Great Steps of Faith: Our Security Issues
Luke 12:13-21, Dr. Thomas Boone
Delivered at Central Presbyterian Church, Mobile, October 13, 2007

Between taxes, bills, legal fees, and food there wasn’t much left at the end of the month. In fact, there was hardly anything they were able to afford besides the basics. An occasional McDonalds treat would put a smile on the kids’ faces and that made the decision worth it. If you’ve not been down this type of road then it may be hard for you to understand the commitment to God that they still managed to express each week by giving their three children a dollar to put into the offering plate, while they put in their check. They were a living example of Malachi 3:8, “Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But, you say, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In your tithes and offerings” says the Lord. The pastor knew their situation and tried to give them some relief from the burden, but they said, “No, Pastor, we’re trying to teach our children that what’s God’s goes to God.”

On the other side of the spectrum there’s a businessman in Chicago who just can’t seem to give enough. He gives to the church faithfully, and then on top of it gives to Cursillo, supports three missionaries, and is a key contributor to a women’s shelter. His perspective on money isn’t like most. “I live on what I need, and the rest is for God’s kingdom” he says. He was a living example of Luke 12:48, “to whom much has been given, much will be required.”

How utterly in contrast these are to the man who came to Jesus in today’s reading. Let me paint the situation for you. Jesus is with his disciples teaching them security in God when a crowd of several thousand gathers around. That sort of thing happened with Jesus, people just had to be near him. Anyway, Jesus is making a point that his disciples shouldn’t worry about their lives because God cares even for the sparrow and how much more worth are we in the order of creation than sparrows. If they felt threatened by others they needed to keep focused on God as their source of security. If they felt that their needs were too much for God to meet they would do well to remember that God can do the impossible.

But, then, here comes this guy barging into their conversation and says “Jesus, I need you to do something for me.” Now, is it healing someone? Jesus would have done that, but no it’s not healing. It’s a request for Jesus to support his desire to have more money from an inheritance. How ironic! Jesus is teaching his disciples that they should let go of their petty concerns and lean on God for their security when out of left field comes a guy wanting more money for his nest egg.

It was a situation that was threatening to break up the family after a father’s death. Jesus, while he may have been tempted to respond with some sort of humor or witty remark over the timing of the man’s request, instead responded seriously. Make God your security rather than your money, or else you’ll be disappointed when eternity comes knocking.

Now, lest we be tempted to misunderstand the man’s concerns, let’s get something straight. Financial stress is significant. Among the top losses that people experience with financial stress is security. Financial stress brings fear, anxiety, anger, and depression. As people try to get out from under this kind of stress they’re tempted to make a number of poor choices. Some may turn to gambling as they attempt to fill the money gap with luck. Others may drink to numb the anxiety. Financial stress is real. Here are some unnerving facts.

Ceridian and ComPsych are two national financial counseling institutions that have reported a 50% increase in calls during this past summer. Mortgage related concerns have risen 300% according to ComPsych’s CEO, Richard Chaifetz. Foreclosure filings have risen 93% since June 2006 according to statistics provided by RealtyTrac. A 2007 study by The Principal Financial Group found that three out of five workers are facing concerns not just about meeting basic retirement needs, but are facing concerns to meet their current living needs.

So, if you’ve not faced financial stress you’re in the minority. Most of us can relate to the concern that the man brought to Jesus. Maybe it’s not that we’re after a larger nest egg. Maybe we’re simply trying to find ways to fend off creditors or make ends meet. Maybe you’re being responsible, but find that the poor decisions of those around us are causing a financial strain on the whole system. Someone has to pay, and perhaps you’re tired of holding the check at the end of the day while others seem to get away with owning cell phones and driving nice cars, yet use food stamps.

The effects of financial stress are much more than anger and misunderstanding, though. Productivity can decline at the work place, addictive behavior will rise, and family strain increases when financial stress occurs. Jesus peered into human nature for a moment through this man’s need and addressed with surgical precision a matter of grave concern. Choose your source of security: money or me, Jesus said.

Jesus isn’t saying that we should be careless, or that there isn’t any cause for concern financially. Yet, if we overlook God as the source of security and instead lean on our material possessions then we’re depending on a flimsy lean-to. That’s the problem this man wasn’t seeing. Jesus, the Son of God, isn’t going to get pulled into issues that reflect misplaced priorities. Instead, he’s going to direct us back to the priorities that are God-honoring. In this case, the man’s more concerned over the question of what he can keep for himself in this life–money–than he is about the obvious question at a time of death: what’s the state of my soul? Jesus alerts the man to the obvious. Rather than be focused on having more he should be striving to be rich in his relationship with God.

I think most of us would say ‘Amen’ to this because the point is obvious. But, perhaps the number one contestant against a rich relationship with God is the type of materialism we face as Christians in the U.S. It’s easy to be consumed with making more money for ourselves and our families. But it’s also the most seductive thing in distracting us from relying on God alone.

What Jesus is saying to the man is what he’d say to us. Rather than taking care of finances first, we need to take care of our relationship with God first. All things for Christians come out of a right relationship with Jesus. If that’s on track then so will our perspective regarding finances, career, family, friends, personal habits and behaviors, and the list goes on and on. When our relationship with Jesus is “rich” to use his own language then our security will be intact. Jesus isn’t arguing against taking care of our responsibilities on earth, but he’s saying our priorities have to be in order. God first in everything.

And when we have that order straight–Jesus first, then everything else–the fruit is amazing. It’s the parents who give their children a dollar each to put into an offering plate for the sake of them learning about faith even though they are in financial duress. It’s thankfulness to God expressed in a giving spirit among others. Security in God means being willing to do the hard things in life if God calls us to them because we know we’re going to be okay. In Romans Paul urges believers, “In view of God’s mercy offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship” (Rom 12:1). When God has done so much for us, who are we to hold anything back? When we see that we’re solely dependent upon Jesus then we become humble, and have a “whatever God wants” attitude about our faith and about our possessions. Everything we think is so important in life fades to the degree in which we’re able to rest assured that with God all will be OK. That’s the heart of stewardship.

Do you believe, heart and soul, that God is your security? Remember the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac? God wanted Abraham’s obedience at all costs, and that’s what Abraham showed. God provided. Remember the story of Joseph? God wanted Joseph to use the gifts He had put into Joseph to the glory of God even at inconvenient, lonely, and bad times. God blessed. Remember the story of Moses? God wanted Moses to do something outside his comfort zone because he wanted Moses and others to learn that with God all things are possible. God worked miracles through Moses. Stewardship is about faith, and the degree of your stewardship is the degree of your faith.

I want to share a conviction I have about this church. I don’t think you’ve seen your glory days yet. It was easy in the 50’s and 60’s to have a church over 1,000 members because that’s what people did back then. But you know what’s not easy? Coming together after a long drought and agreeing to do things in a different way for the purpose of doing God’s work where God has planted you. Closing a chapter for this church and figuring out what the next chapter will be. Putting aside the differences, as emotional as they are, and marching forward looking much differently than you imagined you would. Your glory days are yet to come because there is a sense of unity and love for this church that I think has surprised even some of you. The glory days will come because you’ve wrestled seriously with the real issue: do we rely on Jesus in our faith as congregation and as members individually of it? And you’ll have wrestled with this question in all its ramifications during a very difficult time for your church.

Sure maybe we’re not in the sanctuary right now because our numbers are down, but we’ll get there again and soon. In the meantime think about what really makes worship, worship. If you think worship is about being in a sanctuary then you’ve not learned anything. Think about what makes church really church. If you think it’s about one type of service or one type of people, or not taking risk and doing things easily, then you’ve heard nothing I’ve said. The church is you, it’s Jesus, it’s love, it’s trusting in God to be our security, and not holding anything back from Him. Let these questions guide you into your stewardship commitment.

You are Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. You are the church. You are people of faith. And in God alone you can find your security and the more you do that the more you will discover a living faith. Believe it, act on it, and the glory days of your future will make any former years you saw seem dim by comparison. Hallelujah. Amen.