SERMON DELIVERED AT THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NIGERIA, APAPA ON THE 30TH JULY, 1989

SERMON DELIVERED AT THE PRESBYTERIANCHURCH OF NIGERIA, APAPA ON THE 30TH JULY, 1989

1st/old Testament Lesson: Ecclesiastes 2:18 – 23

2nd/New    “             “      :  Colossians 3: 1 – 11

                                            Luke         12: 13 -21

THEME: “TREASURING CHRIST MAKE MEANINGFUL”

My beloved brethren in the Lord, I greet you all in the precious name of our risen savior Jesus Christ Amen. The theme for this sermon is as contained in the church lectionary, as a guide, chosen to be preached in all congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Nigeria. The theme could be titled – our stewardship of Treasure or “Heavenly Mindedness.” My text will be taken from the two portions read in the New Testament as follows: Luke 12:15(b) and Colossians 3:2. The theme of today’s sermon reminds us of a popular Christian song which goes like this:

                             “This world is not my home

                               I’m just passing through

                               My treasures are laid up

                               Some where beyond the blue

                               The Angels beckon me from

                               Heavens open door and I

                               Can’t feel at home in this

                               World any more”

This popular tune is not heard any more. Perhaps it does not fit in with the late twentieth century “Now” generation. Today is the day of the “Now” generation. The emphasis is now on this world, society’s ills, and man’s hang-up; how to be successful and get rich. They seem to say “Heaven can wait.” For many people, heaven seem very far away and may never come.

Watching the present generation and the going-on’s, we have placed our entire existence on performance basis. Success or failure is being determined more by what we do, can get, can give than by what we are. We cannot see or measure value. We have pinned this value onto something tangible – bank account, nice car, beautiful house, position and statistical goals. Success in life means making money and translating it into status or become famous (not minding how you get at it).

If my observation is correct, I want to believe that something has really gone wrong with our thinking, priority and measure of value and treasure. In a situation where everybody thinks earthly, forgetting that we are strangers here and we came from some where – in short forgetting our source and the purpose of our creation by God. Little wonder a sociologist Elbert Hubbard opined…. “Some men succeed by what they know; some by what they do and a few by what they are.” In another development, Lincoln was quoted as saying “Financial success is purely metallic and the man who gains it has 4 attributes:

                        Gold in his palm

                        Silver on his tongue

                        Brass on his face

                        Iron in his heart

Ecclesiastes 5 verses 10 and 11 teach that “He who is rich; has acquired wealth will strive to get more………..The more wealth, the more problems to be taken care of.” It was to this end that Rev. Onward smith, a one time pastor of People’s Church in Toronto said “I have learned that earthly wealth is not the measure of a man but it is often the means of finding out how small he is”.

From the Old Testament lesson of Ecclesiastes we read, it becomes very clear that earthly treasures end up in vanity. It evidenced that, “it is better to have our treasure (bank) in heaven than to have our heaven in our treasure (bank). It was this sordid state of human thinking that Jesus attempted to correct when He narrated the “Parable of the Rich fool.” This parable is a very familiar one. It is also not unlikely that St Paul saw this misconcepted earthly mindedness within the Church of Colossi before handing down his charge/letter to them (see Col. 2:2-3 and Col. 3:1-11).We would observe that in chapter 1 & 2, Paul talked about Reconciliation – how God brought us back to Himself; chapter 3 talks SANCTIFICATION – how God changed us and makes us His own.

To avail us further insight into this theme, we must understand what we are, why we are here and where we hope to go from here. Simply put man is the image of God (Gen. 1:26), God’s glory whose real life is in heaven with Christ and God. We are here just passing by like strangers; our real home is in heaven. Our responsibility here is to glorify and serve God in all we do – making God first, seeking His glory and righteousness. For this reason we should let heaven fill our thoughts to enable us share God’s glories.

Often we hear people say “my work first” and others follows; even Christ? Many have placed the Christian race secondary and pursuit of earthly treasures and riches prime. I trust for a believer, the reverse is the case, “Christ is life.” He is his motivation and his source of strength and power. All of these sounds like an instant sanctification; yes it is. There is a certain adage very common in my community. If God sends you on an errand and your in–law send you on another, with a caution that if you do not attend to his own, he will take his daughter (your wife) from you. Which one would you go first? An insight would reveal that if you do not to God’s message, He will take your life as he took that of the rich fool. The option is now open to you – chose either Christ assignment or human assignment. As a Christian, the answer is clear – “Christ first”.

We might at this juncture be bothered on how a Christian could go about being “preoccupied with Christ” while handling earthly responsibilities and interest. The following guidelines could be very helpful and believing to produce required result:

1.                  Today decide to stop feeling “I am too weak, I am easily tempted, it has become a habit that is hard to break. My parents were responsible for my suffering or Elders/Leaders were not measuring up.” This is self-defeatism. Take a positive step and decide not to go back to those sins/lapses any more.

2.                  Repent (not remorse) and accept Christ Jesus as Lord, Master and Savior (1 John 1:9; Acts 2:40).

3.                  Start each day with God’s word/promises. The scriptures offer tremendous power and strength because it is God’s word for you/us (Psalm5:3).

FEW OF GOD’S PROMISES TO BELIEVERS (PERSONIFIED)

–          with God everything is possible ((Matt.19:26)

–          I can do everything God ask me to with the help of Christ (Phil. 4:13)

–          God will supply all that I need (Phil. 4:19)

–          God is at work within me, helping me want to obey……(Phil.2:13)

–          I know the Truth and the Truth has set me free (John.8:32)

–          God’s mighty power at work in me is able to do far more than I dare to ask or dream (Eph.3:20)

–          If I really want God’s will, I know He is listening (1John 5:14-15)

–          I was blind, now I see (John 9:25)

4. Repeat these promises as you go through the day. Keep telling yourself you want God to really run your life and heaven to fill your thought and it will surely happen, Amen.

        Tell yourself:

–          Jesus loves me (John15:9).

–          He cares about everything I am doing (Matt. 10:29-31).

–          Nothing can separate me and Jesus (Rom. 8:38-39)

–          Nothing can stop me half way (Phil. 4:13) and etc.

5. Think heavenward always – Remember you are what you think. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about it (Phil. 4:4-9)

6. Always keep on praying: (Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thess. 5:17). Pray for it, because of it, about it, through it, around it and in spite of it.

Brethren in the Lord, “heaven can’t wait.” Today we must think heaven, sing heaven, pray heaven, praise heaven, and thank heaven. Only then can heaven fill our hearts and thoughts; we begin to behave and talk as heaven citizens. We must seek FIRST Christ and His righteousness and all other things would be ours, Amen. When we seek God first, we shall realize that what we were looking for will begin to look for us.

The scripture is not against richness, family union, status, position, wealth, class or what have you. It is against our attitude towards these things that we now placed prime, worship, adore at the detriment and expense of our maker and creator. We must stop thinking like the rich fool and start thinking like those who acknowledge their God for what He is and place Him first in all we do. Use the things God has given to us to the glory of His name and God will bless us richly Amen.

FIRST THING FIRST; GOD IS FIRST. HE LOVED US FIRST WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS. SO GOD MUST BE PLACED FIRST IN OUR LIVES.

If you have not accepted Christ and God first in your life, bow down your head anywhere you are, and feel sorry for your failings; asking Christ forgiveness and Him into your heart. He is ever ready to accept you, welcome and grant you grace to be His child. Decide that from today, you have accepted Christ; if you sincerely do, heaven will feel your thought and you will experience a new feeling and reaction in your life. MAY IT BE SO IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

OGBONNAYA G. N.