Thanksgiving to God for the Opportunity to Serve

The sermon opens by citing French historian Alexis de Tocqueville's observations about America in 1831, in which he noted three interconnected elements: freedom, religion (faith), and voluntary service. The pastor emphasizes that faith and service in Christian faith are completely inseparable. If someone claims to truly believe in God but is unwilling to voluntarily do something for others, society, or the church, then that person either does not understand Scripture clearly or is deceiving themselves. Jesus Himself taught that "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35) and "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

The pastor provides specific examples of giving and voluntary service in American society and in the local church. He points out that annually millions of volunteers contribute billions of hours and donate hundreds of billions of dollars. In the church, members voluntarily teach Sunday school, prepare communion meals, work in the kitchen, sing, visit and encourage one another. The pastor also mentions billionaires like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Warren Buffet who have pledged to give away most of their wealth to charitable organizations. However, the pastor emphasizes that in God's work, everyone, whether a child or an elderly person, can give and serve according to their ability.

The pastor presents the story of the boy who gave five loaves of barley bread and two fish (John 6:1-11), through which Jesus performed a miracle to feed five thousand people. The pastor emphasizes that although the boy's name is unknown, his small but complete offering became an instrument in Jesus' hands to perform a great miracle. God will use our small, ordinary work for His great and difficult work. When Jesus teaches "it is more blessed to give than to receive," He affirms that blessing comes when we give and serve, and the word "more" indicates that Jesus does not deny the blessing from receiving, but the blessing from giving is greater and more precious.

The pastor explains two reasons why giving is more blessed than receiving. First, giving and serving bring joy and meaning to life. The pastor cites an article from the Wall Street Journal stating that wealth alone does not guarantee a happy life; what matters more is how people use their money. Giving makes people much happier than spending lavishly on themselves. The pastor tells the story of Dr. Howard Kelly, who as a poor boy received a glass of milk from a kind woman, and many years later, when she fell seriously ill, Dr. Kelly cured her disease and wrote on the bill "Paid in full with one glass of milk." This story shows that a small act of giving brings manifold blessings and demonstrates God's grace in returning kindness multiplied.

Second, God will grant additional grace and blessings to those who faithfully serve Him. The pastor uses the image of the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea to illustrate: the Sea of Galilee receives water from the Jordan River and water flows out, so fish live there and it brings benefits; the Dead Sea has no water flowing out, so it is too salty and no fish can live. Similarly, the life of a person who does not give but only receives will become barren and useless. The pastor also uses the image of the Mekong River flowing through five countries, bringing benefits to millions of people, to illustrate how giving and serving benefit many people. The apostle John writes: "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another" (John 1:16), teaching that what we receive is meant to be given away and served, and when we serve, God grants even more grace and blessings. The pastor cites Malachi 3:9-10 about giving a tenth, and God will pour out blessings so abundantly that there is not room enough to store it. The sermon concludes with the words of Jim Elliott: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Being used by God is reason enough to give thanks, and receiving additional blessings provides even greater reason to thank God for the opportunity to give and serve in His great and difficult work.