God’s purpose is looking for a church, and a people RUMC Stewardship Sunday 2014

God’s purpose is looking for a church, and a people

RUMC Stewardship Sunday 2014

·        What would you call a fire station that never fought a fire? A firefighters club?

·        What would you call a hospital that never treated a patient? A country club for doctors?

·        What would you call a mechanic who never repaired a vehicle? Probably unemployed.

·        What would you call a teacher who never taught anything? A babysitter, and a pretty poor one at that.

·        What would you call a congregation whose sole purpose seemed to be dusting the pews and keeping the lights on?

Now let me ask you,

·        would you be very happy that your taxes go to that firefighter’s club?

·        Would you pay your hospital bill at the Country Club for doctors?

·        Would you take your car to the unemployed mechanic who never repaired a car?

·        Would you pay tuition to go to class with that babysitter?

·        Would you want to support a church if all they did was dust the pews and pay the electric bill? Of course not. Believe me, there are churches who hold gatherings on Sunday morning, have potlucks, marry and bury people, but they have no idea what it means to be the church.

Thank God that we are clearly not one of those congregations. I think these generosity videos this year have done a wonderful job of using pictures to describe what it means to be church and how this congregation lives that out. So let me put some words to it.

So what is the church meant to be?

We read from Isaiah this morning, and you may be wondering, “What does that have to do with the purpose of the church?” Well, that particular passage from Isaiah appears again in scripture. Does anyone know where?

At Jesus first recorded sermon.

Listen to the story from Luke chapter 4.

¹⁴ Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. ¹⁵ He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

¹⁶ When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
 because he has anointed me
 to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
 and recovery of sight to the blind,
 to let the oppressed go free,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

²⁰ And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹ Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”[1]

Isn’t it interesting, that Jesus used this passage from Isaiah as his very first sermon. That sermon was pretty important because, like a rocket, it set the trajectory for his whole mission and ministry, and in turn laid the foundation for the church..

Is this an upper story or a lower story passage? Listen again “Good news to the poor… release to the captives… recovery of sight to the blind… set the oppressed free.” That is an upper story vision isn’t it. Our lower story can only dream of good news, release, recovery, or freedom. To see that come to be in our lower story, would require a pretty radical change in our world wouldn’t it? It would be turning the world upside down and inside out.

But that is exactly what God’s upper story vision is about… a world turned upside-down.

That is why Jesus came… to turn the world inside-out.

·        Transformed lives, transform relationships.

·        Transformed relationships, transform communities.

·        Transformed communities, transform institutions.

·        Transformed institutions, transform governments and the world.

Once God’s transformation really begins, it doesn’t take long before the world is a new place where good news, release, recovery, and freedom are not just part of God’s upper story, but part of our lower story. Where God’s vision becomes our reality. Where God’s kingdom has come and God’s will is being done.

That is God’s plan for the world.

AND God’s plan is that the church is the catalyst for that transformation.

·        It is through the church that God is working to transform the world.

·        It is through the church that God is bringing good news, release, recovery, and freedom to God’s world.

And I want to be part of that. Don’t you?

I want to be part of seeing God’s kingdom come, God’s will being done. Don’t you?

I want to be transformed, and see my relationships transformed, and see my community transformed, and institutions and governments, and the whole world. Don’t you?

I want to see the new heaven and the new earth, God’s new creation become reality, and preferably in my lifetime! Don’t you?

That is something that we can all get behind, isn’t it? That is something we can all support, isn’t it? That is something I would give just about anything to see, wouldn’t you?

Wouldn’t you?

When we talk about generosity, that is what we are talking about. Participating in God’s vision for the world.

Generosity is giving of our time, our love, our energy, our hope, our strength, our lives, and yes- our money in order to be part of God’s vision for the world, supporting the work of the coming kingdom of God. Proclaiming good news, release, recovery, and freedom. And we can all get behind that. We all want to give generously to that, don’t we? Don’t you? At least I hope we do.

My friends, that is why the church is here.

That is why the church is here… to be bearers of God’s vision, to change the world by the power of God. To be God’s hands and feet in transforming the world.

You see it on the bulletin every week; you see it on the web page every time you visit. You see it in the enews every week. You see it at the top of my emails. Hopefully you have heard me preach it several times… “Where the love of Christ transforms lives.” We are here to change the world.

·        Starting with each and every one of us, working our way out…

·        starting with worship and education that was featured in today’s video.

·        Rolling on to nurture, loving one another, which was featured in last week’s video.

·        Culminating in outreach to our local community and missions to the greater world that was featured two weeks ago. Until the kingdom comes and God’s will is done.

I hate paying bills. It’s no fun paying the electric bill, or the water bill, or medical bills or a car repair bill. There are other things that I would rather do with my money.

The same is true for the church. It is no fun being asked to pay the electric bill, the water bill, the pastor’s health insurance, or the snow removal bill. Frankly, if that is the only reason to give to the church, you’d be better off paying your own electric bill, water bill and medical bills.

There may be some people who want to pay the electric bill and insurance, but when I give to the church, I give in order to be part of something bigger than the electric bill and insurance. Robyn and I tithe to the church because we want to be part of something bigger- much bigger.

I suspect you do too.

Sure, I know the truth, and so do you- that those things are a necessary part of the church budget. But this year, we are asking you to back up from those necessary details, and see the big picture.

·        Don’t just give to the church… give to transform lives.

·        Don’t just give to the church… Give to make sure that relationships are restored- because that is the beginning of transforming the world.

·        Don’t just give to the church… Give to make sure that Keri and Mindy are taught about the love of God, because that is a first step in changing the world.

·        Give so that Irma, and Wayne, and Evelyn, and Jim are loved and given care —because that is a small step toward seeing God’s kingdom reality.

·        Give so that the family next door will be able to get food from the food pantry.

·        Give so that together we can reach the people of this community who so desperately need to know that God loves them and be taught how to love others--- because that moves us all closer to experiencing the world the way God envisions it for us.

·        Don’t give to the church… Give so ramps can be built as bridges communicating hope and love across generations and disabilities.

·        Give so that Noah, and Bellen, and Sylvana, and Brook, and a thousand other kids can go to camp and enjoy learning about Jesus.

·        Give so that someone who is dying, won’t die alone without Christ.

·        Give so that people will speak loud and clear on our behalf to congress and the president to help them see the way of God’s kingdom.

·        Don’t give to the church… Give so that John Pena in Nigeria is able to teach people to be pastors and lead churches in their own country.

·        Give so that 7 year old Ambrosio in the Philippines can know Jesus, so that a James in Haiti who has no legs will be gifted with a PET (personal energy transportation) and will be able to leave his home, and 9 year old Annabella in Rural LeCayes Haiti will have a bed and food tomorrow.

·        Give so that Yong in North Korea will have a Bible even though his government forbids it, and so that Doug and Kelly can raise up church leaders in China.

Do I need to go on?

·        Don’t give to the church… Give so that Haley on the other end of town can learn the words to Jesus loves me next summer in Vacation Bible School.

·        Give so that Shelby will have a Wesley foundation to minister to her now that she is out of our daily reach.

·        Give so that Ruth will have an audio version of THE STORY so she can feel a part of what we are doing.

·        Give so that your neighbor’s electricity won’t be turned off.

·        Don’t give to the church… Give so that Mark Stransky can repair the homes of the poorest people in Virginia.

·        Give so that our college students will know that their church has not forgotten them.

·        Give so that a friend having a bad month can get food from the food bank.

·        Give so that Lilajean can worship in her living room on Saturday morning.

·        Give so that you can see the smiles on the children’s face during the Christmas program.

Do you see what I mean?… there are so many great reasons to give generously that the silly electric and water and insurance bills suddenly fade into the background. Not that they aren’t important, because they are necessary in order to do many of these things I have named, but they ought not be our biggest reason to give. Again, keeping the doors open is not enough of a reason for me to give to the church, but I thank God and the good people of this congregation that there are so many great reasons to give generously to the work of God through this church.

Obviously I am not just talking about money here.

·        I AM talking about being generous giving our money.

·        But I am also talking about being generous giving our material wealth.

·        I am also talking about being generous giving our time.

·        I am also talking about being generous giving our abilities.

·        I am also talking about being generous giving our love.

·        I am also talking about being generous giving our prayers.

·        I am also talking about being generous with our lives because God has been generous to share his mission with us.

God has a mission… to change the world, and he is looking for a church to help.

In so many ways through the generations and years this church has said, “yes.” You have heard some of the fruit of that commitment today. You have images of the ministries that we do in the generosity videos. You can see our commitment to the kingdom in the accomplishments we celebrated at charge conference. In so many ways, this church has stepped up to be part of God’s mission… God’s plan…God’s upper story vision for the world.

God is also looking for people. People who will be generous in all these ways, with their money and material things, their time and abilities, their love and their prayers. God is looking for people who will give their lives… their whole lives generously to the work of the kingdom.

Let me be frank. God is looking for you.

·        And you.

·        And You.

·        And you.

·        And you.

·        And you. To live generously enough to see his kingdom come and his will be done through you and because of you, in big ways and small ways.

God has a mission and he is looking for a church… as a congregation we have said yes… now he is looking for people to pour their lives, their love, their, abilities, their time, their energy and yes, their money into his mission.

Will you be one of them? Will you be part of God’s kingdom work?

In order to change the world, we need your money and material things, your time and your abilities, your love and your prayers. In fact God is looking for people who will give their lives…

Will you?

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[1] Luke 4:14-21New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)