Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Sermon series: Rich Living

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Debbie got me an oak roll top desk for our anniversary several years ago- filled with all kinds of cool little drawers and hiding places. And there is no doubt in my mind, that with even a modicum of care, that desk could last for a hundred years, perhaps longer, and be an antique for someone else, hopefully in my family, but for someone, down the line. That raises a fascinating question- one that I posed with the children a few minutes ago with that Civil War Bible: if something is built to last, am I really the owner, or the custodian- the one who cares and prepares something for the next person?

Sigmund Freud, the famous psychiatrist who invented psychoanalysis, went to great lengths in his writings to claim his genius as his own- something that was intrinsically his- owned by him, if you will, and like my desk, that got me thinking again about what it means to “own…”

 When I think of my own life, as bright, or as talented as I may or may not be, I can hardly claim credit for the initial work, if you know what I mean. I didn’t choose my parents, or to be born in the United States in the middle of the 20th century, at a time with unlimited prosperity and potential. I didn’t choose the gifts that were given to me.

 Sure, I’ve worked with those gifts over the years- worked hard, but even then, it wasn’t happening in a vacuum: parents, family, teachers, friends, mentors- a host of people have contributed making me into the person I am still becoming. It would be ludicrous for me to claim for a second that I’m a “self-made man,” and that all I have become, and all I have, are all mine…

 And that got me thinking about church- specifically this church- and about you and me. We sit in this magnificent building, built 81 years ago by some faithful people who were willing to risk moving out to what were essentially the suburbs, leaving a perfectly good church building downtown. We are the beneficiaries of a legacy of forward-thinking, risk taking men and women who were willing to put their time, talent and treasure on the line not only for their families, but for those who would come long after them, because of their faith- for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 Can anyone of us- no matter how long we have been a part of this community, really call this “my church?” in the sense that we own it- that it is ours- that we deserve it, or have earned it? Even those of us who are lifelong Bethlehem members- children, perhaps when the move to Lyndale Avenue was made, came along with the men and women who made the decision to move, and then paid for it… “My church!?” Not hardly…

 The more I think about it, the more it gets beyond me- or past me. Is there anyone here who would claim that you are owed your relationship with God- that it was something you deserved on the basis of your talent, or good looks, or whatever, that as we’ve already seen, came from somewhere else, anyway?

 You and I are given- flat out given- a relationship with God that lasts forever, not because we deserve it, or can buy it- indeed, it is given in spite of everything we do to get in the way, because God loves you- and God loves me.

 God- the creator of all that is- loves you and me so much that in Jesus of Nazareth, God becomes one of us. In the life and ministry of this carpenter turned rabbi, God shows us how we are to live- who to take care of one another- ministering to the sick, caring for the poor, feeding the hungry… In his death on a cross, Jesus shares in the ultimate of what it means to be human- dying, abandoned and in pain, bearing on himself everything that separates you and me from our creator. And in his resurrection from the dead, Jesus overwhelms and overcomes everything- even the power of death- everything that can separate us from God, and invites us into eternal relationship- God’s presence forever- through life, through death and beyond…

 It would be much more accurate to say “I belong to Jesus,” or even “I am owned by Jesus,” than to ever talk about “my Jesus,” or “Jesus is mine…”

 Now it’s taken me awhile (quite awhile!) to get here, but on this Sunday, when we continue our sermon series “Rich Living: All Things are Possible with God,”, where we have been exploring the incredible abundance we are given freely- from creation, to our gifts and talents and to the relationships we have with the people around us, and we focus on the issue of “Making the Most of Money,” I wanted to review this question of ownership- really the ownership of all we have and are.

 For a Christian, the Biblical witness is perfectly clear: we own nothing- everything we have and are we hold in trust for the real owner- our God in Christ!

 That’s what Paul is getting at in our text from 1st Timothy- he’s talking to all of us, even though it sounds like it’s aimed at the rich. Amazing thing about wealth- it always seems to be about someone else, but it’s all relative... compared to virtually all of the people in the world, everyone sitting here is wealthy... we just don’t necessarily see it that way. Even the very wealthy sometimes miss it- J. Paul Getty, at the time the richest man in the world was asked “how much is enough?” and was said to answer “Just a little bit more...

 But look at the way it’s said: “As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches (the more things change, the more they stay the same!), but rather on God, who richly provides US with everything for OUR enjoyment...

 See how the passage changes from the third person to the first person plural???

The passage is all inclusive- it’s about you and me- and it’s about God who is ultimately at work- we are to enjoy what God has given us, but everything ultimately belongs to the owner: to God!

 And, when you think about it, it is true for you and for me, as individuals: the gifts and talents we have been given to use- to enjoy- come from God! You and I belong to God- that’s what it means to be baptized!

 And it is something that all people- from creation, right down to you and to me, need to be reminded of all the time. It’s something we can confuse- get wrong, all the time. The temptation is always there to say, “I did it, it’s mine; it all belongs to me!”  and then forget- or ignore- that all we have and are have been entrusted to us for a time by our creator…

It was an issue for the people of the Hebrew scriptures: why else did God ask for a tithe- one tenth- of all they had? Dt 14:23 teaches that “the purpose of tithing is to help you put God first in your life…” - to remind you that all you have comes from God, and while God could ask for it all, you may use all but one tenth…

It was certainly an issue in Jesus’ day. Why else do you think that Jesus talked more about money than he did about heaven- or about hell? Why else do you think roughly one out if every six verses in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are about money and possessions? Jesus affirmed the habit of tithing in those Gospels, by the way- and if you think it’s legalistic thing, I would say fine, give 20%...

Why else do you think that more than half the parables of Jesus are about money- including our Gospel today? Because Jesus knew- and knows- that we like to claim ownership of our lives- and all that our lives bring us- our talents and treasures- and that can put up an almost impenetrable barrier between us and our loving God!

Let’s look at our parable today: it is a happy accident of language that we have the word “talent.” It means a lifetime’s wages- but for we English speakers, we can use it also to mean all our gifts- a totality of time, talent and money- everything you are and I am!

The master gives something to all three servants- different amounts- different gifts, you might say. And two of three see their gifts as things to be used in the master’s service- to be risked, even, in the master’s service, and they go to work, knowing they have all they need to serve.

But the third- even though it’s the smallest amount, at one moment, he has a lifetime’s resources- is afraid. He thinks it might not be enough. And if you think you don’t have enough, you never do, and you never will...  And so he hoards it; protects it- keeps it- he starts to act like it’s his! If he hadn’t, he would have been free to risk it like the others!

And that is precisely why the third servant winds up in so much trouble! Failing to see that what he was given was more than enough to use in the master’s service, and failing to risk what he was given, the master angrily takes his talent from him, and gives it to the one who was given five and made five more!

The third servant was unfaithful, pure and simple, by not using the gifts and talents- the money he had been entrusted with… And God is always expecting great things from the people to whom God has entrusted his gifts!

The other two both double what the master gave them. They learn the truth that when you are faithful, God more than meets your needs. This is a New Testament example of Malachi 3:10- “bring the full tithe to my store house and see if I don’t open the heavens in blessings…” Not a promise of wealth, but a promise of blessings- as I have said before, “God meets your needs, not your greed…”

And are both welcomed into the “joy of their master…” Let me suggest to you that joy was already a part of their lives: they already knew the joy of serving- the joy of faithfulness- the joy of generosity, and they lived in the wonder of God’s abundance!

This is a lesson that continues to be learned today- more and more Bethlehem folks are discovering this joy of faithfulness- of generosity- of abundance. I love how Paul describes it: “the life that really is life!” A life in which we see that everything is given for our enjoyment...

A life, as I said a few weeks ago, of open hands, gratefully receiving, and then generously sharing...

And the motivation for sharing? You and I give because God gives- because God loves- because it all belongs to God!

So what does this all mean in how we deal with money? Let me share some practical suggestions about making the most of money- the money entrusted to you by God...

Keep good records! The Bible says in Proverbs 27 that “riches can disappear fast, so watch your business interests closely...Know the state of your flocks and herds...” Obviously in biblical days, assets were tied up in your animals... but still, this is wonderful advice...

There is the old saying “Money talks,” but I would argue that it doesn’t- it just slips away, and if you’re not keeping records- of how much you make, of where you’re spending, how much you owe and how much you’re saving, you’re inviting difficulty...

Plan your spending! A budget, by definition, is planned spending- it is telling your money where you want it to go, instead of wondering where it went... Proverbs 21: 5 says “Plan carefully and you will have enough...”

Quick example: One of the areas we as a culture have ignored this concept is in shopping. So much of our buying is based on impulse, and it gets us into trouble quickly! Do you know how fast those lattes for sale at Reindeer and Fourbucks add up? A question I have found very helpful is “Is this expenditure a good use of God’s money?” Often, it gives me the pause to resist the impulse...

Proverbs 21:20 in the Good News translation says that “stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it...” Maybe that’s all you needed to hear today...

Then, save for the future. Again, from Proverbs 21, this time in the Living Bible: “the wise one saves for the future...” One of the things that those who lived through the great depression grasped well was taking care of the future... My grandparents didn’t make a lot, really, but they saved, and when the time came for them to leave their home and go into nursing care, they were able to pay for it...

One of the things that Baby Boomers have completely neglected is savings- and there is a huge percentage who will be flat broke as they age- dependent, most likely on a government that won’t be able to care for them or children who could well despise them for their lack of planning and maturity...

Return 10%- and we talked about tithing earlier- but I stress it again, because it teaches you to count on God to meet your needs...

And finally, enjoy what you have! So many of us worry about what others have- we find ourselves on the wrong end of the commandment “do not covet...” We try and keep up with the Jones, even if it is a race to see who can be bankrupt first...

Another way of saying this is that to make the most of the money you have been entrusted with is to save 10%, give away 10% and live on 80%. If the ratios get too far out of balance, you’re looking at huge problems in just about every area of your life!

Finally, one more way that you can share your talents- make the most of God’s money is by remembering God’s work in your will- at the end of your life- whether it is a college, or Lutheran Social Service, or Bethlehem, or some combination of them.

Betty Sorenson was a member of Bethlehem her whole life- lived across the street. She was one of those depression children I spoke of earlier. She was frugal, but content... When she bought a car, she paid cash. A good time for her was Old Company Buffett with her friends at lunch. And when she died, she left everything she had to Bethlehem’s Foundation... Her careful living will result in the single largest gift our Foundation has ever seen: close to half a million dollars when all is said and done... Her faithful witness will continue in the Foundation’s important work...

Consider our Foundation- or the Church itself in your estate planning. If you have children, adopt the church as one of them (if you have two, divide the estate into three...)

Brothers and sisters, God has entrusted us with so much- has given us so much- both to do God’s work in the world, and to enjoy what God has given as we do that work. Making the most of money is one way- and an important one- when it comes to our response of faithfulness, both as individuals and as a congregation.

It is a terribly exciting time for this congregation- a time for us to remember who we are- a congregation that has always been open to taking risks when it came to sharing the Gospel with our community- and a congregation that has been blessed by God with the very talents- to use the image from the parable- that we need to answer God’s call to us.

My prayer is that we learn to see our money as just another way that God’s abundance is made known- that we learn to see it (and each of us!) as God’s servants, and not our master- something we need to hunker down with- bury- and fear, and that one day, after lives of joy and generosity, you and I will hear the incredible words from our Savior:

Well done, good and trustworthy slave...enter into the joy of your master- into the fullness of the presence of God! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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