Paul

I’d like to introduce you to Tanya, from the suburbs of Chicago
My gospel choir leader
She’s going to lead worship tonight

Tanya

Paul

Jon

First we’re going to do the offering because tonight’s sermon is about giving
Near the end of Chapter 4 and our 7 month study of Philippians

I was very glad in the Lord because now at last you have shown concern for me again. (Of course you were always concerned but had no way to show it.) I’m not saying this because I need anything, for I have learned how to be content in any circumstance. I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength. Still, you have done well to share my distress. You Philippians know from the time of my first mission work in Macedonia how no church shared in supporting my ministry except you. You sent contributions repeatedly to take care of my needs even while I was in Thessalonica. I’m not hoping for a gift, but I am hoping for a profit that accumulates in your account. I now have plenty and it is more than enough. I am full to overflowing because I received the gifts that you sent from Epaphroditus. Those gifts give off a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice that pleases God. My God will meet your every need out of his riches in the glory that is found in Christ Jesus. Let glory be given to God our Father forever and always. Amen. (Philippians 4:10-20 CEB)

The expectation was that when you give a gift, you elect a gift in return
We keep having to one up thee other person when we give back
The authors in the New Testament hold the cultural economy up against God’s economy and show the disparity
By giving to me you are participating to what God is doing in the world
So we give praise back to the Father
Paul is talking about the right motive for giving
There’s two different kinds of lens:
The lens of the transaction (transactional)
The Trinitarian lens
Most people keep an imaginary scorecard in our back pockets, keeping track of what we’ve done for other people and what they owe us
Somebody invites you over to dinner, there’s strings
Silent, unexpected strings
Not a lot of grace in the transactional mode
So then we try to apply that to God, turning Him into a divine accountant
We don’t even need God to remind us because we can see the holy ledger with all our debts in the left and all our credits in the right
Very often our understanding/view of God affects how we do relationships and life
Then there’s the Trinitarian view
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit
I love how this cosmic dance going on from one to the other, spinning throughout the universe
Do you want to participate in THIS kind of giving, this back and forth and giving and taking
So when the Philippians gather their resources and send it through Epaphroditus, they’re expecting something back
And Paul turns that on it’s ear and says no, you’ve given to God
Let’s take friendship
Doing life together is a result of choosing Jesus
So now we see relationships through the Trinitarian lens

Heather

Looking for ways to make the otherperson’s life better

Jon

It’s not about

Michael

Everyone’s equal

Jon

That’ll preach

Tanya

Rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us and direct us towards one another
Give us divine appointments

Tom

Stop looking for significance through others
Our identity becomes linked to how God sees us rather than how others see us

Michael

Being unselfish

Jon

Bring it into the realm of marriage
It’s interesting to watch this dynamic in marriage, where we have the little creature called children
And sometimes there’s this weird exchange where the husband says “but I watched the kids last weekend”
It’s called parenting not babysitting

????

Being a better spouse rather than wanting the other person to be a better spouse

Cas

I don’t see any difference between spouses and friends, we should be selfless with all of them

John

True, but there are different ramifications in marriage
I give my life to you, I give myself, all of you
I am here to make your life better
Lets bring it into this community of Jesus followers here

Jeremy

Volunteering to ministries?

Heather

Not being separate but being one
Looking unified and drawing people to this unification

Michael

Going out there and making life better for everyone else

Jon

One of the hardest things to do when receiving a gift is to just say thank you
…
It’s beyond the tithing rule, giving the 10% and nothing more
Giving of your time, your money, your resources
I’m blown away by the generosity of this community
There’s not a lot of us, and yet last year we gave 12 million dollars to Mercy’s Village for God’s movement in Uganda
We’re not just sitting around and learning stuff, we’re trying to speak and give to this brokenness we see in the world
Our kids are learning about Christ and learning about what God’s doing in the world
I don’t know who’s giving and who’s receiving, but there’s a lot of business going on
I want to do whatever I can to enrich your heart
Tanya I’m going to throw something at you, since you throw stuff at Paul, and it’s this oneness that we’re talking about

Tanya / Paul

Jon

As we sang that I was thinking about looking through that Trinitarian lens
And sometimes we have to take the first step towards unification
So we’re going to sing that one more time, and use the words to think about looking through the Trinitarian lens