{"id":589,"date":"2013-09-25T14:57:12","date_gmt":"2013-09-25T19:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/?p=589"},"modified":"2014-11-25T10:15:22","modified_gmt":"2014-11-25T16:15:22","slug":"share-the-wealth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2013\/09\/25\/share-the-wealth\/","title":{"rendered":"Share the Wealth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amos 8:4\u20137
\nPsalm 113:1-9
\n1 Timothy 2:1\u20137
\nLuke 16:1\u201313
\nAudio Version with Childrens Sermon
\n<\/a>Link to Video of Sermon<\/a><\/p>\n

At first glance, it would seem that the scripture today from Luke, does not have much in common with that of Amos or 1 Timothy.\u00a0 You might be asking the same question I was when I first read the scriptures, what is in common?\u00a0 Even in Text Study on Tuesday, the focus became on Luke, seeing how it is the gospel that is not all bad.\u00a0 We never spoke of the connection and the crux of the discussion on Luke boiled down to a stewardship sermon.\u00a0 I have told you before, that at times I struggle to make the connection between the scriptures in our lectionary and this was no exception.<\/p>\n

We can see what we want to see, see what is easy or just rely upon someone else\u2019s opinion or even a commentary to guide us.\u00a0 God challenges us all the time to go beyond the obvious.\u00a0 To do what others would not.\u00a0 To stand out as Christians and not conform to the World but be transformed by the Word in such a way that we are insulated from the worldly ways and act in the ways that God does towards us and all of humanity, yes how God acts towards EVERYONE.<\/p>\n

Just what is wealth?\u00a0 What does it mean to be wealthy?\u00a0 Is wealth solely the ability to meet all your financial needs?\u00a0 Maybe we add in to that to be wealthy also means to be able to live in such a way as to be healthy.\u00a0 So I am guessing that would mean you can pay to eat right, pay for the exercise facility and even be able to pay for health insurance and meet all of our health care expenses.\u00a0 That sounds like a lot of money there and does money make us wealthy?<\/p>\n

Our God is a radical God who calls us to be radical in our response to the world.\u00a0 God provides us with everything that we have, from the very breath we take, down to the shoes and socks we wear.\u00a0 God\u2019s abundance of love is given to us.\u00a0 God gives us our ability to pray, our ability to share, our ability to love.\u00a0 All the resources that we have at our disposal comes from a single source and for a single reason.\u00a0 It all is about the Love of God towards everyone in the world.\u00a0 Not just those that believe in God\u2019s Son.\u00a0 It is not just those that do right.\u00a0 God\u2019s love is there for everyone, for the taking, for the sharing, forever and ever.<\/p>\n

God has called each of you and me to share in our wealth of what God has given and continues to give to us.\u00a0 God calls us to share with others, share in our wealth, in our abundance of what we have.\u00a0 Do we need money to be happy, to be healthy?\u00a0 It is not about money it is about wealth in whatever God has given us.\u00a0 If try to hold onto what God gives, then those things and even the Love of God that we hold to, become other gods.\u00a0 In verse 13 today, it said; \u201c13\u00a0<\/sup>No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.\u201d[1]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 So what does God tell us to do with this wealth?\u00a0 We must share!<\/p>\n

By Thursday of this week, I was pretty confident on how the sermon was going to go and I had been going over ideas, praying about the sermon and feeling some ideas out through some research.\u00a0 On Friday I heard of a story that changed everything.<\/p>\n

There was this pastor one day sitting in his office writing his sermon for the week.\u00a0 Normally when the office closed, he would just leave the church office doors closed but the church front doors open and this way he could work in private.\u00a0 However that day, for some reason he decided to leave the office doors unlocked and even propped open.\u00a0 He heard a noise out in the church.\u00a0 He knew people were milling about in the church do various things but decided to investigate the noise.<\/p>\n

Upon exiting his office, he encountered a couple with a baby.\u00a0 They explained that they were looking for a church to get married in, and they were looking in this vicinity because it was about mid-point for all the families.\u00a0 The pastor and the couple began to speak about some of the necessary information for a wedding.\u00a0 When he asked where they currently attend, the man said he was a non-practicing Catholic and the woman would only say that she was \u201cOpen\u201d.\u00a0 Very easily this could have been taken to be that nether attended church and had no real intention to but were simply looking for a building in which to get married.<\/p>\n

All three sat and spoke for a while.\u00a0 During that time, much was shared between the couple and the pastor.\u00a0 The woman said that when she does go to church, due to her past, she feels like others are judging her and she might as well wear a billboard around her neck to advertise all of her sins.\u00a0 The man said that all he has felt in the Catholic Church was, condemnation towards himself and his actions.\u00a0 The Pastor began to share the Gospel message with them.\u00a0 The Pastor recalls the conversation but was not able to recall much of the details that occurred over the next two hours of the conversation, the crying, hand holding and hugging.\u00a0 It was the Holy Spirit at work that day.\u00a0 It was the Pastor being open to sharing, walking with the couple.\u00a0 Sharing the wealth that God has given him.\u00a0 He, through the Spirit was able to share the love of Christ, the Love of God, the importance of communion and baptism and many other aspects of the Christian faith.<\/p>\n

The Pastor was told by the couple, that they had never heard the love of God before.\u00a0 They had never heard that God was there in their bad times, coming to them, holding them and wants nothing but the best for them and everyone.\u00a0 A prayer and tears were shared before the couple left saying they really want to be married there, have their child baptized there and find a church that they can attend near home.<\/p>\n

God calls you to share in your wealth, to walk with others, be prayerful in your lives.\u00a0 It is in your sharing that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding and takes hold of you.\u00a0 Your wealth is not what you can get and hold onto.\u00a0 It is not how many frequent flyer miles you can rack up and use.\u00a0 It is about sharing your abilities, your wealth as Christians with everyone in the world.\u00a0 In your failures to share your wealth, you worship other gods, take advantage of others instead of helping others.\u00a0 Jesus, who is God in the flesh tells us in Matthew chapter 5, \u201c40<\/sup>\u2026truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.\u2019[2]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 He also says; \u201c45<\/sup>\u2026 Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.\u201d[3]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

We should pray for all people, share with all people, walk with all people.\u00a0 Maybe we here in America have it to easy in our Christian lives and we have become complacent.\u00a0 The Apostles could have become complacent and blended back into the norm of society as some of us Christians do.\u00a0 The Apostles decided to be radical and bold, reaching to make disciples of all nations.\u00a0 We too need be radical in our response to God.<\/p>\n

Please repeat after me and join in this prayer to our God of Wealth and Abundance;<\/p>\n

Heavenly Father:<\/p>\n

We give you thanks for everyone, \u2026\u2026..not some but everyone in the world.<\/p>\n

We pray to you this day, giving thanks for all of our wealth.<\/p>\n

We pray that you take mercy upon us.<\/p>\n

We pray that you take mercy upon all of humanity.<\/p>\n

We pray for those that love us<\/p>\n

We pray for those that hate us<\/p>\n

We pray for those of our same political beliefs.<\/p>\n

We pray for those of differing political beliefs.<\/p>\n

We pray for those that have hurt us and those that have helped us.<\/p>\n

God of all our gifts, talents, wealth and life,<\/p>\n

we ask that you continue to be with us as we share our wealth<\/p>\n

with all we encounter.<\/p>\n

Teach us to be strong in your Son’s name<\/p>\n

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior<\/p>\n

And all of God’s children say; Amen<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


<\/p>\n
\n
\n

[1]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version<\/i> (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[2]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version<\/i> (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[3]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version<\/i> (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Amos 8:4\u20137 Psalm 113:1-9 1 Timothy 2:1\u20137 Luke 16:1\u201313 Audio Version with Childrens Sermon Link to Video of Sermon At first glance, it would seem that the scripture today from Luke, does not have much in common with that of Amos or 1 Timothy.\u00a0 You might be asking the same question I was when I … [Read 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