Opportunity or Burden to Serve?
Pastor Tan Thai · Nov 24, 2019
This Thanksgiving sermon encourages the congregation to see giving and serving not as a burden but as a God-given opportunity. Drawing on Jesus' teaching that 'It is more blessed to give than to receive' (Acts 20:35), the pastor shows that genuine faith is always accompanied by voluntary and joyful service.
The sermon opens by reminding the congregation of the often-overlooked blessings of daily life: health, freedom to worship, security, and material provision. The pastor uses a series of practical comparisons to help listeners recognize that they are more blessed than millions around the world, establishing that genuine gratitude is not only for what is received but also for the very opportunity to live and serve. Scripture teaches that thanksgiving must be a constant attitude in every circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Hebrews 13:15).
The central section develops the truth that God gives to us not so that we may hoard but so that we may give and serve. Through the parable of the talents (Matthew 25), the pastor highlights the consequences of failing to use the blessings God entrusts to us. He also cites Jesus' words in Acts 20:35 and Mark 10:45 to emphasize that Christ himself modeled servanthood and calls his disciples to do the same. Alexis de Tocqueville's historical observations about America demonstrate that faith and voluntary service are inseparably linked in a flourishing society.
The pastor offers two specific reasons why giving is more blessed than receiving. First, giving and serving bring joy and meaning to life, confirmed by both psychological research and real-life experience. The story of Dr. Howard Kelly illustrates this vividly: one small glass of milk given freely produced blessing multiplied many times over. Second, God himself will give additional gifts and blessings to those who faithfully serve him, as promised in Malachi 3:9–10, where God pledges to pour out blessing so great there will not be room enough to contain it.
The sermon uses the contrasting images of the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee, along with the Mekong River, to illustrate the difference between a life that only takes in and a life that gives out. The story of the boy who gave five loaves and two fish (John 6) further underscores that God can use our small offerings to accomplish his great work. What matters is not the size of the gift but the attitude of joyfulness and willingness (2 Corinthians 9:5–7).
The sermon closes with a call for the congregation to view serving and giving as an opportunity rather than a burden. Being used by God in difficult work is itself sufficient reason for thanksgiving, and as believers remain faithful in service, God will continue to pour out his blessing. The message concludes with the words of Jim Elliott: 'He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.'