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Series Title: Anti-Poverty Week 2017Sermon Outline: To Have or To Have Not?

Topic: To Have Or To Have Not?Main Point: “Poverty is no shame to those who have not. Poverty is a shame to those

who have.”Intended Response:

Acknowledge that the abuse of our relationship with the environment and each other in the pursuit of ‘more’ shifts the shame of poverty from those who ‘have not’ to those who ‘have’.

Key Verse: Luke 4:18-19Mission Intention Building Healthy Communities, Working for Justice

Introduction:

From the beginning of creation, humankind has been wrestling with the incessant want for more.

“Poverty is no shame to those who have not. Poverty is a shame to those who have.”

A. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)

If something is ‘pleasing’ and ‘desirable’ enough it will distort our view of God’s provision. “A fully developed doctrine of creation is foundational to our thinking about human

flourishing”. Only in a loving and obedient relationship with God that we can experience the quality of life

and living that is our Creator’s intention.

Point One: The CREATION Provides More Than Enough

B. “In the beginning was the Word…[who] made his dwelling among us” (John 1:1,14)

The incarnation is the antithesis of a consumer driven culture. The incarnation introduced a counter-cultural economy through the inauguration of the

kingdom of God. William Booth mobilised an army of social and spiritual activists to join in “God’s work in the

world” to restore and sustain shalom through integrated and holistic mission.

Point Two: The INCARNATION Provides More Than Enough

C. The Creation and Incarnation define our relationships with God and each other

We are custodians and stewards of what God has gifted to humankind. The Apostle Paul counselled the Corinthian church towards a view of wealth “that radically

transformed economic relationships among [God’s] people”. The righteous person who upholds justice and distributes their wealth to the poor

demonstrates the kind of relationship with the Creator and creation that comes from obedience rather than oppression.

Point Three: The CHURCH Should Provide More Than Enough

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Illustrations:

Video clip from Oliver Twist – “Please Sir, I want some more” could be used in the introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upD6cB9Rzvk

Resources:

Quotations taken from following sources:

Booth, W. (1892). In Darkest England and the Way Out. London: Harrison & Sons, Printers.Bradbury, S. (2013). Transforming Head and Heart Conference. 1st ed. Melbourne: Tabor Victoria.Cannon, M. (2009). Social Justice Handbook. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Books.DeGruchy, S. (2005). Integrating Mission and Development: Ten Theological Thesis. 1st ed.Hyneman, J. and Shore, C. (2013). Why Are We Stewards of Creation? - World Vision’s Biblical Understanding of How We Relate to Creation. 1st ed. World Vision.Myers, Bryant L. (2011). Walking With The Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development. Maryknoll, New York.: Orbis Books.Rainbow Spirit Elders. (2008). Rainbow Spirit Theology. Hindmarsh: ATF Press.Sider, R. (1990). Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger. London: Hodder and Stoughton.The Micah Declaration on Integral Mission. (2001). 1st ed. [ebook] Micah Network. Available at: http://www.micahnetwork.org [Accessed 29 Oct. 2016].Torrance, T. and Walker, R. (2008). Incarnation. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.World Vision. (2016). What Does the Bible Say About Poverty? | World Vision. [online] Available at: https://www.worldvision.org/faith-news-stories/what-does-the-bible-say-about-the-poor [Accessed 29 Oct. 2016].Wytsma, K. and Jacobsen, D. (2013). Pursuing Justice. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson.

Worship Songs:

“One Day” (Hillsong), with focus on words…“So blessed, I can't contain it. So much, I've got to give it away. Your love taught me to live now.You are more than enough for me”

“I’ll Fight” (Soteria Music)

Scriptures quoted:Genesis 1:1-31, 2:15-17, 3:6Romans 1:20Matthew 6:10, 28:38-40Deuteronomy 6:5, 15:4-5John 1:1,14Philippians 2:6-7Acts 2:44-45, 5:1-2Mark 12:41-442 Corinthians 8:9Micah 6:8Luke 4:18-19

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Series Title: Anti-Poverty Week 2017Sermon Outline: To Have or To Have Not?

Introduction:From the beginning of creation, humankind has been wrestling with the incessant want for more…

The provision of the Garden of Eden wasn’t enough for our first parents, who took the forbidden fruit.

The promise of Canaan wasn’t enough for the Hebrews, who looked to other gods. The protection of Yahweh wasn’t enough for Israel, who demanded a king like the other

nations. The promised Messiah wasn’t enough for the Pharisees, who expected another.

As Creator, Preserver and Governor of all things, God provided His creation with everything required for human flourishing, but we continue to want for more! It is our want for more that has fractured the symbiotic relationship between all creation, with human flourishing becoming the privilege of the powerful at the expense of the powerless. While the powerful accumulate more and the powerless struggle with less, the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ perpetuates an unequal “network of relationships that do not work for the well-being” (Myers 2011, 15) of everybody. ‘To have or to have not?’ is a question that challenges a biblical “vision of human flourishing” when the “earth’s bounty [as] a gift from the Primary Owner” is not “shared fully among its human inhabitants” (Bradbury 2013, 4). Acknowledging this injustice and inequity should form the basis for our understanding of poverty and our response to a statement like, “Poverty is no shame to those who have not. Poverty is a shame to those who have.”

TransitionTherefore, as we approach “Anti-poverty Week,” I want to speak into this statement through a biblical lens to explore how our network of relationships “with God, with creation, with other people, and with ourselves,” shapes our understanding of ‘human flourishing’ (Shalom). The creation story and the incarnation of Christ provide us with two helpful points of reference to confront how the abuse of these relationships in the pursuit of ‘more’ shifts the shame of poverty from those who ‘have not’ to those who ‘have’…

Scripture Readings

Genesis 1:1,26-30John 1:1-14Philippians 2:6-7

Transition“In the beginning God created the heavens and earth” (Genesis 1:1) and gave “everything that has the breath of life in it every seed-bearing plant…for food” (Genesis 1:29-30) and entrusted human beings with the responsibility “to work and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).

1. Insert textThe Creation story follows with the account of how God placed Adam and Eve in the abundance of the Garden of Eden with only one condition, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:16-17). The one boundary placed around God’s abundant provision became the precursor to our insatiable want for more: “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it” (Genesis 3:6). This continues to drive human beings today to violate their relationship with the Creator and His creation by taking what is not theirs to have! If something is ‘pleasing’ and ‘desirable’ enough to distort our view of God’s provision, it is inevitable that our distorted view will manifest itself in the way we exploit His provision for our own pleasure and desires by rebelling against God’s purposes for all people. Romans

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1:20 reminds us that “since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen,” revealing His divine character and divine purpose for humankind. Therefore, our stewardship of creation should not be about what is ‘pleasing’ or ‘desirable’ to ourselves but “must be attentive to the things that are close to the heart of God: the orphan, the widow, the vulnerable and the oppressed” (Hyneman and Shore 2013, 20). To bridge the increasing gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ we need to begin with where God began: “A fully developed doctrine of creation is foundational to our thinking about human flourishing” (Myers 2011, 86). Founder of The Justice Conference Ken Wytsma agrees, “We’ve got to begin with a right relationship with the Creator if we want to restore right relationships in creation” (Wytsma 2013, 274).

Our relationship with God is the foundation for our relationship with each other, which is clearly stated by Jesus in His declaration of the two greatest commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:38-40). It is in the nexus of these divine and human relationships where the image of God can be restored in all of humankind and where human flourishing should replace poverty. This is the prevailing biblical theme of the law (Leviticus 19:9-10, 33-34; 25), the prophets (Isaiah 60; Jeremiah 33:6-13) and the gospels (Luke 4:16-21). Director of the Micah 6:8 Centre, Steve Bradbury agrees by stating, “Absolutely central to the Biblical narrative is the core conviction that it is only in a loving and obedient relationship with God that we can experience the quality of life and living that is our Creator’s intention” (Bradbury 2013, 5). This forms the basis of the covenant God established with Israel as He prepared them to take possession of the Promised Land, a post-Eden oasis flowing with milk and honey: “There need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today” (Deuteronomy 15:4-5). If only Israel had consistently obeyed His commands and loved Him with all their heart, soul and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5) the whole nation would have flourished in the land the Lord God gave them and poverty would have been just a memory of their slavery in Egypt. However, like with Eden, the ‘shalom’ of Canaan once again became subjected to the want for more!

Point 1: The CREATION Provides More Than Enough

Transition“In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1) and “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14).

2. Insert textWhen Jesus left the privilege of heaven and entered God’s creation in human form, “He did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:6-7). The incarnation is the antithesis of a consumer driven culture that drives the pursuit of more because Jesus became less to restore “just and right relationships with God, with self, with community, with ‘other’, and with the environment” (Myers 2011, 75). According to Myers, “A relational understanding of poverty and transformation that affirms that God is already among the poor, and that the poor are made in the image of God” (Myers 2011, 232) demonstrates the heart of God through the incarnation. While Jesus acknowledged that the poor will always be among us (Matthew 26:11) He declared that His mission was to bring Good News to the poor (Luke 4:18) and the posture He took as a child of a carpenter, born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, personified this mission. The incarnational posture of Jesus formed the ethos of the early church that gathered “together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need” (Acts 2:44-45). In this state of obedience and relationship the community flourished. Yet again, like in Eden and Canaan, it didn’t take long before the people of God allowed their want for more to hold back money for themselves at the expense of others.

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Illustration: Summarise story of Ananias and Sapphira… (Acts 5:1-2)

The incarnation introduced a counter-cultural economy through the inauguration of the kingdom of God: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Through the voluntary poverty of Jesus flows a river of grace that evokes overflowing joy and rich generosity within the community of believers. In this context, the saying ‘less is more’ is transformed into an incarnational principle that challenges any hint of prosperity theology that has infiltrated the church and transforms the way Christians sees and shares wealth. In fact, “When Christians of the twenty-first century are obedient to the gospel and follow in the footsteps of their faithful predecessors, the challenges of global poverty, slavery, racial injustice and other forms of oppression will be overcome by the power of Christ” (Cannon 2009, 87).

Founder of The Salvation Army, General William Booth, saw the poverty that plagued the east end of London as darkness that robbed the ‘sinking classes’ from the fullness of life intended by Jesus Christ. He recognised that the “only hope for the permanent deliverance of mankind from misery, either in this world or the next, is the regeneration or remaking of the individual by the power of the Holy Ghost through Jesus Christ” (Booth 1890). He proposed an audacious scheme, which he detailed in his controversial book ‘In Darkest England and the Way Out’ to leverage the “unparalleled wealth, and civilisation, and philanthropy of this professedly most Christian land” (Booth 1892) to “minister to its social regeneration so far as wealth can” (Booth 1892, 16). Booth mobilised an army of social and spiritual activists to join in “God’s work in the world, the mission Dei,” to restore and sustain shalom through integrated and holistic mission (DeGruchy 2005, 31). His ‘Scheme of Social Selection and Salvation’ endeavoured to transfer the shame away from the ‘have nots’ and transform the shame of the ‘haves’ by reigniting the social implications of Christianity and restoring this mission in the church.

Illustration: Share examples of ‘Integrated/Incarnated Mission’ from local Corps and/or Social Programs…

Point 2: The INCARNATION Provides More Than Enough

Transition The creation story and incarnation teaches us that the divine purpose of relationships is to ensure the flourishing of humankind in communion with each other and our Creator.

3. Insert text…

We do not own the land upon which we live nor the natural resources we consume but are custodians or stewards of a gift that has been given by the grace of God to all humankind to enjoy as an act of worship. This is a communal relationship that seems to have been largely lost in an individualistic consumer driven culture. Yet, it is a relationship that is understood and integrated by many from our indigenous cultures: “In the beginning, the Creator entrusted different lands to different people…The Creator Spirit is the true owner of the whole land and its waters” (Rainbow Spirit Elders 2008, 36). Poverty exists when our worship of the Creator and stewardship of creation become secondary to our individual want for more. From a platform of worship the shame of poverty lies primarily with those who extort this relationship, placing their own pleasures and desires above the purpose of their Creator. From a platform of stewardship the shame of poverty lies primarily with those who exploit the gift of creation in a way that compromises human flourishing for others. In saying that, an attitude of worship and stewardship towards God’s creation is a responsibility for both those who ‘have’ and those who ‘have not.’ Jesus illustrated this

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through the ‘widow’s offering’ in Mark 12:41-44 telling His disciples, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” The widow, despite having little, didn’t use her own poverty or the wealth of others as an excuse not to be a good steward and faithful worshipper.

The Apostle Paul counselled the Corinthian church towards a view of wealth “that radically transformed economic relationships among [God’s] people” (Sider 1990, 78): “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little”” (2 Corinthians 8:13-15). This continues to be a challenge for the church today living in a world of poverty and injustice. It challenges our theology, ecclesiology, sociology and any other ‘ology’ that defines the way we interact with the created order. The contention “Poverty is no shame to those who have not. Poverty is a shame to those who have” is not just a critical reflection of a consumer driven world but a critical view of parts of the church that boasts mega-stadiums, state of the art multimedia and six figure salaries for celebrity pastors! Surely in the light of the creation story and incarnation, any blessing of prosperity in the church comes with a biblical mandate “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). In his influential book ‘Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger’ Ronald Sider warns that while the Bible does teach that God rewards obedience with prosperity, it is heresy to think that prosperity is always a sign of righteousness (Sider 1990, 118). Sider writes, “One can be sure that prosperity in the context of injustice results from oppression rather than obedience and that it is not a sign of righteousness” (Sider 1990, 118). However, the righteous person who upholds justice and distributes their wealth to the poor demonstrates the kind of relationship with the Creator and creation that comes from obedience rather than oppression. This needs to be the posture of the Western church in both our theology and mission.

Point 3: The CHURCH Should Provide More Than Enough

Call to Action The real shame of poverty is that despite God creating everything we need for human flourishing and Jesus giving everything required to restore His original creation, humankind continues to rebel against the Creator by exploiting creation to satisfy their want for more. Only a renewed vision of creation, restored faith in the Creator and reformed understanding and application of prosperity will reposition the people of God to live like Jesus lived and narrow the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ so God’s “kingdom come, and will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). To this end, “the church [needs to be more than] an institution or organisation, but communities of Jesus that embody the values of the kingdom” (Micah Declaration 2001, 3).

Closing Prayer

Lord God, may a “holy discontent” burn deep within the hearts of your children as we are confronted with poverty and injustice in this broken world. Let us no longer look upon the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters with a passive indifference. Let us no longer accept a future for your children that is less than your redemptive plan for all of humankind. May this “holy discontent” lead to a call to action within the Body of Christ to incarnate your transforming power, as we “offer ourselves as living sacrifices”. May the presence of your church be a living representation of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth, shining light in the darkest places bringing, “Good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, release for the oppressed, proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:18-19)

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