Daring To Give Series

DARING TO GIVE

Think for a moment of the most worthless or unnecessary purchase you made in 2024. Perhaps it was an electric shaver that you never use. Perhaps it was an article of clothing that you have never worn. It is important to realize that these items were not purchased with your money; they were bought with your time, which you traded for money. In effect, you swapped a certain portion of your allotted days on earth for that piece of junk that now clutters your home. For that purchase, you traded time you could have spent doing something else of greater significance.

2 Timothy 2:1-7 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs -- he wants to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Today we are continuing in or series called Daring Faith. Today I want to talk about Daring to Give. I want to talk about priorities. What are you investing your life in? What are you giving your time to?

Paul begins by saying “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” This is what the Christian life is all about. We receive the love and forgiveness that Jesus offers, we grow in it and then we seek to share it with others who will also grow in it and share it. But how are we to do this? In this scripture Paul uses 3 examples of how we do this. All three examples have three things in common:

1. You have to have DEDICATION - (worth it) give your life

Paul says “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Being a soldier, athlete and farmer all require dedication. They are tough occupations. You do not enter into these occupations thinking that you will not have to make sacrifices. You have to believe that what you are working for and sacrificing for is worth it.

What are you willing to sacrifice as a child of God? What are you willing to give up in order to be the be the man or woman that God intends you to be? Let me ask this of you in a different way. What is it that you would be willing to die for?

Luke 14:25-27 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters --yes, even his own life -- he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

To live a life of meaning and purpose you have to have something that you are willing to die for. You are not really ready to live until you know what you would die for. If you’ve never clarified what’s worth dying for you really are not fully alive.

“If a man hasn’t found something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” ? Martin Luther King Jr.

Soldiers know there are some things worth dying for. Freedom is worth dying for. Family is worth dying for. Faith is worth dying for. There are some things more valuable even than my own life and they understand that and are willing to give their lives to preserve that. A few years ago marked the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1. Also, we marked the 75th anniversary of D Day – the landing of allied forces in Normandy. So many were willing to give their lives so that we could live in freedom today.

Athletes also understand this. They know that to win they are going to have to sacrifice. Winning is going to cost them. You have to intend to win. Winning is intentional. It is not going to happen just by accident. It is not going to happen without effort. You have to have a goal. If you intend to have a great soul, you must first have a great goal.

This is the difference in being a casual Christian and a committed Christian. It is the same difference as being a casual golfer and a competitive golfer. The competitive golfer takes it serious. They are playing to win. They are not just out there having fun, hitting the ball around and smelling the roses. It is not just a pastime for them. For them, it is lifestyle. There are some things that it is OK to not take competitively. E.g. professional tournament fisherman.