October 15, 2006
Rev. Terry D. Campbell

God's Love Becomes Real
2 Corinthians 9:7 (MsgB)

"I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving."

A six-year-old girl insisted that as a new first grader, she should be allowed to take part in the offering and put something in the offering plated during worship. Mom and Dad agreed and Dad even gave her a dollar and explained that God loves a cheerful giver. When the usher stopped beside the little girl and held out the offering plate, the little girl's voice rang out in protest, "Hey, mister! Don't you have change for a dollar?" Her very embarrassed father leaned down and whispered something in her ear. The whole congregation heard her reply: "But Daddy, I'd be a cheerful-er giver if I could give some to the Lord but buy a candy bar, too."

Let's talk about what it means to be cheerful givers.

I. By giving, I participate in building God's kingdom on earth.

1 Cor. 3:9-"For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." Consider this: What we do in our giving helps God's life and love become real for people.

Dr. Hugh McKean of Chiengmai, Thailand, tells of a church of four hundred members where every member tithes. They receive a weekly wage of forty stangs (less than twenty cents] and their rice. Of this meager existence, each gives a tenth every week. Because of this, they have done more for Christ in Thailand than any other church. They pay their own preacher and have sent two missionary families to spread the gospel in a community cut off from the outside world. They are intensely interested in all forms of Christian work, especially work for unfortunates of every kind; and their gifts for this kind of work are large. They have not only accepted Christ, but, having found Him good, they are making Him known to others. Oh, by the way, this church of all tithers is also a church of all lepers-every person has leprosy.ii

God uses what we give Him as building blocks in making God's kingdom on earth. Certainly God uses our finances, but God uses ALL we give to build His Kingdom and will on earth.

Prayer-I talked to a passionately-Christian woman the last of this week who is now wheelchair bound. She told me about the dynamic intercessory prayer ministry to which God has called her. She was excited about what God was doing through her-in spite of her physical limitation. James 5:16 (NCV)-"When a believing person prays, great things happen."

Time-I am more inclined to give some money than some time. But there are many times when people need our time as well as other things. They need to see that someone cares-and through that begin to believe that God cares-that there is some hope. God does that through Christians giving time to meet needs.

Talent-It's fun to make furniture, to accumulate tools and to be able to learn how to use them. God has blessed me with a little bit of acquired ability. But God doesn't just give that ability to me, but as a way I can help make His love concrete on our Mission trip to Henderson Settlement. Those who have people skills-there will be many chances to interact with people there and let them feel God's love through strangers from Indiana-Christians trying to establish God's kingdom of love on the earth. By giving in a variety of ways, you and I participate in building God's kingdom on earth.

II. Will I think about what I have lost or what I have gained?

When you give or are asked to give, what do you think about afterward? The Bible tells us that we're suppose to take plenty of time to pray and think over, then make up our own mind what we are going to give God so that we can prevent ourselves from succumbing to a self-pity party or the feeling of being abused by God or God's church. Do you have a pity party for yourself? "I just give and give to God!" "My giving is so exhausted." Do you think that God is twisting your arm? (Or worse, the preachers are twisting your arm?) Making you do what is bad FOR YOU and what is not God's best or God's will for you?

It happened one time after a pastor had made an appeal in church for a great and worthy cause, that a certain woman, a member of the church, came to him and handed him a check for $50, asking at the same time if her gift was satisfactory. The pastor immediately replied, 'If it represents you.' There was a moment of soul-searching thought and she asked to have the check returned to her. She left with it and a day or two later she returned handing the pastor a check for $5,000 and again asked the same question, 'Is my gift satisfactory?' The pastor gave the same answer as before, 'If it represents you.' As before, a truth seemed to be driving deeply. After a few moments of hesitation she took back the check and left. Later in the week she came again with a check. That time it was for $50,000. As she placed it in the pastor's hand, she said, 'After earnest, prayerful thought, I have come to the conclusion that this gift does represent me and I am happy to give it.' John Allan Lavenderiii This is the meaning of 1 Cor. 16:2-"On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made."

We make a living by what we get out of life, but we make a life by what we give.iv Don't give until it hurts. Give until it feels good-until it represents who you are and your relationship with Jesus Christ. It won't be the same as someone else.

III. Cheerful giving demonstrates God's love made real in and through me.

Shortly after World War II came to a close, Europe began picking up the pieces. Much of the Old Country had been ravaged by war and was in ruins. Perhaps the saddest sight of all was that of little orphaned children starving in the streets of those war-torn cities. Early one chilly morning an American soldier was making his way back to the barracks in London. As he turned the corner in his jeep, he spotted a little lad with his nose pressed to the window of a pastry shop. Inside the cook was kneading dough for a fresh batch of doughnuts. The hungry boy stared in silence, watching every move. The soldier pulled his jeep to the curb, stopped, got out, and walked quietly over to where the little fellow was standing. Through the steamed-up window he could see the mouth-watering morsels as they were being pulled from the oven, piping hot. The boy salivated and released a slight groan as he watched the cook place them onto the glass-enclosed counter ever so carefully. The soldier's heart went out to the nameless orphan as he stood beside him. 'Son, would you like some of those?' The boy was startled. 'Oh, yeah--I would!' The American stepped inside and bought a dozen, put them in a bag, and walked back to where the lad was standing in the foggy cold of the London morning. He smiled, held out the bag, and said simply: 'Here you are.' As he turned to walk away, he felt a tug on his coat. He looked back and heard the child ask quietly: 'Mister, are you God?' We are never more like God than when we give.v

1 John 3:23-"And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us."

Give with long face doesn't honor this call. Giving with tears about what I am losing doesn't. Giving with gritted teeth . . . Cheerful giving demonstrates God's love made real in and through me. It communicates God's caring to the gift-receiver. It helps free our hearts to enjoy working with God. And it helps the person to whom we are giving feel better about receiving this gift-it's not charity, it's not helping "an unfortunate." It is one person loving another person because God loves us all.

What will you do now?

Now is the time for you to bring forth your pledge card so your financial giving can help build God's kingdom on earth. If you haven't yet turned in your Time and Talent cards, you may bring them forward to dedicate, too. Amen.