“Reforming Stewardship” (Matthew 25:1-13; Amos 5:18-24(

Amos 5:18-24

Matthew 25:1-13

Listen to Sermon

Pastor Tom Johnson, November 12, 2017

A few weeks ago we passed out sheets of paper for us to write down things we are thankful for. You see on this quilt things written on it that we are thankful for in years past and present. In celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we remembered that the German Monk and Reformer Martin Luther began an international movement when he nailed the 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg. He addressed the abuse of the church especially regarding money. He challenged the use of indulgences—the collection of money to purchase God’s mercy and forgiveness. It was a ruse to raise money to build St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome. Our true treasure, Luther said, is the Good News of Jesus Christ who died and rose again for our forgiveness and eternal life. God’s free gift of salvation should inspire our generosity. For he is generous toward us first.

Our readings for today are very timely and bring us right to the core of Christian stewardship. Our Old Testament reading from Amos reminds us that God wants our obedience and righteousness to bless those around us. Our worship, offerings, and resources are not as important as our godliness. We are to be an ever-flowing stream of goodness and love to our neighbor.

The parable of the delayed bridegroom and ten bridesmaids is another great text to bring us to the heart of our stewardship. This parable is not about the end of the world. It is about how we are to live as we anticipate our Lord’s return. We are to wait for our groom—the Lord Jesus—as those who know his coming may be long delayed. The previous parables in Matthew talk about waiting for him as he can come at any moment and that we must give an account. This parable illustrates the truth that he may be long-delayed. Five of the bridesmaids go out into the world prepared to let their light shine. They do not know when the groom is coming. But they put their gifts of the Holy Spirit—the oil for their lamps—to good use. They let their light shine as long as it is night. Their lamps and their hearts burn for the Lord’s return.

This is about stewardship. The good news is that Jesus died and rose again for our forgiveness and eternal life. He will come again to make all things new. He comes to make justice and righteousness flow like an ever-flowing stream. In the meantime, the bridegroom may be long delayed. But as Scripture says, “He is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). God widens his mercy. His justice and righteousness increase their flow like an ever-flowing stream. He sends us out as his anointed—filled with the Holy Spirit. He calls us out to shine our lights brightly in a dark world. His coming should stir us awake. It rouses us to action. We remember the good gifts God has blessed us with. And we put it to good use in anticipation of the coming of the Lord.

St. Peter Lutheran Church, Riga, Latvia

One of the odd things you will see in Europe is how many churches of the Reformation replaced their cross on top of their churches with a rooster. It is there to wake up the church. It represents the rooster that crowed to bring Peter back to his senses—to wake him up to the sin of denying his Master—to rouse him to action as a true disciple of Jesus Christ. This is the call of Jesus in the book of Revelation (3:2) to “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die.” There is a sense of urgency to strengthen our ministry of the Gospel—to invest the oil of God’s blessing and anointing of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God’s rooster wakes us up to repent of lies and deception. God’s rooster calls us to consciously adjust our understanding to Scripture—to hold every thought captive to the Word of God. God’s rooster stirs us out of a sinful slumber and wakes us up to the day the Lord has made, rejoice, and be glad in it. We reform our understanding of the Gospel, the Church, and our participation in what God is doing. We reform our stewardship. We invest our time, talents, and treasure into the ministry of the Gospel.

Wake up! Invest in his Kingdom work now! It is a privilege to discover how deep, wide, and high God’s love is for us in his Son Jesus Christ! It is our joy to fill up with the Holy Spirit by his Word and radiate the light of Christ. God’s justice and goodness will flow through you to the world like an ever-flowing stream. Rouse yourselves. Jesus comes to lead us into a great feast. Can you smell it? Soon we will come to his table where there is forgiveness and a foretaste of the great wedding feast—the marriage supper of the Lamb in his Kingdom which will have no end.