Believing Together in the Calling

Intro

This is an important day. In a few moments you will have the opportunity to come forward and make your commitment to Believing Together.

It is appropriate that we will be making our commitment during communion. A table of abundant and shocking grace and we once again have the opportunity to receive and respond.

On your cards there is a box that says total commitment. This is your pledged giving over and beyond gift for the next three years.

2 Corinthians 8:1–7 NIV

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Pray.

I remember the first moment that this church was planted in my heart.

Tell the story….

When I got here and shifted into the senior pastor role…we had to go through some things. There was a lot to figure out but I have been so impressed by this church. The best image I can thing of is a veteran prize fighter. Dont think about the tyson/jake paul fight…think Rocky Balboa. I remember thinking, this church has seen some things but they are here and they are resilient.

and time and time again I have seen you respond to adversity and opportunity.

The heart of this community is service and generosity. Thanksgiving and Christmas drives, disaster relief, supporting students going to church camp or mission work.

More than that, my office hours are full of people answering a calling. Sensing that God is doing something in their life. Here are my giftings, how can I help?

Tuesday morning Men’s Group:

Told the story of one of the most feared men in the prison…

Story of another man rescued from addiction and the pit of death…

A widower grieving the loss of their spouse and choosing a path of faith

God is moving in this church and individuals are answering a calling.

I believe this church is answering a calling. It is one thing to be resilient, it is another thing to say yes to God from a place of resiliency.

“Calling is not only a matter of being and doing what we are but also of becoming what we are not yet but are called by God to be.” ― Os Guinness

Believing Together Vision

So for the last several months I have been meeting with as many people as possible to share this vision. These people are small group leaders, sunday school teachers, the longest tenured member of the church to brand new members, influencers, board members, staff and spouses, and unlucky people that ran into me at just the right time.

We shared the vision, the collective calling from God, of what God was shaping us for:

Activating our faith

Investing in the next generation

increasing our missional partnerships

and establish a new church campus in the woodlands hills

We asked some to respond to the vision and God stirred something amazing:

Gerri R. Snider memorial gift

$2,619,730

What an incredible start. What really makes an incredible start incredible is the finish.

Aggie football illustration: 1st place in the SEC…. next year no one will care that the aggies were in first in the conference if they do not finish the journey.

We have an opportunity to not only say yes to what God has already done here and done in our history, but we have an opportunity to say yes to what God is forming in us.

This is why I love what Paul is saying to the Macedonian church…

1. Generosity Flows from Grace (vv. 1-2)

"We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part."

Paul begins by attributing the Macedonians' generosity to the grace of God. Their giving wasn’t based on their circumstances—it came from their experience of grace. Despite being in extreme poverty and facing trials, they overflowed with joy and generosity.

Lesson for us: Generosity is not about how much we have; it’s about how much God’s grace has transformed our hearts. When we remember how richly we’ve been blessed by God, we can’t help but respond with open hands.

Illustration: Imagine a child so overwhelmed by a parent's love that they eagerly share their favorite toy with someone else. The joy of being loved sparks the desire to give.

2. Generosity Goes Beyond Ability (vv. 3-4)

"For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints."

The Macedonians didn’t wait until they were comfortable to give. They gave sacrificially—beyond their means. What’s more, they begged for the opportunity to contribute! Their hearts were so aligned with God’s purposes that they saw giving as a privilege.

Challenge to us: Are we willing to step out in faith, trusting God to provide even as we give sacrificially? The Macedonians remind us that generosity is a matter of trust, not comfort.

Practical Application: As we prepare to make our commitments today, let’s ask ourselves: What would it look like to give in a way that stretches our faith?

Safe choice and courageous choice….

3. Generosity Begins with Surrender (v. 5)

"And this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us."

The Macedonians’ generosity wasn’t just financial; it was rooted in their complete surrender to God. They gave themselves first to the Lord. Their financial giving was an overflow of a deeper commitment to Christ.

Key insight: Before God wants your resources, He wants your heart. When we give ourselves to God, our time, talents, and treasures naturally follow.

Illustration: I am going to be honest with you. I know in our world, no one likes talking about money….

Money in the New Testament

The New Testament discusses money, wealth, and possessions extensively. While exact counts may vary depending on translation and categorization, here are some key insights:

Parables of Jesus:

Of the approximately 40 parables of Jesus recorded in the Gospels, 11–16 directly involve money or possessions. Examples include:

Specific Teachings on Money:

Jesus teaches about money in at least 25 passages, addressing topics like generosity, stewardship, and the dangers of greed.

Mentions of Money or Wealth in the Gospels:

Direct references to money, wealth, or financial terms occur over 90 times across the four Gospels.

Mentions in the Epistles:

Paul and other writers address money in the context of generosity, contentment, and stewardship, appearing over 50 times in letters like 2 Corinthians 8–9, Philippians 4:10–20, and 1 Timothy 6:6–10, 17–19.

In Total:

Scholars estimate the New Testament includes approximately 800 references to money, wealth, and possessions if we include indirect discussions and related themes like greed, giving, and stewardship.

Money is not about money, it is about a surrender

4. Generosity Reflects the Character of Christ (vv. 6-7)

"Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also."

Paul encourages the Corinthians to excel in generosity just as they excel in other areas of their faith. Why? Because giving is part of becoming more like Jesus. Later in this chapter, Paul will say, “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 by his poverty might become rich” (v. 9).

Call to action: As we grow in faith, love, and knowledge, let’s also grow in generosity, reflecting the character of our Savior who gave everything for us.

Vision for the campaign: Our Believing Together campaign isn’t just about buildings or programs—it’s about creating spaces and opportunities for more people to encounter the transforming love of Christ.

This is about answering the call.

Advance Commitment Event: With tears in her eyes, a woman comes up to me and hands me a check. She said, I don’t know how much time I have left and I believe this is important. She wrote a check for the full amount of her pledge.

It does not matter what was written in the amount box, it matter what God was stirring in her and the yes she was making to join in that truth.

So today, we have the opportunity to answer the call. The calling to affirm what God is doing and what God is in the process of forming in us. The calling to surrender and the calling to reflect Christ to the world.

Believing Together means we are together and we need everyone. The Macedonian church was full of people that did not respond with equal gifts, but they responded with equal sacrifice so that the collective could be a witness in the world.

Reading about the history of the church….