Sunday, December 26, 2010

The Gift of Giving (12/5/10)

Sermon Text: John 3:16 - 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Sermon Title: The Gift of Giving

Point 1: God gave us the gift of the Law – Deut. 8:11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.
a) Let us know we don’t measure up
Point 2: God gave us the gift of His Word – Deut 8:3 - 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
a) Creates Dependency
Point 3: God gave us the gift of an Inheritance – Galatians 3:18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
a) We cannot earn it, it is ours through relationship
Point 4: God gave us the gift of His Son – John 3:16 - 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
a) We have eternal life and relationship.
Point 5: God gave us the gift of Success – Gen. 24:12 - 12 Then he prayed, “LORD, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
a) We have…
Point 6: God gave us the ability to get wealth– Deut. 8:18 - 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
Eccl 5:19 - 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.
a) We have…
Point 7: God gave us the gift of conditions “if” – Deut 11:27 - 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today;
a) We have …
Point 8: God gave us the gift of headship – Deut 28:13 - 13 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
a) We have
Point 9: God gave us the gift of victory – 2 Chronicles 20:15
He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
a) We have ….
Point 10: God gave us every good and perfect gift – James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
a) We have….
Point 11: God gave us the gift of wisdom and understanding – James 3:13 - [Two Kinds of Wisdom] Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
a) We have…
Point 12: God gave us the gift of deliverance – Isa 66:9 - 9 Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the LORD. “Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
a) We have…
Point 13: What do we give God?
We should give him our lives!
Conclusion: The gift you will receive will be changing a generation! How that that compare to a 3DFlat Screen TV. How does that compare to a Wii? How does that compare to clothes? How does that compare to a new phone?

The Gift of Giving: The Reward

Sermon Text: Matt 6:4KJV - so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Sermon Title: The Gift of Giving: The Reward
Point 1: Fulfillment – 6:2-3 - 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
Whenever people gave to those in need during biblical days many would make a big deal. They would literally broadcast it like a parade. It was as if they wanted God’s glory for doing it.
When you give with the attitude of look at me, you set up a little “g” god situation.
The person who receives will unwittingly thank you and you will unwittingly receive the thanks. If you are not careful you will bask in the moment. Those words of thanks belong to God. And in the heart of the recipient they now placed you in God’s place.
POINT 2: Sustainment – 6:25-34 - 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
In Jesus discourse, notice Jesus makes the argument that when you give at a minimum, God will reward you with the basis of life.
Point 3: Advancement – vs. 33 - 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. When you give the reward you receive is the advancement of God’s agenda. God’s agenda is funded by God’s people.
Matthew 13:58 - And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Jesus also said in Matthew 10:14 - If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.
Let’s review Sunday sermon on the cost of compassion.
1) Compassion is Need not Worth;
2) Compassion Feels;
3) Compassion Does;
4) Compassion Costs;
5) Compassion Demonstrates.
Luke 10: 35 The next day he took out two denarii[a] ($40 today) and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
Corinthians 16:2 - On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
Conclusion:
STORY ONE - Several years ago in Chicago, Joseph Kratzle, a service elevator operator in an apartment house, recovered two checks for $114,000 that had been lost by the tenant in the apartment house where he worked. His reward was a fifteen cent tip and a solicitous offer to put iodine on the cuts on his hands that he received while searching through fourteen trash bags and garbage cans. The job took three hours, he said. Mr. Kratzle accepted the fifteen cents. But declined the offer of first aid. He administered his own treatment when he returned to the basement from the tenant’s apartment. The checks were in envelopes, that had been placed by error with a bundle of letters to be discarded.
It was not Mr. Kratzle’s first experience at finding valuables. Years before, when he had been employed as a window cleaner, he was working in the Federal Reserve Bank, and found a package on the floor. It contained $83,000 in cash. That adventure was more profitable. The president of the bank gave Mr. Kratzle twenty-five dollars. God is not that stingy with rewards. He has His reward when he comes.
• Revelation 22:12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
• 1 Cor. 3:13-15 - 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
STORY TWO: There is an epitaph on a tombstone that reads: “What I SPENT, I LOST. What I SAVED, I LEFT. What I GAVE, I HAVE.” As we INVEST in the Kingdom of God, we assure for ourselves an ETERNAL REWARD.

Virtual Family Sunday Questions

What ways can we create community as a family? How has our viewership/church attendance enhanced or diminished our family covenant? What way...