We are in our last weeks of a new series on “Becoming Like Family”. This is important as our online community begin to share the daily challenges with friends, and we begin to gather our larger community together as one church community. We won’t be bound together by a building, or institution, but rather by five commitments. We’ve talked about commitment to common learning goals, connectedness as a community of small and large groups, connectedness to God in worship, grace in our lifestyles, and finally this week we end our series with a commitment to generosity in our resources.
Canadians clearly have an openness and willingness to give to others. According to a survey published in November 2012 the number of Canadians who made a charitable donation increased by 10% in 2012, while the total amount of donations increased by 14% when compared to 2011.
But when Christians talks about giving, sometimes it feels different. We might expect Christian teaching on giving to be self-serving, like we only talk about generosity when it means putting money on a plate to support a particular institute or building, or in the worst examples, buying a pastor a luxury car or mansion in the woods.
Imagine you are channel surfing, and you see a televangelist asking people to make a pledge – do you assume they’re genuine, or do you get concerned? Billy Graham, who just celebrated a birthday, is widely recognized as one internationally known preacher whose reputation is intact, but it’s so unfortunate that he’s seen as the exception rather than the norm.
A friend of mine attended church for first time, to support a friend’s baptism, and I remember the look of horror on his face when the members of the church started passing a brass collection plate around. This man of another religion felt compelled to give to support something he didn’t believe or understand simply because a plate was going to be passed under his nose and he didn’t want to be embarrassed appearing cheap.
For all these reasons and more, the notion of churches and christian ministries talking about money can be a touchy thing. Some might suggest we’d be better to leave it alone, and teach about lighter stuff.
But if someone told you that the Bible was a great way to learn about Jesus, and then handed you a Bible with a bunch of sections blacked out, you’d be suspicious, wouldn’t you? You’d wonder what they were holding back, and rightfully so. You’d call WikiLeaks and see if they know what’s been blacked out!
It would be dishonest of me to pretend that Jesus didn’t have an awful lot to say about money and how we live with it. It would be like blacking out 15% of Jesus’ words in the Bible!
I think Jesus said so much about money and possessions because he knew that the place of money in our lives was a spiritual issue far more than it was simply an economic issue. He knew money had a lot to do with our feelings of self-worth, identity and security in life. These are the exact things we are meant to derive from God, and that are meant to be developed in and through our generosity.
Question: Have you seen someone who worships money? How could you tell?
Reminder: Earlier in this series, we saw the importance of reading the Bible together in sync, so our new daily bible readings start today in our mobile app and web site.
Read the Bible in Sync Today
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In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave 3 illustrations about priorities in life. We’ll look at one each day this week.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV)
Here, Jesus is talking about our priorities when it comes to material possessions and money. Long ago, but applicable today. Tax season – many make decisions to prioritize savings, debt payments, retirement, RESP, TFSA or RRSP, charitable donations. Which ones you choose are all questions of priorities.
Note: Three things to note Jesus doesn’t have a problem with:
• Jesus does not forbid private property. He loves when people share it, but nowhere forbids it.
• Does not forbid prudent savings. Bible encourages those who make provision for their family’s needs.
• Does not tell us to hate material things. So heavenly minded you are no earthly good.
What he does not condone is selfishness. Laying up treasures "for yourselves".
The reason for this is simple – you can’t take it with you. Friend: There are no Uhauls at funerals.
Have friends who lived with two hoarders for 20 years. When they moved out, my friend wrote this, “ We are receiving our THIRD dumpster delivery today, which we need just to remove Mom's junk from the house so we can think of how to dispose of the supposedly "valuable" stuff. (And believe us, even the valuable stuff isn't THAT valuable. And NONE of it is anywhere near worth the amount of money spent to KEEP it! It is absolutely crazy.
And what we are learning about "stuff", and our family and their neuroses, and our society, is depressing.
But that is the nature of stuff. In fact, it is all worthless, bound to rot and become dust. But because some human values it, it suddenly is "worth" something. No THING has an intrinsic value. Too bad we didn't all value each other as much as we value our stuff.” Just last week, saw pictures online of yet another dumpster clearing out yet another of her mother’s storage units – they’ve now used 6 dumpsters to handle 12 tons of junk.
From http://thenarrowroad2012.blogspot.ca/2012/10/stuff.html
The word Jesus used for rust really means something gets eaten away, and could have applied to mice eating your grain, moths eating your clothes, worms eating your meat, thieves stealing, or rusting metal all the same. Today, it would apply to the depreciation on your brand new vehicle.
Think of those whose wealth was tied up in US real estate before the US subprime mortgage crisis – they thought they have a valuable asset, but quickly realized it could lose a huge portion of its value in mere months. Material things are easy to trust, but are ultimately empty.
But we keep convincing ourselves that these things do matter – lines like, “He who dies with the most toys wins.”
We want to be careful what we invest in, because we only have so much time on this earth, and unfortunately so many things we do and need day to day on this earth, have no lasting value.
But not everything!
There are things we do here that do last for eternity - treasure in heaven.
See what that is, later this week.
Question: What is earthly treasure compared to heavenly treasure? How are earthly treasures temporary and unsatisfying where heavenly treasures are lasting and satisfying?
