Living up to Your Net Worth
Exodus 3:7-12; Matthew 10:26-31
A Sermon Delivered by Thomas J. Boone, Ph.D.
Central Presbyterian Church, Mobile AL, February 3, 2008

I came across some startling figures featuring the top twenty people in terms of their net worth. Bill Gates remains at the top of the list with a net worth of $56 billion. At the bottom of list is a German by the name of Theo Albrecht, worth a mere $17.5 billion. Our politicians rank much lower. John Kerry’s net worth is only $165 million; Feinstein $43 million; Cheney $17 million; and Pelosi $14 million. Then there are the Presidential hopefuls: Romney reports approximately $200 million; McCain about $20 million; Clinton anywhere between $10 and $50 million; and Obama is at the bottom of the list with maybe $2 million net worth. Welcome to our modern day demi-gods who epitomize our society’s core value: personal gain. Net worth matters to people whether it’s in the clothes we wear, clubs we’ve joined, cars we drive, schools to which we’ve sent our children, churches we’ve joined, or offices we’ve held.

And if we don’t have much net worth then we’re bombarded by opportunists convincing us we need more. There are countless advertisements for easy money, DVD’s from Trump and others showing us how they made their money, and reality shows promising money to winners. Take “Deal or No Deal”, for example, which feeds human greed to the point where people have turned down $600 thousand for a chance to win $1 million. Net worth matters in our culture, but it’s not just a symptom of sin in the culture because the church has bought into it, too.

The church has been in decline since the 1960’s, and most churches have less than one hundred members and struggle to support even just one pastor let alone a property, program, and mission. This has led to a trend to encourage people to leave estate money to their churches in order to better enable the financially struggling church to survive in a new age. There are two ways of looking at this. One way is that this makes smart business sense that supports previously large churches during lean times. Others conclude that endowments don’t force the church to wrestle with the painful questions of survival in a changing environment. This has been part of the struggle at Central since both views exist here.

Basing a church’s success on its net worth goes beyond endowments though. There’s a force in American Christianity called the Prosperity Gospel movement. In a nutshell it proclaims that if we’re faithful enough we’ll find happiness and blessing in material ways. If we’re discontent with mediocrity in our homes, families, cars, and careers then we simply haven’t prayed for it as believers ought. Well, that may be all well, good, and desirable, but here’s the problem with this way of thinking. How do I account for people who live in squalor in Nairobi or Mexico yet who have faith that would humble most of us? How do I account for Christians who are poor yet who’d say that they’re blessed simply because they experience God’s love and grace?

I came across a quotation about net worth I thought you’d find interesting. “A person who values himself by financial net worth is poorer than a poor person who values himself by his intrinsic self worth.” Putting this into spiritual language, we run into trouble whenever we allow material net worth to become the center of our decisions. Net worth, when it’s based on creation rather than the Creator, can blind us from the reality that God works miracles. Net worth, when it champions our ability rather than God’s provision, can keep us from changing in ways that God wants us to do in order to survive new eras.

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote, “Christ says, ‘Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you... I will give you a new self. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’”

I want you to think about what these words say about your net worth? Have you ever considered how valuable you are to God for Him to want to give Himself to you? Have you ever paused long enough to reflect on your net worth that causes God to say, “I want you?”

Against a world that translates net worth into power and wealth, we have a God who says our net worth comes from the simple fact that we are worth His time and desire. Against a modern church that has bought into material blessing as a sign of spiritual maturity we have a God who says He’s happy to be with us whether we’re in a squabble, prison, or, as my parents discovered as missionaries in China, a rat-infested apartment with gaping holes in the walls. God doesn’t measure our net worth in terms that the world uses, and neither should we. History is laced with the whispers of a God who values us.

Can you hear the whisper in the Good News that shook the universe to its core and forever changed the scope of eternity? The whisper was in the advent of Christ in a small town called Bethlehem as the Majestic Founder of all that exists took human form and humbled himself to abide in an animal’s trough. God whispered, “You’re worth this to me;” never forget it.

The whisper continued as the God in Glory who had transformed into the God who could stub His toe taught people not to worry about anything. And why shouldn’t we fear? It’s not because we should just adjust our focus a bit to being happy rather than putting up with the mediocre. It’s not because through Christ we will be given material security in family, home, and career. Why don’t we need to fear anything no matter what? Jesus boils it all down to this one truth: when it comes to value in creation we’re the tops.

The whisper continued still when Jesus during the last supper wrapped a towel around his waist and washed the feet of those who were about to deny and betray him for the sake of saving their own skin. He looked at his disciples and washed their feet not because they deserved it but because they were worth so much to Him. He saw what no one else could see: their absolute and precious worth despite what they were about ready to do. How valuable are we to our God? We’re worth his humility that served us, his life that he shared with us, and his death that saved us.

It’s a whisper that began not with Jesus, but long ago when on a quiet day in the midst of a creation filled with humming birds and swaying trees a man and woman emerged from the woods of Eden to manage all of God’s creation for Him. It’s the whisper that the world heard centuries later through God’s quiet revelation to Moses in a burning bush. “I’ve seen my people’s oppression. I’ve heard their cry. I know their sorrows. It’s time now to save them.” To rephrase, God’s saying to Moses, “They’re worth my time. They’re worth my presence.” Do you get the heart of this? God valued His people and He came. He didn’t come to them because He wanted to show His power. He came because His people were worth it to Him!

So what do you believe? Do you think the whispers stopped once the New Testament was finished, or do you still hear God’s whisper saying to you, “You’re worth so much to Me.” I’ve come to know you this year as your Interim Minister, and it has been a privilege to do so. I don’t think any of you believe that God has stopped whispering to you about your worth and His love for you. So why do we get caught in the trap of living as if the whispers had stopped? If, in God’s view, we have net worth worthy of His life, love, commitment, and abiding presence, then our challenge is not to return that love, because we can’t, but to live according to the way God sees us. And it boils down to this: stop being afraid!

Fear leads to resignation and despair caused by years of decline. This year I’ve witnessed a renewal of hope among you. I’m witnessing a new sense of community evolve among you. You’re listening to each other in different ways, and you’re making significant decisions in an orderly way. As I listen to your conversations about each other I’m hearing more hope and understanding. Each of these are signs that you’re beginning to see each other’s net worth through God’s eyes, and that’s a pleasing thing that God will bless. God desires His church to be a body of peace and a community of love. There are many people who need to hear the good news that they, too, have immeasurable worth in God’s eyes and when they come here make it your first order of business to show them this truth. If you want to open the floodgates of this church to receive new members then show them how valuable they are in God’s eyes.

And while I celebrate that you’re rounding the corner, the gospel challenges you to keep it up! You’ve been through a long season where you questioned your worth, but you’re showing me and others that you have a sense of worth that exists outside a large church membership, charismatic leader, deep pockets, and a nice church property. It has been my privilege to witness you emerge out of this season, but in God’s name you must keep yourselves focused on the truth. Do not sacrifice the glory of the days ahead by forgetting the lessons of the past forty years. Allow the God who values you highly to direct you. Allow yourselves to do mission and outreach through your 9AM worship service. Aim not to make more Presbyterians, but aim to get people excited about Jesus Christ as they realize his love for them. Call a pastor who will excite you and others about the joy of being a valuable child of God. Let the whisper that God values us continue through 1260 Dauphin St., and those doors will never shut. Hallelujah. Amen.