When I was a child and asked my mother for something, she would often remind me to say “please”. Then, after she gave me what I asked for, she would remind me to say, “thank you” by saying, “Now what do you say?” I knew what to say, but sometimes I would forget. We all know what to say, but unfortunately, we sometimes forget to say it.

Luke 17:11-19 is a story about ten lepers. A leper is a person who has a disease called leprosy. This disease causes sores all over the body. Leprosy was very common in Jesus’ day, and people who had this disease were thought to be unclean. They were required to stay away from other people because of the fear that they might infect them with their disease.

Priests had great power. Once a priest judged a person to be unclean, that person was cut off from society and family. He could not hold a job or engage in business. He was reduced to begging. To be restored to a normal life required a priest’s judgment that the person was no longer unclean. That was Jesus’ reason for sending these lepers to the priest-so that they might be restored to normal lives. Jesus had another underlying purpose. The lepers would bear testimony to the priests of Jesus’ great healing power. When the priests judged the lepers to be clean, their judgements would authenticate Jesus’ Godly power.

When Jesus told the men to visit the priests, He was telling them to get a certificate of release indicating they were free from the disease. As they followed His instructions, they were cleansed. He did not heal them on the spot. He did not heal them in a distant spot. He healed them as they moved to obey His orders.

When Jesus visited the lepers, He made a big statement. He was saying to them, “You have value to me because I created you in my image.” He also said to those who are not leprous, “These people are just as loved by me as you are.”

Jesus told the lepers to go show themselves to the priests. He directed them back to the temple. That is a challenge to our modern church. Whom have we cast out or ignored? Who are those considered “unclean” among us? They include divorced and remarried women, women who have had abortions, refugees, prisoners, ex-convicts and so on. We can also include members of the LGBTQ community, especially here in Canada. A resolution at the Anglican Church of Canada’s 2019 General Synod to allow same-sex marriages was defeated in the House of Bishops even though the majority of lay delegates and clergy delegates voted in favour of the resolution. When the results of the vote were announced, there was a huge sense of sadness. Supporters can take some comfort in the fact that there is a local option where bishops of individual Dioceses can authorize clergy to perform same-sex weddings.

The ten lepers didn’t ask for healing. They were looking for pity or a handout. When they obeyed Jesus’ instructions, He gave them much more than they asked for. When God tells us to do something small, all we have to do is obey Him! When we obey Him, He may surprise us by giving us more than we would have ever dared ask of Him.

What was a Samaritan (a foreigner) doing among nine Jews? Leprosy made misery their common denominator, and they joined together in a community of woe. Out of all those who had been healed, the one knowing the least about Jesus returned to thank Him. The most religious people are not always the ones who see life’s graces or think to say thanks. The lepers were Jesus’ fellow Israelites. They knew that He has been healing those in need and they showed Him due respect. The Samaritan-who worshipped God differently enough to be a non-Jewish outsider-knew that Jesus’ power was of God and that to thank Jesus was to glorify God.

The Samaritan was an outsider, and he saw Jesus for who He really is and turned back to throw himself at Jesus’ feet while praising God. In doing so, he showed not that Jesus has come for everyone but that those who are on the margins of society are most likely to see God working through Jesus. The insiders often miss this, preferring to work within the confines of the established institution.

As sinners, we have been defiled with the leprosy of sin. We should put our faith in God and obey His commands with confidence that He will heal us if we follow His instructions. This will be evidence that we have made peace with God.

While the one who returned had the same experience as the others, he had a different expression as a result of this experience. The other nine lepers were healed, but only one was made well. Being made well is more important than being healed. Unless gratitude is part of our human nature, we can’t be whole people. The other nine were merely healed. If ingratitude is more deadly than leprosy, the nine were in worse shape than before. Only one came back and was made whole.

Why didn’t the other nine return? Were they ungrateful, or did they just not know a return to say “thanks” was an expectation? Were they careless, or were they carried away in a mad fury to show their newly healed skin to those they were separated from by that dreadful bacteria? Were they distracted by the celebration with one another? Were they ungrateful, or were they swept up in the possibility of their new lives given in healing? Did they simply forget?

Jesus’ words in verses 17-19 reveal a note of sadness and surprise. The nine Jewish lepers who had been healed went away, clutching their blessings to themselves. Only the Samaritan returned, and Jesus rewarded him with a healing beyond the physical. The power of God cleansed him inwardly from the stain of sin.

One of the most prevalent sins today is ingratitude. God does so much for us, but we rarely (if ever) offer thanks for what He has done. In fact, many Christians fail to offer thanks over their meals, much less offer thanks over all that God does for them in their lives. They are like the little boy who was given an orange by a man. The boy’s mother asked, “What do you say to the nice man?” The little boy thought, handed the orange back to the man and said, “Peel it.”

Gratitude allows us to forgive everyone who has hurt us, especially our parents. Whatever they were, we can forgive them and bless them for our own sake. I know, because I’ve experienced this within my own family. One of my nephews had a difficult relationship with his father for several years because his parents divorced when he was a young child. His father was my brother. That rift was not completely healed until my brother was on his deathbed. His family was at his bedside, and my nephew spent a lot of time talking to his father even though his father could not speak because he was in a coma. At one point we were asked to leave while my brother’s breathing tube was removed at the family’s request. I saw my nephew in the hallway, and I could tell that he was upset. I asked him what was wrong and he said, “I never should have stopped talking to him after he took her side…” I asked my nephew if he was able to forgive his father, and he said, “Yes.” Jesus tells us to bless people who have hurt us, especially our parents. The Bible tells us that if we can’t forgive our parents, our days will be shortened.

Nothing pleases God more than faith, and faith is always expressed and made real through action. If we need a miracle or answer from God (just like the Samaritan leper), we have to do more than just believe that God can do it. We have to respond to our belief with gratitude. As the old saying goes, actions do speak louder than words.

The Samaritan leper praised God, but he still had problems. He lived as an outcast with no family, no job, no home and no village. In spite of these problems, he still praised God. Similarly, all of us have problems. We can focus on our belief that God is bigger than all of our problems and that He is present in the midst of our problems.

For the Samaritan leper, his encounter with Jesus was a life-changing invitation into a kingdom and a new community, into life as a new creation. When he fell at Jesus’ feet, he saw the Son of God who made him well. The Samaritan’s response is a model of discipleship, believing and faith. His grateful response to his healing was the start of a process of reaction. We are not called to respond as he did. We are called to imagine our own grateful response.

Several years ago a dog became stranded in the water at the bottom of a canal in Romania. A passerby saw the dog crying and trying to climb the wall to safety. The passerby scaled the wall, jumped into the water and carried the dog to dry land. The dog ran away and shook itself, but then it quickly returned, ran to its rescuer and showered the man with lots of nuzzles and licks.

We can learn a lot from the dog. Only one of the ten lepers Jesus healed returned to give thanks. Everyone who believes in Christ has been rescued and healed. We’re the most blessed people on earth. Some days may be harder than others, and some seasons of life might be tumultuous. But gratitude isn’t situational. It isn’t based on what we have or what we are, but on our relationship with the God who pulled us out of deep waters, set our feet on a rock, and put a new song of praise in our mouths.

Like the leper, on the way, we are being cured when:

1. A person who loves us tells us a hard truth we need to hear about ourselves.
2. We experience, in a loving relationship, opportunities for growth in generosity, forgiveness, patience and humour.
3. Parenting teaches us to give our lives for another in frequent doses of our time, energy, hopes and tears.
4. We suffer a broken relationship, go for counselling and the guidance we receive gives us hope for our future.
5. We seek help for an addiction and the group members offer us wisdom, support and helping hands when we fall and support us “one day at a time.”
6. We suffer the death of a loved one and family and friends are there to grieve with us and eventually there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Has Jesus done great things for us? Have we returned to give Him thanks? God loves to shower us with blessings, but He is not immune from the pain our lack of gratitude brings Him.  It’s easy to spend our lives worrying and obsessing over the problems of life. It’s also easy to overlook a blessing in times of need or forget to be thankful when troubled times have been put to rest. We must make certain that we don’t become one of the nine lepers who were so happy to be cured that they forgot who cured them.

This passage shows faithfulness in two ways. First, the Samaritan recognizes that mercy has come from Jesus, and returning to thank Jesus is a form of faithfulness to the mercy of God that has been shown. Second, the Samaritan’s thankfulness for his physical healing is a sign of deeper, spiritual healing-and that is our true salvation.

Faith is not only a matter of believing. It is also a matter of seeing. All the lepers were healed, but one saw, noticed, let what happened sink in…and it made a difference. This story is an invitation to recognize that what we see makes a difference. In the face of danger, do we see danger or opportunity? In the face of human need, do we see demand or gift? In the face of the stranger, do we see a potential enemy or a potential friend?

One of the simplest and most powerful ways we can show God’s love for others is by treating them with dignity, no matter who they are or what their relationship to us. When we take time to notice them, greet them and meet their eyes-especially those who serve us-and we speak kindly and patiently with them-even when we feel we are not being well treated-this gives them dignity and shows God’s love.

A life of faith is a life of thankfulness. Leprosy is not unlike a condition that is afflicting us, though ours is much graver. While the lepers were separated from worship in the Temple and the presence of God by their disease, we are eternally separated from God by our sinfulness. There is nothing we can do to heal ourselves. We need a Saviour to perform a miracle, and He did. He cured our problem-spiritual death. Even better, He bestowed on us spiritual life for eternity.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1420)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
3. Larsen, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 249-253)
4. “’Please’ and ‘Thank You.’” Retrieved from www.Sermons4KIds.com
5. Daniel Darling, “The Ten Percent Rule.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
6. Joni Eareckson Tada, “A Surprise for Your Obedience.” Retrieved from communications@joniandfriends.org
7. Ron Moore, “Returning for Thanks.” Retrieved from www.ronmoore.org
8. Mike Benson, “Thankful.” Retrieved from kneemail@welovegod.org
9. Bobby Schuller, “Decisions=Actions.” Retrieved from hourofpower@hourofpower.org
10. Jill Carattini, “Body of Hope.” Retrieved from slice@sliceofinfinity.org
11. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Give Thanks Loudly.” Retrieved from communications@joniandfriends.org
12. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Luke 17:11-19.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
13. Dr. David Jeremiah, “Puppy Love.” Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org
14. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 28^th Sunday, -C-.” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
15. Ryan Duncan, “What are You Thankful For?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
16. Bob Christopher, “Something Good for the Soul.” Retrieved from bob@basicgospel.net
17. Diana Kerr, “Follow Your ‘Please’ With a ‘Thank -you.’” Retrieved from www.christianity.com/devotionals/grace-moments-devotions-grace-moments-devotions-june-6-2018.html#
18. Michael Youssef, Ph.D.,” Our Leprosy.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
19. Katherine Lewis, “The Rhythms of Faith.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=4726
20. John W. Martens, “Lessons from the 10 Lepers.” Retrieved from www.americamagazine.org/faith/2016/09/22/lessons-10-lepers

21. David Lose, “Commentary on Luke 17:11-19.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=783

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In a few days Canadians will be celebrating Thanksgiving. This is the season where we give thanks to God for everything he has given us. We thank God for providing for our needs, and we especially give thanks for the gift of the harvest, whether it is from the land or the sea.

Giving thanks to God dates back to Old Testament times. In Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Moses commanded the Israelites to give thanks to God for delivering them from slavery in Egypt. They were to give thanks by giving God the first fruits of the harvest. They could not take anything for themselves until they gave the first fruits to God.

The concept of giving God the first fruits was rooted in divine property rights. All created beings of any kind belonged to God and were regarded as holy. Before the harvest could be eaten by humans, it had to be “redeemed” from profane use. If this was not done, divine justice demanded retribution. The only way to resolve this situation was to give back to God the first part of the taboo object-in this case, the harvest. This nullified God’s property rights.

The passage from Deuteronomy 26:1-11 deals with the concept of stewardship. Specifically, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, it refers to offering to God the first fruits of our labour as an act of worship, thanksgiving and dedication of ourselves and our possessions to God. By doing this, we commit ourselves to living in God’s way. We, like the Israelites, must remember and tell others how God has rescued us in the past. These remembrances strengthen our faith and give us the courage to endure in difficult times. God created us to be close to him, and rejoicing in God is a great and powerful way to draw close to him.

One of the greatest gifts God gives us is the peace that is beyond our understanding. We are encouraged to conduct ourselves in such a way that we bring that peace. Pausing to express gratitude for our blessings breathes life into our souls, especially in times of trial and heartache.

True thanksgiving means thanking God for our talents and abilities by accepting them as obligations to be invested in the common good. In other words, we are to use our talents and abilities to do God’s work in our world. True thanksgiving means thanking God for all that people have done for us by doing things for others. We must thank God for blessing us, and in return we must bless others.

Sometimes we have to wait until the fruits of God’s labour appear. Why?  God might be preparing us to receive his blessings. He is often teaching us to have faith in him. Sometimes God will withhold blessings to protect us from harm that we can’t see.

We need to rejoice in that which is guaranteed-God. We need to give thanks for that which can never be taken away. God never fades, and for that we can rejoice. We are to tell God what we need. Praying about everything, including everything we need, shuts out worry. In the words of the famous song recorded a few years ago by Bobby McFerrin:

Here’s a little song I wrote

You might want to sing it note for note

Don’t worry

Be happy.

In every life we have some trouble

When you worry you make it double

Don’t worry

Be happy

When you worry your face will frown

That will bring everybody down

Don’t worry

Be happy

Prayer invites God to be involved in all areas of our lives. When he is involved in our lives, we have nothing to fear.

In order to have a right relationship with God, we need to have an attitude of gratefulness. We need to be thankful. For example, in Luke’s version of the Parable of the Ten Lepers, which is found in Luke 17:11-19, Jesus healed ten lepers when they cried out to him. He commanded them to go and show themselves to the priest in the temple, but only one of them came back to give Jesus thanks. We are to be like the one who returned and gave thanks, and not like the other nine who were ungrateful. We need to give to God out of the blessings that he has given us. This is where the concept of tithing, or giving God 10 percent of our income, comes from.

We must have an attitude of obedience to God and his word. We must not equate faith with our desired outcomes. To do so means that we do not trust in God’s greater plan and purpose. The mark of a Christian is joy, especially the joy that is expressed in giving thanks to God.

We need prayer and supplication. Paul’s offer of prayer in Philippians 4:4-9 is not an easy solution or a magic formula or a bedtime repetition of words that we have labeled prayer. Paul is talking about the serious business of bring our lives before God, examining our dependence on God, placing our lives in God’s hands to be used, remembering and celebrating what God has already done, confessing our needs and dedicating our gifts, and committing ourselves and all that we are to make our common cause God’s kingdom, not our own kingdom.

Prayer, supplication and requests are not to be separated. They include genuine thankfulness regardless of our circumstances. God loves us and provides for our needs, both here and through eternity. God loves to hear our prayers because he is always ready to give his grace to his children, but God gives with wisdom. He gives gifts that help us to learn and grow. He gives us the resources to deal with the issues we face.

The greatest gift God gives us is the gift of eternal life. To enjoy it, we must constantly feed on his word, which is the Bread of Life Jesus refers to in John 6:25-35. When he made this statement, Jesus identified himself as being completely with God. God offers this bread of life along with spiritual water to drink when we come to him in faith by prayer. When we eat the spiritual bread, we can be sure of our eternal salvation.

Jesus’ bread of life speech takes place just after the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. The people wanted more of the free physical food Jesus offered, but they did not want the spiritual food. They are like some of us. People want forgiveness, but they do not want to repent. They want to go to heaven and wear the crown, but they don’t want to bear the cross here on earth. Christianity is a package deal. We can’t pick and choose what we want. Christianity is not the same as going to a restaurant. It is like a meal our parents made for us. We had to eat what was on our plate or else! This does not mean that we do not have to make any effort to satisfy our physical needs. On the contrary, Paul states in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 that if a man doesn’t work, he shouldn’t eat. Jesus must be the primary focus of our labours.

Like the Israelites, we come to Jesus asking for bread too. Our prayers reveal our true opinions about Jesus. We can be just as near-sighted or selfish as the Israelites were. We are often consumed with our current needs and desires, but we don’t always see the eternal gifts Christ offers us. We ask him to help us through our needs and problems, but we don’t give any thought to his kingdom and the role he wants us to play in that kingdom.

Prayer has potential, but we use so little of it. We can use the word ACTS to learn prayer’s full potential. ACTS is an acrostic.

• A stands for Adoration. Our prayers should include adoration and praise for God.
• C stands for Confession. We should confess our sins before God.
• T stands for Thanksgiving. Who among us has nothing for which we can give thanks?
• S stands for Supplication or asking. It includes prayers for us and for others. We don’t have trouble asking, because often our prayers consist of nothing else.

It would be a good exercise for us to go through this checklist when we say our prayers.

Jesus invites us to take part in his feast for the soul. He urges us to eat until we are full. Only he can satisfy our deepest hunger-the quest for eternal fellowship with him. Our main purpose in life is to get spiritual nourishment and eternal life by listening to and obeying the word of God. Keeping eternal life in front of us and eating the bread of life won’t make us lazy, shoddy or gloomy workers. We will bring joy and excellence to our work because we know him, trust him, treasure him and aim to make much of him. Everything we do in his name and for his glory will be rewarded in heaven.

Bibliography

1. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Thanksgiving Sunday in Canada, Oct. 10, 2010. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org
2. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, 1^st Sunday in Lent, Year C. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org
3. Exegesis for Deuteronomy 26:1-11. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
4. Maxwell, J.C. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series; Vol. 5, Deuteronomy (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)
6. Dr. Harold Sala, “Thanksgiving”. Retrieved from www.guidelines.org
7. Mary Southerland, “Winning Over Worry, Part 3”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
8. Dr. Charles Stanley, “God Acts on Our Behalf”. Retrieved from Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “How to Pray”. Retrieved from www.leadingtheway.org
10. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.,: The Preacher’s Commentary Series; Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
11. Bobby Schuller, “Releasing Expectations”. Retrieved from www.hourofpower.org
12. James MacDonald, “Pray About It”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
13. Exegesis for Philippians 4:4-9. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
14. Rev. Calvin Hoogendoorn, “Joy in the Midst of Anxiety”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net
15. Michael E. Brooks, “Anxiety”. Retrieved from www.forthright.net
16. Amy Carroll, “Making a List and Checking It Twice”. Retrieved from Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
17. Dr. Harold Sala, “Making a Growth Industry of Worry”. Retrieved from www.guideleines.org
18. Craig Condon, “The Bread of Life”. Retrieved from www.sermonsfrommyheart.blogspot.ca
19. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “I Am the Bread of Life”. Retrieved from www.leadingtheway.org
20. Greg Laurie, “More Bread Please”. Retrieved from Greg_Laurie_Daily_Devotions@crosswalkmail.com
21. David McCasland, “Until You ARE full”. Retrieved from www.rbc.org
22. Marvin Williams, “More than Loaves”. Retrieved from www.rbc.org
23. John Piper, “Do Not Labour for the Food That Perishes”. Retrieved from www.desiringgod.org
24. Exegesis for John 6:25-35. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
25. Rev. Wayne Palmer, “Short Sighted”. Retrieved from www.lhm.org
26. Frederickson, R.L & Ogilvie, L.J.,: The Preacher’s Commentary Series; Vol. 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985)
27. Jill Carattini, “The Weight of Hope”. Retrieved from www.sliceofinfinity.org

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What advice would you give to someone if you knew that you were talking to them for the last time?

That question was on the apostle Paul’s mind when he wrote his final letter to Timothy. The passage from 2 Timothy 1:1-14 is part of Paul’s last letter and was written from his prison cell in Rome. He doesn’t focus on his circumstances or his impending death. Instead, he focuses on the promise of life in Christ. Any Christian’s earthly circumstances pale in comparison to the glory of eternity.

Four times in this passage Paul uses a form of the verb, “to remember”-remembering, being mindful, remembrance, remind. No Christian is an island. All God’s people stand on the shoulders of those who have preceded them. Paul encourages us to follow his example when it comes to living the Christian life. In particular, he urges us to use the gifts God has given us. These gifts fade in strength when they aren’t used.

For example, the greatest gift parents and grandparents can give their children is the heritage of genuine faith. An important question for any Christian to ask is: If you were standing on the threshold of eternity and looking back over your life, would you be able to see that your faith lives on in others, especially in your family members?

A few years ago, someone wrote to Billy Graham. The writer wondered how his grandmother, who had recently died, got a very strong faith. In his reply, Billy Graham said the following words:

“The Bible (which is God’s Word) undoubtedly became important to her, as did prayer, and fellowship with other believers in her church. She also grew stronger spiritually by helping others and witnessing for Christ. The same can be true for us.”

Fear usually enters our lives when we focus on our situation and abilities instead of God’s sovereignty and attributes. Following fear to its logical conclusion will eliminate all opportunities for service. If we remember our spiritual heritage and friendships, as well as God’s calling on our lives and the spiritual gifts he has given us, we will be encouraged as we move forward in faith. It will ignite a fire within us. If the fire of our faith goes out, it can be rekindled. All we have to do is make some changes and do some rearranging. For example, we can join or start a Bible study.

All open doors offer two choices: to walk by faith or to be controlled by fear. Persecution, infighting, and false teaching all threatened the Ephesian church that Timothy shepherded. They will also threaten Christians in the last days before Christ returns. The fearful will drop out, but those who grab hold of the courage, compassion and self-control that God makes available will be able to stand fast until God completes His work in them.

Christians will suffer for Christ in some way in this life, but it is far better that one’s faith be marked by suffering than by shame at Christ or those who proclaim Him. Paul did not want Timothy to misunderstand his imprisonment. Paul understood who he served, and he was not ashamed. We can expect to face suffering and persecution just like Christ did. The glorious message of salvation is worthy of our suffering. God’s grace and purpose bring life. Obeying God is the central purpose of Christian lives. That obedience includes love, mercy, justice and caring for the poor. All of these involve giving and sacrifice.

The key to successfully accomplishing these tasks is our intention and not our performance. When our desire to love and serve Christ is strong, our performance will be positively influenced. When our performance does not meet our intentions, we will experience anew God’s grace and mercy.

If we have Christ in our lives, we have nothing to be afraid of when we share the Gospel. We don’t have to be trained speakers, gifted salesmen or educated teachers. All we need is a strong faith in Christ.

God saves us for the purpose of furthering the gospel, and not as a reward for our works. Good works are a response to God’s work in the life of a believer. Paul uses the term “has saved’ to indicate that believers have been saved already, and the results of that salvation continue into the present.

We live in a dark world that gives us a lot to fear. As long as we live, there is always something in our lives that is at risk. We can choose to surrender to that fear and let it rule our lives, or we can surrender all those things we love and fear we will lose to Christ and live a life without fear.

Paul was confident in his mission, and he understood the importance of carrying out that mission. He knew that faith is not a one-time act, but something that includes the past, present and future. Because of his faith, he found strength instead of shame when he faced opposition and persecution.

One thing we don’t have to fear as Christians is death, because Christ abolished that fear on the cross. Christ’s saving work not only relieved believers of the fear of eternal death, or separation of the soul and body from God, but it also removed the fear of physical and spiritual death. Death can’t separate us from God’s love anymore. Jesus replaced it with life and immortality.

Even when he faced execution, Paul’s hope and joy never wavered because he knew the power of Christ to faithfully deliver him into eternity. Paul had both a living faith and a faith unto death.

The gospel must be guarded as a treasure. Its words are right, healthy and whole and must not be tampered with. If anyone thinks he or she can adequately watch over this gift, he or she needs to remember Paul’s words to Timothy, especially his instructions to rely on the Holy Spirit’s help.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, P. 1717)
2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Demarest, G. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 32: 1,2 Thessalonians/1,2 Timothy/Titus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984; pp. 240-256)
4. Macarthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Billy Graham, “How Did My Grandmother Get Such Strong Faith?” Retrieved from http://www.arcamax.com/healthandspirit/religion/billygraham
6. Charles R. Swindoll, “Sincere Faith at Home.” Retrieved from eministries@insightforliving.ccsend.com
7. Christine Caine, “Landing Safely.” Retrieved from Biblegateway@e.biblegateway.com
8. “Overcoming the Fear of Sharing the Gospel.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
9. Dr. David Jeremiah, “The Secret to Soul-Winning.” Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org
10. “Decision Making.” Retrieved from Oneplace@crosswalkmail.com
11. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Standing Up.” Retrieved from http://www.ltw.org

Have you ever noticed that some of the greatest or most beautiful things in life come from things that are very small?

Let me give you an example. How many of you plant vegetables or flowers? Plants and flowers start as seeds. Once these seeds are planted, they slowly grow into plants and vegetables of different sizes. All you have to do is look at pumpkins that are entered into various weigh-ins at this time of year. Some of them weigh hundreds of pounds, but they all started from a small seed.

Faith is like a seed. It starts as something small and over time grows into something larger that allows us to do great things in Christ’s name. Many people believe they would be better equipped to live the Christian life if God wold only grant them more faith. Jesus focused not on the quantity of faith but its character. More faith does not equal greater ability to accomplish things, since God is the One who does the work. The Lord is able to accomplish great things with only a grain of genuine faith. Even an small amount of faith can lead to remarkable results if it is the result of a genuine trust in God.

When we ask for more faith like the disciples did in Luke 17:5-10, it’s often because we are facing difficulties in life and we fear that our faith will weaken or that it won’t match the trials we are facing.  Jesus tells both the disciples and us that the quantity of faith we have is not important. What matters is the quality of our faith. A small amount of faith will enable us to do great things for God. Having faith does not mean that we will have the power to perform crowd-pleasing miracles. Sometimes the simplest things done in faith can have huge impacts. Our response to the gift of faith is the desire and ability to do what Jesus asks us to do, including great things.

Jesus illustrated His teaching on faith by pointing to a nearby mulberry tree-a large, stout tree know for its longevity and deep root system. Our faith is to be like the mulberry tree-large, strong, long-lasting and deeply rooted in the love we have for God.

When we struggle against life’s injustices and wrongs, we are reminded that the good work we do is a gift from God. That gift is sufficient to enable us to do what needs to be done to further God’s dominion on earth. Faith is putting one foot in front of the other and walking toward a future we do not see but trust that God is working. Faith is heading out the door every day looking for opportunities to do God’s work in the world.

Christ’s standards might seem to be too high, but they represent the minimum duties for a servant of Christ. When we obey Christ, we are not to think that our obedience is meritorious.  Servants are expected to do the will of their masters or employers; their work is not a favour but a required service. A servant of God seeks to obey God’s commands without question and without bargaining for a reward. When we follow Jesus’ teachings, we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. God owes us nothing, and we owe him everything, even our lives. We are not owed any special favours or rewards for our good works. We will be rewarded in heaven.

When it comes to obeying Jesus, full faith is needed. If we want to increase our faith, we must understand what faith is, and we must be rightly motivated in wanting to see our faith increase. These motives are:

1. Wanting to please God.
2. Wanting to do good works of love, which is a mark of a true Christian.
3. An effective prayer life.
4. Wanting to live by faith.

God wants to strengthen our faith through the hardships He allows into our lives. God works in all kinds of circumstances, among all types of people, in all kinds of situations. He is with us wherever there is even faith as small as a mustard seed. He is alive wherever we practice the faith we already have.

There are two ways to build our faith-repetition and impartation from God. Our faith builds as we see God working in our lives and we come to trust Him more and more because we see that He is faithful to us. When God imparts faith to us, it is for a specific purpose or task. This is the type of faith we received when we trusted God to save us. When we act in faith, we will grow in faith. Faith is like a muscle. The more we use it, the stronger it gets.

Faith isn’t a game plan for solving our problems. Faith does not mean understanding why things are the way they are. Faith isn’t about answers. It’s about the love of God through Jesus. It’s about being grasped by Jesus so that we know in our hearts and bones that our lives, his life and the world are mixed together. It’s about God working through us.

If we live our lives according to the pattern Jesus laid out for us, we should not expect any special commendations or rewards. Following His pattern is simply the way to live life. We are only doing what He expects us to do. It is the life we are expected to live by serving God. Faith is found in the ordinary, daily acts of doing what needs to be done, responding to the needs around us and caring for others.

Sometimes having faith means having our thoughts, feelings and actions transformed by God. It means being a “slave” to God and being wholly devoted to God’s purposes in the world. Faith is just doing our job, or our duty, not because of any sense of reward but simply because it needs doing.

God is gracious to us. Each day He gives us the faith we need to face whatever the day brings. We can grow weary, and we need to be waited on. That’s what God does for us. He has us sit around His banquet table. He serves us with a special chosen Word to encourage us. He gives us bread and wine to renew us with Jesus’ life. We are renewed and we can go back to everyday life.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1419-1420)
2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 27^th Sunday -C-.” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
4. Larsen, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol.26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983, pp.248-249)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Version (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. T.M. Moore, “Why More Faith?” Retrieved from noreply@ailbe.org
7. Lois Malcolm, “Commentary on Luke 17:5-10.” Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1785
8. David Lose, “Everyday Faith.” Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=2773
9. Bishop Kenneth Carter, “increase Our Faith.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
10. The Rt. Rev. Porter Taylor, “Opening Up to Faith.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
11. Preaching Magazine, Fall 2016 (Nashville, TN: Salem Publishing, pp. 67-68)
12. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 27^th Sunday -C-, October 2, 2016.” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
13. Richard Inness, “Exegesis for Luke 17:5-10.” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
14. Evangelectionary for Oct. 2, 2016. Retrieved from http://www.evangelismconnections.org/evangelectionary-for-october-2-2-16-worldwide-communion-sunday
15. “Pentecost 20 C: Every Day Acts of Faith.” Retrieved from noreply+feedproxy@google.com

How many of you have heard of the American Dream?

It’s not a dream that is limited to the United States. In fact, it’s a worldwide phenomenon. It is the desire to pursue prosperity, success and upward social mobility. While it is not wrong to be successful in life, the pursuit of the American Dream can work against us. It interferes with our ability to find contentment in what God provides for us. We seek more money, power, benefits and so on, and that often forces us to miss the opportunity to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Since the dawn of history, man has tried to be independent of God. It’s in our nature to be self-sufficient and self-supporting. This does not bring us face to face with our need to depend on God every day. True godliness means that a person trusts God to provide for everything and learns to be content with what He gives. God is not opposed to our having good things. In fact, every good thing we enjoy comes as God’s gift. We must not confuse the gift with the Giver.

Growth in godliness does not necessarily lead to material gain or wealth. The idea that we are complete without having enough money or material goods is foreign to us. The world tells us to get as much money or other goods as possible.

Contrary to the popular saying, money is not the root of all evil. It is the love of money that is the problem. The pursuit of money or all the things it can buy is the problem. It shows that we are putting our faith, our sense of security and our hope for the future in material goods. Instead, we need to put our hope in God.

This does not mean that we should not save money for retirement or other emergencies. Accumulating wealth so that we are not a burden on others is a wise move. From a spiritual point of view, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25-34 that God will take care of our basic needs. God is our sole provider and if we focus on the necessities of life, we can be content. Those who want to get rich often fall into temptation.

Paul tells Timothy and us in 1 Timothy 6:6-19 that true ministry is not motivated by greed but by the reality of eternal life and an awareness of accountability to God. True joy can only be found in a relationship with Christ. When we have faith, we are no longer slaves to our circumstances. When we combine our love for God with acceptance of His will for our lives, we will find great gain. When we rely on him alone, we will experience our greatest happiness and freedom.

The subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) temptation of any culture is to disregard eternal values for temporary gains. Yet no person takes his money with him when he dies. That’s why you never see a U-Haul behind a hearse in a funeral procession. This is why money is such a poor object for our affection and trust. It does not last beyond this life. A far better plan is to put it to good use here on earth by giving as much as possible to help others. Between this life and the next, believers must trust God to provide.

Most early believers were poor, but there were some rich believers. The rich were given four specific commands.;

1. Don’t be haughty.
2. Trust God, not wealth.
3. Do good.
4. Be rich in good works, giving and sharing

Godly people know what they flee from: the love of money. One of greed’s many dangers is its ability to make people err in the faith and become unfruitful. The rich are to give some of their money to the poor. The sense of accumulating wealth for personal security or comfort is foreign to Jesus. The unchecked desire for money leads to the love of money, and the love of money is the root of all evil. The love of money is called greed. This evil is one of many evils that we have to confront.

We don’t have all of the skills or knowledge to fight every evil. Our efforts are better spent focusing on only one or two issues. We are to fight evil, but we must also recognize when it is best to flee from evil.

It’s not wrong for Christians to have money-even a great deal of money-as long as that money does not have them. According to Paul, the problem comes when accumulating wealth becomes the focus of our lives. When money begins to rule lives, people fall prey to greed. Greed is not only an obstacle to achieving godliness and contentment. It is a gateway to all kinds of evil.

It’s like the burglar who was caught in the act of breaking into a house. He was taken to court and found guilty. Before he passed sentence, the judge asked the burglar if he wanted to say anything in his own defense.

The burglar said, “Well, Your Honour, its like this. The more a man has, the more a man wants.” The judge replied, “Is that so. Well, I tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to sentence you to fifteen years in jail. How many more would you like?”

The godly are known not just by what they flee from but by what they follow after, fight for and are faithful to. Paul used the active verbs pursue, fight, lay hold on and keep. Believers should strive for these qualities as long as they live.

Paul calls Timothy a man of God. This term is found only twice in the New Testament, but over 70 times in the Old Testament. It often refers to prophets-people who spoke for God. For believers today, a man or a woman of God is someone who belongs to God, is dedicated to God, finds true joy in God, and lives for the glory of God. In Paul’s eyes, Timothy was such a man.

The balance in a bank account does not determine a person’s ability to be rich toward God. Those who are good stewards in God’s economy make investments in eternity by sharing their earthly resources-whether many or few-with the church and those in need.

Pride is one of the dangers of being wealthy. Wealth brings a sense of achievement. It also brings power and privilege. There is no room for pride in God’s kingdom. In fact, there are some Christians who are adopting a simpler, less expensive lifestyle in order to direct more money to helping the poor and spreading the Good News.

A willingness to share what we have with others is a mark of Christianity. When we share with others, it breaks materialism’s hold on us. If we focus on giving our resources (including giving tithes and offerings), the result leads to worship and praise. We can take the treasures we have been entrusted with in this life and invest them in the life to come. Jesus even tells us to store up treasures in heaven.

Where there is wealth, pride is often nearby. Believers can counter this temptation to haughtiness in three ways:

1. By concentrating on good works.
2. By giving generously.
3. By trusting in the living God alone.

It is more difficult for people to take pride in earthly possessions when they realize that all they have comes from the Lord and is only temporary. Jesus wants us to use the money God has given us to bring people to Christ. Godliness will pay in both this life and in eternity. It makes sense to make the pursuit of godliness a priority.

Faith is a constant struggle that requires effort. We must always confess Jesus as Saviour and Lord all the time. Confessing means speaking out in faith. As Christians, we can enjoy life because our consciences are clear. We can have fun and laugh in church. We can enjoy friends and family. In the long run we are better off if we let the godliness of Christ within us and contentment give us the greatest gains of all, moment by moment.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1711-1712)
2. Demarest, G.W. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 32: 1,2 Thessalonians/1,2, Timothy/Titus (Nashville, TN.: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984, pp. 223-232)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Version (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles, 2005)
5. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
6. Pastor David McGee, “Godly Contentment.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com
7. Selwyn Hughes, “God’s Four Purposes for Money.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
8. Selwyn Hughes, “True Contentment.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
9. Pastor Rick Warren, “The Best Financial Investment You Can Make.” Retrieved form connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
10. Bayless Conley, “The Reward of Godliness.” Retrieved from www.answersrbc.org
11. Pastor Rick Warren, “How God Helps you Enjoy Life.” Retrieved form connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
12. Alan Smith, “Needing to Share.” Retrieved from thought-for-the-day@hub.xc.org
13. Joan Walker Hahn, “Now That’s Priceless.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
14. Pastor Jeff Schreve, “Are You experiencing Life Indeed?” Retrieved from pastorjeff@fromhisheart.org
15. Katie Emery, “God Pause for Wednesday, 9/21/2016.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu
16. Sandra Hermann, “The Power of Money.” Retrieved from https://store.sermonsuite.com/printer.php?i=788040809
17.  

Come and see.

Think for a moment about the effect those words might have on you if you were to hear them in an everyday context. Would they generate a sense of excitement about whatever it might be you were being invited to witness? Perhaps they might ignite your curiosity. Perhaps you might be thankful that someone thought to include you.

Come and see.

The words are both simple and warm, issuing an invitation not only to see something, but also to join a community. To come along and be part of something.

Come and see.

Have you ever used those words to invite friends to come to church with you? Have you ever talked to your friends about Jesus and what He has done in your life? If some laugh and say you’re foolish to believe as you do, don’t argue with them. Be friendly and accept them as Jesus does. After a while, your friends may be curious and willing to “come and see” what church is all about. Best of all, they may come to know Jesus.

We see a good example of this in the passage we heard from John’s Gospel. Philip invited Nathaniel to come and see the long-promised Messiah. The law and the prophets were the two most important parts of the Hebrew Scriptures. Philip told Nathaniel that he found the one that the Scriptures had been telling them to anticipate. The Messiah was now in their midst, but He went beyond the prophets of the Old Testament. He was the Word-the one who most perfectly revealed God and God’s will.

Nathaniel couldn’t believe that the Messiah came from Nazareth. Nathaniel was prejudiced. He came from Cana, which was another town in Galilee. Galileans were hated by the Judaeans, and Galileans hated people who came from Nazareth. The reason might be because Nazareth was an insignificant village that didn’t have prophetic importance. Today, many people allow their minds to be filled with prejudice against religion, and they pronounce their prejudice without examining the subject. The invitation to come and see is an invitation to join Jesus as He walks in the footsteps of the poor and stands in solidarity with those who suffer from systems of injustice and prejudice.

The darkness of the sin called prejudice allows us to sit and judge everyone and everything around us. It allows us to jump to conclusions about people without knowing their full story. It’s too bad for the people who don’t fit into our nice, neat categories. It doesn’t matter if it’s a nerdy kid at school who doesn’t dress like we do or that estranged family member, the strange neighbour or a congregation full of hypocrites. We even do the same with God. We judge His holiness and faithfulness by the circumstance of our lives. We don’t give God the right to be God.

The world is prejudiced against Christianity today. The world asks if any good can come from the One who calls us to stake our whole existence on Himself, and who calls us out of our individual worlds to follow Him to His cross. Our culture finds that offensive and labels it as a need to bring punishment on ourselves. The person of Jesus is the great cleaving sword of humanity. He divides those who come to faith in Him from those who reject Him. He separates the sheep from the goats as written in Matthew 25.

People do not need to be argued into the kingdom of God. Philip simply told Nathaniel, “Come and see.” The role of believers is to introduce people to Jesus, sharing His story and their stories of what He has done. Philip didn’t try to reason with Nathaniel. He asked Nathaniel to go and examine things for himself, to see Jesus, to hear Him speak, to lay aside his prejudices and to judge after he made a fair and candid personal inquiry.

Similarly, we should encourage people to lay aside their prejudices against religion and Christianity. If people want to know what God is like, they can look to Jesus. If they want to know what Jesus is like, they should be able to look at His followers. Can people see Christ in us? Seeing Jesus is the most compelling argument that exists for Christianity.

The heart of Christian evangelism is inviting people to come and see Jesus, God’s gracious Word and flesh for themselves. To come and see those who are inspired by Jesus enough to follow Him. To come and see how God continues to work in the world and in our lives. The invitation to “come and see” is the only appropriate response to having seen the grace and mercy of God taking shape among us.

Despite the setbacks of being from Nazareth, Jesus had insight and intuition that the best family, geography and education can’t give. He knew people, their nature, their motivation and their desires. That’s what drew him to Nathaniel as He saw him sitting under the fig tree.

Jesus sought out Philip and went after Him. Philip was an ordinary man, but Jesus invited Philip not just to stand out, but to keep on following Him. This encourages those of us who are shy and feel that we have so little to offer, just like the little boy in the Christmas Carol, “The Little Drummer Boy.” These are the type of people He looks for most eagerly. Similarly, Philip sought out Nathaniel and invited him to come and follow Jesus.

Jesus saw Nathaniel for who he really was. Nathaniel lived up to everything he saw and did. He was sincere and upright. Jesus knows who people really are. He sees their hearts. He sees their true motives. Jesus is divine, so He sees what we do when we think we’re doing it in secret. He sees us even when we don’t think He sees us. He sees us in our private devotions, hears our prayers and sees our meditations. He judges our character chiefly by our private devotions. If we have faith in Jesus, it will always be strengthened. If we believe His Word, we will see proof that it is true. Jesus was under God’s protection, and His friends will also be protected. God will defend us and save us if we put our trust in Him.

When he addressed Jesus as the Son of God, Nathaniel didn’t understand the full meaning of that title, but he knew that Jesus had an unusual relationship with God. Nathaniel called Jesus the King of Israel, but since Jesus referred to Nathaniel as an Israelite, Nathaniel surrendered to Jesus as his own king. This should encourage all of us to surrender to Jesus as our own king.

Nathaniel will be given far deeper grounds for belief than Jesus’ perception of who he is. As Jesus’ ministry unfolds, Nathaniel will see mighty works, great and wondrous surprises that will reveal God. We will see the same things when we surrender our lives to Jesus. It’s only as we get real and courageously honest with ourselves and God that He can help us become the people He wants us to be. If we live up to all we know, we will know more. If we are all we can be, we will become more.

Nathaniel went on to become a disciple and friend of Jesus. He traveled across India, Armenia, Ethiopia and Southern Arabia, sharing the gospel and drawing people to Jesus. When he encountered Jesus, he stood under a fig tree minding his own business. As he trusted that Jesus knew him inside and out, it changed the direction of his life.

What gifts are inside of you? They may seem ordinary to you, but not to Jesus, He sees our gifts of hospitality, deep compassion, music or writing. He is happy that you are good with kids or a good planner, or that you have a natural ability to lead others. Jesus sees those gifts because He gave them to us. Are we using them to their fullest potential? Are we using them to do God’s work in the world?

What does it take for us to believe? God doesn’t need to prove He is God as much as we need to prove we believe He is God. Despite how we feel, what we see or how we think, in the words of Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” Faith goes beyond the senses to a deep understanding and knowing that He is God in the midst of a hassled day and the hurts from life’s circumstances. Faith is believing without seeing, as Jesus told the apostle Thomas.

The essence of discipleship is to follow Jesus. It’s what most of us want for ourselves, our family members and our friends. Life is much better for people when they follow Christ. To be a Christian is to realize that we have been called by God. Called to grace, called to life, called to move. Our proper response is to follow Jesus-slowly, perhaps not perfectly, but to try and follow nonetheless.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1443)
2. “Come and See.” Retrieved from www.KeysforKIds.org
3. Barnes, Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package
4. Fredrikson, R.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985; pp. 56-60)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010, pp. 1451-1453)
7. Suzie Eller, “He Sees the Gift in You.” Retrieved from devotions@proverbs31.org
8. Richard Innes, “Authenticity.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
9. Pastor Dick Woodward, “A Fig Tree Fellowship.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. “Just Believe.” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
11. Rev. Wayne Palmer, “The Darkness of Rash Judgment.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
12. Matthew A. Maus, “John 1:43-51.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu
13. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for John 1:43-51.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
14. David Lose, “Come and See.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org.
15. Pastor Edward Markquart, “Come and See Gospel Analysis.” Retrieved from www.sermonsfromseattle.com

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One day Susie’s mother sent her to the store to buy a loaf of bread. She gave Susie two dollars and told her she could keep the change. When Susie paid for the bread, the cashier accidentally gave her too much money back. Susie knew right away that it was too much money. What should she do? Should she tell the cashier that she had made a mistake, or should she just keep quiet? What would you do?

James was going through the cafeteria line at school and looked down to see a dollar bill on the floor. There was no way of knowing who had lost the money, and no one would ever know if he just picked it up and put it in his pocket. What should he do? What would you do?

Hector found a money bag containing $120 on top of a pop machine at his school. Wow! That is a lot of money. Just think of all of the things you could do with $120! What should Hector do? What would you do?

Every day we are faced with decisions which test our honesty. It may be a small amount of incorrect change, a dollar found on the floor, or a large amount of money such as Hector found at school. The amount of money is not important, it is a question of doing what is right.

In the passage we heard from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus told a parable about a rich man who accused his manager of wasting his money. He called the manager in and told to him give an account of the way he had been managing his money. Sure enough, the manager had been taking some of the money for himself and cheating his employer.

Since the manager knew he was going to be fired, he came up with a plan that would make a lot of friends. He called the people who owed his boss money and asked them how much they owed. When they told him how much they owed, he told them they only had to pay a much smaller amount. As you can imagine, the people were very pleased to only have to pay a fraction of what they owed. The manager now had plenty of friends to help him when he no longer had a job.

The steward hurt his master by stealing from him, and his theft was discovered. The steward was willing to take revenge on his master and secure his future at the master’s expense. From this we can learn three things:

1. One sin leads to another, and that one act of dishonesty will be followed by many more if there is an opportunity.
2. Men who commit one sin can’t get along consistently without committing many more.
3. Sinners are selfish. They care more about themselves than they do either about God or truth. If they are looking for salvation, it is only for their own selfish ends, and because they want a comfortable home in the future world rather than because they have any regard for God or his cause.

Jesus told this story to show that “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” If we make sure that we are honest in the small things, then we can be sure that we will be honest in the big things. If people know that they can trust us in small things, they will know that they can trust us in the big things too.

Jesus also used this parable to teach the disciples about the danger of the love of money. He wanted to show them that the love of money would lead to guilt, how it would drive people to act dishonestly and the necessity of using money properly. He also taught them that if they wanted to serve God they had to give up attachment to money. He also emphasized they had to serve God and use the resources they had wisely.

This passage reinforces a few themes that run across the Gospels:

1. Wealth is both a blessing and a responsibility. We are blessed to be a blessing, and we are held accountable less for what resources we have accumulated than how we use them.
2. Wealth, status, power and privilege are fleeting. One day the steward was on top of the world; the next he was faced with disaster.
3. In times of crisis, God often appears where we least expect Him to be. He comes “from below” to give help.
4. We are placed on this earth to love and care for each other, not to separate ourselves from each other with wealth, status or privilege. God gave us people to love and things to use, but we often love things and use people.

All of the characters in this parable are corrupt. Most unbelievers are wiser in the ways of the world than some believers. The steward used his master’s money to buy friends on earth. By reducing their debts to his master, the debtors would be indebted to the steward. They would be obliged to take him into their homes when the steward was put out of his master’s home. A faithful steward does not allow pride, greed or the desire to be popular to influence his motives. He will not be lured or tempted into disobedience. Believers are to use God’s money to buy friends for eternity by investing in God’s kingdom to bring sinners to Christ.

So why is the dishonest manager shrewd? Even though he is looking out for his own interests, he models behaviour the disciples can emulate-behaviour that we can also emulate. He changed a bad situation into one that benefits him and others. By reducing other people’s debts, he created a new set of relationships based not on the relationship between lenders and debtors but on something more like the equal relationships between friends. Old hierarchies were overturned and new friendships were established. Outsiders and people lower down on hierarchies have become the very ones we depend upon to welcome us in their homes in this life and  in our eternal home. 

How people handle money is a good indicator of the condition of their hearts and in part determines what kind of assets and responsibilities the Lord entrusts to them, both in this age and the age to come. Individuals who use money primarily to enrich themselves prove untrustworthy of the true riches of God’s kingdom and will not receive them. On the other hand, the wise and generous use of money yields much greater things in the future.

Jesus understands the power of wealth and our susceptibility to become slaves to it. What happens when we shift from serving the One God, our Creator, and instead serve wealth? We have bought the message that wealth, belongings, prestige and beauty deserve our worship. We have bought the message that it is our wealth, power and rhetoric that make our community strong. Instead of putting our faith in a God of promise and covenant, we put our faith in wealth. The more we buy into that message, the more God’s wisdom is foolish to us.

We can put economic security ahead of our relationship with God, the well-being of our neighbours, and the survival of the planet. Money can’t be the centre of our lives. It can’t get in the way of our obligation to God, our care for ourselves and our friends and family and our care for the earth. The use of our wealth must be subservient to our commitment to God.

We have seen that shrewd actions are commended and ultimately rewarded. Jesus is nudging us toward the wisdom of living in this world, even though it is evil and corrupt. Being shrewd is how we survive in this world. We are only here for a short period of time, and God has given us gifts to use and opportunities to take advantage of. Will we use these gifts and opportunities wisely and shrewdly? Being shrewd in this life is not the point but being shrewd means that we will be able to work toward the higher goal of eternal life in heaven.

People serve money when their sole aim is to live as comfortably as possible, with little concern for the poor or disadvantaged. The world operates this way, and if God’s people choose to operate in the same way, they cannot serve Him. The two ways of living are diametrically opposed to one another.

Money can’t buy security. Its value fluctuates. For example, in Germany after World War I people traded wheelbarrows full of money for a loaf of bread. Money is meant to be a source of blessing. It’s to be used to bless our neighbours and the world. The question is this: Do we own our money or does our money own us?

If we want to be used by God, we have to be willing to do the little things first. We can never be too small for God to use, but we can be too big for God to use, especially if we think that doing small things is beneath us. If we are faithful in the small things, God will give us greater opportunities to serve in greater, more influential ways. If we are faithful where God puts us, He will do great things in and through us. In other words, we are to “bloom where we are planted.” The seed will not grow overnight, but it will grow in time.

Everything we have belongs to God. We are only keepers and custodians of what He has so generously given us. When we give, share and give back, God will bless our lives with more. We don’t have the same talents, spiritual gifts or financial means, but we do have the same number of hours in a day. How will we invest the most precious resources God has given us? Will we spend our lives on things that matter both for this world and the next, or will we waste them on things that have little or no real value or meaning? Desiring “stuff”, wealth and the admiration that comes from being seen to have lots of really nice stuff can make people do crazy things. It makes them cheat and lie. The choice we make will affect our eternal destiny. One day God will judge everything that we have done to see what value it holds and if we have used the resources God has given us to do His work in the world.

Whether we have a lot or a little, we have to be aware of what tempts us to be selfish, have more stuff or limit our vision to just our own blood and friends. The best use of our resources is to use them to benefit us and others. We are placed on this earth to love and care for each other, not to separate ourselves from each other with wealth, status or privilege.

The church will also be called someday to give an account of how it has used its resources. Have we understood that we are blessed to be a blessing? As we pour money into buildings for our own comfort, do we ask ourselves what we should be doing for churches in undeveloped countries? Have we asked ourselves what we should be doing for the less fortunate in our communities?

Here are five principles in which God will test us and then bless us:

1. God gives to generous people.
2. Obeying God’s vision will bring God’s provision. If we do what God tells us to do, God will give us the resources we need at the right time.
3. When we do all that God tells us to do, He does what we can’t do. He often asks us to do the impossible to stretch our faith. When we give what little we have, God multiplies it and makes up for it.
4. When we have a need, we should sow a seed of faith.
5. There’s always a delay between sowing and reaping.

Life on earth is preparation for eternity. We won’t take our careers with us to heaven, but we are going to take our character. While we are here on earth God is developing our characters and testing our faithfulness. Will we be faithful to do the right thing, even when we don’t feel like doing the right thing? God is watching us so that He can determine what kinds of jobs He is going to give us in eternity.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p.1418)
2. “The Dishonest Manager.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com
3. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
4. Larson, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 239-242)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Kim Potter, “Morning and evening, God is Faithful.” Retrieved from kim@anewthingministries.com
7. Dr. Paul Chappell, “Proper Priorities.” Retrieved from daily@dailyintheword.org
8. Pastor Rick Warren, “God Uses Your Work to Develop Your Character.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
9. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “A Faithful Steward.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
10. Bayless Conley, “Faithful to Another.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
11. Bobby Schuller, “Give, Share and Give Back…” Retrieved from hourofpower@hourofpower.org
12. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 25^th Sunday, -C-.” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
13. Arthur Schoonveld, “When Time Runs Out.” Retrieved from today@thisistoday.net
14. Pastor Greg Laurie, “Faithful in Small Things.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
15. Berni Dymet, “Made to Win.” Retrieved from bdymet@christianityworks.com
16. Pastor Rick Warren, “Faithful People are Generous.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
17. The Rev. Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary-the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost-September 22, 2019.” Retrieved from www.patheos.com/blogs/livingaholyadventure/2019/09/the-adventurous-lectionary.com
18. David Lose, “Pentecost 18C: Wealth and Relationships.” Retrieved from www.davidlose.net/2016/09/pentecost-18-c-wealth-and-relationships/
19. Lois Malcolm, “Commentary on Luke 16:1-13.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacehr.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1783
20. The Rev. Dr. Christopher Girata, “Shrewd Faith.” Retrieved from www.day1.org/8425-christopher_girata_Shrewd_faith.print

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The Old Testament reading we heard from Jeremiah talks about the destruction of Judah and the pain and suffering felt by its people. The destruction was caused by the sins of the people. Jeremiah identified with the people and their pain and suffering. We as Christians must also identify with people and their struggles and pain, especially when they sin. That doesn’t mean that we join them if they sin. We have to open our hearts to the people we serve. When we do, we show God’s love.

All of us need comfort at some point in our lives. There’s no such thing as a pain-free life. God allows pain and suffering because they draw us closer to him. Our pain creates a need for God. God is the “balm in Gilead” that Jeremiah refers to.

One of the ways we can show God’s love for people and therefore identify with them in their suffering is to pray for them. For example, we can pray for the victims of all conditions of mankind-war, sickness, poverty, death and so on. Praying in faith gives us power. How does this happen? It happens because we tap into the greatest power known to mankind-God’s power to change things.

God wants us to be a prayerful people, but he also wants us to pray for people. When we pray for others, we are following the instructions Paul gave to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:1-7. All blessings from God are conveyed through mediation from various agents, including the prayers offered by his children. The chief blessing of our salvation comes from the intercession and mediation of Jesus when we believe in him in faith. If we pray for everyone, we believe that God loves everyone and that Jesus died for everyone. In order to pray for everyone, we must enter into active relationships with them. It doesn’t matter if they are friends, enemies or total strangers. God wants everyone to be saved, and Christ gave himself as a ransom for everyone.

Jesus is the only mediator between us and God. This fulfills Old Testament prophecies. Jesus fulfilled God’s desire for all people to be saved and to know the truth of God’s love. We fulfill these same desires when we share the Gospel. Part of that process includes continually learning Biblical truths and growing closer to God. For example, every time I prepare a homily, my research helps me discover more truths about what is written in the Bible.

It was God’s grace and desire to save lost humanity which saw Jesus born in a stable in Bethlehem. It was God’s wish to bring all mankind to the knowledge of the truth which motivated Jesus during his earthly ministry. It was God’s goal to save everyone from an eternity in hell that motivated Jesus to remain silent during his trials, suffer without complaint when he was tortured, and offer words of forgiveness to those who nailed him to the cross. Jesus’ rescue mission shows how God was committed to saving us, and it is a rescue mission that we have been asked to share with a lost and dying world.

One group of people that Paul tells us to pray for is our leaders. God is responsible for the appointing of people to positions of authority. We must seek his counsel as revealed in Scripture. We must talk to God about men before we talk to men about God. We do this through prayer. We pray for our leaders so we may live in peace, quietness, godliness and dignity. This is often hard to do because of the situation our world is in today. There are wars and rumours of wars all around us. Look at the current situation in Syria for example.

When we are in fellowship with God, his love enters us and remains in us. When we show kindness to others, his love is revealed through us. Love in this sense benefits both the giver and the receiver. It allows us to become happy people. We show this love when we pray for others.  Our prayers are for our own benefit as well. Prayers from other Christians encourage us. Prayer is our expression of faith and dependence on God. When we pray, we serve Christ instead of ourselves. This goes against our carnal, selfish nature with its emphasis on self instead of on Christ. When we pray, we discern God’s will for our lives.

Whether he knew it or not, the shrewd money manager Jesus talks about in Luke 16:1-13 was faithful because he was generous to his master’s debtors. This might not make sense at first glance because the manager was being dismissed for being dishonest but by reducing the amount each debtor owed, the manager was being generous. Faithful people are generous when they don’t have anything to give.

The manager was a good example of Paul’s statement that the love of money is the root of all evil. The manager loved money so much that he charged interest on the money his boss loaned to people. Jewish law prohibited the charging of interest, but the manager was able to get around that law by increasing the amount of the debt owed. For example, if a debtor owed 50 chickens, the manager increased that amount to 100 chickens and pocketed the difference. When the manager reduced the debts, he looked good in the eyes of both the debtors and his boss.

There are five principles in which God will test us and bless us, just like he tested and blessed the manager.

1. God gives to generous people. When we are generous, we are like God. When the manager was generous by forgiving part of the debtors’ loans, he was being generous. He was following the part of the Lord’s Prayer where we ask God to “forgive our debts like we forgive our debtors”.

•  Obeying God’s vision brings God’s provision. When the manager reduced the amounts of the debtors’ loans, he gained their friendship, and that friendship would be needed after the manager was dismissed. In other words, God provided for the manager’s future when the manager obeyed God’s will by reducing the debts.

• When we do all that God tells us to do, he does what we can’t do. When the manager obeyed God’s will by reducing the debts, the manager’s boss was pleased. God changed the heart of the manager’s boss.

• When we have a need in our lives, we are to sow that need as a seed, and it will come back to us. The manager needed the help of the debtors, and he planted that seed of need by reducing their debts.

• There is always a delay between sowing and reaping. In the case of the manager, we do not know when the people whose debts he reduced helped him, but we do know that he received praise from his boss as soon as the boss found out what happened. The delay between sowing and reaping was a test of faith, and the delay when we sow a seed of need and the time when we can reap the harvest is also a test of our faith.

We can’t put our security in money because money is not as safe and secure as we think it is. Look at the current worldwide economic situation for example. People are losing their jobs. The prices of oil and gas are going through the roof. The world’s future is uncertain, but we can have the certainty of a sure future because we have a sure faith in God.

If we are faithful in the small things God gives us, he will trust us with bigger and better things. If we are faithful where God plants us, he will work through us. We need to be wise as we do God’s work in our world. By doing so we will be the masters of our money, time, and talents instead of letting them master us. If we use our wealth and resources to serve God, we will be welcomed into God’s kingdom.

We are never too important to help with menial tasks. In fact, God will never let us avoid menial tasks. Doing small tasks shows that we have a big heart. Big things often disguise themselves in small tasks. Integrity shows up in the stuff no one sees or the events that happen behind the scenes.

Like the shrewd manager, we have to make decisions about our future, especially our eternal future. We are called upon daily to account for how we have used what we have been given, especially how what we have been given has been used for God’s service. The people of Judah were called upon to account for how they used the relationship God had with them, and they were punished by the destruction of Judah. Paul instructed Timothy on how to use his faith to relate to the people he dealt with on a daily basis, and the result was that Timothy became one of Paul’s most trusted and faithful followers. Jesus calls on us to use our God-given gifts, including prayer, to further our faith and God’s work in this world. If we are successful, we will receive the help we need to cope with life’s challenges. What is more important though is that we will receive the greatest reward God can possibly give us-eternal life with him in heaven.

Bibliography

1. Demarest, G.W. , & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 32: 1,2 Thessalonians/1,2 Timothy/ Titus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.: 1984)
2. Dr. Charles Stanley, “Investing in Eternity”. Retrieved from www.intouch.org
3. Dr. Charles Stanley, “Prayer Makes a Difference”. Retrieved from www.intouch.org
4. Charles R. Swindoll, “A Matter of Obedience”. Retrieved from www.insight.org
5. Bayless Conley, “The Prerequisite of Prayer”. Retrieved from www.answersrbc.org
6. Dr. Tony Evans, “What are Carnal Christians?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
7. Rick Warren, “Jesus Paid the Price You Couldn’t Pay”. Retrieved from www.purposedriven.com
8. Pastor Ken Klaus, “Heartbroken”. Retrieved from www.lhm.org.
9. Sergei Sosedkin, “One God, One Mediator”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net.
10. Mark D. Roberts, “The Prophet’s Pain”. Retrieved from www.TheHighCalling.org
11. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishing; 2009)
12. Rebecca Barlow Jordan, “Balm in Gilead”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
13. Larson, B., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983)
14. Mark D. Roberts, “Money Isn’t the Main Thing”. Retrieved from www.TheHighCalling.org
15. Doug Fields, “Take Off the Disguise”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
16. Dean Deppe, “Give and You Shall Receive”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net
17. Rick Warren, “Servants are Faithful in the Small Things”. Retrieved from www.purposedriven.com
18. Rick Warren, “Faithful People are Generous”. Retrieved from www.purposedriven.com
19. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 23^rd Sunday, Year C”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

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I first delivered this message on the Canadian Thanksgiving Sunday in October of 2015. Thanksgiving is a time when we pause to celebrate and give thanks to God for everything he has given us, and the best way to give thanks to God is to pray. Giving thanks is one of three types of prayer, the other two being supplication and intercessions (which means speaking to God on behalf of someone else). Regardless of the type of prayer we use, we must remember that prayer is not just for our sakes or needs.

Supplications are petitions for certain definite needs. They are humble requests made because of certain situations which God alone can help. When our supplications are granted, we need to give thanks. When we take our concerns to God, God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit.

In the reading we heard from 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Paul tells us to pray for those in authority. Here in Canada this is appropriate right now because we are in the middle of a federal election campaign. Complaining about people in authority is easy, but God also tells us to pray for them. These prayers should include requests for the peaceable and wise rule and prayers for their salvation. Such prayers acknowledge that all authority is ultimately God’s authority and that God is the ultimate King.

We are also to pray for salvation for lost souls. This puts us at odds with Paul. He argues that although God wants everyone to be saved, that does not mean that God will save everyone. People must either accept the Gospel or reject it. Believers should still pray for everyone, even those who seen unreachable. If we think that some people do not deserve the gift of salvation, then we are not as all-loving as God is. Scripture clearly states that God wants everyone to be saved and know the truth of salvation. There are no exceptions. No one is beyond God’s saving love.

Salvation is available because of the one person who was both man and God and who could represent humanity and reconcile humanity to God. That person is Jesus. Jesus served as a mediator between these two otherwise irreconcilable parties. Jesus is the only way to God.

The cross is the site of the most important transaction in history. Jesus served as a ransom to redeem humanity from slavery. The image is that of a slave market, with human beings as the slaves of sin. The price paid to free them was Jesus’ own death. Jesus substituted his own innocent life for our lives as slaves to sin and dying the death we all deserve and sparing us from the judgment we deserve.

False teachers were probably saying that salvation was restricted to the Jews, prompting Paul to write that Jesus gave himself for the sake of everyone and that God appointed him to teach the Gentiles.  Paul’s calling has authority because God gave it to him and because he was faithful to it. Godly obedience makes a Christian’s testimony believable so that unbelievers may hear it and receive it.

We have many gifts from God to be thankful for. These gifts range from the universal offer of the Gospel and salvation to everyone to God’s love for everyone to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for everyone to a church that is for everyone. The last one is hard to believe when you consider that some churches have allowed the world to control their agendas.

The passage from 1 Timothy links God’s grace with our concern for the church’s conduct in a world that lives by non-Christian customs. Churches that appeal to their own kind are the churches that most often grow in numbers. A church that reflects a culture of affluence and success is more likely to be successful. While God can and does bless people with success, we must remember to give thanks to God for that success. We must use that success to show God’s love to the world. One way we can do this is to pray.

Paul’s desire is for us to have compassion for the lost, to understand the depths of their pain and misery, and to come ultimately to God pleading for their salvation. Paul wants us to come to God on behalf of people who have no standing with him. We are to intercede for the lost.

We must not be “carnal Christians.” We must not live to please and serve ourselves instead of pleasing and serving Christ. It’s so easy for us to get caught up in asking God to provide us with what we need or want that we forget to pray for others. We need to ask God to help us be sensitive to the needs of others, just like many people in this area are being sensitive to the needs of Syrian refugees by coming together to arrange to bring some of them to this area. We must take advantage of every opportunity to approach God and lay our concerns at his feet.

Things do not happen in this world because we pray. They happen when we pray. We are changed as we discover that the deepest desires of our hearts and the world are changed in some way because of God, the source of light and life, the ground of our being and the lover of our souls. God is the source of all things. If there is matter, God created it. If there is meaning and purpose to life, God determines it. If there is power, God wields it. These are great gifts from God for us, and we need to keep our sights on God’s kingdom and not on the politics of the day.

Because of the gift of Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, we have the power to choose what is right. Our love for Jesus motivates us to live for Jesus, and if we live for Jesus, we are to share our faith by praying for people. God loves doing miracles in the lives of people, especially people who are not believers.

The act of praying can involve lifting hands to heaven. This act is a picture of coming before God with clean hands and a pure heart. How can we lift our hands to God if we are not seeking to relate to everyone we meet-people God loves without distinction? We can’t lift our hands to God if we don’t speak and work for the elimination of things that would destroy us. We must raise our hands without anger or doubt.

At God’s Table, which is one of the greatest gifts God can give us, we learn that we need to show an attitude of gratitude. We don’t need to wait until Thanksgiving to give thanks. We need that deep spirit of influence. It keeps us from having an attitude of selfishness. We need to give thanks for all things because there is always something to be thankful for. We can give thanks to God today and every day, and we can be thankful for the one who loved us so much that he paid the ultimate price for our sins-Jesus.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worth Publishing; 2013)
2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Demarest, G.W. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 32: 1,2 Thessalonians/1,2 Timothy/Titus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Bayless Conley, “The Prayer of Intercession.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
6. Dr. Tony Evans, “What are Carnal Christians?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
7. Pastor Ken Klaus, “Everybody.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
8. Pastor Bobby Schuller, “Pray for People.” Retrieved from hourofpower@hourofpower.org
9. Allan Smith, “Praying for Others.” Retrieved from thought-for-the-day@hub.xc.org
10. Rebecca Barlow Jordan, “Mediator.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
11. A.K.M. Adam, “Commentary on 1 Timothy 2:1-7.” Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=717
12. The Rev. Geoffrey Hoare, “Intercession.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
13. Exegesis for 1 Timothy 2:1-7. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
14. Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Honour the Emperor.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
15. Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Praying for Others.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
16. Billy D. Strayhorn, “Sitting at the Big People Table.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

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Evan stretched his neck and peered around the people in front of him. A teenager named Brad was on the platform. He had just spoken, confessing that he had strayed from the Lord but had now come back. He said God had forgiven him, and he asked the congregation to forgive him too.

“Praise the Lord!” said Pastor Kerns, putting an arm around Brad’s shoulders. “Brad attended our church as a boy, and it was here that he accepted Jesus as his Saviour. Let’s celebrate his homecoming!” When people stood and began clapping, Evan wrinkled his nose and slid down in the pew. Why all this fuss for Brad? he wondered. I heard he joined a gang. He looked over and saw Mom glaring at him, so he quickly stood up.

That afternoon Mom brought it up during lunch. “You liked Brad a lot when you were younger,” she said. “I thought you’d be glad to see him back at church, but I noticed you didn’t want to stand up this morning and celebrate his return to the Lord. Why was that?”

“He joined a gang, didn’t he?” asked Evan. “Isn’t that bad?” He shrugged. “I know Brad says he’s sorry, but…I don’t know. I just don’t get why everyone’s making such a big deal over it.”

“Well, let me try to help you understand,” said Mom. “Let’s see. Remember that puppy that appeared at our door not too long ago?”

Evan smiled. “Sure. He was wearing a tag, so you called his owners. But I wish we could have kept him-he was so cute!”

“When his owners came for him, how did they treat him?” asked Mom. “Were they angry? Did they scold him or punish him?”

“No,” said Evan. “They hugged him and played with him. They were so glad he was found.”

“Brad is something like that puppy,” said Mom. “In a way, he was lost. He was a Christian but wasn’t living for the Lord. But God loves Brad far more than that puppy’s owners love their dog. God is happy that Brad has confessed and turned away from his sin. Like Pastor Kearns said, he’s come home, and we should celebrate that.”

Evan smiles. “Okay,” he said, “Let’s celebrate!”

What does it mean to be lost? It can mean having no personal relationship with God. It can also mean the lost desire for guidance from God because of our “I’ll-do-it-my-way” attitude. It can be the lost sense of no longer feeling special to the important people in our lives.

In Luke chapter 15, Jesus tells three parables that make a single point: God loves the lost. The lost sheep, a lost silver coin and finally, a lost son comprise a trilogy of increasing value. The passage we heard from Luke’s Gospel talks about the first two parables. The lost sheep is one of one hundred and the lost coin is one of ten. In the first story, Jesus is the good shepherd; in the second, He is the good woman.

The story of the lost sheep could be called,” The Story of Four Verbs”-lose, seek, find, rejoice. The word “lost” is the best word to describe a person’s condition without God. Lost things cannot serve their purpose, and they lack the ability to return to where they belong-they must be found. In Christianity. God searches for people, as opposed to other religions where people attempt to find God. The coming of God in Christ is the God of heaven, seeking the lost.

There are two kinds of lostness. We can be lost like the sheep in the first parable. Sheep move from one green tuft to the next. They keep moving from tuft to tuft-sometimes right through a hole in a fence. When they’re done nibbling they can’t find the hole and they’re lost. Some of us nibble ourselves bit by bit into the far country. Bit by bit we gradually move further and further from God.

The coin the woman lost was part of her headdress, which was like her wedding ring. In those days, women didn’t wear rings as they do today. Instead, they wore elaborate headpieces that were adorned with ten coins to signify the Ten Commandments. It could be that the woman was recently married and she wore her “ring” all the time. She wore it when she went shopping and whenever she went out in public. Imagine how she felt when someone told her, “Do you know that one of your coins is missing?” She was probably scared and began looking for it everywhere. Finally, under the last piece of furniture, she found it! When she did, she told all of her friends. They rejoiced with her that her most valuable possession was complete again.

The coin was lost through carelessness. Similarly, we are careless. We choose the wrong friends, hang out in the wrong places, or make the wrong choices. Somehow we get lost through indifference or negligence.

Like that beautiful headdress, the Kingdom of God is incomplete without every lost person-including us. The God who created the universe scours the earth to save precious souls who haven’t been found, because He loves them.

In the passage we heard from Luke’s Gospel, the emphasis is on the seeker (God) and the result (joy). The shepherd went after the lost sheep, and the woman searched for the lost coin. In both cases what is lost represents just one sinner who repents. That is how valuable each person is to God.

Jesus’ parables about a lost sheep and a lost coin were not aimed at comforting sinners in calling them to God, but were directed toward those who had complained about Jesus welcoming and eating with sinners. To those who would keep others with unclean reputations at arms’ length and who could easily live their entire lives overlooking sinners, Jesus revealed the heart of God. His goal was to refashion hearts to reflect God’s love.

Those who complained about Jesus welcoming sinners trusted in their ability to measure how well people met God’s standards of behaviour. Scrutinizing people who don’t measure up makes one feel that they deserve God’s approval more than others do. In reality, they exchange God’s measuring stick for a different measuring stick-their own. If one did not switch measuring sticks and trusted one’s performance at measuring up to God’s standards, one might look righteous on the outside, but the heart would still be trusting in one’s own performance rather than God.

These parables show God taking the initiative in seeking sinners, just like a shepherd takes the initiative to find a lost sheep. Shepherds were responsible for every sheep. They had to see that none was lost, killed or injured. God does not want to see anyone lost and going to hell. That’s why the angels and God rejoice when a lost sinner repents and turns to God. In fact, Jesus told the Pharisees that one sinful man or woman who repents was cause for celebration far greater than for the 99 who see no need to humble their hearts. Love (aka God) never stops looking for us. He recklessly beckons His wandering children. He cares about each and every lost sheep. He affirms that every person is a priceless, beloved child of God.

Jesus was full of hope, truth and love. He said that there is more to life than what the world offers. Jesus’ words had a ring of reality about them. He was honest, candid and open. Jesus showed a supernatural love that was pure, sacrificial and revolutionary.

All of us need God’s deliverance. Each one of us is the lost sheep or the lost coin. Those of us who have heard God’s Word are not exempt from the capacity to do evil. In fact, we are even more in need of deliverance.

We as Christians can get lost. We can get lost very close to home-within the walls of the church. We get lost when prayer turns to dust in our mouths. We get lost when the Scriptures we once loved lie dead on the page. We get lost when sitting in a pew on Sunday morning makes our skin crawl. We get lost when even the most well-intentioned sermon sucks the oxygen out of our lungs. We get lost when the table of bread and wine that once nourished us now leaves us hungry, cranky, bewildered or bored. We get so miserably lost that God our Shepherd has to wander through our spiritual wilderness to find us.

No one is beyond hope or help-not even the outcasts and sinners with whom Jesus associated. God has a soft spot in His heart for them. The sinful people Jesus hung out with wanted to hear what He had to say. They knew that He spoke the truth and that some of it would be uncomfortable, but they also knew that they didn’t go away from their time with Him feeling like dirt. They found loving truth, warmth and hospitality-not condemnation and rejection.

God cares about all lost things. He rejoices in the discovery and redemption of lost people. There are consequences to our turning away from God, but He can change any situation. He wants justice, hospitality and healing, and we can be God’s partners in this process of healing the world.

God wants us to join Him as He reaches into the lives of people we know and introduces Himself to them through us. If we join Him, we will experience the joy of heaven here on earth as we see people meet God. We will never have God’s heart for lost people if we don’t feel a personal responsibility for them. Are we moved with compassion toward the lost people in our lives? How much do we care about the people at work who don’t know Christ? If they were to die today they would go straight to hell. Do we see those people as a nuisance, or do we see them as lost people that we can help? Jesus set a good example for us. We have to love lost people, because Jesus loved us when we were lost. He made this befriending love possible by coming down from heaven for us. living our life, dying our death and giving us His love and life-one that we can share!

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p.1416)
2. Larson, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 234-235)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. Rose R. Zediker, “Time to Celebrate.” Retrieved from www.keys4kids.com
6. Xochitl Dixon, “Love Won’t Stop.” Retrieved from donotreply@email.rbc.org
7. Bobby Schuller, “One Lost Lamb.” Retrieved from hourofpower@hourofpower.org
8. Bobby Schuller, “The Coin that Completes the Crown.” Retrieved from hourofpower@hourofpower.org
9. Dr. Ed Young, “The Amazing Appeal of Jesus Christ.” Retrieved from ministry@winningwalk.org
10. David Reay, “Once Was Lost.” Retrieved from mail@hope1032.com.au
11. Vikki Burke, “Beyond Mistakes and Weakness.” Retrieved from dbm@dennisburkeministries.org
12. John North, “Luke 15:1-2.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
13. Barry Newton, “A Heart Like God’s.” Retrieved from http://forthright.net
14. James MacDonald, “Loving Lost People.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
15. The Rev. Gregory Seltz, “There’s No Other Friend Like Jesus.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org
16. Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary-the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost-September 15, 2019.” Retrieved from www.patheos.com/blogs/livingaholyadventure/2019/09/the-adventurous-lectionary-the-fourteenth-Sunday-after-pentecost.html
17. Timothy Hoyer, “Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Gospel Year C.” Retrieved from https://crossings.org/text-study/14th-sunday-after-pentecost-c/?print=print
18. Debi Thomas, “On Lostness.” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net

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