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Ipswich Lutheran Church
A 32 Roderick Street, Ipswich, QLD, 4305
W www.ilp.org.au
P 07 3202 4035
F 07 3281 9762
Date: 03/05/2015
Series: Being Rich in What Matters Most
Part: 4
Title: Rich in Good Deeds
Author: Ben Hentschke
All scripture references are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV © 2011 unless
otherwise indicated.
The material for this message is obtained from a variety of sources. If any individual’s copyright has been
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“Being Rich in What Matters Most” Part 4 – Rich in Good Deeds
Today, we dig into the fourth part of our message series called “Being rich at what matters most”. Some of
you may not have been here for earlier messages, or you have had guest speakers on some of those days.
Remember that you can catch all of these messages up via our website: www.ilp.org.au where you can
watch the video, or download a print copy to read, along with the talk-it-over and connect group notes as
well.
But if you have missed, I’ll review some really good news – which is that you are rich. Every single one of
you are absolutely rich. You might say “I don’t feel rich”, but when you look at yourself, compared to people
all over the world, we are massively blessed by God. The good news is that you are rich.
But often with good news, there is bad news, and the bad news is that you are rich. As much as it might be
good news, it’s actually a challenge for us to be so blessed because it makes it more difficult for us to
depend on God.
It’s so easy for us to be distracted by the blessings that we have, and the reality is, because we are so
blessed, God actually expects more of us. The Bible says: From everyone who has been given much,
much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be
asked. (Luke 12:48)
Today, though, I want to talk to you about a different way of being rich, that you may have never thought
about before. And I want to read to you from our theme verse, where Paul said to Timothy when he was
going to help Timothy help people who are rich. He said: Command those who are rich in this present
world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope
in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be
rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. (1 Timothy 6:17-18)
Now, I want you to notice that God’s word tells us to be rich ‘in good deeds’. To be rich in good deeds. To
do good and to be rich in good deeds.
What’s interesting though, is that when you actually become rich, the odd thing is that it is easier to be ‘selfcentred’ rather than ‘other-centred’. Have you noticed that?
When we get more rich stuff, we start to think more about ourselves. We start to think, “OK, maybe I could
travel”, and there is nothing wrong with that, but we start thinking about travel, and then “maybe I could
redo my house”, nothing wrong with that, or “I’d like to get some new clothes, I’d like to go to Dreamworld”
whatever it would be, when you rich, it’s easier to start being more self-centred than others-centred.
But Paul said that’s not how to be rich. The best way to be rich is to also, not only be generous and willing
to share, but to do good deeds and to be rich in helping others.
So I want to ask you, since you are rich, how rich are you in good deeds? Are you like rich, making a
difference in people’s lives in good deeds? Or are you kind of like a middle class in good deeds? Or maybe
you are poor in good deeds, because you’ve forgotten that one of the ways to be rich is to be rich towards
God by serving others.
I want to add some more to our statement that we have been looking at week on week, and you can jot the
new bit down in your notes: God has blessed me with more than I need. I’m rich. I will not trust in my riches
but in Him who richly provides. Because I have more, I will GIVE more and DO more.
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Let’s say it all together… God has blessed me with more than I need. I’m rich. I will not trust in my riches
but in Him who richly provides. Because I have more, I will give more and do more.
Now, when we talk about being rich in good deeds, we need to agree upon one foundational principal. If
you miss this point, you’re missing an important part of the message.
If you are taking notes, we’re talking about good deeds and good works. But we need to understand that
we are not saved BY good works, but we are saved FOR good works.
This is so exciting. We are not saved and made right before God because we do lots of good religious
things or we try harder or we stop doing bad things and start doing good things.
We are not made right with God by those good works, but we are transformed by God to do good works. In
fact, this is the way Paul described it in Ephesians. He said: For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one
can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
You see, God loves you so much that he equipped you with everything you need to do everything that he
wants you to do. He prepared you to do good works in this world, and to make a difference.
Every now and then, you will sense it. You’ll think “Wow! Here’s something that must have been on my
divine ‘to do’ list even before I was born.” You know, one of those things that God gives to me to be a
blessing to someone else, so that I can be rich in good deeds to someone.
I don’t know what it might be for you. Maybe you’re driving along and someone has a flat tire on the side of
the road, and you’ve fantasised serving in the Bathurst 1000 pit crew, and so you go up and you say
“Maam, could I help and serve you?” And you do an amazing job, and she’s like “Can I pay you?” and
you’re like “No, I believe God sent me to be a blessing to you.”
Or maybe you love cooking and you and the food shows are like BFF’s (Best Friends Forever) and
someone is sick, and you don’t like that they are sick, and you think what can I do for them? And so you
make them a meal that is so good, they are going to be healed when they taste this meal.
Or someone at work is having a really bad day, they’re down, and you’re like, “Everyone says I have big
ears. They are big, larger than normal, maybe I’m here to listen” I’m going to be a blessing to them and
listen.
Every now and then you realise that God gave me the ability and God gave me the time and I’m not going
to be poor in good deeds, I’m going to be rich in good deeds. God empowered me to make a difference in
someone’s life.
SO what I want to do is not show you three different principals about being rich in good deeds, because
God has given us more than we need. We are rich. And because we have more, not only will we give more,
but we are going to do more to serve people and bring glory to Him.
Three thoughts about our good deeds. The first one, if you are taking notes is that my good deeds should
always point to GOD, not ME. My good deeds should always point to God, not to me.
This is what Jesus said, and watch the power in His words: You are the light of the world. A town built
on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it
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on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before
others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
Now I love the power of this. When Jesus said, “Let your light shine,” he was not talking about your words,
he was talking about your actions.
You may have never thought about this, but your actions may be the only sermon some people will ever
hear. You actions can actually be a declaration of the goodness of God.
And when you do something good, they’re not going to say you’re good, but you’re going to deflect the
glory to our God and say, “No, it’s because God is good that I’m doing good.”
You see, I’m not saved by good works, but I am saved for good works which God has prepared in advance
for me to do. And you will see divine opportunities open up.
I don’t want anybody saying “I’m good because I did this.” I want them saying “God is good because he
sent one of his own to make a difference.”
You see, you are not saved by good works, but you are saved for good works that God prepared in
advance for you to do. You are not going to be poor in good deeds, you’re going to be rich in good deeds to
be a blessing to other people. God has equipped and prepared you to be rich in good deeds.
So, the first principal is my good deeds will never point to me, but always to God. The second one, if you
are taking notes, and this one is really really important to understand and get right, the second principal is
this: My good deeds must help others in the way they NEED it not in the way I WANT to give it. I’ll say that
again. My good deeds must help others in the way they need it, not in the way I want to give it.
A couple of odd examples. Let’s say someone’s house burns to the ground. We are not going to go to that
person, Oh, Jo, God put it on my heart to wash your car. Can I wash your car? I’d love to wash your car,
that would make me so happy.”
No, when someone’s house burns down, they don’t need someone washing their car, they need help in
other ways. We are not going to help in the way we want to.
If someone loses their job and needs help eating and putting food on the table, don’t ring them and say
you’ve got an old crappy couch to donate to them. That’s not going to help. Yet, so often, that is the way,
we, as Christians give.
“I’m such a good person, I gave the stuff I’d never use to somebody else, aren’t I a great guy?” We’re going
to help them in the way they need it, not in the way that we want to give it.
This is what Jesus did in Acts. Scripture says this: Jesus went around doing good and healing all who
were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. (Acts 10:38) Jesus went around doing
good, but he was healing those who were oppressed by the devil, he was helping them in the way they
needed it.
He didn’t try and turn their water stocks into wine, and say, this might not help you get better, but it will give
you a buzz! He didn’t go and take money out of the fish’s mouth like he did elsewhere and say, “Here’s
some coin, go and have some fun” He helped them in the way they needed, not in the way that, perhaps,
we at times want to give it.
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As Christians, we’re going to make sure that when we help people, we help them out, without hurting them.
We’re not the hero. We’re here to help them get better, and we’re never going to do something they could
do for themselves, we’re always going to give them a hand up – not always a hand out.
You see this on mission trips. I hear stories of people, great people and pastors who go on mission trips
and they don’t follow what the local missionaries say. They say – whatever you do, don’t give them money,
just come and serve.”
Yet, you see a really cute kid, or a poor single mum, and you look in your wallet, and there’s forty bucks,
nothing to you, but half a year’s income for them, and you think, you could easily change their lives, and
you give it without realising that you have just undone what the local missionary team has been doing for
such a long period of time.
Because you do that, you are training them, not to get better themselves, but to depend on outsiders. You
wanted to help, but you actually hurt. We’re going to be rich in good deeds in a way that we don’t just give
handouts, but we give people a hand up as a church for the glory of God, to help people become better.
And when we do that, we are going to go the extra mile. It’s a phrase we hear so often, but a lot of people
don’t know where it comes from. Let me show you. Jesus taught in Matthew: If anyone forces you to go
one mile, go with them two miles. (Matthew 5:41)
In the time when Jesus was living, a Roman soldier had the legal authority to ask anyone to carry their gear
for one mile. If they said “Hey you, come here, grab my stuff and carry it for a mile” you had to respond
“Yes, Sir”, but only for a mile. A roman mile happened to be 1000 steps. So when you had walked 1000
steps, you had done your duty.
Jesus saw saying, basically, “I know that is humiliating, but it’s the law, but since you serve me, you’re
going to glorify God by going two miles. You don’t have to, but you’re going to because you get to.” And
you say “I am serving and under authority and I’m going to be a great witness. Even though you didn’t ask,
I’m going to do extra.”
And I don’t know how this might play out for you, but maybe you’re babysitting for someone and you want
to bless them, and you say “This one is on the house, I’m doing it for free.” And then if you really want to go
the extra mile, you clean the dishes, pick up the toys and honour God.
You didn’t have to, you just had to get the kids in bed and keep them alive. But you also went the extra mile
and did something different. I want to bless you because I’ve been blessed by God.
You see, we have been blessed with so much, we have more than we need. Therefore, because we have
more, we are going to give more and we’re going to do more. And when we do more, we’re not going to
draw attention to us, but to we’re going to draw attention to God.
And when we do more, we’re not going to help people in the way that we want to, we’re going to help them
in the way that they need it. And this third point I pray inspires you and lights you on fire to be the church in
the way that God has called us to be the church.
The first principal was this: My good deeds should point to God and not to me. Secondly, my good deeds
should help others in the way they need it and not in the way I want to give it. And three, my good deeds
will glorify God through His CHURCH. My good deeds will represent God in the church, through the church,
to give glory to God in all that I do.
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The author of Hebrews says: And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and
good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one
another. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
How can we spur one another on? Kelly, my wife is constantly encouraging me to go to the gym, so that I
work out consistently, and she spurs me on to do more in the gym. She says, you know, “Come one,
there’s more in you, don’t be a baby, two more reps.”
So what can we do for the glory of God? We can ask “Is that all you can do? You’ve been blessed. I’ll do
more, you do more. Let’s be involved. Let’s give. Let’s go the extra mile. Let’s be an even bigger blessing”
When do we do this? Not just like at work or hanging out with our friends, but we do it in the church and
through the church. Because the write of Hebrews is encouraging people to continue to meet together in
the fellowship of the church.
When you meet in the church, when you get together in your connect group, your small group, and that’s
why they are so important, you can spur each other on. “Come on, two more, let’s do more, let’s make a
bigger difference, who else can we bless?”
We don’t want to be below average in good deeds, we’re going to be rich in good deeds, because when
you’re rich in good deeds, Paul says to Timothy: In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as
a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1
Timothy 6:19)
Each one of you has spiritual gifts, that God wants to be used in His church, for His church and through His
church. Therefore, if you just come to church, but never use your gifts in the church, or through the church,
then there’s some good work that God prepared in advance for you to do to glorify Him, through His church
that is not being done.
It is great that you are coming along, and that is a good place to start, we are glad that you are here, but
you could go the extra mile and you could use the gifts that you have to glorify God, in His church and
through His church.
Let me tell you something, and I am not anti-government, but sometimes, the government is not the best
equipped organisation to meet the needs of people in the world. I believe the church is the best
organisation to meet the needs of people in the world.
And when we become church in this way, and we are rich in good deeds, people may say, “Well, I don’t
even agree with what you believe, but I see that you love me” and they will know us by our love.
And in the New Testament church, when they realised that they were rich, and it wasn’t about the things,
do you know what they did? They were so crazy, they would sell some of what they had and they would,
basically, give it to the leaders of the church to distribute wherever and whenever and however they felt led
to do so.
And let me show you what happened through this New Testament church. We read: And God’s grace was
so powerfully at work in them all that there was no needy person among them. (Acts 4:33-34)
Can you imagine that? When the church acts like the church because, and let’s say it together, because
God has blessed us with more than we need. We are rich. We will not trust in our riches, but in him who
richly provides. Because we have more, we will give more and do more and that’s how to be rich at what
matters most. That’s the kind of church I pray that we’ll be for the glory of God.
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