Thanksgiving Acts 20:22-27, 32-35 11/25/2012

Thanksgiving 4 November 25^th, 2012  acts 20:22-27, 32-35 -

One of the main themes of Christmas is giving.  God gave so we give.

One of the main themes, maybe the only theme of Thanksgiving is being grateful for what we have received.

Giving and receiving.  They go together.  They are twin sisters of the generous life.

Yes sometimes we only want to experience one

Lets get after the scripture.  Paul is writing to the Ephesian church.  Saying goodbye…

²² “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³ I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. ²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

²⁵ “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. ²⁶ Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. ²⁷ For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. ^………..

³² “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. ³⁴ You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. ³⁵ In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Its is better to give than to receive

These are the words of Jesus….. where?

John 21:25

²⁵ Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

I was reading an author who took exception to this phrase.  It is better to give than to receive.

Sort of.

Lets consider for a moment that there are two kinds of people.

Now this is a generalization, there are many shades in between, but lets consider these extremes.

1.     The person who receives everything and does not give

Entitled, unappreciative, ungenerous, selfish, demanding, expecting everything investing nothing.  A taker.

Some of the people that are like this are collectors.  I want more.  The one with the most toys at the end wins.

2.    The person who gives all the time, but will not allow you to do anything for them.

Glad to help you, glad to give you a gift, but not interested in you doing anything for them.  Does not want to be a burden.  Does not want to have to depend on others.  Wants to be the helper, not the helpee.

Which are we more like?  The first?  The second.

There are dangers to both ways of living

Its better to give than to receive

Its also easier to give than to receive

The author takes exception with this life style.  He insisits that we cannot truly give until we know how to receive.  He insists that the words of Jesus/paul here are only true after we have learned how to receive.

When we are willing to graciously receive, our pride is set aside and we can see the value in others, not just in ourselves.  When we are willing to graciously receive, we allow the other person to exercise their opportunities to be generous.

Sometimes people don’t want me to help them.  I tell them, you are going to rob me of a chance to do what God calls us to do.  I want to be a part of this thing.

           

Difference in the types of  giving

One is graceless and gives out of duty or guilt

The other is based in grace and both joyfully receives and gives

The person who joyfully receives

Has a different way of giving.  A different spirit.

There is something that happens when we receive.

We become grateful.  We become full.

My father sent me to college.  On the day that I realized what a blessing this was, he was permanently lodged in my heart.

And, I wanted to do everything I could to share this gift with my children.

The German work ethic has made many of us into people that can never rest.  Never stop.  Always work and help others, but never ask for or receive help. 

We understand how this relates with people, but what does it do with God?

The chirstian life is more than a list of do’s and don’ts.

Doing good things for the wrong reason  will exhaust you rather than energize you.

You will feel like a martyr and then wonder why others around you seem to be so joyful in their calling.

This is important to understand because until we grasp the difference, we will never experience the joy of life  in Christ.

The Christian life is not lived of duty.  It is a joyful response to love.

Lets look at the cross

What if you related to god as you do to other humans….. no, no problem God, I have this.

We would receive nothing from him.

It is when we see our need and open our hearts to receive his love that we become full. 

And the giving starts.

1 Jn 4:19   “We love him because he first loved us”

God always plays the principle role in the drama of rescue.

So we have received from him.  

Then, we can live and love and give.

That’s how it works.

Why would we want to live the rest of our lives with different rules?

It works one way with God, but another way with you?

I know a lot of people who have trouble accepting God’s forgiveness

Maybe one of the reasons that we sometimes have trouble accepting our own salvation is because we are trying to cause God to live by our human rule.  I am  a giver, not a receiver.

Peter pulled this with Jesus…Jesus wants to wash peters feet.  No.  never.  If you don’t receive from me, you have no part of me. John 13

But when you receive the love, then something changes inside of you. You are full and you want to give it away.

Lets just think for a moment of what God has done for us in Jesus

Describe the experience of receiving God’s grace

when our hearts have received from God- there is a lightning explosion of giving grace

When we realize what God has done for us in Christ, we want to care, we want to help.  We want to love

Rivers of living water begin to pour from the person who has been touched by God.

Transition/pause

We like to ask why.  Why did my parents die.  Why is my kid in trouble.  Why this why that.

Do we ever look at what we have received?  Why can I see?  Why does my wife love me?  Why are my kids healthy?  When we see what we have received, our hearts become full.

Everyone wants to help the shelters during the holidays.  Why?  It’s the thing to do.  Show some appreciation.  But if this stops the rest of the year, what does that say about what we were doing?  Just did some things to make ourselves feel better?  When we remember how blest we are, we want to help everybody, every day.  it becomes a lifestyle

Waking up to a drudgery or waking up to the gift of life?

God loves a cheerful giver.  God loves a cheerful liver. 2 cor 9:7

It is thanksgiving.  Are you full?  Do you see that God has given you so much?

If you do than just savor the love.

Feel the love.

And now, having rece ived, yuou are ready for the season of Giving.

As we enter this Christmas, may  you find more joy than you have ever known, in giving, and in receving.

Lets pray

Freely freely we have received freely freely give.

God forgave my sin in Jesus' name,
I've been born again in Jesus' name,
And in Jesus' name I come to you
To share His love as He told me to.

Chorus:
He said, Freely, freely you have received;
Freely, freely give.
Go in my name and because you believe,
Others will know that I live."

All power is given in Jesus' name,
In earth and heaven, in Jesus' name;
And in Jesus' name I come to you
To share His power as He told me to.

Chorus