Sincerely Yours – Sharing
Romans 12:13
A young man saw an elderly couple sitting down to lunch at McDonald’s. He noticed that they had ordered one meal, and an extra drink cup. As he watched, the gentleman carefully divided the hamburger in half, then counted out the fries, one for him, one for her, until each had half of them.
Then he poured half of the soft drink into the extra cup and set that in front of his wife. The old man then began to eat, and his wife sat watching, with her hands folded in her lap.
The young man decided to ask if they would allow him to purchase another meal for them so that they didn’t have to split theirs.
The old gentleman said, "Oh no. We’ve been married 50 years, and everything has always been and will always be shared, 50/50."
The young man then asked the wife if she was going to eat, and she replied, "It’s his turn with the teeth."
That is an extreme example of what we want to talk about this morning.
Two more qualities of sincere love
Sharing and hospitality
Really both have to do with how we view our possessions
Is everything we have designated for ourselves, or do we see our resources as opportunities to serve others
OT law created an attitude of sharing
You don’t have to consume everything that is yours
Deuteronomy 24:19-21
When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow.
Note Paul’s words in Ephesians 4
Not just to provide for self, but the chief ambition of work is to be able to help others in need
Sincere love looks at resources not only in view of what it can do for self, but how it provides an opportunity to serve others
When you get your paycheck – what’s your first thought?
When you run into some extra money, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind
Sincere love thinks how can I help the needs of other people?
It’s simple but we need to be reminded – just like or kids – SHARE
Sometimes we are as selfish as little kids on the playground
Have you ever reprimanded your kids for not being willing to share
Listen to your own advice
There are so many needs and God has blessed you so that you can share in those needs
Let me share with you an opportunity for the entire church to share
3 weeks from today you will be given an opportunity
For several years we had a very successful 5th Sunday mortgage reduction contribution – 2nd contribution on fifth Sundays
Great – paid off mortgage years in advance
A good thing
Last couple of fifth Sundays we’ve had off
We have two more this year – Aug 30, Nov 29 - and we are using those to have a 2nd contribution, but instead of helping ourselves, we are going to be a blessing to some Christian ministry in need
We are going to share with someone who has a need
This fifth Sunday we have chosen Boles Home
We have had a long relationship with them and participate monthly in supporting them
But they have ongoing needs and we want to bless them with our resources
The Home began in 1924 on a 436 acre tract of land donated by William Foster Boles and his wife, Mary Barnhart Boles for the care of children. Having been originally established as a home for orphans, it currently has been expanded to serve the needs of troubled youth and single mothers.
Through the love and support of over 300 congregations of churches of Christ (and other interested groups and individuals) the Home has continued to care for more than 20,000 children in its 84 year history.
The Home serves approximately 100 boys and girls per year from diverse economic and ethnic backgrounds, and is committed to serve children and families regardless of their religion, race or background. Most children living at the Home have experienced multiple losses, with instability in their family life prior to admission, and then with placement away from family. Some of those children suffered abuse or neglect to such an extent that the State Child Protective Services Unit has intervened, removing them from their family’s care.
The Home is a non-profit corporation with a ten-member Board of Directors. Board members are appointed with the concurrence of the elders of the Skillman Church of Christ in Dallas, Texas.
Many of the youth who have lived at the Home have been successful in areas such as the armed services, industry, professional fields and church leadership (i.e. preachers, elders, teachers, etc.) One outstanding example is a young man who came to the campus at the age of three and graduated from high school. After obtaining a college education he went on to become CEO of a major corporation and a spiritual influence in the church.
Interesting that in the OT there was a special concern for the orphans who had a special need.
James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
We’ve already been a blessing as our kids stopped at Boles Home in their mission trip just last week
Bottom right you can see our group interacting with some of the kids
Why the washing machines?
I spoke with Richard Proctor on the development team and talked to him about his and asked him how we could be a blessing to Boles Home.
One of the first things that came to his mind was the need for new washing machines
The kids do their own laundry and they get used A LOT and as you can see they are showing the wear and tear.
So we want to help them replace those machines and our 5th Sunday contribution will go directly to that need.
Getting back to our verse – we talked about sharing now the second half – hospitality
Literally hospitality means love of strangers
It has that word phileo in that we discussed a couple of weeks ago – that family type of love
In the first century and before that in the ancient world hospitality to strangers was most needed
No hotels, no fast food restaurants along the way
People traveling depended on the generosity of others
And so the people of God were encouraged to respond to the needs of those people
An example is Abraham in Genesis 18
1 The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.
2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.
4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree.
5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.” “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread.”
7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.
8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.
9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said.
10 Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.
11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.
12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’
14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
An example of love of strangers
And Jesus is in essence saying that when you show this type of love to people you don’t even know you are doing it for me.
That’s some motivation!!
Do not neglect to (A)show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have (B)entertained angels without knowing it. NASB
That is pretty thought-provoking
Abraham shows hospitality to these men who apparently are angels
Jesus says when you help a stranger you are helping me
Hebrews says that it may very well be possible that when you show hospitality you may be entertaining angels!!!
Sincere love looks into the face of a stranger and sees an opportunity to either personally serve Christ or to personally serve one of his angels!!!
Makes me think of this show punk’d
On MTV – never seen it, don’t recommend MTV
But this term has become part of our culture
Practical jokes played on people. You’re on camera. You find out you’re being tricked. Set up in some strange situation and then – you’re punk’d
If that sounds familiar to you it’s because it sounds like it’s basically candid camera – but it all looks a little meaner to me!!
God is watching and perhaps putting us in situations where we have an usual opportunity to serve him
Where can that possibly happen?
Work
New employee, new boss
They’re in a new situation
Show hospitality
School
New year, transfers
How about showing some hospitality
Neighborhood
Someone move in – we just moved. Widow lady across the street came over – may she was an angel?
Church
Guests come in
What do you do?
It takes courage to visit a church
Anticipate opportunities to welcome people you do not know?
There are some members that are strangers to you
Say hello – not sure if they’re visitors or members
Don’t ask – just say I’m Todd, we haven’t met.
Sincere love welcomes strangers – shows them love
Putting it into practice
• Act in a loving way even when the emotion is not there.
• Initiate love rather than simply responding to love. Seek not to be loved, but to be love.
• Identify the evil in your life and dispose of it knowing that it is the enemy of love. Find the good in life and cling to it – always make it your constant companion.
• Perform an act of brotherly love to a Park Avenue member.
• Write at least three people notes letting them know how much you value them.
Putting it into practice
• Admit to God your weariness.
• Fuel Up
• Share something of yours — time, talent, possession, money — with someone in need. Be intentional.
• Treat a stranger as if he/she were Christ.
