Do you recognize this man? You should. You’ve probably benefitted from his generosity somehow. This is Warren Buffett, one of the world’s leading philanthropists. To date he has given away $28 billion dollars of his own money to support health and education causes around the world. As generous as Mr. Buffett is he’s unable to help everyone in this world in a meaningful way. If you divided his $28-billion-dollar contribution among the 7 billion people alive today, each person would receive…$4. Don’t spend it all in one place.
My intent is not to pan Mr. Buffett’s kindness. He has pledged to give away billions more in the coming years. However, as charitable as Mr. Buffett is, he doesn’t compare to the world’s leading philanthropist: God. And as our sermon text makes clear today, God is your personal friend. How will you benefit from this friendship? Let’s find out.
There aren’t many surprises when you read through the list of charities and causes Mr. Buffett supports. His money goes to fight cancer, end hunger, to provide clean water – projects that just about every other humanitarian supports. That’s what makes God such an unusual philanthropist. He supports causes that others wouldn’t touch. Can you identify the lost cause the Apostle Paul describes here? “At one time ___ too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. ___ lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating… 4 But when the kindness and love [lit. philanthropy] of God [the] Savior appeared, 5 he saved ___” (Titus 3:3-5a).
Who is the lost cause that God supported and saved? We are! Can you imagine the outcry if Mr. Buffett spent his billions to save drug dealers, mass murderers, and pedophiles from prosecution and from serving time in prison for their crimes? No, we don’t think of ourselves as drug dealers, mass murderers, and pedophiles. By nature we don’t think we’re bad at all. But Paul is clear when he said about God and us, “…he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:5a).
Mercy is what motivated God to help us. Mr. Buffett, on the hand, is motivated to support many of his causes like cancer research because it could one day save his own life. This is something else that makes God an unusual philanthropist: he loved the unlovable and did so even though there was no benefit to him, only a cost - the life of his only Son.
It’s this message that’s so offensive to many though isn’t it? “What do you mean I’m a charity case?” they cry. “I don’t need God’s mercy.” Even we Christians can reflect this thankless attitude. When we come to that part of the sermon (like now) where we speak about sin, we often find ourselves thinking, “Yes, yes, I’m a sinner. I get it. Just hurry up and pronounce my sentence and finish the sermon already. There’s a sale on at Winners. There’s a video game I’ve got on pause at home!” I doubt Warren Buffett would be inclined to continue supporting a charity that blew him off like that when he came for a visit to see how his funds were being used. And the thing is we have often actually abused God’s gracious forgiveness. Like a charity that spends its funds for lavish parties and fast cars for its directors, we have used God’s grace as a license to sin, figuring it’s no big deal because we already have forgiveness. But listen to what Paul said at the end of our text: “This is a trustworthy saying [that Jesus saved us]. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good” (Titus 3:8a).
Did you hear what Paul said? He said that I am to stress this truth about God’s grace so that you and I will be careful to devote ourselves to doing good. From the moment a Christian gets up in the morning she will say, “How can I make the day go better for everyone I meet? Should I make breakfast for my family? Should I fold the laundry? Should I write an encouragement note for my neighbor who just lost his job?” Perhaps we start the day with that kind of resolve, but by late afternoon we’re tired and grumpy. When we survey the messy bedrooms of our children, we don’t see an opportunity to calmly teach responsibility, we only criticize in a way which causes our children to react poorly. When we’re waiting our turn for the computer, we don’t see this as an opportunity to serve our sibling with cheerful patience, we nitpick and nag. When our parents tell us that no, we may not stay over at that friend’s house, we argue and harangue, desperate to get our way. But do you know what a Christian will want to think of when tempted to retreat into the shell of selfishness like this? Baptism. Listen to what the Apostle Paul had to say about that sacrament. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:5b-7).
When Mr. Buffett gives to a charity, I bet on occasion he hands over one of those oversized checks. Baptism is a little bit like that. It’s a visible way in which God assures us that we have his support. But while an oversized check is just a symbol of a donor’s intent and support, the waters of baptism really do support. They actually wash away sin for starters (Acts 2:38), and deliver the Holy Spirit to us! As surely as the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove at his baptism, as surely as the Holy Spirit came on the disciples at Pentecost in flames of fire, so as surely does the Holy Spirit come to us in the waters of baptism and does so in generous measure. Why is that worth noting? Because, like high octane fuel powering a race car, the Holy Spirit drives us to carry out God’s will in all matters at all times – even at 4:55 in the afternoon when we’re ready to lose it because we’re tired and hungry.
It’s crucial for us to remember that we are baptized. It keeps us from supposing that we have to battle temptation and Satan on our own. That attitude would lead us to give up the fight and think that we’ll never be able to do anything about our anger, our drinking, our greed, our lust, our laziness, and every other sin we struggle with daily. But we are not alone. We are not powerless. Baptism has given us a new life and energized us with the Holy Spirit’s fire for righteous living.
If Warren Buffett called you up this afternoon to say that he was going to support your family and promised to make sure that you would always have enough food to eat, have a car to drive and a warm place to live, wouldn’t you feel as if you had just won the lottery? And then what if he added that he was going to look after your friends and your congregation as well? Yeah, that would be cool. But what are the odds of receiving a phone call like that? Warren Buffett doesn’t even know you exist.
Well, God, the world’s leading philanthropist, knows you exist and has pledged that kind of support. Didn’t Jesus tell us not to worry about our daily needs because God will provide? He can easily deliver on that promise because he has much deeper pockets than Mr. Buffett. And God also secured something else for you and me that Mr. Buffett can never give: eternal life. Baptism assures you of this because with the ink of baptismal water God wrote his name on you and claimed you as his own. You’re no longer a lost cause. You’re God’s cause - the object of his love and mercy. To thank God for that awesome sacrament, and to remind ourselves what it means to say, “I am baptized,” let’s close with the singing of the baptismal hymn, “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It.”
“God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It”
by Erdmann Neumeister (1671-1756)
God’s own child, I gladly say it: I am baptized into Christ!
He, because I could not pay it, Gave my full redemption price.
Do I need earth’s treasures many? I have one worth more than any
That brought me salvation free, Lasting to eternity!
Sin, disturb my soul no longer: I am baptized into Christ!
I have comfort even stronger: Jesus’ cleansing sacrifice.
Should a guilty conscience seize me, Since my baptism did release me
In a dear forgiving flood, Sprinkling me with Jesus’ blood?
Satan, hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ!
Drop your ugly accusation; I am not so soon enticed.
Now that to the font I’ve traveled, All your might has come unraveled, And, against your tyranny, God, my Lord, unites with me!
Death, you cannot end my gladness: I am baptized into Christ!
When I die, I leave all sadness To inherit paradise!
Though I lie in dust and ashes Faith’s assurance brightly flashes:
Baptism has the strength divine To make life immortal mine.
There is nothing worth comparing To this lifelong comfort sure!
Open-eyed my grave is staring: Even there I’ll sleep secure.
Though my flesh awaits its raising, Still my soul continues praising:
I am baptized into Christ; I’m a child of paradise!
SERMON NOTES
God is an unusual philanthropist because he supported a cause others wouldn’t touch. What was that lost cause? How did the Apostle Paul describe it?
Philanthropists, like Warren Buffett, probably wouldn’t continue to support charities that aren’t appreciative of the help. Unfortunately, how do we often show ourselves to be that kind of charity case in regard to God’s help?
The Apostle Paul said those who believe in God will devote themselves to doing good. List TWO good things you would like to do for others THIS week. Ask God to help you carry them out.
In what way is baptism like an oversized check often given to charities? How is baptism different than an oversized check?
How does remembering that we are baptized help us in our daily fight with sin?
How does baptism assure us that God, the world’s leading philanthropist, is our personal friend?
