Beyond the Numbers: Understanding God's Economy
Introduction:
- We live in a world that is obsessed with numbers. We measure everything by numbers: our income, our expenses, our achievements, our popularity, our success, and our happiness. We think that more is better, and that bigger is greater. We compare ourselves with others by looking at the numbers. We think that God also values us by the numbers. But is that true?
- The Bible tells us that God's economy is different from ours. God's economy is not based on numbers, but on values. God's economy is not based on human logic, but on divine wisdom. God's economy is not based on what we deserve, but on what He gives. God's economy is not based on what we see, but on what He sees.
- In this sermon, we will look at some examples from the Bible that show us how God's economy works. We will see how God values people and things differently from us. We will see how God blesses those who trust Him and obey Him, even when it does not make sense to us. We will see how God challenges us to live by His economy, not by ours.
In Jesus’s parables:
1. One sheep gets more attention than 99.
- In Luke 15:3-7, Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep. He says that if a shepherd has 100 sheep and one of them goes astray, he will leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it. And when he finds it, he will rejoice more over it than over the 99 that did not go astray.
- This parable shows us how God values each individual soul. He does not care about the numbers, but about the person. He does not write off anyone as hopeless or worthless. He does not give up on anyone who wanders away from Him. He pursues them with His love and grace until He brings them back to His fold. He rejoices over every sinner who repents and every lost sheep who is found.
- This parable also challenges us to value people as God does. We should not judge people by their outward appearance, their social status, their achievements, or their failures. We should not ignore or neglect those who are marginalized, oppressed, or forgotten by society. We should not be indifferent or apathetic to those who are hurting, struggling, or sinning. We should care for them, reach out to them, share the gospel with them, and pray for them. We should rejoice with heaven when they come to know Christ and join His family.
Story: "When the tsunami struck Banda Aceh, Indonesia, it also hit Andaman and Nicobar Islands. At that moment, I was the Pastor of our Church, which sat by the seashore. The day started with a powerful 8.9 magnitude earthquake that shook us to our core. My wife and I quickly gathered our children and rushed outside. We stumbled to the ground, and for what felt like an eternity, I couldn't fathom the danger we were in. It seemed like the end of the world.
But by God's grace, we emerged unharmed. My thoughts immediately turned to our church members. I was anxious to know if they were safe. We had 32 families in our congregation. Determined to check on their well-being, I hopped on my scooter and set out to find them, encouraging them to join us for Sunday worship. I met with all 32 families, offering prayers of thanks for their safety.
Upon my return home, I witnessed chaos in our residential area, nestled on a hill near the seashore, where our Church and home were located. People were in a state of panic, fleeing for their lives. I wasn't sure what was happening, but my family was down by the seashore, and I had to reach them. As I attempted to descend, people urgently warned me not to proceed, saying that the sea was rising with colossal waves. Many had already been engulfed by the sea.
My heart pounded with fear for my wife, Vimala, and our young children, Titus and Rebecca. When I finally reached the seashore, it was a heart-wrenching sight. The sea had swallowed numerous homes and shops, and countless vehicles floated atop the water. Amidst this chaos, our own home was wide open, and I had no idea where my family was. Tears streamed down my face as I frantically searched for them, asking everyone I encountered. Nobody had seen them.
After what seemed like an agonizingly long time, I finally found them at the hill's summit. Tears welled up in my eyes as we were reunited, each of us having been deeply worried about the others. Losing someone or something in such circumstances is a heartbreak beyond words."
2. One-hour workers get the same paycheck as 12-hour workers.
- In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells the parable of the workers in the vineyard. He says that a landowner hired some workers early in the morning and agreed to pay them a denarius for the day. He hired some more workers at different times of the day, until the eleventh hour. When evening came, he paid all of them the same amount: a denarius.
- This parable shows us how God gives generously and graciously to His people. He does not pay us according to our work, but according to His grace. He does not reward us based on our merit, but based on His mercy. He does not treat us as employees, but as children. He gives us more than we deserve and more than we expect. He gives us eternal life, forgiveness of sins, adoption into His family, access to His presence, and inheritance of His kingdom.
- This parable also challenges us to be grateful and humble before God. We should not complain or grumble about what we have or what we do not have. We should not compare ourselves with others or envy what they have or what they receive from God. We should not boast or take pride in our work or our service for God. We should acknowledge that everything we have and everything we are is by His grace and for His glory.
3. A widow’s two pennies are worth more than “huge sums.”
- In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus observes how people put money into the temple treasury. He sees many rich people putting in large amounts of money. But he also sees a poor widow putting in two small copper coins, which are worth very little. He calls his disciples and tells them that this widow has put in more than all those who have given large amounts. For they all gave out of their abundance, but she gave out of her poverty everything she had to live on.
- This story shows us how God measures giving differently from us. He does not look at the amount, but at the heart. He does not look at the percentage, but at the sacrifice. He does not look at the surplus, but at the surrender. He values giving that is motivated by love, faith, and obedience. He values giving that is generous, cheerful, and sacrificial. He values giving that is done for His honor, not for our recognition.
- This story also challenges us to give as God wants us to give. We should not give out of obligation, pressure, or guilt. We should not give out of selfishness, greed, or pride. We should not give out of convenience, comfort, or security. We should give out of gratitude, joy, and worship. We should give out of trust, dependence, and commitment. We should give out of love for God and love for others.
In the Old Testament Stories:
4. The Army of Gideon
- In Judges 6-7, we read the story of Gideon and his army. God called Gideon to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. Gideon gathered 32,000 men to fight against the enemy. But God told him that the number was too many. God wanted to show that the victory was not by human strength, but by divine power. So God reduced the number of Gideon's army to 300 men by various tests. With these 300 men, armed with trumpets, jars, and torches, Gideon defeated the Midianites who were as numerous as locusts.
- This story shows us how God works through weakness and foolishness to display His strength and wisdom. He does not need a large number or a powerful weapon to accomplish His purpose. He can use a small number or a simple tool to achieve His plan. He can use the weak and the foolish to confound the strong and the wise. He can use the unlikely and the unexpected to surprise the probable and the predictable.
- This story also challenges us to trust and obey God in spite of our limitations and difficulties. We should not be discouraged or afraid when we face a big problem or a strong enemy. We should not be intimidated or overwhelmed when we are outnumbered or outmatched. We should not be doubtful or skeptical when God asks us to do something that seems impossible or ridiculous. We should believe that God is with us and for us. We should follow His guidance and direction. We should rely on His power and provision.
5. Widow of Zarephath
- In 1 Kings 17:8-16, we read the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. Elijah was a prophet of God who announced a drought in Israel because of the idolatry of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel. God told Elijah to go to Zarephath, a Gentile town, and stay there with a widow who would provide for him. When Elijah arrived there, he met a widow who was gathering sticks to make a fire. He asked her for some water and some bread. She said that she had only a handful of flour and a little oil in a jar, enough to make one last meal for herself and her son before they die of hunger. Elijah told her not to be afraid, but to make him a small cake first, and then make some for herself and her son. He promised her that the flour and the oil would not run out until the Lord sends rain on the land.
- This story shows us how God provides miraculously and abundantly for those who trust Him and obey Him. He does not let His people starve or perish in their time of need. He does not limit His supply by human resources or natural conditions. He can multiply what is little into what is much. He can sustain what is finite into what is infinite. He can turn what is hopeless into what is hopeful.
- This story also challenges us to share generously and faithfully what we have with others who are in need. We should not hoard or withhold what God has given us as if it belongs to us or as if it will run out. We should not be stingy or selfish with our possessions or our money as if they are our security or our happiness. We should be willing and ready to give what we have to those who ask us or those who need us as if they are our brothers and sisters or as if they are Christ himself.
6. A Prophet’s Widow
- In 2 Kings 4:1-7, we read the story of Elisha and the widow of one of the sons of the prophets. The widow came to Elisha and told him that her husband had died and left her with a debt that she could not pay. The creditor was coming to take her two sons as slaves as payment for the debt. Elisha asked her what she had in her house. She said that she had nothing except a jar of oil. Elisha told her to go and borrow as many empty jars as she could from her neighbors. Then he told her to go - to her house and shut the door behind her and her sons. Then he told her to pour oil from her jar into the empty jars, one by one, until they were all full. She did as he said, and the oil kept flowing until there were no more jars left. Then he told her to go and sell the oil and pay her debt, and live on the rest with her sons.
- This story shows us how God rescues miraculously and abundantly those who cry out to Him and obey Him. He does not ignore or forsake His people in their time of trouble. He does not limit His help by human solutions or human expectations. He can create something out of nothing. He can fill what is empty with what is overflowing. He can turn what is desperate into what is delightful.
- This story also challenges us to seek God earnestly and faithfully in our situations of need. We should not rely on our own wisdom or our own strength to solve our problems or to meet our needs. We should not be ashamed or afraid to ask for help from God or from others who can help us. We should be humble and obedient to follow God's instructions and guidance. We should be expectant and amazed to see God's power and provision.
7. God's economy is beyond our understanding.
In Isaiah 55:8-9, God says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways... As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." We cannot fully understand God's economy, but we can trust that God's ways are good and just. We should seek to align our lives with God's will and trust that He will provide for us.
8. God's economy is about redemption.
In Colossians 1:19-20, Paul writes, "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." God's economy is about redeeming all things, including our wealth and provision. We should use our resources for God's redemptive purposes and seek to bring His kingdom to earth.
Conclusion:
- These are just some of the examples from the Bible that show us how God's economy works. There are many more that we can learn from and apply to our lives. The main point is that God's economy is beyond the numbers. It is beyond our understanding, beyond our calculation, beyond our imagination.
- But God invites us to enter into His economy, to live by His economy, to enjoy His economy. He invites us to trust Him, to obey Him, to give to Him, to receive from Him, to share with others what He has given us. He invites us to experience His love, His grace, His generosity, His abundance, His blessing.
- Let us respond to His invitation today. Let us ask Him to open our eyes to see His economy, to open our hearts to embrace His economy, to open our hands to practice His economy. Let us pray.
