Partnership in the Gospel – November 14, 2021, Stewardship Dedication Sunday
Isaiah 55, Philippians 1:1-11
November 14, 2021
Stewardship Dedication Sunday
I love the positive, encouraging way Paul opens his letter to the Philippians. “I thank God every time I think about you! And in all my prayers for you I have joy, and I’m grateful for your partnership in the Gospel.” I love that! That’s how he starts this letter. And I think it “sets the tone,” not just for what he was telling that congregation (and us), but it also sets the tone for his entire relationship with them.
Thanksgiving is great! And not just at this time of the year! Later in this letter Paul would tell these Philippians to let their requests be known to God “…in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.” The thanksgiving is important there! Sometimes I think we forget that. Sometimes I think we forget to be thankful. Sometimes we forget to be encouraging.
Maybe you remember a book from years ago, called, “The Power of Positive Thinking.” It was written by Norman Vincent Peale. Do you remember him? In it, he said that we can change everything in our lives by thinking positive. Well, I believe there is also “power in positive thinking… about others.” In other words, there is great power in “encouragement.” You’ve heard me say that. The word “encouragement” literally means “to give courage to.” Encouragement is one of the “Spiritual Gifts.” And there is great power in that.
Maybe you listen to K-Love radio. If you do, you know their motto. “Positive, encouraging.” And again, sometimes I think we aren’t positive and encouraging enough. And those are very good things to be! If you think about it, don’t we want to be around positive, encouraging people? And doesn’t that make us want to be positive and encouraging ourselves? That attitude feeds on itself and it grows, as does negativity and discouragement, by the way!
So, Paul starts this letter by telling how grateful he was for these people. And then he says what he was grateful for. He was grateful for their “partnership in the Gospel.” That’s what I used for the title of this sermon. Paul was encouraged himself by that partnership. He felt the power of sharing the ministry together.
I’ve been feeling that a lot lately – especially through this pandemic. As I’ve been saying all along, that there’s a lot to be positive and encouraging about when I think about your stewardship. And stewardship is part of your partnership in the Gospel!
As I’ve said many times, you’ve been good stewards. And you did other things. Your stewardship has truly been about your time, your talent, and your treasure. You stepped up when the SS building needed a new roof. You’ve been involved in some rebuilding projects. And that’s been great! I’ve always believed that working together on some project or other brings people together and builds community. I’m sure we’re going to feel that way next week when we work together on the Christmas Bazaar!
There is power in working together and encouraging one another. And that thought leads me to Paul’s next thought. He said, “I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Think about that. We are “partners in the Gospel,” and we work for God’s kingdom until the day Jesus returns to rule his kingdom.
I know we live in a world where that’s not thought of very often. People want to live only in the “here and now.” They don’t want to talk about the afterlife, and certainly not about the end times. “Life is what you see here.” “That’s the only thing.”
But there’s more to this life than just the earthly. Jesus tried to tell people that when he was here. “The kingdom of heaven is where?” “It’s among you!” he said. It’s not just about where you go when you die. It’s about how you live while you’re here. And Jesus didn’t say it, but he would agree, that “we are spiritual beings having an earthly experience,” and not the other way around. And the spiritual experience doesn’t begin after this one is over!
So, Paul would say that while we’re here, we’re partners in the Gospel. And we work for God’s kingdom. That’s what we’re thinking about and celebrating today. This is Stewardship Sunday. And it is my hope that some of the feelings Paul was expressing to the Philippians are felt by us, as we worship God by bringing and dedicating our pledges to the good work that he began in us, that he will bring to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
The kingdom of heaven is among us. We are part of that kingdom in the here and now. May we bring our pledges before him in Joy, as we celebrate the dedication of our lives to him, as partners in the Gospel
Prayer
Eternal God, we thank you for the good work you have begun in us. Help us to know your power within us as we think of our part in your kingdom. Bless us and prosper us, we ask in Jesus’ name, and for the sake of his kingdom, Amen!