John Chrysostom: Paradoxes of God

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:9

“Despise riches, if you would have riches. If you would be truly rich, become poor. For such are the paradoxes of God. He would not have you rich from your own care, but from His grace. Leave these things to Me, He says; make spiritual things your concern, that you may know My power [cf. Colossians 3:2]. Flee from that yoke of slavery, which riches impose. As long as you cleave to them, you are poor. When you despise them, you are doubly rich, in that such things shall flow in upon you from every side, and in that you shall want none of those things, which the multitude want. For not to possess much, but to need little, is to be rich indeed.”

John Chrysostom (347-407) in Homilies on First Timothy 11.

Last night Jenni and I got to a Colorado Rockies baseball game with Paul and Marj Lewan. They are truly rich people because they don’t let riches stay with them. With openhanded generosity they are “doubly rich” people who joyfully serve as conduits of God’s material and spiritual blessings.

Chrysostom is spot on when he depicts the handling of money as one of the “paradoxes of God” as those who chase after it, lose everything. Those who want to possess it end up empty, while those who “make spiritual things” their concern end up truly rich.

How can you grow in your generosity journey? Find people who have the right perspective on this paradox. Spend time with them. They “know” God’s power by experience. Riches don’t secure our life, they seek to enslave them. Carve out time with truly rich people who “need little” and you will begin to understand.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

“God expects us to be “trustworthy stewards” of all that belongs to Him. When we ignore that everything belongs to God, squander His resources, or act as if it belongs to us, we are not acting in a trustworthy manner; we are unfaithful stewards. So what does it mean to be a trustworthy steward? …

We act as trustworthy stewards when we use what He’s entrusted to us to serve others…Once we grasp that we are not owners and aren’t supposed to be mere consumers, but stewards, we realize that we are to be conduits of God’s grace to those around us. God never intended for us to receive His grace and gifts and keep them for ourselves; we are to let His grace flow through us to others…

So why do many of us receive God’s grace and gifts but then stop the flow, keeping so much of it to ourselves instead of distributing it to others? One reason: fear. We are afraid that if we give, we won’t have enough. we are afraid the supply will not continue to flow, that it will dry up…

Fear is always a lack of trust. We’re not sure God can be trusted. This fear lies deep within us; in fact, trust is the core issue of life. We want to trust, but fear talks us out of trusting and obeying God. Fear sabotages our desire to be faithful. That’s why God teaches us over and over again about trust…We were made to live in a trusting, wonderful, vibrant dependence on God.”

Jim Mindling in Learn to Breathe: The Surprising Path to a Transformed Life (Bloomington: WestBow, 2014) 228, 234-236.

One of the colleagues who joined me for meetings in Hong Kong was Anjji Gabriel. He believes (like Mindling) that trust is the core issue of the transparent administration of God’s work and a core component for generosity. I will never forget the rhetorical question he asked Christian leaders to consider: “Can God trust you?”

When we live in fear we hold back God’s material blessings rather than serve as a conduit. Alternatively, when our everyday living, giving, serving, and loving is rooted in trust, we hold nothing back because we know the generosity of the One who provided it in the first place. Has fear sabotaged your desire to be faithful? Can God trust you?

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 1 John 3:17

“If we want to understand God’s goodness in God’s gifts, then we must think of them as a responsibility we bear for our brothers and sisters. Let none say: God has blessed us with money and possessions, and then live as if they and their God were alone in the world. For the time will come when they realize that they have been worshiping the idols of their good fortune and selfishness. Possessions are not God’s blessing and goodness, but the opportunities of service which God entrusts to us.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) in A Testament to Freedom as recounted in The NRSV Daily Bible: Read, Meditate, and Pray Through the Entire Bible in 365 Days (HarperCollins, Kindle Edition) 569-570. Special thanks John Cochran for sharing this meditation with me.

Jenni and I have safely returned home from Hong Kong. In reflecting on our experience this morning, I think this is a perspective that can be spotted both in the East and the West: people can treat material blessing as an idol or as an opportunity for service. How will you view the material possessions entrusted to you? We cannot live like we are alone in the world. As John writes, if we see someone in need, we get to show God’s love by helping them.

Before I preached at Union Church this past Sunday on Hong Kong Island, we sang this song. The last two lines really touched Jenni and me as it sums up the faith of life in God’s economy: “I know I’m filled to be emptied again. The seed I’ve received I will sow.” Enjoy Desert Song on YouTube. Enjoy (while we make the long journey home).

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me, Lord, through the flame

Chorus
And I will bring praise, I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice, I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I’ll stand

Bridge
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve received I will sow

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. Romans 8:9

“Christian joy and security is not about the absence of pain and sorrow, but about the presence of the Spirit. Our hope is not based on what we see, but on what is not yet visible. While circumstances in our lives may make us question God’s love and provision, the gift of His Spirit reframes our vision to include the future. While we continue to groan inwardly in anticipation of this future, we have received firstfruits from that future–the Spirit of Christ–who enables us to pray and rejoice in the midst of trouble and scarcity, fear and grief…To experience the Spirit as an abundant supply of nourishing water is to grow up and flourish in the freedom of giving one’s self away.”

Kelly Kapic in God So Loved, He Gave: Entering the Movement of Divine Generosity (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010) 103-105. This book offers a good “theology of generosity” and required reading for my D.Min. students at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School this summer.

What a joy to serve church pastors, ministry administrators, and congregations in Hong Kong this week. Financial transparency will not only contribute to greater Christian generosity, it will also show people how to live in God’s economy, which is secure, abundant, trustworthy and dependable.

But do we live as if we are confident in God’s love and provision?

Because of the difficulties in our world, our tendency is to retreat to comfort rather than go forth with compassion. This is not an Eastern or Western crisis but part of the human condition: we conform to the culture. Those who are under the realm and reign of Christ will show it by our lives.

With the Spirit of Christ in us, giving ourselves away results not in emptiness, but enrichment!

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Luke 16:13

“Bountiful giving requires a willingness to talk about money–inside the church and from the pulpit. Daring to talk about money is one of the most challenging aspects of any successful stewardship program. Both pastors and lay leaders struggle to have open and honest conversations about this issue. Often, the pastor has been pressured to keep talk of money out of the pulpit, usually by people who don’t give, and has acquiesced. But when church leaders choose to keep silent about money, they allow money to hold their ministries hostage. Instead of addressing the topic head on, many churches back away, making money taboo and giving the issue an unhealthy measure of power. By talking about money and speaking clearly about its control of our lives, we can begin to put things back into perspective.”

Kristine Miller and Scott McKenzie in Bounty: Ten Ways To Increase Giving At Your Church (Nashville: Abingdon, 2013) 15. I shot this new header photo of the Central district of Hong Kong Island on our harbor cruise last night. The prominent building with the triangular white lights is the Bank of China Tower. This is the heart of the “Wall Street” in Asia, and a great place to preach about money from God’s Word!

I’d appreciate your prayers as I am preaching twice here on Sunday at Union Church and teaching through the Scriptures on generosity at Island Evangelical Community Church. I concur with Miller and Mckenzie that talking about money is vital. I plan to share truth with transparency from what I have learned in my own life. Pray with me for a fruitful response and for stamina as our long trip to Hong Kong nears its end.

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Luke 6:35

“God wants us to understand how little control we have over the outcome. He reminds us throughout Scripture that although he allows us to plant and water, He controls the results. The sovereignty of God works with the freedom of humanity in order to establish the outcome. When an abused mother exploits the kindness of a church, the mission is not aborted as a failure. When a homeless man mistreats the love of God, the missional work of the church is not thwarted. When a greedy person walks away with the money of the church community, failure is not assumed. The elephant in the room that we should be concerned with is not failure to achieve statistical results but failure to walk in the way of Jesus.”

John Richardson in Giving Away the Collection Plate: Regifting God’s Love and Money (Mustang: Tate, 2012) 101.

Our Western culture is fascinated with statistical results we think we can control rather than faithful discipleship that leaves all the results to God. Perhaps its part of the sinful human condition to try to steal God’s glory as this perspective came into view in a dinner we had with Eastern business leaders in HK too. Sadly, it leads charity rankings not linked to consistency with the way of Jesus but the numbers for which they take credit. Furthermore, Richardson rightly notes in his book (and a recent email from Generous Church) that when generosity is misused, the mission is not a failure. As today’s Scripture reminds us, God is kind even to the most undeserving, because the overarching mission is not solving problems but showing lovingkindness!

Father in heaven, thank you that you are kind to me when I am undeserving. Thanks for teaching me that generosity that reflects your love for the world, happens when I extend your kindness to even the least deserving person who may even try to take advantage of me. Help me love like you love. Do this your Holy Spirit (because I cannot do it alone) I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

“North American Christians are seeing the retirement (and expiration) of a generation that was more financially committed and the subsequent transfer of wealth to a generation known for its greed rather than its generosity, to be followed by a generation of non-churchgoers…Rather than generosity or its lack, however, the core problem appears to be a scandal of the evangelical heart in North America, where it seems that God’s people increasingly love the world and seek its approval more than they love and seek the approval of the Savior.”

A. Scott Moreau and Gary R. Corwin in Introducing World Missions, Second Edition (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2015) 269-70.

Jenni and I are now in Sha Tin, New Territories. Early this morning I took some time to prepare my thoughts for preaching and teaching this Sunday in three settings at two prominent Hong Kong congregations. Pray with me that as I lead with transparency about the sins related to money in my own part of the world, that God’s Word will convict hearers of their sins linked to money here in Asia. And let us all resolve to “love and seek the approval of the Savior” in word and deed.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10

“Before the judgment seat of Christ my service will be judged not by how much I have done but by how much I could have done. In God’s sight my giving is measured not by how much I have given but by how much I could have given and how much I had left after I made my gift. The needs of the world and my total ability to minister to those needs decide the worth of my service.”

A.W. Tower (1897-1963) in That Incredible Christian: How Heaven’s Children Live on Earth (Compiled by Anita M. Bailey) 34. Click above to read this classic work, and I hope you like the new header photo I shot last night from the Peak above the harbor and the city of Hong Kong.

After fruitful ECFA meetings, Jenni and I now shift our focus to spending time with special couples with whom I serve on the Pioneers Hong Kong board. These fellow saints minister according to their “total ability” and time spent with them strengthens our faith.

Are you ready to meet the Lord? Put the Master’s resources to work, give according to your “total ability” and don’t hold anything back! The time to decide to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ is now because someday you will have to give an account.

And having called him, he said to him, ‘What is this I hear concerning you? Give the account of your stewardship, for you are not able to manage any longer.’ Luke 16:2

“Measurements do have a purpose, but we must be led by the Spirit. Not market measures but God’s imperatives should legitimate our ministry. At the same time, we must weather public scrutiny of our effectiveness and efficiency. The purpose of measurement is to govern and improve our standards of performance, excellence, and the fulfillment of our stewardship and accountability to God, our constituents, and to one another.”

Carl F. H. Henry (1913-2003) as recounted in “Ministry and Measurement” (Atlanta, Triaxia Partners, Inc., 2013) 9. Thanks to my mentor and friend, Wes Willmer, for passing this article to me.

Measurements for ministries play a key role in stewardship and accountability, and they also influence generosity. Because the work of ministry administrators is God’s work, their behavior must withstand public scrutiny and preserve God’s honor. Ultimately, their faithfulness helps be sure that the institutions they serve fulfill “God’s imperatives” which is why they exist in the first place.

What moved me about this article I got this week is that leaders often use metrics to get people to give money when instead, obedience and faithfulness should be the things we champion to rally greater participation in God’s work. The meetings in Hong Kong with ministry administrators and finance professionals have exceeded our expectations for fruitfulness thanks to God’s favor. What will happen from here? God only knows. We have planted seeds and are already seeing some sprouts.

Father in heaven, cause truth to take root and bear fruit here for your glory, especially so that transparent churches and ministries can engage the millennial generation which is starting to leave the Chinese church in HK as in the USA. May obedience and faithfulness lead to fruitful ministry and draw people to Your imperatives I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen!