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The Message for Aug 11, 2019Luke 12:32-40When the Sand Runs Out – Rascal FlattsRob Miller, PastorThis is week 3 of our 5-week worship series on “Changing the World” through songs. Week 1 we considered the song - Waiting on the World to Change. As disciples of Jesus we are not just waiting for the world to change we are called to be change agents in the world by sharing God’s love, grace, mercy and forgiveness. Week 2 we considered the song - Live Like You Were Dying. We are to live every day to the fullest doing our part to make this world a better place. This week our song is - When the Sand Runs Out by Rascal Flatts. Like the sand in an hourglass, it eventually runs out, eventually life runs out for each one of us. So we can live life spinning our wheels going nowhere fast or we can take a chance and live life to the fullest before it’s too late as Jesus teaches us. Video Song: a great song and a great message too. Life is meant to be lived. So what will you leave behind, all your stuff of course, but what will people remember about you when you are gone? What will your legacy be? That is the question. Consider this description for the word legacy… Often when we think about?legacy, it's something that is left behind after a person?has passed.? Legacy?is more about sharing what you have learned, not just what you have earned, and bequeathing values over valuables, material wealth is only a small fraction of one’s?legacy.(See: )That’s the message in our Bible reading for today too. What are you going to leave behind?Jesus taught some radical stuff. He said that “God provides so don’t worry about anything. Set your sights on the kingdom of God. Nothing else compares.” Jesus taught his disciples saying, “God loves you.” Every word that Jesus spoke and every action that Jesus carried out suggested that, “Nothing is more important than sharing God’s love with everyone. No matter what.” That’s the treasure we have and it’s the treasure we are to share with the world. With that in mind, let us turn to our reading for today…Luke 12:32-40That’s some pretty radical stuff.First - Jesus says don’t worry about anything. Then he says something that is sure to make us worry if we did it. He says, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor. I don’t know about you but if I did that I would be very worried. Just imagine! Then Jesus says, get a purse that will not wear out and fill it with heavenly treasures. What is that all about??? He says the Son of Man (AKA the Savior of the world – the Messiah) is coming so be ready for him every day. He is coming to serve not to be served. What?!?! That reminds me of the bumper sticker that reads, Jesus is Coming – Look Busy. We are to do more than just look busy. We are to be busy getting ready for him to come again, doing the radical work he expects us to do. ?Imagine you are fly on the wall in the home of some good friends of yours, privileged to watch the interactions of their daily lives. Think of it as “Reality TV” among friends. You see them when they eat breakfast in the morning, you watch their children playing, you see the mom cooking dinner, and you see the dad doing the dishes. It’s all pretty normal stuff that happens in countless homes in America. But it is the conversation at the dinner table that catches you by surprise and you can’t stop thinking about it. You are amazed at what you hear the parents saying to their children.Mom speaks first saying, “Kids, we know that fruits and vegetables are probably good for you, but we have decided to let you eat dessert first, and if you don’t want to eat the broccoli, that’s fine with us.” Then dad says, “And we sold your bicycle helmets, we removed the life jackets from the boat, and you don’t have to wear your seatbelts in the car anymore.” Just when you think you’ve heard it all, mom says, “When school starts this fall, homework will not be allowed in this house, and bedtime is whenever you choose.” The kids begin to cheer, but it’s not over yet. Dad says, “And that thing about brushing your teeth, and going to church every Sunday, and cleaning your rooms, it’s all overrated! You don’t have to do any of that stuff anymore.” The kids jump up from the table in celebration, grabbing their dad’s power tools and running off with scissors in their hands as they go outside to play in traffic.You are shocked. You had no idea this was going on in the home of your best friends. You thought you knew them, but all of this is so out of character, so odd, so strange. How could they say those things and do these things? Maybe you just misunderstood them. Maybe they were just having a bad day. Maybe they were joking with their children, because they knew you were listening. But then again, what if it is all true? What if they were not joking? You’re not sure you want to be associated with them anymore. None of it makes any sense.That story is fiction, of course. It’s made up. But what if it was true? What if someone you knew, turned out to be a radical troublemaker, whose ideas were so outside the box of mainstream -- so contrary to what you believe, that their words and actions were dangerous? Let me introduce you to Jesus. He was the one who was supposed to be the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the one who would show up and save the people, slay the enemy, providing peace and prosperity for God’s people, and ruling the world with truth and justice.But when he show up, when the Messiah arrives, he says things that defy what every self-respecting, faithful, God-fearing person ever believed. Jesus says things like:I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.There is no difference between Jews or Greeks, slaves or masters, rich or poor, black or white.I have come to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.If you love me, you will hate your mother and father, sister and brother.Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.Sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor.It’s no wonder why Jesus was so unpopular with the people in his day. He turned things upside-down. He replaced what people thought was important. He replaced theirs values with radical ideas that really don’t make sense. He said, The first shall be last, the slave shall be free, the poor shall be rich, and the rich shall be poor. Why? Why would Jesus say those things? His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. If we are truly his disciples then our ways are supposed to be his ways and our thoughts are supposed to be his thoughts. So what do we do? First – we realize that it’s Jesus’ kingdom not our kingdom. It’s a kingdom like no other. It’s a different kind of kingdom because it is from out of this world. It’s beyond our comprehension.Second – we realize that Jesus’ harshest words were directed at those who were religious, at those who used their religion to control others with an “us versus them” mindset. If God is for us then God has to be against them. No, not so. That is within our comprehension.Third – we realize that Jesus meant what he said. We cannot have two masters. If we worship our money, we cannot worship him. And if we worship him, we will not worship money. Instead we see our money and our possessions as gifts to be shared. That too is within our comprehension. I want to tell you about Andy. Andy knew that the sand runs out, that our time in this world is limited. He also knew that he was blessed by God and he counted his blessings every day. One day Andy told me that he decided to live his life in such a way that he was going to try to out give God. With a look of contentment on his face he said that the more he gave away the more God gave to him. Andy was the most generous person I ever met. He left a legacy of generosity when he left this world a few years ago. Jesus’ teachings are hard, nearly impossible for us to do. Maybe that is intentional. Maybe the only way we can do what Jesus expects us to do is by trusting in him, living by faith, not fear.What if… we simply tried to be generous everyday with our time, our talents, and our treasures? What if… we realized that God blesses us every day to be a blessing to others? What if… we took Jesus at his word and lived accordingly when he said, Do not be afraid,?little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Do not be afraid… Live generously… We belong to Jesus and his kingdom… and that makes all the difference in the world. (repeat) Amen.(Next week our song is Turn, Turn, Turn by the Byrds) ................
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