Embracing a Generous Life in the Midst of Uncertainty
Steve Hartman on 1 Timothy 6:6-10; 17-19
Second Sermon in the series Blessed by God's Generosity, Trusting in God's Faithfulness
Life, almost by definition, is filled with uncertainty, and seems to give us ample opportunity to worry. We may worry about our health, our work, our children, the state of our city and national culture, even what's in store for our church! But despite the relative wealth and security we in the west (and the West End of Richmond) take for granted, we are also tempted to worry about the question, "Will I have enough?"
Especially in this age of job insecurity, we are not immune from financial troubles, and it is wise and prudent to be good stewards of our resources. But it is often the case that we face the uncertainty in our lives by striving harder to "store up for ourselves" rather than embracing a lifestyle of trust in the Lord, from whom all good things come.
This week, we'll look at the way that attitude of self-protection is not only a danger to our reliance on our trustworthy God, but keeps us from one of the great joys of receiving God's provision for us--sharing that provision with others.
1 Timothy 6:6-10; 17-19
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
“To see a man humble in prosperity is one of the greatest rarities in the world.” –Bernard of Clairvaux
“Religion begat prosperity and the daughter devoured the mother.” –Cotton Mather
Note on our Stewardship Season: Why do we take four weeks to focus on generosity? Because it is central to God’s message for all of us as followers of Jesus. Think of His generosity starting in Genesis 1 when He gave us everything on the earth. The Psalms reinforce His generosity, as well. But we see God's character most clearly in His act of ultimate generosity, giving us His Son who died that we may have eternal life. His generosity should be our generosity, through all of our resources: time, talents and finances.
As we learn more about God’s generosity through the sermons of visiting Haitian pastor Leon Dorleans, Steve, and Corey; stories from members; videos; and our celebration of Commitment Sunday on November 2, we pray that you will feel blessed by God’s generosity and trust in His faithfulness.
The songs and hymns we'll be singing together in each service to celebrate God's generosity and trustworthiness are listed below. You can view and download the Worship Bulletin for each service by clicking the service name.
9:00 AM Convergent Worship in the Sanctuary
Hands to the Heavens
Psalm 103
Jesus Cast a Look at Me
The Solid Rock
11:15 AM Contemporary Worship in the Fellowship Hall
Hands to the Heavens
Psalm 103
Jesus Cast a Look at Me
The Solid Rock
11:15 AM Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
Come Thou Almighty King
All Things Are Yours
The Solid Rock
Let Your Heart Be Broken