A God for Everyone

October 19, 2025 Jeremiah 31:27-34 A God for Everyone 19th Sunday after Pentecost Prelude Greeting Call to Worship We have gathered once again, Lord of all and Lord of us. We come to lift our prayers, and to sing your praises once again. We come to ask and hope and long to see your justice in the land. We worship in that hope and will work in that Spirit. Derek Weber, March 2025 Opening Prayer Holy God, we turn to you this morning, aware of the gift you give us in scripture. You offer us your truth in story, in song, and in hard teachings. Help us recognize the goodness of what’s offered. Encourage us to seek what you offer. Challenge us to discipline ourselves to learn. Inspire us celebrate the love which expands in us as we draw closer to you and to your ways. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart UMH 500 A Sermon for all Ages Grapes and apples Good morning, everyone! Have you ever eaten a grape that was really sour? (Make a funny face—pucker up!) Yeah, it makes your mouth wrinkle up, doesn’t it? Let’s pretend I gave you a sour grape, and then your friend’s mouth puckered up instead of yours! Wouldn’t that be strange? That’s what the people in the Bible were saying in Jeremiah’s time. They said, “The parents ate sour grapes, and the children’s teeth were set on edge.” That means, “We’re having a hard time because of what someone else did.” But God said, “No more sour grapes! I’m going to plant something new.” God wanted each person to take care of their own heart and choices. God said, “I will plant and watch over you.” Isn’t that wonderful? (Chat GPT.5) Object: an apple for display and apple seed packets, enough for everyone Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you like apples? I do, too. I want to tell you a little story today about a famous man named Johnny Appleseed. His real name was John Chapman. Back around 200 years ago, John Chapman traveled all across the United States planting apple orchards. Everywhere he went all across America, John Chapman planted apple seeds. He loved apples, and he believed they were healthy for people, and so he planted them wherever he went. And soon people started calling John Chapman by the nickname of Johnny Appleseed. We can be thankful that Johnny Appleseed decided to spread good stuff like apple seeds wherever he went. But Johnny also spread a weed called dog fennel everywhere he went. Johnny thought that dog fennel was a good plant, but actually it's not. The dog fennel weed gets into gardens and crops, and keeps the good crops from growing. Also, dog fennel weed is really smelly. So everywhere Johnny Appleseed went, he spread a good thing, apples, and he spread a bad thing, dog fennel weed. You know, you and I are like Johnny Appleseed. Each day, we choose whether to spread good stuff or bad stuff in other people's lives. If we are nice to other people, if we share our things, if we tell other people about God's love, then we are spreading good things in their lives. If we are mean to other people, if we are rude, if we don't show God's love to others, then we are spreading bad things. We can choose what we spread. This new year, let's choose (start handing out the apple seed packets) to only spread the apple seeds. Let's spread goodness wherever we go. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Prayer for Transformation and New Life Beloved God of All, We often feel deserted by Divine Justice and Peace, especially after absorbing the news each day. We allow ourselves to fully walk away from spreading Good News of your love and grace after feeling the lack of mercy in our world. We would rather be silent in places of comfort instead of shining your light in our pain-present reality. Our hearts can not bear knowing of any further wrongdoings. Open our souls to your healing. Embolden us to be persistent in our quest to do justice and love kindness. May we follow your light when the shadows attempt to swallow our resolve. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Michelle Torigian)) Words of Grace Our souls continue to open to the healing and hope of God. May we embrace the glow of God’s grace as we seek ways to care for our neighbors. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Michelle Torigian) Testimonies Joe and Joellyn Byers Scripture Jeremiah 31:27-34 Sermon A God for Everyone The Blame Game Sour grapes culture in the bible Jeremiah’s use of the blame game The last chapter of Jeremiah – change of heat and a change of tone. Very heavy seems like there is no hope A town with no hope A Little town in Maine, flagstaff was scheduled to be flooded in order to make way for a new damn. People knew for months that their town was doomed. Roofs needed to be repaired, buildings needed to be fixed. But no one was willing to spend on a house that they knew was going to be destroyed in the future any way. People noticed that as time got closer for the town to be destroyed – thinks started to look more and more bedraggled. No one was willing to fix anything or clean up anything. There was no hope, there was no freedom, no reason to try to do anything different. If God doesn’t love you, if God is threatening to divorce you and to forget all about you – what is the point of living in God’s will? Why obey laws that are designed to mess you up? Jeremiah knew that he had to create a new future, a future with hope, a promise that if you mess up, God will let you start all over again. God wont hold sin against When we have no hope, we don’t try. Song that God loves you. Gives us three promises – thus says the lord 3 promises. Final message that god loves you, and will be with you Boy and the comic books Son moved by fathers tears Wangerin has a wonderful story, called "Matthew, Seven, Eight, and Nine" about how he tried to stop his son Matthew from stealing comic books. He tried various uses of the law over several years and continued to fail. Finally, he resorted to something he rarely used: a spanking. He did it deliberately, almost ritualistically, and he was so upset when he finished that he left the room and wept. After pulling himself back together, he went in to Matthew and hugged him. A number of years later, Matthew and his mother were doing some general reminiscing, and Matthew happened to bring up the time when he kept stealing comic books. "And you know why I finally stopped?" he asked. "Sure," she said, "Because Dad finally spanked you." "No!" replied Matthew, "No, because Dad cried." He cared for me, and his tears made all of the difference. Tone of the Hebrew religion starts to change. Less about blame shame and guilt and more about love, forgiveness, mercy. Jeremiah’s story is about hope through God’s love. Understands us – wants us to succeed. So that we can show love to others Piano teacher A piano teacher once told her students, “My goal isn’t that you play from memory—it’s that you play from the heart.” Years later, one student became a nurse. During a long night shift, she sat beside a dying patient and quietly hummed that same piece she’d learned years ago. She said, “I didn’t need sheet music. The song was still in me.” Finally all familiar with passwords – if you don’t write it down, you lose it Don’t need a password for Gods love - inside of us. Mission We are God’s co-gardeners. The mission field isn’t just “out there”—it begins in the soil of our hearts and spreads wherever God plants us. When we invest our prayers, presence, gifts, and service, we join God’s renewal project. Discipleship True discipleship is not memorizing commands but embodying Christ’s compassion. It’s when forgiveness flows naturally, generosity feels joyful, and service springs from love—not duty. Stewardship Stewardship is not a program—it’s a response of people whose hearts are alive to God’s presence. When the covenant is written on our hearts, generosity becomes second nature. We give, serve, and care because we know God personally. Let us pray….. Song Love Divine, All Loves Excelling UMH 384 Prayers of the People (Do not print) O Lord our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You created the heavens and the earth and placed us in your world to glorify and enjoy you forever. And yet we have recognized the despair, dismay, and injustice; the violence and the disasters of the world in which we live. We seek to be faithful to you and your glory and yet, our hearts and souls are unsettled and troubled. We come to you in need of the healing and peace that only you can provide. And so, we pray for rest. We pray for rest for those weary from the demands of a culture that has turned us into consumers. Rest for those weary from unmet requests and unjust treatment. Rest and healing for those weary from illness, grief, loneliness, and loss. We pray for attention. We pray for attention for those distracted by too many good things. We pray for attention for those who feel like a pinball instead of a plant with roots running deep. We pray for attention to your gifts of grace that we might know delight. We pray to say no. We pray to say no to destructive forces and idols that pull us away from you, O Lord. We pray to say no to the ways we take your creation for granted and destroy what you have placed in our care. We pray to say no to all that addicts us to unhealthy behaviors and relationships. We pray for nourishment. We pray that we might nourish our souls with your Word. We pray that we might nourish our bodies with fruits, vegetables and exercise. We pray that we might nourish our minds with the truth. We pray for the log in our eyes. We confess that we are overly concerned with the behavior and belief of others. We confess that we fail to accurately see our own faults and failings. We confess that we pull back from others instead of working together for justice, freedom, and peace. We pray that you might speak to us. We pray that your Word might dwell within us and be engraved upon our hearts. We pray for the right words to speak in troubled times. We pray that your Spirit might give us eyes to see and ears to hear the new Word you are still speaking today. We pray for wonder and awe. We pray that beyond our hope and imagination, you might bring peace to war-torn lands. We pray that you might surprise us in the ordinary after long waits. We pray that we might see your fingerprints in our own. Finally, we pray for all those needs unnamed that trouble and unsettle our souls, needs known to you and bigger than we can handle on our own. Into your hands, O Lord, we place these prayers, longing for the day when you will make all things new. As we wait with anticipation and hope, we join our voices with disciples of all the ages to pray as Jesus has taught us, “Our Father …” (Presbyterian Outlook, Matthew Rich) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Jesus asked the question in Luke 18: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Today as we come to our time of offering, let’s recognize this is one act which demonstrates our faith. We give because we have faith, expressed through the ministries and work of this congregation (name one or two). We give because we have faith, knowing our financial support will help build up this congregation, allowing us to show God’s love in the midst of apathy, distrust, and selfishness. We give because we have faith in Jesus, the one who taught his followers to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the least – to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. So this invitation is for each and all of us to give financially, to give our talents, to give our time. Give in response to the abundance we have received: life, air, water, food, and so much more! Let us share our morning tithes, gifts, and offerings. Prayer of Thanksgiving Generous God, thank you for your abundant gifts by which our lives are blessed. Thank you for the ways you offer us your commandments and decrees to support the destitute and care for the widows and orphans. Thank you now for these gifts and for each one who has given, that we might use these resources to help create life on earth as it is in heaven. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May the God of Hope stir us to awaken to Divine dreams. May the Christ of Light embolden us to use our voices May the Spirit of Peace fill us with the resolve to transform our world. With help from the Holy One, we will never lose heart! (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Michelle Torigian) Community Time – Sharing of Joys and Concerns Benediction Here in this place, God transforms us into disciples, so we may share the grace etched upon our hearts. Here with these people, compassion is written on our hearts, so we may join Jesus in bringing justice to all. Now, in these moments, the Spirit is breathed into us, so we can be as persistent as God in bringing hope to the world. © Thom M. Shuman Additional illustrations You could answer every question on the Jeopardy board in the Bible category and still not have a living relationship with God. That's knowledge about God. And it has very little use in life. But personal knowledge of God comes from a relationship with the Lord. We get this knowledge when we invite Jesus to become the Lord and Savior of our lives. Only when we make that commitment do we begin to know the Lord in a personal way. A father took his young son to a major league baseball game along with one of the father's friends. The father's friend had a son who was a pitcher for one of the major league teams. It was the father's intention to stay after the game and have his friend's son introduced to his own boy. After the game, the trio made their way to the locker room door and waited for the players to come out. As they waited for his friend's son to come out, some of the star players pushed away the fans and made a dash for their cars. Other players came out and signed autographs, but the boy didn't really get to talk to any of them. But when his father's friend's son came out, because the lad was with his dad, the player took the time to shake his hand, to talk to him, and to greet him as a real human being. After that experience, the young boy paid a lot of attention to that player's career. He did so because he felt he had a relationship with the player. He had met him face to face, and that made all the difference. A symbol of God’s love A baby bird asked his mother, that is air – she said no words to her baby, she just spread here wings and flew. A baby fish asked its mother- what is water – she said nothing, she just swished her tail and started to fly. A baby ant ask his mother what is dirt, she said nothing she just dug a little more. A baby child asked her mother what is love – she opened her arms and hugged the baby. A God fearer asked God what is forgiveness – he sent his son to the cross to die for you. What better promise do you need of God’s love for you? Live your live dwelling in the love of God.

Rise up and Reveal God's Grace

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 Laity Sunday 19th Sunday after Pentecost Rise Up and Reveal God’s Grace Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship We are all invited to God’s nearness in Jesus Christ. We know Jesus is God’s grace for the life of the world. We look for grace revealed in our togetherness and in the lives those beyond our church walls. We know our together life in Christ is never gated or exclusive. In every place, we discover what it means to be faithful – with you – to make all things new. And we hear your invitation to help heal and repair the world’s shattered wholeness. Song - Here I am Lord UMH 593 Children’s Sermon Hello, children of God! Today I am going to need a volunteer…Who would like to be my special helper this morning? (Select a student, and hand him/her a pen and paper) Now, here’s what I need you to do. I am going to tell you what to write, and I want you to put it down on the paper, okay? So, write down what I say. (Come up with a simple phrase or sentence for the child to write on the paper.) Okay, guys, take a peek here. Who came up with the words on this paper? Did (student’s name) really think of what to say? She/he might have written the message down, but it came from my brain and mouth, didn’t it? These are my words, and I just used her/him to put them down and share with you. You know, this is how the Bible was written, in a way. Some people get confused, and they don’t understand how we can be sure that the Bible is true. After all, there are a lot of people who contributed to the Bible, right? Kings and prophets and poets and friends of Jesus and people writing letters…with all of those authors and people spanning such a range of time and area, how can we know that these are really God’s words? Well, there is a lot of research and history that goes into the authentic truth of the Bible, but for us it’s important to note that the Bible is the word of GOD and is given to us by Him. God used people throughout history to share His message, but the words are truly God’s words. He communicated to people and told them what to say, so people took the paper and wrote things. But the ideas and meaning all came from God. He inspired the Bible. Speaking of which, in our lesson today we heard that the Bible is “breathed out by God.” This is actually what is meant by the term “inspired”: it means it is breathed from God. Take a look at this (hold up party horn, instrument, or balloon): On its own, this is just a bit of floppy material. It can’t really do much, can it? But when I put my breath into it (blow into instrument/balloon), something happens! With the inspiration of my air going into this, it kind of comes to life! Well, that’s what happens with the Bible. God breathed out those words and gave the Bible life…and the Bible will help bring inspiration into our lives! There are a lot of amazing things in the Bible. You can read stories of people in the past, and you can read messages from God to His people. You can also find beautiful Scripture with poetry. You can read the story of the life of Jesus and how He came to earth. And you can find messages that help us know how to live our lives and be followers of Jesus. There is so much to discover in the Bible. It is a huge blessing that we have it There is so much to discover in the Bible. It is a huge blessing that we have it and that we can be confident of its truth and meaning for us. God wants to communicate His heart and how much He cares for us and loves us. When we read the Bible, we can be confident it contains the words of God. Isn’t that great? It is a gift from Him! Let’s pray to thank God for that gift, and don’t forget to read your Bibles! Dear God, Thank you for the Bible We know that it is true And it is inspired by You Help us to be faithful to read it And help us understand what it means Thank you for your love We love you, God! Thank you for Jesus In His name, Amen! Baptism (name of the baby) UMH 39 Affirmation of Faith UMH 885 Scripture 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5 Sermon Rise Up and Reveal God’s Grace On this laity Sunday, our most important lesson for the day – the bible is relevant. John Wesley and many other church leaders tell us the scripture is primary to our faith. Martin Luther said By Scripture Alone! Preach the Gospel to Yourself Daily Preach the Gospel to One Another Daily Scripture for the Soul, Medicine for the Body Questions for Reflection The Bible will always be relevant. It will always speak to us because it is not from us, it is from God and it has some wonderful things to teach us. Especially in how God sees us. The world could care less about us. But listen to what God says about us in the N.T. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke--we are called the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In the Gospel of John we are called friends of Jesus. In Acts we are people of the Way. In Romans we are joint heirs with Christ, sharing his inheritance. In Corinthians we are a temple--a dwelling place of God. In Galatians we are sons and daughters of God--one in Christ. In Ephesians we're saints, citizens with the rest of God's family. In Philippians we are citizens of heaven, right now. In Colossians we are hidden with Christ in God. In Thessalonians we are chosen of God, holy and dearly loved. In Timothy we are those who have been given a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. In Titus we are those who have been set apart according to God's doing. In Philemon we are soldiers. In Hebrews we are those who have been purified by the offering of our great high priest. In James we are brothers and sisters. In Peter we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession. In John's letters we are children of God who will resemble Christ when Christ returns. In Jude we are those who are called, beloved in God. And in Revelation we are those whose names are written in the book of life. Where else can you hear such powerful affirmation? Not out there. The world says your feet and breath stink, that you don't drive the right kind of car or eat the right kind of foods or dress right. But the Bible helps us walk a little taller. It says we are the children of God. The importance of scripture is the last lesson from 2 Timothy on what it means to be a church leader. This may well be one of the most important lessons – That we are to read the bible for ourselves. But it is also important to develop a relationship with the scripture in order to develop a relationship with Christ. The writer starts out this text by saying as for you young man, continue with the things that you have been taught all of your life. One of those things is to read the bible. An elderly man lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Tennessee with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early reading from his old worn out Bible. His grandson, who wanted to be just like him, tried to imitate him in any way he could. One day the grandson asked, “Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?” The grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.” The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You will have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was “impossible to carry water in a basket,” and he went to get a bucket instead. The grandfather said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You’re just not trying hard enough,” and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, “See Papa, it’s useless!” “So you think it is useless?” The old man said, “Look at the basket.” The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean. “Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.” (6) That is the work of God in our lives to change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of God’s Son. Millions of Christians though the ages will testify that is what happened to them when they faithfully studied the scriptures. God revealed Himself to them. God showed them what He wanted them to do. And God purified them and molded them into the image of Christ. 6. From the Internet. Source unknown. Many people read the bible for many different reasons. But it teaches each of us a lesson in life. I heard a story of a young fellow who desperately wanted a car for his sixteenth birthday. That is all he talked about and he knew his parents had gotten the message. When the day finally arrived, he looked out the window hopefully thinking that surely his new car would be there. But to his great disappointment, it wasn’t. There was no car at all. He asked his parents why he hadn’t gotten the car. The father responded, “Son, there are three reasons. First, your grades are bad and you never seem to study like you should. Secondly, you don’t go to church any more and you don’t read the Bible every night. And thirdly you have got that long hair and you won’t cut it.” “Well, what do I need to do,” asked the son, “to be able to get my car?” “It is very simple,” the dad said, “You need to study hard and raise your grades. You need to go to church and read your Bible every night and you need to get that long hair cut.” Six months passed and the young man came back to his father. “Dad, It has been six months now and I want you to know I’ve made a lot of improvements. In fact, I am getting three A’s and a B this semester. So you see, I have been studying hard. And I have been going to church every Sunday and reading my Bible every night.” The father’s said, “I know son, and I am proud of you. But you still haven’t gotten your hair cut.” The son’s face lit up. “Yes, dad, I know, but I have discovered in reading the Bible that Jesus had long hair too.” The fathers reply was really disarming. “Yes, son, I realize that, but if you will keep reading the Bible, you will also discover that Jesus walked everywhere He went!” Well, that is not all we’ll discover if we keep reading the Bible I still keep my first bible on my desk as a reference. My aunt gave it to my for Christmas when I was 7. We would have family bible study on the bible stories, and I wanted to read the stories for myself. I knew the stories, but I did not really know the words. As a teenager I was convinced that the bible was a magical book with the answers to all of my problems. When I would turn to a chapter and it didn’t name my friends and circumstance specifically I stopped reading it. In college, I went to a bible study that I loved. As a freshman I read the entire bible and got scared at all of the rules. At the end of college, I thought the world was coming to an end. When it didn’t’ I studied to understand what the bible actually said. From there I went to seminary to learn more. I finally came to understand what the bible said, when I had to teach it. UMW asked me to write a mission study on Corinthians. So I studied Paul for a year and went to Greece, Turkey and Rome. The best way to learn, is to have to explain it to everyone else. Now, I have a week long discipline of studying the text and prepping for my sermon every week. And even now, there is so much more for me to learn about the bible. The bible is a living text that can interact with our lives. It is a revelation of how God works in our lives to give us a message. Our text says that every scripture is inspired by God. Let's take that apart. The word "inspired" is a unique word. This is the only time it occurs in the New Testament. It refers to wisdom that comes from God, or quite literally, God's Spirit has been infused or breathed upon it. Therefore, more than just the creative thoughts or opinion of some authors writing on papyrus, scripture has a unique divine authority unlike any other writing. That authority, that power, is shown in what God's word accomplishes. It inspired faith with a wisdom that transcends human knowledge. It teaches, reproofs, and corrects. It trains people in righteousness, equipping them for every good work. The power and the authority of scripture are found in what it does. Scott Suskovic The church still struggles with that term inspired by God. What does it mean to live by the bible? For instance, in 1 Timothy, the writer says that women should never teach men. So does that mean that women should not be preachers? Some churches say yes, some say no. As the Methodist church struggles with splitting, on the surface it seems the disagreement is about homosexuality. When the disagreement is about is text – All Scripture is inspired by God. What does inspired mean? Do we take everything in the bible literally? How far do we go in interpreting what the bible teaches us. Our founder, John Wesley, had a particular notion about inspiration. He believed in double-inspiration. The Spirit of God not only inspired those who wrote it, but continually inspires and supernaturally assists those who read it with earnest prayer. Christianglobe Networks, Inc., Faith Breaks: Thoughts On Making It A Good Day, by J. Howard Olds We have to read the bible for ourselves in order to look at our faith. There are no easy answers for any of us. The writer tells Timothy – preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. He says that the bible corrects, confronts, and encouraged with patience and instruction. The problem is Nearly 80 percent of Americans say the Bible is the most influential book in human history and 42 percent say reading the Bible is “very important” to them. Nonetheless, only 17 percent of Americans report reading the Bible daily and 45 percent say they rarely or never read it. (2) I’m not going to ask for a show of hands. You know which group you belong to. How many of us have actually read the bible to be inspired by it? Charles H. Spurgeon once said, "There is no need to defend a lion when he is being attacked. All we have to do is open the gate and let the lion out. The lion will defend itself." Martin Niemoeller was a German pastor who opposed Hitler during World War II and thus spent much of the war in German prison camps. They took from him everything except his Bible. After his release, Niemoeller gave this testimony about the Bible: "What did this Book mean to me during the long and weary years of solitary confinement and then for the last four years at Dauchau? The word of God was simply everything to me, comfort and strength, guidance and hope, master of my days and companion of my nights, the bread that kept me from starvation and the water of life that refreshed my soul." Dynamic Preaching, The Ritz Collection, by Eric Ritz The bible is everything to us – our inspiration, our revelation, our guidance, our example of what it means to be loved and to love others. Maybe you saw the special report Wednesday night about Paul Reed. Paul is a Viet Nam Vet who pulled out some of his souvenirs and booty from the war. Some of which was a Diary and pictures. He decided to translate. In pages of that diary found just another soldier, Nam Van Nia, who missed his wife and family. Who was lonely. Cold all those things he experienced. Decided to go back and take stuff back. When did, found the soldier. Meeting brought about healing. Paul Reed, holding the diary, told Vietnamese Vet, "This small book taught me not to hate you." If an ordinary diary can do that just think what the Bible can do. This small book teaches us just how much God loves us. The Bible is our Book, the foundation of all that we believe and the story of our relationship with God. Read it, get to know it. This is the word of the Lord for this day. Rising up and revealing God’s grace is living the love that we experience in the bible. Amen. Song – Seek Ye First UMH 405 Prayers of the People Merciful God, powerful and wonderful, eternally present and graciously close, we are grateful for what you have given us in Jesus Christ, life and love without end. Prompted by your Spirit and encouraged by your faithfulness, we lift to you the cares and concerns of our hearts, the burdens and the worries of our lives. We pray that the sick would be healed, that the broken would be mended, that the mournful would be comforted. We pray that warriors would yield to peace, that leaders would gain wisdom, that the forsaken would be gathered in. We pray that the sorrowful would be consoled, that the poor would be lifted up, that the anxious would be released. We pray for all that you would have us pray. We pray for those for whom no one prays. We pray all of these things in the name of the one ceaselessly praying for us, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen (Presbyterian Outlook, John Wurster) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Many of us live in a world where speed is valued. We’re surrounded by ads with runners who win the race, cars which reach top speed first, stocks which lead the market. Yet Paul’s writing encourages our persistence in standing on the foundation of our faith. He writes “continue in what you have learned…knowing from whom you learned it…be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable.” Just the opposite of the push for “do it fast”. One place this makes good sense is in our stewardship of financial resources. Common wisdom says “slow and steady wins the race”, and “dollar cost averaging” to serve people best over a life-time. Here at ____________, we’re grateful for every offering, yet we also know it’s the regular, persistent, weekly or monthly contributions which are the foundation of our finances. So as you continue to grow in faith, let that show in the way you make a financial investment in this congregation and in our ministries. Persistent participation over “make a fast, one-time contribution” speed! Prayer of Thanksgiving We give you thanks, God of all creation, for your persistence in caring – and in challenging US to care — for all your creatures, and for the whole of this place we call our earthly home. May these gifts be utilized to their full potential, supporting the ministries of this congregation in this place, and to the ends of the earth. AMEN Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook We will go, Lord, into the world, telling and retelling the story with other believers, taking the gospel and making disciples among all the peoples with whom we come in contact. We will go, knowing you will be with us. You, O God, to whom we would in these moments, pour out our lives in service and in thanksgiving. But we know the barriers that stand in our way. We cannot pour ourselves out to you fully as individuals with unconfessed sin in our lives. We cannot pour ourselves out to you fully as your body when we are in conflict with others. So, hear our confession, forgive and deliver us, and give us courage to offer your peace to one another. Community Time Benediction Leader: Go into the world, sharing yourself and proclaiming God’s lovingkindness, justice, and peace, in words and deeds that bring life and hope. Pastor: The Triune God, Creator, Redeemer, and Living Spirit, is with you today and every day, forever and always. Amen Additional illustrations ChristianGlobe Network, Inc., , by Billy D. Strayhorn It is time we took seriously our Christbody responsibility to "learn the ABCs" - learn "About the Bible in Church." Unless we read it, study it, learn what's in it and feel comfortable with it in our hands and on our tongues, we cannot truly love the Word of God. Instead, we are intimidated by it, afraid of it, shocked by it or simply remain ignorant of it. LS There was a woman who called her pastor late one night in a panic and said, "Pastor, quickly, tell me what I believe." Another believer from a different church who challenged her about her beliefs had cornered her. She quickly found that she could not articulate the basic teachings of her church. "Pastor, quickly, tell me what I believe." There may be more than one person gathering in worship this morning who, if hard pressed, may be less than clear about what they believe. Are you one? Where does one start in establishing a baseline for belief? Church doctrine? Parental teaching? The local pastor? Inner instinct? Which verse is the most dangerous? It is this one that says, "All scripture is God-breathed" (2 Timothy 2:16) or "All scripture is inspired," depending on which version or translation you use. To be perfectly honest, perhaps this is not the most dangerous verse, but as one writer says it is the mother of all proof texts. As the bumper sticker has it, "The Bible says it; I believe it; that settles it." After all, this is God's word we are talking about. As to why I call this verse dangerous, stay tuned. There is another danger. People think that scripture — because it is "God-breathed" or "inspired" — is somehow magical in the way it can give guidance. "Pastor, can you give me a few verses that will help strengthen my marriage or help me be a better father or to get my daughter to clean up her room?" Have you ever been faced with a difficult decision and gone to the Bible for assistance? Eyes closed, Bible on its spine in your lap, let it fall open, finger points to a place on the page, and voilá, God's will for your life is before you. Have you ever tried it? My sweetie has, back in the days before her sanctification was complete. Christie grew up in Venezuela, but as is often the case with the children of Americans working overseas, when it came time for high school, she came back to the states to a school in New England. She came to dislike it intensely, as much for being separated from her family as anything else. She wanted to come home. She decided to get some divine guidance: Bible on the lap, eyes closed, and the moving finger magically guided. She opened her eyes to see what passage she had been "guided to" and read in astonishment from Jeremiah 38:2: "Thus says the Lord, he who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague. But he who goes forth to the Chaldeans shall live." By the sword? The famine? Gracious! She was on the phone to Caracas that night and within two weeks she was back in South America. After all, "All scripture is inspired...." That is like using the Bible as an Ouija Board! William Sloane Coffin once bemoaned "Christians use the Bible much as a drunk does a lamppost — more for support than for illumination." David Leininger You laugh, but many adults wouldn’t fare much better in describing the New Testament. You may have seen that list on the Internet of the eight signs that you are not reading your Bible enough: 1. The pastor announces the sermon is from Galatians . . . and you check the table of contents. 2. You think Abraham, Isaac and Jacob may have had a few hit songs during the 60s. 3. You open to the Gospel of Luke and a WWII Savings Bond falls out. 4. Your favorite Old Testament patriarch is Hercules. 5. You become frustrated because Charlton Heston isn’t listed in either the concordance or the table of contents. 6. Catching the kids reading the Song of Solomon, you demand: “Who gave you this stuff?” 7. You keep falling for it every time when pastor tells you to turn to First Condominiums. 8. And the No. 1 sign you may not be reading your Bible enough: The kids keep asking too many questions about your usual bedtime story: “Jonah the Shepherd Boy and His Ark of Many Colors.” (Author unknown) St. Paul writes to his young protégé Timothy and he gives him this admonition, “But as for you, Permit me an analogy. Imagine that there is a mosquito flying around your bare arm. Instead of swatting that mosquito, you decide to communicate with it. You try to convince the mosquito not to bite you. You suggest to the mosquito that your spouse is much tastier than you are. That would be a frustrating conversation, don’t you think trying to talk to a mosquito? Now, imagine the Creator of the universe trying to communicate with you and me. God is beyond space and time. We can’t even imagine a world without space and time. We say God is Spirit. What does that mean, really? Beats me. The only thing we really know about God is what God chooses to reveal. That is what the Bible is all about. The Bible is not a book of theology. Theology is, of course, the study of God. How absurd. We have the capacity to study mosquitoes. Imagine mosquitoes coming together to study us. It is just as absurd to say that, by forming a study group we are able to capture the nature of God. The Bible is not a book of theology, but of revelation. God wanted to communicate with human creatures. The Bible is God’s attempt to reach out to us. Through the Bible God seeks to reveal His nature and His plan. “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” while back, one of our pollsters asked people whether or not they believed the Bible to be the “revealed Word of God” or merely a “great piece of literature.” Over 80% of them said they believed it to be the “revealed Word of God” - yet more than half of them could not name even one book in the New Testament. That reminds me of one of my most embarrassing moment. A few years ago I was coming from a trip overseas back into the United States through Chicago. I think it was the only time I’ve ever been through customs in Chicago. And, I think Chicago is the worst place in the nation to go through customs. As is always the case, I was happy to get back into this country, and anxious to move through customs. On that particular trip, I had a very close schedule with a place that would take me to Nashville. So I needed to get through customs as rapidly as possible. The customs officer obviously sensed my anxiety, and I guess she was trying to do as much as she could to facilitate the process. So, after I had told her about my close plane connection, she asked, “What is your vocation?” Now I don’t know what that had to do with it - but that was the question she asked. Without hesitation, I said, “I’m a preacher.” Without hesitation, she said, “Name the first five books of the Old Testament.” Now you may find this hard to believe, and I’m really embarrassed to tell you this - I went totally blank. Genesis, Exodus - and I couldn’t get any further. I went totally blank. I share that to make a point. The point is in a question: Is there any merit in being able to name the books of the Bible or in being the 80% of our nation who believe that the Bible is the “revealed word of God” if we are not making that Word “the whole and sole rule of our Christian faith and practice.”? So let me go on with my theme: The Bible is more than a book. Get a part of our scripture lesson firmly in mind, verses 14-17: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Note first that more than a book, the Bible is a revelation of and an encounter with the Living God. Moses experienced that encounter when confronted by the burning bush that was not consumed, and out of that bush heard the voice of God. “I want to know one thing - the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He had written it down in a book. 0, give me that book! At any price, give me that book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be “a man of one book”. Here then I am, far from the busy ways of man. I sit down alone: only God is here. In his presence I open, I read his book; for this end, to find the way to heaven.” (Sermons, I, 31—32) ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Collected Sermons, by Maxie Dunnam Claude was a rather normal young adult. One day Claude decided he would read the Bible from cover to cover. He plowed through the Pentateuch, and found the war stories of Joshua, Judges, Kings and Chronicles to be surprisingly interesting. Then one day, while reading the Psalms, Claude came across Psalm 37:21. The verse reads, “The wicked borrow and do not repay.” Suddenly, Claude remembered the $500 he had borrowed from his parents and promised to repay, but never did. Convicted by the Scriptures, Claude asked God for forgiveness and wrote a check to his parents. Scripture, said Paul, is presently profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. It is possible to say the right thing in the wrong way and you wind up saying the wrong thing even though it is truth. There was a motorist that was driving in the country when he came upon a priest and a rabbi standing on the shoulder of the road and they were fishing. Next to them was a sign that read, "Turn around. The end is near." The motorist was a very unreligious person. He rolled down the window and said, "You bunch of religious nuts, why don't you mind your own business!" A few second later, the two fishermen heard tires screech and then a splash into the lake. The rabbi turned to the priest and said, "I told you we should have just written, 'Bridge out.'" There was a lady who was taking care of a little six year old girl while her mother was away and she wanted to really make sure she was a good hostess, so she got up early the first morning and prepared a big breakfast of ham and eggs. When the little girl came down she looked at her and said, "My mother always fixes biscuits." This lady, wanting to make sure that the neighbor felt like her daughter had been well taken care of, went to the store and bought flour, milk, Crisco, and slaved over a hot stove and put out the best home-made biscuits she could possibly fix. When she put one in front of the little girl the little girl looked at her and said, "No thank you." The lady said, "I thought you said your mother always fixes biscuits for breakfast." The little girl said, "She does, but I don't eat them." Don't get discouraged when you prepare a God-sized message. There are going to be times you are going to labor over the hot stove of preparation; going to pour your blood, your sweat, your tears, your prayer, your study, your hard work into that message and preach it to the best of your ability and people will not receive it, but that is not your problem. So, do you believe in the authority of Scripture? If you do, you know that the Bible is more than a book – it is the revelation and an encounter with the Living God. It is an invitation – an invitation to salvation and eternal life. And it is a blueprint for living. Within it is the guide for the way we are to pattern our life – and at the heart of that is the call to holiness. MaxieDunnam.com, MaxieDunnam.com, by Maxie Dunnam So, do you believe in the authority of Scripture? If you do, you know that the Bible is more than a book – it is the revelation and an encounter with the Living God. It is an invitation – an invitation to salvation and eternal life. And it is a blueprint for living. Within it is the guide for the way we are to pattern our life – and at the heart of that is the call to holiness. Grace comes to us in all sorts of ways. I had a marvelous visit this past week with Ernie Felts, a member of this congregation. Ernie has had a tough time of it; malignancy and extensive treatment for that interrupted by back surgery. Ernie came to see me on Labor Day -- called and said he wanted to bring us a little gift. He brought a cassette tape, aptly titled "Country Boy...City Boy" -- he thought I'd like the title, but he knew the music was exceptional and I would get great pleasure out of it. He also brought me a letter which I didn't read until after our delightful hour's visit. Let me read you a part of his letter. When the world gets sorta heavy on me, God directs my mind to my cupboard of miracles and memories there I receive sustenance for the present and nourishment for the future. What is in my cupboard? The Word of God -The Bible -, God's miracles, miracles of God that I have seen happen to others that I know personally, and miracles that have taken place in my life. Isn't that beautiful? Is the Bible in your cupboard? Are memories of God's grace working in your life in that cupboard? In our conversation last Monday, Ernie talked about all the people he had met during these months of suffering and illness, in the doctor's office, in the hospital, waiting for radiation treatment -- black, white, rich, poor. Our problems and sufferings, Ernie said, is the common denominator that brings us together. Then he added, "the ground around the cross is always level." "Bill Bentley moved to the mountains of Southern Mexico near Guatemala in 1938. He went there to translate the Bible into the language of a remote tribe in those mountains, the Tzeltals. His fiancee, Marianna, was serving a neighboring tribe. They went back to Pennsylvania to be married, but six days before the wedding Bill died of a heart attack. "Marianna was crushed. God had called her to go to the Tzeltals with Bill. Now, even without him she would go back. After spending six years there alone learning the language, Marianna was joined by Florence, a missionary nurse. For the first eight years their work met with suspicion, rejection, and hostility from the Tzeltals; the missionaries were unwanted and misunderstood. But they stuck it out. "By 1965, after more than twenty years, they had completed the translation of the New Testament into two dialects. Then a miracle took place. More than seventy congregations of Christians grew from the seed they planted. Suspicion became faith, rejection became acceptance, hostility became Christian love. The Tzeltals call God’s word `good seed’; it had taken root. Twenty-one years of life by two single women and the Word of God grew. They accepted another assignment. Twenty-one years later they returned. "What a reunion that was! Thousands of Tzeltal people lined the way to greet them. In the twenty-one years since they had left, the seventy-two congregations they founded had become 322. When they had left there were six thousand believers. When they returned there were forty-four thousand. One-third of the Tzeltals were practicing Christians. Hallelujah for the Word of God! "What other book could do that? If you left a physics text, a biography of a great man, a collection of short stories, a folio of poetry--could any of those books have done what the Bible did for the Tzeltals? No! Only the Word of God can do that. For the word of God is living and active." (1)

God's Investment Plan

September 25, 2016 I Timothy 6:6-19 Luke 16:19-31 God’s Investment Plan 19th Sunday after Pentecost Chicago has the reputation of being one of the most segregated cities in the nation. And there are many unspoken rules to keep that segregation in place. I cant speak for what it is like to live on the south side, but I can speak for the west side and the north side. My first apartment, my first several apartments where on the northside. My boyfriend and I lived on the 7600 block of Sheridan Road. Right on the block just past Evanston on the lake. I chose that location because the rent was reasonable, but I was fairly sure that it was a very safe block. There were many young middle class families on the block, even though then it was apartments and not condo’s. But on the northside we lived on blocks, not neighborhoods. Because right across the street was Juneway Terrace, which was one of the most dangerous blocks in the neighborhood. But I was never concerned, because those people didn’t come on my side of the street, and I didn’t come on theirs. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even look over in the direction. When It walked to the el, I made sure that I walked on the safe side. Even though it was the same street, the same neighborhood, it was a totally different world that I had no reason to interact with. On the west side there is a six block neighborhood called the Island. On the west side of the street is Oak Park, on the south side of the street is Cicero, and the island is on the Chicago side on the East. It is called the Island because for most of its history it is the one section of the neighborhood that remained all white, while everything around it changed. There are other ethnic people that live there now, so the Island is not so isolated, but it still retains its character, afterall, who wants to live in an area where they know that they are not wanted. When I hear the story of heaven and hell in Luke 16- I think of Chicago. Luke speaks of a great chasm between heaven and hell that one cannot cross. In this story, you can look and see what is going on in the other place, but you cant do anything about it. It is sort of like living in one of the neighborhoods in Chicago. I think that the boundaries that separate heaven and hell are invisible. I think that the dividing lines between the living and the dead are invisible. We live in the same neighborhood, but not on the same block, and it is possible to communicate, but we live in two different worlds. So we stay in our world and they stay in theirs. This is more of a Hebrew understanding of life, where they believe that the past, the present and the future are all happening at the same time on different planes. And when you died, heaven and hell was in the same place, it was just a separate block. Which block you lived on in eternity was determined by how you lived your life. I think that in life, there is not that much difference between the person who goes to hell, and the person who goes to heaven. One just made different decisions and lived life a little differently. This story about the rich man and Lazurus would have been a folktale that the audience heard many times before. The difference is that in the original story, when the rich man asks if Lazurus can go to warn his brothers about the misery of hell, permission is granted, and someone comes back from the dead to warn the others. Jesus uses this parable to remind us that we have already been warned. And if we are not willing to listen to someone who is alive, then certainly there is no point in sending someone who back from the dead. This story reminds us that we are the brothers, the ones who have a chance to change their ugly ways and to do something different before it is too late. Once we die, it is too late to change and do something different. Once we are dead, we cant claim that Jesus Christ is our savior and think that we are going to be saved. The only ones who can be saved from judgement are the living. And the only way to be saved, is to make acommitment to listen to the ways of God while you can. Luke gives us a powerful understanding of what it means to be saved. God always gives us a second chance, but in order to use that second chance, you have to use it while you can. I have always appreciated Luke’s insight into heaven and hell. But I love this story because it is Jesus way of signifying to us Christians. A man was raised from the dead, and he did warn you about the horrors of hell, so you have absolutely no reason to say you didn’t know. Because you did But I think the message for me important message for me in this text, is that the chasm starts right here, in our lives. A lot of my colleagues today are going to talk about the great chasm in this world between the rich and the poor, or blacks and whites, or between the haves and the have nots. But I want to talk about the chasm between the saved and the saved not. That is the message that connects the text in Luke and the text in Timothy. We, the five brothers at home are being reminded to always live on both sides of the street. Our salvation is dependent on helping others who live on the other side of the street. To make sure that they too know the pathway to salvation. In Timothy we are given two concepts to live by. First, be content with what you have. And second to give what you have been given to someone less fortunate that you. And to understand that no matter how poor you think you are – there is always someone worst off then you. In Timothy – Paul says that there are two ways to get rich in this world. You have continue to get more. Or you can learn to live with less. This world teaches us to want more and more. And time and time again, people don’t have to read the bible to realize that the more you get, the less you think you have. Getting more, leads to the feeling of needing more. Some people call it the Eve factor. What was it that lead Eve to eating from the tree of life? She lived in the garden of eden, she had everything that she could imagine, she was living the perfect life. And yet satan convinced her to want more. With one bite of an apple, she gave into the temptation, and never lost her appetite for more and more. It is in our spiritual DNA. And yet the first words of our scripture today teach us – that the secret to a spiritual life is to learn to be content with what you have. The word used as contentment actually means being self contained. Realizing that happiness does not come from what is out there, it comes from what’s inside. 1. The Pastor's Story File (Saratoga Press, P.O. Box 8, Platteville, CO, 80651; 970-785-2990), February 2001 Contentment comes from an inward attitude to life. In the Third part of Henry the Sixth, Shakespeare draws a picture of the king wandering in the country places unknown. He meets two gamekeepers and tells them that he is a king. One of them asks him: “But, if thou be a king, where is thy crown?” And the king gives a great answer: “My crown is in my heart, not on my head; Not deck’d with diamonds and Indians stones, Nor to be seen; my crown is call’d content— A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy.” Sadly, in many cases it is. We can see a dangerous parallel to our lifestyle in the true story of what happened to the citizens on the island of Nauru, a tiny island in the Western Pacific Ocean. With abundant natural resources and rich fishing waters, Nauru provided its citizens with a comfortable, peaceful life. But one day, a chemist, studying a piece of wood from the island, discovered it to be from an area very rich in phosphates. It turns out the island of Nauru was a rich source of phosphate rock, which is used extensively in fertilizers. The government set about mining the phosphate rock and soon became exceedingly rich from its export. Because the government of Nauru subsidizes the lifestyles of its inhabitants, the people of Nauru also became quite rich in the process. The newly rich Nauruans became conspicuous consumers, stocking their houses with every kind of high-tech household gadget. Though their little island has only one road, most Nauruan families bought two or more cars. The government began importing large amounts of food from other countries, and made it available to the people at very low prices. Today, 90% of Nauruan inhabitants are obese, and diabetes and heart disease rates have skyrocketed. The government badly mismanaged its wealth, and now the island of Nauru is in serious debt. Irresponsible mining practices have devastated the island's habitat and natural beauty. And the phosphate stores are running out. The island of Nauru, once a place of beauty and comfortable living, has been ravaged by greed, and is a little speck of heaven no longer. (4) The same thing is happening to us, but we rarely ever see it. But Paul, like Luke, like Jesus, reminds us that we should know better than that. He starts out in Timothy by saying godliness is a great source of profit when you combine it with happiness, which you should already have. The love of money is the root all evil, but he says you man of God should run away from all of these things. Instead, pursue righteousness, holy living, faithfulness, love, endurance and gentleness. Grab hold of the eternal. In other words, let your contentment come from inside, not from what you don’t have. Luke’s message to us is in God’s investment plan, we should invest in relationships with people and with God, not in our bank account. It is nothing wrong with money, or having money. But when it drives you down a road of achieving more – that is when the trouble begins. One day, the young son of humor writer Erma Bombeck surprised her with this question: "Mommy, are we rich?" This was Bombeck's answer: "You're rich when you can have eight people to dinner and don't have to wash forks between the main course and dessert." "You're rich when your television set has all the knobs on it." "You're rich when you can throw away a pair of pantyhose just because it has a large hole in it." "You're rich when your dog is wet and it smells good." The truth is, you are really rich, when you can have a relationship with God, you listen to God. You are not only aware of those around you, but you do what you can to help them. You realize that the resources that you have been given, (and everything that you have is a gift), are given to make a difference in this world. Your true reward comes from God, not from man. Invest in people, not in material possession. A man went to a monastery on vacation for a week. As the priest led him to his room, he said, you are welcome here. And if you find that you need something during you stay here, we will teach you how to live without it. Father Leaves Legacy Through Giving When I was a kid, my dad told me two stories all the time. In the first one, a couple goes to Harvard University and asks to see the president, because they want to give a donation to the university. The president agrees to see them, but he doesn't know them, and because they're from somewhere way out west, he treats them curtly. After a few moments, the woman finally turns to her husband and says, "Come, Leland; I think there are better things we can do with our money." The man was Leland Stanford, founder (with his wife) of Stanford University. Even as a child, I understood that the moral of this story was not, "Be nice to strangers." Instead, this story was about who has real power. The moral is, "If you have money, you can tell anyone—even the most established, respected, or powerful person in the world—to go take a flying leap." The second story my father used to tell me went like this: One day a minister was invited to John D. Rockefeller's mansion. As he drove up the winding drive lined with tall trees, he said, "My, my! This is what the Lord might have done—if he'd had the money." As a child, I understood the moral of this story, too. The minister, who represents belief in God, is overwhelmed by Rockefeller's wealth. Not only that, he says God himself doesn't have as much money as Rockefeller. Implicit in this claim is that he doesn't have as much power, either. Rockefeller is more powerful than God, because money is more powerful than God. As you might guess from the stories my dad told me growing up, he spent most of his life working really hard to make money. But then he made a tactical error. My mom and I were going to an Episcopal Church service, and he decided to come along. The priest was full of old-time religion, and he gave an altar call. Something connected with my dad that day, and he went forward and began to follow Jesus. He was 60-years-old. He began to read a small, blue King James Bible, and for the first time in his life, he began giving with real interest. He told me, in what was a rare sharing of his personal life, "Kevin, I've started to tithe, and it's been a great adventure." My dad suffered a heart attack at age 70. He lay in a hospital bed for 5 days, and then he died. At the funeral home, they laid him in a casket with his navy blazer and a Lands' End tie. A woman I'd never seen came up to me and said, "You don't know me, but I was in a bad marriage; my husband was beating me, and I needed to get out to save my life. But I didn't know what I would do to support myself. Your dad paid for me to go to junior college and get a degree, so I could be a dental hygienist. He paid for the whole thing, and nobody else knew about it. Now I have a job, and I'm making it. Your dad literally saved my life." I wonder what would have been my dad's legacy if he had kept loving money and trying to be like Leland Stanford and John D. Rockefeller. He would have died with a lot of money, but not a lot of love. Instead, he took a risk. He tried to learn how to "keep his life free from the love of money." And when he died, he left behind a woman who knows every day when she cleans people's teeth that it's a miracle she's still alive. Kevin Miller, in his sermon "Financial Contentment," PreachingToday.com [ read less ] When you die, how many of your things are going to come to you funeral. How many of your things are gonna honor you when you die. But the people that you invested in, that you took time with will carry on your name forever. Fellow Christians, we know better, therefore we need to do better. Pursue eternal life, not the rat race. But as for you, man of God, shun all this; aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Amen. Children’s sermon…. Object: A target. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever used a bow and arrow? (Let them answer.) A lot of you have shot an arrow with a bow. How many of you have ever played the game of darts? (Let them answer.) Some of you have done this also. Now, when you use a bow or throw some darts, what do you aim at? (Let them answer.) That's right, a target. You need a target if you are going to shoot an arrow or throw a dart. Otherwise there would be no fun to it. What do you try to hit on the target? (Let them answer.) That's right. The bull's-eye. That is the most important point on the target. If you hit the bull's-eye then you have really done the job. That is the center of our target, and it means you have very good aim. The Bible tells us we should be aiming at some things also. The Bible teaches us that we should be aiming at the good things in life and not just at anything. If you are not aiming, then your shot might end up anywhere. For instance, the Bible tells us that we should try to aim at being gentle. How many of you know what being gentle means? (Let them answer.) What would the opposite of gentle be? (Let them answer.) I think that "rough" is probably the opposite of gentle. Would you like your mother to be rough with you or gentle? (Let them answer.) You want her to be gentle. We would like everyone to be gentle with us. And, of course, other people would like you and me to be gentle with them. Being gentle is in the target's bull's-eye. Another quality we find there is love. What is the opposite of love? (Let them answer.) The Bible says that we should aim at love and never hate. Loving other people and being loved is one of the very best things about life. These are just a couple things the Bible teaches us we should aim for in our lives. In the bull's-eye of the target is gentleness and love. We have to aim at the target. We may not always hit the bull's-eye, but if we are aiming at our target we will come much closer than if we forget to aim. The Apostle Paul gave this kind of advice to his young pastor friend, Timothy, and today I can pass it on to you. Try to think about doing right all day long. Think about it a lot and you will do what is right most of the time. That is what we call taking aim at the good things and having a good life. other illustrations….. ILLUSTRATION Frugal Trustee Removes Church Sign After a friend of ours took his first rural pastorate, we made plans to visit him. We wrote down careful directions on how to get to his country church. He said there would be a welcome sign at a crossroads that would indicate to us where to turn. But traveling back and forth on the road, we couldn't find the sign. Finally, by accident we located the church. When we told our pastor friend about our trouble, he was confused. He asked the church trustee what happened to the sign. The trustee explained, "I took it down for the winter, so it wouldn't become weathered." JoHannah Reardon, Sycamore, Illinois SERMON ILLUSTRATION Philip Yancey on Living Without Possessions I've become more convinced than ever that God finds ways to communicate with those who truly seek him, especially when we lower the volume of the surrounding static. I remember reading the account of a spiritual seeker who interrupted a busy life to spend a few days in a monastery. "I hope your stay is a blessed one," said the monk who showed the visitor to his cell. "If you need anything, let us know, and we'll teach you how to live without it." Philip Yancey, "What 147 Elk Taught Me About Prayer," Christianity Today (March 2006) SERMON ILLUSTRATION SERMON ILLUSTRATION Importing the Idol of Consumerism My friend Ashish came from Northern India to visit me in Chicago. We were eating at Gino's Pizzeria one day and ran into a youth pastor I know, along with his youth group. Just returned from Central America, they were debriefing. "So what did you learn from your trip?" Ashish asked. Student after student obsessed about the poverty of "those poor people." After they left, Ashish said, "Why do they think we're so poor?" "Ashish," I retorted, "you are poor compared to any of those kids. It's hard to get their minds off their consumerist passions. I'm glad they experienced some dissonance." "I'm sick of sympathy from Westerners who think we need more stuff," Ashish rebutted. "What does that have to do with our happiness? Please don't help import the consumerism idol into India." He then told about the American group that was just with him in Delhi. "They were concerned about the bicycle I use to get back and forth to church. They told me they'd all chipped in to get me a car! That was the last thing I wanted. I think I 'rained on their parade,' as you say, when I told them that members in my church could use those same dollars to help start a micro-enterprise. They thought I was just being supersacrificial." David Livermore, Serving with Eyes Wide Open (Baker Books, 2006) SERMON ILLUSTRATION St. Francis's Extreme Embrace of Poverty Among his many virtues, [St. Francis of Assisi] is known for his passionate embrace of poverty. Not only did he forbid his emerging Order to own property, he added this discipline for each of the brothers: "Let none of the brothers … wherever he may be or go, carry, receive, or have received in any way coin or money, whether for clothing, books, or payment for work." There were few exceptions. If a brother was sick or if someone needed medical attention, the brothers could beg for money to pay for a doctor or medicine. But other than that, they were never to touch money. In fact, they were forbidden from even being seen with a beggar who asked for money. Francis was passionate about this rule, jealous for obedience to it: "If by chance, God forbid, it happens that some brother is collecting or holding coin or money," he wrote in his earlier rule, "let all the brothers consider him a deceptive brother, an apostate, a thief, a robber." It was a passion without patience. According to an early collection of Francis stories, a layman entered the headquarters of the Order, Saint Mary of the Portiuncula, to pray. He also left an offering, laying some coins near the cross. Later that day, a brother saw the coins and unthinkingly picked them up and placed them on a window ledge. Later, the brother realized what he had done. He also heard that Francis had found out. He was horrified, so he immediately rushed to Francis and implored forgiveness. He told Francis to whip him for penance. Francis was not so easily placated. Instead, after rebuking the brother, he told him to go to the windowsill, pick up a coin with his mouth, and carry it outside. Then, with the coin still in his mouth, he was to deposit it in a heap of ass's dung. The brother obeyed gladly. This is extreme discipleship, to say the least. But Francis knew that money was like a drug, as addictive and destructive to the soul as cocaine is to the body. Francis did not believe money could be used moderately or "recreationally" without it eventually enslaving. He believed Jesus literally: one cannot serve God and mammon (see Matt. 6:24). In short, he was so jealous for God, so passionate about a fully realized relationship with him, that he acted in ways we consider "over the top." Mark Galli, A Great and Terrible Love (Baker Books, 2009), pp. 118-119 [ read less ] Save "St. Francis's Extreme Embrace of Poverty " Related Topics: Appetites; Asceticism; Commitment; Dedication; Desire; Devotion;Discipleship; Discipline; Extremes; Flesh; Focus; Gluttony; Law; Legalism;Materialism; Money; Money, love of; Moralism; Passion; Possessions;Poverty; Riches; Rules; Spiritual Disciplines; Temptation; Temptation, resisting;Wealth; World; Worldliness; Zeal Filters: Church History; Everyday Disciples; History; Money; Stories References: Joshua 7:21 ; Luke 8:14 ; Luke 12:13-21 ; Ephesians 5:3 ;Colossians 3:5 ; 1 Timothy 6:6-11 ; 1 Timothy 6:17-19 ; Hebrews 13:5 SERMON ILLUSTRATION "Confessions of a Shopaholic": Materialism and Its Consequences Editor's Note: This is a great scene that shows the mindset of someone consumed by materialism. A word of caution is in order, however: Toward the end ... [ read more ] Save ""Confessions of a Shopaholic": Materialism and Its Consequences " SERMON ILLUSTRATION Changes in Giving in Economic Crisis Change in giving to religious organizations and churches in 2008: +5.5 percent (a total of $106.89 billion) Change in overall charitable giving in 2008: ... [ read more ] Save "Changes in Giving in Economic Crisis" SERMON ILLUSTRATION Top Priorities of Parents in an Economic Crisis In light of the economic crisis of 2009, researchers asked 695 U.S. parents to identify their top priorities: • Fifty-four percent said their children's health care [ read more ] Save "Top Priorities of Parents in an Economic Crisis" Not rated SERMON ILLUSTRATION Man Desires the Trust of His Homeless Friend A little while ago I wandered into the wrong hospital room at Stony Brook University Hospital (New York). A middle-aged man with only a few teeth and ... [ read more ] Save "Man Desires the Trust of His Homeless Friend" SERMON ILLUSTRATION Doing Battle with the "Eve Factor" Several years ago, [my wife] and I moved out of Chicago to the western suburbs to be near our grandkids. We got this little piece of land and built what we thought was our dream house. It was not over the top by any means, but it was nice. We liked how it looked from the curb. We liked how it lived on the inside. It was far more than we deserved, but we really liked our house. I hate to admit this … but about six months after we built our house, I was driving through a beautiful neighborhood and saw a house that caught my attention. The colors, the architecture, the lot, the location all had a big wow factor for me. And my first thought was, Boy, do I wish I had that house! Have you ever wondered, What is wrong with us? It's the Eve factor in our lives. We were born with it, and it's deeply embedded in our spiritual DNA. Just one more proof of our sinfulness, in case we had forgotten. What was it that drew Eve's heart away from God in Genesis 3? What was it that seduced her into the material world, into Satan's clutches? She wanted more. What she had, although awesome and satisfying, wasn't enough. In fact, for her, God wasn't enough. She was willing to do anything for more, even if it meant turning her back on God. At its core, greed is a lack of contentment with God and with what he has provided for us. Joe Stowell, Jesus Nation (Tyndale, 2009), pp. 131-132 [ read less ] The Torment of the Mature "The torment of the dead is that they cannot warn the living, just as it is the torment of the mature that the erring young will not listen to them." Dr. Helmut Thielicke The Only Thing You Have Dr. Leo Buscalgia told of an experience he had in Cambodia many years ago. He noticed that during monsoon season the people's way of life changed. The great rains washed away their houses, so the people lived on great communal rafts, several families together. Dr. Buscalgia wrote: "I went down there on a bicycle and there they were. I thought I'd help these people move and become part of their community. The Frenchwoman whom I was talking with just laughed. `What do they have to move?' she asked. `Nature has taught them the only thing they have is from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet. Themselves, not things. They can't collect things because every year the monsoon comes.'" Dr. Buscalgia reflected upon what he saw: "I couldn't help thinking to myself, what would you do, Buscalgia, if the monsoon came to Los Angeles next week? What would you take? Your color TV set? Your automobile? The only thing you have to take is you." Timothy J. Smith, What Goes Around Comes Around Have you all heard about the Preacher who stood up one morning and told his congregation. "This morning we'll have an interactive service. I've prepared 3 different sermons for today. First I've prepared a fifty dollar fire and brimstone sermon which is about two hours long." "Second I've prepared a hundred dollar sermon on the evils of sin that should take about an hour to deliver. And finally I have a $500 fifty dollar sermon on love and generosity, it will only take about 10 or fifteen minutes. We'll take the offering and afterwards, I will let you know which message I'm going to be preaching this morning." (1) "With money in your pocket, you are wise and you are handsome and you sing well too."

How to be Rich and Happy

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Year C 19th Sunday after Pentecost How to be rich and happy What would you bring back if you could travel through time? It’s a common gambit in science fiction stories: some people build a time machine, or uncover a rift in the space time contimuum, or stumble into a wormhole. Before they know it, they find themselves in the future. After walking around in the future for a little while – tasting the future food, smelling the future flowers, - they decide it is time to go back home. But before they leave the future, these time travelers look around for somethine to take back withthem. What will it be. What is the one thing they can bring back that will make the most difference for tem as they return to their former life? Just to make things more interesting, let’s say their leap into the future is fairly short: just a week or two. If we were one of those time travelers, journeying a week into the future and back, what would we choose to bring back home with us? There is one answer that may come immediately to mind: winning lottery numbers! That one tidbit of factual information, gleaned from the mysterious future would be enough to transform our lives? Our omnipotent God can give us the same advice as the future It would certainly turn that little piece of paper into a blue chip investment. If we trust in God don’t need a time machine. God knows the future, God know everything. Not only the winning numbers, but other countless ways for us to get rich quick. Listen to God may get the answers. And yet we know God may have the information, but no desire to give it to us. God has different ideas about riches, investment, the future. But if we have a relationship with God, then we really learn how to invest in our future, and get riches beyond belief Timothy is failproof advice on getting rich Today, I want us to look at 1 Timothy 6:6-19 because this is where we get fail proof advice on how to gain riches and happiness. If we follow this advice, we can be sure that we will hit the jackpot on our lives. But in order for this advice to work in our lives, we have to be clear that there is a huge difference between the definition of having money and the love of money. Money Speaks I have this quote from money as it tells us the difference….. Money talks, we have been told since childhood. Listen to this dollar speak: “You hold me in your hand and call me yours. Yet may I not as well call you mine. See how easily I rule you? To gain me, you would all but die. I am invaluable as rain, essential as water. Without me, men and institutions would die. Yet I do not hold the power of life for them; I am futile without the stamp of your desire. I go nowhere unless you send me. I keep strange company. For me, men mock, love, and scorn character. Yet, I am appointed to the service of saints, to give education to the growing mind and food to the starving bodies of the poor. My power is terrific. Handle me carefully and wisely, lest you become my servant, rather than I yours.” —Ray O. Jones Message for us about money Money within itself is not good or bad, money is a means to an end. We get in trouble when we start to think that money is the end itself. Did you notice that we talked about money last week, and here we are talking about it again. I think that as we enter into a new economy in our church as as we approach stewardship season, the spirit is talking to us for some reason. As I looked at the lectionary texts for today, I noticed that all 4 of them talked about money. I actually choose Timothy because it was the most …benign. It expressed it message in a positive way and not as an accusation. Godliness is contentment Paul, as a spiritual mentor is giving advice to Timothy. He is actually preparing Timothy to became a pastor. But the advice that he gives is important for all of us who are genuinely seeking to be in service to God. If we want to call ourselves a Christian, we need to take this advice to heart. In the beginning of chapter 6, Paul bringing some clarity to what it means to serve God and to get rich. There are some who think that the scripture tells them that if they consider themselves to be godly people, then they will automatically become rich. I know a lot of Christians who are faithful, because they are well off. Paul is telling us that serving God is a little bigger than that. In the first sentence of today’s lesson, Paul starts out by saying – Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world so that we can take nothing out of it. In other words. Godliness is not about being well off, godliness is about being content with what we have. The word for contentment used here means self sufficient. Not so much depending on our selves, but in living inside of our own skin and not looking outside of ourselves for things that we don’t have. Contentment means – having enough, trusting in God’s provisions and promises. True happiness in our lives comes from relationships, not things. And our most important relationship is the relationship that we have with God. Contentment is always inside of us Contentment never comes from the possession of external things. As George Herbert wrote: “For he that needs five thousand pounds to live Is full as poor as he that needs but five.” Contentment comes from an inward attitude to life One of the sayings of the Jewish Rabbis was: “Who is rich? He that is contented with his lot.” Most of us are content with what we have until we look around and see what others have. I AM REALLY CONTENT... I am really content — until I start looking through the Sears catalogue. I liked my car — until I saw the new P T Cruiser. I am satisfied with my clothes — until I stroll through American Eagle, or the other Mall stores. I love our home — until I think of what it would be like to own a log cabin on the shore of some remote lake. I am satisfied with every area of my life — until I start comparing with someone else’s life. I feel like I have enough of everything — until I see someone who has more. SOURCE: Rodney Buchanan in "An Attitude of Gratitude" on www.sermoncentral.com. If an egg is broken from the outside then life ends, if an egg is broken from the inside then life begins. Great things happen on the inside. True contentment comes from within ourselves. And we can only find it in our own heart. Someone pointed out that millionaires rarely smile – there is so much going on in their lives. We celebrated when a group of coworkers won the powerball. Now one of them is saying that he wished he could give the money back – his life has changed way too much. Charles Barclay – an old preacher says that the love of money is based on an illusion. Money Will Buy: A bed BUT NOT sleep. Books BUT NOT brains. Food BUT NOT appetite. Finery BUT NOT beauty. A house BUT NOT a home. Medicine BUT NOT health. Luxuries BUT NOT culture. Amusement BUT NOT happiness. A crucifix BUT NOT a Saviour. A church-pew BUT NOT heaven. Timothy’s mentor spends so much time trying to make sure that we know the difference between money and the love of money. Between being rich and being content. the difference goes back to making sure that you have a relationship with God. And making sure that all parts of our life are a part of that relationship with God. Paul says pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. He tells us to fight the good fight of faith. And in verses 17-19 Pauls stresses that there is nothing wrong with having money. As long as you trust God, do right, and put your relationship with God first. Paul is preparing Timothy for future service. He gives advice, but he also calls Timothy a man of God. That is a huge honor! Moses was called a Man of God, David was called a Man of God. But when we honor God, He honors us. When we respect God, he respects us. When we give to God, God gives to us. there is nothing wrong with money – when we understand that it carries with it a responsibility. . In the Third part of Henry the Sixth, Shakespeare draws a picture of the king wandering in the country places unknown. He meets two gamekeepers and tells them that he is a king. One of them asks him: “But, if thou be a king, where is thy crown?” And the king gives a great answer: “My crown is in my heart, not on my head; Not deck’d with diamonds and Indians stones, Nor to be seen; my crown is call’d content— A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy.” Contentment is not about what we have in our pocket, it is about what we have in our hearts. God’s failproof advice to us on getting rich – flee from those who mislead us, follow the ways of God, fight the good fight, be faithful to the truth, so that we can finish our race with God. I want to end with this prayer – on how to get rich – just listen PRAYER FOR GETTING RICH Lord, Source of all that is good, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Giver of awesome gifts and undeserved blessings, Help me to be rich. Shower me with enough That I will no longer worry my way through each day, But instead live in gratitude, Cherishing my utter abundance. Help me to have enough of this world's treasures That I may know the joy of sharing what I have, Spreading it around instead of holding on tight. Let me feel rich with wonder at the great mysteries, Receiving each day with anticipation Of the surprises you have in store for me. Remind me that my wealth is best measured In the love that I give and the love that I receive, And that what I own are small things compared to The splendor of the stars, the brightness of sunlight, The joy of music, the sweetness of food, And the glory of this amazingly beautiful world. Teach me, Lord, to be content, So that my heart may know peace even in lean times, And so that my laughter and my joy May add to the richness of those around me. And when it is time to leave this world, Let me go with a thankful heart, my Lord, Knowing that, through you, I have been rich indeed. Amen. --Timothy Haut, for September 29, 2013 Right on the Bull's-Eye Passage: 1 Timothy 6:11-21 • Lectionary: Proper 21 Item 6 of 9 | Back to Results But as for you, man of God, shun all this; aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Object: A target. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever used a bow and arrow? (Let them answer.) A lot of you have shot an arrow with a bow. How many of you have ever played the game of darts? (Let them answer.) Some of you have done this also. Now, when you use a bow or throw some darts, what do you aim at? (Let them answer.) That's right, a target. You need a target if you are going to shoot an arrow or throw a dart. Otherwise there would be no fun to it. What do you try to hit on the target? (Let them answer.) That's right. The bull's-eye. That is the most important point on the target. If you hit the bull's-eye then you have really done the job. That is the center of our target, and it means you have very good aim. The Bible tells us we should be aiming at some things also. The Bible teaches us that we should be aiming at the good things in life and not just at anything. If you are not aiming, then your shot might end up anywhere. For instance, the Bible tells us that we should try to aim at being gentle. How many of you know what being gentle means? (Let them answer.) What would the opposite of gentle be? (Let them answer.) I think that "rough" is probably the opposite of gentle. Would you like your mother to be rough with you or gentle? (Let them answer.) You want her to be gentle. We would like everyone to be gentle with us. And, of course, other people would like you and me to be gentle with them. Being gentle is in the target's bull's-eye. Another quality we find there is love. What is the opposite of love? (Let them answer.) The Bible says that we should aim at love and never hate. Loving other people and being loved is one of the very best things about life. These are just a couple things the Bible teaches us we should aim for in our lives. In the bull's-eye of the target is gentleness and love. We have to aim at the target. We may not always hit the bull's-eye, but if we are aiming at our target we will come much closer than if we forget to aim. The Apostle Paul gave this kind of advice to his young pastor friend, Timothy, and today I can pass it on to you. Try to think about doing right all day long. Think about it a lot and you will do what is right most of the time. That is what we call taking aim at the good things and having a good life. 1-55673-114-0 ¬¬¬¬¬¬ Long ago the Greek philosophers had gripped the right end of the matter. Epicurus said of himself: “To whom little is not enough nothing is enough. Give me a barley cake and a glass of water and I am ready to rival Zeus for happiness.” And when someone asked him for the secret of happiness, his answer was: “Add not to a man’s possessions but take away from his desires.” The great men have always been content with little. It pleads for the realization that it is never in the power of things to bring happiness. E. K. Simpson says: “Many a millionaire, after choking his soul with gold-dust, has died from melancholia.” Happiness always comes from personal relationships. All the things in the world will not make a man happy if he knows neither friendship nor love. The Christian knows that the secret of happiness lies, not in things, but in people. Two things alone a man can take to God. He can, and must, take himself; and therefore his great task is to build up a self he can take without shame to God. He can, and must, take that relationship with God into which he has entered in the days of his life. We have already seen that the secret of happiness lies in personal relationships, and the greatest of all personal relationships is the relationship to God. And the supreme thing that a man can take with him is the utter conviction that he goes to One who is the friend and lover of his soul. Content comes when we escape the servitude to things, when we find our wealth in the love and the fellowship of men, and when we realize that our most precious possession is our friendship with God, made possible through Jesus Christ. Money in itself is neither good nor bad; but the love of it may lead to evil. With it a man may selfishly serve his own desires; with it he may answer the cry of his neighbour’s need. With it he may facilitate the path of wrong-doing; with it he may make it easier for someone else to live as God meant him to do. Money is not itself an evil, but it is a great responsibility. It is powerful to good and powerful to evil. What then are the special dangers involved in the love of money?