Partners in Giving (Commitment Sunday)�

As Chris said right at the beginning that there is an agenda tonight and so I'm going to pray about that because it's not an agenda that we like to hear about when you start talking about money.

So let's pray and commit our time together to God as we open up the scriptures.

Father God, we need your help tonight.

Your word is just so clear on the issue that we are about to look at from your scriptures.

Lord, from the words, from the very mouths of the Lord Jesus, he said,

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet to forfeit his soul?

From the mouth of Jesus, he also said that it is impossible to serve both God and money.

And yet, Father, we have tried.

And Lord, so we need your help to see this issue clearly.

We need to see what a treasure we have in you

and what trifling in comparison it is to have our treasures in this world.

How much we give up when we pursue things of this world instead of you.

Lord, we want to be content and our contentment needs to come from you.

And so we ask you, Father, now as we open your word that by your spirit that you might enable us to see and believe and obey.

Change us, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

A couple of months ago, we had our diocesan mission, sorry, our diocesan synod,

sort of like the parliament of the Anglican Church in Sydney.

And the highlight for me was what they call Mission Hour.

And there was a Bible college lecturer there,

he might have even been the principal, I think, of a Bible college, I'm not really sure, in Uganda.

And he was talking about the significant impact that our partnership,

that is the partnership of Sydney Diocese,

had with this Ugandan college and the Ugandan church.

I can't remember a lot of stuff that he said.

He was certainly enthusiastic and quite funny.

But one thing that he did say was he quoted a Ugandan proverb which goes like this.

If you want to go fast, go alone.

If you want to go far, go together.

If you want to go fast, go alone.

If you want to go far, go together.

And I thought that that is a great summary of this commitment series.

This whole commitment series has been tied together with the idea of partnership.

In fact, it's been titled, the title of it has been Partners for Life.

It's in the end about going far together.

And today we have Commitment Sunday and it is the climax of the series.

And what we will see is that as Paul started on the note of partnership,

so he ends on the note of partnership.

And specifically he ends with financial partnership.

And so we're going to talk about money and about financial partnership here at St. Paul's tonight.

I do that being mindful that Christians have had varying views and attitudes towards money over the years.

There are those who believe that, in fact, poverty was a sign of being truly Christian.

And so many people made vows of poverty, gave away all their possessions.

We won't dwell too much on that level because most of us don't think that's a popular option nowadays.

Certainly not in the Western world.

On the other hand, many have gone to the opposite extreme and say that God wants you to be rich.

In fact, if you're not rich, then you're clearly not displaying enough faith in God.

He's not pushing you enough and you're not trusting him enough.

Now, of course, you know, they're two extreme opinions.

And, of course, we can see the failures of the poverty one and we can see the failure of the rich one.

You know, we can certainly name people potentially who have taken that to extreme

or teachers who have taken it to extreme and said that God wants them to have private jets

and luxury cars and fancy hotels and, you know, that sort of stuff.

And, of course, most of us would see that and go, we don't agree with that.

Now, that's just way at the other end.

That's an extreme.

We wouldn't agree with that.

But it would be good if we came back a couple of steps.

And, you know, God wants us to be nicely comfortable.

That would be a good Christian position.

Because in the end, that's where most of us sit in the Western world.

How do we respond?

In the end, we're stuck in the middle there somewhere making excuses and getting confused about money.

And so we launch into Philippians 4.

And Paul's got some good stuff to say to us about money.

He's got some good stuff to say to us about financial partnership.

Let's begin in verse 10.

So you need to get your Bibles and open and turn to Philippians 4 if you're not already there.

Verse 10.

So Paul takes the opportunity right at the end of this letter to thank the Philippian church for their partnership and their supporting of him financially.

He also tells them something here really interesting in giving thanks to them.

He says,

I have learned the secret of contentment.

Let me say that that is something that our world and dare say potentially all of us sitting in this room right now need to learn.

We still need to learn this one.

A few verses earlier, Paul talks about anxiety.

We looked at that last week.

Do not be anxious in anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your request to God.

And anxiety is a fearful uncertainty about the future.

It might be a short-term future or a long-term future.

It's a fearful uncertainty over the future.

Discontentment, on the other hand, normally arises from ongoing and unchanging circumstances that we can do nothing about.

It's a feeling of powerlessness about circumstances that I don't like.

It might be an unfulfilling or a low-paying job.

It might be singleness.

It might be the inability to bear children.

It might be an unhappy marriage.

It might be physical disabilities.

It might be poor health.

It might be the in-laws.

Who knows?

I mean, it could be anything, really.

Now, I don't want to minimize the pain and the complexities and the difficulties of those issues.

But what the Bible says clearly here is that it is possible to be content in spite of those issues.

In any and every circumstance, it is possible to know contentment.

What then is the secret of this contentment?

Notice first what Paul says in verse 12.

I know what it is to be in need.

I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

He says, it doesn't matter if I'm wealthy or whether I'm bankrupt.

It doesn't matter if I pass my exams or fail my exams.

It doesn't matter if I've got a job or I'm on welfare.

It doesn't matter if I'm driving the Mercedes or I'm taking public transport.

It doesn't matter if I shop at DJ's or at the $2 shop.

It doesn't matter.

He's saying that his contentment has not got anything to do with his circumstances of his life, the external circumstances.

How then is it possible for him to be content in any and every circumstance?

Verse 13.

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

That's how it's possible for a boy to be content.

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

So he says, I've learned contentment in any and every circumstance.

And I can do it because in everything he gives me the strength.

Now, it's important not to take this verse out of context.

It's one of those verses which gets thrown around, applied to all sorts of different circumstances of life.

You go to Coorong, it's on mugs and all that sort of stuff.

You know, it's just one of those things that gets brandished around.

Don't worry, brother.

You know, you can do everything through him who gives you strength.

I can leap tall buildings through him who gives me strength.

I mean, that's not how this verse should be applied.

Paul is saying, God strengthens me to be content in any and every situation.

His contentment is wrapped up with God's enabling of him to be content.

That is, his contentment is wrapped up in his relationship with God.

Paul could be content in every circumstance, whatever the circumstance,

because he is thoroughly assured that God is at work in and through them.

And therefore, there is a willingness to accept God's hand no matter what it is.

Because God disciplines those he loves.

God is at work in this situation.

And so there's a willingness to accept God's hand in whatever the circumstance is.

As one writer put it, or one person,

actually, this little quote, this little prayer,

captures contentment so beautifully.

This was a prayer that was written by one Christian man to another Christian man

who had just lost his wife.

And frankly, if I was in this sort of scenario,

I would hope someone would write a similar note to me.

And he said, my friend, pray this prayer.

Lord, I am willing to receive what you give,

lack what you withhold,

and relinquish what you take.

Isn't that powerful?

Lord, I am willing to receive what you give,

to lack what you withhold,

and relinquish what you take.

It is possible to do all of those things,

to receive, to lack,

and to relinquish through him who gives me the strength.

That is the secret of contentment.

And it is the promise for all Christians.

Flick back in your Bibles to chapter 1 where we began.

Six weeks ago.

Verse 4.

In all my prayers for all of you,

I always pray with joy

because of your partnership in the gospel

from the first day until now,

being confident of this,

that he who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion

until the day of Christ Jesus.

What Paul is saying there is

that when God starts a work in someone,

he finishes the job.

God is at work in all the circumstances of life,

shaping and directing our lives

for our good and for his glory.

Things will always work out

according to God's plan.

He's never got his hands

off the steering wheel of our lives.

He's directing it always.

And so,

in amongst all of those issues,

in amongst all the difficulties,

in amongst all the things that would cause me

to want to be discontent,

the promise of God

and the challenge, I think, for us

is in chapter 4, verse 19.

And my God will meet all your needs

according to his glorious riches

in Christ Jesus.

You see, Paul says that he is content.

He's learnt the secret of contentment.

And we too can be content

if, like Paul,

we trust that all our needs

are met in the Lord Jesus Christ.

All of them.

You can't do better than that.

Money can't meet your needs.

A relationship can't meet your needs.

Significance doesn't meet your needs.

And how does God meet our needs?

It says it right there.

According to his glorious riches

in Christ Jesus.

Everything that we need

right now

for a life of contentment

has already been given to us

in Christ.

There is, therefore,

no excuse.

This is such an important promise

for us to hear again

and again

and again

and again

because we live in a culture

that is driving us

to a life of discontentment.

it pushes us

in that direction.

The bottom line is

that the accumulation

of possessions

is where happiness is.

I hope you realise

that that's what advertising

is all about.

Advertising has the state of desire

to make you discontent.

It wants you to be discontent.

Otherwise,

how else is it going to sell

its product to you

unless you think you need this

for your happiness?

for your security?

For your significance?

They tap into that bit

where I need to be happy.

I need to be secure.

I need to feel significant.

And so the advertising industry

drives you

towards discontentment.

And the consequence is

that there is this

almost infallible human rule.

spending expands

to fill the income.

If you make more money,

you buy more things.

And the things that you buy

have to be stored,

insured,

or repaired.

Or unrepaired.

In other words,

spending begets spending.

If you have less

at your disposal,

you spend less.

Most of the time

we don't even think about it.

And we,

my friends,

have followed the world.

We have followed our culture.

If this is true,

if expenses

almost inevitably

expand to fill the income,

how will we

restrain ourselves

from accumulating

more and more stuff?

And not just more and more stuff,

but more and more

expensive stuff.

The answer is

that as our income

grows,

we resolve

to give a greater

and greater percentage

of our income

to advance the kingdom.

Let me tell you,

that is what puts

the brakes on

our natural impulse

towards luxury.

We all have

a natural impulse

towards luxury.

once upon a time

you used to just

buy a couch.

Now you can buy

a couch

that becomes

your body temperature

within seven seconds.

That's impressive.

That's the kind of couch

I want to sit on

in the middle of winter.

When we pursue

radical generosity,

as I'm suggesting

we should,

it puts a

restrictor

on our

ever-expanding

spending.

And so friends,

let me challenge you

with the life

of John Wesley.

Let's pick him

as an example.

He was one of the

greatest evangelists

in the 18th century.

In 1731,

he began

to limit

his expenses

so that he would

have more money

to give to the poor.

In the first year,

his income

was 30 pounds

and he found

he could live

on 28 pounds

and so he gave

away 2 pounds.

In the second year,

his income

doubled

but he held

his expenses

even

and so

he had 32 pounds

to give away.

Equivalent

and at that time,

equivalent

to a comfortable

life's income.

income.

So in other words,

he had two

and he had

enough income

to support

two comfortable

family lives

and so he gave

away one.

In the third year,

his income

jumped to 90 pounds

and he gave away

62 pounds.

In his long life,

Wesley's income

advanced as high

as 1,400 pounds

in a year

but he rarely

ever allowed

his expenses

to rise

above 30 pounds

a year.

He said that

he seldom

had more than

100 pounds

in his possession

at any time

and this

so baffled

the English

tax commissioners

that they

decided to

investigate him

in 1776

insisting

that for a man

of his

substantial income

he must have

silver dishes

that he was

not paying

excise tax on

and so he

wrote to the

English tax collectors

I have two

silver spoons

in London

and two

in Bristol.

This is all

the plate

that I have

at present

I shall not

buy any more

while so many

around me

want bread.

I will not

buy another

plate to put

bread on

when people

around me

don't even

have the

bread.

When he

died in

1791

at the age

of 87

the only

money that

is mentioned

in his

will

are the

coins

that were

in his

pocket

when he

died

and the

coins

in his

dresser

drawer.

The thing

that filled

his will

was his

theological

works

and his

books.

He figured

someone ought

to get

those.

The rest

of it

didn't

matter.

Most of

the 30,000

pounds he

had earned

in his

life had

been given

away and

he had

not

needed

for

anything.

Should we

be surprised

by that

when God

says I

will meet

all of

your needs?

And so

Paul's

attitude

towards money

here is

tied up

in his

relationship

with God.

His attitude

towards contentment

is tied up

in his

relationship

with God.

We also

notice that

Paul's

attitude

to money

is also

tied up

in his

relationship

with the

Philippian

church.

Have a look

there at

verse 14.

Yet it was

good of you

to share

in my

troubles.

Moreover,

as you

Philippians

know,

in the early

days of

your

acquaintance

with the

gospel,

when I

set out

from

Macedonia,

not one

church

shared

with me

in the

matter

of giving

and receiving

except you

only.

For even

when I

was in

Thessalonica,

you sent

me aid

again and

again

when I

was in

need.

I want

you to

notice two

words there.

Verse 14,

the word

share.

Verse 15,

the word

share.

Both of

those words

are the

exact same

word which

in chapter

one is

translated

partnership.

And so

Paul begins

on the note

of partnership

in chapter

one and

he ends

on the note

of partnership

towards the

end of

chapter four.

it's the

same word

that we

use for

fellowship,

for sharing,

for partnership,

it's the

same word

that he

has in

mind here.

The

partnership

that he

has in

mind here

is that

of expressing

the matter

of giving

and receiving

of financial

help.

This

partnership

is seen

in the

willingness

of God's

people

parting

with their

money,

their God

given money

to help

them support

gospel ministry.

is that

what comes

in mind

when you

think of

the word

fellowship?

I mean

because for

some of us

it's kind

of what we

do on the

deck over

tea and

biscuits.

For some

of us

it's what

we call

the youth

group,

the youth

fellowship.

For some

of us

it's just

the nice

feeling of

intimacy we

have between

Christian

people.

I had a

strong sense

of fellowship

with that

person.

Now it

may include

some of

those things

but when

the Bible

often talks

about

fellowship

as being

a partner

that is

expressed

in terms

of dollars

and cents.

Maybe that

means that

we should

start using

the word

partnership

rather than

fellowship

so that

we as a

church

grasp

the need

to put

our money

where our

mouth is.

So let

me give you

three things

that lead

Christian people

to part

with their

money for

gospel ministry.

Number one,

an understanding

that your

money is

not your

own.

It is

God's.

It comes

from God's.

It's all

his.

It is

purely as

John said

a gift

from God

for the

glory of

his name.

Not for

your comfort

but his

glory.

It is

God's

gift.

You've got

your job

because God

gives you

that job.

You've got

your welfare

because God

allows the

government

to have

enough money

to pay

for that

welfare

and the

laws that

allow it.

You've got

your skills

because God

has given

you those

skills.

It's

all

God's.

Number two,

the gospel

itself.

When you

recognize the

enormous generosity

of God

towards you

in rescuing

from eternal

punishment in

hell and

giving you

all the

riches

of the

Lord Jesus

Christ,

it moves

your heart

towards

generosity.

Gratitude.

Number three,

contentment.

contentment

will lead

you to

part with

money and

to give

it to

others

because when

you can

trust God

whatever the

circumstances

that you

find in

your life,

then you

realize that

you don't

actually have

to hang

on to

your last

dollars and

cents.

He's in

control.

My friends,

Christ has

set us free

from the

love of

money,

the slavery

to money

in order

that we

might be

able to

be givers,

that we

might be

generous

people and

it is so

liberating not

to be

enslaved by

the thing

that enslaves

our culture.

It helps

us to get

out of the

spiral of

looking to

my needs

first,

considering my

needs before

I consider

even the

needs of

other people.

So if

that is the

case, if

it is such

an enormous

privilege,

to be

involved in

gospel

partnership

in such

a way,

why is it

that churches

are nearly

always under

resourced?

Why is it

that missionaries

have to return

home because

of lack of

funds?

Why do

Christian

organisations

waste time

on fundraisers

and fairs

and Lamington

drives in order

just to raise

a few bucks

to pay the

bills?

Why is

that?

I can only

imagine that

we have lost

the wonder of

the gospel

and the

privilege of

gospel

partnership.

And so

what we're

doing today

is we are

putting it

out there

as we did

last year

on display

that we

treasure Jesus

more than the

things of this

world.

Today we are

pledging our

giving for the

next year on

the commitment

cards and

it's not

about having

a balanced

budget for

next year.

That is not

what this is

about.

This is about

partnership in

the gospel

here at St.

Paul's and

beyond.

What we want

to see is

we want to

see Christ

treasured by

more and

more people.

And so let

me read to

you our

core value

of radical

generosity.

generosity.

Our gifts,

possessions,

finances and

time belong

to God.

We will

therefore use

them for his

glory and not

for our

comfort.

We desire to

be like the

Macedonians

whose joy in

Christ through

extremely difficult

circumstances

resulted in

rich generosity

towards others.

We believe that

in a world that

loves money a

lifestyle of

radical generosity

proclaims that

Jesus is our

greatest treasure.

We believe that

it is the

responsibility of

all Christians

to pay what

they owe,

support those

who teach the

word of God,

provide faithfully

for their family

and be generous

to the poor and

needy and support

the wider work

of the gospel

in the world.

We value

sacrificial,

enthusiastic,

joyful,

regular giving

in response to

the gospel of

grace.

My friends,

when it all

boils down,

money is a

matter of faith

for the

Christian.

It is not a

financial issue.

It is a

spiritual issue.

And the

question is,

do we

actually trust

the promises

of God?

Do we

treasure Jesus

more than

the gifts

that he gives

us?

In such a way

that if he

removed all

the gifts,

I would still

be able to

say rejoice

in the Lord,

I say it

again,

rejoice,

because my

contentment is

in Christ.

And so I

appeal to you

some pause to

trust God.

He will never

leave you or

forsake you.

He will supply

all of your

needs.

And so

tonight we've

heard an

encouraging

testimony from

John.

God's

love.

It's great to

hear those

words.

After the

10 o'clock

service this

morning, I

was out on

the deck and

a lady came

up to me who

is a pensioner

and she said,

I was so

challenged last

year that I

too decided to

double my

giving.

And she

said, you

know what

God did?

Gave me two

more dogs.

And I

went, you

need to

explain that

one.

What did

you sell the

dogs or

something?

No, she

said, I

walk dogs.

That's how I

get some

cash.

I walk

people's dogs

for them.

And God

gave me two

more dogs to

walk and I

was able to

meet my

commitment.

What a

wonderful

testimony.

A year ago

I stood here

and I declared

that Natalie

and I would

be contributing

$650 a

month to the

ministry of

St Paul's.

I did that

because 1

Chronicles 29

leads me to

do that.

I've written

about this,

1 Chronicles 29

where King

David led

the people of

God in

giving generously

to the

building of

the temple.

And I

said then,

as I say

again now,

that I'm the

only one

who will

publicly

declare my

giving because

I am your

leader.

I want you

to know that

this issue is

one about

accountability and

so you need

to know that

I am seeking

to put my

money where

my mouth

is.

I'm seeking

to lead us

in radical

generosity as

I'm seeking

to lead us

in all the

other core

values of

this church.

Last year,

or sorry,

this year,

this past year

has been

tough financially

for Natalie

and I.

for a few

months,

we lived

week by

week,

juggling

the timing

of paying

the bills

and even

juggling

when we

could go

and buy

groceries.

We literally

lived week

by week.

By God's

grace,

as much as

we were

tempted in

amongst the

course of

this year,

we did

not pull

back on

the 650

a month.

We made

a decision

that you

do not

pull back

on that,

we've got to

pull back on

the spending

instead.

That's where

we pull

back.

We start

cutting stuff

out of our

life.

And by

God's grace,

we are on

track to

finish this

year better

than what

we started

this year.

And I say

it's by God's

grace because

I've got no

idea how it

happened.

It's not

because of my

wheeling and

dealing or

anything else.

And in

fact,

we would

say that

we're

finishing

this year

better than

we can

think of

in the

last five

years.

God has

done it and

he's done

it in

unexpected

ways.

Our

response to

God's

generosity to

us this

year is

to pledge

$675 a

month next

year.

We're going

to up it

just a bit,

but we're

going to

up it in

view of

Nat's

income

decreasing by

$10,000.

So we're

going to

lose money

and we're

tending to

give more.

I expect

God's going

to push

us again

in this

next year,

but by

God's

grace,

he will

enable us

as he

says he

would to

be content

in any

and every

circumstance.

Do you

trust the

promises of

God?

I appeal

to you,

Sir Paul,

to trust

God.

God's

love.

He will

never fail

you,

he will

never forsake

you,

and the

promise is

he will

supply all

of your

needs.

In Christ

you have

everything

you need

for a

life of

contentment.

And so

my friends,

you know

my pledge.

You know

that of the

leaders.

I told you

last week,

$6,260

a week

from the

leadership of

St Paul's

staff and

parish council.

And so

now I

call you

to follow

them into

a life of

radical

generosity.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.