Wednesday, April 22, 2015

"Joy in Christ's Riches" - Doug Rehberg


Of all the theologians of the 20th Century, none was more influential than Karl Barth. And yet listen to what Barth says about himself: “I could gladly and profitably sit myself down and spend the rest of my life with Calvin.”

Now he’s not talking about Calvin Coolidge. He’s not talking about spending the rest of his life reading Calvin and Hobbes cartoons. He’s talking about John Calvin, the great French Reformer who five years before his death put the finishing touches on his Magnus Opus – his greatest literary work – The Institutes of the Christian Religion. 

J.I. Packer, the Board of Governor’s Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, has called The Institutes one of the great wonders of the world. And yet for many, the name Calvin triggers only one thought – predestination. Perhaps no figure in church history is more greatly associated with the doctrine of predestination than John Calvin. It’s a little weird! The Apostle Paul was the first churchman to use the term (though Jesus gives voice to the doctrine throughout His ministry. See Mt. 11:27; Mt. 22:14; Mt. 22:14; Mt. 24:22, 24, 31; Lk. 18:7; Jn. 6:44; Jn. 15:16; Jn. 17:9, 24, etc.) St. Augustine wrote of it, as did Thomas Aquinas. Martin Luther taught it. Scores of orthodox theologians and biblical expositors throughout the centuries have championed the doctrine of predestination, and yet Calvin is the one at whose feet most place it. 

Years ago I remember talking with a devout Christian I’ve known for decades. He said, “If predestination is true, then I don’t want any part of God.” Quickly I retorted, “If it isn’t, God wouldn’t want any part of you!” Chuck Smith once famously said, “It’s a good thing God chose me before I was born, because He certainly wouldn’t have chosen me afterwards.” 

Now the reason I raise all of this about predestination is because the common reaction to it. At first blush it is much like the common reaction to giving. You’ve heard it, “All they do is ask for money.” It’s the reason many stay away from churches. In my experience it’s rarely true that a church only talks about money, but the perception is widespread. 

So this week we come to the conclusion of our study of Joy through the eyes of the Apostle Paul. We’ve been studying his letter to the Philippians since January 11. There have been fifteen sermons so far, with the 16th this Sunday. Guess what the topic is? Giving! The title of the message is “Joy in Christ’s Riches”, from Philippians 4:14-23. Think of it. Paul ends this letter of Joy with a final word about radical generosity. According to Paul, if we want our joy to explode, if we want to grow in joy, peace, and contentment, cultivating active generosity is necessary. 

Now, back to Calvin. Did you know that The Institutes of the Christian Religion is really four books in one? The first book, 18 chapters, is titled, “Knowledge of God, the Creator.” The second book is 17 chapters entitled, “Knowledge of God, the Redeemer.” The third book is, “The Ways of God’s Grace,” and it has 25 chapters. And the last book is “The Means of Grace,” with 20 chapters. Now guess where Calvin places his discussion of predestination? In Book One? No. In Book Two? No. He talks of it in Book Three, chapter 21! He lays it out only after he’s devoted 900 pages to all that’s necessary to understand predestination in its proper context. 

Paul’s discussion of generous giving is much like that. Though he references giving throughout this letter, and every one of his letters, it’s not until the last sentences of Philippians that Paul puts a fine point on it. Any discussion of joy that exempts the topic of giving is weak at best, and misguided at worst. If we want our joy to explode, the fear of giving needs to be conquered and Paul shows us how.

In preparation for Sunday, you may wish to consider the following: 

1.      Read our companion text, Malachi 3:6-10. What’s God’s point?

2.      How does Malachi 3:10 square with Deuteronomy 6:16 and Luke 4:12?

3.      Is greed the biggest impediment to generous giving? If not, what is?

4.      What does Paul mean when he says in verse 14, “…it was kind of you to share in my troubles?” (Note: “Kind” is the same word Jesus uses in Mark 14:6.

5.      What does Paul mean in verse 17, “fruit that increases to your credit”? (Note: The word “credit” is logos in Greek.)

6.      How is his description of their gift in verse 18 a sign of their gratitude to God?

7.      Why is verse 19 called perhaps the greatest promise of God in the Bible?

8.      Why does Paul end this letter with this promise?

9.      How do 1:6 and 4:19 relate?

10.  Why does Willie Nelson say, “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around?” Do you think Paul would agree?

See you Sunday!