Your Contribution to the Kingdom of God

Rev. David G. Bostick
05/24/09

Introduction

I want to read 1 Corinthians 15:58 one more time.

1 Corinthians 15:58
my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

It would be futile to make a commitment to:

Stand firm
Let nothing move us
Always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord

Futile unless we understood the contribution God wants us to make to His Kingdom.
The title for the last sermon in this series is: "Your Contribution to the Kingdom of God".
We make a mistake when we try to classify ourselves as ministers or laymen.
Yes, God does call a few of us into full time ministry of some kind. But the majority of the Church is placed on this earth to be a witness in the world as they live their daily lives in the business of their communities and in the world.
We must remember that in our daily living, all of us have a contribution to make to the Kingdom of God. This is how God shows His love to the world, through His people that love the world for Him.
The question we must answer today is this; How can we understand the contribution God wants us to make to His Kingdom?

I had a hard time getting started in my study of this topic.
There are so many things involved in making a contribution to the Kingdom of God.
As I thought about the topic a flood of appropriate terms came to mind. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the thought of trying to cover this vast topic in one sermon.
Words like
contribution
share
calling
giving
stewardship
tithing
support
attitude
responsibility
relationship
and many other terms came to mind. I began to look up scripture references that were helpful in understanding these terms.

One of the words I looked up was the word contribution. It is used in the NIV New Testament seven times.
The first reference is found, wrapped in a story about a poor woman. You might know it as the story of The Widows Mite.
But I am getting ahead of myself. We must look at the story of this poor woman who contributes two small coins to the Temple treasury in the context of what happened before this.
The account of The Widows Mite is found at the end of Mark 12 but to keep it in it's proper context we must start at the end of Mark 11.

Mark 11:27-12:44 (NIV)
[27] They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him.
[28] “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”
[29] Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
[30] John's baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!”
[31] They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn't you believe him?’
[32] But if we say, ‘From men’....” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)
[33] So they answered Jesus, “We don't know.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Notice that when Jesus speaks of the question of His authority, it is brought face to face with the responsibility of stewardship.
When in answer to Jesus question they said, "We don't know.", they meant, we don't want to answer because the only two possible answers will get us into trouble. (dgb)
When the religious leaders said this, "they virtually abdicated from their office as teachers of the nation, and had no further right to question the authority of Jesus."
The response of the Master closed the debate. Neither do I tell you.
One of the tragic fruits of disobedience is to be shut off from the Source of truth and light. (Beacon Bible Commentary, Mark, p. 370)
When Jesus asserted His authority over the religious leaders He was showing us the issue of the stewardship of truth.
One of the contributions all of us must make to the Kingdom of God is to be stewards of the truth. (dgb)

Mark 12 (NIV)
[1] He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.
[2] At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.
[3] But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
[4] Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.
[5] He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.
[6] “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
[7] “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
[8] So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

The tenants ignored the fact that they did not own the vineyard. They were using another man's developed property, tools, and vines to make their own living.
They were not even willing to give a portion of the fruit in payment for the use of His vineyard. This is a rejection of their responsibility to stewardship.
Another contribution all of us must make to the Kingdom of God is our stewardship to the economy of our community.
Everyone doing their part so they are not a burden to the community and so they can help others when a valid need is present.
The man who owned the vineyard provided employment.
The tenants were to make a contribution to the owner which made it possible for him to employ them and others. (dgb)

[9] “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.
[10] Haven't you read this scripture: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
[11] the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
[12] Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

Jesus answers them. I am sent by My Father the Creator but you reject me. Jesus makes a spiritual application of this parable. It represents the plan of God to save mankind.
Another contribution that all of us must make to the Kingdom of God is the stewardship of our spiritual life.(dgb)
One commentator said... The parable describes a failure in stewardship. (Beacon Bible Commentary, Mark, p. 372)
This is a spiritual failure. This is about failing to be good stewards in the Kingdom of God, stewards of the message God has sent to mankind, first through His prophets and teachers, then through His only Son. (dgb)

[13] Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.
[14] They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

This brings up the issue of loyalty to the government or earthly authorities. An appropriate topic in our politically charged culture today. (dgb)

[15] Should we pay or shouldn't we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”
[16] They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar's,” they replied.
[17] Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.” And they were amazed at him.

Stewardship in all areas of our life including civic stewardship. We are to make a contribution to the Kingdom of God by our stewardship to the government, civic stewardship. (dgb)
"Duty to God and duty to State are not incompatible; we owe a debt to both, and it is clearly possible to be a good Christian and a loyal citizen." (Beacon Bible Commentary, Mark, p. 373)
As a veteran I can appreciate the civic duty our soldiers, police officers, boarder security officers, medical workers...well the list could go on and on. I hope all of us remember to pray for them.
But all of us have civic responsibilities. From keeping the law, to paying taxes, to picking up a piece of trash blowing around...well that list could go on and on also.

[18] Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.
[19] “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.
[20] Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children.
[21] The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third.
[22] In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too.
[23] At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”
[24] Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?

Another contribution we must make to the Kingdom of God is the stewardship of God's Word. (dgb)
"Jesus did not debate the issue with His opponents on their own grounds but went instead to the heart of the issue: their ignorance of the scriptures and the power of God, both of which they should have known as priests in the Temple of God. [...] Apart from a knowledge of the gospel, available only in the Bible, one's search for the living God is frustrating, if not futile. Apart from the power of the Spirit of God, the Scriptures are devoid of spiritual life..." (Beacon Bible Commentary, Mark, p. 374)
On their own grounds the Sadducees started with the belief that there is no resurrection or life after death, which was contrary to the Scriptures.
The Sadducees only believed in the Torah, the writings of Moses only. Then Jesus quotes from the Torah using Ex 3:6 as proof for life after death. (dgb)
"The argument of Jesus for life after death is not based upon philosophical analyses of the nature of man but upon the character of God. (BBC, Mark, 375)

[25] When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
[26] Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
[27] He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”
[28] One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
[29] “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
[30] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
[31] The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
[32] “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.
[33] To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
[34] When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

"The Commandment calls for a complete response of man's whole being. [...] Jesus was not saying that these were the first and second commandments, respectively, in a long list of requirements, but rather that they combined to give a distillation of man's whole moral obligation." Matthew 22:40 says that all the law and prophets hang on these two commandments. (BBC, Mark, p. 376)
This is the issue of the stewardship of love. Love for God, neighbor, and self. Another contribution all of us must make to the Kingdom of God is the stewardship of love. (dgb)

[35] While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David?
[36] David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’
[37] David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with delight.

Jesus inserts the statement here to make sure that everyone listening to Him understood that he was proclaiming to be the Messiah.
This gave all of His teachings on stewardship overwhelming authority.
He needed to make this clear before he began His teaching on the two most difficult aspects of stewardship; humility and possessions. (dgb)

[38] As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces,
[39] and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
[40] They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”

Another contribution we must make to the Kingdom of God is the stewardship of humility. A proper understand of who God is and where we stand in His eyes is important here. (dgb)
The word devour means to eat. A fitting description of the religious leaders of the day.
One commentator said, "They were wealthy, worldly, harsh, arrogant."(BBC, Mark, 374)

[41] Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.
[42] But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only fraction of a penny.
[43] Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
[44] They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Another contribution that we must make to the Kingdom of God is the stewardship of material possessions/money (dgb)

These last two areas of stewardship are difficult because they deal with our attitudes. A proper attitude comes out of understand who I am and who God is.
The Bible, and the witness of my own heart, make it very clear that I am a great sinner and Christ is a great savior.

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