Releasing the Blessed Life Part 02 of series Pastor Chad Billington 2012 - Do Not Copy Without Permission
(2 nd Service Introduce Youth serving in Camp Ministry) Grade & Maddie Loten Caton s Island Megan Haggerty Green Hill Lake Camp Why do you choose to serve a Christian Camps in the summer? - Reminder they have to raise part of their wage as a camp counsellor. These three serve very faithfully with great attitudes in our KONNECT children s ministry. If you know them, or just want to support them, be sure to approach them today, or if you need help contacting them, we ll help you contact them. Last Week Pastor Verner Introduced us to The Blessed Life Challenged by book written by Robert Morris, The Blessed Life. Pastor Verner is asking you to read this book over the summer. It will get you thinking, and provoke you, but also stir you. Challenged me. Some available at Info Desk today, you can order others there for $10. SAILBOAT - Pastor Verner talked about blessing as being like a sailboat (in comparison to a powerboat without gas). - My thought the difference between a sailboat and a motorboat, is that a motorboat depends on your effort (money/gas), whereas a sailboat aligns itself with the power that is around it. Long after the gas / money is gone, the sailboat can keep moving. Like a sailboat catches the wind by adjusting its course, we need to align ourselves with the principles clearly taught in God s Word that lead to blessing. Then Verner said this has something to do not just with our general lives, but also with our money. This can make us uncomfortable. PERSONAL STORY: TALKING WITH PROFESSOR ABOUT GOD BLESSING A BUSINESS. LOOKED AT OT PASSAGES, AS WELL AS SIMPLE QUESTION, IF Releasing the Blessed Life 2012 Page 2 of 8
JESUS IS TO BE LORD OVER MY LIFE, WHY WOULD I NOT EXPECT THAT IF I HONOUR HIM WITH MY FINANCES, AND MY BUSINESS THAT HE WOULD BLESS IT? Matthew 6:21 (NIV84) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Our hearts, our emotions, our feelings are tied into our treasure. How would it make you feel if I asked you for $100 right now? Uncomfortable (what s going on here?) Jesus talked about money, and used money stories to teach about his Kingdom Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV84 - excerpts) 14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talentsa of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. Master, he said, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more. 21 His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master s happiness! after hearing of someone who was a poor steward 28 Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. A talent was worth Jesus using this illustration to make an important point. GOD BLESSES GOOD STEWARDSHIP. If we use well what God has given us, we can be entrusted to handle more important things.
$100 Question How did you feel when you gave me this $100? Were you anxious that I had asked for it? The first step to being a good steward, is to recognize I am a steward, I am not the owner. My money is not mine, it is given to me to manage. This takes the pressure off as to why we have so much and others have more / less (Matthew 25:15). Our job is to be faithful with what we ve been given. HOW DO WE KNOW WE ARE NOT JUST GIVING LIP SERVICE TO SAYING GOD IS LORD, THAT WE ARE REALLY STEWARDS. 2 Practices that help us remember we are stewards of what God has given Giving to God First (a.k.a. Firstfruits) All throughout scripture, God makes it clear that he is to be first in our lives. First in devotion Exodus 20:3 (NIV84) You will have no other God s before me. God is to be the only God we serve. The only one we ultimately trust. Psalm 20:7 (NIV84) Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Proverbs 11:28 (NIV84) Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. One way that we see over and over again in scripture for people to tangibly demonstrate that God is first in the realm of their wealth is that God s people would give to God of the first-fruits of their flocks / produce.
Genesis 4:2-5 Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Cain brought some (over time), Abel brought the first. God asks for the firstborn of Moses as a reminder of Egypt Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16 The LORD said to Moses, 2 Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal. 11 After the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your forefathers, 12 you are to give over to the LORD the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD. 13 Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons. 14 In days to come, when your son asks you, What does this mean? say to him, With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in Egypt, both man and animal. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons. 16 And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand. Exodus 23:19 (NIV84) Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God. We are to give to God the best of what comes.
The principle of the firstfruits God says the first is his. Financial Planning principle pay yourself first (i.e. save for retirement/later) Christian teaching honour God first with your money. WHEN THEY GAVE GOD THE FIRST LAMB, THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE OF NUMBER 2. Giving first is an act of faith and dependence upon God. We are not to give God out of our leftovers, if He is first, he is first even in money. Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV) 9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. Practice #2: The Tithe (lit. tenth) Last week Pastor Verner quoted a passage from Malachi 3:8 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 (NIV) God said that one tenth of everything was to be devoted to him, and this was done either by sacrifice, or giving to his work. Leviticus 27:30-32 (NIV84) A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. 31 If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it. 32 The entire tithe of the herd and flock every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd s rod will be holy to the LORD.
NOT JUST ABOUT A LAW We can get caught up, in saying that tithing is something that was in the OT law, and doesn t Jesus set us free from the law. But we can miss the point, that tithing is about the heart. Long before the commandments were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, we find that the principle in practice. EXAMPLE: ABRAHAM AND MELCHIZEDEK GENESIS 14, REFERRED TO IN HEBREWS 7 Story of Jacob at his famous dream, seeing angels ascending and descending to God, at Bethel Genesis 28:22 (NIV84) this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth. We have to be careful We have to be careful, when we hear talk of this that we don t reduce tithing to Christian tax. How many of us really enjoy paying taxes? We know the money goes towards things that are good (e.g. roads, hospitals, caring for needy) and some goes to things we don t like too. But at income tax time, we prefer to get a refund than to get a bill. True. None of us like paying a bill, having a debt hanging over our heads. We can turn our giving into Christian Tax (in fact in some parts of the world, church giving is done as a part of your tax return). Jesus wasn t impressed with this kind of attitude. Matthew 23:23 (NIV84) Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
Jesus is critiquing the Religious leaders who were meticulous about obeying the law, but their heart was not aligned with the concerns of God. Jesus told them to get their concern for justice and mercy in order, but Jesus also told them to keep tithing. (this is about the only thing Jesus commends the religious leaders for in the gospels). Throughout Christian history, giving to God of the first-fruits, the best, even the tithe have been. GRANDMOTHER TEACHING ME ABOUT TITHING I GOT THIS PROTECTIONIST ATTITUDE. 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 (NIV) We teach this because the Bible invites us to receive the blessings of God. I know that blessings are much more than financial, and that we get ourselves into danger when we measure blessing by comparison with each other, or by the standards of our culture. But don t think that God is God everywhere but your wallet, your bank account. God rewards good stewardship, and those who place him first. Part of placing God first is placing him first in finances.