The Lutheran Hour
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"Outrageous Generosity"
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Text: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
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How many of you had your own room as a child? I had my own room. Did any of you put up one of those signs on your door that read, “Stay out. No girls allowed. This is my room.”? Or when someone wanted to know where I was, I’d shout, “I’m upstairs in my room.” So why is it that my parents could go into my room at any time they wanted and mess with my stuff? Or if it really was my room, how come my parents could tell me to go to my room and clean it up? You know why. Because it wasn’t my room. I was just the manager of that room. And if I didn’t manage the room very well, guess what? My parents could say, “You need to manage your room better or you’re not going to be playing in that little league baseball game today.” So all along, what I thought was my stuff, really wasn’t. And as an adult, I’m reminded of this same truth. Every year the local county tax assessor reminds me that it’s not my land. They give me the opportunity to pay for the privilege of taking care of their land. And if I want to learn quickly that the land doesn’t really belong to me, all I have to do is not pay my personal property taxes and we all know where that will lead.
So there it is – it’s not my room; it’s not my land, so why it there a sudden gasp whenever the preacher says, “God owns it all”? This shouldn’t set off the emergency broadcast system because the Lord’s has been telling us from the very beginning that everything belongs to Him. So we’re not owners, we’re managers. It’s not about what we’re doing with our stuff. It’s how are we taking care of God’s stuff?
So how are we managing? When the stock market tumbles, does our heart tremble? When the bills start piling up, do we catch ourselves lashing out at others? Are we purchasing lottery tickets hoping they’ll bring us the happiness we desire? Are we borrowing beyond our ability to repay? Are we working senseless hours or experiencing sleepless nights over financial concerns? Are we content with what the Lord has given us?
A while back some hoodlums broke into a Los Angeles department store. They didn’t steal or destroy anything; they just had a wonderful time switching price tags. So the next morning customers were puzzled and delighted to find fur coats and diamond rings selling for $5, while things like socks and umbrellas were going for hundreds of dollars. Materialism does the same thing to us. It creeps in and tries to switch our price tags. So instead of basing our value on the truths that God wonderfully created us in His image and considers us so priceless that He sent His own Son to die on the cross to buy us back from the power of sin, death, and Satan, we determine our worth based on what we own. The problem is that every day we’re reminded of what we don’t have by catalogs and commercials. And what happens when we walk into Target, or Wal-Mart, or Sam’s, or Home Depot looking for one thing? We end up walking out with ten things! Why? Because we always see something bigger, better, shinier, and newer, and this instantly fuels within us that “I got to have. I got to have. I got to have.” desire. And all of a sudden what I have isn’t so great when I see what others have. Consider your car. You might think it’s great until you see your friend or neighbor drive up in a brand new “souped-up” model. Instantly you notice that your car doesn’t have that brand new smell anymore. Instead yours smells like a family. The same thing happens when we look at someone else’s home, furniture, boat, computer capability, clothing, and so on. Instantly we have a one-track mind trying to figure out how we can get what they’ve got. If only we can just stop and analyze what’s happening, we’d realize how insane all of this is because it never ends. Whenever we start stockpiling stuff or find ourselves gripped by the cancer of covetousness, the biggest side effect of this is that it prevents us from going deeper in Christ. And deep down we wonder — if anyone really knew how much I thought about “stuff,” would this be embarrassing?
So how can we quench this appetite? How can we keep it in check or prevent this discontentment that so often drives us? Can we just sit around and try to convince ourselves, “I really don’t want that new house or my neighbor’s new car”? By our own willpower can we convince ourselves that we really don’t want something that we really do? This isn’t going to work! So what will? Only the love of Christ compels us to look and live beyond ourselves.
Turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 8:1-2. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you through these words recorded by the Apostle Paul: “Now brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” Did you catch that? What made these Macedonian Christians so outrageously generous in spite of their circumstances? God’s grace flowed from the outside in so that their generosity flowed from the inside out. Let me explain. Whenever we fall in love with something new, it has the enormous power to change us. For instance, people bitten by the golf bug will suddenly spend an incredible amount of time and money taking lessons, purchasing better clubs, and playing countless rounds to lower their score. Or how about the guy who used to spend every free moment fixing and tinkering on his car? Ever since he fell head over heels in love with that beautiful young lady, now what? Lug nuts and spark plugs have been replaced with dates, dinners, and flowers. And in a much greater way, when the Holy Spirit enables you and me to trust and understand just how completely, tenaciously, and unconditionally Jesus loves us, this creates a whole new desire in our heart. “We love because He first loved us” (I John 4:19).
This reminds me of my son, Trevor, when he was a 1st grader. If I asked him where he wanted to eat – I knew what he would say even before he responded. I knew he would say “McDonald’s.” And though it’s not one of my favorite dining establishments, I took him there frequently because I knew how much he enjoyed it. Before walking in the doors, I also knew what he was going to order every time – a Chicken McNugget Happy Meal with a lemonade. Parents and grandparents, have you ever tried to reach across the table and grab a couple of your child’s or grandchild’s French fries? Sometimes when I did this, Trevor would quickly put his little arms around his food like he was guarding gold and say, “These are my fries.”
At that moment I could have said, “Trevor, why are you being so stingy? Have you forgotten who paid for those fries?” Or I could have said, “Trevor, don’t you understand that I could go back to the counter and buy so many French fries that you couldn’t possibly eat them all?” Or I could have reminded Trevor: “Hey, I’m 6’1″ and 200 pounds and have the power to take your fries no matter how hard you try to guard them.” But obviously I’m not going to say or do any of that crazy stuff. Yet sometimes I simply want my child to invite me into his world and share some of the joy and blessings that I had provided for him.
Whether we realize it or not, God takes us to McDonald’s every day. Most of His blessings are super-sized. He gives us our family and friends, our health and strength, our mind and creativity, our job and daily needs. And most of all, “God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son.” And with Jesus comes all of His blessings – forgiveness, peace, living hope, and salvation. And now the Lord who graciously gives so much, simply desires to spend time with us every day and enjoy our relationship. And when He gives us the opportunity to share some of the blessings that He first of all gave to us, do we ever say, “No, God, this stuff is mine. Go get your own”? Far too often we forget that God owns everything – He doesn’t need our fries. But He rejoices every time we respond to His love by generously, cheerfully, and sacrificially giving back to Him. For when we do this, He sees Himself in us. And like a proud parent, He sees His resemblance in our actions and attitudes.
This is why we give first to the Lord instead of giving Him our leftovers. This is why we give Him the first bite of the apple instead of just the core. For we truly know what a privilege it is to be connected to Jesus, who has overcome our past, is always with us in the present, and guarantees us a glorious future through faith in Him.
One last thought. There is an amazing, incredible, and all-encompassing promise found in God’s Word in Philippians 4:19. There it reads, “God will meet all of your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Notice it doesn’t say, “God might meet your needs.” It says, “He will meet your needs.” And it doesn’t say, “He will meet some of your needs.” It says, “He will meet all of your needs.” Nor does it say, “God will meet all of your greeds according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” If God gave us everything we wanted, we would be spoiled to death. What a comfort and joy it is to know that in Christ we lack no good thing.
Prayer,
Lord, we don’t all have the same capacity to give. But we all have the same opportunity to give. So continue to fill our hearts with Your love and forgiveness, so that the message of the cross overflows into all of our relationships. Help each of us to faithfully use the resources, time, and influence that You have entrusted to us in ways that glorify You and advance your kingdom. In Jesus’ name. AmenLUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for June 28, 2009
Topic: Living Together – #1Mark: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer.
Ken: Hello, Mark. What’ve we got here today?
Mark: A young lady and her fiancé are living together. They went to see the pastor of her home church in order to set a date for their wedding. The pastor said living together is a sin and he would not perform the wedding so long as they were co-habiting. The young lady says, “I think that’s wrong. If it is a sin, we are trying to correct that by getting married. A lot of our friends are doing what we’re doing and nobody says anything. It feels like we’re been punished for trying to do the right thing.”
Ken: There are about five questions in there and none of them is easy.
Mark: So how do you want to tackle it?
Ken: First, let me say we never try to second guess a pastor who is serving his parish. In a situation like this, we are only hearing one side of the story. And we don’t want to mess with the relationship of a pastor and his people.
Mark: So, is that the end of the question? Can we say anything?
Ken: We can speak to this person about Scripture and what God says. There are scriptural principles involved here. Further, we might be able to help her and the fiancé understand why the pastor has done what he has done.
Mark: That might be of help. So, where should we start?
Ken: First, let’s get rid of some extra baggage.
Mark: And explain what you mean by “extra baggage.”
Ken: Extra baggage is stuff that is really unimportant. Like when she said a lot of her friends are living together. What everybody else is doing is unimportant. Scripture is filled with times when “everybody” did something–and that something was wrong! Before the flood, everybody was doing everything wrong, all the time. At Sodom and Gomorrah, everybody was doing wrong. When the Children of Israel were in the wilderness, most of them did wrong and complained against God. Most of the crowds turned away from Jesus and that was wrong. What “everybody” does is unimportant. What God wants is all- important. He is the ultimate arbiter of the right and wrong of things.
Mark: OK, we’ve gotten rid of that extra baggage. Anything else?
Ken: Certainly. How about when she says, “if living together is a sin.” That’s extra baggage. If the Bible condemns something, there is no “if.” If the Bible allows it, there is no question of “if.” Living together without being married is either right or it isn’t. It’s not debatable and it doesn’t vary according to local standards.
Mark: So, is it a sin?
Ken: God established marriage to be a voluntary physical, spiritual, and emotional relationship between a man and a woman and it was designed to last for life, come what may. Does living together fit that definition?
Mark: I don’t think so.
Ken: Nor do I. Yes, I know there are all kinds of reasons why a couple lives together without getting married. Some don’t believe the Bible and don’t care what it says about anything. Some don’t think the Bible is for all times and in all places.
Mark: They would say God was only talking to people way back when. But times have changed, and God should change, too.
Ken: Yes, that’s how that thinking goes. There are other reasons why couples go that way. They don’t like making commitments. They think people change and who can say what will happen in the future? Or it’s financially easier.
Mark: And what would you say to those ideas?
Ken: On a theological level, they are all extra baggage. Bottom line: does God approve, or doesn’t He?
Mark: Does He?
Ken: I have often asked couples to show me where God says it’s OK by Him, go ahead and live together. They generally come up empty. On the other hand, Hebrews 13:4 says “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Then there’s 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (NIV) where St. Paul wrote: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God.”
Mark: Any others?
Ken: Oh, sure. We could go on. Ephesians 5:3 (NIV) says, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” And what made them holy people? It’s not that they were perfect, but they had come to know God’s forgiveness in Christ and they were honoring Christ in the way they lived.
Mark: Pastor, I don’t think we’ve finished this topic, but I do know we’ve run out of time for today. Shall we continue this next week?
Ken: We’ll see if we can get it done then.
Mark: This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selection for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“What Is the World to Me” arranged by Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“God Is Rich in His Mercy” by Jimmie L. Young. From You Are There by It’s About the Word (© 2007 Psalmtree Records, Nashville)
“All Depends On Our Possessing” arranged by Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“To the Heart” by John Leavitt. From The Beautiful Treasure by the Mid-America Symphonic Ensemble (© 2007 John Leavitt) John Leavitt Music/ASCAP
“Praise to the Lord” by Timothy Albrecht. From Grace Notes by Timothy Albrecht (© 1997 ACA Digital Recordings) Augsburg-Fortress