One of the things I like about living in the Greater Atlanta area is that there are no hurricanes. Or if they do come this far inland, they are worn out when they get here.
When I lived in Miami, we would watch with great interest the weather reports, especially this time of year. Hurricane season!
As hurricanes developed you would watch these storms very carefully so you could prepare for the storm.
Because of the danger, you would stock up on water. Make sure you had lots of batteries. Put up hurricane shutters.
After Hurricane Katrina hit, one of my friends from Miami emailed me and said she was tired of living on the coast. She hated living in fear of the danger of hurricanes.
I’m not sure if she was serious or not, but this is one of the things she said, “I’m going back to California! I’ll take earthquakes any day of the week. Earthquakes come without warning and you can live your life as if there is no danger. Ignorant bliss.”
Well, no matter where you live, there are dangers.
Life is never completely safe.
Besides natural disasters, there are dangers from traffic accidents, health issues, crime – danger is all around us.
Even in the worship service, there is a moment each week when we face grave danger.
Worship???
Danger???
Most of us probably don’t think that there is a dangerous time in the worship service, but take my word for it, it’s there!
We think worship is danger-free because we do not live in a dictatorship where Christians are persecuted.
But don’t be fooled.
There is one moment in the worship service that is filled with danger and hazards!
No, it’s not the Children’s Devotional! – although there have been times when I did find it somewhat unpredictably hazardous.
And no, it’s not during the hymns when we might find ourselves next to someone who sings loudly but can’t carry a tune.
Nor is it during the sermon when you are afraid you might fall asleep – and start snoring.
The time of danger? It’s the offering.
In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, we read about a very ancient order of worship. Like any moment of worship, there is an opportunity for an offering.
In our reading from Deuteronomy, the people of God are about to enter the land God has promised to them. It has been a long time in coming – some 40 years to be exact. And now, after a generation has come and gone, the people are about to enter the land.
And Moses speaks to them and gives them some instructions for worship.
He says, “When you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the first fruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name and say to the priest in office at the time, "I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the land the LORD swore to our forefathers to give us." The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the LORD your God.” (Take a basket from the pulpit and put it in front of the Lord’s Table)
And that, my friends, is the crucial moment. The danger filled moment. It was at that moment that person worshipping God could come to his or her senses.
“Wait a minute. What am I doing giving God my first fruits? I’ll be back later when I have second or third fruits.”
Or it is at this moment that a person might say, “Wait, I think I’ll keep that nice yellow banana. Here’s a slightly bruised one instead.” (Remove the good banana and take a brown, nasty banana, held at arms length, and put it in the basket).
It is here that a person might even rethink the offering completely. “Give me back my basket. God gave me this to enjoy, I think He wants me to keep it all to myself. I’m not about to share my first fruits. I’m not about to share anything God has given me!”
The offering is a dangerous time in the worship service, because it is here that one might forget where our hearts need to be.
It is here that you might forget that everything you put in this basket, and everything you keep both come from the generosity of God himself.
Our Old Testament lesson for today comes from the book of Deuteronomy, toward the end of the book. But near the beginning, there is a wonderful passage.
In chapter six, verses 10 through 12, Moses gives some instructions on what to do when the people finally enter the Promised Land. He tells them, “When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—
a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,
houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide,
wells you did not dig,
and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—
then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”
It is so easy to forget.
It is easy to forget that all we have to present to the offering comes from God in the first place.
It is easy to forget that the homes we live in – God provided.
And the food we enjoy – God provided.
None of these comes from our hands as much as from God’s handiwork.
The offering is a dangerous time in the worship service, because it is here at this moment that you are being asked what kind of commitment you have to God.
You see the danger?
You’re being given a test – where is your heart? How committed are you to God? What do you really value?
Jesus spoke a great deal about money. He talked a lot about it because he understood that money has such a driving force in our lives.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
I don’t know about you but my heart always goes where I put my money.
Actually, I take that back. I do know about you!
Good or bad, faithful Christian or inquiring visitor, profoundly wise or rather simple – your heart goes where you put your money.
If the earthly ministry of Jesus had taken place today rather than 2000 years ago, Jesus would not have said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Instead Jesus would have put it this way --- “Show Me your checkbook, your Mastercard statement, your online banking account, and your receipts, and I’ll show you where your heart is.
Suppose you buy shares of General Motors. What happens? You have an interest in GM. You check the finance pages. You see an article about GM and you read it. Only days before, you would have ignored it. You care about GM because you’ve invested in GM.
As one minister has said, “As surely as the compass needle follows north, your heart will follow your treasure. Money leads; hearts follow.” Your heart moves toward what you cherish, and God wants you to move toward Him.
Do you have a heart for the work of God?
Do you have a hear for the poor?
Do you have a heart for those suffering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina?
Do you have a heart for Haiti or other world missions?
Do you have a heart for God?
We say we do, but that moment in the offering tells the reality.
How can you keep this moment in the worship service – this offering – from being such a dangerous moment?
In Matthew’s Gospel, when Jesus is talking about where your heart is and where your treasure is, he tells us that the first thing we need to do is to be on guard against the possibility of greed coming into our lives.
This is the way he says it… "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." (Matthew 6:15)
If you are diabetic, you have to be on guard against certain things. Be on guard about your diet. Be on guard for your eyesight. Be on guard to take care of your feet. Be on guard!
If you have heart problems, you have to be on guard against certain things. Guard your diet, your exercise, your stress level. Be on guard.
We have to take care of our spiritual health, and that means that that we have to be on guard against all sorts of things – such as greed!
I don’t care how unselfish you are once in a while you feel greed for something more in your life.
I was in India a few months ago and one of the churches we visited was in a slum.
This was not like any slum you might find in this country.
The homes were nothing more than tents. Each tent was made of rotting and molding rags of cloth. The village had no well. We arrived shortly after a brief rainfall, and there was water running down the street. People were gathering water into whatever containers they had so they could store this water for drinking. This water was flowing through the dirt and filth.
We worshipped with these people and after the church service, I had prayer with everyone who desired prayer. Every member of the church came to me and asked me to lay hands upon them in prayer. They would give me a small container of oil and ask me to anoint them in prayer.
As each person came, I would ask my interpreter to find out what the person needed in prayer.
One person came and asked for healing.
Another asked for a job so he could provide for his family.
One lady came up and asked me to pray that God would keep her from becoming too materialistic.
What?
I had to ask my interpreter to be sure she was saying what he said she was saying.
India is a wonderful country and there are a lot of people who are very well off, but their poor are very, very poor. This woman had next to nothing, but she was on guard against greed.
I guess this is indeed true all over the world.
A financial advisor named Ron Blue visited a rural village in Africa. He asked one of the villagers, “What is the biggest problem in your village?” He fully expected to hear about a food shortage or lack of medical supplies. He was hot prepared for the response he received. The man said, “materialism.” He explained, “If a man had a mud hut, he wants one made of stone. If he has a thatch roof, he wants a tin roof. If he has one acre, he wants two. Materialism is a disease of the heart.” You see, friends, even in a place that is completely lacking in all of the luxuries that we take for granted, materialism is alive and well.
A young couple had been married for about a year. They were struggling financially and decided to do something about it. They would develop a strategy. They sat down one day to talk about their finances, and after much analysis, the young wife said to her husband, “If we miss two payments on the refrigerator and one payment on the washing machine, we’ll have enough money to make a down payment on a new television set.”
We always want more that we already have.
“I think I’ll go to Walmart and get something that will make me happy.” More stuff will not bring greater happiness. Empty lives are still just as empty.
Someone once asked John D. Rockefeller the question, "How many millions does it take to satisfy a man?" The answer was: "The next million."
Step one in making the offering a safe time and not a dangerous time is to guard against all sorts of greed. That way, when the plate comes to you, you won’t have that selfish struggle of “it’s mine and I’m gonna keep it!”
Step two in making the offering a safe time is to understand who you are.
In our New Testament lesson today, we read about some instructions that Paul gave to Timothy.
This is what Paul says – and pay attention, there will be a test.
In fact, let’s make it an open book test.
Everyone turn in your Bibles to our New Testament lesson.
I Timothy 6:17.
You got it?
Let’s listen to it, and remember, there will be a test.
In fact, wait a minute, let’s read it together. Out loud…
“Command those who are rich in this present world…”
STOPPPP!!!!!!
Here’s the test. Who is Paul telling Timothy to command to do something?
The Rich.
OK, let’s keep reading and find out what Timothy is to command the rich to do – and you can relax, I’ll read this for you…
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
So, let me ask you – who is supposed to be generous and giving?
Those who are rich in this present world.
Whew! Thank goodness. That leaves me out! I’m not rich.
So in the church, we can let the rich give the money.
For the Katrina victims, let’s just let Bill Gates handle it.
Let’s make all the winners of the Georgia Lottery give to the poor.
But hold a minute. Let’s think about what makes someone rich.
And don’t worry, I’m not going to do some corny preacher stunt and say that we are all rich because we have a lot of love, or we are rich because we have lots of friends, or we are rich because we have salvation.
Well, actually all that may make us rich, but let’s stick to the reality we see in money.
Money, money money. Who in here is rich with money?
There is a wonderful web page I came across recently. You put your salary into the web page, and it calculates how rich you are, compared to the rest of the world.
You see, we normally compare ourselves to Bill Gates. Or to the rich folks across town.
This web page doesn’t do that.
You put in your salary. Push enter, and the computer tells you how rich you are in comparison to the WHOLE wide world!
The web site, www.globalrichlist.com says that I am one of the richest people in the world.
Now I’m probably stupid for telling you that, because somewhere in this church there is a committee that is deciding this month if I will get a raise next year.
I can only hope they are not in church to hear me admit that I am one of the richest people in the world. But it is true. According to this web page, less than 1% of the world’s population is richer than I am.
In a world of 6 billion people, there are 5,951,068,435 people poorer than I am.
Now, I’m a preacher and you know what I make. You vote on it every year. No American would think of me as rich. But in God’s eyes, as he looks at the whole world, I am one of his richest children.
This web page, www.globalrichlist.com, is a great web page. It is managed by the Red Cross in England.
I put in another figure.
Knowing that the relative poverty of this country is defined as $12,000 per year for a family of 3, I put that figure in.
And guess what.
Someone who lives on the edge of poverty in this country is among the 12% richest people in the world.
Americans are rich.
Which is nice!
But remember what Paul told Timothy?
He told Timothy to command someone to be generous and giving – and who did Paul tell Timothy to command?
Those who are rich in this present world.
Folks, that’s you and me.
If you want that web page by the way – go to the church web page. The address is on the front page of your bulletin. Go to our church web page and on the front page you will be greeted by a message that has a couple of important links – and this will be one of them. So if you can’t remember globalrichlist.com, go to our web page and find it.
See how rich you are.
And then think about that.
God is commanding YOU to be generous and to share.
You don’t have to wait until you are rich or until you win the lottery. You are already rich right now.
Remembering that God has indeed given you so much should make the offering a safe place, not a dangerous time. Knowing that God has made you rich in this present world should make you more willing to give generously.
One final thing about this offering business.
There are some dangers at this moment, but there is also an offer of a gift to us.
Paul said in our New Testament lesson, “Command those who are rich in this present world…. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
George W. Truett, a well-know pastor in Texas, was invited to dinner at the home of a very wealthy Texas man.
After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area. Pointing to the oil wells covering the landscape, the Texan boasted, “Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it’s all mine.”
Looking in the opposite direction at his sprawling fields of grain, he bragged, “They’re all mine.”
Then he turned east toward huge herds of cattle, and bragged, “They’re all mine.”
Then pointing to the west at a beautiful forest, he said, “That, too, is all mine.”
Then he paused, expecting Dr. Truett to compliment him on his great success. But Dr. Truett placed one hand on the man’s shoulder and pointed heavenward, toward the sky, and simply asked, “How much do you have in that direction?”
Then the man hung his head and confessed. “Not much.”
So where are your treasures? Where is your heart?
Copyright 2005 by the Rev. Dr. W. Maynard Pittendreigh
For other sermons and worship materials, go to www.pittendreigh.com
