Day of Hope

Day of Hope 1 Timothy 6.2b-19 Mount Pisgah
3/12/06 Allen R. Hunt (with thanks to Bob Coy)
I. There are just some things you and I need to know
Reduce the world’s population to 100 people (Andy, I’d like to have these graphically represented with 100 tiny figures on the screen and have appropriate number light up as I go through stats)
30 know Jesus Christ – 70 do not
51 women – 49 are men – men, math odds are in your favor – women, I am sorry
80 – live in sub standard housing – no running water, electricity, solid roof over head
50 malnourished – may have a meal or some meals, but not adequate to sustain health
70 – cannot read at all
1 – dying – as we speak – a child, under age of 10 dying every second – because they do not have enough food

Now, here’s where it gets interesting
6 have over half of the world’s wealth – those 6 live in the United States
6 out of 100 people on earth have over half of all the world’s wealth – write that down
Facts and Figures
6_% have 1/2 of the world’s wealth
Now if you are in that 100 group, and you represent the dad of that boy who is dying, do you think it is reasonable to look at ones with so much money and ask if there is some possibility for them to help your family eat?
To ask, what would this person with all this wealth do?

Right now, if he is living in USA, he is preoccupied with all he’s doing with his wealth
Imagine a large dollar bill In America, you and I
24% for Housing – mortgage, lawn mower, chlorine, dues
19% for Health care – insurance, cough drops
22% for Recreation/Pleasure/Personal – stuff you enjoy
15% for Stomach
17% for Ride – car, insurance
Now what do you have left for guy whose son is dying?
That’s the question and it is sad – because I am going to turn to him and say I guess your child is going to have to die because I am really not sure what to do about it
On one hand, if I’m a heathen, don’t know God, I’ll give 2% to do something that looks like might help your kid – if I’m a believer, I’ll give 3% - not sure will help but maybe

II Now I am just thinking this guy might need a little more help than that
But you and I have already obligated all the spots on our dollar
And it is worse than you think – lot of Christians, have hard time even giving 2% or 3%
Because our dollar is not enough
For every dollar we made last year – we spent $101.50 – first time since the Depression in 1929 that Americans had a negative saving rate
And average American carrying $9200 in consumer debt on total of 7 credit cards
John Wesley said, “Earn all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can”
In America, we say, “Earn all you can, Borrow all you can, Spend all you can”

These facts and figures make me scratch my head
1 Because it is clear that you and I – the Church – are in serious financial trouble
Many of us have no assets other than equity in our homes – and we borrow against that to pay off consumer debt – we are upside down financially
2 And it is clear that the world has great need – when half of the world’s population is malnourished – and 70 do not know Jesus Christ – I am silly enough to think that the Gospel is the most important message in the world
It requires funding – and there are no resource because of the way believers have handled God’s resources – God has entrusted the most important mission in the world to us yet we come up short because we have mishandled God’s resources
3 God cannot reward bad behavior
You and I cannot ask God in good conscience to continue to give us more and then just forsake all the world’s needs
God cannot bless “unblessable” behavior

And I take that seriously – have to tell you
Partly my responsibility – to teach you finances as God sees them not as world sees them
And we offer Crown, Financial Peace University Bible studies
But I don’t like to make anyone feel obligated – don’t like to offend folks – like to be friendly and non-threatening – not embarrass anyone or make them feel awkward
So I must apologize to you – because I so seldom teach on stewardship
I teach you about being generous
And I teach you about tithing

III. But stewardship means this entire dollar bill belongs to God
And how you use it, invest it, matters to God
When you surrender your life,
God begins to have your whole life.
(Matt.6.19-21; 13.44; 19.21; Mark 12.44; Luke 3.11-14; Acts 2.45; 4.32-35; 19.19)
Too many of us operate under impression that being a follower of Jesus is a one hour a week deal
Like to come once a week and be mildly entertained
And too often we give the impression that if you give God little pieces of your time and little pieces of your money, you are saved
What part of you is saved? The hour you redeem on Sunday morning and the 2 or 3 % you give out of your income?
Look at the dollar bill again – rest of it does not look redeemed
Martin Luther said when meet Jesus, there are 3 conversions, conversion of the heart, of the mind, and of the purse

So what am I talking about today? Not tithing – not focused on 10% at all
Talking about being a steward of the 100%
Taken me a long time to get there
But I have gotten to meet some remarkable people – some in this congregation, some not
Like a businessman I know who capped his salary years ago – knew he could live on that amount – and made covenant with God to give everything above that to God’s purposes
At this point, I cannot even begin to conceive the amount He has invested in Kingdom work – because he wants the whole enchilada to belong to God – not a tiny fraction

Once that idea gets you, it gets you
God has taught it to me over and over again
Every time I find myself thinking I deserve to drive a nicer truck, wear finer clothing, move into more prestigious home, God knocks on my heart and asks what I have learned
And I say, “God you have given everything to me. What do you want back?”
And He says, “What did you start with?”
And I remember that day in NYC, on Wall Street, full of myself, feeling like I was on my way – young, career possibilities seeking me out, world opening up, knew that my dreams of cars, homes, and luxury would soon be on the way
And as I stepped over a homeless man – nowhere to go in America – God spoke to me clearly – “When are you going to stop serving yourself and start serving me?”
I remember where He found me – full of pride but with a nagging sense of emptiness – my heart kept asking, “Is this all there is?”

My motivation for going into the ministry was not to be popular, not to be wealthy
Remember preaching my very first sermon – 60 people in a church that maybe seated 100
Thinking if I can only pastor a church like that one day, my life will have meant something – just want to share the Truth and help people
NEVER would have imagined that I would be standing here today – in 3rd largest Methodist church with some of finest people on earth and a mission that is unbelievable
I knew then and I know now that God would take care of my needs – every day

So I asked God today – and you need to do the same thing
God, how do I keep from having my life, my goals being about me?
You need to wrestle with that in your own life

And part of His answer comes in His Word today - Celebrate

IV. Celebrate
Celebrate your mission
Make disciples of all nations (Mt. 28.19) (Mt. 25.31-46; Acts 1.8; 1John 3.17)
No one but us has the words of eternal life – there is no other group in town that changes lives like the Church does
Were you here three weeks ago when I opened up my sermon for testimonies to thank God? Did you hear Renee speak of being healed, did you hear Niall speak of God’s amazing grace when they had an unexpected pregnancy that the doctors recommended termination for, did you hear Denise thank you and God for saving her life and her soul, did you hear Rahsan thank you and God for walking alongside his family during a difficult period and offering hope? Did you see the dozens of folks who got up?
Did you hear Bryce last week celebrate that 6 persons accepted Jesus as Lord in worship and 4 more in life groups last week alone?
Were you here when we baptized the Bryan family – who came here during Katrina and said they had never experienced the love of God in such a way as they met here?
I sat after worship last Sunday with two young ladies – 9 and 11 – who both wanted to be born again and baptized – we’ll be doing that in a few weeks
You and I have the words of eternal life – words that no one else has – what a mission
Words of compassion – celebrate that no other church in north Fulton even comes close to what we invest in Habitat, in a crisis pregnancy center, North Fulton Charities
Celebrate your integrity
(Mt. 24.45-51; 25.14-30; Luke 12.13-21) Questions? Helen Caudill: hcaudill@mountpisgah.org
Celebrate that you share in a Methodist church – where the pastor does not get up and tell you to go to a store and find a plastic pearl necklace and envision it becoming real if only you will pray hard enough – what in the world is that?
Celebrate that your church has financial integrity – with a lay led Finance Committee, an outside auditor, and no debt other than the home loan on our family worship home
Celebrate that your pastor is willing to let you look at his personal 1040’s so that you know anything you want to know – and you will see that Anita and I are trying to live out exactly what I shared today – no debt other than home loan and giving away 21% last year to God’s purposes – first time we ever broke 20% and trying to go higher
Celebrate your frugality
(1 Tim. 6.2b-19; Matt. 25.1-12)
Judge all things only by the price they will gain in eternity (John Wesley)
Did you see Rick Warren on Larry King a few months back?
Folks were grilling him about how much money he made on Purpose Driven Life
He calmly responded – that he had written a check to his church to reimburse them for every dollar they had ever paid him in salary, and that he and his wife were giving away 90% of what they earn each year and living on 10% - never been so proud in my life
Ministry is not for personal enrichment – and neither is life
Look at words of Wesley – judge things by price they will gain in eternity
I want to spend less here (life) so that I can spend/give more over here (God’s purpose)
Celebrate your generosity
(2Cor. 9.6-8; 1 Tim. 6.18-19; 1 John 2.15-17)
Earn all you can; save all you can; give all you can (John Wesley)
Mount Pisgah is one of the most generous congregations in the land
Katrina victims, global partners like Hanook, the list goes on
But I look at that dollar bill and I know it speaks to you and to me

Kingdom of God is not a set of pearls, a car, or even a club membership
And I have to very brutally honest – if I do not encourage you to give, God will hold me and you accountable
Hold me accountable when you come up to me in heaven and say, “Why is my reward so small? Why didn’t you tell me. You were my pastor, my teacher.”
And I will have to say, “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Didn’t want to make you feel guilty.”
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Have to tell you – my body is wearing out – aches and pains in places I never knew I had
Every morning when I get up – my body reminds me that I am getting a little closer to death – say goodbye to my body and hello to the Kingdom
Can you stand before Jesus when He says, “I gave you so much, more than nearly anyone else in the world. I showed you all the great needs, and you just kept asking me for more?”
Then He will ask you, “With all you had, you still weren’t happy, were you?”
God help us

I am sorry – I will teach you more and more
Invitation to one step forward today – confirm your generosity for the coming year of ministry