6º of Hope

This weekend marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Buying gifts is one of the ways we prepare for Christmas, but we must not forget to prepare our spirits to receive the gift of God's love in Jesus Christ. This week marks the first Sunday of Advent and we looked at the gift of Hope. Each week we will look at how we find our way back to God through the "6º of Advent: Reconnecting Christmas with Christ." This week we connected I am Legend & the Great I Am as we found our way back to hope in God.

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http://www.mediafire.com/file/95wbtib5pcqk9pe/6%BA%20of%20Hope.mp3

“6º of Hope: I am Legend & the Great I AM”
Brimfield Faith UMC / November 28, 2010
Matthew 24:36-44

INTRO
Advent is always an important yet challenging time to preach. Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord. It is a spiritual returning to God. We hear the same story each year and try to tell it in a new way. This year I am going to try and do something different. There was a movie about 20 years ago called, Six Degrees of Separation and it is the idea that every human being can be connect with only six relationships. The invention of social media like Facebook is built somewhat on this principle. I think the large principle to life is that we are never far from anything. Whether it be hope or despair, love or hatred, peace or chaos. Life isn’t as full as opposites as we might think. We are never more than a few well timed events from our lives being forever changed for the positive or negative. This fact immobilizes some and frees others. My desire is that it will free you to discover God and the life that God intends for each of you. Over the next four weeks, we will look at the Christian ideals that God wants to give each of us through his Son Jesus Christ: hope, peace, joy, and love. As part of the series, we will do a “fun” exercise of six degrees of these ideals and then look at how we can move towards each of them in our lives.
This morning we will look at the 6º of Hope and we will begin with the movie I am Legend and arrive at the name for God, “the Great I Am.” If you don’t quite get it, just follow along and you should by the end.

SIX DEGREES
1º The movie clip we just saw is from movie I am Legend and it is about a virus initially intended to cure cancer that mutates into something terrible, unstoppable, and incurable. This movie depicts a world that showed tremendous promise only to fall into complete hopelessness. The human beings have become monsters and their only hope is scientist Robert Neville played by actor Will Smith.

2 º Will Smith is a famous actor and rapper who became popular in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Belair in the 1990’s. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor on the planet and won numerous awards for his movies. He received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his roles in Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness.

3 º In The Pursuit of Happyness, Smith plays Chris Gardner a man who loses his job and his family and finds himself and on the streets of San Francisco. Chris is an intelligent and hardworking man who is determined to rebound from the situation and get his family back. He eventually gets back on his feet and much more through the help he finds at Glide Memorial Church’s homeless shelter and their inspiring worship services.

4 º Glide Memorial Church was founded in 1929 in San Francisco by a Methodist philanthropist Lizzie Glide purchased land in San Francisco and Glide Memorial was formed. In the 1960’s Cecil Williams helped revitalize the congregation to minister to the changing needs of the community. It continues to thrive as a progressive church in the city. Glide Memorial began and it still affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

5 º The United Methodist Church was founded in 1968 when the Methodist Episcopal and Evangelical United Brethren Churches merged. One of its defining beliefs is the Wesleyan Quadrilateral which helps Christians to live out their faith. It affirms the primacy of the Bible and encourages followers to illuminate their faith through the means of tradition, reason, and experience.

6 º The Bible, at its core, it is a story about God making himself known to the world. In Exodus 3, God reveals himself to Moses and reveals his name to the people. In the Hebrew, it is YHWH and we tend to translate it into English as “I am who I am” or simply “I AM” This is where we get the name of God as the Great I Am, who is the one who is the ultimate source of hope in any situation.

FINDING REAL HOPE
So we see how in 6 º we can move from the hopelessness of I am Legend to the hope rooted in the Great I am, YHWH. And while it is fun place the game, how do we indeed move out of our own places of hopelessness. After all, the world may not have literally been turned into monsters by an evil mutated virus, but it just might feel like that. (I think I was half way there this week with the flu!)

1 º of Hope is to be rooted in reality.
We are taught there are two kinds of people in the world. There are the glass is half full kind of people and the glass is half empty kind of people. I used to be a half full kind of person. I tended to be trusting of people, optimistic, and hopeful of the world. Growing up in the 1990’s in white suburbia I didn’t know any better. I believed the world was always full of possibility and hope. Then, I got married and went into ministry. My wife could easily be labeled a glass is half empty kind of person. Early on in our marriage we would get into arguments because I thought she was being pessimistic. She would kindly inform me that she was simply being realistic. I didn’t get this nor did I like it. In my world, if you weren’t optimistic, then you were pessimistic. In Michelle’s world, if you were optimistic, then you were simply naive.
The reality is that Michelle is right. There is a third kind of person… there is the optimistic person and the pessimistic person, but then there is the realistic person… the glass has some water in it kind of person. As we look at our own hopelessness and desperate situations, it is important that we learn to see them realistically. If we want to get through difficult, if you want to learn to thrive again, then you need to see the world accurately. Hopelessness begins to be transformed by seeing reality accurately.
In Jim Collin’s book Good to Great, he tells a story about the Stockdale Paradox. The name comes from Admiral Jim Stockdale, who was the highest-ranking United States military officer in the “Hanoi Hilton” POW camp in Vietnam. Stockdale survived through the worst of conditions without the hope of ever being freed. In an interview with Stockdale, Collins details the keys to who survived and who didn’t survive in the camp. The first insight he shared was that the optimists didn’t make it. They would always say things like, “We’ll be out by Christmas.” When they didn’t, they’d die of a broken heart. The key to Stockdale’s survival and certainly many others could be summarized by this quote from Stockdale, “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end – which you can never afford to lose – with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”
To live in reality means to confront the most brutal of facts. When we find ourselves in difficult situations, nothing else will do. To live in denial will lead to delusion and destruction. We aren’t equipped to respond to the actually problems because we fail to see them for what they are. For instance, if you find yourself in financial difficult or having marital problems, ignoring them won’t make them go away. In fact, they will generally get worse. Denial leads to things like debt, divorce, and worse, instead, confronting the facts, sharing your problem with others, and devising a plan of attack, with help to resolve almost any situation.
To live in reality means to abandon optimism. When I hear someone respond to a heartbreaking situation with false words of optimism it makes me cringe. The worst offenders tend to be Christians. It tends to be expressed in something like this, “God must have a reason/ purpose for it [terrible tragedy].” I think we have been programmed to respond this way because we think we are supposed to be hopeful, optimistic people. In actuality, our faith gives us the ability to be realists. We know that God will triumphant in the end, but that doesn’t mean that the world isn’t a dark and hurting place currently. My mantra when I find myself in difficult situations is “God can use this for good.” This statement allows room for the pain and heartbreak, and it clings onto a hope that has teeth. It transforms challenges into opportunities. It makes every situation full for potential in God. It doesn’t mean God brings bad things into our lives, but it does mean that God will guide us through them and use them for our good.
To fully grasp how God can accomplish this brings us to our second degree of hope.

2 º of Hope is found by waiting for the God of Resurrection.
Staring reality in the face can be a frightening and even disheartening experience. This is why it is important to know the source of Christian hope. Christian hope is not simply wishing for things to be better. It isn’t hoping the Cavs, Indians or Browns win a championship. Christian hope isn’t rooted in the temporal experience of this world. Instead, Christian hope is rooted in the Great I Am. God, the Creator and sustainer for the universe is the source of Christian hope.
In Matthew 24, we learn about the Christian hope as we hear Jesus talk about the importance of waiting for God’s return. An essential part of Christian doctrine is rooted in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus will return to usher in a new heaven and a new earth. The Second Coming teaches us that God isn’t finished with his work on this earth. The primary work that God has not yet accomplished here is the bodily resurrection of all believers in Jesus Christ. While we don’t know how, when or where God will carry this out, we do know that he will. And this fact, gives us the final score of the game. The promise of bodily resurrection and its demonstration in Jesus Christ tells us how the story is going to end. Knowing the ending, enables us to keep hope because we know that all is not lost.
Therefore, Embracing the hope of Resurrection enables us to deal with hopelessness in the world. We do not have to fear disappointment, destruction and death when we know resurrection is on the horizon. It tells us that we are playing for the winning team. We know that God will stand triumphant for eternity and that we will be able to stand by his side. And so when times get tough, we can cling to the hope of resurrection.
It is important to know that resurrection is not just going to heaven when we die, but it is much more. Resurrection, I think, is best defined by author and Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright as “life after life after death.” Resurrection is complete victory over death and sin. In resurrection, we will be transformed into the full glory of God. And while I can’t fully explain it, I believe that each experience on this earth contributes towards that full transformation at the resurrection. How do your current struggles look if you know that God will use them to transform you for eternity?
God is using this world to shape and mold you into his image if you will permit him to. Therefore, in a very real way, resurrection is not only a future hope but a present activity in the life of a believer. We can begin to live into earthly resurrection on a daily basis. In Luke 9:24 Jesus says, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.” When we learn to stand on the Scriptures and the promises of God, we can be strengthened through all circumstances. Each challenge becomes an opportunity for God to act in a mighty way.

NO LONGER FICKLE
I believe these two degrees of hope help move us out of a place of desperation and despair. Hope doesn’t have to be a fickle friend or a fleeting emotion. Christian hope is rooted in eternity and the Great I am. There don’t have to be six degrees of separation from your current situation to a place of hope and light. Instead, if we will be brave enough to look reality in the face and cling to the hope of resurrection, then we can overcome. We can stand victorious in all circumstances. We know how the story ends. We know who wins the game. God is and always will be the Great I Am. God will always sit on the throne. And you and I will always be called his children.
I want to conclude on a personal note and I might not make it through it. We go in for further tests this week on baby Jude to find out more about his heart condition. We covet your prayers for strength and healing as we continue to journey through this difficult time. I can honest tell you that as I look for hope in this situation my words this morning aren’t empty or hollow. They give me strength and they give me hope. I pray they will do the same for you in all situations.
Let’s pray.

Celebrate Abundance

This week's message was the culmination of our stewardship series. It looks at the connection between a strong vision and moblizing people into action. We looked at the parallels between the Israelites in the book of Exodus and the journey of Brimfield Faith United Methodist Church. May you be motivated and activated into God's mighty works!

Click here for the audio: http://www.mediafire.com/file/6r524v2prqca67e/Celebrate%20Abundance.mp3

“Celebrate Abundance”
Brimfield Faith UMC / November 21, 2010
Exodus 36:2-7

Today marks the conclusion of our series on financial stewardship. Over the last three weeks, we have heard John Wesley’s uses of money. Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can. We have discussed what that looks like and learned about God’s views of money. Ultimately, God’s goal is to transform us into generous people because God is a generous God. Money is a tool that God gives us to participate in his mighty works. While much of the advice we have discussed is on a personal level, this morning I want to speak on a corporate level. I want to talk about the journey that the people of Brimfield Faith have been on over the past several years and I want to speak about where we are going and how I believe God is going to get us there.

THE EXODUS
To do that, we are going to take a running overview of the book of Exodus. As we hear the story of the Israelite people, we will also hear the story of our congregation. The book of Exodus gets its name for the pinnacle event in the book, the freeing of the Israelite people out of slavery in Egypt. It is important to understand that the Exodus event is the pinnacle event in the Old Testament and the defining moment for the Israelite people. In many ways, the entire Bible is written through the lens of the Exodus event.
The Israelites had been an ancient tribe of semi-nomadic people who claimed Abraham as their founding father. It wasn’t until a man named Moses led them out of Egypt and revealed to them the name of the LORD God that their collective identity was formed. Every Passover the Jewish people retell the story of the Great Exodus. They remember the way God revealed himself to Moses and called him to set the Israelites free from slavery under Pharaoh in Egypt. They recall the 10 plagues that God sent as judgments against the Egyptians and how finally, the Israelites fled out of Egypt being chased by the Pharaoh’s army. They celebrate the parting of the Red Sea and the journey towards the land promised by God. The Exodus event defines the Israelite people because it tells the story of God’s great provision and protection. Regardless of how bleak circumstances have looked throughout the history of the Jewish people, they always refer back to the Exodus and know the God will be their faithful defender.
As I look back on the history of this congregation, I believe God has and is doing a similar work to that which he did in the Israelites. When I arrived at this church 3 ½ years ago, we found ourselves in a desperate place. The mission and vision of the church had been lost. Average worship attendance had dipped to 50. Morale was low and there were real discussions of closing the church. Just when almost all hope was lost, God blew his Spirit into our dry bones and led us out of slavery in Egypt. He raised up key people to speak a word of hope and to show us the way across our own Red Sea. God gave us a renewed mission, a new vision and a fresh hope. I tell this story because it reminds us of God’s faithfulness and provision at Brimfield Faith. God continues to be faithful to this people called Brimfield Faith United Methodist Church. This history is an important part of our DNA as a congregation of people. As we encounter challenging times in the present and the future, we can refer back to that place where God led us into freedom.


THE WILDERNESS
While the Exodus is the defining event in the story, it is also just the beginning of the story. After they crossed the Red Sea, they find themselves in the wandering in the wilderness as they sought to discover the Promise Land. The journey through the wilderness was a time of preparation and refining. While God had established in his identity to the Israelites, the journey of the wilderness was designed to prepare the people to be faithful to God. It was designed to teach them to fully rely on God. While the wilderness comes with challenges, it is primary a place of preparation. It is a time of learning to trust in God’s provision. It is a time to establish identity and solidify character. It is a time to hear from God about destiny and eternal purpose.
In the wilderness, the Israelites went through a number of experiences in the desert that helped to prepare their hearts and strengthen their character. They receive manna, bread, from heaven. They see water come up from a rock. They withstand attacks from hostile groups. Then they receive the Ten Commandments and the Law of God. The wilderness taught the Israelite people how to live as the people of God. It forever shaped their identity and character as a people.
As the community of Brimfield Faith, I believe we have been wandering in the wilderness over the past several years. We have been learning new things about God. We have been learning to trust God for our provision. We have been learning as follow Christ as disciples and to walk in faith. We have witnessed supernatural miracles and healings. We have seen a powerful and loving God move in our midst and on our behalf. And not unlike the Israelites, we have even lost a few people along the way, but God has also raised up another generation of people in this place. And perhaps most importantly, we have been learning about our destiny and eternal purpose as a people.

THE TABERNACLE
During Israel’s time in the wilderness, they learned how to be a worshiping people. How they worshiped and followed God was lived out in the construction of the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was the tent of God. Essentially, it was a mobile sanctuary and it was massive.
At least 20% of Exodus details the plans for construction. The Tabernacle was so important because in some real sense God’s presence resided in it. The pursuit of this vision transformed the life of the Israelites. It gave them a tangible and real way of worship and give honor to YHWH, their God. It gave them a sense of legitimacy in the eyes of other nations because every nation worshiped their own God. Other nations now knew that Israel worshiped YHWH. The building of the Tabernacle fulfilled the call to become the people of God.
In Proverbs 29:18 it says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” The vision of the Tabernacle gave the Israelite people purpose and a cause on which to rally. At the beginning of this year, I believe the God gave us a clear vision of this church summarized in the words: Connect, Deepen, Engage. I believe this vision is about become the people of God again in this place. It is designed to teach us how to worship and follow Christ with our lives. The vision is intended to mobilize a people and breathe new life into them.
While we have been working on elements of connect, deepen and engage for almost two years, we have no completed it. We spent all of 2009 working on creating vibrant worship that connects our community to Christ. This vision is yielding fruit but it is not completed. This eyar we have focused on creating relationships that deepen our faith and change lives. The DIG Small Groups are the vehicle that is moving us towards this component of the vision. It continues to be a work in process. As we approach 2011, we will be focusing on the third component of the vision to creating opportunities to engage our faith to transform the community through service, witness, and mission. This is why we exist as a church. To be a part of this community of faith is to join in working towards this vision.

THE RESPONSE
In Exodus 35 and 36, we witness Moses mobilize the Israelites Once Moses had the plans, it was time to mobilize the people. The response was remarkable and overwhelming. In Exodus 35, Moses fully mobilizes the people into action. Every morning, the people brought freewill offerings to help with the Tabernacle. They brought some much that Moses finally says in Exodus 36:6-7. “So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing; 7 for what they had already brought was more than enough to do all the work.”
I believe this was a defining moment for the Israelites. They could have complained about the amount of time and resources that it was going to take to build the Tabernacle. They could have gripped about being former slaves, wandering in the wilderness. They could have doubted and refused to respond. Instead, they embraced the vision and became the embodiment of it. They learned that God’s provision existed in the context of the community. They were transformed from a poor, enslaved people into a people filled with the blessings of God. They discovered that God was a God of abundance and this was cause for celebration.
I believe that God is calling us into a similar place as the people of Brimfield Faith. For too long, we have looked at our resources and said “We don’t have enough.” We look at small numbers at the end of the month and worry and doubt. Instead on focusing on what we don’t have, I believe it is time to respond to the vision of God. We are called to steward the vision of God for this community of faith. God is calling us to be Christ’s body in Brimfield, Ohio. There are lives that need changed, a community that needs transformed and a denomination that needs revitalized. If we will respond to the vision, God will provide in abundance.
Even though the Israelites were a nomadic, formerly enslaved people they gave in excess of the need. They were able to do this because they believed passionately in the vision. In Exodus 35:21, it speaks to this. “And they came, everyone whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and brought the Lord’s offering to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the sacred vestments.” Their hearts had been stirred and responded to the Lord’s vision. They knew the Tabernacle would change everything. Do we believe our vision will change everything? Will pursuing connect, deepen, engage, really change my life and transform this community? I believe it will. And if we can passionately embrace the vision, we will find creative ways to give towards this vision.
Exodus 35 lists some of the ways that the Israelites gave. They essentially brought whatever they had. Some offered gold and others sliver. Some brought fine linens and animal skins. The women spun with their hands. The leaders offered up gems and jewels. Some were filled with the Holy Spirit and gave of their skills, intelligence and knowledge. The Lord raised up a people to accomplish the work no individual could.
When you join the church, you promise to commit your prayers, your presence, your gifts, you service and your witness to the ministry of the church. Simplified a bit, I believe we need three primary things for each member of the congregation. One, attend worship regularly. If you are in town, you need you to be in worship. Average church attendance in America in regular worship attenders is 2 Sundays a month. We cannot grow fully into our vision unless we gather weekly together. Two, financially support the church and work towards biblical tithing. If everyone in the church tithed their income, we wouldn’t have shortages and our ministries wouldn’t be limited because of financial resources. Three, serve. Everyone is called to be a minister of the Gospel. Serving Jesus not a part-time commitment but rather a full-time calling. There are important roles and responsibilities that need filled if we are going to live into the vision.
A VISION FOR ALL
It is important to realize at the end of the day building a church is raising up a people. The church is not a building or an institution, it is a group of people being called out by God to transform the world. Therefore, the vision of connect, deepen and engage is a vision isn’t a stagnant, stationary. It is designed to guide a people on the journey of faith to transform the world. It is intended not to gather us as a comfortable group of Christians; instead, it is a vision to be launched out into the world. And so I appeal to you to passionately embrace the vision for this church so that we can change lives and transform communities for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
We are going to pray and then you will be given several minutes to prayerful fill out your “Estimate of Giving Cards.” We understand that this card is simply that: an estimate of what you intend to give next year. We know circumstances can change. I pray that yours will indeed change for the better and that you will need to increase your pledge next year. Remember as we commit this estimates that we are committing to the vision to build a church that changes lives and transforms communities through connecting, deepening, and engaging our faith.
Let’s pray.




SIDE NOTE:

The Tabernacle was built to travel with the people. It was never intended to be permanent but it was important to shaping the people and guiding them into the future. They would eventually come to occupy the Promise Land and build the Temple. The Temple would never have been built, if the people hadn’t first built the Tabernacle. We, as the body of Christ, are the new temple of the Holy Spirit. We are being blessed to be a blessing to the world, not just to one another. We are being launched into the world in order to transform it.

All You Can

John Wesley first called us to "earn all you can." Then, "save all you can." Now he takes it the final step with "give all you can." This message talks about the importance of learning how to give and how to be transformed into a generous person. After all, we serve a generous God.

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Read the text below.

“All You Can”
Brimfield Faith UMC / November 21, 2010
Proverbs 11:24-25

Over the past several weeks, we have been looking at the issue of money and financial stewardship. We have been misled by the world’s advice on finances and matters of money for too long. We have been taught by a consumer-driven society that we must earn and spend. We are slowly realizing that we have cause many of our current economic woes by the fact that we have spent too much and saved too little. If we are going to stumble our way out of this mess, then the church needs to regain a voice in the marketplace. We need to allow God to speak into our entire lives, including and especially our financial lives John Wesley attempted to do this in a 1760 sermon where he lays out three rules for the use of money. “Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.” As we attempt to reclaim the financial realm for the Kingdom of God, these three rules can guide the way for us.
The first rule is to earn all the money you can. And the second is to save all you can. Most of the world has no problem with these first two rules, but on occasion Christians have been taught to the contrary. Well meaning Christians warn against accumulating too much wealth or becoming rich. In fact, I was doing research this week and came across an article that suggested we pray that God doesn’t make us too rich. I thought how contradictory this is to what Wesley taught and really what God teaches. God wants to prosper us and bless us with godly money making approaches. Money isn’t the enemy and the danger is not in how much we have. The dangers of money arise when we set our hearts on money. We don’t have to be rich to have a love of money, in fact, many poor people struggle with greed and a love of money. Instead, a healthy, godly relationship with money starts with submitting our earning power and yielding our savings to the Lord.

GIVE ALL YOU CAN
The first two rules of money are just the starting point to using money in a godly manner. In Wesley’s sermon he says, “Let not any man imagine that he has done anything barely by going thus far, by gaining and saving all he can, if he were to stop here. All this is nothing if a man go not forward, if he does not point all this at a farther end…. Having first gained all you can, and secondly saved all you can, then give all you can.”
In God’s view money is not to be earned or saved simply for the sake of earning or saving. Money is to be spent, used, and given to further the kingdom of God and bring glory to God’s holy name. Money is not a virtue but rather a tool for us to utilize. This means we must be good stewards and caretakers of the resources that God has entrusted to us. Stewardship is yielding all of our resources to the Lord. As we work towards giving all that we can, Wesley suggests three priorities for our giving in this order.

Priority #1. Give to meet your family’s needs.
As you give, your first priority is to take care of your family and your needs. If you have earning wisely and saved smartly, in most cases there will be enough resources to meet your needs. You should make sure there is enough food, proper clothing, and adequate shelter. Make sure you spend enough on the family to keep all of them healthy and strong. As you seek to meet your family’s needs, remember the difference between wants and needs. You want to plan wisely for all of your family’s current and future needs as best as you can foresee.
I know many of you have struggled in this area, over the past several years. The reality is that even when we have been wise with our money, provision can be difficult. Nonetheless, I believe the Lord will provide as his word says in Matthew 6:32, “indeed, your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” God provides for the birds of the air and he will provide for his children. I would speak blessings and encouragement to you. Do not feel guilty or shame. Do not feel failure. But I would encourage you to fully surrender your financial struggles to the Lord.

Priority #2. Give to support the household of God.
As I read Wesley’s sermon, he suggests that once we have provided for our family if there is anything left, that we give to the church. I found this interesting because he doesn’t say you should give to the church first and then attempt to provide for your family. I think there is a fine line to walk when it comes to giving to the household of God and providing for your family.
While there isn’t a magic formula, the act of giving to the Lord is an important faith practice. In Proverbs 3:9-10 it says, “Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” When we give to the Lord, we learn how to trust God and how to receive blessings from him. The spiritual attitude of giving to God is more important than the act itself. We, then, should be less concerned about how much or how little we have to give. Instead, we should have a desire to give as much as we can to the work of the Lord through his church.
The legalist asks what is the minimum that is expected of me and shoots for that. In contrast, the Christ-follower seeks to give cheerfully. They get excited about giving to the work of God in the Church. Personally, I give to this church because I love the work that God is doing in this place. I am energized by the way lives are being changed, the way people are being healed, and the way the community is being transformed. I see it as a privilege to be able to participate in that and to support it. I would give more if I were able. I hope and pray that same excitement motivates you to give to the household of God.
A quick side note on tithing to the church: In antiquity, a tithe was, “The dedication of a tenth of agricultural products, of livestock, of goods gained in trade, or of booty to the worship of a deity or to the persons who served that worship” (Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary). For Christians tithing is the spiritual practice of giving 10% of our income to the Lord. The tithe is not a legalistic amount, but rather a reference point and starting place. Therefore, I wouldn’t concern yourself with whether a tithe is 10% before or after taxes.
In Matthew 23:23 Jesus chastises the Pharisees for missing the point of tithing. He says, ““Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.” Tithing helps us to keep our hearts focused on the Lord and allows us to participate in the mighty works of God.

Priority #3. Give to help those in need.
One of the questions that I frequently give to people is about giving to other organizations. They typically want to know if they can count the money they give to other charities and Christian organizations towards their tithe. Since we have already established that tithing is not a lealistic act, I cannot give you a hard and fast answer, although, I would hedge towards, no. My reasoning is as follows. First, Scriptures encourage us to give a tithe to the Lord. Second, we know that the Church is the body of Christ in the world. Therefore, the primary way we give to the Lord is through the local church. On a personal note, I would argue that our church is going to benefit more from the $50 a month you send to charity than that charity is going to. Plus, you are going to see the harvest reaped for the money you sow into this place.
Now this isn’t to say you shouldn’t give to other charities and organizations. If fact, Wesley would encourage us to do so, after we have provided for our family and given to the church. It is at that point that we should give whatever else we have for the good of humankind. Giving for the sake of others is important. In Proverbs 19:17 it says, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full.” If you have a heart to give to the poor, which I hope you do, then I would encourage you to earn, save and spend so that you have enough left to make these contributions.

GIVE ALL YOU HAVE
If you live into these priorities to giving and spending our money, you may begin to realize that there isn’t much left. And that is the point. The rule to give all we can is actually the call to give all you have to the Lord. Stewardship means we yield all of our financial decisions to the Lord. We make choices with the Lord’s purposes and will in the forefront of our minds. As we do this, our motivations regarding money begins to shift and our hearts are changed. We realize the point isn’t to give a certain percentage but rather to become generous people.
We come to understand Proverbs 11:24-25: “Some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only suffer want. 25A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water.” Giving isn’t about getting your money, it is about transforming your hearts and making you in to the image of God.
We are being called to become generous people because we serve a generous God. If we don’t learn this, the message of giving is scary for many of us because we operate out of the wrong mindset. We live in a world of scarcity and fear. We are told we don’t have enough, that we aren’t going to make it, that the world is crashing down around us. We fail to hear the message of God. Instead, God wants us to hear the message of provision, abundance and trust. God wants us to move from a place of scarcity to a place of abundance, from stinginess to generosity.
The end goal of giving is to reach a place of true generosity. These is no greater blessing in life that to live out of generosity. It truly is better to give than to receive. Generosity comes out of a place of trust in the Lord. It brings joy and contentment. It focuses on others and doing the Lord’s work. Generosity is the linchpin of honoring God with our finances. It begins out of an acknowledgement that God has given us everything. It is a response to Romans 3:24, “they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” God gives to us freely and we response to his generosity we live lives defined by generosity.
I hope is that you become a person defined by generosity and that we become a church defined by generosity. People’s lives depend on it. Through our generosity, we can partner with God to change lives and transform communities. We can participate in the mighty acts of God in this place.
Let’s pray for God to give us generous spirits and the provision to give generously with our finances.

Penny Pinching

This week we continued in our financial stewardship series, "Matters of Money." This week we looked at Wesley's second use of money: save all you can. If you tend to earn all you can in order to spend all you can, then this message is for you. May it be a blessing to you and may you experience the fullness of God's abundance.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/rvn85u81c7d8y7x/Penny%20Pinching%20Sermon.mp3

“Penny Pinching”
Brimfield Faith UMC / November 7, 2010
Proverbs 21:5, 20

SAVE ALL YOU CAN
Last week, we started a sermon series called, “Matters of Money,” based on a sermon Wesley preached in 1760 called, “The Use of Money.” In it he says, “Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.” Last week, we talked about the call to earn all we can and we learned that we are called to submit our earning potential to the Lord. While the message to earn all we can comes with certain guidelines and parameters, God does indeed want to bless us with financial prosperity. That prosperity is not for our own benefit but rather for the benefit of the kingdom of God. Therefore, we need to hear the next two messages of Wesley if we are going to use money the way God intends.
This morning, we are going to look at the encouragement to save all that we can. If you were to ask an elementary school child to define savings for you and you might be surprised at the answer you get. Many of them will answer you with, “Saving is the amount you get off the regular price of an item you buy.” While that is an accurate definition of savings, it used to mean the money that we saved and put in the bank. Before you shake your heads in disbelief at the children, realize that this is what we have modeled to them. Many adults use to save money and put it in the bank.
Now many of us, not only don’t save any money, we spend next week’s and next year’s paychecks before we get them. In fact, in 2008, 43% of American families spent more than they earned. Average credit card debt in America is currently around $9000. That means there is nothing left at the end of the month. The reality is that many people earn all they can so they can spend all they can. Essentially, they hear the first part of Wesley’s message and say, “I like that,” and off they go. They fail to learn about God’s the other uses of money. In fact, we better pray for the people that were in worship last week and not this week! The reality is that many us of live our lives as if we have only heard the message to earn all you can.
We get caught in the trap of trying to buy our happiness. If we want to discover the abundant life God promises us, we need to hear God’s entire message on finances. The second part of that message is conveyed in Proverbs 21:20, “Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise, but the fool devours it.” In other words, it is wise to save your wealth. It is foolish to earn all you can and then go out and spend all you can. By this definition, many of us fall into the fool category at times. We get that tax refund check or Christmas bonus and our first impulse is to go out and spend it. After all, there are things I’ve been wanting and I deserve that new 50” plasma screen TV. Now I’m not suggesting that we don’t spend any of our money, but there are certainly limitations to how much we spend and what we spend it on. How do we learn to overcome these impulses to spend? How do we learn to save all that we can and still be satisfied?

WAYS TO SAVE
#1. Develop contentment in your heart.
If we are going to successfully submit these to the Lord, we need to realize that our problems run deeper than outward behaviors. We can receive credit counseling, learn how to budget, and work to create margin in our lives. We need to learn to view the world and money through the eyes of God and the Scriptures. We must completely submit our finances to the Lord.
Therefore, we begin saving all we can by changing our hearts. In Luke 12:15 Jesus says, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” In order to develop contentment, you must confess the sinfulness of your heart. You must acknowledge the greed that continually creeps in. Greed has a way of eroding your soul. Two practical ways to develop contentment.
#1 – Avoid temptation. Don’t read the Sunday ads every week. They are designed to exploit your weaknesses. Advertisers are the ones teaching you that savings is the amount off of the retail price. We are already bombarded with advertisement incessantly so don’t invite more assaults than necessary.
#2 – Develop a grateful heart. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Paul encourages us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” When we learn to appreciate what we have and the blessings of life, we will be more content. We will appreciate life and not just the stuff of life more.
As we focus on the heart condition there are some other practical ways to steer our heart in the right direction and to save all the money we can.

#2. Create a budget.
The first is to create a budget. Jesus teaches in Luke 12:34, that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” By creating a budget, you can learn and control where your money and heart is going. It is a great way to track your spending, reduce unnecessary expenditures, and increase savings.
As you make a budget, you want to create margin at the end of the month. A good first step to doing that is distinguishing between wants and needs. We often get the two confused. We think we need a new TV or a meal at a nice restaurant. The reality is that those are often wants. It isn’t wrong to buy things that are wants but we must do purchase wants wisely. In 1 Timothy 2, Paul encourages us not to by extravagantly. The discipline of buying reasonably and budgeting will help you save more money and create margin at the end of the day. One of the pieces of advice that I personally try to live out is to give 10%, save 10% and live on the rest. In order to do this, it requires discipline and commitment, but it results in contentment.

#3. Set Savings Goals.
Finally, it is helpful to have goals to motivate us towards saving. I would encourage you to write down your goals and keep them visible. This will help you as you seek to develop a heart of contentment and to live within your budget. Proverbs 21:5 teaches us that, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to want.” You have to plan if you want to succeed in saving all you can. I want to share a few basic goals that can help you to stabilize your finances.
#1. Emergency fund of $1000. This frees you from having to use your credit card for every small or big emergency. You don’t panic when the car breaks down, or the kids have to go to the doctor or something else. This creates a cushion for you to respond instead of react to unforeseen expenses.
#2. Get out of Debt. The average American is in $9000 in credit card debt. If we are carrying credit card debt, this is a sign that we are spending more than we earn. If we want to pursue Wesley’s advice to save then we must get out of debt. Proverbs 22:7 states, “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.” If you are in debt, I would encourage you to work a plan to eliminate that debt. There are great resources out there that I would encourage you to use. They are listed on your DIG Guide and I would encourage you to come and talk to me about it if you have further questions along these lines.
#3. Save 3 – 9 months of living expenses. In an environment of unemployment and uncertainty, this is so important. Depending on your lifestyle and current living expenses, this number will be different for everyone. When we have this money saved, I think we are freed up to be able to give generously and live out of a God-given abundance.
#4. Major expenses: cars, retirement, college, etc… Dave Ramsey, financial guru, would suggest that you pay cash for major purchases like cars. This larger goals may seem unattainable but when we’ve met these other goals, they are important. We must plan wisely if we want to live our days out of God’s abundance.

HOARDING
While saving is important, we must remember that we must submit our savings to the Lord. We don’t save to save. Instead, there should always a purpose for our savings. In Luke 12, Jesus tells a parable of a farmer who has a tremendous crop and has decided to save all of it for himself. The night he settles to build huge store houses to keep the crop, his life is called into account. The farmer seems to have followed Wesley’s first two pieces of advice to earn and save all that he could. The problem is that the farmer didn’t understand the purpose for which he was earning and saving. The farmer failed to recognize that he was being blessed to be a blessing. He was prospering so that he could invest in the kingdom of God and to store up treasures in heaven.
There is a show on TV right now called, “Hoarders.” [PICTURE] Anyone watched it? It is a reality, intervention show about people who have taken the exhortation to save all they can to the extreme. Saving stuff has become an idol and an obsession for them. Other people are shopaholics. If we don’t submit our finances to God, money will become our master. It is amazing how many different ways it can control us.
If you are controlled in some way by your finances, I would encourage you to listen to God’s heart on the issues. Our lives can be transformed when the Holy Spirit internalizes this message. We must hear the entire message: Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can. Next week, we’ll look at how we can cultivate a heart of generosity. My hope is that you will live free and be guided by God in your finances and your entire life.

Go and Make Money

This week we started our stewardship series called, “Matters of Money.” John Wesley preached a message in 1760 called, "The Uses of Money." In it he said, "Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can. Each week we'll look at each of the three exhortations. The first sermon talked about God’s call to “Go and Make Money.” In wasn't a health and wealth message but rather a call to submit our earning potential to the Lord.

Listen to the audio by following the link or read the text below.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/3yk470p355wqx2d/Go%20and%20Make%20Money.mp3

“Go and Make Money”
Brimfield Faith UMC / October 31, 2010
Luke 19:11-27

INTRO
November is typically the month that we focus on issues of finances and stewardship. In the past, people and pastors both dreaded the infamous stewardship talk. I think this dread was caused by a focus on the church “getting” enough money to keep the church running. Pastors are notoriously bad with money which is a shame because the Bible is filled with advice and wisdom on money. In fact, the Scriptures the topic of money and wealth is addressed more than any other topic. According to Crown Financial Ministries there are 2,350 verses on finances and 15% of Jesus’ teaching deals with finances. This is because God understands that where our treasures are, our hearts will be also.
While we as a nation continue to flounder in “the Great Recession,” it is time that the church to take back the realm of finances in a positive and productive way. Stewardship series can no longer be about convincing you to give your hard earned money to God. The reality is that God doesn’t need your money. Instead, we need to learn to give to God for our own sakes. It is a privilege to be able to participate in God’s mighty works. Giving back to God keeps us humble, grounded and connected to God.
The founder of the United Methodist Church, John Wesley understood the importance of money as well. In 1760, he wrote a sermon entitled, “The Use of Money.” In it he has three basic principles when it comes to money. “Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.”
Each week, we are going focus on one of these ideas. We will see that the Scriptures have unique and important insights on all three of these ideas. This morning we are going to look at this idea of earning all that we can.

EARN ALL YOU CAN
When you hear that first statement, “Earn all you can,” what is your reaction? If you are like many Christians, there might be an adverse reaction to it. Perhaps think of the saying, “Money is the root of all evil.” I, of course, have misquoted the verse. It is the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil, not money itself. Even if we know that money isn’t the root of all evil, most of us are wary about having too much. After all, the Scriptures are full of verses warning and rebuking the rich. For example, Jesus teaches us that “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The Bible seems replete with anti-rich statements, stories and parables. So how then do we reconcile this, with the exhortation to “earn all you can.”
This move begins by recognizing that money is not evil but rather a tool in the hands of human beings. How we use and treat the money we have is what determines the outcome. The reality is that God wants our lives to be profitable in all facets. We need to use our spiritual resources to the best of our ability but we must also material resources wisely. God calls us to be profitable with our resources.
Consider the parable of the talents that you heard read earlier. In the story, the master gives three servants each an amount of money. The first two servants turn a profit with the money they’ve been given. This pleases the master greatly. The third servant, out of fear and probably ineptitude, puts the money under his mattress and then gives it back to the master. The master is furious with this and chastises the man. For the men who made a profit, he rewards them with more and tells them, ““Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.” In business terms, God wants us to be profitable whether it is with spiritual resources or material wealth.
This issue of profitability is actually a hotly debated topic these days. In my business classes, we were taught that the first responsibility of a company was to be profitable. The argument is that a business cannot do good in the world if it doesn’t generate revenue. The number one goal of any business is to make money, period. Jack Welch, former CEO of General Motors, wrote a book called Winning, in which he unapologetically makes the same point. Companies also have a responsibility to engage in social goods but they can only do that when they are sustainable and profitable. Struggling, bankrupt companies cannot contribute to society and cannot make a positive difference in the world.
John Wesley essentially endorses this approach when he exhorts believers to earn all that they can. As followers of Christ, we are being called to go and make money. I believe that God gives Christians money making ideas and business solutions if we will listen. Too often, we divorce the task of making money from spiritual things and we miss what God is telling us. I believe that God wants us to prosper and thrive so that his kingdom can prosper and thrive as well. Of course, there are parameters within which earning money is acceptable. While the call is to make money, there are certain guidelines within which one must operate as a Christ follower. Therefore, I want to spend the rest of this morning talking about the guidelines to help us earn all that we can.

Guideline #1: Earn Legally.
In 1 Peter 2:13-14 it teaches that we must “accept the authority of every human institution.” So the first guideline almost comes without saying. We must earn legally. We cannot break laws in order to make money. Earlier this month, the Brimfield Police Department found a marijuana farm with over 700 plants on it. The value was estimated at $250,000. This was most certainly a profitable business, but it certainly was not legal. God does not and will not bless us when we earn money illegally. Earning money legally is important because the government establishes laws in order to keep people from harming one another. There are nuances, of course, but this is the basic guiding principle to creating laws: Does it harm others or put others at risk?
John Wesley had his fair share of short sayings. One of his most famous was his “Three Simple Rules.” 1 – do no harm; 2 – do good; 3 – stay in love with God. These three simple rules go well with our three guidelines for earning money. The first one applies to earning legally. To earn legally involves doing no harm. Scripturally, this means we do not disparage, gossip, we do not injure, wound, or act maliciously. As a Christian, earning money legally and without harming others is the bare minimum. It is the starting point. There are plenty of companies and individuals that earn money legal but God is still not pleased. This brings us to our second guideline.

Guideline #2: Earn Ethically.
In 3 John 11 it says, “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.” The next step towards earn money God’s way is to earn it ethically. Ethical behavior can be difficult to define. To define it this morning, I would draw upon second of the three simple rules: doing good. Therefore, to earn ethically involves doing good. This means we don’t lie, cheat or mislead others. Don’t overcharge interest. Don’t exploit others vulnerability. Instead, to earn ethically means we engage honest work. We seek to look to bless others with your business. We attempt to add value to people’s lives as we earn money ethically.
Along these lines, John Wesley gives us a great and unlikely historical example of an ethical business. The story is about a business man by the name of Arthur Guinness. Legend has it that Guinness, received divine inspiration for the recipe to the famed Guinness Stout Beer as a way of saving the Irish from the Gin Craze” that threatened to destroy Ireland. This is only part of the story of Guinness though.
John Wesley preached a message at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, that we know Arthur Guinness heart. While we do not know the exact words said, Wesley would have said to the wealthy business men there, “Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can. Your wealth is evidence of a calling from God, so use your abundance for the good of mankind.” These words changed the course of Guinness’ life and the direction of his company. He embraced the ideas of Wesley and turned his company into the leader in societal good of the day. He started Sunday schools, gave money to the poor, and helped hospitals. Guinness employees were paid better than any others. They received medical and dental care. Families were afforded vacations into the country side. A workers family could take educational classes. The benefits were endless and the positive impact limitless. The employee perks far outweigh anything we see today.
Guinness might be most known for beer today, but in the 17th Century it was a powerful agent for the Kingdom of God. People’s lives were changed and society was transformed because Arthur Guinness embraced the mantra “Earn, Save, Give all you can” God’s way. While some companies embrace ethical business today, we don’t see the influence and prominence of the Guinness Company. Arthur Guinness embodied what it means to do good and to earn money ethically.

Guideline #3: Earn Morally.
The final guideline to earning money is to earn morally. In Colossians 2:6-7 it reads, “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” This last exhortation is probably the most challenging but certainly the most important. For the Christian, I would define moral by the third simple rule: stay in love with God. Therefore, to earn morally involves staying in love with God.
This means don’t engage in work to earn money that does harm to yourself: body, mind or soul. When we do too much work, harmful work, or dangerous work, this can harm our love for God. Therefore, we need to engage in work that can encourage our spiritual health. WE might also seek to engage in work that brings people closer to God.
This doesn’t mean we all need to be pastors, missionaries, or health care workers. Most of our jobs will permit us to earn money morally and while staying in love with God if we embrace the right attitude. This guideline to earn morally will be better flushed out in the next two sermons, so I won’t belabor it at this point. Nonetheless, as we look for a job we should consider whether it will hinder our relationship with God. Jesus says we cannot serve two masters. Therefore, if our jobs are vying for our loyalties before God, then we must seek other employment.


CONCLUSION
I hope you can hear the call of God this morning concerning money. We need not be afraid of it. We need not sabotage our earning potential. Instead we should seek to be profitable with all that God has given us. We need to submit our earning potential before the Lord. When you earn all that you can, you can serve God in a greater capacity. You can use your money to make a positive influence in the world for the Kingdom of God. So I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go out and make some money. And remember if we do it legally, ethically, and morally, I have faith that God is going to bless you in it. Have you submitted your earning potential before God?