Series: Stewardship,
Message: Brides, French Fries, and Money
Topics: Money, Tithe, Heart, Love
Text: Malachi 3:6-12, 2:11; Psalm 24:1, 50:10; Chronicles 29:14, Ezekiel 16
Date: Dec. 4, 2011
Pastor: David McBeath
This sermon is based on an illustration in a sermon called "Whose Fries Are These" byRick Gillespie- Mobley
REVIEW
Today is the last message in our stewardship series. We began this series emphasizing the fact that we should approach our work as worship. The next week we talked about Thanking God for everything he provides! Last week we discovered that God commands us to invest in heavenly or eternal things. This week my message is Marriage, French Fries, and Money.
Like I said last week, “If anyone is uncomfortable about a sermon on money and stewardship, it is definitely me. The last thing I want to do is contribute to the impression many have that churches are primarily concerned with money. I know it may look self-serving for a pastor to talk about stewardship, but money is a spiritual issue and needs to be addressed first and foremost because the Bible has more to say about money that almost anything else. As we are going to see the Bible tells us money is an issue of the heart. It identifies our heart’s true love.
INTRODUCTION
Now as I recall, last week’s service went a little long and that reminds me of a story. It’s a story about a Dad and his son who went to church together. The service was good. But, during the ride home the Father complained to his son about it being too long. The little boy was quiet for a minute while he thought about the service. He rehearsed in his head all that happened. As he did, he remembered what his Dad put in the offering plate. Then he said, “Daddy, I thought it was pretty good for a buck.”
PREVIEW
For far too many Christians, this is their approach to investing in eternal things and giving to the church. They think to themselves I can give God a buck or two. I can give him a little bit of what I have left at the end of the week. This morning we are going to discover what God calls this type of nominal, empty giving and talk about French Fries (Yes, French Fries) to help us understand how our nominal giving makes God feel. Finally, to spur us to better giving we will consider the great gifts God has lavished on his Bride Israel and the Church.
MALACHI 3:6-12
Please turn to Malachi 3:6-10a. But before I read, let me ask you this question. What causes the most tension, the most stress, and the most fights in the typical marriage? Yes, MONEY or FINANCES! OK, Malachi 3:6-10. Follow along as I read:
“I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings! You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.”
LOVERS QUARREL
Now when we look at this section of Scripture, we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of a lovers’ quarrel. The lovers are God and his people. It’s a fight between a husband and his wife.
If you think I’m kidding, check out the context. Look at chapter 2, verse 11. The NIV says, “Judah has broken faith.” The KJV and ASV say they have profaned the holiness of God. In other words, God’s people have been unfaithful. His bride has committed adultery. The verse goes on to say they have married the daughter of a foreign God.
Now, when we look at this passage, we see that God is Angry! He is angry because his Bride, the people of Israel have turned away from him! God says, “They haven’t kept my decrees.” Which means, “They haven’t been faithful to their marriage covenant or marriage vows.”
But God is a good lover. He is a good husband. He loves his bride so much that in the midst of her unfaithfulness and spiritual adultery he says, “Return to me and I will return to you.” I want you back it doesn’t matter what you’ve done! Ladies, it’s a hallmark moment I tell you! I am sure you have seen many movies like this on the Hallmark Channel. And guys, I know you’ve seen a movie or two like this and had to fight back a tear! Come one you know it’s true! At least I hope I am not the only SAP here this morning.
Now look the last half of verse 7. God’s bride asks, “How are we to return.” Now this question is rich. God’s people, God’s Bride is insinuating, “WE HAVEN’T LEFT, WE HAVEN’T SLEPT AROUND. We’ve been true to you.”
What is God or the Husband’s response? Look at verse 8: “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me!” You know what it looks like to me? It looks like money and finances are just as much a source stress and strive in our marriage with God as they are in our own marriages.
Now look at Israel, the Bride’s response to her Husband, God. She asks: “How do we rob you.” God’s response: “In tithes and offerings.”
OUCH! That hurts a bit doesn’t it! God tells his bride, his people that if they do not give him their full tithes and offerings, if they just put a little of their extra cash in the plate, they are robbing him. Then God goes on to curse them! Sounds harsh, doesn’t it. We don’t quite relate to where God is coming from, but when we give God a token gift—we are Robbing him!
FRENCH FRIES
So, today I am going to enlist the help of some French Fries to illustrate where God is coming from and how he feels. Listen to this story:
One day James wanted to do something special with his five year old son Jimmy. He asked, “Son is there anything you’d like to do right now?” Jimmy said, “I want some McDonald French Fries.” His father said, “If that’s what my boy wants, then that’s what my boy gets.”
They got into the blue and white Chevy truck and headed toward McDonald’s. Jimmy’s lips and tongue were silently moving as he could taste the fries before they even reached the store.
His Dad ordered and Jimmy’s heart pounded when his Dad said, “Make it a super-size fry.”
James took the money out of his wallet to pay for the fries and drink. Jimmy’s little teeth were ready to sink into those hot golden fries, before they made it to the table. When they sat down, grace consisted of “God bless this food amen”, but it seemed like way too many words to Jimmy who was eager to delight himself with this huge blessing of French fries.
James was glad to see his little boy so happy over something so simple that he decided to join in the fun. He reached over to get a couple of Jimmy’s fries for himself. To his surprise, his son quickly put his arms around his fries as though building a fort and pulled them toward himself and said, “No, these are mine.”
His dad was in a state of shock for a moment. He could not believe what had happened.
James pulled back his hand and began to reflect about his son’s attitude toward the fries. In his head he began to think, my son failed to realize that I am the source of those French fries. At the counter, I was the one who gave the cashier the money from my wallet. I did not give him the size fry he was expecting, but something twice as big. Yet here he is talking about his French fries. Not only am I the source of the French fries, he has forgotten that my 6ft 1inch, 195 lbs. frame has the power to take all the fries despite his little arms surrounding them as a fort. H doesn’t realize I could go back to the counter and bring him so many fries that he could never eat them all. He also does not understand, “that I don’t need his French fries. I could go back to the counter and get as many fries as I want.”
As the Dad thought about it, one or two fries really would not have made much of a difference for him that day. What he wanted was for his son Jimmy, to invite him into the wonderful little world he had made possible for his son. He wanted his son to be willing to share the very blessing that he had provided!
THE GIVING GOD
The same is true of God. He is a giving God. He takes us to McDonalds on a regular basis in our lives. He’s given us all some French fries. Some have small bags, others medium, others large and some super-size. But God has given us all some of his fries
They’re His Fries
In Genesis chapters 1and 2 we learn all the fries are his. He made everything. Psalm 24:1 reinforces this fact. It says: "The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." In Psalm 50:10 God reminds us: "… every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills." All our possession, all our fries are God’s but he is good enough to give some of them to us: to use, to enjoy, and to take care of.
Like the Dad in the story, God wants to sit down at the table with us. He wants us to invite him into our little world by sharing with him some of the things he has given us! Here’s an example. A few years ago, I gave my boys some Wii games for Christmas. I wanted to enjoy playing with my boys as they enjoyed the gifts I gave them. But when I asked, they refused. They said-no it is ours! We are playing! They got greedy and kept it all to themselves.
Aren’t we many times the same way? When God reaches over to use some of the things he has given us, far too often we say “No God, these are mine. No, No, No. Go and get your own.” We try building our own little forts around the blessings and things God has given us.
We need to understand that God is the source of all that we receive? We have to understand that God has the ability to take away everything we think is ours, and God has the ability to give us far more than what we have. We have to recognize that God does not need our French fries, and that it is an honor and a privilege to be able to share our fries with God. God asks us to give some of our money or fries back to him because he wants our affection and love! He asks for tithes and offerings because He wants us to appreciate the love he shows us as he showers us with blessings. Isn’t that what you want from your spouse, as well? Don’t you want them to appreciate all you do and give for them?
God Gives to His Bride Israel
Let’s consider for a moment all the fries or blessings God has given His Bride, Israel. He rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt. He made Israel a nation. He gave Israel a land flowing with milk and honey. He provided Israel with everything she needed. He rescues her from her enemies.
Now let look at how God puts it, what God says about all of this. I am going to comment briefly on long section of Scripture. Please turn to Ezekiel 16:4-22. I know the passage is long, but don’t tune out. PLEASE stay with me as I read: God tells his Bride:
"On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.
What a horrific scene! God describes Israel (and Us) in our sin. It’s not a pretty picture. Nobody wanted us! We were an unwanted pregnancy. We were the discarded baby left to die in the public bathroom trashcan. People heard us cry out, but they didn’t do anything about it. They ignored us! They walked right by us. They threw their paper towels in the can, on us! We were dirty, the offspring of sinful dirty people. That is what our sin looked like to God! He should have let us die. But he didn’t, let me continue reading in verse 6.
“‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”
Despite our sin, God pulled us out of the trash! He didn’t let us die! Instead He nurtured us and caused us to grow! He wanted us!! Imagine that!! He wanted us! Despite the ugliness of our sin! That is what verse 7 says:
I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew up and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels. Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, you who were naked and bare.
We were still sinful, naked, and bare! But he continued to give us life and cause us to grow. Now verse 8, God says:
“‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.
God covered the nakedness of Israel’s sin, and our sin as well! Then he entered into the Covenant of Marriage with Israel (and with us) his people! Vows or Oaths were exchanged. We promised to be faithful! We loved him so much for what he had done for us! We became his! Do you remember your wedding day? Do you remember the joy and love you had for your spouse?
But there is more. Look at how good God is to us. See what a great husband we have. Look at verse 9. Our husband says:
“‘I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you.
He tenderly cleaned Israel up. He lovingly washed away her sin. He healed Israel with his love! He’s done the same for us! Now in verse 10 our husband says:
I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Our Husband, God—the best husband in the world—gives us more than we can imagine. He blesses us with fine clothes. Gives us Jewelry we don’t deserve. He treats us to the best foods and takes us to the best restaurants. And, I’m not talking McDonalds and French Fries! …He causes us to blossom! We get good jobs, strategic powerful positions. We are a true rags to riches story! We are the Hallmark movie! We are Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman.
But do we ride off into the sunset with our Knight in Shining Armor? Let’s read further! And here is where it gets bad. Look at verse 15. In a sad, depressed voice, our husband begins to say:
“‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his.
We don’t ride off into the sunset with our knight in shining armor. Israel becomes unfaithful! Israel sleeps around on her wonderful husband! Israel prostitutes herself with the gifts God has given her! Look at verse 16. In a sickened voice her husband says:
You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution.
In the last half of verse 16, her husband, our husband cries out! “Such things should not happen, nor should they ever occur.”
Do you hear our husband’s pain? Do you hear the trouble in God’s voice? He continues in agony, crying out:
You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them. And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense before them. Also the food I provided for you—the fine flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Israel makes idols out of the material gifts of gold and silver jewelry her husband has given her and prostitutes herself with these idols. Israel loves these possessions, these French Fries more than she loves her Husband, more than she loves God. She gives these possessions her affection. She gives them her love! She gives them her attention!
Are we any different? Are you any different? Do you rob God of his tithes and offerings because your love, your attention, and your affections are on things and not him?
Why did Israel do this? Why do we sometimes do this? Look at verse 22:
…In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood."
We forget about everything our husband, God, has done for us! We take him for granted! We forget about how he has rescued us from the trashcan of our sin!
God Gives His Best to His Bride the Church
The metaphor and allegory that God’s people are his bride is carried forward into the New Testament. We are told that the church is the bride of Christ. And in the New Testament we learn that God thru Christ gives his New Testament Bride even more than his Old Testament Bride. He gives His Absolute BEST to us the church.
The first verse many people learn is John 3:16 which begins, “For God so love the world that,” he what? “….He gave His only Son.” What did his son do? He suffered and died on the cross to pull us out of the trashcan of sin, to give us a new life, to clean off the blood, dirt, and grime of sin from our lives. Christ laid down his life for us. He shed his blood for us! Our husband gave us his blood. Let’s close with this story to help you understand the significance of the gift of Christ’s Blood.
BEN VAJENKSI & JESUS
Several years ago in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, George and Vera Bajenski’s lives were changed forever. February 16, 1989. A very normal Thursday morning, the phone rang at 9:15 a.m. "There’s been an accident..." It involved their son Ben.
As they approached the intersection of Adelaide and Simcoe Streets near the high school, they could see the flashing lights of the police cars and ambulance units. Vera noticed a photographer and followed the direction of his camera lens to the largest pool of blood she had ever seen.
All she could say was, "George, Ben went home--home to be with his Heavenly Father!" Her first reaction was to jump out of the car, somehow collect the blood and put it back into her son. She recalls, "That blood, for me, at that moment, became the most precious thing in the world because it was life. It was life-giving blood and it belonged in my son, my only son, the one I loved so much."
The road was dirty and the blood just didn’t belong there. George noticed that cars were driving right through the intersection--right through the blood. His heart was smitten. He wanted to cover the blood with his coat and cry, "You will not drive over the blood of my son!"
Then Vera understood for the first time in her life, one of God’s greatest and most beautiful truths...why blood? Because it was the strongest language God could have used. It was the most precious gift He could give his Bride.
Christ’s blood shed on a cross for us washes away our sins and gives a new start, a new life. May we never treat lightly nor trample underfoot the blood of our Husband! If he has loved us and given us this much, shouldn’t we begin to give more of our fries and more of our money, our possessions, and our time to him? He only asks ten percent? Is that too much to ask, considering what he did?
Prayer
Communion
