Come join us as we begin a series of messages called “Your Best Life”.
If you don’t want to live your life with a ‘barely-getting -by’ mentality and you want to become the best you can be. Then you don’t want to miss these messages.
Sept 4th “Focus”
Sept 11th “Reminders”
Sept 18th “Expectations”
Oct 2 “Increase”
Oct. 9th “Abundance”
Oct 16th “Limitless”
Oct. 23rd “Change”
Oct 30th “More”
Join us at Church of the New Harvest Sundays at 11am.
223 Clinton Ave
Elyria Ohio, 44035
Monday, August 29, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Do You See What He Sees
Illustration of useful things that clutter
Perhaps you started with big dreams in your hearts- you’re going to excel in your careers, excel as parents, and excel in your walk with God. You get started, but then things get difficult, and achieving your goals doesn’t happen as quickly as you had hoped.
Discouragement sets in, and we start to give up.
Do You See What He See
1. Expand Your Horizons
Psalm 31:24:
24 So be strong and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord!
A. Look yourself in the mirror and say,” I am not going to settle for mediocrity. Nothing maybe going my way right now, but I am going to trust God to help me expand my horizons.
B. Focus on your goal, set your course, and have the attitude, I am going to reach my full potential in God. I am going to start living my best life now!
C. How’s your spiritual vision this morning? Are you focusing on your problems, on what you can’t do, on what you can’t have?
D. The barrier is in your mind. It’s not Gods lack of resources or your lack of talent that holds you back.
It’s simply because you are focused on the wrong things.
2. Get a New Vision
Mark 8:18:
18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all?
A. Your vision of who you are and what you can become has a tremendous impact in your life.
B. You need to start allowing God to use your imagination to build you up, to help you accomplish your dreams.
C. Take out the paintbrush of faith, hope, and expectancy and begin painting a bright future on the canvas of your heart.
Matthew 6:22-23:
22 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
Spiritual vision is our capacity to see clearly what God wants us to do and see the world from His point of view.
But this spiritual insight can be easily clouded. Self-serving desires, interest, and goals block that vision.
Serving God is the best way to restore it.
A “good” eye is one that is fixed on God.
3. See Yourself Rising
A. Each of us has a picture of ourselves in our imaginations.
B. You will never consistently rise higher than the image you have of yourself, and you will never accomplish things that you don’t first see yourself accomplishing.
C. If you can learn to look at life through your eyes of faith and start seeing yourself rising to new levels-seeing yourself accomplishing your dreams, receiving more, giving more, loving more, and enjoying life, seeing your family serving God- you’ll experience God’s blessings and favor.
Conclusion: It doesnt matter what you end up being in life as long as we are serving the Lord. I dont think it really mattered to David if he was a shepherd or a king as long as he could bring honor and glory to his Lord.David was a man who the Bible says was a man after Gods own heart and he was far from perfect.
I dont know why some people have such success and it seems others struggle but at the end of the day I want to hear people say" my heart looks like His heart" so matter what path my God leads me I will follow, either He has called me to be a shepherd or a king.
Perhaps you started with big dreams in your hearts- you’re going to excel in your careers, excel as parents, and excel in your walk with God. You get started, but then things get difficult, and achieving your goals doesn’t happen as quickly as you had hoped.
Discouragement sets in, and we start to give up.
Do You See What He See
1. Expand Your Horizons
Psalm 31:24:
24 So be strong and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord!
A. Look yourself in the mirror and say,” I am not going to settle for mediocrity. Nothing maybe going my way right now, but I am going to trust God to help me expand my horizons.
B. Focus on your goal, set your course, and have the attitude, I am going to reach my full potential in God. I am going to start living my best life now!
C. How’s your spiritual vision this morning? Are you focusing on your problems, on what you can’t do, on what you can’t have?
D. The barrier is in your mind. It’s not Gods lack of resources or your lack of talent that holds you back.
It’s simply because you are focused on the wrong things.
2. Get a New Vision
Mark 8:18:
18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all?
A. Your vision of who you are and what you can become has a tremendous impact in your life.
B. You need to start allowing God to use your imagination to build you up, to help you accomplish your dreams.
C. Take out the paintbrush of faith, hope, and expectancy and begin painting a bright future on the canvas of your heart.
Matthew 6:22-23:
22 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
Spiritual vision is our capacity to see clearly what God wants us to do and see the world from His point of view.
But this spiritual insight can be easily clouded. Self-serving desires, interest, and goals block that vision.
Serving God is the best way to restore it.
A “good” eye is one that is fixed on God.
3. See Yourself Rising
A. Each of us has a picture of ourselves in our imaginations.
B. You will never consistently rise higher than the image you have of yourself, and you will never accomplish things that you don’t first see yourself accomplishing.
C. If you can learn to look at life through your eyes of faith and start seeing yourself rising to new levels-seeing yourself accomplishing your dreams, receiving more, giving more, loving more, and enjoying life, seeing your family serving God- you’ll experience God’s blessings and favor.
Conclusion: It doesnt matter what you end up being in life as long as we are serving the Lord. I dont think it really mattered to David if he was a shepherd or a king as long as he could bring honor and glory to his Lord.David was a man who the Bible says was a man after Gods own heart and he was far from perfect.
I dont know why some people have such success and it seems others struggle but at the end of the day I want to hear people say" my heart looks like His heart" so matter what path my God leads me I will follow, either He has called me to be a shepherd or a king.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
What do you have to offer God?
With Help from Little Friends
Topic
God will use you if you allow Him to do so.
Biblical basis
Passage John 6:1-15:
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
1 After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. 4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) 5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.
7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”
8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”
10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.
14 When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” 15 When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.
Description
The key ingredient in the miracle of Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 was not the day, the crowd, the messages, the disciples or even the food. It was the boy with the lunch bag who had the courage to come forward and offer something seemingly insignificant to the Lord. Jesus used the seemingly puny gift of a child’s lunch to create one of His most dramatic miracles.
The big idea
We often hold ourselves back from God’s plan because we see ourselves as having nothing of value to offer, but when we give what we have, He can work miracles.
All of us need to realize that all of us have lots to offer in doing God’s work.
Illustration: pyramid building
In the word
I. Jesus Had Compassion
A. In Matthew 14:14 it says. Jesus saw the crowd and had compassion!
B. Compassion is not just feeling sorry for someone but really hurting for and with them.
C. Compassion is saying, “I know what is going on in your life. I know your needs, and I care!”
D. Jesus knows each of our needs, and He cares about each one of those needs.
1. He sees the needs of those around us as well.
2. Don’t ever think that your needs or others’ needs are too big or too small for God to help you!
E. According to Luke 12:27-30. God knows our needs.
II. Jesus Was the Answer
A. Jesus was the answer for the needs of the crowd.
B. In John 6:7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”, the disciples were focused on the need and missed the answer—Jesus.
C. In John 6:8-9 , Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”
Andrew had an idea—but how far would the loaves and fishes really go?
D. Isn’t that just like us? “But God, can You really do it? Can You really use me?”
III. Bring What You Have to Jesus
A. In Matthew 14:18, Jesus says, “Bring them here to Me.”
1. Jesus says, “Give Me what you have and I’ll do something with it.”
2. Bring your gifts, talents and dreams to Jesus.
3. Bring what you have and lay it at the feet of Jesus. He can do the incredible!
B. How do you bring things to Jesus? By prayer!
1. God is faithful to meet your needs, no matter how big they may seem to you.
2. What you bring to Jesus can meet your needs and the needs of others.
C. God will use you to meet the needs of others. The question is whether you will bring your gifts, talents and abilities to God.
Rise up mighty warrior and walk in the anointing of the Lord.
Ps 23: 6 surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Topic
God will use you if you allow Him to do so.
Biblical basis
Passage John 6:1-15:
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
1 After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. 4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) 5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.
7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”
8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”
10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.
14 When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” 15 When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.
Description
The key ingredient in the miracle of Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 was not the day, the crowd, the messages, the disciples or even the food. It was the boy with the lunch bag who had the courage to come forward and offer something seemingly insignificant to the Lord. Jesus used the seemingly puny gift of a child’s lunch to create one of His most dramatic miracles.
The big idea
We often hold ourselves back from God’s plan because we see ourselves as having nothing of value to offer, but when we give what we have, He can work miracles.
All of us need to realize that all of us have lots to offer in doing God’s work.
Illustration: pyramid building
In the word
I. Jesus Had Compassion
A. In Matthew 14:14 it says. Jesus saw the crowd and had compassion!
B. Compassion is not just feeling sorry for someone but really hurting for and with them.
C. Compassion is saying, “I know what is going on in your life. I know your needs, and I care!”
D. Jesus knows each of our needs, and He cares about each one of those needs.
1. He sees the needs of those around us as well.
2. Don’t ever think that your needs or others’ needs are too big or too small for God to help you!
E. According to Luke 12:27-30. God knows our needs.
II. Jesus Was the Answer
A. Jesus was the answer for the needs of the crowd.
B. In John 6:7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”, the disciples were focused on the need and missed the answer—Jesus.
C. In John 6:8-9 , Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”
Andrew had an idea—but how far would the loaves and fishes really go?
D. Isn’t that just like us? “But God, can You really do it? Can You really use me?”
III. Bring What You Have to Jesus
A. In Matthew 14:18, Jesus says, “Bring them here to Me.”
1. Jesus says, “Give Me what you have and I’ll do something with it.”
2. Bring your gifts, talents and dreams to Jesus.
3. Bring what you have and lay it at the feet of Jesus. He can do the incredible!
B. How do you bring things to Jesus? By prayer!
1. God is faithful to meet your needs, no matter how big they may seem to you.
2. What you bring to Jesus can meet your needs and the needs of others.
C. God will use you to meet the needs of others. The question is whether you will bring your gifts, talents and abilities to God.
Rise up mighty warrior and walk in the anointing of the Lord.
Ps 23: 6 surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Tithing
You've all been Tithing!"
The church treasurer had resigned. The accounts were a mess, and nobody wanted to take on the job. The church deacons, at their wits'end, co-opted the local Chinese grocery owner to supervise the finances.
The shop-keeper seldom came to church, but he agreed to pull the church out of the red -- providing that the deacons would not ask him for a report until the next Annual General Meeting.
At the next A.G.M., the shopkeeper presented his report. A $5,000 loan on the church had been paid, the church had donated $2,000 to missions, and there was a $1,253 credit balance at the bank, with no outstanding debts.
The congregation sat in stunned silence. At last someone staggered to his feet and said, "How did you DO it?"
Quietly the shop-keeper explained: "You all buy groceries at my store, yes? And you all want cledit, yes? And I GIVE you cledit, yes? And I give you my bill at month's end, yes? And you can't read my writing, yes? And you don't know that I add 10% to your bill, yes? And you haven't missed paying my bills, yes? Well, now all of you have been TITHING for a YEAR! Praise God, yes?!"
Stewardship -- The Sign of Loyalty
1 Chronicles 29:10-29:20
STEWARDSHIP -- THE SIGN OF LOYALTY
1 Chronicles 29:10-11
INTRODUCTION:
Today we are going to address a topic that is often uncomfortable for both the pastors and people of many churches. We are going to address the topic of stewardship. This is not going to be a fund raising campaign. Nor is this going to be a plea for more money. It is simply going to be an honest look at the issue of stewardship from a passage in 1 Chronicles which talks about how David and the people provided the resources for building the temple of God. As we look at this passage together we will be asking and answering three questions: 1) Why do we give? 2) How do we give? and 3) What do we give? We will not be exhaustive in our answers to these questions but will primarily stick to this passage and see what it has to say to us regarding these things.
In today’s lesson we will learn that stewardship is a sign of loyalty to God. David writes, “O Lord, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire (for stewardship) in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you” (29:18). Stewardship is the evidence that our hearts are truly loyal to God. This is the case because our finances are usually one of the last areas that we are willing to turn over to God. Therefore, when one becomes a good steward we can be sure of their devotion to God. A pastor I know once said, “If God has their checkbook, you know he has their heart.” I think that is very true. Let’s look at this passage together.
I. WHY SHOULD WE GIVE?
This is a very good question to start with as it is foundational to understand the purpose of stewardship. Many would say that they have worked very hard to earn their money and so why should they turn around and give it away to God. They worked for it. They earned it. It belongs to them. But as we begin to delve into the passage at hand we quickly learn that this simply isn’t true.
A) Because Everything Belongs To God.
If it really belongs to you, you can do with it as you please. However right off the bat we learn that it doesn’t really belong to us but to God. David prays, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours” (v. 11). This exposes a fundamental flaw in the world views of most people including many Christians. It shows us that our possessions and our money really belongs to God and not to us. And since it doesn’t belong to us in the first place we have no right to hoard it for ourselves.
B) Because Everything Comes From God.
Not only does God own all things, but also everything we have comes to us as a gift from God. “Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all” (v. 12). We give to God because in reality he is both the owner of all things and the source of all things. David clearly understood this when he wrote: “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (v.14). When you understand this truth you realize that when you give you are not giving God what belongs to you, but you are giving God what already belongs to him. For David this was a matter of praise and worship. “Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name” (v. 13). We are often guilty of viewing the song service as the worship. But the offering is every bit as much an act of worship as is singing praise to God. In fact, if we sing our praise to God, but do not back that up with giving to God our songs of praise ring empty.
II. HOW SHOULD WE GIVE?
This questions deals with what manner we should give to God. Did you know that it is not enough to simply give to God? Did you know that you can give to God, but do it in the wrong way? It is important that when we give to God we do it for the right reason and in the right way.
A) We Should Give Generously.
David and the people gave very generously to the Lord’s work. “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (v.14). We can give generously to God because God has given generously to us. How generous were David and the people in their giving? Consider these numbers. “Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents (110 tons) of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents (260 tons) of refined silver” (vv. 3-4). When the people saw the generosity of their leader they were moved to follow suit. “They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents (190 tons) and ten thousand darics (180 pounds) of gold, ten thousand talents (375 tons) of silver, eighteen thousand talents (675 tons) of bronze and a hundred thousand talents (3,750 tons) of iron. Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord” (vv. 7-8). That is some very generous giving. But before you get overwhelmed with those massive numbers remember that that were able to generously give to God because God had given generously to them. The Bible tells us that we should give to God in proportion to how we have been blessed. This is the principle of tithing. This is the practice of giving 10% of what God has given us back to him. We give to God generously as he has blessed us.
B) We Should Give Willingly.
It is one thing to give generously, but it is another to give willingly. Would you be able to give as generously as the people of Israel did and do so willingly or would you have to be coerced? There are many examples throughout history of kings collecting money from the people by force. But David did not have to send out the army to go door to door collecting from the people at the point of a sword. “The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord” (v. 9). David also said, “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you” (v.17). In verse eighteen David prays that this will always be the desire of the hearts of the people. That they would always desire to give to God both generously and willingly. It is this attitude of giving generously and willingly that identifies one as being loyal to God.
III. WHAT SHOULD WE GIVE?
We have learned why we should give to God and how we should give to God. Now we turn our attention to what we should give to him. There are three things that we should give to God that are suggested by this passage. David gave gold and silver “for all the work to be done by the craftsmen” (v.5).
A) We Should Give Our Tithe.
David and the people gave God there gold and silver. They gave to God financially. As I mentioned earlier, our financial giving is governed by the principle of the tithe. “A tithe of everything ... belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord” (Leviticus 27:30). The Bible identifies a tithe as a tenth. So ten percent of everything we make belongs to God and he expects us to honor him by giving to him. To keep the tithe that belongs to God is considered stealing from God.
In the Old Testament they brought their tithe to the temple which is where they worshiped. So I believe that we give our tithe where we worship. If you worship here at Heritage, you should give your tithe here. If you attend another church, you should give your tithe there. You should give your tithe at your place of worship.
A tithe is not an offering. The Bible distinguishes between tithes and offerings so they are not the same thing. The tithe is what you owe to God, its what belongs to God. An offering is what you choose to give above your tithe. An offering is usually given for a particular cause or ministry. That also distinguishes it from a tithe. The tithe was given to God to be used as he specified, not as the people specified. To give money that is earmarked for a particular purpose is not a tithe, but an offering. The tithe belongs to God and because it belongs to God we have no right to determine how it will be used. That is up to him.
B) We Should Give Our Talent.
The gold and silver was given so that the craftsmen would have the necessary provisions to work with. These craftsmen were giving their talent to God and we should be doing the same. You may not think of yourself as being particularly talented but everybody has things that they are good at and that they enjoy doing. These are the talents that God has given you and you have a responsibility to give them back to God by using them in his work. You may think of your talent only as a way to make a living, but you need to start seeing as a way to do ministry as well.
C) We Should Give Our Time.
This is closely related to giving God our talent. If the craftsmen were to give God their talent in constructing the temple, then they were going to have to give him a good amount of their time as well. Next to our money our time is probably our most precious commodity. It seems like we never have enough time. But if we are to give our talent to God we must also give our time to God. It takes time to prepare for and teach a Sunday School class or Bible study. It takes time to clean the church. It takes time to make repairs. It takes time to minister to our community. Everything takes time and so we must be willing to carve the necessary time out of our busy schedules.
God expects us to generously and willingly give him our tithe, talent and time. That is the sign of loyalty.
CONCLUSION:
When I was growing up one of Pepsi’s most popular commercials was The Pepsi Challenge. The challenge was to a taste test between Pepsi and Coke. They believed that if you would be willing to give Pepsi a try, you would find that you liked it better. In Malachi chapter 3 God introduces us to The Tithe Challenge. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10). God says test me. Give tithing a try and you will find that God blesses you. As we begin a new month I want to encourage you to take The Tithe Challenge. If you are not currently tithing, I would like to challenge you to give 10% of your income to God this month. If you do you will be blessed by God. If you don’t, the Bible says you will be cursed by God. “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse ... because you are robbing me” (Malachi 3:8-9). But if you tithe you will avoid this curse and receive God’s blessing. That doesn’t mean that God will make you rich. But it does mean that the 90% you have left will be sufficient to meet your needs (not your greeds) and if you were honest many of you are having a hard time doing that on 100%. Give tithing a try this month.
Steve Dow
Emily Wesleyan Church
hope@ewchurch.com
Please email me if you use this sermon or a revision of it. Thankyou!
Study Guide:
STEWARDSHIP -- THE SIGN OF LOYALTY
1 Chronicles 29:10-20
February 2, 2003
“Keep this desire [for stewardship] in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.” 1 Chronicles 29:18
I. WHY SHOULD I GIVE?
A) Because Everything _______________ To God.
B) Because Everything _______________ God.
II. HOW SHOULD I GIVE?
A) We Should Give _______________.
B) We Should Give _______________.
III. WHAT SHOULD WE GIVE?
A) We Should Give Our _______________.
“A tithe of everything ... belong to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” Leviticus 27:30
B) We Should Give Our _______________.
C) We Should Give Our _______________.
The Tithe Challenge
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse ... Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:10
The church treasurer had resigned. The accounts were a mess, and nobody wanted to take on the job. The church deacons, at their wits'end, co-opted the local Chinese grocery owner to supervise the finances.
The shop-keeper seldom came to church, but he agreed to pull the church out of the red -- providing that the deacons would not ask him for a report until the next Annual General Meeting.
At the next A.G.M., the shopkeeper presented his report. A $5,000 loan on the church had been paid, the church had donated $2,000 to missions, and there was a $1,253 credit balance at the bank, with no outstanding debts.
The congregation sat in stunned silence. At last someone staggered to his feet and said, "How did you DO it?"
Quietly the shop-keeper explained: "You all buy groceries at my store, yes? And you all want cledit, yes? And I GIVE you cledit, yes? And I give you my bill at month's end, yes? And you can't read my writing, yes? And you don't know that I add 10% to your bill, yes? And you haven't missed paying my bills, yes? Well, now all of you have been TITHING for a YEAR! Praise God, yes?!"
Stewardship -- The Sign of Loyalty
1 Chronicles 29:10-29:20
STEWARDSHIP -- THE SIGN OF LOYALTY
1 Chronicles 29:10-11
INTRODUCTION:
Today we are going to address a topic that is often uncomfortable for both the pastors and people of many churches. We are going to address the topic of stewardship. This is not going to be a fund raising campaign. Nor is this going to be a plea for more money. It is simply going to be an honest look at the issue of stewardship from a passage in 1 Chronicles which talks about how David and the people provided the resources for building the temple of God. As we look at this passage together we will be asking and answering three questions: 1) Why do we give? 2) How do we give? and 3) What do we give? We will not be exhaustive in our answers to these questions but will primarily stick to this passage and see what it has to say to us regarding these things.
In today’s lesson we will learn that stewardship is a sign of loyalty to God. David writes, “O Lord, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire (for stewardship) in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you” (29:18). Stewardship is the evidence that our hearts are truly loyal to God. This is the case because our finances are usually one of the last areas that we are willing to turn over to God. Therefore, when one becomes a good steward we can be sure of their devotion to God. A pastor I know once said, “If God has their checkbook, you know he has their heart.” I think that is very true. Let’s look at this passage together.
I. WHY SHOULD WE GIVE?
This is a very good question to start with as it is foundational to understand the purpose of stewardship. Many would say that they have worked very hard to earn their money and so why should they turn around and give it away to God. They worked for it. They earned it. It belongs to them. But as we begin to delve into the passage at hand we quickly learn that this simply isn’t true.
A) Because Everything Belongs To God.
If it really belongs to you, you can do with it as you please. However right off the bat we learn that it doesn’t really belong to us but to God. David prays, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours” (v. 11). This exposes a fundamental flaw in the world views of most people including many Christians. It shows us that our possessions and our money really belongs to God and not to us. And since it doesn’t belong to us in the first place we have no right to hoard it for ourselves.
B) Because Everything Comes From God.
Not only does God own all things, but also everything we have comes to us as a gift from God. “Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all” (v. 12). We give to God because in reality he is both the owner of all things and the source of all things. David clearly understood this when he wrote: “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (v.14). When you understand this truth you realize that when you give you are not giving God what belongs to you, but you are giving God what already belongs to him. For David this was a matter of praise and worship. “Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name” (v. 13). We are often guilty of viewing the song service as the worship. But the offering is every bit as much an act of worship as is singing praise to God. In fact, if we sing our praise to God, but do not back that up with giving to God our songs of praise ring empty.
II. HOW SHOULD WE GIVE?
This questions deals with what manner we should give to God. Did you know that it is not enough to simply give to God? Did you know that you can give to God, but do it in the wrong way? It is important that when we give to God we do it for the right reason and in the right way.
A) We Should Give Generously.
David and the people gave very generously to the Lord’s work. “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (v.14). We can give generously to God because God has given generously to us. How generous were David and the people in their giving? Consider these numbers. “Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents (110 tons) of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents (260 tons) of refined silver” (vv. 3-4). When the people saw the generosity of their leader they were moved to follow suit. “They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents (190 tons) and ten thousand darics (180 pounds) of gold, ten thousand talents (375 tons) of silver, eighteen thousand talents (675 tons) of bronze and a hundred thousand talents (3,750 tons) of iron. Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord” (vv. 7-8). That is some very generous giving. But before you get overwhelmed with those massive numbers remember that that were able to generously give to God because God had given generously to them. The Bible tells us that we should give to God in proportion to how we have been blessed. This is the principle of tithing. This is the practice of giving 10% of what God has given us back to him. We give to God generously as he has blessed us.
B) We Should Give Willingly.
It is one thing to give generously, but it is another to give willingly. Would you be able to give as generously as the people of Israel did and do so willingly or would you have to be coerced? There are many examples throughout history of kings collecting money from the people by force. But David did not have to send out the army to go door to door collecting from the people at the point of a sword. “The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord” (v. 9). David also said, “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you” (v.17). In verse eighteen David prays that this will always be the desire of the hearts of the people. That they would always desire to give to God both generously and willingly. It is this attitude of giving generously and willingly that identifies one as being loyal to God.
III. WHAT SHOULD WE GIVE?
We have learned why we should give to God and how we should give to God. Now we turn our attention to what we should give to him. There are three things that we should give to God that are suggested by this passage. David gave gold and silver “for all the work to be done by the craftsmen” (v.5).
A) We Should Give Our Tithe.
David and the people gave God there gold and silver. They gave to God financially. As I mentioned earlier, our financial giving is governed by the principle of the tithe. “A tithe of everything ... belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord” (Leviticus 27:30). The Bible identifies a tithe as a tenth. So ten percent of everything we make belongs to God and he expects us to honor him by giving to him. To keep the tithe that belongs to God is considered stealing from God.
In the Old Testament they brought their tithe to the temple which is where they worshiped. So I believe that we give our tithe where we worship. If you worship here at Heritage, you should give your tithe here. If you attend another church, you should give your tithe there. You should give your tithe at your place of worship.
A tithe is not an offering. The Bible distinguishes between tithes and offerings so they are not the same thing. The tithe is what you owe to God, its what belongs to God. An offering is what you choose to give above your tithe. An offering is usually given for a particular cause or ministry. That also distinguishes it from a tithe. The tithe was given to God to be used as he specified, not as the people specified. To give money that is earmarked for a particular purpose is not a tithe, but an offering. The tithe belongs to God and because it belongs to God we have no right to determine how it will be used. That is up to him.
B) We Should Give Our Talent.
The gold and silver was given so that the craftsmen would have the necessary provisions to work with. These craftsmen were giving their talent to God and we should be doing the same. You may not think of yourself as being particularly talented but everybody has things that they are good at and that they enjoy doing. These are the talents that God has given you and you have a responsibility to give them back to God by using them in his work. You may think of your talent only as a way to make a living, but you need to start seeing as a way to do ministry as well.
C) We Should Give Our Time.
This is closely related to giving God our talent. If the craftsmen were to give God their talent in constructing the temple, then they were going to have to give him a good amount of their time as well. Next to our money our time is probably our most precious commodity. It seems like we never have enough time. But if we are to give our talent to God we must also give our time to God. It takes time to prepare for and teach a Sunday School class or Bible study. It takes time to clean the church. It takes time to make repairs. It takes time to minister to our community. Everything takes time and so we must be willing to carve the necessary time out of our busy schedules.
God expects us to generously and willingly give him our tithe, talent and time. That is the sign of loyalty.
CONCLUSION:
When I was growing up one of Pepsi’s most popular commercials was The Pepsi Challenge. The challenge was to a taste test between Pepsi and Coke. They believed that if you would be willing to give Pepsi a try, you would find that you liked it better. In Malachi chapter 3 God introduces us to The Tithe Challenge. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10). God says test me. Give tithing a try and you will find that God blesses you. As we begin a new month I want to encourage you to take The Tithe Challenge. If you are not currently tithing, I would like to challenge you to give 10% of your income to God this month. If you do you will be blessed by God. If you don’t, the Bible says you will be cursed by God. “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse ... because you are robbing me” (Malachi 3:8-9). But if you tithe you will avoid this curse and receive God’s blessing. That doesn’t mean that God will make you rich. But it does mean that the 90% you have left will be sufficient to meet your needs (not your greeds) and if you were honest many of you are having a hard time doing that on 100%. Give tithing a try this month.
Steve Dow
Emily Wesleyan Church
hope@ewchurch.com
Please email me if you use this sermon or a revision of it. Thankyou!
Study Guide:
STEWARDSHIP -- THE SIGN OF LOYALTY
1 Chronicles 29:10-20
February 2, 2003
“Keep this desire [for stewardship] in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.” 1 Chronicles 29:18
I. WHY SHOULD I GIVE?
A) Because Everything _______________ To God.
B) Because Everything _______________ God.
II. HOW SHOULD I GIVE?
A) We Should Give _______________.
B) We Should Give _______________.
III. WHAT SHOULD WE GIVE?
A) We Should Give Our _______________.
“A tithe of everything ... belong to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” Leviticus 27:30
B) We Should Give Our _______________.
C) We Should Give Our _______________.
The Tithe Challenge
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse ... Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:10
Sunday, August 14, 2011
7th Annual Cross Walk
7th Annual Cross Walk
To dream is to hope for things that seem unobtainable, to realize your potential in God you will see extraordinary possibilities begin to unfold. Many if not all of Lorain County residents all have a dream.
That the economy will improve, more jobs will be created, less violence in the neighborhoods. This year’s cross walk is centered on obtaining such dreams. 2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us how we can obtain these dreams. It states “if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”
September 3rd I am asking that people from all walks of faith meet at the steps of Lorain City Hall at noon as we open up in prayer for this great community. We will proceed to walk up Broadway to 254 taking Lake Ave into Elyria finishing at Church of the New Harvest for another unified prayer time for our community. As we all walk I ask that each person be in a prayer mind set for the leaders, local businesses and families as we pass by them.
No-one is expected or required to walk from start to finish, each person will decide that for themselves. This year’s cross walk will be headed off by my dad Danny Sr. who continues to battle with cancer. He will be the first in line to carry the 6ft wooded cross.
Everyone is very forth coming to voice that there are problems. On this day will be your chance to do something positive that will make a change. God plainly set forth certain conditions for us to meet if we want our city to prosper. Being obedient to God will bring forth benefits and rewards for us. Disobedience brings suffering, and punishment. What will you choose?
September 3rd make a commitment to be a strong and courageous child of God, fearlessly proclaiming Gods Word, and listen to His message in relationship to your own life- retain, repent and be renewed.
This year’s walk will focus on renewing our community and I believe it starts with the people. Dare to make a change in not only your own life but in someone else’s.
Even though we live for the day we have to plan for the future. What futures will our children, and their children have if we don’t do our part and pray for this land that we live in. For more details regarding the walk I can be reached at 1(440) 714- 0820 or dannyparsons51@gmail.com.
To dream is to hope for things that seem unobtainable, to realize your potential in God you will see extraordinary possibilities begin to unfold. Many if not all of Lorain County residents all have a dream.
That the economy will improve, more jobs will be created, less violence in the neighborhoods. This year’s cross walk is centered on obtaining such dreams. 2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us how we can obtain these dreams. It states “if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”
September 3rd I am asking that people from all walks of faith meet at the steps of Lorain City Hall at noon as we open up in prayer for this great community. We will proceed to walk up Broadway to 254 taking Lake Ave into Elyria finishing at Church of the New Harvest for another unified prayer time for our community. As we all walk I ask that each person be in a prayer mind set for the leaders, local businesses and families as we pass by them.
No-one is expected or required to walk from start to finish, each person will decide that for themselves. This year’s cross walk will be headed off by my dad Danny Sr. who continues to battle with cancer. He will be the first in line to carry the 6ft wooded cross.
Everyone is very forth coming to voice that there are problems. On this day will be your chance to do something positive that will make a change. God plainly set forth certain conditions for us to meet if we want our city to prosper. Being obedient to God will bring forth benefits and rewards for us. Disobedience brings suffering, and punishment. What will you choose?
September 3rd make a commitment to be a strong and courageous child of God, fearlessly proclaiming Gods Word, and listen to His message in relationship to your own life- retain, repent and be renewed.
This year’s walk will focus on renewing our community and I believe it starts with the people. Dare to make a change in not only your own life but in someone else’s.
Even though we live for the day we have to plan for the future. What futures will our children, and their children have if we don’t do our part and pray for this land that we live in. For more details regarding the walk I can be reached at 1(440) 714- 0820 or dannyparsons51@gmail.com.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Birth
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness..........you are more blessed than the millions who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation.......you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace....... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If your parents are still alive and still married........you are very rare, even in the United States.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful.....you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you prayed yesterday and today........you are in the minority because you believe God does hear and answer prayers.
________________________________________
The Birth
Genesis 17:15-17:
15 Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. 16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”
Genesis 18:9-14
9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord
Luke 1:11-20
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
Luke 1:30-38
30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”
38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
What does God want to birth in you? Let’s look at all the similarities in all three of these examples.
1. God gave a promise
2. All had doubt and disbelief
3. In spite of their doubt and disbelief God still did what He said He would do.
In all three cases where impossible circumstances.
All three cases God birthed a miracle.
God is in the Miracle Business
John 20:30
There are also many other signs and miracles which Jesus performed in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book.
Is anything too hard for the Lord? The obvious answer is “of course not!”
Make it a habit to insert your own specific needs into this question.
Is this day in my life too hard for the Lord? Is this habit I’m trying to break to hard for Him? Is this sickness to hard for Him to handle?
Asking the question this way reminds us that God is personally involved in your life and nudges you to ask for His power to help.
What God promises, He delivers. And He delivers on time! You can have complete confidence that God will keep His promises.
God is always on Time
Eph 2:10
For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
Their fulfillment may not be the next day, but they will be at the proper time”.
If you are waiting for God to answer some request or to fill some need, remain patient.
No matter how impossible God’s promises may seem, what He has said in His Word will come true at the right time.
God answers prayer in His own way and in His own time. He works best in impossible situations.
If you want to have your prayers answered, you must be open to what God can do in impossible situations. And you must wait for God to work in His way and in His time.
He always Finishes what He Starts
Phil 1:6
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
When you get discouraged, remember that God won’t give up on you.
He promises to finish the work He has begun.
When you feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by shortcomings, remember Gods promise and provision.
Don’t let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to Him.
Conclusion: As a pastor its very typical that people would come to me and want me to fix issues in their lives, their marriage, finances, health.
I can’t DO ANYTHING for problems 2,3,4 or 5 until you fixed the number 1 problem and that is putting Christ first in your life. When He is first everything else will fall into place.
Matthew 6:33:
33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
The key to giving birth to greatness is putting Christ first in your life.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation.......you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace....... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If your parents are still alive and still married........you are very rare, even in the United States.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful.....you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you prayed yesterday and today........you are in the minority because you believe God does hear and answer prayers.
________________________________________
The Birth
Genesis 17:15-17:
15 Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. 16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”
Genesis 18:9-14
9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord
Luke 1:11-20
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
Luke 1:30-38
30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”
38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
What does God want to birth in you? Let’s look at all the similarities in all three of these examples.
1. God gave a promise
2. All had doubt and disbelief
3. In spite of their doubt and disbelief God still did what He said He would do.
In all three cases where impossible circumstances.
All three cases God birthed a miracle.
God is in the Miracle Business
John 20:30
There are also many other signs and miracles which Jesus performed in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book.
Is anything too hard for the Lord? The obvious answer is “of course not!”
Make it a habit to insert your own specific needs into this question.
Is this day in my life too hard for the Lord? Is this habit I’m trying to break to hard for Him? Is this sickness to hard for Him to handle?
Asking the question this way reminds us that God is personally involved in your life and nudges you to ask for His power to help.
What God promises, He delivers. And He delivers on time! You can have complete confidence that God will keep His promises.
God is always on Time
Eph 2:10
For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
Their fulfillment may not be the next day, but they will be at the proper time”.
If you are waiting for God to answer some request or to fill some need, remain patient.
No matter how impossible God’s promises may seem, what He has said in His Word will come true at the right time.
God answers prayer in His own way and in His own time. He works best in impossible situations.
If you want to have your prayers answered, you must be open to what God can do in impossible situations. And you must wait for God to work in His way and in His time.
He always Finishes what He Starts
Phil 1:6
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
When you get discouraged, remember that God won’t give up on you.
He promises to finish the work He has begun.
When you feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by shortcomings, remember Gods promise and provision.
Don’t let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to Him.
Conclusion: As a pastor its very typical that people would come to me and want me to fix issues in their lives, their marriage, finances, health.
I can’t DO ANYTHING for problems 2,3,4 or 5 until you fixed the number 1 problem and that is putting Christ first in your life. When He is first everything else will fall into place.
Matthew 6:33:
33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
The key to giving birth to greatness is putting Christ first in your life.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Moving Forward
Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.
Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he succeeded.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
27 publishers rejected Dr. Seuss’s first book.
Babe Ruth is famous for his past home run record, but for decades he also held the record for strikeouts. He hit 714 home runs and struck out 1,330 times in his career (about which he said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”).
Even though all these people experienced many failures they all have gone down in history because they didn’t give up, they continued moving forward and didn’t give up.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said “There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.”
This morning I want to talk to you about three important ways that you can begin moving forward today.
Moving Forward
1. Stretch Your Faith
Romans 1:17:
17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
If you want to grow in the Lord and begin moving forward in your walk with Him.
You need to stretch your faith.
Ex: Stretch Armstrong doll
Perhaps you have a goal to break a bad habit, to lose some weight, or pay off some credit cards.
Whenever we start something we are all gun hole about it.
As time passes we get a little lazy: we get complacent.
We step into a comfort zone and just sit there.
Ex I pray each morning that’s good enough for me. Bible says in 1 Thess 5:17 pray without ceasing. Having a prayful attitude at all times.
I read my bible a few times a week. Psalms 1:2 says mediate on His word day and night..This means spending time reading and thinking about what you read. Its means asking yourself if your lifestyle lines up with His word.
We need to stretch our faith.
Maybe you feel as though you have been coasting, thinking you reached your limits.
Stretch your faith, believe for an increase. Don’t stop half way. Go right up to the top of your mountain. Believe God for more.
2. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Hebrews 11:8:
8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.
Abraham’s life was filled with faith. At Gods command, he left home and went to another land- obeying without question.
He was even willing to sacrifice his own his own son.
Don’t be surprised if God asks you to give up secure, familiar surroundings in order to carry out His will.
It doesn’t take any more effort to stay filled with faith than it takes to develop a negative attitude.
Dare to step out of your comfort zone today.
God has so much more in store.
Keep pursuing and keep believing.
3. Don’t Stop Now
Genesis 11:31:
31 One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there.
Heading out to the promise land Canaan. Terah settled half way, maybe it was the climate, his health or fear but either way he missed out on Gods very best.
When the going gets tough the tough get going, but for most of us the saying goes When the going gets tough, the tough get duct tape.
Don’t settle for where you are at right now in your walk with the Lord.
I want to challenge you today to pull up your stakes, pack your tent, get your belongings, and start moving forward.
You are made for more than good enough.
Enlarge your Vision today!
You may have had a delay, but that’s okay: you can begin again today.
Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he succeeded.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
27 publishers rejected Dr. Seuss’s first book.
Babe Ruth is famous for his past home run record, but for decades he also held the record for strikeouts. He hit 714 home runs and struck out 1,330 times in his career (about which he said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”).
Even though all these people experienced many failures they all have gone down in history because they didn’t give up, they continued moving forward and didn’t give up.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said “There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.”
This morning I want to talk to you about three important ways that you can begin moving forward today.
Moving Forward
1. Stretch Your Faith
Romans 1:17:
17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
If you want to grow in the Lord and begin moving forward in your walk with Him.
You need to stretch your faith.
Ex: Stretch Armstrong doll
Perhaps you have a goal to break a bad habit, to lose some weight, or pay off some credit cards.
Whenever we start something we are all gun hole about it.
As time passes we get a little lazy: we get complacent.
We step into a comfort zone and just sit there.
Ex I pray each morning that’s good enough for me. Bible says in 1 Thess 5:17 pray without ceasing. Having a prayful attitude at all times.
I read my bible a few times a week. Psalms 1:2 says mediate on His word day and night..This means spending time reading and thinking about what you read. Its means asking yourself if your lifestyle lines up with His word.
We need to stretch our faith.
Maybe you feel as though you have been coasting, thinking you reached your limits.
Stretch your faith, believe for an increase. Don’t stop half way. Go right up to the top of your mountain. Believe God for more.
2. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Hebrews 11:8:
8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.
Abraham’s life was filled with faith. At Gods command, he left home and went to another land- obeying without question.
He was even willing to sacrifice his own his own son.
Don’t be surprised if God asks you to give up secure, familiar surroundings in order to carry out His will.
It doesn’t take any more effort to stay filled with faith than it takes to develop a negative attitude.
Dare to step out of your comfort zone today.
God has so much more in store.
Keep pursuing and keep believing.
3. Don’t Stop Now
Genesis 11:31:
31 One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there.
Heading out to the promise land Canaan. Terah settled half way, maybe it was the climate, his health or fear but either way he missed out on Gods very best.
When the going gets tough the tough get going, but for most of us the saying goes When the going gets tough, the tough get duct tape.
Don’t settle for where you are at right now in your walk with the Lord.
I want to challenge you today to pull up your stakes, pack your tent, get your belongings, and start moving forward.
You are made for more than good enough.
Enlarge your Vision today!
You may have had a delay, but that’s okay: you can begin again today.
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