Sermon 11-1-04 2 samuel 24:18-25 communion
what is David doing
Counted the men=Plague arrived
offering to the Lord
it is late in his life
all experiences are in play
he is still a sinner
[holiness not based on our being good enough]
he again is a sinner, he is needy
goes to offer a sacrifice that means something
1. in the end, we will still be Gods
2. we are all needy…sinners
problems that exist when we do not understand our need for God
3. meaning comes as we live costly lives [quotes]
-Gen. Colin Powell, Teens who tutor elementary school kids, or spend a few hours a month at a hospice, or give up a Saturday to clean up an empty lot, get to know the satisfaction that comes from making a difference in someone else's life.
"Many parents, obsessed with their own fulfillment, have lost the values of sacrifice and commitment.
There is no success without sacrifice.
If I have given myself away in this life, what is left for you to take from me?
'He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.'"
4. human nature seeks fulfillment the easy way
What costs us nothing….
· A day when we do whatever we please
· Childrearing that is about what I want
· A minimal effort at work
· A whatever to your wife
· A check that we wont miss
· Coming to church when I feel like it
Poor woman told of the year of the cranberry scare
In tgiving basket her family received, besides the usual turkey and other items, 57 cans of cranberry sauce.
5. joy is only found when we live above human nature
status based on giving not consumingIn the tradition of the Pacific Northwest peoples (Chinook, ] there was the competition, not to see how many blankets and goodies one could accumulate, but how much one could give away. In many native economies, the highest status was not accorded to those who garnered the most kill and ate the most, but to those who brought back the greatest amount for others.
Gifts that matter
A roman coin on the mullinium…..A diamond on the mullinium
Forgiving someone who did you wrong
Paying someone fine
Creating a culture of giving…..Woods chapel grace squad
6. Jesus ….gave a costly gift…Jesus was a costly gift
there is a film called The Bridge. It narrates the life of a beautiful young couple who have a son. The boy is trying to grow up to be just like his father. "Then the film shows the father going off to his work. He is the switchman for a railroad line that carries people on holiday from one place to another. Part of the line lies over a river, where it must be kept back most of the time for the boats to pass. It is his job to wait until the last moment and then pull the switch that will swing the bridge into place before the thundering approach of the train. We, the viewers of the film, see what the father does not see - his little son has followed him down to the river and is coming across the bridge. As the train whistle blows to signal the approach of the speeding train, the father sees the boy. If he closes the track, the boy will die. We watch the agony on his face. He loves the boy better than anything in his life. But finally he pulls the lever and the bridge locks into place. We see the people on the train laughing and having a good time as the train races across the bridge. They do not know how narrowly they have averted disaster - or what it has cost the switchman."
Sacrifice is the sacrament of love. "
"All the kings in history ... sent their people out to die for them. Jesus was the only king who died for his people. "
Jesus did not give that which cost him nothing, he paid the ultimate price. He gave his entire life….The door to meaning and joy is open to those who dare follow him into sacrificial living.
what is David doing
Counted the men=Plague arrived
offering to the Lord
it is late in his life
all experiences are in play
he is still a sinner
[holiness not based on our being good enough]
he again is a sinner, he is needy
goes to offer a sacrifice that means something
1. in the end, we will still be Gods
2. we are all needy…sinners
problems that exist when we do not understand our need for God
3. meaning comes as we live costly lives [quotes]
-Gen. Colin Powell, Teens who tutor elementary school kids, or spend a few hours a month at a hospice, or give up a Saturday to clean up an empty lot, get to know the satisfaction that comes from making a difference in someone else's life.
"Many parents, obsessed with their own fulfillment, have lost the values of sacrifice and commitment.
There is no success without sacrifice.
If I have given myself away in this life, what is left for you to take from me?
'He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.'"
4. human nature seeks fulfillment the easy way
What costs us nothing….
· A day when we do whatever we please
· Childrearing that is about what I want
· A minimal effort at work
· A whatever to your wife
· A check that we wont miss
· Coming to church when I feel like it
Poor woman told of the year of the cranberry scare
In tgiving basket her family received, besides the usual turkey and other items, 57 cans of cranberry sauce.
5. joy is only found when we live above human nature
status based on giving not consumingIn the tradition of the Pacific Northwest peoples (Chinook, ] there was the competition, not to see how many blankets and goodies one could accumulate, but how much one could give away. In many native economies, the highest status was not accorded to those who garnered the most kill and ate the most, but to those who brought back the greatest amount for others.
Gifts that matter
A roman coin on the mullinium…..A diamond on the mullinium
Forgiving someone who did you wrong
Paying someone fine
Creating a culture of giving…..Woods chapel grace squad
6. Jesus ….gave a costly gift…Jesus was a costly gift
there is a film called The Bridge. It narrates the life of a beautiful young couple who have a son. The boy is trying to grow up to be just like his father. "Then the film shows the father going off to his work. He is the switchman for a railroad line that carries people on holiday from one place to another. Part of the line lies over a river, where it must be kept back most of the time for the boats to pass. It is his job to wait until the last moment and then pull the switch that will swing the bridge into place before the thundering approach of the train. We, the viewers of the film, see what the father does not see - his little son has followed him down to the river and is coming across the bridge. As the train whistle blows to signal the approach of the speeding train, the father sees the boy. If he closes the track, the boy will die. We watch the agony on his face. He loves the boy better than anything in his life. But finally he pulls the lever and the bridge locks into place. We see the people on the train laughing and having a good time as the train races across the bridge. They do not know how narrowly they have averted disaster - or what it has cost the switchman."
Sacrifice is the sacrament of love. "
"All the kings in history ... sent their people out to die for them. Jesus was the only king who died for his people. "
Jesus did not give that which cost him nothing, he paid the ultimate price. He gave his entire life….The door to meaning and joy is open to those who dare follow him into sacrificial living.
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