Colossians: Chapter 1 Resolution

Resolution

The Colossians’ story

After we read this creed as to who Christ was, is and will always be, Paul takes us back to the believers in Colossae. He brings back to light their past…pleads with their experiences, and talks with them about how far they’ve come. Let’s read here.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

If not facts, then what?

We just talked about the fact that to know something doesn’t save you. To know that Christ is God, and to know that he’s King, doesn’t make you a kingdom follower. To know the facts doesn’t make you free.

What does save you, however, is to surrender to Christ. Surrender to his lordship, and surrender to his will. We talk all the time here that we are a group of people trying to become more like our Father. Well, through Christ, we see a perfect image of our heavenly Father. And so, we surrender our preferences, surrender our rights, and surrender our ideas of how things should be, and we allow ourselves to be changed.

We’ll continue to talk about what that means for us, and for our lives, as we continue through Colossians, but today, we are laying the foundation, laying the groundwork. We can’t be followers of Christ, we can’t be people of the Kingdom of God, unless we serve a Christ who is supreme.

Take home:

I want you to take a few moments and reflect on your heart and your life. We all live for something. We all have a king. I want to ask you, maybe prod a bit here, are you subject to Christ? Are you fully surrendering your heart to him?

Are you allowing him to dictate your attitudes and your reactions?

Are you trusting him with your heart and your family?

Are you trusting him with your brokeness? Those parts of you that you don’t want anyone to know about.

This is a biggie: Are you trusting him with the parts of your life that you love? The ones you’ve worked so hard to accomplish and succeed at? There’s often times this idea that if we give God something we love, He will take it away?

Do you believe in a savior that is the glue for all of life? The one who, even if things are going well now, will make all things complete?

This is a big question…and a question you will need to ask yourself over, and over again. Because, lets face it, you and I, we like to take control of our lives, don’t we? We like to carry on with our business, the way WE see fit.

So, let me ask you…how big is your Christ?

Colossians: Chapter 1 Tension

(Welcome back! Today we’re continuing with our study of Colossians 1.)

Today we’ll be working, line by line, verses 15-20.

The Son is the image of the invisible God…

We are a creation who was made in the image of God…however, for the entirety of Humanity, until Christ, God was invisible. A select number of people were invited to speak with God…though, they had to do it on God’s terms, and under strict guidelines.

But with Christ coming to earth, fully human, and fully divine, we saw a perfect image of God, of his likeness, personality, and love.

the firstborn over all creation.

One theologian says it’s better translated as: “The first begotten of all creation.” Which  means, Christ isn’t just the oldest, rather he’s the One prior to, and supreme over all creation. Firstborn is equivalent to “Only begotten” which is a Jewish term meaning “uncreated.”

Christ isn’t just like us…created by a God within time and space. Rather, he is part of eternity. He’s before all of creation. And he’s

For by him all things were created

By him literally means, “In him.” In can indicate instrument or means. It was by our through Christ that all of creation was made. This is reinforced a few words later when we read “all things were created by him and for him.” Christ wasn’t a product of Creation…he was a party to, necessary for, creation.

It is because of this, because of his relationship to creation, that we know that all beings, and all creation are subject to him and his rule. All things seen, unseen, in the heavens, on earth or under the earth. All spiritual beings, all physical  beings, are under the dominion of Christ.

He is the first and final cause of Creation.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is not just creator…this idea of a man who builds a clock, winds it, and let’s it run its course. He is so intimately involved in his creation that he is the actual glue that holds all of creation together. When Christ is the center, he brings fullness and completion to a broken world.

He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn among the dead.

He was, is, and will forever be the head of the Kingdom of God. He cannot just be part of our faith, rather he must be all of it. He is faith completed. He is the mediator, the representative between God and us.

He is the only one who has ever conquered death and risen from the dead.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

Part of the teaching the Colossians were receiving was that Christ was only a tool…temporarily occupied to accomplish his task and then left once again.

However, Paul is here stating that Christ was, and will forever be the place in which God takes up residence. All the attributes and activities of God- spirit, word, wisdom and glory- are perfectly on display.

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.

It was in Christ that God reconciled, or brought to him, all of creation. Through Christ’s sacrifice, his blood and death on the cross that sin was once and for all defeated.

All of creation, both in the heavens and on earth, the things that are broken, and the things that are doing alright…they all find their rightful place in Christ. They find a place to belong.

It is through Christ’s blood that we all are able to belong…because, let’s face it, there isn’t one of us that is worth of life.

Backbone of our belief

This idea of Christ, of his divinity, and of his supremacy is the base for which all of our beliefs are hinged. You cannot take away from Christ, and hold to the Christian faith. You cannot say he was just a good man, a good teacher, or a good leader, and leave it at that.

Christ is either everything, or he is nothing.

A modern-day translation of the Bible reads like this:

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding…….

Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

So where does this leave us?

Belief is extremely important. Head knowledge won’t transform you. Just memorizing facts, or saying you think one way, doesn’t lead to heart change. Saying you know who the Queen of England is, doesn’t make you British.

It just means you know who the Queen of England is.

In the same way, to say you know that Christ is King isn’t what is going to save your…change you…or bring you resolution and completion.

The question that needs to be posed, or needs to be asked is, “What do you do with the knowledge of the supremacy of Christ?”

Colossians: Chapter 1 Problem

Intro

How this series will be different

For the past few months, we’ve been spending a great deal of time talking, and I’ve spent my efforts preaching through topics or through ideas. We spend time talking through, and jumping around different books, different chapters or different verses. There are so many truths in the Bible, that it is a valid way to look and preach from the Bible.

But, like any book that you read, there is something special, something important about also taking time to talk and walk through an entire book of the Bible. Like any book a person would write, the author of these books in the Bible are trying to convey, over the course of the book, a particular message, and they are trying to convey important truths. So, when you take the time to move through them, you can come away with truths that are valuable and important to our daily lives.

Some pastors will choose to do only topical, or others might only do book studies (what we’ll be doing for the next few weeks).

However, I believe there is validity in both, and so we’ll be alternating between both styles as we move through the years to come.

Colossians: A Background

Every book of the Bible has its own unique fingerprint. They are part of a larger whole, but they are also each communicating something specific, something relevant to that particular church/people of that particular time. The book of Colossians is no exception.

The book of Colossians was written to the church in a town named “Colossae” around the time of 60AD. Colossae was a small valley town, situated on a river, in the country of Turkey. It was a once proud, large city that had begun to decay. It was a town living in its twilight years.

The Church

However, while the town was decaying, the early group of believers there were actually thriving. They were predominantly gentiles (non-jews…or, you and me). They had a great spirit, and they had much to be commended for.

Heresy

However, like so many early churches, they had begun to find themselves under the teaching and preaching of false teachers. This was not so uncommon. The early church had no written, canonized record at that point. They had the Torah (which is much of what we would call the Old Testament), but the new testament…mostly historical accounts and letters to early churches, were still being written.

So it was up to teachers and preachers to train, equip and send pastors to teach the truth that we hold on to now; the truth that Christ was King, he died on the Cross, and he rose again. The truth that we are called to follow him, and to model our lives after him.

But, while there were those teaching that truth, there were also those who taught other ideas or other belief systems. They tried to discredit, create disorder, or usurp what Christ had taught. Many of these teachers were persuasive, and created a great deal of confusion in the early church.

It is out of these moments, that great theologians like Paul, would create teaching moments and bring clarity to our beliefs. These teaching moments often came in the form of letters, and these letters were maintained, and how contribute a large portion of what we read today in the New Testament.

Colossian Heresy

So, what was the Colossian heresy? While Paul never officially names the false teaching that is being spread, you can deduce from what he’s teaching the falsities being spread.

The early church in Colossae was the recipients from early teaching of, what’s called Gnosticism. A teaching that includes many things, but it’s major belief was that, while a very good, and wise man, Jesus was not the Son of God.

Gnosticism doesn’t try to remove Christ from the picture. They just try to show him inadequate as a savior.

Colossae today

While this book was written nearly 2000 years ago, it still holds a new truth for us as a church.

Let’s take some time reading together. With the understanding that Paul is writing a letter, he spends the first portion of this letter offering greetings, and warm remarks. I encourage you to spend some time reading the first part on your own, however, we’re going to begin today with verse 15.

Colossians 1:15-23

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 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.

Problem

So, what’s going on here?

The church in Colossae is wrestling with an issue that has been something the church, and people in general have wrestled with for centuries…

Who do we believe Christ is?

Many lords many kings

In that day, just like today, if a person wanted to be religious if they wanted to have a belief system in which to place their trust, they could find a cafeteria line full of options. They had gods they could summon, and they had words they could believe in. They had rules to follow, too.

I mean, everyone has a creation story, and everyone has a sacred text. What makes Christianity so different?

That’s where this book begins to build a case. A case for Christ. A case for his deity. A case for his supremacy. A case for his Kingship.

Colossians is a book about a King who is Supreme.

So, who is this Christ whom we worship?

Generosity: Money, part 3

Resolution

We are called to be generous people

God is always leading us, calling us, wooing us. He wants every part of our lives, and this is the reason God asks us to surrender our finances.

He doesn’t want a divided heart. He doesn’t want us to serve two masters.

When we serve money, when we care most about money, when we spend our time thinking only of money, we surrender our lives to the king of money.

And God knows, in his infinite wisdom, that the only way to be released from the grip or bondage of money is to give it away.

Now, this can be absolutely terrifying to some out there. When you look at your budgets, when you look at your bottom line, you quite possibly see red numbers instead of black. You see so many needs and not enough to cover those needs.

So, to think that you are going to be able to be generous financially will be a massive step of trust.

I experienced God’s provisions

Earlier on in my adult life- through college- I really wrestled with tithing.  I didn’t make much, and so the idea of giving was scary, and honestly not very enticing to me. I would always say I wanted to tithe, but I really struggled with the trust aspect of tithe.  I had the head knowledge that God would provide, but when push came to shove, I wasn’t able to commit to living a life of financial generosity.

Eventually, though, God worked on me, and led me to be able to surrender my finances and live a life where I was able to give back to God. A life where I was able to cut the tithe check first.

And do you know what happened?

I witnessed how God, over and over, provided for my financial needs. It’s unbelievable how God makes the ends meet when we are faithful and live in surrender.

My challenge to you

So this is where I want to start with my challenge for you this week.

If there is one thing I believe to the bottom of my heart, it’s that God will provide for his church. I believe that Living Vine is doing its best to be the Kingdom people he called us to be. I believe we are walking in obedience with God, and that we can trust that he is going to provide for us.

So I want you to seriously consider how you might begin to live out a life of generosity.

Two quick points

Percent doesn’t matter

If you aren’t currently living out financial generosity, or monthly tithing, I want to take the step to just give an amount. If you’re intimidated by the 10%, that’s fine…give 5 instead. I honestly believe God will meet you exactly where you are.

The most important part is to live out that generosity. That you begin to trust God more than you trust the dollar bill.

Give anywhere

The fact that I’m going to say this will seem funny to many of you. But I want to encourage you to find something you believe in, and give your finances to that.

Obviously, I would love to see your belief in our church through your giving. We are working hard to find ways to become a church that will impact Napa for the Kingdom. We are working hard to find the broken parts of society and to begin to mend them, and to become a church that is racially diverse.

But if you’re still unsure about us, but if you are feeling like you want to take the next step of living out financial surrender, I want to encourage you to find another way to give.

There are some incredible ways to be generous…there are organizations doing beautiful things in very broken parts of our world. Through financing micro loans, adopting a child, supporting projects for clean water, or funding the fight against human trafficking, there are ways for you to live for something bigger than you.

Find that thing.

What is most important, however, is that we live out a generous life.

Generosity: Money, part 2

Tension

Not a statement on wealth

After the rich man leaves, Jesus takes a few moments and unpacks what just happened with his disciples.

He tells them that it is really difficult for a rich man to get into heaven. He tells them it’s easier for a camel to squeeze into the eye of a needle. Now, the camel was the biggest animal they had in that day…but you could easily read “it’s easier for an elephant to squeeze into the eye of a needle.”

It’s easier to interpret this as Jesus saying that’s its nearly impossible to be rich and to be a kingdom follower. That anyone who has money will most likely not make it.

This is not true, at all. We have a list of men and women throughout Scriptures who were wildly wealthy, and loved God. Think: Abraham, Isaac, David, Zacceaus, Solomon…etc

Money, or lack of money, isn’t the determining factor for our spiritual fate.

Jesus does, however, point to the fact that money can be a major influence in our kingdom faith.

The command we often hear isn’t right

When we read this story, we hear Jesus give the rich ruler the command to go and give away his possessions. That’s the part that sticks out to us. But that’s not the most important command God is giving the rich ruler.

He tells him to come follow Jesus.

The problem with money

The problem with money is that it, like Jesus, can begin to demand our attention, our focus and our love.

Earlier in Matthew, during his famous sermon on the mount, Jesus said this of money:

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Money so often competes with God. Our desire for it, the feelings it brings, and the security it allows us to feel can replace a desire for God, a feeling for him, and trusting in the security HE brings.

The deal breaker

The deal breaker wasn’t that the man was rich. The deal breaker was that he loved his money more than he loved God. He was more willing to part ways with the truth than he was to part ways with his money.

His money controlled him. The rich rulers master was his wealth. And it’s impossible to serve two masters, as Jesus showed us.

Blowing up worldviews

What I love is the interaction we see after the rich young ruler walks away.

The disciples, who are creations of their culture, have just witnessed a man who has it all. He does everything he’s supposed to, he has the outward sign of God’s blessing (wealth) and yet Jesus says that it’s impossible for a rich man to get into heaven.

They have this little conversation in response to what they’ve just seen:

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

With God all things are possible

The disciples, terrified by the upside down world they are seeing, ask God how anyone can make it to heaven. And what is Jesus’ response? In God, all things are possible.

He is saying, God is the reason we are welcomed.

Not rules.

Not money.

Not any of the reasons that make any sense to us.

It’s an attitude of the heart

We see an example of this later on in the Gospels in Mark 12:41-43

⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

A woman who serves only God

Here we see the polar opposite of the Rich Young Ruler. Here we see a woman who, left alone and ignored by society, in faith gives the tiny amount that she has.

Jesus tells his disciples that this is what generosity is all about. It’s about simple service to God. Knowing he’s the one who is our master. He’s the one in control.

God’s the one who will care for you and me. He’s the one who will provide our security.

Money = acceptance

So often the church turns giving money, or giving tithe, into something that will save you…that will make you rich…that will start a chain reaction of blessings in your life.

But that isn’t promised.

If you tithe, or if you give, I cannot promise that you’ll be rich within the year…or that you will receive a promotion, or that you will have a long-lost uncle who will die and give you all his endless wealth.

If you notice, Jesus doesn’t say the widow will be forever okay. He doesn’t say that she’ll never have another issue since she trusted God.

He only commended her trusting of God.

To live out a life of generosity, especially financially, places our entire lives in the hands of God. To give up a percentage of what we earn back to God takes trust and surrender.

And those are 2 things God wants most from us.

Conclusion tomorrow!

Generosity: Money

Problem

Today we’re going to be wrapping up our sermon series on generosity. As we have worked through this series, I hope you have begun to see that, as a pastor and as a church, our desire for you is to find yourself in a place of living your life outside of yourself.

To live a life of generosity means to live a life opposite to greed, selfishness and self-involvement.

This is the life called us to live. A life of radical generosity. He modeled that with his life. He gave of his time, his talents (and I suppose I would assume, money), and his own life freely. All he had he gave away.

And it’s through this generosity that the world was changed.

Where we’re going

So, today, we’re going to spend some time talking about the final step of generosity: Money.

Like we talked about last week, money is a loaded topic when it comes to the church. The default setting people start on when a pastor preaches on money is skepticism, bordering on disdain.

And yet, I still am preaching about this…and only 4 months in! I’m either brave, crazy, or both…we shall see, I guess…

Money matters:

As uncomfortable as it feels, Jesus spent a significant amount of time and energy talking about money, generosity, greed, and many other related emotions and feelings.

In the Sermon on the Mount, a passage we spent time studying a few months ago, Jesus tells us that, “Where our treasures are, there our heart will be also.”

The text we’re going to use today comes from Matthew 19:16-30.

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

¹⁶ Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother, and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”

²⁰ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

What’s going on here?

This is a man who has it all. He is financially and economically successful. He’s mastered the law. He, on the surface, is as perfect as he can be in terms of what a “good person” ought to be.

Yet he approaches Christ, doesn’t he? Even though he has done everything, even though he’s better than others, he wants more. He wants a guarantee.

And so he asks Jesus what he can do, on top of what he’s already done, that can bring him that guaranteed salvation.

In other words, on top of the law, how can I pad my résumé to really seal my case for making it to heaven?

But, notice how he asks.

What can I do to get the kingdom of God?

This is a man who isn’t interested in the relationship Christ is offering. He isn’t interested in the Kingdom life nor is he interested in truly following Christ.

He is looking for that “little extra” that will get him accepted.

Think about volunteering your time to make your college application look better.

Jesus engages the rich man

When the man asks which commands he should follow. Jesus tells him and the man answers that he’s kept them all. Imagine a slight, smug look on his face. Knowing his personal goodness.

But Jesus, following this, drops a bomb. He tells the man to go, sell his possessions and give them to the poor, and then he would have treasure in heaven.”

But this man went away sad, didn’t he?  Why?

Matthew says that, “When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.”

So, maybe you’re wondering how this has to do with generosity of money. How this has to do with generosity in general?

We will continue exploring this tomorrow!

Generosity: Time

 

Today we are continuing our series on generosity and what it means to be generous people. I think the topic of generosity has gotten a bit of a bad rap through the years. Whether or not that reputation is deserved (I would argue it is in many cases), we cannot ignore the truth that God calls us to be generous people.

And so, we’re going to be wrestling with this issue. Working to uncover some truth, and figure out ways to apply it to our lives as both, Christ followers, and as people who hope to find more balance in your life.

After all, while generosity is absolutely a spiritual principle, it’s one that all people, irregardless of faith, will find helpful and useful in your day-to-day life.

We never have enough time

To have any sort of conversation about time, about giving time, or about being generous with our time, we must first start with the truth that many of use have very little time to give.

This wasn’t supposed to be an issue.

With technology on the rise, and the potential aid it would provide, free time was supposed to increase. At least, that was what the top leaders believed about 50 years ago. One specific leader, giving testimony before a Senate subcommittee in 1967 predicted:

“…by 1985, people could be working just 22 hours a week or 27 weeks a year or could retire at 38.”

The major issue, as it was seen, was by the turn of the 21^st century, the biggest issues people would face would be how they would spend all this extra time created by faster machines and increases in technology.

We were optimistic…to put it gently.

We are slaves to a clock.

We dictate our lives by the things demanded of us, the things asked of us, the time taken from us.

According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, the average employed American works a 46-hour work week; 38% of the respondents in their study worked more than 50 hours per week.

That doesn’t include all the extras we put into our lives. We all have things we do after our work lives end. We have ball games, second jobs, families to care for, or musical performances. We have study groups or church events.

Life is like a glass, and the stuff we fill our lives with is like water. Have you ever noticed what happens when you completely fill a glass with water? I mean…completely.

You can fill it, and fill it, and fill it…and eventually, you’ll fill it to the point when you can’t fill it anymore without spilling it, right? That point, is actually more than the glass can actually hold. It’s that amazing point when the water is actually ballooning above the top of the glass.

That glass, if you were to add just another couple drops, would begin to leak down the sides of the glass.

And so, too, is our life. If we were to add just one or two more things, our schedule was spontaneously ignite and fall apart.

It’s with that knowledge that we are diving into this topic today. I know, full well, that this may result in a some fear, some anxiety and possibly some anger.

The rich fool: Luke 12:13-21

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Background: Jesus the Rabbi

Rabbis, of which Jesus group Jesus belonged, were often asked to interpret or pass down judgement on a particular law or rule regarding ethical matters.

This is what Jesus is confronted about in this text. He has an angry brother who, feeling slighted by his brother in regards to his inheritance.

Jesus turns the problem on its head

If there is anything we know about Jesus, it’s that he has this amazing ability to look past the prepackaged answers and get to the heart of the issues at hand.

The man was hoping Jesus would command his brother to give him the money he feels he is owed. Jesus, however, turns the question back at the man asking the question.

The beauty in this question is that, while Jesus could have made an ethical ruling based on hard evidence.

But Jesus chooses to question motivation. He goes past outward expectations, hard evidence, and visual proof, and chooses to bring to light the heart of a person asking this question…

What are you living for?

He asks it by telling a story.

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

A man who lives for himself

We are taught by our culture that we need to look out for ourselves, aren’t we? We’re taught that our happiness, our goals, our purpose is to look out for #1…me.

In this story, we see a man who has worked hard. Worked hard to store up for himself stuff that will allow him to live the rest of his life easy…without worry or need.

The insinuation in this story is that, he already had enough…he already had what he needed with the old barns…but when he came into another windfall, he tore down what he had, and built even more.

Instead of being generous with his blessings, he hoarded them and kept them for himself.

And so, in this parable, God tells the man who his greed has cost him his life. And he asks, who will get your wealth now? After all, you can’t take it with you when you die!

So, what can we learn from this man? How can we apply this story to our lives?

This story challenges us to take a look at two specific areas of our heart: Motivation, and priorities.

The first is motivation

There is an all-important question, as we work through what it means to be generous, that needs to be asked. Why? Why are you doing the activities you’re doing? What is your reason behind them?

Are you busy? Are you too busy?

Honestly, to be busy is not always a bad thing. To invest your life in things that matter, to invest your heart in things that matter, can lead us to a life of fulfillment and joy. There are people who, by personality alone, hate to sit and do nothing. They would rather be up, working, helping or serving, instead of sitting on the couch watching T.V.

So, we can’t always gauge rightness or wrongness by the amount of time we fill throughout the course of a day.

What can help us begin to gauge our life, and the events that fill it, is the simple question, “Why am I doing these things?”

Are you doing it out of a simple desire to serve?

Are you doing it out of a passion in side of you?

Are you doing it out of fear? Fear of what life will be like without that constant validation of your worth or importance?

Are you doing it out of self-importance? Do you feel like the world will grind to a halt if you stop filling your life with these activities?

The second is our priorities

Everyone is influenced by culture. We’re all carrying around with us the baggage of cultural assumptions, biases, or beliefs. We do our best to see the world objectively, but that is not always possible.

We are, as a people, bombarded with the message to, “Work hard.” We’re told, we live in America, and with this privilege (Which it is a privilege!) we can make as much as we want…we just have to work hard for it.

Now, in many ways, that is true. We are afforded the opportunity to live in a society that allows for innovation, creation, invention, and rewards hard work. That’s to be applauded.

The difficult part, though, is that we’re also taught that money is king! So, if money is king, and if we are to strive to make as much of it as possible, and if society rewards hard work, how will we make more money? Working harder!

There is a simple belief that works its way through every advertisement. It’s the cornerstone on which every commercial or radio spot is built…this truth that we need more.  We need to keep up. We need to maintain status.

Now, Napa is filled with nice cars. I don’t know if you guys realize how many there actually are…but I have honestly seen more Ferraris, Tesslas, and Bentlys here in the past 4 months than I have the past 27 years. It’s crazy.

And, as luck always seems to have it, I will pull up to it in my super-sweet 2001 Dodge Caravan! Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with my car. It runs great, I am blessed to have that reliable form of transportation. But, culturally, I am taught to be unhappy with what I have. I am taught to view my possessions as not enough.

Taught to strive for more. Work harder. Spend time away from my home. Invest in my job- in the hopes that I will one day earn enough for that Tessla, or that Ferrari.

Well, rude awakening…I am in the wrong career for a car like that!

But do you see how easily that works its way in?

And so, you can see, on the flip side, how we begin to prioritize work over God, family, or other relationships? We do it without ever thinking about it. It just creeps into our lives…and before we know it, we are captive to this way of thinking.

And we order our lives, and base our priorities on these beliefs.

So, what is Jesus asking of us?

Jesus is asking us, and challenging us to think about our lives. We need to make account for our time, our energy and the minutes we spend throughout the day.

We need to examine whether or not we are you motivated by the kingdom of God, or the world?

Do we find our mind is consumed by getting more? Or are we consumed with giving away?

Are we dedicated to protecting our family? Our personal health?

We will find that our motivations, our passions, and our obsessions will be what draws your attention, time, and energy.

This isn’t, in and of itself, a bad thing. Go created us to be passionate creatures. We’re designed in unique ways, with unique gifts. Elizabeth Potter talked about this last week. We have ways in which God intends to use us to impact this world. But all good things can be manipulated, twisted and broken.

Our materialistic, self-centered world will take what we’re naturally good at, and tell us that we need to use it only for ourselves. To please ourselves. To make “me” happy.

This can lead to skepticism

Often times, when someone hears the talk about being generous with time, they wait for the bombshell, “now give up stuff you’re doing, in order to give it to us.”

And to be honest, there are volunteer gaps in this church that we have need of filling…and that will only come out of the generosity of people here.

But, I want you to hear what I’m saying to you. This is deeper than just a, “I want you to give this church your time.”

Generosity, and the generous attitude are not optional for the Christ-follower. It’s not something we can pick and choose whether or not we want to follow.

And so, with this sermon, and with this message, I want to challenge with a homework assignment, and with a follow-up question.

First, the homework assignment: In your bulletin, you’ll find a week-long hourly worksheet. Take a few moments at the end of each day this week, and write an estimate of how you spent your time. It doesn’t have to be down to the minute. All I want you to see is the large chunk of time spent.

Then, ask yourself: “How are you using your time, and your talents, to impact the world?”

If we want to move forward as a church, and as people dedicating to serving our community, we need to take serious evaluation of how we’re spending our time and our energy.

If you call Living Vine home…

Because, and I want to be very frank here, the vast majority of work done in this church is done by a small percentage of people. And, for there to be success, we need more people to pick up the slack…to share in the load, and find ways to join with the mission of this church!

I hope, by now, you can begin to see the direction we’re going, and I hope that you can begin to buy into what we’re now, and will continue to be about.

If not, come talk to me. I’d love to share in more depth what we need here.

But two ways we’re moving forward is to continue to improve our Children’s Church experience. To create a space that welcomes young families, we need to be intentional about create a place that is safe, and let’s the parents know that we care about their children. We care about their safety. We want the parents to be able to, after entrusting their children to us, come, relax, and feel like their family belongs and matters

But that begins with time. We currently have 1 teacher in Children’s church. We really need two. That means there are possibilities for lots of people. If you’re not comfortable teaching, that’s fine! Come just be a helper. You don’t have to lead a lesson. Maybe you help a child color. Help pass out snacks, or other behind the scenes things.

It wouldn’t be every week. We currently are only having our teachers teach once a month, with every third month off. We don’t want to over work you. We want to be careful with our people’s time.

We will also need, as we’re beginning the process of planning a nursery, two workers in that room, too!

The reality is that the Kids church is an immediate need. We could use more volunteers next week!

And nursery is still in the brainstorming process.

Conclusion:

So, where does this leave us?

I have two thoughts for you.

First: If you find that you are completely overwhelmed by your life, your calendar and your schedule. Make it your mission to cut life to a manageable schedule. Find balance in less.

Second: If you find you are able to take on a bit more, if you want to serve our church, I invite you to take the next steps. Talk to me. We can find a way for you to serve that fits your gifts and your passions.