Scripture Passage
Worship Video
Worship Audio
Sermon Script
Introduction
I used to enjoy camping when I was younger. The best camping trips were always the ones where everyone helped — preparing things, setting up, cooking food, and cleaning up. When everyone contributed, everyone enjoyed themselves.
But there were other trips… where only a few people did all the work, while others didn’t lift a finger. Some people just ate the food. They sat around, but didn’t help out at all.
And strangely… in those moments, no one enjoyed the trip. There was frustration, resentment, and even division. One time, people were so upset that two individuals ended up leaving the church afterward.
When everyone gives for the common good, everyone benefits. But when some people only take… the entire community suffers.
A Serious Problem in the Early Church
This wasn’t just a modern problem. It was an issue in the early church as well. It was so serious that Paul addressed it very directly.
Paul writes:
Now we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother or sister living irresponsibly and not according to the tradition that they received from us. (1 Thessalonians 3:6)
That word “irresponsibly” also means lazy or idle. These were people who were taking, but not contributing. And it was harming the community.
Paul even says this is one of the reasons he wrote the letter in the first place.
He says:
For we hear that some of you are living irresponsibly, mere busybodies, not doing any work. (1 Thessalonians 3:11)
And so Paul reminds them how he lived among them.
He worked extremely hard. He paid for his own food. He labored day and night so he would not be a burden to anyone.
And he says he did this deliberately — not because he didn’t have the right to receive support — but to set an example of what a life of giving looks like.
Jesus as the Model of Giving
Paul learned this pattern from Jesus. Jesus lived a life of giving.
He said,
For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)
Jesus gave himself completely for us. We are saved because he gave. And in doing so, Jesus showed us how to live.
When Everyone Gives
When everyone gives, something beautiful happens. The whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
We saw this recently with the Toronto Blue Jays. Even though the final defeat was painful, their incredible run brought joy to so many people.
Baseball is interesting. It’s a team sport — but it’s also highly individual. Everything is measured. Every statistic is tracked.
Players know exactly where they stand. Most players want to boost their stats so they can earn big contracts and make lots of money.
But this Blue Jays team laid down their egos. All that mattered was the team.
They took on whatever role the team needed. They wanted to do their part. And amazingly, as they gave themselves to the team, each player individually performed better than ever before.
There was something contagious — when everyone put the team above themselves.
A life of giving… is the best way to live. When everyone gives, everyone gains.
Why Some People Only Take
But some people only take. They don’t care about the community — they only care about what they can get from it.
Why does this happen?
Sometimes they’re tired. Sometimes they’re selfish. Sometimes they’re complacent. Sometimes they’re afraid that if they give, they’ll lose themselves.
But underneath all of this… at the core…
I see a lack of empowerment. A lack of power. People feel empty, so they take.
Freedom and Power to Give
To live a life of giving, you need FREEDOM and POWER to give yourself away.
Freedom from fear. Freedom from scarcity. Freedom from laziness. Freedom from greed. Freedom from yourself.
And you need power — the power to go beyond yourself… and give yourself away.
Jesus had that freedom and power. He overcame himself. He overcame his fear. And he gave himself away on the cross.
Before he ascended, Jesus promised his disciples,
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. (Acts 1:8)
They received that power. It was the power to give themselves away.
After receiving the Spirit, their community became a place of radical generosity. This is how the community changed:
Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. There was a Levite from Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4:32-37)
The Holy Spirit empowered them to give.
The Christian Life: Becoming a Giver
The Christian journey is a journey of transformation — from someone who takes… to someone who gives.
Salvation is obtaining the freedom and the power to give yourself away.
Jesus said,
For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 16:24-25)
Even the disciples had to learn this. James and John asked Jesus for positions of power and glory.
“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Appoint us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” (Mark 10:35-37)
They wanted to take honor. But in the end, the power they received was the power to give their lives for the gospel and for the church.
The Church: A Community of Giving
The church was birthed by the Holy Spirit as a giving community. Here, we give our worship to God who gave us life.
We give our offerings. We give ourselves to one another. We give ourselves in mission.
We receive life from Christ — and we give that life to others. There is no place for an attitude of taking in the church.
Paul says,
Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. (1 Thessalonians 3:12)
In other words: Don’t just take — give quietly, humbly, faithfully.
Our Church Community
Our church has thrived because so many people have quietly given themselves.
The first generation sacrificed their money, their time, their labor. Our ESM elders continue to give despite their busy lives. Our teachers, leaders and many others serve faithfully and humbly.
What other place in the world exists for the purpose of giving ourselves away?
This past summer, we had no funding for our summer camp. We relied entirely on volunteers.
Lauren, one of our young leaders, said that even without being paid, this was her best summer ever.
She discovered one of the great secrets of life:
Giving yourself away together in community brings the greatest joy.
That is what the church is.
Conclusion
Joy has been taken away in a world that only takes. Jesus came to restore that joy. That joy comes when we give ourselves away for one another.
Through faith, through the Spirit, and through God’s Word, we receive the freedom and power to give ourselves away.
When the Spirit grants you that freedom and power… you will find and experience eternal life.
Leave a Reply