture-like appetite. How much better is the spiritual diet the Bible suggests: "Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things" (Phil 4:8-note). What kind of "food" do you prefer? Don't be like the vulture. Rather, "as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" (1Pe 2:2-note).-- Richard W. De Haan passing away, they lose the upward look. Their perspective becomes distorted, and they fail to bask in heaven’s sunlight. Taken up with the baubles of this world, they become defeated, delinquent Christians. Buttons, pins, and pennies, but no treasures laid up in heaven. The apostle Paul said, “If ye, then, be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above” (Col. 3:1-note). To live for the things of this world is to miss life’s best. Let’s set our sights on the heights! P. R. Van Gorder

Where is your Treasure?

August 1, 2010
Where is your treasure?
Colossians 3:1-11
Luke 12:13-21
Year C
10th Sunday after Pentecost

Introduction
Comments on Chelsea Clinton’s wedding…..

Well, the big day has finally come and gone. Chelsea Clinton has finally gotten married, and everything seemed to go off with a hitch. If there was a problem, it would have been all over the news this morning, and so far I have heard nothing more than good reports. They say that the average wedding costs about $25,000 – Chelsea’s reportedly could be anywhere from 3 to 6 millions dollars when the final figures comes in. I have had to ask everyone that I know this weekend – why would they need to spend so much. It seems a little over extravagant and unnessessary to me, but then again I am not the one paying for it.
Comparisons of weddings
I heard of another wedding recently where the family announced to the guest after the wedding that they were taking all that they would have spent on a nice wedding, with flowers, and food and decorations, and gifts, and they were going to the local orphanage to give it to children in need, they invited the guest to join them and give whatever they were going to give to the new couple to the children.
It raises the question for me of how much is too much? When do we know that we are spending our money wisely, and when we have crossed the line and become just out right greedy? When are we being ambituous, and when are we getting carried away. What if I don’t even have 3-6 million dollars to spend – can I ever be accused of greed?

Greed
Greed is not about how much money you have, it is a condition of the spirit. When we are afraid of not having enough- then we start to hoard and hold onto things for our own security. Greed becomes a thief that robs us of our life, and our connection to God. We forget to rely on God. Greed has the power to destroy our bodies and souls, it causes us to place things over people, it compromises our principles, and it can get so bad that it makes us fools. Someone who has lost track of whats real and what is just in our imagination. Greed is a soul condition. Jesus addresses greed in his teaching for today – he saw it in the request for him to judge how much one brother should give to another in an inheritance dispute.

There is even a rumor that since Jesus lived so long ago and since he was such a nice person, that he always talked about our souls, but he would never address our stuff. Jesus was concerned about our behavior, but he would never address money issues. That is not true. If Jesus did not talk about money then neither should the preacher, – but the truth is – that Jesus talked about money all of the time. He was a little obsessed with it actually. Almost 2/3 of his parables had to do with money or possessions. The story in Luke 12:13-21 is one of those times when Jesus talks about money.

Commentary on the text
A man, probably a younger brother steps out of the crowd to ask Jesus to settle a dispute between his brother over his inheritance. In those days, it was the older brother who received the inheritance from his father. It was his decision to share it with his other brothers. Jesus tells him that he has not come here to settle disputes between brothers. Jesus says that he does not want to make a decision between greedy and greedy. Instead he tells the brother and all listening the story of a farmer who stored up grain for himself. He was so blessed that he had too much grain, and decided to tear down his old storehouses and to build bigger ones. God gets a little concerned about the man’s priorities, and demands his soul that very night. We are supposed to strive to be rich in God, not in stuff. Because you can’t take stuff with you when you die.

Life focused just on self
The bible calls this man a silly fool. But we are all a lot like him. He was not a bad man; he did not have evil intentions. The story did not say that he cheated anyone, that he lied, he probably was a very shrewd businessman. But he was convinced that his life was in his hands. As he spoke of his dilemma of having too much stuff and needing more storage space, his whole conversation was about himself. What he had, what he could do, how it would affect him. His whole conversation was about me and mine. You can look back and note how many times in his conversation that he said I. Jesus’ conversation is always about we and us. We are not in this world alone- there are many others in need. When we hold onto our money and possession, there are always others who do without. Jesus didn’t have any possession. He didn’t have a house, or a donkey or even a moneybag. What he did have were people – lots of people who depended upon his word for life.


A Life focused on what’s in front of you
The man lived in a world where what he could see right before him was all that there was. He didn’t feel he needed to prepare himself for eternal life – so he needed to work as hard as he could to win before the game was over. Colossians says that when we take on Christ that we take on a new perspective in life. We are focused on our lives in heaven, and not on the things of the earth. When you try to fix your life from the bottom up. Starting down here and moving up there, it is easy for you to get stuck in the details. It is sort of like cleaning out your basement – once you open one box, you open another and you cant complete your task, because you are so busy looking at what you have. But when you start up here, and work down – then you see life from a different perspective. You can see everything at once – and your start to prioritize what is important and what it is that you are never going to look at. You can throw away those boxes, without even bothering to look in them. You start to see yourselves and your potential the way God sees your potential and you make a difference.
Jesus reminds us that we are all just like the older brother who has been given an inheritance. We shouldn’t have to be told to share the gift that we have been given with our brothers and sisters.

Story of the young woman
There was a young woman – one could say that she was very rich in her gifts from god. Very rich indeed. Her gifts were great. From the very moment of her birth her intelligence, and tenacity were quite evident. As she grew she became in succession, ruler of her nursery school, monarch of day care, student council chairperson, and valedictorian of bother her high school and college classes. Then not being content with her Harvard bachelor’s degree in business administration, she graduated at the top of the best MBA program in the country. No one was surprised when half the companies in the fortune 100 actively courted her. a major manufacturer finally won the competition for her skills. The company’s president proudly told the Wall Street journal about how she would transform the firm. It wasn’t too long before he realized that complete accuracy of his statements. But unfortunately his business savvy didn’t foretell the way she deflated his golden parachute as she almost literally shoved him out the executive suite door. In doing so, she became the youngest CEO in the history of the firm. The firm she took over was no ordinary firm, of course. You could see that from its balance sheet. But you could see it even more in the faces of its employees. For while the firm was immensely profitable, it had the reputation of being even more immensely honorable.
Over its hundred year plus history, its officers had always treated their employees and customers, as they wished to be treated themselves. Even more impressively, in this day and age, they’d always refused to do business with any company that treated their customers or employees with anything but the same level of honor.
After she’d installed herself in the corner office, the firms new CEO carefully examined this well crafted tradition of honor. At least she examined it before she tossed it our. Then her drive to success led her to a search for a new tradition. To keep on top, she thought profit must rule over anything else.
It wasn’t long before the firm’s workers were hit with massive layoffs, and plant closures. In their place came factories in countries that were less picky about labor and environmental issues. The average age of those employees was about 12. and it suddenly didn’t seem too important when the firm’s child laborers developed many cancers never before seen in their country. Soon the firms share price climbed through the roof. With all of her stock options the new CEO seemed set for life. After all, with more money, she had more possessions. More power then she could ever possibly use or spend. Her life seemed perfect.
But her perfect world began to unravel after her visit to the firm’s new factory in Thailand. She’d gone there to assure herself that everything was being done to maximize its profitability. She was quite pleased by what she saw at the plant. Her young workers there were laboring at a feverish speed. And no funds were being spent to provide them any unnecessary frills; frills like safety equipment.
Then just as she was leaving the plant, she heard a hissing noise. Before she could even turn to locate the source, she found herself enveloped in a cloud of foul smelling fumes. Quickly she ran from the plant and stood grasping for breath beside the main door. When at last she could speak she questioned the plant manager about the fumes source. Don’t worry, he told her. The holding tank for our processing chemicals springs a leak now and then. The workers are used to it by now.
Satisfies by the explanation, she returned to the firms New York headquarters. There she threw herself into her latest effort; a hostile takeover of a major competitor. But after a few months, she began to feel strange. She tired easily, became nauseated frequently. And began to loose weight. At first she thought that it was just a virus. But why didn’t the symptoms go away? Then she notices a lump on her neck.
For the first time, she was scared. She made an appointment with the best doctor in the city.
After being poked and prodded, and tested the doctor looked at her in silence. His eyes seemed to pierce her soul. I am so sorry he said, her death would come very quick, within a month. She was confined to her home, as hospice took very good care of her.
Dying is a very lonely affair. None of her employees ever came to visit. She heard that they celebrated when they heard the news,
She had not friends, and she had alienated her family. Weeks went by with no one, until one day an unexpected visitor why knocked at the door.

A friend who was rich in God
It was her former boss; the one she had fired. He sat with her that day, and came back every day to visit. He often bought flowers or other gifts to cheer her up. She began to look forward to these visits and to wonder why he was so nice to her.
One day she asked him. Why are you visiting me – took everything away from you. After I fired you , you were so poor.
Her former boss smiled at her for a moment and then leaned forward and took her hand. You could never make me poor. As long as I can do something for someone else I can never be poor.
You see, the secret of being rich, isn’t gaining possessions, it isn’t winning the rat race. For I found out early in life that no matter who well I did in the rat race, I was still a rat.
The secret of being rich is using your gifts and whatever you gain from those gifts to help others. We have a choice in life he said – you can be rich in ourselves, and build up money and things, but in the end no amount of money or things will matter
But if we use what we have to enrich God’s people, we’ll have created things that matter. Only in that way can we be rich toward God.
Her life ended painfully, but the pain was lessoned by a sense of awe. For at least she’d met someone who was rich. Very rich indeed. To God alone be the glory.

Conclusion
How much is too much? When do we reach the point in our lives when we are using our resources, and when we are being greedy. Jesus never gives a straight answer. But he does warn us all to be on constant guard against greed. Our lives are not defined by what we have or don’t have, it is defined by the relationships we have. The most important relationship being the one we have with Christ.

Clothing ourselves in Christ
An anonymous author expressed what it means to come to Christ and discover the wonderful experience of salvation.

He asked:

Let a person go to a psychiatrist and what does he become? An adjusted sinner.
Let a person go to a physician and what does he become? A healthy sinner.
Let a person achieve wealth and what does he become? A wealthy sinner.
Let a person join a church, sign a card, and turn over a new leaf in life and what does he become? A religious sinner.

But what happens when a person goes to Jesus? If he/she comes to Christ in sincere repentance, confessing their sin and receiving Christ by faith through the cross of Calvary, that person becomes a new creature in Christ, forgiven, reconciled, and adopted into the family of God, with a new vision, mission, meaning, and purpose to life. That person will also find achievement, fulfillment, and direction in God's will and call in life! We become God’s children.

Stewardship
With life in Christ stewardship is caring for the things that God cares about. Guarding ourselves against greed, being rich in the things of Christ, Keeping our heads on the things of God, Clothing ourselves in Christ all leads to a conversation on stewardship. Stewardship – taking care of god’s things is not just a time once a year when we are deciding what we are going to give to God. Stewardship is a process that starts with how much money we give to the church, it ends with how much money we give to the church after we become aware of how much god has given us. Stewardship is the time when we must constantly assess what it is that I need to take off. So that I can put on the new self that Christ has given you. Let us pray.

Amen.