Word of Salvation – Vol.12 No.16 – April 1966

 

The Dollar And The Stocking

 

Sermon by Rev. J. F. H. VanderBom on Prov.11:25

Scripture Reading: Prov.11:1-11; John 15:1-8

Psalter Hymnal: 236:1,2,3,4; 160:3 or 197:6,7; 184; 394:1,3,5; 463

 

Dear Christians,

One of the surprises of C-Day in Australia, with conversion to decimal currency, was surely the fact that so many old stockings were brought to light!  Had you ever suspected that in a young and modern country like Australia there are so many old · fashioned people who store their pennies in a stocking?  But they had to come in the sunlight now; those solid woollen stockings had to give up their treasures.  And I thought, if these pennies had a voice, they could tell you some stories!  And what they never have dreamt, these pennies, is that it was suddenly discovered how much they were appreciated…  The pennies of 1936 or 1924, they must have been dumbfounded.

And Granny with her old stocking stood dumbfounded too!  Wasn’t this a wonderful investment, keeping your pennies in a stocking?  Yes, we wonder whether Granny has filled the old stocking with dollars and cents already!

For this is Granny’s wisdom, to keep your money in a stocking.  But the wisdom of the Word of God is different.  Looking at our new, Australian banknotes it slipped through my mind that on one of our bank notes before the war (in Holland) there was a bible text.  Beside a portrait of King Solomon there was his proverb, addressed to all who believe in stocking investment (that is, to all who want to sleep over their talents and pounds): ‘One man gives freely, yet grows all the richer – another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.’ (Proverbs 11:24).

This is Bible wisdom!  We must not hoard our money.  We may not withdraw it from the poor.  Neither may we take it from the Lord and his service.  People with stockings filled with dollars are not truly rich.  But being rich where one scatters and gives away, this is the Christian’s secret of living.  Whereas having it in the stocking and still suffering want and making others suffer too, is a most pitiful crime.

Then, in the book of Proverbs, follows immediately another pearl of great value, to which we’ll give our attention in particular today: (vs.25).

‘A liberal man will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered’.

Now I am not an economist, but sometimes we are told that the secret of the present prosperity lies in a strong belief in the economic law that riches (money) must have wings to fly.  There are others who doubt this and are horrified to think of a society in which young people wouldn’t learn how to save.  My knowledge of economic laws is very poor.  But I may tell you the lesson of spiritual economics.  Here is its law (in the King James’ version): the soul of blessing grows fat.  The soul of blessing, this must be a person who always gives away and blesses others with what he has received.  With such a soul, he never grows thin.  He shall be made fat!

Yes, here is a law: he who gives away grows fat.  And I may I relate that with this law I have encouraged many an elder.  I have spoken of this law to newly chosen elders in particular.  When they were hesitant because they thought, they did not have the time or the proper gifts.  I reminded them of this very proverb so full of promise.  Just try it out and begin, and the truth of this law will prove itself.  He who gives away will be enriched.

And here is also the answer to young people who sometimes complain that they don’t get anything out of the church or the sermon, as they say.  But what could be the cause, why don’t they get a blessing?  The answer may be very simply this: they won’t get a thing because they have never learnt to do something.  This is a very natural law, isn’t it?  People who don’t like working can’t be healthy eaters.  Young Christians must be active, they have to do something with the bread of life.  If not, there can’t be the healthy appetite.  I speak from experience.  Not before I had begun to take care of a small evening bible class with boys in one of Amsterdam’s slums, as a young man, did I become far more interested in reading, and praying and searching the scriptures and in listening to the sermons.

So very soon we are inclined to blame the minister and the sermon.  And of course there is nothing wrong in telling the minister sometimes that he was wrong.  But you can’t honestly blame others for the fact that you lack the appetite.  The fact that you never hunger and thirst for the Word of God, can simply be explained by your laziness in the Christian life.  Always being idle, never at work with God’s blessings and still asking and waiting for more food?  O no!  The promise of a rich meal is only there for a servant who has done his Master’s will (Luke 17:10).  When you are tired because you have been busy doing the Master’s will, then (I am sure) you will be happy that on Sunday you may come to church, and then you will wholeheartedly pray; ‘Lord, bless this food and drink, bless a simple sermon for Jesus’ sake, amen.’  And then blessings will follow.  For Jesus says: “Give, and it will be given you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over will be put into your lap.  For the measure you give will be the measure you get back. (Luke 6:38).  Yes, it is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts.20:35).

But you know, in every congregation there are the few who remind you of those awfully thin cows from Pharaoh’s dreams.  Yes, these people could easily swallow seven fat cows.  The sermons that they like, fat cows, yes, pounds of sound sermons are never enough.  Still they do not seem to get anything out of them.  You never see them at work.  Still they remain what they were before: poor, gaunt and thin, such as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt for badness (Gen.41:19).

But then what may we expect from the Church service?  For, sure we are here to receive a blessing!  Or, as it reads in the second half of the verse, we are waiting to be watered.  The Church is the place where we find the Source, where all the thirsty souls may be quenched because our Source will never run dry.  Yes, in the Lord Jesus Christ, in his perfect obedience unto death and in His resurrection power there is an everlasting source of faith, hope, love and strength and blessing for his people.  “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich.” (2Cor.8:9).

However none of us can truly enjoy the riches of Christ unless we are willing fully to surrender ourselves.  To enjoy the riches of Jesus and to be quenched with the living water requires that we are willing to open ourselves and give our lives completely at the Lord’s disposal.

‘Possess me, Lord, and fill me…!’  ‘Apart from Me you can do nothing,’ He says.  Yes, apart from Jesus I am just dead money, an old and worthless stocking that lies waiting… for C-day – Conversion Day!  But the purpose of Jesus is that we should be living instruments, branches that bear fruit.  This is His own promise: ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  The man that believes in Me (as Scripture says) from within him shall flow rivers of running water.’ (John 7).  That is the New Testament version of our text, that the soul of blessing shall be made fat, and that he who waters will himself be watered.

For the real function of the church in the middle of the world is not to be a stagnant pool, but rather to be the spring of blessing, ready to water the thirsty land around it.

Taking the talent from Christ and putting it in a stocking or listening to sermons and criticizing others and wasting our opportunities is only a very negative attitude.  Jesus said: You are the light of the world, you are the salt of the earth.  And: how blest are those who show mercy; mercy shall be shown to them.

Brothers and sisters, as soon as a Christian begins to realize all that is involved in these words, then (I am sure) he would also begin to hurry to church every Sunday to receive strength and feed on more food.  And many would run to the Session to request: let us have the Lord’s Supper more often please.  Oh feed me, Lord, that I may feed the hungering ones with the manna of life.

No, there is nothing worse for a Church than to be stagnant.  We all know that dreadful illustration of the Dead Sea.  There is salt.  All the salt of the earth seems to be there!  But it does not function.  And the water of the sea does not stream.  It is all dead.

The Dead Sea, where the salt is hoarded and all the life around has starved, has become the horrifying picture of many a (so-called) orthodox Church, where they seemed to possess all the capital truth, where there were the stockings filled with pennies.  They possessed the salt.  But others got sick of such a rich church.

Let us earnestly pray that this may never become the picture of ourselves.  Oh use me Lord, use even me, just as Thou wilt, and when, and where…!

I know, there is so much to criticize.  In the church and in the sermon and in my neighbour.  Thou, Lord, knowest even better than we do how much there is to criticize.  But nevertheless, for Thy goodness’ sake, Lord, use me, please, and bless me, and make me a blessing, that Thy Church may water the land around.  Yes, the wisdom of the Bible is clear enough.  The capital, the talents of the Master may not be hoarded.  Money must spin…!  So then, he who wants to keep his life, will lose it.  Christians who in the present world are only concerned about themselves and their children, are bound to lose the battle – children and stockings included.  For: “If you love only those who love you, what reward can you expect?  And if you greet only your brothers, what is there extraordinary about that?  Even the heathen do as much (Matt.5:46).

But he who will open his life and fully surrenders to Christ, the Master, will win.  For sure, this is the wisdom of the Cross.  It is the law of Him Who gave it all up to win everlasting salvation.  And He is the source of happiness for all those who ask to be the carriers of His grace through the world.

This is Christian economics.  This is the new law of people who have risen with Christ to a new life: a liberal man will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

Amen