Sermon - Stewardship month
I delivered the sermon today! It wasn't Youth Sunday; I was asked to.
Sunday 27th September 2015. Theme: stewardship. Sermon by Manuel Sieunarine.
Psalm 24
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God their Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.
7 Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty-
he is the King of glory.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Peter, chapter 4, verses 8 to 11.
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let us pray. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable to you, Oh Christ, our strength and our redeemer, amen. We continue the theme of stewardship this month by examining what David and Peter had to say about it.
David discusses stewardship by first stating the truth: the world belongs to God and we are its stewards. A steward is someone who manages or looks after someone else’s property. We seek God’s presence while we work. This yearning, this longing to have a relationship with God is never truly satisfied while we are here on Earth. Our desire is expressed in as many different ways as there people.
David spends the rest of the psalm glorifying God. As stewards, we not only glorify God, but receive his glory into ourselves. We then show and invite others to participate in his glory. What is this glory that David speaks so often of? It is surely divine glory, for it belongs to God himself. However, this does not explain how mere mortals receive it. We do not shine with radiant light. We do not command the mountains to rise up or the oceans to retreat. What, therefore, is this glory that God brings with him when he enters our lives? The answer is found in our relationship with God.
The miraculous thing that the gospels teach us is that God is also yearning and longing to have a relationship with us! Here is an idea without equal: the same God of mercy and grace - the Ancient of Days - took human form and dwelt among us. He exchanged a celestial throne for a feeding trough surrounded by animals and their shepherds. The only thing more shocking than the incarnation is that he did it willingly. What does this tell us about him? It tells us that he needs no throne, he needs no wealth or accolades or military might. He needs our love, because he is love. It is not on a throne but in our hearts where he truly delights to reign. The glory of God is his relationship with us, to become one with us.
The story of Jesus is very beautiful and it is filled with sorrow. It is the story of a person who is both Man and God, yearning and longing for us - his children - to repent of our sins and turn again to him. Despite all his efforts, his story descended into unbearable tragedy. One of his friends betrayed him, another denied him, and the rest of them ran away when the authorities decided to destroy him. They destroyed his body on Calvary Hill. He was crucified between two thieves, then buried in a tomb. But his story did not end with death.
Three days later there was a resurrection. There was great joy. The disciples finally realised that the humble rabbi they had followed around for a few years was no less than the everlasting God, the eternal Word made flesh. And they were happy with that relationship. They were eager to become his stewards in this world. They were not paralysed by fear, nor were they broken by guilt, because Jesus left the Holy Spirit with them to be their guide and comforter. With the Spirit, they felt the reassuring presence of their master, the tender touch of the unassuming teacher who had shared their meals, their laughter and their tears.
David spoke of our relationship with God. Peter speaks about our relationships with each other; with other human beings. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and as such he speaks with authority in his letter to various churches in Asia Minor who were suffering persecution at the time. These churches were suffering at the hands of the Roman Empire, yet Peter counselled the followers of Christ to have patience. He stressed nonviolence, loyalty to God and love for one another.
We believe in God not because we love him, but because he loved us first. Peter says in his letter that God gives us grace in many forms. Grace means unmerited favour. The most important grace is our redemption from sin. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was freely and lovingly given. His sacrifice reconciled the human race to God the Father. This powerful love transforms us from within and naturally, freely inspires loyalty. We express our loyalty through stewardship. And what must we do? Jesus commands us to love one another.
Because God is love, the act of caring for others and helping others is not merely a suggestion or a hobby for us. Caring for and helping others is our way of life! As Peter says in his letter, we must not be subversive or destructive. We must maintain the serious business of living. We must build strong relationships in our families and communities. We must help those who need help. To love one another as he loved us is the command of Jesus; it is the only command he ever gave us, and it is by his command alone that we live our lives.
Peter goes on to say in his letter that, as stewards, we look after the world with the strength that God gives us. David also mentioned the world in Psalm 24. As stewards we must care for the physical Earth: our environment, the mountains, the forests, the oceans and so on. Two days ago on September 25th, our brother in the Roman Catholic church, Pope Francis, called for concrete actions on climate change during his address to the United Nations. Pope Francis said,
“...the universe is the fruit of a loving decision by the Creator, who permits Man respectfully to use creation for the good of his fellow men and for the glory of the Creator; he is not authorised to abuse it, much less to destroy it. In all religions, the environment is a fundamental good...”
End quote. That strength to care for the world comes from our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith means trust plus hope. Having trust and hope in Jesus is not something we generate in ourselves. The only person who is capable of this relationship with God is God himself; the Holy Trinity. God the Father freely gave his Son to the world, and in turn the Son freely gives his Spirit to all who believe in him.
We must not be guilty of sloth. We must be actively engaged with the needs of the world and its people, because both the world and its people need looking after. We cannot say “Leave it alone” or “It’s not my concern”. It is our concern!
When we receive the Spirit, when we receive faith in Jesus, we receive the kingdom of God. One of the most bewildering and perplexing things Jesus said is that the kingdom of God is within us. The kingdom of God is not in this world around us, or in the ocean, or the sky, or somewhere in outer space. Jesus is pleased to build his kingdom in his stewards. He lives in us, and we live in him, and thus we become his new creation. We live in hope for that glorious day when we see the kingdom and enter into it, when we shall at last be complete. Amen. Let us pray. Lord God, open wide our hands in sharing, as we heed Christ's ageless call, healing, teaching, and reclaiming, serving you by loving all. Amen.
Sunday 27th September 2015. Theme: stewardship. Sermon by Manuel Sieunarine.
Psalm 24
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God their Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.
7 Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty-
he is the King of glory.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Peter, chapter 4, verses 8 to 11.
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let us pray. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable to you, Oh Christ, our strength and our redeemer, amen. We continue the theme of stewardship this month by examining what David and Peter had to say about it.
David discusses stewardship by first stating the truth: the world belongs to God and we are its stewards. A steward is someone who manages or looks after someone else’s property. We seek God’s presence while we work. This yearning, this longing to have a relationship with God is never truly satisfied while we are here on Earth. Our desire is expressed in as many different ways as there people.
David spends the rest of the psalm glorifying God. As stewards, we not only glorify God, but receive his glory into ourselves. We then show and invite others to participate in his glory. What is this glory that David speaks so often of? It is surely divine glory, for it belongs to God himself. However, this does not explain how mere mortals receive it. We do not shine with radiant light. We do not command the mountains to rise up or the oceans to retreat. What, therefore, is this glory that God brings with him when he enters our lives? The answer is found in our relationship with God.
The miraculous thing that the gospels teach us is that God is also yearning and longing to have a relationship with us! Here is an idea without equal: the same God of mercy and grace - the Ancient of Days - took human form and dwelt among us. He exchanged a celestial throne for a feeding trough surrounded by animals and their shepherds. The only thing more shocking than the incarnation is that he did it willingly. What does this tell us about him? It tells us that he needs no throne, he needs no wealth or accolades or military might. He needs our love, because he is love. It is not on a throne but in our hearts where he truly delights to reign. The glory of God is his relationship with us, to become one with us.
The story of Jesus is very beautiful and it is filled with sorrow. It is the story of a person who is both Man and God, yearning and longing for us - his children - to repent of our sins and turn again to him. Despite all his efforts, his story descended into unbearable tragedy. One of his friends betrayed him, another denied him, and the rest of them ran away when the authorities decided to destroy him. They destroyed his body on Calvary Hill. He was crucified between two thieves, then buried in a tomb. But his story did not end with death.
Three days later there was a resurrection. There was great joy. The disciples finally realised that the humble rabbi they had followed around for a few years was no less than the everlasting God, the eternal Word made flesh. And they were happy with that relationship. They were eager to become his stewards in this world. They were not paralysed by fear, nor were they broken by guilt, because Jesus left the Holy Spirit with them to be their guide and comforter. With the Spirit, they felt the reassuring presence of their master, the tender touch of the unassuming teacher who had shared their meals, their laughter and their tears.
David spoke of our relationship with God. Peter speaks about our relationships with each other; with other human beings. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and as such he speaks with authority in his letter to various churches in Asia Minor who were suffering persecution at the time. These churches were suffering at the hands of the Roman Empire, yet Peter counselled the followers of Christ to have patience. He stressed nonviolence, loyalty to God and love for one another.
We believe in God not because we love him, but because he loved us first. Peter says in his letter that God gives us grace in many forms. Grace means unmerited favour. The most important grace is our redemption from sin. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was freely and lovingly given. His sacrifice reconciled the human race to God the Father. This powerful love transforms us from within and naturally, freely inspires loyalty. We express our loyalty through stewardship. And what must we do? Jesus commands us to love one another.
Because God is love, the act of caring for others and helping others is not merely a suggestion or a hobby for us. Caring for and helping others is our way of life! As Peter says in his letter, we must not be subversive or destructive. We must maintain the serious business of living. We must build strong relationships in our families and communities. We must help those who need help. To love one another as he loved us is the command of Jesus; it is the only command he ever gave us, and it is by his command alone that we live our lives.
Peter goes on to say in his letter that, as stewards, we look after the world with the strength that God gives us. David also mentioned the world in Psalm 24. As stewards we must care for the physical Earth: our environment, the mountains, the forests, the oceans and so on. Two days ago on September 25th, our brother in the Roman Catholic church, Pope Francis, called for concrete actions on climate change during his address to the United Nations. Pope Francis said,
“...the universe is the fruit of a loving decision by the Creator, who permits Man respectfully to use creation for the good of his fellow men and for the glory of the Creator; he is not authorised to abuse it, much less to destroy it. In all religions, the environment is a fundamental good...”
End quote. That strength to care for the world comes from our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith means trust plus hope. Having trust and hope in Jesus is not something we generate in ourselves. The only person who is capable of this relationship with God is God himself; the Holy Trinity. God the Father freely gave his Son to the world, and in turn the Son freely gives his Spirit to all who believe in him.
We must not be guilty of sloth. We must be actively engaged with the needs of the world and its people, because both the world and its people need looking after. We cannot say “Leave it alone” or “It’s not my concern”. It is our concern!
When we receive the Spirit, when we receive faith in Jesus, we receive the kingdom of God. One of the most bewildering and perplexing things Jesus said is that the kingdom of God is within us. The kingdom of God is not in this world around us, or in the ocean, or the sky, or somewhere in outer space. Jesus is pleased to build his kingdom in his stewards. He lives in us, and we live in him, and thus we become his new creation. We live in hope for that glorious day when we see the kingdom and enter into it, when we shall at last be complete. Amen. Let us pray. Lord God, open wide our hands in sharing, as we heed Christ's ageless call, healing, teaching, and reclaiming, serving you by loving all. Amen.