Malachi 3:6-10
"What Will My Church Look Like in the Future?"
With July 4th right around the corner, let's think a little bit about the American Dream.
To be sure there have been some wonderful dreams in our nation's history.
Our founders had a dream about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
There is the dream of freedom and new beginnings so beautifully expressed on the Statue of Liberty: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..."
There is also the dream of equality and opportunity put forth in Dr. Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" speech.
These are all beautiful dreams, but they may not generally be what people mean when they talk about "the American Dream."
I think it's safe to say that, for many, "the American Dream" has to do with a subconscious desire for material possessions.
Someone once said, "Consuming, acquiring, buying--this is what the American Dream has come to mean.
Thus, what is commonly understood as the American Dream might more accurately be called the American Nightmare!!!"
And why would this misunderstanding of the meaning of "The American Dream" become a nightmare?
One of the problems is an illness which has been coined "Affluenza."
Affluenza is the constant need for more and bigger and better stuff--and the effect this need has on us.
If we are honest, most of us have been infected by this virus to some degree; haven't we all struggled at one time or another with the desire to acquire?
Every newspaper we pick up and every t-v show we watch is filled with advertisements for which some company paid thousands--or even millions--of dollars in the hope of convincing us that we need something else.
And they are good at it!!!
We easily find ourselves thinking, "That's right. I do need that!"
Self-storage space in America is continually increasing, and today it is estimated that there is 1.9 billion square feet of storage space for storing the stuff we are enticed to buy--often with money we don't actually have!!!
This brings us to another disease that goes along with Affluenca: Credit-itis.
Credit-itis is the opportunity for us to buy now and pay later.
It's an illness that is brought on by promises of "six months same as cash," or a 20 percent discount if you use your store credit card.
It's basically the idea that you can enjoy something today and pay for it tomorrow...
...and it has exploited our lack of self-discipline and allowed us to feed our affluenza...
...wreaking havoc on our personal and national finances!!!
Another problem related to the illness of credit-itis is the issue of declining savings.
And I could go on and on and on, but the point is this: We have become a credit-crazed society.
Even those of us who are not in debt up to our eye balls know that most of us spend money with very little self-discipline.
And this is the American Nightmare.
It leads to debt collectors and personal bankruptcy--not to mention tremendous stress!!!
We are suffering the consequences of our addiction to consumption and compulsive buying, and yet our desire for more is never satisfied.
And this is because there is a deeper problem--there is a deeper disease.
There is a spiritual issue that is beneath the surface of affluenza and credit-itis.
And this issue is not new; it has been a part of humanity since the Fall.
Inside us there is a brokenness; the Bible calls it sin.
Our souls were created in the image of God, but they have been distorted.
We are meant to desire God, but we have turned that desire toward possessions.
We are meant to find our security in God, but we try and find it in amassing wealth.
We are meant to love people, but instead we compete with them.
We are meant to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, but we are too busy with pursuing money and things.
We are meant to be generous and share with those in need, but we selfishly hoard our resources for ourselves.
Someone has written: "The most serious indictment we must level at contemporary consumer behavior is that it is 'spiritless.'
It betrays a decision to sacrifice all noble and truly human aspirations at the altars of comfort, convenience, and safety."
And I would add pleasure to that list.
So many of us are living lives without meaning, as slaves to sin.
We human beings have surrendered to the sin nature that is within us.
And the devil loves to play upon our sin nature.
The devil's desire is to undermine our effectiveness as Christ's people, Christ's Church--replacing our joy with misery...
...and thus keeping us from sharing Christ's love and message with others.
When we keep most everything for ourselves, the message of the Gospel of Love, the only thing that can save people--Faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior--is distorted, disgraced, watered down or forgotten!!!
Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
The devil doesn't have to tempt us to do drugs or to steal or to have an extramarital affair in order to destroy us.
All the devil needs to do is to convince us to keep pursuing the "American Dream"--to keep up with the Joneses, to borrow against our future, and indulge ourselves.
And by doing that, he will rob us of joy, make us a slave, and keep us from doing God's will!!!
Think about it, if the devil can get you into debt, if he can convince you to spend all you have, you'll never give your tithes to God, never help the poor as you could have, and never use what you have to accomplish God's purposes.
If the devil can tempt you to become a slave to creditors, you will not know simplicity, generosity or joy.
He will have neutralized your effectiveness for the Kingdom of God and choked the Gospel of Jesus Christ out of your life and Church and neighborhood.
Are you gonna let him do that?
In our Scripture Lesson for this morning, the Lord is speaking to a people who have "turned away" from Him.
So God pleads, "Return to me, and I will return to you."
And God continues, "But you ask, 'How are we to return?'
'Will a [person] rob God? Yet you rob me.'
'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.
Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'"
Robbing God literally means keeping back from God what rightfully belongs to God.
It means that we have made a choice as to where our priorities are.
It means we have decided, subconsciously or consciously, that we will not feed Jesus when He is hungry...
...we will not give Jesus a drink when He is thirsty...
...we will not invite Jesus in when He comes as a stranger...
...we will not buy Jesus clothes when Jesus needs clothes...
...we will not take care of Jesus when He is sick or in prison...
And the result of all that?
Well, in Matthew Chapter 25 Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.
Then they will go away to eternal punishment...'"
Robbing God is a serious offence.
Are you robbing God?
If so, what is the answer?
We need a change of heart, do we not?
And a changed heart results in changed desires and a changed sense of our life purpose.
And here's the Good News:
This is something that God specializes in!!!
Each morning, we need to get down on our hands and knees and pray, "Lord, help me to be the person You want me to be today.
Take away the desires that shouldn't be there, and help me to be single-minded in my focus and desire for You!!!"
As we do this, God's Holy Spirit works to change us from the inside out.
And our priorities change, and our attitudes toward money and wealth change along with it.
Do you know that the number 1 money-waster is Impulse Buying?
We walk into a store, something catches our attention, and we think: "I have got to have that!"
It's crazy; I mean suddenly we must have something that only a few minutes ago we didn't have any idea that we needed it.
Financial experts will tell you that one of the most effective ways to avoid impulse buying is to wait 24-hours before purchasing an impulse buy.
You will be amazed by how many things you decide you don't really need, or forget you even thought you needed it.
The number 2 biggest money-waster is eating out.
This doesn't mean we should never eat out.
The issue is frequency.
According to Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, the average American eats out four times a week.
If a family of four were to order burgers and fries and soft drinks at a sit-down restaurant, it would cost--with tax and tip--anywhere from $48.00 to $55.00 a pop.
And if they were to eat out four times a week, 52 weeks a year, they would spend roughly $10,000 or more just on eating out!!!
The cost of preparing the same meal at home--burgers on the grill, homemade fries, soft drinks and even a healthy vegetable would be only about $15-$20 dollars.
That comes out to a savings of $6,000 a year that could be given to the Church.
I'm not suggesting we never eat out.
I'm simply saying that perhaps we eat out more than we should.
And the only thing we have to show for it is a spare tire around our waist!!!
Experts on the health of churches will tell you that one of the best barometers to tell how healthy a local church is is to ask this question:
"If my church were to disappear tomorrow, would the community notice or care?"
You have worked diligently here at East Ridge United Methodist Church to make a positive difference in this part of East Ridge and North Georgia.
And if we were to cease to exist tomorrow, I believe that "Yes," we would be missed.
Lives are being transformed through the ministries of this church.
And God is changing lives with little or no monetary support from our budget.
The funds that support ministries such as East Ridge Cares for Kids comes directly from outside sources.
Our church offerings are used primarily for salaries, utilities, insurance with a small amount going toward worldwide missions.
And even though we have worked hard over the past year to reduce our expenses we have currently paid out approximately $13,000 more than we have received in offerings.
We are working on a bare-bones budget, and yet we are still falling far behind.
Do you know that if each one of us would tithe we would have no money problems.
As a matter of fact, we would be able to do so much ministry...
...well, God only knows how it could impact this community for Christ!!!
If we would all give just 5%--which is half a tithe, we would not have money worries.
We all must ask ourselves:
"What is my life about?"
"Why do I exist?"
"Do I exist simply to consume as much as I can and get as much pleasure as I can while I am here on this earth, or do I have a much higher purpose?"
"What is God's mission, purpose, calling for my life?"
"Am I spending my money in ways that are consistent with my life purpose?"
I realize that it is challenging to tithe.
It simply might not be possible for you to start giving 10 % of your income to God right away.
But I encourage you to take a step in that direction--and to aim for it.
Perhaps you can give 2 percent or 5 percent or 7 percent and work your way up.
As you begin giving more to God you will find it easier and easier to give to God...
...and this is not because its magic...
...this is because giving to God changes our priorities, our habits, and amazingly--many people who tithe become so much better at budgeting and handling the money they do have that they end up having more than they did before they started to tithe.
And contrary to popular belief, tithing is possible at virtually every income level.
I know this and many others know this just from personal experience.
Some who tithe are able to go above and beyond the tithe.
The tithe is not a ceiling, but a floor.
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house.
Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'"
Our giving to God and others not only touches God--it also changes us.
As human beings we are created with the need to be generous.
When we are generous with what we have, we find that unexpected blessings flow back into our lives--catching us by surprise.
Somewhere along the way, as we see our acts of generosity helping others and perhaps even changing the world, we will say in wonder and amazement: "Wow, look what happened!!!"
May it be so.
At this time the ushers are going to begin handing out questionnaires which have been created very prayerfully by the Finance Committee of this church.
When you receive a survey or questionnaire, please read over it...
...and then come up to the chancel rails, asking God what God would have you do in order for your Church to be the Church God desires it to be into the future.
Remember what we promise God when we join God's Church.
We promise that we will uphold God's Church not only by our prayers and our presence and witness, but also with our gifts and our service.
What is your Church going to look like in the future?
You are this Church.
Perhaps your children are this Church.
Those who are asleep right now or maybe dealing drugs down the street, may be part of this Church in the future.
And what about the children in these neighborhoods?
Will this Church be here to impact their lives?
After you have filled out the survey, the ushers will come back to pick them up from you and the Finance Committee will review them in order to help them make their recommendations to the Administrative Board.
