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"Always Abounding in the Work of the Lord"
“Always Abounding in the Work of the Lord.” That’s what we do here at
St. Luke’s! As we celebrate the 60th Anniversary of our school today and
start looking forward to the 100th Anniversary of this congregation in
just 5 short years, we set our sites on the future, not on the past. If
you are joining us for the first time today this series has been our
first attempt to unite our multi-site ministry with a common message
being delivered at all seven of our weekly worship services at four
locations.
So once again this morning I extend greetings to our fellow members
gathered at Joan Walker Elementary School in Chuluota, together with
those gathered at the Lutheran Haven Nursing Home Chapel, and to our
partners in ministry at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Sanford.
It has been my hope, my desire to rally all of you around a shared
vision of being the most Biblically Literate, Doctrinally Sound,
Actively Engaged community of believers in the world, for the purpose
of extending the kingdom of God throughout central Florida and to
the ends of the earth.
Let me summarize it for you one more time: Being Biblically Literate
is living inside the story of the Bible with the sure and certain
understanding that the entire history of this world and therefore
every detail of your personal life and our corporate life are shaped
and guided by the content of the Bible's Story; being Doctrinally
Sound is being able to read and apply the story of the Bible to
our everyday life; and being Actively Engaged is living more and
more consciously inside the story recognizing that nothing we do
is insignificant to the plan of salvation God is working out in
us and through us.
Last week I sought to encourage you in three areas that are the
very core, the foundation, if you will, for being Actively
Engaged. First, remind yourself daily of who you are and that
your purpose in life is to live within the story of the Bible –
remember your baptism where you were connected to the life,
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Second, worship
weekly. Commit yourself to being here – there are seven
times available to you: 8:00 am here in Oviedo, 9:00 am
in Chuluota, 9:30 am here in Oviedo and at the Lutheran
Haven Nursing Home Chapel, 10:30 am in Sanford, 11 am here
in Oviedo, and 7:00 pm Monday evening here in Oviedo. In
worship God pours out His gifts of forgiveness and eternal
life to renew and restore you week by week. Thirdly, make
a conscious decision to live inside the story of the Bible
by putting God first in your finances through disciplined
percentage giving of an offering.
It is this third part of being “Actively Engaged” that I want
to expand on more today. To do that, I want to take you on a
little walking tour through the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians.
Our theme verse - “always abounding in the work of the Lord”
is the last verse of that chapter.
1st Corinthians 15 is often called the Great Resurrection
Chapter of the Bible. Please take the Bible out of the pew
rack in front of you and turn to 1 Corinthians 15, that’s
page 1789 (NIV). For those of you in Chuluota, Sanford and
the Lutheran Haven Nursing Home, I had it printed for you
and you should have received it with your worship folder
this morning.
OK. Start with me at chapter 15 - verse 1: 1Now, brothers,
I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which
you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By
this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word
I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
Now, everything that I say to you today, everything that
we believe, the entire Christian church, and this congregation
is rooted and grounded in the gospel. And that gospel is
simply this: that God created us to live perfectly with Him
and with each other; that perfection was shattered when Adam
and Eve chose to reject God’s way and tried to do life their
own way; but from the very beginning God always had a plan
to rescue his most precious creation – you and me; He took
on human flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, born of
the virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit; Jesus lived
the life we were supposed to live in perfect trust and
obedience to God; Jesus then willingly allowed himself to
be tortured and condemned to death on a cross; he suffered,
died, and was buried; and then on the third day, miraculously,
unbelievably, he came back to life, he rose from the dead.
Now the gospel declares that anyone who believes this simple
truth – that Jesus’ death works forgiveness of all our failures
toward God and one another and His resurrection guarantees us
eternal life with God in heaven – will be saved.
That’s the gospel, that’s the Bible’s story from beginning
to end, that’s the story we are living inside of when we
are Biblically Literate, Doctrinally Sound, and Actively Engaged.
Now, look with me at verses 12-13: 12But if it is preached
that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of
you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13If
there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ
has been raised.
Then skip to vs. 17: 17And if Christ has not been raised,
your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
Then verses 20-23: 20But Christ has indeed been raised from
the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For
since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead
comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in
Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn:
Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who
belong to him.
Apparently some not so Biblically Literate or Doctrinally Sound
folks in Corinth were saying that there is no resurrection. Paul
goes out of his way to insist that if that’s the case then Jesus
didn’t rise from the dead either and everything else about Jesus
is a lie. Now, folks I want you to listen carefully to my next
statement and take it to heart and measure your own thoughts
and attitudes. I believe that we sometimes live as if Jesus
never really rose from the dead. We get wrapped up, tied up,
twisted up in the complexities of our every day life and for
all practical purpose it would appear that we don’t have a
clue that Jesus rose from the dead and has set us free from
the foolishness of living according to the world’s standard.
But look at what it says at the end of Chapter 15. Start at the
quotation marks in verse 54: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?" 56The sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Victory - victory of over death - victory that changes how
we live. Because you have victory over death you can focus
your attention on what really matters in this life - using
every ounce of your strength, your intellect, your personality -
as you do every day ordinary things - go to work, take care
of your family, talk to friends, enjoy the blessings of this
life - with victory over death - you can do all those things
consciously aware of their significance in the story of salvation.
I don't know how to say it any plainer - when the gospel message
of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection for your forgiveness
and eternal life takes hold of your life - you become truly alive
and the life you've always wanted and dreamed of begins to unfold
before you. It is a life of contentment, a life of peace with God
that brings courage and patience to make peace with the people
around you, a life of satisfaction no matter how much or little
you have, no matter how important or insignificant you may feel. It
is a life of adventure and excitement - a hopeful anticipation of
wanting to see what God has in story for you today - to see where
He is going to take us - even when it seems boring and dull, or
painful and sad - because…because, can't you sense it…because you
are a player, a participant in THE story of God's salvation, the
purpose of all human history.
Now, look at that last verse we've been reading every week,
and don't close your Bible after we read it. 58Therefore, my
dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give
yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know
that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Or I like the way
the NKJV version says it - "Always abounding in the work of Lord,
because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
Meaning, purpose, significance, no matter what your place
in this world is - from youngest to oldest - all of your
activities of daily life are your abounding work, and none
of it is in vain.
Now, I asked you not to close your Bibles because I am
fascinated by the very next thing that God says through
Paul. Look at Chapter 16:1-2!
1Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told
the Galatian churches to do. 2On 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.
Huh! What do you make of that? After 58 verses about resurrection,
and glorified bodies, and victory over death, the very next
words out of God’s mouth are “Now about the collection” and
then instructions “On the first day of every week, each one
of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income.”
Folks I am convinced that God does that because from the very
beginning of the story it has been sin’s affect on how we handle
our money that is the number one obstacle to our living more
consistently inside the story of the Bible. It cripples us,
blinds us, turns inside out and focuses us on ourselves, it
distracts us from the work of salvation that God is carrying
on in us and around us and through us. We become preoccupied
with getting it, using it for our own purposes and holding
on to it.
I think that’s why we get instructions about giving right
after the lesson on resurrection. Offerings are God’s way
of keeping our priorities straight. Giving an offering every
week, setting aside a portion, a percentage in keeping with
our income, disciplines us to remember who we are and our
purpose in the plan of salvation. Giving, regularly and
consistently a reasonable percentage of our income is what
we do voluntarily and joyfully in response to God’s free
gift of forgiveness and eternal life. No one should give
out of guilt. No one should give for any other reason except
that they believe that the Bible’s story is in fact true
and therefore long tell that story to as many as possible.
In the announcement section of your bulletin is an envelope
that contains an estimate of giving card. This is a way to
develop your ability to give. It is voluntary, but I hope
every family will take the time today to complete it. If
you’re a visitor today you are invited to follow along,
but of course we don’t expect you to complete a card. Take
the card out of envelope and look on the side that has all
the numbers. This is the same chart I showed you last week.
Look down the left hand column until you find your approximate
annual income. Now, go across the chart to the right until you
find the amount you are currently giving on a weekly basis. You
can look at the top of that column and see what percentage of
your income that represents. So for example, if your annual
income is $52,000 per year and you are currently giving $30
per week that represents a 3% offering.
Last week I told you that the Tithe was an Old Testament offering
that is sometimes used as a guide or a goal for the NT people of
God. What I would like all of you to consider, is wherever you
are on that chart that you would move one box to the left – to
increase your giving by 1% for next year and then keep growing
from year to year until you reach that 10% or Tithe goal. And
then, who knows, as you experience the joy of giving you might
even find yourself wanting grow beyond the tithe.
In a few minutes, as we prepare to gather the offering, I will
walk the folks here in Oviedo through the front side of this
card. Pastor Roberts and Pastor DeWitt will be leading the folks
in Sanford and Pastor Abel in Chuluota.
If it feels awkward, if you’ve never tried this before, just
relax. There is no pressure. No one will be looking over your
shoulder to see if you filled it out correctly, or at all, for
that matter. It is simple a tool that will help you focus on
being Biblically literate, doctrinally sound, and actively engaged.
I am confident that you will be blessed by the experience as God
continues to work out his story in your life, always abounding the
work of the Lord as we move forward as God’s people. Today on your
way out you’ll have a chance to look at a Strategic Plan that’s
been in the works for 10 months. Take a look at it. In 2008 we’ll
start our “preach through the story of the Bible” series, combined
with Bible study and opportunities to serve we will discover more
and more clearly our place in that story, individually and together
as an outstanding community of believers.
Amen.
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