Lossiemouth Church of Scotland

The series of sermons on Stewardship continues (this is week 2 of 3) and, in his sermon for 02 September 2018, Rev. Geoff McKee debunks the Money Myth that “it is unpleasant to give”.

Click here if you would like to download a PDF version of the sermon explaining why it is a myth that giving is unpleasant.

You can read the Week One sermon in this Stewardship series on this website here.

2 Corinthians 8:1-7 (New International Version)
The Collection for the Lord’s People
8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 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.

Mark 14:3-9 (New International Version)
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson.

She gave the little girl a fifty pence piece and a pound coin for church.

“Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself,” she told the girl.

When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given.

“Well,” said the little girl, “I was going to give the pound coin, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more cheerful if I gave the fifty pence piece, so I did.”

Some say it’s unpleasant to give.

Many think we would be happier if we kept our money for ourselves.

It makes sense, doesn’t it? [Read more…]

This the first of a three-week series of sermons on Stewardship. Rev. Geoff McKee plans to look at three “Money Myths”, the first of which is that “Only people with money should give”. Through the examples of the Macedonian churches in 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 and the widow observed by Jesus in Mark 12:41-44, Geoff explains why Christian giving must be sacrificial giving.

If you would like to download a PDF version of the sermon, you can do so by clicking here.

You can read the ‘week two’ sermon in this series here.

2 Corinthians 8:1-7 (New International Version)
The Collection for the Lord’s People
8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 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.

Mark 12:41-44 (New International Version)
The Widow’s Offering
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

During the Nazi occupation of his country in the Second World War, King Christian X of Denmark noticed a Nazi flag flying over a Danish public building.

He immediately called the German commandant, demanding that the flag be taken down at once.

The commandant refused.

“Then a soldier will go and take it down.” said the king.

“He will be shot,” threatened the commandant.

“I think not,” replied the king, “for I shall be the soldier.”

Within minutes, the flag was taken down. [Read more…]

In his sermon for 19 August 2018, Rev. Geoff McKee considers the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:15-20.  This advises us to make best use of our time through worship – and to avoid the abuse of alcohol. Geoff goes into a lot more detail than that, however.  The Greek word, kairos, which relates to time, is central to a proper understanding.

If you would like to download a PDF version of the sermon, click here.

Ephesians 5:15-20 (New International Version)
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The ancient writer of Ecclesiastes wrote:

“God has set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

How would you like to spend two years making phone calls to people who aren’t at home?

Does that sound absurd?

According to one time management study, that’s how much time the average person, over a lifetime, spends trying to return calls to people who never seem to be in.

Not only that, we spend 6 months waiting for the traffic light to turn green, and another 8 months reading junk mail.

These unusual statistics should cause us to sit up and take notice. Once we recognise that everyday life activity can chip away at our time in such huge blocks, we may see how vital it is that we don’t busy ourselves in vain.

In King David’s complaint to God in Psalm 39, he wrote: “You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You” (v 5).

He meant simply that to an eternal God our time on earth is brief. And God doesn’t want us to waste it. When we do, we throw away one of the most precious commodities he has given us. Each minute is an irretrievable gift – an unredeemable slice of eternity. Yes, we have to make the phone calls and we must wait at the traffic lights. But what about the rest of our time?

Is our time well spent?

The apostle Paul wanted us to make the most of the time. [Read more…]

Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon for the twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – 12 August 2018 – is taken from another reading from Ephesians (4:25 – 5:2). This is about the dangers of anger, why we should avoid it at all costs and what coping strategies we can employ – for the benefit of ourselves and others.

You can download a PDF version of the sermon by clicking here.

Ephesians 4:25-5:2 (New International Version)
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 5 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

One day, a woman in a brand new Volvo had been driving around a crowded car park.

She finally found a spot and was just about to reverse into it when a young driver in a sporty BMW whizzed into the spot before her.

As the BMW driver got out of his car and was walking away, the lady in the Volvo called out “I found that place first. What gives you the right to push in and take it?”

The young man laughed and said “Because I’m young and quick,” and kept on walking.

All of sudden he heard the hideous sound of a car being heartily smashed.

He turned around to see the lady in the Volvo repeatedly ramming her car into his.

She caught his eye and said “That’s because I’m old and rich!”

There was a little boy with a bad temper.

His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that, every time he lost his temper, he should hammer a nail in the back fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down.

He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all.

He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.

He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say ‘I’m sorry’, the wound is still there.”

Anger is a massive problem in society.

It manifests itself in so many different ways. [Read more…]