“Give to God What is God’s”
“Give to God What is God’s”
Sermon for October 22, 2023
at Churchill and Gilford United Churches
Krista Moore
Exodus 33:12–23 God speaks to Moses in person as a friend. Matthew 22:15–22 Give to God the things that are God’s.
Introduction to the Scriptures
MOSES has just received the 10 commandments.
And now God tells him to lead the people to the Promised Land. But they have been worshiping idols, little statues made by people and God is angry with them and threatens not to go with them. Moses tries to intercede so God will go with them.
He does not want to go anywhere without God.
Moses has become friends with God, so God will do what he asks, with a small concession.
In a moment of boldness, Moses asks to see the glory of GOD – to see God face to face. But he doesn’t realize what he is asking for. It would blind him. Or kill him.
God agrees to show him his glory, but not his face. He hides Moses in the cleft of a rock so he can only see his back passing by.
In this way, God protects Moses, while still agreeing to go with to the Promised Land.
JESUS also came to lead the people and teach them God’s ways. Just like Moses, only Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the one sent by God to live among us and show us how to live in this world and still follow God.
But the Pharisees and people in authority question him and try to trick him. (They secretly want to kill him.)
They do not realize that Jesus knows their hearts.
So when they ask Jesus, is it right to pay taxes to the emperor? Jesus warns, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” In other words, give your money to the government, but give your life and your allegiance to God. Serve only God.
So how can we, like Moses, become closer to God, and walk with God, even while the world tempts us to live for ourselves? How can we, like Jesus says, give to God what is God’s? More importantly, what belongs to God?
SERMON
This was a difficult sermon to write. Before I wrote it, I received this message. Take this and tuck it away in your heart as you listen.
You are love
Do not despair of evil
Do not forsake the love God has for you and your community Be as Christ is
Lift your hearts to God
You must come into his presence.
God will not force himself upon you
It is a choice
When you choose the world and all its glory
You lose the one who knows and loves you most
Let go the fears and worries of this world
Be as God commanded Moses to be
Worship God and do not worship money or idols
Do not fear physical leaders or nations or countries
Worship God and forgive those who condemn you or try to kill your people
Sacrifice yourselves for love.
When I first came to Churchill Gilford, I asked myself a simple question:
What is the church?
Is it the building we are in?
Is it the people inside this building?
Is it the community of people we serve outside of this building? Or is it something else entirely?
We all live in the world (or a yellow submarine for some). We all have things to do, jobs or responsibilities to our work, families, community, things competing for our attention.
It is not easy to think of God or put God first, when we are just trying to get by in the world.
If we are Christians, we also have obligations to our church, to those who come every Sunday, and those who do not. We try to feed the hungry and clothe those who need warm clothes, to share our resources. It’s not always easy.
All of us hopefully have a house or an apartment to live in. Some money to meet our needs, like groceries, rent or mortgage, heat and hydro, clothing, and some minor entertainments. And of course taxes. (*And if we are generous, we give our gifts to support the church). But
What is the church?
What is God’s or what belongs to God, and what belongs to the world?
I’m not making this easy…
a) Scripture
Kind of like the Pharisees’ question to Jesus, when they asked him, as a religious people, “should we still pay taxes to the emperor?” But unlike the Pharisees or people of this world, Jesus has the answer.
He knows what belongs to God and what belongs to this world. Because, as he says in John’s gospel, he is not from this world. He came from God to this world to show us how to overcome it. How to serve God, even while suffering the things of this world. Like war, persecution, death, and taxes.
b) Bad News in Our World
In the last few weeks, we have seen this suffering. The world is showing us the worst of times.
Interest rates continue to be high, along with taxes. Groceries are more expensive, especially for the poorest among us.
In the Middle East, an ancient war continues that threatens our peace, and destroys lives every day.
We mourn for God’s people – those who are Jewish, those who are Muslim; and we pray for our enemies, those who threaten to harm the innocent, and serve only themselves.
We may ask, How can we serve God when there is so much evil and suffering in the world? When life seems so unfair? Where is God when the wealthiest and most powerful cause so much suffering to innocent people? How can we help people who cannot afford to live where they are, who cannot find any health care, or whose lives, homes, temples, synagogues, communities are sacrificed for the sake of land or power?
What is God’s and what is the world’s?
And which do we belong to?
I wonder about this when we experience loss in our churches. We lament the closure of two more churches in our area. Whether for lack of funds, lack of numbers, or lack of support, two more buildings close, and the people inside no longer have a church to call home.
There is no question that the world is changing.
The church is being challenged by the needs and demands of an ever-changing world. Most people in this generation no longer go to church. Some children have never seen the inside of a church. People have busy lives. And some people feel the church represents an old religion that got in the way of progress.
The world has moved on. God is an abstract concept, a failure, a fantasy!
If it were not so, why would there still be war? Death? Taxes?
3) Good News in the Bible
BUT God never promised us a rose garden. Though I love roses. Jesus said on earth we will have many troubles, but do not despair, “for I have overcome the world.”
Moses knew troubles as well. The people wanted to worship idols and party all the time. They did not know God. And they wandered in the desert for 40 years because they did not want to follow God.
We live in a world that doubts or resists or even tries to destroy God (as if that were possible).
But God exists.
God walked with Moses.
God walks with us if we will let him.
God gave Moses the commandments to help people love and respect God and each other. To live and thrive as a community of faith. Did they listen?
Not exactly.
And so we continue to have suffering, war, death, and taxes. But God’s ways are not our ways.
That is why Jesus answered the Pharisees this way,
“Give to the emperor (or the world) what belongs to the world, and to God what belongs to God.”
Again, What belongs to God?
God created the heavens and the earth. The heavens are God’s home, and the earth God’s footstool. All things were created by God to serve the purposes of love. And for his good pleasure.
As Jesus says in another scripture, the two most important commandments: We were made to LOVE the LORD our GOD with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to LOVE our neighbour as ourself.
4) Good News in Our World
God made us for LOVE.
So What (or Who) is God’s?
We are God’s people.
What is the church?
The church is God’s people who actively serve God, and each other, and all those in need. For Christians, we follow Jesus, who put the needs of others first, before the cares of the world.
Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Krista’s Three Things:
So HOW do we give to God what is God’s?
1) When there is war or suffering, we can pray. We can trust that God is with us. That good will come even out of evil. That God will make right all that is wrong.
2) When another church closes and people are scattered, we can follow Christ. We can offer a place of refuge, a home away from home. We can reach out and share. We can go where we are called to go. God’s people are everywhere.
3) When we face economic challenges in our personal lives and in our church, or community, we can give. We can share what we have. Even if we have very little, we can share with someone in need. Like Christmas for Kids who are doing their warm boots and clothing drive this week. And the Benevolent Fund which helps individuals and families in our area, and which we will collect during our Nov 26 communion service.
Give to the world what is the world’s. (Yes, we must pay our taxes.)
And give to God what is God’s. Our selves, our devotion, our lives, our charity, our love.
CLOSING
Do not despair.
God’s church survives. In all its forms. We are the body of Christ. We are God’s people. The people of God live on.
Heaven is our eternal home.
When the evils of this world conspire to destroy us, God replants us somewhere else.
Over 6 million Jewish people were destroyed during the Holocaust. And thousands more recently in Israel and Gaza.
Countless civilians including children.
The world has always had its darkness, and many things happen that we do not understand. Suffering, War, death, taxes.
The world can be cruel.
BUT God loves ALL people.
Jesus said, “do not worry, for I have overcome the world.” Forgive and you will be forgiven.Pray for yourselves, your friends, and especially your enemies. Jesus has come to judge the living and the dead.
It is not for us to know why things happen.
Buildings will fall or change hands. National boundaries will change or be destroyed.
But God’s people will always exist.
Life will be restored.
God’s love is eternal.
God is Good.
We belong to God.
Jesus walks with us.
Let us follow Christ wherever it leads us.
God is with us.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
Closing Meditation/Message from God/Jesus:
Let us hear one more time, the message for today: Close eyes etc.
You are love
Do not despair of evil
Do not forsake the love God has for you and your community Be as Christ is
Lift your hearts to God
You must come into his presence.
God will not force himself upon you
It is a choice
When you choose the world and all its glory
You lose the one who knows and loves you most
Let go the fears and worries of this world
Be as God commanded Moses to be
Worship God and do not worship money or idols
Do not fear physical leaders or nations or countries
Worship God and forgive those who condemn you or try to kill your people
Sacrifice yourselves for love.