*****A BELL AS A PROP WOULD BE HELPFUL***********
season.... as we shop and we walk through the malls...into Wal-Mart...or any other store we hear them....and the sounds that these bells make mean many different things to different people....and today we are going to examine the possible reactions we might have to the sounds of these bells.
First off....I have to say that this is not a direct endorsement of the Salvation Army...it is a "plug" for them...the reason why I am mentioning them is because of the familiarity we have with them during Christmas...because we see them and hear them...they are one of the most recognizable charities during this time of year....so we are using them as a symbol...not for the Salvation Army itself but for the things that we give to during this time of year.
After all, this time of year that we are just entering into...it is traditionally called the "season of giving" isn’t it? Even as Christians....isn’t it safe to say that many of us...when we hear the word "Christmas" we think of all the gifts that we have to buy...and give...and...let’s be honest...the gifts that we are going to receive as well? I mean, if we are really honest there are very few occasions in which we give a gift to someone that we aren’t going to get one back in return...it’s called reciprocity and that isn’t the type of giving that I am talking about today.
The type of giving I am talking about is the giving that you do to charities...whether it be the Salvation Army, Toys for Tots...or any other organization...ones that you are not going to get any material things back in return. That is the type of giving I am talking about this morning.....so...with that in mind...let me ask you...what do you think of when you hear the ringing of the bell? What is your attitude?
One additional disclaimer before we get into the heart of our message this morning...the scriptures that we will be looking at...they were not necessarily written to address the giving that occurs during the Christmas season...we are going to be looking at scripture out of First Corinthians and Second Corinthians today...and both passages....particularly the one in second Corinthians were written to address the giving that occurs here at church...but I have no problem applying them to our example because I think the principles are very much the same here....especially when we give during the season that we use to celebrate the birth of Christ....so although Paul wrote these verses to address the giving that occurred at the church in Corinth....I do not think he would have any problem with our applying them to Christmas...especially when so many of the charities we give to...the Salvation Army...Samaritan’s Purse...and the YMCA just to name a few...are Christian based. So, with all that being said...let’s examine some possible attitudes that we might have when we hear the ringing of the bell during this Christmas season. We will look at two that would probably be the wrong ones to have and then we’ll take a look at one that would be better.
The first guy....he really is kind of put out by this whole thing...he sees it as a big racket and con game...so as he walks into Wal-Mart or wherever one might go to shop.... and he hears the bell...his thoughts may go like this:
"Are they out here already? It’s not even Thanksgiving yet! Man...I can’t believe how early they keep getting...one of these days they’ll be out here after Halloween..then Labor Day...it never stops!!! Well...I better dig here in my pocket and find a nickel or something to throw in there so they won’t hassle me and I won’t appear to be stingy...but...I really have to admit that I wish they just wouldn’t be there during Christmas....I don’t like the pressure they put on me."
Nice attitude...huh? But, if we are all honest....deep down inside at some point in our lives we have done exactly that...given because we felt that we were pressured to do so.
Let me give you an example that has nothing to do with Christmas but in which the same principle applies.
We have all heard of St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis...a wonderful, wonderful organization that is deserves every bit of support that they get. This year they had an event called Country, Cars, and Kids. Basically, it was a concert that was held to raise money for the hospital...well I went and it was a pretty good show...which was highlighted by Kevin Sharp I thought...I got to talk to him a little bit and he was a super nice guy. Anyway...they had this drawing....they had sold these raffle tickets and the drawing was for some money...maybe 1,000 dollars or something like that. Anyway...the guy doing the drawing...I won’t mention his name because you might know him....he draws the winning name and has the guy come up on the stage....and then the local "celebrity" who drew the name...he asks the winner....what are you going to do with the money? Take your wife out? Buy something? Or, maybe give it back to St. Jude because they are such a wonderful organization. Now, this guy is standing on the stage with maybe two thousand people out in the audience...what is he supposed to do now? He might have liked to take his wife out or buy something...or pay a bill that he was behind on....but...what other choice can he make but to give the money back? If he doesn’t he’s going to look like a greedy insensitive jerk....and he did, in fact give the money back to St. Jude. Again, I am not saying that they did not deserve it...it is a wonderful organization...but the pressure put on that guy was unreal.
I wonder...if it hadn’t of been for the pressure put on him....what his decision would have been...perhaps it would have been the same...but how many people would have done that? I know that it probably wouldn’t have crossed my mind.
So...here we find another example of a person being "pressured" to give...just like our friend here walking into the store while the bell ringer is standing there ringing his bell..what can we take from the Bible to help us out here? Flip over to 2nd Corinthians 9:7...and while you are turning...let me again acknowledge to you that I realize that Paul here is addressing giving within a church setting and not necessarily talking about Christmas...but you don’t have to be giving to a church in order for your gift to be a quote/unquote Christian gift...and just like I have already mentioned...a lot of the charities we support at Christmas are Christian based...thus we are giving to the kingdom. So, let’s check out this one verse and see what Paul has to say about giving....
There are two words here that I think apply to our situation with the guy giving as he walks into the store because he doesn’t want to get hassled or appear to be stingy....and they are translated here in the NKJV as "not grudgingly" or "of necessity"...the NIV says to not give "reluctantly or under compulsion." Quite simply...these two words deal with our motivations and our attitudes when it comes to giving.
Let’s deal first with the word that is translated here as "not grudgingly" or "reluctantly" in the NIV....neither of them really do justice to the meaning of the original word...but...we also have to recognize that translators have one of the most difficult jobs in the world. I also have to tell you that I am not a Greek expert and there is no way in the world that I could translate from the original language right now...all of my knowledge comes from research that someone else has done. But, when I look up the meaning of this word and where else it appears in the New Testament...I think that we don’t get the full meaning of what Paul is saying here when we just read "not grudgingly" or "reluctantly." The word here is the Greek "lupe" and it means "sorrow, pain grief, annoyance, or affliction."
There are two other occasions where this word is used that I think are very compelling...one time describes Jesus’ disciples in the Garden before his betrayal...we are told in Luke 22:45 that Jesus came back and found them asleep because they were "exhausted from sorrow"...with "lupe" being the word translated as "sorrow." Interesting....the way that the apostles felt....the emotion that made them so tired...it is the same attitude toward giving that Paul here says that we should avoid...but I think that the other use of this word is much, much more telling about the strength of this word...Jesus uses it to describe the pains that a woman feels when giving birth to a child in Luke 16:21...now for those of you ladies out there who have had children....what would you rather do....give a gift, whether it be to the church or to the guy ringing the bell at the store...or give birth? Guys...we don’t even get to answer the question because we have no idea....I’ve been told that if you stretched your lower lip over the back of your head that it would be close..anyway...this same word that Jesus uses to describe childbirth...Paul says that it is a possible attitude toward giving....so I think that we can safely say that "not grudgingly" doesn’t hardly cover it.
The second "bad" attitude that Paul covers here is giving out of necessity...or to put it a little bit better...compulsion. Our St. Jude example really illustrates this well...the same with the guy ringing the bell and we don’t want to look stingy....we only give because we have been backed into a corner...our heart is not there...we are only trying to save face or to keep up an appearance... we do it because it is expected of us...and Paul here he says that we shouldn’t give that way....did you hear that...he says to not give with that attitude...the wording here would definitely indicate a change of attitude would be nice and helpful...but it also indicates that if you can’t change you attitude then you shouldn’t give! So, this Christmas season, if you are walking through the doors of the store and you find yourself angry about it but reaching in your pocket anyway...if you find yourself bringing things to church for our mission and ministry projects out of obligation...because it is "expected" of you..then don’t do it...and we’ll discover the reason why we shouldn’t give in this way as we examine the next guy...
He begins walking in the store...and he hears the bell...and he begins to feel guilty...yes, it might go back to that compulsion thing that Paul wrote about in the verse we just looked at...but there is something else we need to look at...so flip over to First Corinthians 13...and while you are turning let me give you giver #2’s thoughts:
Man...I can’t believe all the money I have spent...and I haven’t done a single thing for anyone else...well...I have bought gifts for other people but those people will buy them for me....so in a way...I’ve done no one any good....maybe I should put twenty bucks in this guys kettle to make up for my selfishness....that will make me feel good and get rid of this guilt...then I can feel good again......
Look at what Paul has to say in verse 3:
So much for getting rid of your guilt through generosity, huh? There are three very important words here that we have to consider...but we only do so in three parts.
The first is really simple...it is that three letter word "A-L-L"...all....and I don’t mean the laundry detergent. Quite simply....the word here is everything...Paul is dealing in extremes here and he is saying that if you give everything you own.....EVERY single thing...we’re not just talking about our example of $20 here...we’re talking about every single material possession you own...if you give them all up for the poor....but you do so for any other motivation...whether it be out of guilt, compulsion....anger...whatever...if you do so for any other reason other than love....than you profit nothing...and those are the other two key words that we have to consider....the nothing part is really easy...we get that...but what does Paul mean by "profit"...and quite literally, the original Greek word means "to assist, to be useful." So...to put it in very simple terms...we get absolutely and totally no benefit at all from giving in any shape, form or fashion if our gift is not motivated by love. It is of no assistance or usefulness to us to give in this way....and that brings us full circle...back to giver #1.
You see, just like giver #2...he was motivated by something other than love...he was motivated by compulsion...by obligation....and applying the same principle that Paul talks about in First Corinthians 13....there is absolutely no benefit to be found in giving in that fashion. You might feel a little better...you might feel like you have "done your part"...but in the end there is no benefit.
We’ve spent a lot of time talking this morning about these negative motivations for giving....now let’s look at one more guy as he walks into the store and hears the familiar sound of the bell ringing....he walks by...puts in some money....there is no way to tell how much....and he smiles and wishes the bell ringer "Merry Christmas." His thoughts are of how Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without the "bell ringers" and he silently thanks God for the chance to give....and he means it.
Let’s go back to 2 Corinthians and do a little digging into the type of giver that God loves...we read there that he loves a "cheerful" giver.....and the Greek word there is "hilaros." Sound familiar? We have an English word "hilarious" that we use to describe something funny...something that make us laugh....something that we enjoy. You see...that is the type of giver that God loves...one that enjoys giving....simply for the sake of doing so...not to absolve guilt....not to relieve some type of obligation that he or she may feel…not to keep from being or feeling embarrassed….God is looking for people who give simply because that is what brings them joy…they find it “hilarious” to give…they can’t get enough of it….so as we go into this Christmas season…let me ask you…when it comes to giving…are you like Bob Pierce? If you don’t know who he is…don’t worry…he’s not some famous celebrity who left all he owned to the poor…often those who are “all-stars” in God’s eyes are completely and totally anonymous to the world.
Lee Strobel writes about Bob in his book “God’s Outrageous Claims.” Here is what he had to say:
David Jeremiah, tells a story about Bob Pierce. Pierce had advanced leukemia, but he went to visit a colleague in Indonesia before he died. As they were walking through a small village, they came upon a young girl lying on a bamboo mat next to a river. She was dying of cancer and had only a short time to live.
Bob was indignant. He demanded to know why she wasn’t in a clinic. But his friend explained that she was from the jungle and wished to spend her last days next to the river, where it was cool and familiar.
As Bob gazed at her, he felt such compassion that he got down on his knees in the mud, took her hand, and began stroking it. Although she didn’t understand him, he prayed for her. Afterward she looked up and said something. "What did she say?" Bob asked his friend.
His friend replied, "She said, ’If I could only sleep again, if I could only sleep again.’" It seemed that her pain was too great to allow her the relief of rest.
Bob began to weep. Then he reached into his pocket and took out his own sleeping pills, the ones his doctor had given him because the pain from his leukemia was too great for him to sleep at night.
He handed the bottle to his friend. "You make sure this young lady gets a good night’s sleep," he said, "as long as these pills last."
Bob was ten days away from where he could get his prescription refilled. That meant ten painful and restless nights. That day his servant hood cost him greatly. But even in the midst of his suffering, God had infused a supernatural sense of satisfaction that he had done the right thing.
I have to tell you…this story…it upset me. Whenever I hear a story about children in pain…I picture my children in a similar situation…and it is because of this that I say God Bless Bob Pierce and his organization World Vision. Mr. Pierce, I believe in this instance, belongs in this final category…he was a hilarious giver. How can I tell? First, he had no one to impress…seemingly there was absolutely nothing he could do for that little girl…there was no bells ringing…no expectations. In fact, the pills were in his pocket…there was probably no one who even knew that he had them. Also, he himself was dying of leukemia…he had nothing to gain from his gift…no accolades…in fact, the only thing he had to gain was some sleepless nights. I truly believe that Mr. Pierce…he was a hilarious giver.
So, let me ask you…this Christmas season…when you hear the bells…what is your first inclination? Do you turn the other way…do you put your change in just so you won’t get hassled…do you do so out of guilt…guilt for your own good fortune and selfishness? Or do you do so because you have already received much more than you could ever imagine and you want to give back in cheerfulness. Again…this isn’t a fund raising sermon for the Salvation Army…but my hope and prayer is that sometime this Christmas you will give in some way, whether it be your time or your money…to someone who will not give anything back to you…either a charity…a family like our youth have decided to help out…or a person…if you do…let me ask you…what is your motivation for doing so?
Can I make a bold statement…but one that I am absolutely convinced is true? The only way that you can fully give these gifts cheerfully…the only way that you can be close to being free of these other cares and concerns….is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is only when you receive so much are you able to give back with no strings attached…and even as Christians we never fully get there…after all…we are human.
So, let me ask you…when you hear the bell…what are you thinking? If your thoughts are like the first two givers…let me invite you to examine the condition of your life and to ask yourself one question: What have I done with Jesus Christ? If you have never accepted him as you Lord and Savior then that opportunity is here for you today. When you do this Christmas will be unlike any other Christmas you have ever had…because you will have received a better gift than you have ever received…even better than an Official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle…some of you got that.
If you have accepted Christ but you find yourself also in those two groups…can I suggest that it might be time to reevaluate your relationship with him…that maybe something has come between Him and you? You also have the opportunity to get back on track today…let me encourage you to come forward and rededicate your life to him this Christmas season.
Whatever decision you have…now is the time to make it…as we pray and sing.
