1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:04,360 Good morning. We are celebrating today, the 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,920 first Sunday of Advent, New Year's Day in the Christian. 3 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:10,360 Liturgical. Year and this is the day when we 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,680 anticipate the coming of Jesus. For Christ has died. 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:15,720 Christ. Is risen and. 6 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:20,040 Christ will. Come again, the one holy, 7 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:22,720 Catholic and Apostolic. Church, we look forward to the. 8 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,360 2nd Advent of Jesus, when He will judge the living and the 9 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,200 dead. But how should we prepare for 10 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,160 Jesus? 'S second coming I want to show 11 00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:37,840 you in today's message. The priority? 12 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,040 Of giving thanks. Yes, this is a. 13 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,960 Pivotal sermon We're pivoting from Thanksgiving to Advent, and 14 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,480 I want to. Show you the value of both. 15 00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:52,040 Individual and corporate Thanksgiving, looking 16 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:56,960 particularly at 2nd Corinthians Chapter 9, our New Testament 17 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:01,640 reading, page 910 in the. Church Bibles encourage you to 18 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:04,879 look there. We're going to see how we can 19 00:01:04,879 --> 00:01:11,720 celebrate Thanksgiving all the year round as we make ready for 20 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:16,120 the advent of Jesus. Let's pray, we praise. 21 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,560 And thank you, Lord, that we can gather this morning together in 22 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,400 worship. Of you, we're so grateful. 23 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:28,120 For song and for scripture, and for the presence of your Holy 24 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,720 Spirit among us. Bless our study of Your Word. 25 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:38,120 And. Bless our hearts as we devote. 26 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,520 Them to you again. That we would. 27 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:43,680 Follow you faithfully when we leave this. 28 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:47,480 Place for we. Pray in Jesus name, Amen. 29 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,760 Thanksgiving is, of course, an American holiday. 30 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,680 I don't think I've ever preached a Thanksgiving sermon before. 31 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:57,280 But there's a. Christian idea, Christian 32 00:01:57,760 --> 00:01:59,720 impetus behind it. Of course. 33 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:02,560 And we should rejoice that our country. 34 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,280 Has set aside. A day and. 35 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:09,000 Keeps this day. For Thanksgiving every year 36 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,680 since, this is just. What God calls us to do 37 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:14,960 literally every day. In response to the. 38 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,080 Grace that. He has shown us in Jesus. 39 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,880 For all of us. Like sheep have gone astray, 40 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:23,560 haven't we? We've all turned. 41 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:26,440 Each of us. To our own. 42 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:30,600 Way yet our. Father and his mercy sent Jesus 43 00:02:30,640 --> 00:02:32,120 into. Our world. 44 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:35,000 And has laid upon him the iniquities. 45 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,480 Of us all, so that by his grace. We might be rescued from sin and 46 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:43,000 death and so. We say every. 47 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:48,040 Sunday when we're. Together it is right our duty. 48 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:52,200 And our joy always and everywhere to give thanks to 49 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:56,760 you, Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, in response. 50 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:00,920 To His lavish gift of grace to us. 51 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:03,680 Why is it right? Why is it? 52 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:06,640 Our joy and our duty, always and everywhere to give thanks, 53 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,200 because Thanksgiving is the. Proper. 54 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,560 Response to God. 'S grace. 55 00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:16,360 The intimate connection between. God's grace. 56 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:20,520 And our Thanksgiving is in fact woven through the New Testament, 57 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,640 but we often miss it in our English Bible translations. 58 00:03:23,640 --> 00:03:28,000 So please forgive me in advance and permit me to do a very nerdy 59 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,880 thing and to teach you a. Little bit of biblical Greek, 60 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:32,120 we'll go. Down a little. 61 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:36,200 Biblical Greek side road first. To make sense of how these are 62 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:37,640 connected. The Greek. 63 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:41,520 Word for Thanksgiving. Is Eucharistia. 64 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,080 Can you say? That Eucharistia. 65 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:47,360 And it is from this. Word. 66 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,720 That we get one of the old names for Holy Communion, namely the 67 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:55,760 Eucharist, also sometimes called the Great Thanksgiving 68 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:59,920 Eucharistia. Eucharistia combines the. 69 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:03,920 Prefix. U which means good with another. 70 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,360 Root word karis. Can you say? 71 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,360 Karis. And that translates grace. 72 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,480 Or gift. Can you see the connection now 73 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:20,040 between Thanksgiving, Eucharistia and. 74 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:25,440 Grace or gift, Karis Karis. Is right in the middle. 75 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,760 Of Eucharistia. Every time we engage in 76 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,040 Thanksgiving. There is grace. 77 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,840 Right in the very center. Of the word at least. 78 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:38,200 In the Greek Bible and so the. First readers of the. 79 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:42,760 Greek New Testament would have heard this connection every time 80 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,040 they came. Across the word Eucharistia, 81 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:47,440 they. Share the same root. 82 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:51,400 Now this word. Grace Karis is very, very. 83 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,120 Common in the New Testament and one of the reasons. 84 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:55,280 Is because. It was a greeting in the ancient 85 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:57,320 world, in the ancient Greek. World what? 86 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,880 People would say to one another. Is grace to you or Karis to you? 87 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:05,200 And it's in fact how St. Paul the Apostle the the Jewish 88 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:06,880 Apostle. To the Gentiles. 89 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,760 Would greet people. In every one of his letters. 90 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:11,160 He would say. Shalom. 91 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:13,400 That's the Hebrew. Greeting of peace. 92 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:17,000 And he would say. Karis to you. 93 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:19,800 And so it would. Be every letter. 94 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,200 Grace and. Peace to you. 95 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:24,240 In Jesus. Christ our Lord. 96 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:26,520 And that's where some of the instances. 97 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,000 Of grace occur. In the New Testament, but there 98 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:33,880 are so many, many more 145 times, Paul. 99 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:38,120 In his letters uses the word grace or charis. 100 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:41,800 It's even more frequent than his use of the. 101 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:43,280 Word love. And Paul? 102 00:05:43,280 --> 00:05:47,400 Writes Eucharistia. Thanksgiving another 36 times, 103 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:51,720 often in connection with grace. So that's the nerdy stuff. 104 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,680 That's all I. Just needed to take a minute get 105 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:56,560 it out of my system. Now I can get to the. 106 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:00,360 Practical stuff. I I got that degree for 107 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:02,480 something, I like to use it once in a while. 108 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:07,720 So now here are the practical implications of the Bible's link 109 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,920 between Thanksgiving and grace. And the first one is that 110 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,720 Thanksgiving is the proper response. 111 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,720 To God's grace it is the. Polite thing to do. 112 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,320 Right to say. Please and to say thank you, 113 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:21,920 Remember that it all began as I said. 114 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:26,000 Before, with God's lavish gift of His. 115 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,360 Son Jesus on Christmas and a few. 116 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,920 A few verses. Earlier than our chapter in 117 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:35,440 Second Corinthians chapter 8, Paul wrote that you know the. 118 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:39,600 Grace, the caress of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was 119 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:41,160 rich, yet for your. Sake. 120 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:45,240 He became poor. So that you by his. 121 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:49,800 Poverty might become. Rich so that. 122 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,040 You might become rich, and in particular he. 123 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:54,680 Says while. We were sinners. 124 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,840 Jesus died. For us, so God's. 125 00:06:57,840 --> 00:07:04,000 Redeeming Grace was extraordinarily generous in all. 126 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:08,560 Of the history of the world. No other gift has been nearly as 127 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,720 generous. As God's gift of. 128 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:14,640 His only son, so it is. Right, it is our. 129 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:19,560 Duty and our joy, always and everywhere to give thanks. 130 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,320 Eucharistia to give. Thanks to God. 131 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:25,960 Now, secondly, another practical implication. 132 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:30,760 Is that lavish gifts are always life. 133 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:35,600 Changing and certainly and especially. 134 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,720 God's lavish. Gift of redemption in Jesus. 135 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:43,400 Our lives ought to be radically. Transformed because of God's 136 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,480 generosity to us. And you can think of this just 137 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:50,440 in terms of the transformative nature of huge material gifts. 138 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:53,720 Think for example. Of a full. 139 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,680 Tuition scholarship to college given to someone and how that 140 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:01,040 changes. Their whole life trajectory just 141 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:02,760 because. Of that one gift some of. 142 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,560 You here have have received such a gift. 143 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,160 Or consider a homeless family. Barely. 144 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,840 Surviving the chaos. Of what shelter? 145 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:16,680 Are we in tonight? What shelter are we in the next 146 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,440 day and that sort of living in the moment, worrying. 147 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:24,400 About safety and. Survival And imagine a donor who 148 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,640 comes forward and says. I have a house. 149 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:31,560 For you, fully furnished and I'm setting up a trust fund for you. 150 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,200 That will provide. For the maintenance of. 151 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:38,000 The house. And for the utilities and so on 152 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,320 for the rest of your lives. And think about how that 153 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:45,320 transforms that family from worrying about momentary 154 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,320 survival to being. Able to look. 155 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,520 Ahead into the future and live in such a way. 156 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,680 That they have security? What? 157 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:58,600 A A transformative gift, and in the same way that these gifts 158 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:02,000 change people's lives. God's lavish gift of. 159 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:06,400 Redemption in Jesus a Jesus became poor so that we might 160 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,440 become rich that. Lavish gift should. 161 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:12,360 Change our lives. For it is the greatest gift of 162 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:15,400 all. Is far more consequential than 163 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:18,440 the. Largest lottery payout, right? 164 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:20,360 It is so. Huge and. 165 00:09:20,680 --> 00:09:25,080 Those of us who have received God's gift should have lives 166 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,120 that reflect. That kind of transformation 167 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,880 because of it. Does this describe? 168 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:33,520 You think? About how Jesus gift has. 169 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:35,720 Changed your life? Do. 170 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:40,360 You live like someone whose life has been completely, radically 171 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,360 transformed by. God's lavish. 172 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:46,000 Generosity, are you overflowing with Thanksgiving? 173 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:47,920 Because. Of God's gracious gift. 174 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,440 Of life in Christ? Or could you use more 175 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:54,400 Thanksgiving in your life? I know that I could. 176 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,320 Now we're a Protestant church, and I hear sometimes these kinds 177 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,240 of objections when I talk. This way. 178 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,200 From our Protestant brothers and sisters who might. 179 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:07,280 Say why? Should it matter at? 180 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:11,680 All how I live if it if it's, if I have. 181 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:16,480 To respond differently, doesn't that detract from God's 182 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:18,640 generosity? Doesn't that make it less of a 183 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:21,520 gift and a kind of quid? Pro quo, but. 184 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:24,840 That's not at. All the case, God's gift of. 185 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,280 Grace in Jesus. Is so. 186 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:31,880 Wonderfully extravagant, so unexpected and deserved. 187 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:37,160 It it. Necessarily transforms our 188 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,160 lives. It must transform our. 189 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:41,280 Lives just like. A full tuition. 190 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:43,960 Scholarship or just like the free. 191 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:48,640 Home for the Homeless and God's Gift is intended in the same way 192 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:50,720 to. Lift us up out of the poverty. 193 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:54,400 Of sin and death to life eternal to lift us. 194 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,320 Out of just. Thinking. 195 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:58,600 About our lives. Short term. 196 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,920 To life. Long term in Jesus Kingdom. 197 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:06,640 And so while we could never earn God's grace, we must respond to 198 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:08,720 it. We have no choice but to respond 199 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:11,400 to it. And not responding to it would 200 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:16,480 be the pinnacle of rudeness. It is the polite thing to do to 201 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:20,880 respond to it and. Because lavish gifts are always 202 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:22,000 life. Changing God's. 203 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,200 Grace ought to. Cultivate within us. 204 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:28,000 A posture. Of continual Eucharistia, 205 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,720 continual Thanksgiving, which is in fact what Paul is depicting 206 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:35,200 for us in 2nd Corinthians 9. So now we get to look at. 207 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,560 The passage together. And I want to zoom in on a 208 00:11:37,560 --> 00:11:41,880 couple of lines beginning in Chapter 9 verse. 8 if you look. 209 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:44,760 At that with me, Paul writes that God is able to make. 210 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:47,200 All grace. Abound to you. 211 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,280 That's that word charis or grace so that. 212 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:56,280 Having all sufficiency in all things at all times. 213 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,760 That pretty much covers it. So having all sufficiency in all 214 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,640 things at all times, you may abound in. 215 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:07,960 Every good work. This is Paul, the apostle of 216 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,760 grace. Talking about the transformation 217 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:13,920 of our lives as a consequence. Of the lavish. 218 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:17,480 Generosity of God in Christ and this use of. 219 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:20,840 The word grace here is. One of those 145 times that Paul 220 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,000 mentions it and the point that he's making is that. 221 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,640 God's lavish. Grace makes us. 222 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:31,720 So secure at all. Times in every way. 223 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:36,480 That it ought to. Produce lavish generosity in. 224 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:39,560 Us as well. That's what Paul means by that 225 00:12:39,560 --> 00:12:40,320 last. Phrase. 226 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:42,760 Abounding in every good. Work. 227 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:46,680 Now, the good works that Paul envisions are not primarily 228 00:12:46,680 --> 00:12:50,920 random acts of kindness, like helping your elderly neighbor 229 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,440 bring groceries in from the car, though that's a very nice thing 230 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:54,840 to do and you should do. That but. 231 00:12:55,080 --> 00:13:01,760 Paul is talking about us growing into the likeness of God in such 232 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:07,080 a way that we become people whose intentional strategic 233 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:10,640 generosity regularly transforms the lives. 234 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,960 Of others, that's what. Paul is talking about. 235 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:15,040 It is. It is a. 236 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:17,640 Thoughtfulness a purposefulness in the. 237 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:21,320 Way that we. Practice our generosity. 238 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:23,720 For. The sake of the Kingdom for the 239 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,040 transformation of the world. And this gets clearer in verses 240 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:28,760 11 and 12. Where Paul writes. 241 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:33,200 You will be enriched in every. Way to be. 242 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,200 Generous in every. Way which through us will. 243 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,800 Produce Eucharistia Thanksgiving. 244 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,280 To God. For the ministry of this service 245 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:46,720 is not only supplying the needs of the Saints. 246 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,800 But is also. Overflowing in many 247 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,480 Eucharistias, many Thanksgivings. 248 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:55,400 To God and. What Paul is saying here is 249 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:58,840 absolutely extraordinary. He's saying that God's. 250 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:04,520 Grace multiplies through our. Thanksgiving, God's grace 251 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:06,120 multiplies through our Thanksgiving. 252 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:07,720 Let me read it again for you to hear. 253 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:11,560 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way. 254 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:15,000 Which through US will produce. Thanksgiving to God for the 255 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,240 ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the 256 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:19,760 Saints. But is also. 257 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,360 Overflowing in many Thanksgivings. 258 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:27,840 To God, God's grace. Multiplies through our 259 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:30,320 Thanksgiving. And so here's a third 260 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:33,000 implication. Very practically, not only is 261 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:37,480 our giving giving thanks the polite thing to do. 262 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,080 Before the Lord, it's also strategic. 263 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:45,880 It's also missional because our Thanksgiving magnifies. 264 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:49,280 God's gift of grace. It multiplies the. 265 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:52,000 Grace of God. It's like a good investment. 266 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:57,440 Our Thanksgiving compounds grace, making it bigger and 267 00:14:57,440 --> 00:15:00,880 bigger and bigger. In fact, Paul. 268 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,240 Illustrates. This in this chapter with a 269 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:07,680 lesson from farming and in those days planting seeds and reaping 270 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:09,600 a bigger. Harvest was like. 271 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,560 Investing in the stock market today I I I feel fairly 272 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:15,640 confident that if Paul was writing this today, you would 273 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:17,400 talk about investing in the stock market. 274 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:19,160 But if he. Uses a farming illustration 275 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:20,160 because that was the. Ready. 276 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:24,000 Illustration of how things putting a little in. 277 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:26,640 Will get. A little out, putting a lot in 278 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:28,720 will get a lot. Out that's the that's what he's. 279 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:30,120 Talking about. Here there was. 280 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:31,840 Some risk. But there was also the. 281 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:37,160 Expectation that under normal circumstances the seeds planted 282 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,320 would generate a. Harvest Thirtyfold. 283 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:40,680 Sixtyfold. A hundredfold. 284 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:42,680 This is the kind of language. That Jesus uses. 285 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,400 Over and over again in the parables talking about the same 286 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:47,720 thing so. Verse 6 of this chapter, Paul 287 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,120 says. Whoever sews sparingly. 288 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:52,760 Will. Reap sparingly, whoever. 289 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:55,000 Sows. Bountifully will also reap 290 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,680 bountifully, and again, his point is that God has. 291 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,680 Lavishly poured out his charis his. 292 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:02,600 Grace upon us. Which should. 293 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,000 Result in our. Eucharistia Our. 294 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:11,680 Thanksgiving and a complimentary and expanding multiplying 295 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:16,040 generosity towards others. In other words, our Thanksgiving 296 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:21,240 ought to be a greenhouse that is growing the the the bounty. 297 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:25,520 Of the Gospel for. Everyone all around us, 298 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:30,360 multiplying God's. Grace for the life of the world. 299 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:31,840 Now let me. Illustrate it. 300 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,960 In another way, in terms of gift giving, which is of course 301 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:40,080 something we think about during the Advent season and back in 302 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,600 the ancient world and in many. Cultures today outside. 303 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:45,680 Of the Western. World there is. 304 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:50,400 A A A sense of generosity begetting generosity. 305 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,680 Gift giving begets gift giving. When someone invites you into 306 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:56,040 their home, for example, you bring them. 307 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:59,600 A gift and. When someone gives you something 308 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:01,800 special, you give them something special. 309 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,119 It's not necessarily. Of equal value because we're 310 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:06,440 all. Of different means, but the 311 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:09,720 honorable thing to do is to reciprocate someone's gift to 312 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:10,720 you. With. 313 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:15,480 Commensurate giving in proportion to your own means and 314 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:19,079 this kind of gift giving may sound burdensome, but that's not 315 00:17:19,079 --> 00:17:22,680 the intent. In ancient cultures and in the 316 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:26,400 cultures around the world today, reciprocal giving, rather, is 317 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:30,160 Sacramento. It is an outward and visible 318 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:34,200 demonstration of the inward bonds of affection that. 319 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:36,920 Hold the culture together that hold people. 320 00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:40,680 In in close fellowship with one another. 321 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:44,960 In other words, it's a tangible way of saying what is. 322 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:48,560 True about a close. Relationship which is my my 323 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:49,760 house. Is your house. 324 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:50,960 You. You're my. 325 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:55,840 Brother, what I have is yours. That's the way a gift giving 326 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:59,000 works in those cultures. You know our brother Romani 327 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,000 often times sits. Back here he. 328 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:04,960 Is one of the most generous. People, I have. 329 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:06,160 Ever met? I've known him. 330 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,640 For a decade. And I have lost count long ago. 331 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:13,400 All the gifts. That Romani has given me. 332 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:17,640 You know, he grew up in a Christian orphanage in Egypt. 333 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:20,600 And yet. He is fabulously. 334 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:24,720 Generous. And the reason I think is 335 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:25,440 because. Of the the. 336 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:27,680 Wonderful work of. Grace the Lord. 337 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,520 Has done in his heart and it gives him this amazing. 338 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:34,560 Security to to. Just go around and give. 339 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:38,160 Gifts to people. All the time demonstrating hey 340 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,680 I, I'm covered. The Lord has. 341 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:42,160 Me the. Lord is is. 342 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,520 Keeping me and he's saying to us over and over again. 343 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:47,280 What I have is yours. My house. 344 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:49,480 Is your house? Why does he do that? 345 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:51,720 Because Jesus has said that to us. 346 00:18:52,360 --> 00:18:54,840 Jesus has said my house. Is your house? 347 00:18:55,760 --> 00:19:01,280 What I have is yours. And so we should respond with 348 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:04,800 Thanksgiving, with Eucharistia and we. 349 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,480 Should reciprocate by. Showing the same generosity. 350 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:10,320 To others. And as. 351 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:14,600 We do this. Jesus's investment in US begins 352 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:15,560 to bear. Fruit. 353 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:16,880 Thirtyfold. Sixtyfold. 354 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:19,680 A hundredfold in the lives of the people around us. 355 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:21,000 Now that's. The way God. 356 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,200 'S lavish generosity. Should. 357 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:24,760 Work in our lives. So it's sadly. 358 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:26,720 It often doesn't work in that way because. 359 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:27,800 We get greedy. We. 360 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,400 Become. Rather than conduits of God's 361 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:32,760 grace, we become cul de sacs. We hold it all in. 362 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:34,200 We don't share. It with others. 363 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,880 It's the American way. Yet our failure. 364 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:41,040 Doesn't begin with greed, I don't think. 365 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:44,120 I think we can trace it back to ingratitude. 366 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:46,600 I think that is the core sin here. 367 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:50,080 Instead of Eucharistia, we begin to. 368 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:54,880 Regard our hurts. And our disappointments as 369 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:56,760 having a. Greater weight. 370 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:01,960 Than what Jesus has done for us, we begin to. 371 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:05,000 Value our. Hurts and disappointments more 372 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:07,160 than the grace of God in our lives. 373 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,000 Instead of seeing ourselves as beneficiaries, we feel 374 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,440 underappreciated and overlooked. And. 375 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:16,000 Instead of celebrating our familial bonds with one another, 376 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:17,440 all of. The people of God. 377 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:23,120 Adopted into his family, we can to play the victim we look for 378 00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:28,440 community among others who are unhappy and disaffected we tend 379 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:30,800 to spread discontent and look for. 380 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:34,040 Scapegoats for? Our own unhappiness and within 381 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:35,480 the church. This has a. 382 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:41,440 Sinister way of shutting down. The the spread of grace. 383 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:45,840 It has a sinister way of shutting down Eucharistia, the 384 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:48,600 Thanksgiving that ought to. Characterize us. 385 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:53,160 And has a way of shutting down. The Gospel growth of 30. 60A 386 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:56,240 hundredfold instead of a bountiful. 387 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:58,560 Harvest of grace. Upon grace it just. 388 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:02,000 Yields a. Brew of bitterness, full stop, 389 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:06,680 nothing more. What a selfish. 390 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:10,680 And short sighted way to live. Because if you invest nothing, 391 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:13,120 you'll make nothing. If you sow. 392 00:21:13,120 --> 00:21:15,040 Sparingly. You'll reap sparingly. 393 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,880 So we ought rather. To sow bountifully. 394 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:21,000 We ought to. Expect the. 395 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:26,120 Greater harvest that our Father. Put into motion and has given. 396 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,440 To us, through Jesus, we ought to expect that. 397 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:30,760 Kind of. Growth of. 398 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:34,800 Grace and generosity due to his inestimable. 399 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,800 Gift of Jesus. That set this all into motion. 400 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:40,960 We ought to. Practice Thanksgiving every. 401 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:47,680 Day for what do we have that we. Haven't been given now in this 402 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:52,840 passage the occasion for Paul's remarks was the collection that 403 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:57,080 he was taking up for the Saints in Jerusalem famine relief and 404 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:58,480 this was a multi. Effort. 405 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,800 Multi church effort. Among the. 406 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,400 Churches that Paul. Had started here and there and 407 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:09,080 he is writing from Macedonia, kind of the Philippi region to 408 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:11,360 the church in Corinth down in the lower. 409 00:22:11,360 --> 00:22:14,720 Part of Greece. And he is writing to them about 410 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:19,200 this collection and back in verse 2 of Chapter 9. 411 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,360 Paul said that he boasted about the. 412 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:25,720 Corinthians generosity amongst the Macedonian churches where 413 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,160 he's writing from, and then. In verse three, he said he. 414 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:30,160 Was sending his. Co laborers to. 415 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,920 Corinth. To ready the church for the. 416 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:38,840 Collection to prevent everyone from being humiliated and it's 417 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:41,280 hard, I think for me probably. Hard for you? 418 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:44,160 Not to. Read this through. 419 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:48,080 The lens of a modern pledge drive, like Paul's trying to get 420 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:52,040 that thermometer up. To the top right that. 421 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:56,200 Is not what he's doing at all. He has no goal that he's trying 422 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:59,320 to reach financially. That is not what he's talking 423 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:01,400 about. Instead, he's seeking to. 424 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,080 Protect. And to. 425 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:06,200 Preserve this. Multiplicative culture. 426 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:10,280 That he has he, he. Has nurtured in the church in 427 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:12,320 Corinth when he was present with them. 428 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:14,720 Now he's away from them. He doesn't want that. 429 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:20,200 Multiplicative culture to die. He's trying to nurture it and 430 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,920 sustain it because not only does the. 431 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:27,080 Welfare of the. Christians in Jerusalem depend 432 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:29,240 upon this generosity. But. 433 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:33,800 So does our welfare over. Time because if those churches 434 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:38,960 in Philippi and Corinth and other places turn inward and 435 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:44,360 become quarrelsome and divisive, there will be no missions, there 436 00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:47,080 will be no gospel spreading out from those. 437 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:49,840 Churches to the rest of the. World and none of. 438 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:52,760 Us today. Would know the Lord as a 439 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,040 consequence. So it is. 440 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,960 Vitally important. That those churches. 441 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:04,960 Remain in this investment mode of generosity. 442 00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:08,040 That they. Are growing and they're. 443 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:11,040 Lavish with their. Generosity because of. 444 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:13,840 God's great. Generosity to them. 445 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:18,440 We also are called. To mission in this way, and 446 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:24,200 money is muscle for mission. But where the Corinthians? 447 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:26,800 Succeeded, I fear. That the American church is 448 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:30,400 failing miserably today we are among the. 449 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:32,400 Wealthiest people. In the world. 450 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:34,320 Yet American Christians contribute. 451 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:37,560 Far, far less. Than the biblical minimum of a 452 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:39,520 tithe. To their churches. 453 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:42,360 And the. Fruit is that. 454 00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:46,800 Christianity is shrinking at an alarming rate in the West, and 455 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:50,840 the churches aren't these greenhouses of gospel generosity 456 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:56,600 and growth and vitality now. This church is special. 457 00:24:56,600 --> 00:25:00,440 God has blessed us with a. Vibrant church, let's be 458 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,560 vibrantly generous. Let's cultivate that. 459 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:07,360 Same kind of infectious generosity that results not only 460 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:12,080 in financial strength, but in contagious and courageous 461 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,320 mission. And we should practice 462 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:16,520 Thanksgiving every day. And we should. 463 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,160 Always put our money where our mouth is. 464 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:26,560 Having said that, it's. Even more important than 465 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:28,680 generous giving. That. 466 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,600 We become this. People of Eucharistia. 467 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:36,320 That Thanksgiving is our. Way of life day after day after 468 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:39,240 day for. What we do with our money is 469 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:41,480 only one. Aspect of this. 470 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:44,840 Greater calling on our lives. To be a Eucharistic people, A. 471 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:48,160 Thanksgiving people, just as every Sunday we take up a 472 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:49,880 collection of tithes and offerings. 473 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,240 We bring that up and then we come to the Lord. 474 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:54,360 'S table. For the great Thanksgiving, 475 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:57,840 money ought to be one small. Part of the. 476 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:03,320 Sort of generous and and gregarious sharing of grace 477 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,720 coming out of our church. We need to be that kind of a 478 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:10,360 greenhouse. For the Lord. 479 00:26:10,360 --> 00:26:12,880 Has done this. For us, we ought to. 480 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:17,160 Respond in the same way by multiplying Thanksgiving. 481 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:18,720 We. Prepare the world. 482 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:22,240 For the return of the king so. How should we? 483 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:26,720 Respond to the inestimable inestimable gifts. 484 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:31,360 Of cares of. Grace in God giving his Son. 485 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:35,240 Jesus to us. We should respond with 486 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,480 Eucharistia. We should respond with 487 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:42,040 Thanksgiving and with. Our whole lives that should 488 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,120 characterize. Us not only with all of our. 489 00:26:44,120 --> 00:26:46,800 Wealth, but also with all of our hearts. 490 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:52,480 Everything we are should be given back to God, multiplying 491 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:54,600 grace upon grace until. The earth is. 492 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:56,000 Filled with the knowledge of the. 493 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:58,720 Glory of the Lord as the waters cover the seas, let's pray 494 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:00,680 together. Thank you almighty. 495 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:05,360 God for your. Gift of grace in Jesus make us a 496 00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:08,360 thankful people. Make us show it. 497 00:27:08,360 --> 00:27:10,680 With our lives. And our money. 498 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:14,160 And our hearts, by the power of your. 499 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:18,800 Holy Spirit, enable us. To do this with joy, with love. 500 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:24,240 And with missional zeal we pray this in the name of Jesus our 501 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:25,360 King, Amen.