Lectionary Year C
August 12, 2001
Luke 12:32-40

Contemporary Address

Step VI - Contemporary Address

A. Goals

(JFC) Can this sermon help 21st century people manage God's gif ts better?

B. Describing the Congregation

(JFC) While living with and working on this pericope this week I have had in mind one of my earlier pastorates. Now, make no mistake, they are not going to invite me to preach there. They didn't even do that when I was a commissioner from a neighboring Presbytery, to our denomination's General Assembly there a mere three years after I had left there. Plus, we now live several states away and have been back there only twice in the 28 years since leaving there and those trips were for funerals unrelated to that congregation. However, one of my most indelible memories of that congregation is of two elders and their families who lived next door to each other. One was a consumer par excellence and the other simply lived simply, very simply. The contrasts in those different life-styles were profound. Larry would have sold all and given to the poor if he could have figured out how to do it without abusing his wife and their three children. Jim, had to make money and invest a lot of it and mostly spend more and more of it. These two elders were popular and well known in this small membership congregation. The little church has been in a mushrooming suburb for all these years. During the five years I served them, the membership grew from 125 to 250. Since then it has returned to 100 or so and remains there consistently. One of the things we achieved way back then, was writing an annual budget that prioritized bill paying with Benevolences on the top line. All other bills, including salaries, were paid later down the list. So, could this sermon speak to such people?

C. Contemporary Address

(JFC) Sermon, entitled for this working draft, "God is a Giving God"
INTRODUCTION
Fear is passé. Today we consider "God's good pleasure" out of which the Kingdom comes! We are God's "little flock", remember Psalm 23.

I. GOD

A. The Giver of the Kingdom, God, is accustomed to giving great gifts. Abram, (Genesis 15:1-6) was given a gift uncountable and beyond reason. Many since then were, too. What gifts has God given you/us lately? When God gives the Kingdom, it brings true joy and real power. It enables us, as its citizens, to live in peace with others globally, even.

B. The master of the manner can represent God. He goes to a wedding festival, he trusts his servants and they respond faithfully and thereby find happiness. Did you see recently, A Chinese Proverb that claims, "If you want happiness for an hour-take a nap. If you want happiness for a day-go fishing. If you want happiness for a month-get married. If you want happiness for a year-inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime-help others." Jesus did that and told of household servants who did, too.

II. JESUS

A. "The Son of Man", is Jesus' only self-designation, according to Goppelt (TNT, I, 178). Early on it meant, "The end-time Bringer of Salvation" and it would establish God's Kingdom (reign) in the world. Jesus' birth angels indicate in Luke 2:14 that believers already enjoy God's good pleasures. Jesus lived these images as well as taught them.

B. The Master of the House returning from a Marriage put on an apron and served the tables for the hired help. That picture reminds us of our Savior turned Servant when he washed the disciples' feet (John 13:5) and when he died on the cross. He came serving, confer, Luke 22:27.

III. PREPARATIONS

A. We respond to such a giving God and to such a sacrificing Christ. Abraham responded obediently (Hebrews 11:8-13) with faith. Other major responses include repenting (Luke 13:1-9), worshipping and serving faithfully (Isaiah 1:10-17). (Use Isaiah 1:18 as an Assurance of Pardon and 1:19f as an Invitation to Communion.) (These passages are others appointed for this Sunday in the RCL) These responses inspire us to get our possessions into proper perspective, see I Corinthians 7:30f.

B. Girding loins and lighting lamps are our responses for out in the world. These metaphors can mean and tell us it takes preparation and planning to serve effectively out there. Out there we need to be in "constant readiness to set out on new paths at uncertain times, or to have an unexpected encounter and act appropriately," as Eduard Schweitzer describes it. When out there we discover we need reinforcements, read Acts 6:1-6. These texts remind us to aim high and to expect God to make possible for our aims to get us to heaven. "Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth thrown in. Aim at Earth and you get neither." - C.S. Lewis. Thus we avoid letting earthly possessions claim too high a priority in our lives and thereby let God occupy primary place there.

CONCLUSION

Passages like these go to such measures to show and tell us what a Giver is our God. Our responses move us to emulate Christ and prepare to show and tell others about such a Giving God. When we do, we find great happiness.

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