RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD #3/7
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
BRINGING THE BEST OF TIMES OUT OF THE WORST OF TIMES
September 18, 2005
Text: 2 Corinthians 8:1-12
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was
the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season
of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we
had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going
direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the
period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest
authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the
superlative degree of comparison only. (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two
Cities, public domain) So begins the epic novel A Tale of Two Cities by
Charles Dickens. Its plot centers around the time of the French
Revolution and interweaves the relatively virtuous life of the character
Charles Darnay with the basic rascally life of Sydney Carton. Because of
their physical resemblance, it is Carton in the end who substitutes
himself for Darnay in order to save him from the guillotine. In his
characteristic fashion, Dickens provides a story about how the best of
times can rise out of even the worst of times.
There has not been a generation before us that has not suffered some
worst of times. Nor will there be any generation after us that will not
suffer a worst of times. In a fallen, sinful world, the worst of
times is a given. Whether from man or nature, disaster will befall us.
We are in the midst of one of our own worst of times. Hurricane Katrina
and its aftermath has left an extreme amount of destruction and suffering
in its wake. We have been hearing about it for three weeks; I do not need
to belabor the details this morning.
The Bible makes it clear that God does not want us to be overwhelmed by
the worst of times. Specifically, God expects a clear response from His
people in the worst of times. In Pauls day, there were plenty of
worst of times. It is not set out in any great detail here, but the
Christian Church in Jerusalem was suffering. Persecutions had likely
taken their toll, reducing their numbers and their ability to provide for
their needs. As a Roman-occupied territory, the general population of
Jerusalem was always subject to the taxation whims of the empire. Even
natural forces conspired against them at times. Draughts caused famines
in the area. In all, brothers and sisters in the Jerusalem Church were
suffering.
In response to their needs, the Corinthian Church had initiated relief
efforts. Paul offers this reminder in verse 10: Last year you were the
first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Such
response prevails among Christians from Pauls day to our own. In
response to our hurricane, Christian denominational and
non-denominational ministries mobilized immediately to begin the rescue
and relief process. Vital relief has been brought to our brothers and
sisters all across the Gulf states of Alabama, Mississippi, and
Louisiana. Of course, the most visible response to this disaster has been
the giving of financial resources to a myriad of relief agencies. As
Christians, though, we must be careful about how much importance we place
upon the role of money in times such as these. Regardless of its
tremendous use, if money becomes the primary focus, we run the risk of
tiring of hearing about the needs and can fall prey to the forgetful
lethargy displayed by the Corinthian Church. To combat that, Paul
encourages the Corinthians to remember the source of their motivation for
giving.
First, giving is a gift of grace. The first priority of giving is to give
our heart to God. And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace
that God has given the Macedonian churches. God gives the grace to give.
Clearly, that grace can only come after we have given our life to God
through belief in Jesus Christ. Thats right, Im issuing the invitation
first. There is no gift of Gods grace that we can receive if we refuse
to accept His invitation into a life of grace through salvation. Through
grace, God gave His Son to be the sacrifice for our sins. Without saving
belief in Christ, we are in no position or condition to receive any other
gift of grace from God.
There are some who respond to this rather negatively. How dare you say
that God withholds the blessings of His grace? God withholds nothing
that is holy and pure and righteous. Nothing whatsoever. Rather, we
reject His grace when we do not accept His saving forgiveness of our sin.
There are those who have already blamed God for this disaster. That is,
arguing that God caused or allowed this hurricane to befall us, which has
resulted in such suffering, then God has caused our suffering. What is
left out of these accusatory observations is that God has been rejected
by not only those along the Gulf, but by America as a whole for quite
some time now. Suffering is not caused by God; suffering is caused by
those who reject God. God causes redemption. God causes salvation. God
causes giving. Giving is a gift of grace given through a humbling faith
in Jesus Christ.
Second, giving is an act of grace. With the gift of salvation comes many
other gifts of grace. From verses 6 and 7, Paul exhorts the Corinthian
Christians, writing, So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a
beginning, to bring us also to completion this act of grace on your part.
But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge,
in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel
in this grace of giving.
God blesses us, His redeemed people, to be a blessing to others. This is
why Paul makes this reference to this act of grace. Asking for and
receiving Gods salvation is never a passive activity. Human works never
save us; only Gods work through Christ saves us. But being saved is
active. It is a changing activity. Our worldview is changed. Our beliefs
are changed. Our habits are changed. Our desires are changed. Our bodies
become the very feet and hands of God. James asks the rather pointed
question in James 2:14, What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to
have faith but has no deeds? Then he offers an answer in verse 18, Show
me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
Giving is an act of grace.
Third, giving is a life of grace. Yes, this is starkly similar to the
previous point. But this is the point that moves us to the Christian hope
that always brings the best of times out of the worst of times. For
Paul, everything is about Jesus. Every motivation for action is about
Jesus. Without Jesus, the Corinthians motivation for giving was
unsustainable. Without Jesus, our motivation for giving is unsustainable,
and Ill show you that in a moment. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians verse 9,
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was
rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty
might become rich.
Being made aware of the needs which request our giving is tiring. I hear
it on television and radio; I see it on almost every web page I open; I
receive messages from every denominational and non-denominational
ministry mail I get; I even hear it in my church: give to help Hurricane
Katrina victims. It is tiring. Add to that the many other ongoing needs.
Next week we will have an emphasis and offering for the Edna Martin
Christian Center. The Sunday after that, we will receive an offering for
our Matthew 25 fund, which has been used a lot lately. Right after that,
we go into our World Mission Offering promotion. All this in addition to
our regular tithe and support for our own church and ministries! Ready to
run me out of the pulpit yet?
Christians, out of all the members of our society, know what it means to
be asked to give. Were asked all the time by far more organizations than
we can possibly support. We walk the fine line between responding to the
need to give and clamming up altogether and refusing to give at all. How
do we cope?
Well, we recognize that giving is a life of grace. What did I just say
about Paul? Everything is about Jesus. Jesus was rich, but became poor
for our sakes. Through his poverty, we become rich. Giving, or
stewardship, is not primarily about money. It is about attitude. It is
about Jesus attitude toward us - an attitude that compelled him to
become poor for our sakes - and, most certainly, our attitude toward
Jesus. Concerning the Macedonian churches, Paul writes, Out of the most
severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up
in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were
able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently
pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the
saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves
first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with Gods will.
Pauls description of this situation is clear: even though the Macedonian
churches should have been receiving assistance, they would not hear of
it. They urgently pleaded for the privilege of sharing in this service
to the saints. Only by recognizing that everything is about Jesus and
that giving is a life of grace could these churches find so much joy in
giving. Only by recognizing that everything is about Jesus and that
giving is a life of grace can we avoid becoming burnt out as faithful and
responsible Christian stewards.
It would be an easy application of this message for me to suggest this
morning that you respond by giving to Hurricane Katrina Relief ministries
or to the Edna Martin Christian Center or to the Matthew 25 fund or to
the World Mission Offering or to anything else we want to add to the
list. But Im not going to do that. Im not going to suggest that you not
make such contributions. Instead, I want you to consider, knowing that
Jesus became poor for our sakes and knowing that we are blessed to be a
blessing to others, what you can do that will bring you overflowing
joy. Make that your measure. Dont listen to all the requests for
donations and just give out of grudging obligation. In fact, Im going to
tell you this morning, if giving causes you emotional heartburn and high
blood pressure, then dont give. Thats not what grace-filled giving is
about.
What it is about is making this aspect of Gods gift of grace real in our
lives. Thats why Im suggesting that you measure the presence of Gods
grace in our life, and then give as you are motivated by His grace. Not
because Pastor Chuck says you need to give; not because the deacons say
you need to give; not because President Bush says you need to give. Give
only when you recognize that Jesus wants you to have the overflowing joy
that comes through the reality that through his poverty we become rich.
As Sydney Carton is taken to the guillotine as a willing substitute for
Charles Darnay, the final words of Dickens novel are: It is a far, far
better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better
rest that I go to than I have ever known. If a secular author writing a
secular novel can capture the meaning of Christs substitutionary death,
then how much more so should the born-again believer recognize that
sacrifice that Jesus made for us? And how much more should that believer
recognize the joy that our giving brings in return to the Lord himself?
Yes, every generation has its worst of times events. Praise God, then,
that every generation has its Christian servants who, through the love of
Christ, is intent on bringing the best of times out of the worst of
times.
Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN