SERMON: THE APPLE
from the “You are Important to God” series
November 13, 2011
Today we continue our Fall sermon series exploring the wonderful truth that You are important to God. Please take out your scripture inserts, and look at the side with that title. There you will see the 2 complementary power points, upon which I will speak today.
Would you please join me in reading, together, Power point # 1: I AM YOUR PROVIDER. Now, actually, this power point is God’s name—one of his Names.· Whenever in the Bible God refers to Himself by saying “I am,” that’s his name, as it describes something that he does or is. God was first called this name by the ancient patriarch, Abraham, as we heard in today’s Old Testament reading.· Throughout the bible, God and Jesus consistently refer to themselves by using these “I am names”—such as I am the good shepherd, I am the door, and I am the way, the truth, and the life.” · Each of God’s “ I am names” refers to a particular function or characteristic of God, the way that our various name & titles refer to our functions. So, my name is John. I am also John the husband, John the father, and John the priest. Each of those names refers to something that I am, and something that I do.
Likewise, the one named “God the provider” provides for our needs, according to the Bible, out of His own glorious riches.· He most significantly provided for the hope of our salvation, by providing his own son to die for our sin, and to rise from the dead, to bring the hope of reconciliation to the world.· But way before the birth of Jesus, as we hear in today’s psalm, the Lord made the earth, and has given it to humankind to use for two purposes: to provide for our material needs, and to gratefully give back to Him a portion of what we have received.
We Americans have received so many material blessings from God, which is why each week we sing, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow”. · Recently, many of us were deprived of some of those blessings, like heat and light which comes from God’s gifts of oil, water, electricity, and coal.· Many of you have told me that having been deprived of those gifts after the recent Nor’easter, that you are so grateful for those gifts, which we often take for granted.
Now, nobody I know likes being taken for granted. How sad it is that with the decline of civility in our culture, fewer and fewer people express gratitude for what they have received. For example: Pretend that you have been giving a Christmas gift to Sam, for year after year, after year. However in all that time, Sam has never given you a gift, or even given you a sincere “Thank You.” My guess is that you may begin to feel for taken for granted. I know I would.
You see, God feels the same way. Today’s he Bible readings tells us that God provides for our physical needs, but expects that in turn, we will give back to Him a portion of what we have received in thanksgiving to Him.(PAUSE) Perhaps one of the most widespread sins of those who claim to be Christians, is an attitude of ingratitude toward God.
Would you please take out the apple book mark from your bulletin. Read.
SERMON # 6 “THE APPLE"’ November 13, 2011From Sermon series, “You are Important to God. Once upon a time, there was a man with nothing...and God gavehim ten apples. One was bigger, juicier, and reder than the other 9...It had beengiven so the man might return it to God to show his gratitude for the otehr 9. The man was given 3 to eat...3 to trade for shelter from the sun and rain.....and 3 to trade for clothes to wear.
The the man ate three. . .... he traded three for a shelter from the sun and rain and. . .... he traded three for clothing to wear.
Then he looked at the first one, bigger, more beautiful,juicier than all the rest.It was the best. . .... so the man ate the apple...and gave back to God the core.
Then he looked at the first one, bigger, more beautiful,juicier than all the rest.It was the best. . .... so the man ate the apple...and gave back to God the core.
The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God.(Exodus 23:19 KJV)God has given you enough apples to supply your needs - plus one with which you may show your gratitude to Him.The choice is yours..ist« ffiKHhimcr Press. Warminster, PA 18974
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Now, I am sure that most of us agree that we need to give back to God. So God, in his infinite wisdom, has provided us with the way He would like you to do it.· If you would go back to our sermon power points on the top of the page of that insert we just viewed, let read the 2nd power point out loud, together:· “I discipline you, not to harm you, but to free you from every enemy of righteousness, joy, and peace.”
So, what is the enemy of our righteousness, peace, and joy? The man with one talent in today’s Gospel could tell you. It’s the attitude of ingratitude before God.
You see, God not only gave us the earth for our provision, but he also had two other motives.
1. First, He wants each of us to become more generous in giving, which will result in Him giving you n MORE righteousness, joy, peace, and other material and spiritual; blessings. · Paul delineates this spiritual principle in our reading from the 2nd Letter to the Corinthians. Paul uses the image of farming to talk about giving money to God. He writes, “Whoever sows sparingly, will read sparingly; and whoever sow as generously will reap generously. “· So, God wants you to love Him, not just with our prayers and worship, but also with our offerings of money. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “Wherever your money is, your heart will be there also.”
2. So, first giving generously to God results in more blessings for us, personally. And secondly, your financial giving to God helps to promote His purpose in building up his Kingdom on earth through his church. I believe that God wants to use His church as a funnel, through which He can pour out his emotional & spiritual blessings to all people.
It is in this regard that the Episcopal Church USA provides a simple discipline to help us financially give to God , so that Jesus can bless us and promote his work in the world. And this widespread Episcopal custom is called the “pledge.”· Some of you who are newer to the Episcopal Church may not know what a pledge is, or you might not understand this important custom. Please turn to the back of your service sheet, page 8, which explains it.RENEEQUESTIONS 1 & 2What is a pledge? A pledge is a promise of what you intend to financially give to Christ Church Quaker Farms in the upcoming year.
Why should I pledge to Christ Church Quaker Farms? For two reasons: (1) Making a financial commitment to God and his church reminds us that God is more important than money in our lives, and that we serve God, not our check book (Matthew 6:24); and (2) The Vestry can only plan the next year’s budget, based on the pledges we receive. The Vestry pays the rector and staff, and disburses all the income needed to keep the church open.
So on one level, your financial pledge is absolutely vital to the ongoing ministry of this church.(Pause)
Let’s be honest here. Christ Church has financial problems because most of those who worship here have not pledged in the past. · Now, I am speaking frankly here—I left my last job, moved here with my wife, and bought a new house, because I believe in Christ Church’s future. I believe that together with the Lord, we can build a church which will not only just survive, but thrive. For that to continue to happen, we need to grow spiritually, numerically, and financially.· I believe that we can do that –I believe that we are doing that, and I believe that we will do that as we go forward into 2012, the Bicentennial of the founding of the church.
Now, I would like to conclude by having us look at the key verse, which the Vestry wanted me to present to you today. You can find it on page 2, the inside cover of the bulletin. At the top[ of the page is a verse from today’s epistle reading. Let’s read that out loud, together.
“EACH OF YOU SHOULD GIVE WHAT YOU HAVE DECIDED IN YOUR HEART TO GIVE, NOT RELUCTANTLY OR UNDER COMPULSION, FOR GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER.”
Let’s make this clear. There is NO, absolutely no compulsion here for you to do anything you do not want to do. Indeed, quite on the contrary. Jesus wants you to be happy about what you give. It is your free choice.· If you have never made a pledge, then start out with something that feels manageable. And pray to the Lord for guidance, which you will receive. guide· If during the year you wish to change your pledge, up or down, that IS OKAY. There is not judgment here. · We are all living through these hard times together. And perhaps now, even more than ever, that is why we, together, need to Man up, woman up, and Stand UP for Jesus and his church.
Today it is our pleasure to welcome another important person into God’s family. In thanksgiving for the life of Jackson Robert, let us rise and sing together “Borning Cry”. The words are on your music insert.
---The Rev. John Donnelly
