| Lutheran Church of the Redeemer | Birmingham, Michigan |
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Rev. Cary M. Richert 17th Sunday after Pentecost (B) 1st Sunday of Fall Stewardship Emphasis October 1, 2006
Giving Our All 2 Corinthians 8:1-9
Today we begin our annual fall emphasis on Christ-centered, cross-centered stewardship. Christ-centered, cross-centered stewardship is managing wisely in faith all the blessings our Lord God, in Christ, so graciously pours out upon us. For the next 3 weeks, under the theme “Making the Most of Life,” we’ll reflect on the divine truths of God’s Word. And, we’ll be challenged to reflect prayerfully on our own practice of Christ-centered, cross-centered stewardship.
The starting point of Christ-centered stewardship is to understand and believe that, all we are and all we have is a gracious, undeserved gift from God. Our lives … our talents and abilities … our material wealth … our relationships … our vocations … everything is an undeserved blessing from God. When we begin to think that, somehow we deserve it all … or, it’s ours to do with as WE please … or, we simply don’t need God, then Christ-centered stewardship becomes selfish ambition, sinful greed and dangerously sinking faith. We can learn much from the ancient Macedonian believers about God-pleasing, Christ-centered stewardship. Their faith … their hearts … their priorities … all were in proper alignment. Being in proper alignment enabled them to make the most of their lives as God’s people and serve as an example to others, like us today.
The apostle Paul had preached the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to Gentiles in Philippi, Thessalonica, and other Macedonian cities during his 2nd missionary journey. He proclaimed that, the Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich, yet for (their and our) sake became poor, so that (they and we) by his poverty might become rich, [8:9]. And the Holy Spirit used the power of the gospel to create saving faith in the Macedonians … as He does in us as well.
In taking on human flesh, suffering and dying … Jesus emptied Himself of His riches and made Himself nothing. In this humility of Christ we have redemption from our sin, not with silver or gold, but with our Lord’s holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death. By this humble and loving work, Jesus made us rich in the things of God: forgiveness of sins, life, faith and salvation. Our riches in Christ far surpass the Gates and Buffett billions of this world. Our riches in Christ aren’t material! They’re eternal!
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Spirit’s power that enables us to re-cast our lives … to mold them and shape them … to bring them in line with His desires for our living. The Holy Spirit created in the poverty-stricken Macedonian Christians a burning desire to love and serve God, as Paul indicates: they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us, [8:5]. Giving themselves to the Lord was the starting point. Paul noted that, in giving themselves first, they excelled in everything else: in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in love, [8:7].
Christ-centered stewardship of our talents and material wealth is a natural by-product of giving ourselves entirely to Christ and excelling in all areas of our faith, even, as Paul indicates, excelling in the grace of giving, [8:7]. The life of faith is a unified whole. All areas of our lives are totally re-formed by true faith. The grace of God in Christ Jesus re-creates who we are … re-forms what we think and believe … re-defines how we live as His dearly loved children. When we rebel against God’s design for our lives and live in our own sinful self-absorbed, self-promoting, self-preserving stubbornness, we put our faith at risk. We invite our Lord’s stern discipline. For our Lord teaches that, when the fruit of faith is lacking, the branch is in danger of being cut off from the vine and thrown into the fire for burning, [John 15:5-6]. These are strong and condemning words Jesus spoke to His disciples. They invite serious reflection on our own lives as God’s children.
In Holy Baptism, God has created each of us to bear fruit for Him. We can’t bear this fruit on our own! Only through Christ is this possible! Only through Christ can we excel in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in earnestness and love. Only in Christ can we excel in using our talents and abilities to serve God. Only in Christ, can we excel in the grace of giving.
The Macedonian believers went above and beyond “the call of duty” in their Christ-centered stewardship of God’s blessings. Poor and destitute as they were, 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, [8:3-4]. They probably qualified to be on the receiving end of the gift they were collecting for the destitute saints in Jerusalem! Yet amazingly, God’s Holy Spirit moved them to dig deep and want to excel in the grace of giving … of helping others in the Lord’s Church … of practicing the Christ-centered stewardship of their meager earthly means! No excuses. No air of obligation. Only a burning, faith-filled desire to contribute. What an example of the tremendous motivation that true faith in Christ generates!
On this first of 3 stewardship Sundays, we reflect: To what extent does my own faith and love move me to excel in the grace of living, and to excel in the grace of giving? Of giving myself … my talents and my material wealth … as a thank-offering to the Lord, and in support of Christ’s work carried on by His Church in this place and at this time in history?
Does the depth of your faith move you to dedicate your entire being and life to the Lord’s service? To give your all? To see in your life vocations ongoing opportunities to let the (light of your faith) shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven, [Matthew 5:16]?
That’s what making the most of your life as a child of God is all about! That’s what Christ-centered, stewardship is all about! The Lord continues to bless us richly at Redeemer. More than anything else, He blesses us with the gifts of His grace, given through His holy Word and Sacraments in worship. He blesses us with opportunities to share the saving Gospel with others and to help those who are in need. The work to which He’s called us requires of us the same grace of living and giving it required in the time of the Macedonians.
In a couple weeks you’ll have the opportunity to pledge your continued support of the Lord’s own work in this place. I pray that, like the ancient Macedonian believers, you’ll see this as an opportunity to demonstrate that, just as you excel in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in earnestness and love … you also excel in the grace of giving … of giving both your talents in service and your finances in faithful and generous support.
May God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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