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Sunday’s Talk: Money or Kindness
Using
Micah 3.5-12 TNIV page 881
1 Thessalonians 2.9-13 TNIV page 1121

“Why do I work. What do I work for?” continued the man who had just ripped up a contract for $1m per annum. Charles Schwab. “I have more money than I can begin to spend. I have no children, nobody to leave it to. My wife is rich enough in her own right. She does not need it. I do not need it. I work just for pleasure I find in work, the satisfaction there is in developing things, in creating. Also, the associations business begets. The man who does not work for the love of work, but only for money, is not likely to make money nor to find much fun in life.”

Tan, P. L. 1996, c1979. Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : A treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers. Bible Communications: Garland TX

motives
What motivates you from day to day?
What issue gets under your skin and creates a hunger in you for it to be put right?
Which situation excites you to the point that you cannot wait to make it better?
Or did it/used to be that way?

Countless people have begun on a career or started a job with a passion to see their skills, their abilities, being used to the utmost.. and then something has happened. Instead of being passionate they become perfunctory; in place of desire, their work becomes drudgery perhaps what has happened is that their motivation has changed!

Singleness of heart has gone. Just gone.

I wonder could money be the problem?

Today’s readings show us how two different communities in two different ages faced up to this: Were God’s people moved by money or created to be compassionate?

PAUL: 1 Thess 2.9-13 TNIV page 1121
Paul is concerned that his friends in Thessalonica have misunderstood him [and perhaps his fellow teachers Silas and Timothy (as they were according to Acts 17.1-15 )]. Together they had experienced a successful ministry (It is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 [See also 1 Th 1.9]) but now Paul had been prevented from going back to see them: they were disappointed and began to feel neglected by Paul. Paul had tried to make up for it by sending Timothy [1 Th 3 2] “to strengthen and encourage you in your faith”. Clearly though it wasn’t enough; hence Paul has to make an appeal to their better judgement: Look at evidence of my sincerity he said:
Remember our toil and hardship worked night and day holy, blameless and righteous encouraging, comforting and urging you, you accepted our word as God’s word! Quite a claim.

Sometimes there is a need for us a members of churches to “assess” the worthiness of those who work among us: to determine, by close scrutiny of their lives, just how genuine they are: our leaders, bishops, clergy, workers and volunteers.  

Paul had nothing to be ashamed of, indeed he made a point of working as a tentmaker rather than living by the fruits of his gospel proclamation: not in it for the money! And he did more than decency required, “night and day” he worked. 

He pictures himself (v7b-8a, and v11 ) as a mother or father caring for beloved little children. It’s a very strong image: is there any human passion greater than a good parent’s concern for their child? 

But he adds a bit more: [ 1 Th 2.13] he says that the Thessalonian Christians had already accepted him as an agent of God and shouldn’t let their “upset” distort their view of him and the ministry he did among them! 

The key part was the fact that he was not a burden to them: i.e. he worked for free! 

MICAH: Micah 3.5-12 TNIV page 881
The bogus prophets of Micah’s day were rather different from Paul and his companions: 

v 5 Moved by Money: They spoke, not for God, but in their own self interest: “Pay me enough and I will tell you what you want to hear! “ 

Instead of compassion, like a mum or a dad guiding their offspring, they surrounded themselves with a sense of threat: do not feed them and they will prepare to wage war against you 

v 7 Deaf to Divinity The ultimate disaster for a seer is that he cannot see any more, a diviner who cannot divine: and why Because God gives no answer! 

God’s anger, expressed through Micah, is not just with the prophets though: In Micah 3.11 we hear about leaders priests and prophets:each caught up in an opportunism to sell their values for cash: moved by money once more. 

God’s judgement is on more than just their leadership, their priesthood, and their ministry: see Micah 3:12 Their actions pose a threat to their whole State, City and Temple. 

CONCLUSION 

There is clear evidence from New Testament times that church people freed those who worked among them from some of the need to earn money outside their ministry: the professional ministries of Jewish and Roman Priests soon found reflection in the church. But it is a change which Paul warns against: so easy to become the pawn of the payer: “he who pays the piper calls the tune!” 

Remember everyone’s a volunteer.

Peter Drucker points out that all organizations, at their core, are volunteer organizations. We have to forget the idea there’s a difference between paid staff and volunteers. If people don’t enjoy doing what you ask, salaried or not, they’ll quit and go elsewhere. 

Although we try to pay our staff well, I know salaries alone won’t motivate them to excellence. Money is never a sufficient reward to keep someone on the job. People need other incentives, such as self-esteem, a sense of accomplishment, and the satisfaction of sacrificing for a worthy cause.”Anderson, L., Hayford, J. W., & Patterson, B. 1993. Who’s in charge? : Standing up to leadership pressures. Mastering ministry’s pressure points (60). Multnomah Books: Sisters, OR 

Keep volunteering: do some of what you love or work at for nothing, even if it means changing who you work for! 

Recover your first love: /determine what used to really excite you about your gift, your calling, and renew the experience. 

Revise your lifestyle: give the best of the day to the best of your self.   

News Sheet for 2nd November 2008