Debt Free - Humility

September 13 “Debt Free –Humility” Proverbs 1.20-33, *James 3.1-12 Jacqueline Hines

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Today is Rally Day, the beginning of a new year of teaching and learning the ways of God. It is also the beginning of the New Year on our Judeo-Christian calendar. It is Rosh Hashanah, meaning the head of the year, or the New Year, or the Feast of Trumpets.  It is a time to loudly give thanks to God, offer praises for our many blessings, and humble ourselves by asking God to bring sweetness into the New Year. 

Scholars say that today’s scripture lesson - used to begin this new year and this sermon series on being debt free-  is passed down to us from James who was one of Jesus’ brothers. James starts off in chapter 3 by reminding Christians not to be in a hurry to teach because teaching must work extra hard to be accurate and inspiring. James, the brother of Jesus goes on to talk about how important words are. He notes that we all have the spiritual challenge of controlling our words rather than letting words control us. Words, James says, can start a destructive fire like a forest fire.  We all know what James reminds us, words matter. The words we will teach in our three adult classes and our 7 children’s classes will make a difference for years to come.

Since the beginning of this church in 1844, for 171 years, we have been known for excellence and dedication in teaching. Year after year we have been diligent and intentional about teaching. Now today James reminds us that our words matter. James tells us that there is a certain way we should talk. There is a time to speak and a time to study before you speak. There is a time to be quiet and listen. 

It is not natural for most of us to accept being told when to speak and how to speak and what to say and what not to say. Nevertheless, God has given us high standards. As teachers, formal and informal – for we are models of something wherever we go and whatever we say and do – God is always ready to teach us.  

One of our greatest affirmations of the lessons God teaches is found in our youngest children. Weren’t we amazed when we heard the children summarizing all they had learned at Vacation Bible School? One student from our own Bethel Christian Preschool remembered all the characters even a week later. Grandma was shocked.

I heard a precious story last week about another one of our 4 year olds. Last Sunday his grandmother gave a very inspiring children’s message with several examples of how to pray to God when you are in trouble.

His father was driving him home from church when another car went right through a stop sign without stopping. “Gee wiz,” he said out loud. The little one asked, “What’s wrong, Dad?” He said, that man did not stop at the stop sign and that could have caused an accident. I hope when you get old enough to drive you remember to stop at the stop signs. Branden said in very serious tones, “I think he is in trouble.” And, before he knew it, this father was hearing his 4 year old son I the back seat, praying as his grandmother had just taught him in the children’s message: “Dear Jesus, help that man remember to stop at the stop signs.” 

Let us all watch and pray so that we can be great models and teachers. We want the goodness of God to be passed down from heart to heart and generation to generation and year to year in ways make the world a better place.  We change the atmosphere one prayer at a time, one humble student at a time. Thank you Kaleb and Branden, and thank you mom and dad and grand mom and grandad, thank you Sunday School, thank you Bethel Christian Preschool,  and thank you all of Bethel and friends. Amen. 

“Debt Free – Blessing the Poor”

September 6 “Debt Free – Blessing the Poor” Proverbs 22.1-2, 8-9, 22-23,*James 2.1-10 Jacqueline Hines

Like most Americans, you know how easy it is to get over our heads in debt. We can get into debt just trying to live a decent life, especially when the job market takes a dive or prices skyrocket. We cherish the thought of being debt free. 

In biblical days, those who incurred a debt, were condemned to a type of slavery until the last payment. It was not pretty. Today, it is not uncommon to think of ourselves as slaves, working for car payments, our credit cards, mortgages, and other debt – some more necessary than others.

The founder of Methodism, John Wesley lived in a very poor home as a child. His father, Samuel Wesley, was the Anglican priest in one of England’s lowest-paying parishes. He had nine children to support and was rarely out of debt. At the age of two John saw his father being marched off to debtors’ prison. The banker laws of that day allowed such penalties.

We all cherish the idea of being debt free, but of all our debts we have in life, we want to be debt-free with our God. We want to have our matters settled with God. We want God to rule our financial affairs as well as all our affairs.

As a professor at Oxford, John Wesley made a lot more money than he had when he was growing up. His days of poverty were over quickly. He could afford to spend all he wanted -as one record shows - on playing cards, tobacco and brandy*. Soon, though, he was moved by the Holy Spirit and his perspective on money changed.

He had just finished paying for some pictures for his room when one of the chambermaids came to his door. It was a cold winter day, and he noticed that she had nothing to protect her except a thin linen gown. He reached into his pocket to give her some money to buy a coat but found he had too little left. Immediately, the thought struck him that the Lord was not pleased with the way he had spent his money. He asked himself, Will thy Master say, “Well done, good and faithful steward?” Thou hast adorned thy walls with the money which might have screened this poor creature from the cold! O justice! O mercy! Are not these pictures the blood of this poor maid?*

Such experiences led to his most famous teaching: “Earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.”

James preaches to the people of God in verse 6, ‘Do not dishonor the poor.’ All humanity knows what it is to be poor in one way or another. 

Did not Jesus say, “The poor you have with you always.”

The word for “poor” in this morning’s text is  Ptochos (pto-khos').

To be poor has a wide range of meanings. To be poor is to be reduced to begging, asking for help, destitute of wealth or learning, having no influence, without a place or position of honor. To be poor means to be lowly and afflicted.

To be poor also means to be without Christian values and their blessings, to be without eternal riches. To be poor can be helpless and powerless to change your situation, to be stuck, to be needy, to lack spiritual strength. To be poor is to lack anything.

 God is on the side of the poor. We especially hear this when Jesus declares, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.” 

Bethel’s book club is reading a book entitled What is so Blessed about Being Poor?

We can all answer that question. What is so blessed about being poor? For, just as we are confident of God’s presence and blessings when we are enjoying an abundance of provisions or love or opportunities, whenever we are suffering or experiencing lack, we can also find God’s blessings. We can be confident that even though we do not have something we need, God never leaves us empty handed. We are still blessed in deep and abiding ways. The Laws of God are on the side of whoever is poor, whenever we are poor, wherever we are poor, however we are poor.

The news is paying a lot of attention to all kinds of laws these days. Immigration laws are stirring our hearts. We all have strong feelings and strong fears. God is on the side of the poor immigrants and encourages us to do right by those who are in need.

We felt the tension of the woman who decided she was not going to follow the law and issue a license to a same sex couple. Did God really ask her to do that? What would you do in that situation?

What does the word of God say to us when we are seeking love? Whether we look back and decide that we have made a good choice or a bad choice, God is a jealous God and insists on being our first love no matter who else we are called to or choose to love. Our relationship with God thrives when we allow nothing to come between us and our love for God.

Albert Tindley put it well in a song: Nothing between, like pride or station;

Self or friends shall not intervene;

Though it may cost me much tribulation,

I am resolved, there’s nothing between.

Just like God is on the side of the poor immigrants, God is on the side of the poor lonely person looking for love. God is on the side of the poor whoever and whatever the poor can be found.  And, God is calling us to also be on the side of the poor.

Whatever choices we make may sound ridiculous or extreme or too easy for some, but our moral and other financial choices are ultimately for God to judge. Every choice we make or every response we make to another person’s choice is ultimately judged by an all-knowing, all-loving, all-seeing God. Like Jesus, even with our best judgment, we come first of all not to judge the world, but to do whatever we are assigned to help save the world. Yes, we do need to judge

but with a right judgment, a loving judgment and a judgment that understands that God is the ultimate judge of all.

Because John Wesley saw the faces of the poor and no doubt heard the loud cries of anguish and distress that God also heard, he left us a legacy of giving that is still part of the Methodist Church today. Wesley’s journal shows his income was 30 pounds one year and his living expenses 28 pounds, leaving two pounds for the poor.

When his income increased, he still tithed, but he did not raise his standard of living; he raised his standard of giving. He dedicated himself to living simply so that others could simply live.

God is calling us to deeper depths and higher heights to be a blessing to the poor, whether they be poor in finances or poor in some spiritual manner – needing a kind word, a gentle rebuke, a warm presence.

One of the blessings of being your pastor is always hearing you talk about the many ways God has richly blessed you and hearing about the many ways you are answering God’s call to be a blessing to all kinds of people in all kinds of situations.

Scriptures say that when we give to the poor, we lend to the Lord. As individuals, we have given to the poor. As families and as a congregation we have answered the call to give to the poor, and the Lord has repaid us with interest. Our debt of love has been paid again and again. This is a good thing because Scriptures tell us to owe no one anything except to love them.

It is a very good thing for Christians to strive to be debt free in every way possible. Being debt free is a great Christian testimony when it means we are living within our means, when we are living simply that others can simply live. Debt free is good spiritual living. More importantly, answering God’s call to give to the poor, makes us debt free with God.

When we give our all, we make room for the tremendous blessings of God that God is always pouring into our lives. Amen.

 *https://pastorpeterko.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/john-wesley-on-money/