ACCEPTING THE TEN PERCENT CHALLENGE
GOD’S GUARANTEE
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out so much blessing until it overflows” ( Mal. 3:10)
THE CONDITIONS
Remember the principle: You give first.
1. You sign God’s Guarantee and give 10 percent of your income for a period of ninety days.
2. Each time you receive your paycheck you take your liberal gift out for the Lord and bring it to Silver Hills Church.
OUR GUARANTEE
1. If, at the end of ninety days, you feel your decision was a mistake, or that it created a financial crisis, or you did not receive a blessing, we will give your money back promptly.
2. That’s all there is to it. Remember: you have signed a money back guarantee – you have nothing to loose.
Your name _________________________
ACCEPTING THE OVER THE TEN PERCENT CHALLENGE
1. Recognizing God’s ownership and my stewardship, and wanted the blessings promised, I hereby choose to accept God’s Guarantee Challenge.
2. For ninety days, I will give over 10 percent of my income to the Lord through Green Valley Church.
_________I already give over 10 percent
_________I will start giving over 10 percent
_________ I will increase the amount I already give over 10 per cent by
Name ______________________________
Signature ___________________________
Date ______________________
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Worldliness by C.J.Mahaney
Worldliness by C.J. Mahaney
Today, the greatest challenge facing American believers is not persecution from the world, but seduction by the world. Charles Spurgeon wrote 150 years ago, “Worldliness is growing over the church; she is mossed with it.”
Would I be able to tell you apart? Would I be able to discern a difference between you and your converted neighbor, coworker, classmate or friend? Have the lines between Christian and worldly conduct in your life become so indistinguishable that there is really no difference at all?
What dominates your mind and stirs your heart? Is it discontentment with your life? Longings for earthly pleasures? Does outward prosperity appeal to you more than growth in godliness? Or is your prayer life characterized by heartfelt supplications for God’s will to be done and His kingdom to come?
Do you covet the esteem and crave the approval of those around you? do you go to great lengths to avoid looking foolish or being rejected for your Christian faith? Do you consider present and material results more important than eternal reward? Have you departed from God and adopted idols instead? Are you at war with God?
Worldliness does not consist in outward behavior, though our actions can certainly be an evidence of worldliness within. But the real location of worldliness is internal. It resides in our hearts.
John Calvin wrote, “the evil in our desires often lies not in what we want, but in the fact that we want it too much.”
If you’re more excited about the release of a new movie or video game than about serving in the local church, if you are drawn to people more because of their physical attractiveness or personality than their character, if you are impressed by Hollywood stars or professional athletes regardless of their lack of integrity and morality, then you have been seduced by this fallen world.
Do you want the world to lose its appeal? Then crowd out worldliness by filling your affections with the cross of Christ. Crucify the world as dead and undesirable thing by meditating on the love of the Savior.
Charles Spurgeon urged us to “dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard.”
We must fight worldliness because it dulls our affections for Christ and distracts our attention from Christ. Worldliness is so serious because Christ is so glorious.
Today, the greatest challenge facing American believers is not persecution from the world, but seduction by the world. Charles Spurgeon wrote 150 years ago, “Worldliness is growing over the church; she is mossed with it.”
Would I be able to tell you apart? Would I be able to discern a difference between you and your converted neighbor, coworker, classmate or friend? Have the lines between Christian and worldly conduct in your life become so indistinguishable that there is really no difference at all?
What dominates your mind and stirs your heart? Is it discontentment with your life? Longings for earthly pleasures? Does outward prosperity appeal to you more than growth in godliness? Or is your prayer life characterized by heartfelt supplications for God’s will to be done and His kingdom to come?
Do you covet the esteem and crave the approval of those around you? do you go to great lengths to avoid looking foolish or being rejected for your Christian faith? Do you consider present and material results more important than eternal reward? Have you departed from God and adopted idols instead? Are you at war with God?
Worldliness does not consist in outward behavior, though our actions can certainly be an evidence of worldliness within. But the real location of worldliness is internal. It resides in our hearts.
John Calvin wrote, “the evil in our desires often lies not in what we want, but in the fact that we want it too much.”
If you’re more excited about the release of a new movie or video game than about serving in the local church, if you are drawn to people more because of their physical attractiveness or personality than their character, if you are impressed by Hollywood stars or professional athletes regardless of their lack of integrity and morality, then you have been seduced by this fallen world.
Do you want the world to lose its appeal? Then crowd out worldliness by filling your affections with the cross of Christ. Crucify the world as dead and undesirable thing by meditating on the love of the Savior.
Charles Spurgeon urged us to “dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard.”
We must fight worldliness because it dulls our affections for Christ and distracts our attention from Christ. Worldliness is so serious because Christ is so glorious.
Joyful Giving #3
Joyous Giving
Stewardship #3
November 2, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming
Introduction: Turn in your bible to 2 Cor chapter 9. Please turn off the lights. Eph 5:8 “ 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. ----- as a believer in Jesus Christ you are to expose your life – your thinking – your values and all that you are to the light of the Word of God. Your relationships are to be under the light of the Word of God --- that is why we have been taking the Peacemakers training on Tuesdays….. Your marriage must be under the light of the Word of God – that is why we have the seminar Love and Respect. Your dating must be under the light of the Word of God – the movies that you watch and the books that you read must be under the light of the Word of God. How you are going to vote this Tuesday must be under the light of the Word of God and not your political party…….Your sexuality must be under the light of the Word of God….. Your work must be under the light of the Word of God. Your money and your possessions must be under the light of the Word of God.
All that you are and think must be under the light of the Word of God. Paul says – “for you were once darkness but now your are light in the Lord – live as a child of the light and find out what pleases the Lord.” If the bible tells us that we must find out what pleases God then we have to assume that we do not know. We do not hear much about pleasing the Lord today. Most of us are only concerned with pleasing ourselves ---- that is like everyone around us and we do not concern ourselves with bringing all of the areas of our lives under the light of the Word of God – we are worldly. Jerry Bridges says in his book “Respectable Sins” Worldliness means accepting the values, mores, and practices of our nice unbelieving society around us without discerning whether or not those values are biblical.”…..
I went to the trouble of typing out for you some words about wordliness from C.J. Mahaney – it is in your program. We must become a people who live as a child of the light and find out what pleases the Lord.
Psalm 135:5- 6 “I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” So God is not all that concerned with pleasing His creation – He is focused on pleasing Himself….. He is hedonistic. Proverbs 15:8 “The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases Him.” Prayer pleases God. The prayer of a believer who is in right standing with Him pleases Him. God is pleased when His children talk to Him……….. John 8:28 - 29 (Jesus) “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.”…. Jesus sought to please the Father during His 33 years on this earth and He always fully pleased the Father while being fully a man. If we pursue being like Christ then we must pursue pleasing God…… Listen kids to this one from Eph 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” It is pleasing to God to obey your parents. It is pleasing to God to not give your dad and mom a hard time. If you have a hard time obeying your mom and dad just think of your disobedience as displeasing to God. 1 Timothy 2:3 says that when we pray for our political leaders it pleases God and 1 John 3:21 says “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him. And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son – Jesus Christ and to love one another.”…….. It pleases God when you believe in Jesus. It pleases God when that belief in Jesus causes you to love one another. It pleases God when your belief in Jesus causes your life to change and begin to reflect godliness.
We are talking about stewardship – managing the money and possessions that God has given to us. We either want to please God with our money and possessions or we are only concerned with pleasing ourselves. We are in the state that we are in as a country because the majority of us are only concerned with pleasing our selves when it comes to money and what we do with that money. Some of us are deep deep in debt. Some of us are even considering bankruptcy as a way out and some of us have no idea how to get a handle on our money so that it does not control us. This past week – is the first time in 13 years that I have had someone meet with me for help in managing their money. Pleasing God has got to become an issue in our lives especially when it comes to money. Most believers are ashamed of how they have managed money and many simply do not want to change. I am talking about money – this is our third message on money – we have a second testimony today --- please do not get up and walk out on me and I am sorry if you feel like I am stepping on your toes – my heart is to encourage you and to help you and to challenge you to repent and to glorify God by the way you use and manage the money He gives you. Jesus gives us these sobering words in (TOP OF YOUR OUTLINE) Luke 12:48 “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Everyone of us have been given much because we live in this country………..If you and I learn to please God in our giving…. I guarantee you that you will experience more joy in God. Do you want more joy in God? So – today I want to give you 10 ways to give that pleases God. We are talking about joyful giving. Last week we read 2 Corinthians chapter 8 – today we are reading chapter 9. I am going to use last weeks chapter and this weeks chapter since they both go together. PHIL .
Ten Ways to Give That Pleases God
1. God is pleased when you give even though you are overwhelmed with your problems. Last week we read about the believers in Macedonia 2 Cor. 8:1 – 2 “Now, brothers, about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” These believers were persecuted – robbed – imprisoned and beaten for their faith. Most of them had been layed off from work and had their homes foreclosed on. Do you only give when you have no problems? Do you only give when you have paid all the bills? Do you give only when you have work? Some of you are overwhelmed with expenses and problems. I have known what that feels like….. In June – because of our grandsons death -- the extra expenses in our life went over $3000.00. Some of it was paid for by others but I still thought to myself – “how in the world are we going to pay for these things and when it came to giving to God in June - I actually thought of not doing that ----- but by God’s grace we gave. Give – even when your problems overwhelm you.
2. God is pleased when you give and you are in poverty. Poverty is relative in the United States because even those who receive disability and social security checks are rich compared to the rest of the world.
Turn to the gospel of Mark chap 12:41………. Jesus is teaching in the Jewish Temple courts at this time and people are bringing their giving to the temple. Follow along with me: “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. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They gave out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.” What this woman did is recorded in the bible for some reason……. God’s Word teaches us that no matter how difficult our financial situation is we can still give something to God. Some of us live paycheck to paycheck but there is no one in here who goes down to the Carson River with a 5 gal drum to get water and there is no one in here who uses a hoe and goes out in a field to use the bathroom. God is pleased when you give and you are in poverty.
3. God is pleased when you give beyond your ability. Verse 3 of chapter 8. “For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.” These believers gave what they could afford and what they could not afford. These believers trusted God and He did not let them down. Determine what you should give to God and you will find yourself giving beyond your ability to give. You can never say you can’t give because you are not able to. If you not able to give then you can give. God gave the Macedonian believers that ability and He will not stop doing that with you.
4. God is pleased when you give generously. Verse 2 of chapter 8 “out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” When Paul wrote this for some reason he used the words joy and generosity. God is pleased when we give generous amounts with generous hearts. Notice that the amount goes with the condition of the heart. It is possible to give and not have a generous heart. Your gift may be small compared to someone else’s gift but if your heart is generous --- God is pleased. God is not pleased when we give from stingy hearts ---- A man prayed once --- “God, you can have anything you can pry out of my hands”. You laugh at that but some have said it. Think about it:
Everything you have came from God and belongs to God – simple gratitude should motive you to give as much money to God’s work as you can. Do not stop at 10% ----10% is not this legalistic spiritual mark that you have achieved and when you have achieved it you have arrived spiritually. Do not stop at giving an offering which is giving above 10%. Learn to give sacrificially. Dr Mark Dever has said that as American believers we cannot say we give sacrificially until we have given to the point where the gift has lowered our net worth. I have to say that in my Christian life -- My wife and I give generously but we have only given sacrificially one time --- if I use Pastor Dever’s definition. If that confuses you please do not hesitate to ask me to expand on it.
5. God is pleased when we give eagerly. Verse 4 of chap. 8. “they pleaded with us for the privilege in this service to the saints.” We do not know exactly what was going on here – Paul and Titus may have seen how poor these believers were and the believers found out about the need and the were eager to give. This example tells us that God is pleased when His people have an attitude of an eagerness to give. That means they did not feel obligated – or pressured or guilt driven. An eagerness to give means that you plan to give. It means that you think about and pray about your giving before the opportunity to give --- it is not an impulse thing. I am pleased to say that in the past 13 years I can think of a few people who have asked me how they could give to a need. It happened just this past week. God is pleased when our giving is from an eagerness.
6. God is pleased when we give cheerfully. Chp 9:7 “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Is there a joy in your heart when it comes to giving on Sunday? Do you resent having a bag passed around and or do you feel guilty for not putting in something? This verse was driven home in my thinking in 1979 when I was in Zululand and at a Zulu church service and it came time for the offering --- everyone stood up and everyone had some money in their hand and they were waving it back and forth – smiling and laughing and we all sang and two steeped in a line up to the front and put our giving in the offering plate. They demonstrated outwardly what Paul is talking about pleases God inwardly. If there is joy in your heart when it comes time to give to God – God is pleased. ---- so if there is no joy then you are off the hook when it comes to giving????? That is not biblical thinking…….. give and ask God for joy.
7. God is pleased when you give yourself to Him and to your spiritual leaders along with your money.
I know of believers who give… but they want nothing to do with submitting to the spiritual leadership of a local church family. They miss grace giving. They miss joyful giving. Their giving is not pleasing to God……… 2 Cor 8:5 “And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” Paul clearly lays out that giving oneself to God and then to spiritual leaders is God’s will. You can give and be out of God’s will. You either support your spiritual leaders or you do not. These believers that Paul is writing about were not devoted to a doctrine or a certain issue that they had as a hobby horse and that was the only reason they gave but they were first and foremost devoted to God. They loved Him – obeyed Him and served Him and they were devoted to their spiritual leaders – they loved them – respected them and served them. When you are devoted to God and devoted to your spiritual leaders along with your money that pleases God.
8. God is pleased when you accept your personal responsibility to give. In 1 Cor. 16:1-2 Paul laid for the church this principle. “Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of the week (Sunday) each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income as I directed the churches in Galatia, so do you also.” What does these two verses tell you? Every believer in a local church is to give. “each one of you” is pretty clear. Everybody is to participate in the support of their church family. It does not matter what your situation is --- God expects you to support your church family. COMMENT…. It pleases God when you accept your responsibility. Take out of your program an insert that I put in there – Accepting the 10% challenge. I want to help you be responsible. I want to help you please God. Let me read this for you………..
Take out insert and read it……… God is pleased when you accept your personal responsibility to give.
9. God is pleased when you carefully plan your giving. 1 Cor 16:2 “On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.” Paul was teaching the church to plan ahead. He was teaching the church financial planning. He was teaching the church to plan ones giving. Planned giving involves choosing a time to give. You are going to give every pay period – every week – every two weeks or once a month. Planned giving involves choosing a form of giving. You are going to give cash or check – when you give you are going to put it in an envelope with your name on it so that at the end of the year a record can be sent back to you so you can see how your giving was.
Planned giving involves choosing a place to give – for the believer the #1 place is their local church family – the book of Malachi tells us that.
A good steward carefully plans how he should invest His masters money in his masters best interest. When extra giving opportunities come to our family – Cheryl and I discuss them and we choose very carefully where we give. We have had many giving opportunities come to us as a church family over the past years but we have chosen very carefully where we invest God’s money. God is pleased when you carefully plan your giving.
10. God is pleased when you base your giving on the level of your prosperity. 16:2 “On the first day of the week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper.” The apostle Paul lays out giving here for the believer. We are to give to God based on the level of our financial prosperity. The more you make the more you give to God. The more prosperous God makes you the more you invest in His kingdom. Some of us do not consider ourselves prosperous – you are. You live in this country. My wife and I have learned to give 20% of our income back to God. That is this year – I want to see it increase next year. Do you remember the promise from the first message Luke 6 “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Cheryl and I have seen and experienced the truth of this promise --- we just want to increase our measuring cup.
I want you to hear how others are dealing with the issue of giving in their lives and Andy Getas is going to give us his testimony.
Andy testimony
Let us pray: Heavenly Father – I pray for your people that they would become pleasers of You. Help them not to forget to share with others, for with such sacrifices You are pleased. Would you work in them that which is pleasing to You. Would you help them to become generous givers. Help them to become pleasing stewards of the money and possessions that You have given to them. Father – may we walk in the light of the Word of God with our finances. Show us where our attitudes need to be changed. Show us where our financial habits need repenting. Lord – may we become a church family of generous givers. We ask in Jesus name --- Amen
Stewardship #3
November 2, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming
Introduction: Turn in your bible to 2 Cor chapter 9. Please turn off the lights. Eph 5:8 “ 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. ----- as a believer in Jesus Christ you are to expose your life – your thinking – your values and all that you are to the light of the Word of God. Your relationships are to be under the light of the Word of God --- that is why we have been taking the Peacemakers training on Tuesdays….. Your marriage must be under the light of the Word of God – that is why we have the seminar Love and Respect. Your dating must be under the light of the Word of God – the movies that you watch and the books that you read must be under the light of the Word of God. How you are going to vote this Tuesday must be under the light of the Word of God and not your political party…….Your sexuality must be under the light of the Word of God….. Your work must be under the light of the Word of God. Your money and your possessions must be under the light of the Word of God.
All that you are and think must be under the light of the Word of God. Paul says – “for you were once darkness but now your are light in the Lord – live as a child of the light and find out what pleases the Lord.” If the bible tells us that we must find out what pleases God then we have to assume that we do not know. We do not hear much about pleasing the Lord today. Most of us are only concerned with pleasing ourselves ---- that is like everyone around us and we do not concern ourselves with bringing all of the areas of our lives under the light of the Word of God – we are worldly. Jerry Bridges says in his book “Respectable Sins” Worldliness means accepting the values, mores, and practices of our nice unbelieving society around us without discerning whether or not those values are biblical.”…..
I went to the trouble of typing out for you some words about wordliness from C.J. Mahaney – it is in your program. We must become a people who live as a child of the light and find out what pleases the Lord.
Psalm 135:5- 6 “I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” So God is not all that concerned with pleasing His creation – He is focused on pleasing Himself….. He is hedonistic. Proverbs 15:8 “The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases Him.” Prayer pleases God. The prayer of a believer who is in right standing with Him pleases Him. God is pleased when His children talk to Him……….. John 8:28 - 29 (Jesus) “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.”…. Jesus sought to please the Father during His 33 years on this earth and He always fully pleased the Father while being fully a man. If we pursue being like Christ then we must pursue pleasing God…… Listen kids to this one from Eph 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” It is pleasing to God to obey your parents. It is pleasing to God to not give your dad and mom a hard time. If you have a hard time obeying your mom and dad just think of your disobedience as displeasing to God. 1 Timothy 2:3 says that when we pray for our political leaders it pleases God and 1 John 3:21 says “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him. And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son – Jesus Christ and to love one another.”…….. It pleases God when you believe in Jesus. It pleases God when that belief in Jesus causes you to love one another. It pleases God when your belief in Jesus causes your life to change and begin to reflect godliness.
We are talking about stewardship – managing the money and possessions that God has given to us. We either want to please God with our money and possessions or we are only concerned with pleasing ourselves. We are in the state that we are in as a country because the majority of us are only concerned with pleasing our selves when it comes to money and what we do with that money. Some of us are deep deep in debt. Some of us are even considering bankruptcy as a way out and some of us have no idea how to get a handle on our money so that it does not control us. This past week – is the first time in 13 years that I have had someone meet with me for help in managing their money. Pleasing God has got to become an issue in our lives especially when it comes to money. Most believers are ashamed of how they have managed money and many simply do not want to change. I am talking about money – this is our third message on money – we have a second testimony today --- please do not get up and walk out on me and I am sorry if you feel like I am stepping on your toes – my heart is to encourage you and to help you and to challenge you to repent and to glorify God by the way you use and manage the money He gives you. Jesus gives us these sobering words in (TOP OF YOUR OUTLINE) Luke 12:48 “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Everyone of us have been given much because we live in this country………..If you and I learn to please God in our giving…. I guarantee you that you will experience more joy in God. Do you want more joy in God? So – today I want to give you 10 ways to give that pleases God. We are talking about joyful giving. Last week we read 2 Corinthians chapter 8 – today we are reading chapter 9. I am going to use last weeks chapter and this weeks chapter since they both go together. PHIL .
Ten Ways to Give That Pleases God
1. God is pleased when you give even though you are overwhelmed with your problems. Last week we read about the believers in Macedonia 2 Cor. 8:1 – 2 “Now, brothers, about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” These believers were persecuted – robbed – imprisoned and beaten for their faith. Most of them had been layed off from work and had their homes foreclosed on. Do you only give when you have no problems? Do you only give when you have paid all the bills? Do you give only when you have work? Some of you are overwhelmed with expenses and problems. I have known what that feels like….. In June – because of our grandsons death -- the extra expenses in our life went over $3000.00. Some of it was paid for by others but I still thought to myself – “how in the world are we going to pay for these things and when it came to giving to God in June - I actually thought of not doing that ----- but by God’s grace we gave. Give – even when your problems overwhelm you.
2. God is pleased when you give and you are in poverty. Poverty is relative in the United States because even those who receive disability and social security checks are rich compared to the rest of the world.
Turn to the gospel of Mark chap 12:41………. Jesus is teaching in the Jewish Temple courts at this time and people are bringing their giving to the temple. Follow along with me: “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. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They gave out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.” What this woman did is recorded in the bible for some reason……. God’s Word teaches us that no matter how difficult our financial situation is we can still give something to God. Some of us live paycheck to paycheck but there is no one in here who goes down to the Carson River with a 5 gal drum to get water and there is no one in here who uses a hoe and goes out in a field to use the bathroom. God is pleased when you give and you are in poverty.
3. God is pleased when you give beyond your ability. Verse 3 of chapter 8. “For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.” These believers gave what they could afford and what they could not afford. These believers trusted God and He did not let them down. Determine what you should give to God and you will find yourself giving beyond your ability to give. You can never say you can’t give because you are not able to. If you not able to give then you can give. God gave the Macedonian believers that ability and He will not stop doing that with you.
4. God is pleased when you give generously. Verse 2 of chapter 8 “out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” When Paul wrote this for some reason he used the words joy and generosity. God is pleased when we give generous amounts with generous hearts. Notice that the amount goes with the condition of the heart. It is possible to give and not have a generous heart. Your gift may be small compared to someone else’s gift but if your heart is generous --- God is pleased. God is not pleased when we give from stingy hearts ---- A man prayed once --- “God, you can have anything you can pry out of my hands”. You laugh at that but some have said it. Think about it:
Everything you have came from God and belongs to God – simple gratitude should motive you to give as much money to God’s work as you can. Do not stop at 10% ----10% is not this legalistic spiritual mark that you have achieved and when you have achieved it you have arrived spiritually. Do not stop at giving an offering which is giving above 10%. Learn to give sacrificially. Dr Mark Dever has said that as American believers we cannot say we give sacrificially until we have given to the point where the gift has lowered our net worth. I have to say that in my Christian life -- My wife and I give generously but we have only given sacrificially one time --- if I use Pastor Dever’s definition. If that confuses you please do not hesitate to ask me to expand on it.
5. God is pleased when we give eagerly. Verse 4 of chap. 8. “they pleaded with us for the privilege in this service to the saints.” We do not know exactly what was going on here – Paul and Titus may have seen how poor these believers were and the believers found out about the need and the were eager to give. This example tells us that God is pleased when His people have an attitude of an eagerness to give. That means they did not feel obligated – or pressured or guilt driven. An eagerness to give means that you plan to give. It means that you think about and pray about your giving before the opportunity to give --- it is not an impulse thing. I am pleased to say that in the past 13 years I can think of a few people who have asked me how they could give to a need. It happened just this past week. God is pleased when our giving is from an eagerness.
6. God is pleased when we give cheerfully. Chp 9:7 “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Is there a joy in your heart when it comes to giving on Sunday? Do you resent having a bag passed around and or do you feel guilty for not putting in something? This verse was driven home in my thinking in 1979 when I was in Zululand and at a Zulu church service and it came time for the offering --- everyone stood up and everyone had some money in their hand and they were waving it back and forth – smiling and laughing and we all sang and two steeped in a line up to the front and put our giving in the offering plate. They demonstrated outwardly what Paul is talking about pleases God inwardly. If there is joy in your heart when it comes time to give to God – God is pleased. ---- so if there is no joy then you are off the hook when it comes to giving????? That is not biblical thinking…….. give and ask God for joy.
7. God is pleased when you give yourself to Him and to your spiritual leaders along with your money.
I know of believers who give… but they want nothing to do with submitting to the spiritual leadership of a local church family. They miss grace giving. They miss joyful giving. Their giving is not pleasing to God……… 2 Cor 8:5 “And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” Paul clearly lays out that giving oneself to God and then to spiritual leaders is God’s will. You can give and be out of God’s will. You either support your spiritual leaders or you do not. These believers that Paul is writing about were not devoted to a doctrine or a certain issue that they had as a hobby horse and that was the only reason they gave but they were first and foremost devoted to God. They loved Him – obeyed Him and served Him and they were devoted to their spiritual leaders – they loved them – respected them and served them. When you are devoted to God and devoted to your spiritual leaders along with your money that pleases God.
8. God is pleased when you accept your personal responsibility to give. In 1 Cor. 16:1-2 Paul laid for the church this principle. “Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of the week (Sunday) each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income as I directed the churches in Galatia, so do you also.” What does these two verses tell you? Every believer in a local church is to give. “each one of you” is pretty clear. Everybody is to participate in the support of their church family. It does not matter what your situation is --- God expects you to support your church family. COMMENT…. It pleases God when you accept your responsibility. Take out of your program an insert that I put in there – Accepting the 10% challenge. I want to help you be responsible. I want to help you please God. Let me read this for you………..
Take out insert and read it……… God is pleased when you accept your personal responsibility to give.
9. God is pleased when you carefully plan your giving. 1 Cor 16:2 “On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.” Paul was teaching the church to plan ahead. He was teaching the church financial planning. He was teaching the church to plan ones giving. Planned giving involves choosing a time to give. You are going to give every pay period – every week – every two weeks or once a month. Planned giving involves choosing a form of giving. You are going to give cash or check – when you give you are going to put it in an envelope with your name on it so that at the end of the year a record can be sent back to you so you can see how your giving was.
Planned giving involves choosing a place to give – for the believer the #1 place is their local church family – the book of Malachi tells us that.
A good steward carefully plans how he should invest His masters money in his masters best interest. When extra giving opportunities come to our family – Cheryl and I discuss them and we choose very carefully where we give. We have had many giving opportunities come to us as a church family over the past years but we have chosen very carefully where we invest God’s money. God is pleased when you carefully plan your giving.
10. God is pleased when you base your giving on the level of your prosperity. 16:2 “On the first day of the week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper.” The apostle Paul lays out giving here for the believer. We are to give to God based on the level of our financial prosperity. The more you make the more you give to God. The more prosperous God makes you the more you invest in His kingdom. Some of us do not consider ourselves prosperous – you are. You live in this country. My wife and I have learned to give 20% of our income back to God. That is this year – I want to see it increase next year. Do you remember the promise from the first message Luke 6 “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Cheryl and I have seen and experienced the truth of this promise --- we just want to increase our measuring cup.
I want you to hear how others are dealing with the issue of giving in their lives and Andy Getas is going to give us his testimony.
Andy testimony
Let us pray: Heavenly Father – I pray for your people that they would become pleasers of You. Help them not to forget to share with others, for with such sacrifices You are pleased. Would you work in them that which is pleasing to You. Would you help them to become generous givers. Help them to become pleasing stewards of the money and possessions that You have given to them. Father – may we walk in the light of the Word of God with our finances. Show us where our attitudes need to be changed. Show us where our financial habits need repenting. Lord – may we become a church family of generous givers. We ask in Jesus name --- Amen
Joyful Giving #2
Joyful Giving
Stewardship #2
October 26th 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming
Take your bibles and turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 8. Last week I began a new series on stewardship. I am calling it joyful giving. We are going to talk about money – using money and giving money. Please do not get up and walk out on me. You need to hear these words from God. People are worried about money. It’s interesting to look at some of the articles on MSN Money. “Five things its cheaper to do yourself.” “Sorry baby boomers so much for retirement” and “tell us if you are drowning in debt.” SLIDE I am even getting emails from American Express and this one caught my eye. You do not have to pay your debts you can walk away from them.”
The bible says in 1 Timothy 5:8 “if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”…. Regardless of what you might think or hear or believe – biblically – it is not the government’s responsibility to provide for you. That is not biblical thinking. If you have graduated from high school or college – it is not your parents responsibility to provide for you and put a roof over your head… How we use our money for ourselves – how we use our money to bless others and especially for God’s sake is a spiritual issue.
2 Cor 5:10 says “ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”…..You and I are going to be judged by God for how we use our money and our possessions here on this earth. What kind of a steward are you? Your pastor and leaders are going to be judged by God for how we use this churches money. In another light --- do you know that we mock and laugh at those among us who are penny pinchers and frugal and those who are spenders and wasteful, we say nothing……… When Paul says – every believer is going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ and that each believer will receive what is due him for the things done in the body, good or bad --- that is either true or not.
Why is a biblical use of our money and resources so crucial to our growth in godliness? We invest most of our days working in exchange for money – making it –thinking about it and worrying about it and spending it or using it. But we do not take managing money all that serious ---- if we mess up ---- we now believe that somebody is going to bail us out. We can always file bankruptcy or the government will take care of us and bail us out. That is a thinking that permeates our society and the church of Jesus Christ….. In a sense, money is that which represents who we are – it represents what are our priorities and what’s in our hearts. As we use our money and resources – we prove our growth in Christ.
The use of your money and how you give it away is one of the best ways of evaluating your relationship with Jesus Christ and your spiritual trustworthiness… If you are learning to love Christ with all your heart, your giving will reflect joyful giving. If you love Christ and the work of His Kingdom more than anything else,….. your giving will show that. Look at this quote (SLIDE) “We will do many things before we will give someone else, even Christ, the rights over every dollar we have and ever will have. But if you are learning to do that it will be expressed in your giving.” --- Donald Whitney
Last week we studied joyful giving. Today I want us to examine grace giving as Paul teaches it in 2 Corinthians 8. Paul uses the word charis or grace – 10 times in chapter 8 -9. It is God’s grace that plays a vital role in our lives in faithful financial stewardship. Please stand with me as we read 2 Corinthians chapter 8. PHIL BRADY . I want to draw 6 principles of grace giving for you from chapter 8 - 9 . Keep your bible open to these two chapters.
Biblical Principles of Grace Giving
1. Grace giving is the result of God’s gracious creation of generosity in the heart of the believer.
2 Corinthians. 8:1 “Now, brethren, we wish to make know to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia.” Both chapter 8 and 9 begin and end with a reference to God’s grace. In chapter 9 Paul brings this up close by saying that generosity comes from the work of God’s grace in the life of a believer. Look at chapter 9:14 “While they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.” ………It was the grace of God in the Macedonian believers that enabled them and empowered them to give. Bible Scholar and laymen Jerry Bridges writes, “What was the secret of such an outpouring of generosity? We have no reason to believe that these believers were more inclined to be generous in giving to the needs of others. In the United States, one of the most affluent nations, believers give 1 – 2% of their income. The apostle Paul says that the Macedonian believers gave generously because of the grace of God – it was the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believers.” How can you give when you do not have enough as it is? How can a believer become a giver – the same way a believer forgives. The same way a believer witnesses to someone else. The same way a believer loves others. The same way a believer serves and uses his or her spiritual gifts – a believer becomes a giver by the grace that God gives them. God uses and blesses the believer who relies on and turns to Him to give. Paul put it this way:
1 Corinthians 15: 9 – 11 “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, (do you feel that way about yourself?) and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Notice what is underlined ……Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.” Sadly ---- “If you do not think you can become a giver then you do not believe in the grace of God for any other area of your life.” It is the grace of God that makes your heart generous. Ask God to do that in you. Ask Him to start and increase your giving. 2nd principle
2. Grace giving looks at participation in the needs of other believers as a privilege. Look what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8:4 “they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.” The Greek word the NIV translates as privilege is the word grace. So, the Christians in Madedonia did not resent being asked to give to believers in Jerusalem. They pleaded for the opportunity and they considered it a privilege. When there is an opportunity to give ---- grace giving provokes you to get involved. You either gave to the projector project out of obligation or your gave out of grace giving or you did not give at all. When there is a need that I know about as the pastor I ought to be able to tell you all and if you are exercising grace giving you will be able to give. Let’s make this practical. So Phil and Stacie --- if what Paul is writing here is true --- it is a privilege that everyone in this church family has to help support you in missions. Making personal: Cheryl and I consider it an opportunity that we cannot pass up so we have written to Compassion International in August to ask them to find someone else to support our Ethopian girl who we have supported for 8 years and we are going to transfer that support to privately support your mission as well as continue our giving through Silver Hills. Grace giving is a privilege.
3. Grace giving views a collection for the needs of others as a work that is gracious in nature.
Look at the three verses on your outline: (vs. 6 -7) “So we urged Titus, since he earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us – see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” And then go down to verse 19 “What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we
administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.” By its very nature ---- giving to others who are involved in the work of the Lord is gracious in nature. Every week I ought to challenge you to give more and more ---- Paul commands it – he says “see to it that you excel in giving.” See to it that you excel in faith – see to it that you excel in your speech, see to it that you excel in your knowledge of God and see to it that you excel in your love for others in the family of God…. Look at verse 6 --- Pastor Titus started to urge the believers to give and Paul says to them that it was he who urged Titus to challenge the people to keep on giving and complete their giving to the believers needs in Jerusalem. Titus must have been hesitant to preach about this…… but Paul says --- no ---- complete this Titus and then if you look in verse 20 --- Paul says that he wants to avoid any criticism or judgment about what happens with the money that was given and he is going to take great pains in doing what is right in the eyes of God and man. Comments: --- Because of this biblical example of Paul this is why we have two people count our giving and record it, someone else to deposit it, someone else to keep a running monthly record and someone else to do bookkeeping and our records are open to everyone. Verse 21 says “we take great pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.” Hold up report
4TH Principle………
4. Grace giving is inspired by the example of Christ’s gracious nature expressed in His becoming poor so that undeserving sinners might become rich.
(vs. 9) “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” Grace is a personal quality of Jesus Christ. During his lifetime on this earth He reflected grace – He demonstrated grace and by the very fact that He gave up His life – He gave up His rights to those that God sent Him to save…… He became spiritually poor ---- God turned His face away from His Son when He hung on the cross.
The very body of Christ became a cup that the sins of God’s children were poured into and God turned His face away from His Son - for that moment until Christ said ---“it is finished”. His children were no longer spiritually bankrupt – because of the grace giving of Jesus Christ they became spiritually rich.
Grace giving is inspired in the life of the believer because that believer knows they are spiritually rich. Paul put it this way to the believers at Ephesus.
Ephesians 2:4 - 7 “But because of is great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Because of God’s great love for you and God’s great mercy shown to you --- grace giving is produced in your life.
5. Grace giving includes the use of natural means to encourage believers to give as they should. Most pastors think of this as simply keeping quiet about giving. Many have thought and said – “Giving is something that is private and should never be talked about out in the open --- that’s false thinking, it is not biblical thinking.
If you look in chapter 8 of 2 Cor. Vs 16 Paul says, “I thank God, who put it into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you.” Apparently God worked directly in Titus’s heart – but that is not God’s normal means of working. He most of the time uses natural means – the Corinthian believers became joyful givers because of the exhortation and encouragement of Paul. If you go over to Romans 15:26 You can see that believers responded and gave “for Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” Look with me in the text this morning how God works to encourage us to in grace giving.
* Personal example – 2 Corinthians 8:1 -2 “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God gave the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” God uses the personal example and testimony of believers in a church body. Let us hear one of those testimonies in our body… Carol Williams testimony
* Direct exhortation - vs 7 “see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” Paul is commanding the believers to give – you can almost feel him raising his hand and pointing his finger – “See to it” Look on your outline at what a pastor is told to speak to God’s people in a church.
1 Timothy 6:17 -19 17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and ready to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” ------ how many times does Paul use the word command?? Circle the two times on your outline. So – when a pastor commands you to give – he is only obeying God’s Word. Look at verse 19 – underlined it. What is the result of grace giving in the life of a believer? They lay up treasure for themselves in heaven for the coming age and they take hold of the life that is truly life --- when do they take hold of it? Now ---- when you become a grace giver you take hold of the fullness of eternal life now. So --- if I am hearing what God is saying here --- SLIDE “grace giving and the abundant Christian life go together.”
I have no problem telling you to give. I not only am telling you to give, I command you to give. Let me promise you this: I will help you and advise you with your finances and when you begin to give and you cannot make it to the next paycheck, I will make certain the church gives you the money back that you gave. Paul says God encourages us to give by 1. Personal example 2. Direct exhortation and
* Personal leadership – my wife and I do not tithe. We do not give back to God 10%. We have been married for 28 years and believers in Jesus Christ for over 30. We should be able to believe God for more than what He expects and the standard that He gives. We started out in our marriage at the standard of 10% - but over the years our faith and trust in God has grown to where we give between 20 – 25% of our income. Grace giving starts at a tithe and goes beyond it. My wife and I practice what I am preaching to you. I know that what the bible teaches is real. I would not lead you astray. I have lived it and continue to live it. Believe me….. God can be trusted.
I remember in college going to a CCC Christmas event as 19 year old and a 1 year baby Christian and being challenge to give a pledge to support African ministers. I wrote down $120 on the card. We were in Washington DC and I had $40 to eat on for the 4 day conference. When the offering box came around – I put the card and $20 bucks in the box. I promised to trust God for the money in the next 3 months. I did not – but I remember how hard it was to eat on $20 for 4 days –and I will always remember being challenged to give and my feeble attempts at obeying and trusting God. Grace giving starts at some point.
6. Grace giving is rewarded by God’s gracious provision of abundant resources for the faithful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” When God chooses to meet the believers needs with more than they have given - that reward is undeserved. He is not obligated to bless the believer. But He does and when He does that is His grace. Jerry Bridges puts this way:
“This is the amazing story of God’s grace. God saves us by His grace and transforms us more and more into the likeness of His Son by His grace. In all our trails and afflictions, He sustains and strengthens us by His grace. He calls us by grace to perform our own unique function within the body of Christ. Then by grace, He gives to each of us the spiritual gifts necessary to fulfill our calling. As we serve Him, He makes that service acceptable to Himself by grace, and then He rewards us a hundred – fold by grace.”
Let us pray: Lord Jesus – I pray that You will strengthen the faith of Your children and extinguish all of Satan’s flaming missiles of fear and covetousness. Enable Your children to be strong in You, and in the strength of Your might. Do not lead them into temptation but deliver them from the evil one. Let them sense Your pleasure with them. And strengthen them with the joy that comes from grace giving. I ask that You would glorify Yourself by keeping Your promises to bless them for their faithful giving. You said in Your Word that if we give generously and sacrificially, You will give us all the money we need, as well as extra money to give away. I claim that promise for the flock you have entrusted to my care. Give them pay raises – give them jobs – keep their cars running – keep their appliances from breaking down – surpize them with unexpected gifts – open their eyes to Your provision in their lives. Surround my people like the mountains surround Jerusalem to protect them from temptation and to give to them all your good gifts. When you answer these prayers, I will give you all the credit. In Jesus name -- Amen
Stewardship #2
October 26th 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming
Take your bibles and turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 8. Last week I began a new series on stewardship. I am calling it joyful giving. We are going to talk about money – using money and giving money. Please do not get up and walk out on me. You need to hear these words from God. People are worried about money. It’s interesting to look at some of the articles on MSN Money. “Five things its cheaper to do yourself.” “Sorry baby boomers so much for retirement” and “tell us if you are drowning in debt.” SLIDE I am even getting emails from American Express and this one caught my eye. You do not have to pay your debts you can walk away from them.”
The bible says in 1 Timothy 5:8 “if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”…. Regardless of what you might think or hear or believe – biblically – it is not the government’s responsibility to provide for you. That is not biblical thinking. If you have graduated from high school or college – it is not your parents responsibility to provide for you and put a roof over your head… How we use our money for ourselves – how we use our money to bless others and especially for God’s sake is a spiritual issue.
2 Cor 5:10 says “ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”…..You and I are going to be judged by God for how we use our money and our possessions here on this earth. What kind of a steward are you? Your pastor and leaders are going to be judged by God for how we use this churches money. In another light --- do you know that we mock and laugh at those among us who are penny pinchers and frugal and those who are spenders and wasteful, we say nothing……… When Paul says – every believer is going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ and that each believer will receive what is due him for the things done in the body, good or bad --- that is either true or not.
Why is a biblical use of our money and resources so crucial to our growth in godliness? We invest most of our days working in exchange for money – making it –thinking about it and worrying about it and spending it or using it. But we do not take managing money all that serious ---- if we mess up ---- we now believe that somebody is going to bail us out. We can always file bankruptcy or the government will take care of us and bail us out. That is a thinking that permeates our society and the church of Jesus Christ….. In a sense, money is that which represents who we are – it represents what are our priorities and what’s in our hearts. As we use our money and resources – we prove our growth in Christ.
The use of your money and how you give it away is one of the best ways of evaluating your relationship with Jesus Christ and your spiritual trustworthiness… If you are learning to love Christ with all your heart, your giving will reflect joyful giving. If you love Christ and the work of His Kingdom more than anything else,….. your giving will show that. Look at this quote (SLIDE) “We will do many things before we will give someone else, even Christ, the rights over every dollar we have and ever will have. But if you are learning to do that it will be expressed in your giving.” --- Donald Whitney
Last week we studied joyful giving. Today I want us to examine grace giving as Paul teaches it in 2 Corinthians 8. Paul uses the word charis or grace – 10 times in chapter 8 -9. It is God’s grace that plays a vital role in our lives in faithful financial stewardship. Please stand with me as we read 2 Corinthians chapter 8. PHIL BRADY . I want to draw 6 principles of grace giving for you from chapter 8 - 9 . Keep your bible open to these two chapters.
Biblical Principles of Grace Giving
1. Grace giving is the result of God’s gracious creation of generosity in the heart of the believer.
2 Corinthians. 8:1 “Now, brethren, we wish to make know to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia.” Both chapter 8 and 9 begin and end with a reference to God’s grace. In chapter 9 Paul brings this up close by saying that generosity comes from the work of God’s grace in the life of a believer. Look at chapter 9:14 “While they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.” ………It was the grace of God in the Macedonian believers that enabled them and empowered them to give. Bible Scholar and laymen Jerry Bridges writes, “What was the secret of such an outpouring of generosity? We have no reason to believe that these believers were more inclined to be generous in giving to the needs of others. In the United States, one of the most affluent nations, believers give 1 – 2% of their income. The apostle Paul says that the Macedonian believers gave generously because of the grace of God – it was the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believers.” How can you give when you do not have enough as it is? How can a believer become a giver – the same way a believer forgives. The same way a believer witnesses to someone else. The same way a believer loves others. The same way a believer serves and uses his or her spiritual gifts – a believer becomes a giver by the grace that God gives them. God uses and blesses the believer who relies on and turns to Him to give. Paul put it this way:
1 Corinthians 15: 9 – 11 “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, (do you feel that way about yourself?) and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Notice what is underlined ……Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.” Sadly ---- “If you do not think you can become a giver then you do not believe in the grace of God for any other area of your life.” It is the grace of God that makes your heart generous. Ask God to do that in you. Ask Him to start and increase your giving. 2nd principle
2. Grace giving looks at participation in the needs of other believers as a privilege. Look what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8:4 “they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.” The Greek word the NIV translates as privilege is the word grace. So, the Christians in Madedonia did not resent being asked to give to believers in Jerusalem. They pleaded for the opportunity and they considered it a privilege. When there is an opportunity to give ---- grace giving provokes you to get involved. You either gave to the projector project out of obligation or your gave out of grace giving or you did not give at all. When there is a need that I know about as the pastor I ought to be able to tell you all and if you are exercising grace giving you will be able to give. Let’s make this practical. So Phil and Stacie --- if what Paul is writing here is true --- it is a privilege that everyone in this church family has to help support you in missions. Making personal: Cheryl and I consider it an opportunity that we cannot pass up so we have written to Compassion International in August to ask them to find someone else to support our Ethopian girl who we have supported for 8 years and we are going to transfer that support to privately support your mission as well as continue our giving through Silver Hills. Grace giving is a privilege.
3. Grace giving views a collection for the needs of others as a work that is gracious in nature.
Look at the three verses on your outline: (vs. 6 -7) “So we urged Titus, since he earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us – see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” And then go down to verse 19 “What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we
administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.” By its very nature ---- giving to others who are involved in the work of the Lord is gracious in nature. Every week I ought to challenge you to give more and more ---- Paul commands it – he says “see to it that you excel in giving.” See to it that you excel in faith – see to it that you excel in your speech, see to it that you excel in your knowledge of God and see to it that you excel in your love for others in the family of God…. Look at verse 6 --- Pastor Titus started to urge the believers to give and Paul says to them that it was he who urged Titus to challenge the people to keep on giving and complete their giving to the believers needs in Jerusalem. Titus must have been hesitant to preach about this…… but Paul says --- no ---- complete this Titus and then if you look in verse 20 --- Paul says that he wants to avoid any criticism or judgment about what happens with the money that was given and he is going to take great pains in doing what is right in the eyes of God and man. Comments: --- Because of this biblical example of Paul this is why we have two people count our giving and record it, someone else to deposit it, someone else to keep a running monthly record and someone else to do bookkeeping and our records are open to everyone. Verse 21 says “we take great pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.” Hold up report
4TH Principle………
4. Grace giving is inspired by the example of Christ’s gracious nature expressed in His becoming poor so that undeserving sinners might become rich.
(vs. 9) “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” Grace is a personal quality of Jesus Christ. During his lifetime on this earth He reflected grace – He demonstrated grace and by the very fact that He gave up His life – He gave up His rights to those that God sent Him to save…… He became spiritually poor ---- God turned His face away from His Son when He hung on the cross.
The very body of Christ became a cup that the sins of God’s children were poured into and God turned His face away from His Son - for that moment until Christ said ---“it is finished”. His children were no longer spiritually bankrupt – because of the grace giving of Jesus Christ they became spiritually rich.
Grace giving is inspired in the life of the believer because that believer knows they are spiritually rich. Paul put it this way to the believers at Ephesus.
Ephesians 2:4 - 7 “But because of is great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Because of God’s great love for you and God’s great mercy shown to you --- grace giving is produced in your life.
5. Grace giving includes the use of natural means to encourage believers to give as they should. Most pastors think of this as simply keeping quiet about giving. Many have thought and said – “Giving is something that is private and should never be talked about out in the open --- that’s false thinking, it is not biblical thinking.
If you look in chapter 8 of 2 Cor. Vs 16 Paul says, “I thank God, who put it into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you.” Apparently God worked directly in Titus’s heart – but that is not God’s normal means of working. He most of the time uses natural means – the Corinthian believers became joyful givers because of the exhortation and encouragement of Paul. If you go over to Romans 15:26 You can see that believers responded and gave “for Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” Look with me in the text this morning how God works to encourage us to in grace giving.
* Personal example – 2 Corinthians 8:1 -2 “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God gave the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” God uses the personal example and testimony of believers in a church body. Let us hear one of those testimonies in our body… Carol Williams testimony
* Direct exhortation - vs 7 “see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” Paul is commanding the believers to give – you can almost feel him raising his hand and pointing his finger – “See to it” Look on your outline at what a pastor is told to speak to God’s people in a church.
1 Timothy 6:17 -19 17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and ready to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” ------ how many times does Paul use the word command?? Circle the two times on your outline. So – when a pastor commands you to give – he is only obeying God’s Word. Look at verse 19 – underlined it. What is the result of grace giving in the life of a believer? They lay up treasure for themselves in heaven for the coming age and they take hold of the life that is truly life --- when do they take hold of it? Now ---- when you become a grace giver you take hold of the fullness of eternal life now. So --- if I am hearing what God is saying here --- SLIDE “grace giving and the abundant Christian life go together.”
I have no problem telling you to give. I not only am telling you to give, I command you to give. Let me promise you this: I will help you and advise you with your finances and when you begin to give and you cannot make it to the next paycheck, I will make certain the church gives you the money back that you gave. Paul says God encourages us to give by 1. Personal example 2. Direct exhortation and
* Personal leadership – my wife and I do not tithe. We do not give back to God 10%. We have been married for 28 years and believers in Jesus Christ for over 30. We should be able to believe God for more than what He expects and the standard that He gives. We started out in our marriage at the standard of 10% - but over the years our faith and trust in God has grown to where we give between 20 – 25% of our income. Grace giving starts at a tithe and goes beyond it. My wife and I practice what I am preaching to you. I know that what the bible teaches is real. I would not lead you astray. I have lived it and continue to live it. Believe me….. God can be trusted.
I remember in college going to a CCC Christmas event as 19 year old and a 1 year baby Christian and being challenge to give a pledge to support African ministers. I wrote down $120 on the card. We were in Washington DC and I had $40 to eat on for the 4 day conference. When the offering box came around – I put the card and $20 bucks in the box. I promised to trust God for the money in the next 3 months. I did not – but I remember how hard it was to eat on $20 for 4 days –and I will always remember being challenged to give and my feeble attempts at obeying and trusting God. Grace giving starts at some point.
6. Grace giving is rewarded by God’s gracious provision of abundant resources for the faithful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” When God chooses to meet the believers needs with more than they have given - that reward is undeserved. He is not obligated to bless the believer. But He does and when He does that is His grace. Jerry Bridges puts this way:
“This is the amazing story of God’s grace. God saves us by His grace and transforms us more and more into the likeness of His Son by His grace. In all our trails and afflictions, He sustains and strengthens us by His grace. He calls us by grace to perform our own unique function within the body of Christ. Then by grace, He gives to each of us the spiritual gifts necessary to fulfill our calling. As we serve Him, He makes that service acceptable to Himself by grace, and then He rewards us a hundred – fold by grace.”
Let us pray: Lord Jesus – I pray that You will strengthen the faith of Your children and extinguish all of Satan’s flaming missiles of fear and covetousness. Enable Your children to be strong in You, and in the strength of Your might. Do not lead them into temptation but deliver them from the evil one. Let them sense Your pleasure with them. And strengthen them with the joy that comes from grace giving. I ask that You would glorify Yourself by keeping Your promises to bless them for their faithful giving. You said in Your Word that if we give generously and sacrificially, You will give us all the money we need, as well as extra money to give away. I claim that promise for the flock you have entrusted to my care. Give them pay raises – give them jobs – keep their cars running – keep their appliances from breaking down – surpize them with unexpected gifts – open their eyes to Your provision in their lives. Surround my people like the mountains surround Jerusalem to protect them from temptation and to give to them all your good gifts. When you answer these prayers, I will give you all the credit. In Jesus name -- Amen
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Spectacular Sins
John Piper writes, "My aim in this book is to show that sin and evil, no matter how spectacular, never nullify the decisive, Christ-exalting purposes of God. Spectacular sins and evil do not just fail to nullify God's purpose to glorify Christ, they succeed, by God's unfathomable providence, in making His gracious purpose come to pass."I highly recommed this book. It is easy reading, filled full of scripture to give you the right view of the God of the Bible in His soverignty over sin and evil in this world. When you rightly know God you will be victorious through any sin and evil that comes your way. --- Pastor Ben
Pastor Appreciation Message
Given by Danny Fierro at the Men's Retreat
1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil[a] spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Matthew 10:1-4
When you think about a lineage or heritage it is typically in reference to the family. Whatever your family tree is, that is what your heritage essentially is. In business this same concept does not transfer over well primarily because business changes, economies change, the way we do things essentially is always changing.
There is however, one profession that can be linked to a heritage. While method often changes, the message has never, and will never change. The profession of the pastor.
We start this evening with Matthew 10:1-4 primarily as a reflection point for all of us. What Jesus has done in this passage is he has established a heritage, by which every believer in the gospel will be reached for the rest of eternity. The Apostle John wrote these words in chapter 17 of his gospel:
6"I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. ..18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. 20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
John 17:6, 18-20
It is in the heritage of the apostolic office that the pastorate is established. The message of the gospel first preached by these men is the same gospel that God calls all pastors to teach today.
The message of salvation comes with a great price to the shepherds of God’s flock. Let’s look at the experience of the apostle Paul to this lofty calling.
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
2 Corinthians 11:23b-28
It is a wonder that anyone would want such a calling, in fact the apostle James discouraged his audience of scattered believers to not become teachers because of the great strictness with which they would be judged. While the American pastor does not typically have to endure flogging, stoning, shipwreck or starvation, He does often receive verbal flogging, stoning of character, shipwreck of relationships, and starvation of community and prayer from his people.
The pastor should have no lofty expectations from the world, in fact, his expectation should b that he will be seen as a fool. But from God’s people there should be no position in life held with greater esteem, appreciation, and love. The Bible very clearly gives the believer a command to honor the shepherd.
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13b
It is in the spirit of this passage of scripture that I put before you our pastor Ben Fleming. The scriptures command us to hold him in high regard in love because of his work.
How can we show our pastor encouragement, appreciation, and love? I think this weekend is a good starting point, as we tackle the topic of community and growing together as a body. Does he want another card, a gift card, a you’re the greatest pastor in the world t-shirt? I know he would appreciate them all, but here is what your pastor really wants. At the heart of every pastor if you can do these two things he will feel appreciated.
2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
Colossians 4:2-4
First, your pastor will feel he is appreciated when he sees God’s people coming together in prayer. He wants your prayers for God’s people and he wants your prayers for himself. He needs your prayers. The pastor receives flaming arrows in his life just like you do, and how many times have you come to him, pray for me pastor, pray for me. But he also needs your prayers. And not only that, nothing will bring joy to the pastor than to see the sheep of his fold meeting together in corporate prayer which really is a lead in to the second point
First lets look at Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Also let’s look at 3 John 1:3-4
It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
If God’s people really want to show appreciation to their pastor, If we want to show appreciation to Ben, walk in the truth, imitate his life of faith. There is no greater joy for the pastor than to see that what he is teaching from God’s word is fruitful and active and changing the lives of the people he shepherds to the glory of God. On the converse side there is no greater destruction to the joy of a pastor when his people continue in indifference towards sin and are void of community and any evidence of Christian growth.
In this setting I am preaching to the choir. You men are here because you value community and you value growth. But if I can offer you any encouragement in the Lord for how to show appreciation for our pastor, pray for him, pray with him, and pray with others as he calls you to do so. Model the Christian life in season and out of season, by this I mean in your church life and in your private life, but above all as we lead a changing culture of community within our church, teach this message to others.
1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil[a] spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Matthew 10:1-4
When you think about a lineage or heritage it is typically in reference to the family. Whatever your family tree is, that is what your heritage essentially is. In business this same concept does not transfer over well primarily because business changes, economies change, the way we do things essentially is always changing.
There is however, one profession that can be linked to a heritage. While method often changes, the message has never, and will never change. The profession of the pastor.
We start this evening with Matthew 10:1-4 primarily as a reflection point for all of us. What Jesus has done in this passage is he has established a heritage, by which every believer in the gospel will be reached for the rest of eternity. The Apostle John wrote these words in chapter 17 of his gospel:
6"I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. ..18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. 20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
John 17:6, 18-20
It is in the heritage of the apostolic office that the pastorate is established. The message of the gospel first preached by these men is the same gospel that God calls all pastors to teach today.
The message of salvation comes with a great price to the shepherds of God’s flock. Let’s look at the experience of the apostle Paul to this lofty calling.
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
2 Corinthians 11:23b-28
It is a wonder that anyone would want such a calling, in fact the apostle James discouraged his audience of scattered believers to not become teachers because of the great strictness with which they would be judged. While the American pastor does not typically have to endure flogging, stoning, shipwreck or starvation, He does often receive verbal flogging, stoning of character, shipwreck of relationships, and starvation of community and prayer from his people.
The pastor should have no lofty expectations from the world, in fact, his expectation should b that he will be seen as a fool. But from God’s people there should be no position in life held with greater esteem, appreciation, and love. The Bible very clearly gives the believer a command to honor the shepherd.
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13b
It is in the spirit of this passage of scripture that I put before you our pastor Ben Fleming. The scriptures command us to hold him in high regard in love because of his work.
How can we show our pastor encouragement, appreciation, and love? I think this weekend is a good starting point, as we tackle the topic of community and growing together as a body. Does he want another card, a gift card, a you’re the greatest pastor in the world t-shirt? I know he would appreciate them all, but here is what your pastor really wants. At the heart of every pastor if you can do these two things he will feel appreciated.
2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
Colossians 4:2-4
First, your pastor will feel he is appreciated when he sees God’s people coming together in prayer. He wants your prayers for God’s people and he wants your prayers for himself. He needs your prayers. The pastor receives flaming arrows in his life just like you do, and how many times have you come to him, pray for me pastor, pray for me. But he also needs your prayers. And not only that, nothing will bring joy to the pastor than to see the sheep of his fold meeting together in corporate prayer which really is a lead in to the second point
First lets look at Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Also let’s look at 3 John 1:3-4
It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
If God’s people really want to show appreciation to their pastor, If we want to show appreciation to Ben, walk in the truth, imitate his life of faith. There is no greater joy for the pastor than to see that what he is teaching from God’s word is fruitful and active and changing the lives of the people he shepherds to the glory of God. On the converse side there is no greater destruction to the joy of a pastor when his people continue in indifference towards sin and are void of community and any evidence of Christian growth.
In this setting I am preaching to the choir. You men are here because you value community and you value growth. But if I can offer you any encouragement in the Lord for how to show appreciation for our pastor, pray for him, pray with him, and pray with others as he calls you to do so. Model the Christian life in season and out of season, by this I mean in your church life and in your private life, but above all as we lead a changing culture of community within our church, teach this message to others.
Men's Retreat
Silver Hills Men's Fall Retreat at Camp Galilee12 Silver Hills Men gathered for two days at Camp Galilee to study and share together Dietrich Bonhoeffers book "Life Together" an exploration of faith in Community. An example of what we dealt with"
"You can hide nothing from God. The mask you wear before men will do you no good before Him. He wants to see you as you are, He wants to be gracious to you. You do not have to go on lying to yourself and your brothers, as if you were without sin; you can dare to be a sinner. Thank God for that; He loves the sinner but hates the sin."
Monday, October 13, 2008
Joyful Giving #1
Joyful Giving
Stewardship Series #1
October 19th, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming
Introduction: We are starting a new series today. Turn in your bibles to the book of Luke. The 3rd gospel in the New Testament. I am calling this series Joyful Giving. Yes I am going to talk about money. Please do not get up and walk out on me. I say that because I have had that happen in the past when I speak on this subject. If you are here for the first time – we do not always talk about money – its been a whole year. Please hear me out. Please understand that everything we are going to study today and in the weeks to come fits into a big picture. I am going to be direct and open with you but we are going to study what God teaches us about money – stewardship and giving. Jesus spoke more about money than He did about heaven or hell. Jesus told 38 parables – 16 of them deal with money management. The bible has 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 on faith but over 2,000 dealing with money and possessions.
If you get angry at me ---- that’s okay with me – I believe that now more than ever the people of God would want a pastor to speak to them about money. You are worried about money --- I sat down with a teen guy in this church and asked him how it was going and the first words out of his mouth were his worries about money…. you find yourself fearful about money. I know you do. Some of us – when we get money – the only thing we know what to do with it is spend it. For some of us – money controls us we do not control money. My 84 year old dad called again and he is worried about money. He said – “I am not sure if you mother and I can make it” ……Some people think that a pastor should never know about people’s money or their giving – but when people are in financial trouble in the church and outside of the church they come to the church for help. -- so I am going to address the issue of money in these coming weeks. I am going to challenge you to become a joyful giver. I am even going to challenge you to make a written covenant to become a biblical giver something we have never done in 13 years.
This past week is the first time I can remember someone asking me for help in managing their money . I was excited about it and offered my time but they never contacted me. Our financial seminar earlier this year was only attended by a handful. People want a pastor to be involved in every aspect of their life except when it comes to money and parenting their children. Money is an issue of stewardship --- it is an issue of your relationship with God…. It is an issue of joy and the fullness of eternal life…… how we manage what God has given to us ---- is an issue of greed and coveting and it is an issue of contentment. The bible says with contentment there is great gain. Do you not think that if one learns to be content they will be in better financial health? I guarantee you they will be. Our country is in the state it is in because of our lack of contentment. Proverbs 22:7 says that the borrower is a slave to the lender. Borrowing money removes joy from a person and makes him or her a slave. A borrower who is in slavery to a lender cannot be a joyful giver. By the way, giving in churches in America in the last 3 months has dropped by 40%.
We see giving all throughout God’s Word. Psalm 115:16 “The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth He has given to man.” God gave man the earth to manage. God gave man the earth to steward. It is biblical to be a steward of the earth. Man is to manage the earth but no where is man to worship the earth….. Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born , to us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders, and He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”…..Not only does God who made the earth give man the earth to manage but God gave man His only Son who is the Prince of Peace. Is it not amazing that man wants and uses the earth that God created for his pleasure and yet man rejects His own Son……. God is a giver and He gives joyfully.
In Matthew 7:7 Jesus puts it this way, “Ask and it will be given to you: seek and you will find; knock and the door will be open to you.” God commands His children to ask and God says when you ask I will give. He says that your asking needs to have a seeking flavor about it which is a persistence in the asking…… Luke 22:19 records the familiar words by Jesus that almost every person who has gone to church and taken communion has heard, “This is My body given for you, do this in remembrance of me.” And because God is a giver and has given His Son to His chosen children Romans 5:5 says “and hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” The apostle Paul is talking about those who are God’s children. God gave them His Holy Spirit and has poured it out into their hearts. He is talking about those who are children of God. Those who are in Christ or Christ is in them. Only real heart believers have been given the Holy Spirit. God is a giver and He gives joyfully.
Not only is God a giver to His children but God commands His children to be givers. He expects them to be givers. He says be holy for I am holy. Being a child of God and being a giver go together. It does not matter how much money you make. You can be on social security and the command to be a giver is still applies to you. Parents – if you do not model for your children giving and if you do not challenge and teach your children to be givers you are robbing them of joy in God. Children who do not learn from their parents to be givers - grow up being greedy and ungrateful and they become adults who are not givers.
Donald Whitney writes in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life these words, “we will give to the extent that we believe God will provide for us. The more we believe God will provide our needs, the more we are willing to risk giving to Him. The less we trust God, the less we will give to Him.” - Donald Whitney (SLIDE) So as we begin this series – I want you to understand that my heart’s desire as I preach God’s Word to you is that you would grow and accept the challenge to grow and trust God more than you ever have.
Turn in your bibles this morning to the gospel of Luke. Even though this series is topical we are going to expound certain texts in God’s Word. Please stand with me as we read
Luke 6:36 – 38. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” ---- let’s pray.
Background: The three verses that we read are part of the Sermon the Mount given by Jesus. He is teaching his disciples how to live. If they are followers of His - then they are to live a certain way. When we study the bible we must learn to study it in context. Verses 36 – 38, we find that they fall under Jesus teaching about love. He is teaching unconditional love. Keep your bible open and look with me at what He says about unconditional love which can only come from supernatural power in the life of a person. Verse 27 We are to love those who are our enemy and those who hate us we are to do good to them… and as you are doing good to them you are to bless those who curse you……. We bless those who mistreat us by praying for them and we do not get back at them and retaliate. We are to give freely and then Jesus gives the golden rule – due unto others as you would have them do to you. From verse 32 - 36 Jesus gives 7 lessons on unconditional love and then He brings in money –
vs. 34 “If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?
He is talking about believers who love like Jesus --- they are givers instead of lenders and then in verse 35 He says that your reward will be great. He is referring to the principle of sowing and reaping. In the next few verses Jesus gives us five areas which are proof of the sowing and reaping principle, that He taught so often in Scripture:
Sowing and Reaping Principles
(1) Mercy will always lead to mercy (vs. 36) “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” In this case, mercy means to pardon someone who has wronged you. God shows us mercy and pardons us, therefore, we are to show others mercy. If you are merciful then others will be merciful to you. You cannot see and experience the love of God in your life when you are not merciful to other people. 2nd principle of sowing and reaping
(2) Judgment will lead to judgment (v. 37a.) “Do not judge or you will be judged.” If you judge others then others will judge you. We enjoy judging other people but we want no one to judge us.
(3) Condemnation will lead to condemnation (v. 37b.). Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.” Does anyone in here enjoy having others disapprove of you? Do you ever disapprove of someone else? Jesus says, we reap what we sow.
(4) Forgiveness will lead to forgiveness (vs. 37c). “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” If you forgive others then you will experience the forgiveness of God and when you wrong others you will find forgiveness from them. 5th principle
(5) Giving will lead to giving (v. 38). Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Jesus was speaking to men who were mostly farmers except for Peter. (baskets and oats ) ---- demonstration with Dorothy He compared giving to farming. You measure a crop with a certain size – a bushel a peck. I brought this to show you ---- when you pour out of your crop with a certain measurement you will be poured back into – when it is poured back into it is pressed down – shaken together and running over into your lap. With the measure you use in giving it will be measured back to you. You find this principle all through out the bible.
Proverbs 3:9 10 (PBF) “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; (not the leftovers or after you have paid your bills) then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” Jesus said, give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. King Solomon said, honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops then and only then will your barns be filled to overflowing and your vats will bring over with new wine.” Those words and the teaching of Jesus and King Solomon are either true or they are not true. Now listen to me: You will never have enough to start giving ---- you will never give if you think you are going to wait until your debts get paid off ---- you will only know for real if the words of God are true when you begin to give and give and give. Only givers are able to look back over the months and months of giving and see the truth of those words. The more you give the more your barns overflow --- the more you give the more God pours into your lap. This is not a prosperity principle --- this is biblical principle. You cannot expect God to give to you --- you cannot expect good health --- you cannot expect your car to not break down or your dishwasher to break down --- you cannot expect to this see this principle in your life unless you begin to learn to give.
I find it very sad to know of the number of believers who are robbing themselves because they do not believe God and they do not trust Him.
Now – going back to the principle that Jesus gives in verse 38 --- Give and it will be given to you ---- turn in your bible to the last book in the Old Testament. Malachi --- right before Matthew. Chapter 3. The prophet is talking about robbing God – many have heard this but I want to read from verse 10
Here it is again the principle Jesus gives –“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. --- here it is --- do not miss it--- test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room for it ---- and now He tells how he will flood you --- I will prevent pests from devouring your crops – the vines in the field will not caste their fruit and all nations will call you blessed and your land will be a delightful land.” OK --- but why give??? You do not have enough as it is? I could speak 2 more hours on why become a joyful giver but let me give you 5 reasons that I pray move your heart to faith so that you might obey God.
Why become a Joyful Giver?
* Joyful giving will increase your finances.
Proverbs 3:9 -10 “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will bring over with new wine.” I do not understand it and but I know that for some reason those who give joyfully find that money goes further. They do not go into debt. Stuff just seems to last longer. Give and it shall be given to you – pressed down shaken together. Giving joyfully causes you to be content and you are not gripped with materialism. If you are having trouble with finances then look at your giving.
How much are you in debt????? Do you pay only the required amount and how many late payments have you be charged this year? There is no one in this room who would refuse to see their finances increase. Let me put it this way: SLIDE Joyful giving keeps the giving faucet from heaven turned on in your own life. God never gives to believers who are buckets but to believers who are funnels.
* Joyful giving will deepen your spiritual life. (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” You will become more godlike. You will grow in your prayer life. You will grow in your bible reading. You will find more victory over sin in your life. You will not become God but your life will reflect more and more of the life of Christ. People are attracted to givers. Givers have joy. Givers know where what they have comes from. Givers are people persons who point other people to God. Givers are great lovers. 3rd reason
* Joyful giving will enrich your marriage . (Ephesians 5:25) “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church..…” Christ loved the church by giving. Joyful giving enables a man to love His wife as Christ loved the church. A husband who gives cannot help become a man who loves. Giving releases a husband to love like Christ and I would go so far as to say to a women – giving releases a woman to respect her husband. If a single man is not learning to become a joyful giver he will be disabled as a lover when he marries.
* Joyful giving enables a believer to be a forgiver. (Ephesians 4:32) “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” Is in not interesting to you to see that forgive has the word give in it. Forgive means to give away the right to get back at someone. Forgive means to give up hurting that other person in the same way that they hurt you. You cannot be a biblical forgiver and not be a giver. Giving and forgiving go hand in hand. When you forgive as Christ forgave you --- you give freedom to the person who wronged you.
* Joyful giving encourages and enlarges the ministry of your church.
Luke 8:1 – 3 “After this, Jesus traveled about from one town an village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases……. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” Have you ever thought why Jesus did not turn rocks into food for himself and the disciples and why he let the women work and use the money from their work to buy food and feed Jesus and the disciples? All through out the bible you will find God’s plan for building His kingdom on this earth to be a plan that includes His people supporting the work of building the Kingdom of God on this earth. Jesus and the disciples focused on the spiritual ministry and the women supported them to enable them to do such. That was and is God’s plan.
When God’s people joyfully give – a group of God’s people called a church are able to expand the ministry and building of God’s Kingdom. Matthew 9:37-38 says that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few – ask the Lord of harvest to raise up workers to go out into the harvest. If you have been in this church family long enough you know that the Brady family is answer to that prayer. Joyful giving will enable this church family to support sending them out into the mission field. It will take all of us learning together how to become joyful givers – it will not happen with just a few of us as givers.
So –let me review for you: Why become a joyful giver? Joyful giving will enlarge and encourage the ministry of your church --- joyful giving will enable you to forgive like God has forgiven you --- joyful giving will enrich your marriage and single guys joyful giving will equip you to become a great lover. Joyful giving will deepen and mature your spiritual life and joyful giving will increase your finances.
Prayer: Oh God make me a giver
Stewardship Series #1
October 19th, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming
Introduction: We are starting a new series today. Turn in your bibles to the book of Luke. The 3rd gospel in the New Testament. I am calling this series Joyful Giving. Yes I am going to talk about money. Please do not get up and walk out on me. I say that because I have had that happen in the past when I speak on this subject. If you are here for the first time – we do not always talk about money – its been a whole year. Please hear me out. Please understand that everything we are going to study today and in the weeks to come fits into a big picture. I am going to be direct and open with you but we are going to study what God teaches us about money – stewardship and giving. Jesus spoke more about money than He did about heaven or hell. Jesus told 38 parables – 16 of them deal with money management. The bible has 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 on faith but over 2,000 dealing with money and possessions.
If you get angry at me ---- that’s okay with me – I believe that now more than ever the people of God would want a pastor to speak to them about money. You are worried about money --- I sat down with a teen guy in this church and asked him how it was going and the first words out of his mouth were his worries about money…. you find yourself fearful about money. I know you do. Some of us – when we get money – the only thing we know what to do with it is spend it. For some of us – money controls us we do not control money. My 84 year old dad called again and he is worried about money. He said – “I am not sure if you mother and I can make it” ……Some people think that a pastor should never know about people’s money or their giving – but when people are in financial trouble in the church and outside of the church they come to the church for help. -- so I am going to address the issue of money in these coming weeks. I am going to challenge you to become a joyful giver. I am even going to challenge you to make a written covenant to become a biblical giver something we have never done in 13 years.
This past week is the first time I can remember someone asking me for help in managing their money . I was excited about it and offered my time but they never contacted me. Our financial seminar earlier this year was only attended by a handful. People want a pastor to be involved in every aspect of their life except when it comes to money and parenting their children. Money is an issue of stewardship --- it is an issue of your relationship with God…. It is an issue of joy and the fullness of eternal life…… how we manage what God has given to us ---- is an issue of greed and coveting and it is an issue of contentment. The bible says with contentment there is great gain. Do you not think that if one learns to be content they will be in better financial health? I guarantee you they will be. Our country is in the state it is in because of our lack of contentment. Proverbs 22:7 says that the borrower is a slave to the lender. Borrowing money removes joy from a person and makes him or her a slave. A borrower who is in slavery to a lender cannot be a joyful giver. By the way, giving in churches in America in the last 3 months has dropped by 40%.
We see giving all throughout God’s Word. Psalm 115:16 “The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth He has given to man.” God gave man the earth to manage. God gave man the earth to steward. It is biblical to be a steward of the earth. Man is to manage the earth but no where is man to worship the earth….. Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born , to us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders, and He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”…..Not only does God who made the earth give man the earth to manage but God gave man His only Son who is the Prince of Peace. Is it not amazing that man wants and uses the earth that God created for his pleasure and yet man rejects His own Son……. God is a giver and He gives joyfully.
In Matthew 7:7 Jesus puts it this way, “Ask and it will be given to you: seek and you will find; knock and the door will be open to you.” God commands His children to ask and God says when you ask I will give. He says that your asking needs to have a seeking flavor about it which is a persistence in the asking…… Luke 22:19 records the familiar words by Jesus that almost every person who has gone to church and taken communion has heard, “This is My body given for you, do this in remembrance of me.” And because God is a giver and has given His Son to His chosen children Romans 5:5 says “and hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” The apostle Paul is talking about those who are God’s children. God gave them His Holy Spirit and has poured it out into their hearts. He is talking about those who are children of God. Those who are in Christ or Christ is in them. Only real heart believers have been given the Holy Spirit. God is a giver and He gives joyfully.
Not only is God a giver to His children but God commands His children to be givers. He expects them to be givers. He says be holy for I am holy. Being a child of God and being a giver go together. It does not matter how much money you make. You can be on social security and the command to be a giver is still applies to you. Parents – if you do not model for your children giving and if you do not challenge and teach your children to be givers you are robbing them of joy in God. Children who do not learn from their parents to be givers - grow up being greedy and ungrateful and they become adults who are not givers.
Donald Whitney writes in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life these words, “we will give to the extent that we believe God will provide for us. The more we believe God will provide our needs, the more we are willing to risk giving to Him. The less we trust God, the less we will give to Him.” - Donald Whitney (SLIDE) So as we begin this series – I want you to understand that my heart’s desire as I preach God’s Word to you is that you would grow and accept the challenge to grow and trust God more than you ever have.
Turn in your bibles this morning to the gospel of Luke. Even though this series is topical we are going to expound certain texts in God’s Word. Please stand with me as we read
Luke 6:36 – 38. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” ---- let’s pray.
Background: The three verses that we read are part of the Sermon the Mount given by Jesus. He is teaching his disciples how to live. If they are followers of His - then they are to live a certain way. When we study the bible we must learn to study it in context. Verses 36 – 38, we find that they fall under Jesus teaching about love. He is teaching unconditional love. Keep your bible open and look with me at what He says about unconditional love which can only come from supernatural power in the life of a person. Verse 27 We are to love those who are our enemy and those who hate us we are to do good to them… and as you are doing good to them you are to bless those who curse you……. We bless those who mistreat us by praying for them and we do not get back at them and retaliate. We are to give freely and then Jesus gives the golden rule – due unto others as you would have them do to you. From verse 32 - 36 Jesus gives 7 lessons on unconditional love and then He brings in money –
vs. 34 “If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?
He is talking about believers who love like Jesus --- they are givers instead of lenders and then in verse 35 He says that your reward will be great. He is referring to the principle of sowing and reaping. In the next few verses Jesus gives us five areas which are proof of the sowing and reaping principle, that He taught so often in Scripture:
Sowing and Reaping Principles
(1) Mercy will always lead to mercy (vs. 36) “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” In this case, mercy means to pardon someone who has wronged you. God shows us mercy and pardons us, therefore, we are to show others mercy. If you are merciful then others will be merciful to you. You cannot see and experience the love of God in your life when you are not merciful to other people. 2nd principle of sowing and reaping
(2) Judgment will lead to judgment (v. 37a.) “Do not judge or you will be judged.” If you judge others then others will judge you. We enjoy judging other people but we want no one to judge us.
(3) Condemnation will lead to condemnation (v. 37b.). Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.” Does anyone in here enjoy having others disapprove of you? Do you ever disapprove of someone else? Jesus says, we reap what we sow.
(4) Forgiveness will lead to forgiveness (vs. 37c). “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” If you forgive others then you will experience the forgiveness of God and when you wrong others you will find forgiveness from them. 5th principle
(5) Giving will lead to giving (v. 38). Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Jesus was speaking to men who were mostly farmers except for Peter. (baskets and oats ) ---- demonstration with Dorothy He compared giving to farming. You measure a crop with a certain size – a bushel a peck. I brought this to show you ---- when you pour out of your crop with a certain measurement you will be poured back into – when it is poured back into it is pressed down – shaken together and running over into your lap. With the measure you use in giving it will be measured back to you. You find this principle all through out the bible.
Proverbs 3:9 10 (PBF) “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; (not the leftovers or after you have paid your bills) then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” Jesus said, give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. King Solomon said, honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops then and only then will your barns be filled to overflowing and your vats will bring over with new wine.” Those words and the teaching of Jesus and King Solomon are either true or they are not true. Now listen to me: You will never have enough to start giving ---- you will never give if you think you are going to wait until your debts get paid off ---- you will only know for real if the words of God are true when you begin to give and give and give. Only givers are able to look back over the months and months of giving and see the truth of those words. The more you give the more your barns overflow --- the more you give the more God pours into your lap. This is not a prosperity principle --- this is biblical principle. You cannot expect God to give to you --- you cannot expect good health --- you cannot expect your car to not break down or your dishwasher to break down --- you cannot expect to this see this principle in your life unless you begin to learn to give.
I find it very sad to know of the number of believers who are robbing themselves because they do not believe God and they do not trust Him.
Now – going back to the principle that Jesus gives in verse 38 --- Give and it will be given to you ---- turn in your bible to the last book in the Old Testament. Malachi --- right before Matthew. Chapter 3. The prophet is talking about robbing God – many have heard this but I want to read from verse 10
Here it is again the principle Jesus gives –“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. --- here it is --- do not miss it--- test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room for it ---- and now He tells how he will flood you --- I will prevent pests from devouring your crops – the vines in the field will not caste their fruit and all nations will call you blessed and your land will be a delightful land.” OK --- but why give??? You do not have enough as it is? I could speak 2 more hours on why become a joyful giver but let me give you 5 reasons that I pray move your heart to faith so that you might obey God.
Why become a Joyful Giver?
* Joyful giving will increase your finances.
Proverbs 3:9 -10 “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will bring over with new wine.” I do not understand it and but I know that for some reason those who give joyfully find that money goes further. They do not go into debt. Stuff just seems to last longer. Give and it shall be given to you – pressed down shaken together. Giving joyfully causes you to be content and you are not gripped with materialism. If you are having trouble with finances then look at your giving.
How much are you in debt????? Do you pay only the required amount and how many late payments have you be charged this year? There is no one in this room who would refuse to see their finances increase. Let me put it this way: SLIDE Joyful giving keeps the giving faucet from heaven turned on in your own life. God never gives to believers who are buckets but to believers who are funnels.
* Joyful giving will deepen your spiritual life. (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” You will become more godlike. You will grow in your prayer life. You will grow in your bible reading. You will find more victory over sin in your life. You will not become God but your life will reflect more and more of the life of Christ. People are attracted to givers. Givers have joy. Givers know where what they have comes from. Givers are people persons who point other people to God. Givers are great lovers. 3rd reason
* Joyful giving will enrich your marriage . (Ephesians 5:25) “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church..…” Christ loved the church by giving. Joyful giving enables a man to love His wife as Christ loved the church. A husband who gives cannot help become a man who loves. Giving releases a husband to love like Christ and I would go so far as to say to a women – giving releases a woman to respect her husband. If a single man is not learning to become a joyful giver he will be disabled as a lover when he marries.
* Joyful giving enables a believer to be a forgiver. (Ephesians 4:32) “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” Is in not interesting to you to see that forgive has the word give in it. Forgive means to give away the right to get back at someone. Forgive means to give up hurting that other person in the same way that they hurt you. You cannot be a biblical forgiver and not be a giver. Giving and forgiving go hand in hand. When you forgive as Christ forgave you --- you give freedom to the person who wronged you.
* Joyful giving encourages and enlarges the ministry of your church.
Luke 8:1 – 3 “After this, Jesus traveled about from one town an village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases……. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” Have you ever thought why Jesus did not turn rocks into food for himself and the disciples and why he let the women work and use the money from their work to buy food and feed Jesus and the disciples? All through out the bible you will find God’s plan for building His kingdom on this earth to be a plan that includes His people supporting the work of building the Kingdom of God on this earth. Jesus and the disciples focused on the spiritual ministry and the women supported them to enable them to do such. That was and is God’s plan.
When God’s people joyfully give – a group of God’s people called a church are able to expand the ministry and building of God’s Kingdom. Matthew 9:37-38 says that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few – ask the Lord of harvest to raise up workers to go out into the harvest. If you have been in this church family long enough you know that the Brady family is answer to that prayer. Joyful giving will enable this church family to support sending them out into the mission field. It will take all of us learning together how to become joyful givers – it will not happen with just a few of us as givers.
So –let me review for you: Why become a joyful giver? Joyful giving will enlarge and encourage the ministry of your church --- joyful giving will enable you to forgive like God has forgiven you --- joyful giving will enrich your marriage and single guys joyful giving will equip you to become a great lover. Joyful giving will deepen and mature your spiritual life and joyful giving will increase your finances.
Prayer: Oh God make me a giver
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Joseph #10
“Becoming a Believer of Integrity and Forgiveness”
The Life of Joseph #10
October 12, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming
We have been studying the character of Joseph for the past 10 weeks. I pray that you have enjoyed studying this man’s life and that it has caused you to examine your own life and character. Joseph was a great man – but why? Why did the Spirit of God hover over his head more in the book of Genesis than any other man, including Abraham???? Joseph was not superhuman. He was a mere man. He never walked on water. He did not have a halo. He never performed a miracle and he certainly was not one who was free from trouble. Do not be deceived into thinking that he was a perfect saint and you could never live like him. He interpreted a few dreams with God’s help but he never gave a prophecy and as far as we know today – he never wrote any scripture. Why was he so great????? He had a great faith in God. He believed that God was in control and in full power over everything. His strong faith gave him a godly attitude. He knew and believed that God had a purpose for everything. It did not matter what happened to Joseph – he knew that God had a purpose for everything that happened in his life and all around him. Knowing and believing that God had a purpose was his key to greatness and it is your key to greatness in God’s kingdom. The purposes of God. Write that in on the blank at the top of your outline next to my name. PURPOSES OF GOD Turn in your bible to Genesis 50 and look at the top of your outline: the prophet Jeremiah wrote these words about God
Jeremiah 32:18 -19 “You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers’ sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, great are Your purposes and mighty are your deeds.
Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve.” The prophet Jeremiah, who was known as the weeping prophet because he shed tears for the sins of God’s people. He was a prophet who suffered greatly like Joseph and yet He knew that the purposes of God were great. Psalm 33:11 “But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” Notice how the psalmist takes the purposes of God and says they come from the heart of God. Dr Luke wrote about David
Acts 13:36 “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.”
Proverbs 16:4 The LORD has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.
God makes the wicked for a day of disaster…………We want the purposes of God when they are good for us but what about when they cause us pain? Do we want the purposes of God when they seem like a human disaster???? What about when it seems unfair and not right? The purposes of God are not always easy to understand and get your mind around. We often only want one view of God – one that we agree with and one that kind of makes us feel good.
Deut 29:29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”
I thought of this as looking at this apple. (hold and turn) You can see one side of it and you think that by looking at the one side when you bite into it you are going to get apple that tastes good – it is not rotten or has bugs or worms in it --- but what is the other side like? GO PUT THE APPLE DOWN… What is your view of God? Is God good when everything is going your way and you are doing what you want? What happens to you when you run into evil? Does God use evil to accomplish His purposes? Does He bring disaster to accomplish His plan? Will you walk with God and pursue His purposes even when you have to walk through fire – pain – lonliness and hardship? God wants you to be able to echo and live out the words of Jeremiah - “great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds.”
Please stand with me as we read chapter 50.
Background
Joseph had revealed his identify to his brothers after giving them test after test and he saw that they were now men who could be trusted and indeed God had worked in their lives. Joseph told the brothers that it was God who had sent him on ahead to preserve the family of the Jewish nation. After talking with his brothers and catching up with them – he sends them back to Canaan and tells them to bring his father back to him. Pharaoh heard about this and says to “load animals and carts and go back to Canaan and bring your father and your households back to me. I will give them the best in the land of Egypt.” When the brothers arrived back in Canaan to their father and told him everything – he found it hard to believe but he could not explain the carts loaded down with food and all of the animals. So – Jacob and his 11 sons and families take off to Egypt and on the way down Jacob stops at Beersheba to offer sacrifices to God. MAP PHOTO PHOTO – this does not mean anything to you but in biblical history this is where Abraham and Isaac had lived years before and called on the name of the Lord in Genesis 21:22 and it is where Abraham died and God made the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12. (BLANK). And if you look in chapter 46:2… God speaks to Jacob and tells him to not be afraid as he goes down to Egypt and that in Egypt God would make him a great nation – so when they went down to Egypt there were 66 in all. The nation of Israel consisted of 66 people. Not one Hebrew was left in the Holy Land. Scholars have estimated that Jacob moved to Egypt in 1876 B.C. and in Exodus when they left Egypt some 430 years later there were some 600,00 men, women and children. God kept His promise did He not??? God had His purpose for everything that He did and everything that He brought about. He even used evil to bring about His purposes. So --- if God can keep His promise 3,000 years ago and fulfill His purposes can He still do that today???????
Jacob and the 11 brothers arrive in Egypt in chapter 46 and in verse 29 it says that Joseph threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.” Jacob was 130 years old at this time. He lived another 17 years and died at age 147. He lived his final years in luxury and got to be around Joseph’s children. We read at the beginning of chap. 50 that Jacob died and again we see the deep love of a son for his father when Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept over him. Joseph wept tears of grief. Pharaoh hears about Jacob’s desire to be buried in Canaan so he grants Joseph permission to honor his father’s request and the king treats Jacob like Egyptian royalty and all the Kings officials – Joseph and family make the trip north --- can you imagine what that scene was like going through the dessert???? They buried Jacob --- everyone returned to Egypt and if you look at chp. 50 vs. 15 --- the brothers got worried.
“perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may repay us for the evil which we did to him” so they sent someone to plead with Joseph and asked him to forgive them for the evil they did. Joseph wept when he heard this and says an amazing statement which I am going to spend the rest of our time on “do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God. But as for you – you meant evil against me – but God meant the evil for good.” Notice that it does not say that God allowed the evil but it says that God ordained the evil. Joseph comforted them and spoke kindly to them. The brothers had a hard time understanding the purposes of God but Joseph did not……. He knew that God had used the evil for good.
I want to take a moment to walk through with you what the bible says about God and evil. I want to look on the other side of the apple with you. Most believers cannot see God as having anything to do with evil. Joseph said, “what you meant for evil – God meant the evil for good.” Most people think like this: God is good and God is love and therefore he has nothing to do with evil. God cannot and will not be associated with evil. Evil is running loose and it determines what it wants to do and there is nothing that can constrain evil. Sounds good to you does it not? But, let me tell you that is wrong thinking. It is not biblical thinking. That is seeing only seeing one side of the apple. Let me read some scriptures I put on your outline:
God and Evil
Isaiah 46:10 God speaking, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. “
(softly) God does what He pleases and man is in no position to question God and judge what He does. When God pleases Himself…… He is always 100% right and holy and without evil. That can include a hurricane or a tidal wave or anything that we might say does not come from God. Before these words in chapter 46 – Isaiah records other words that God spoke.
Isaiah 45:7 God speaking, “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.” That is what it says – there is no mistake in the bible. That is what the Hebrew says. …. God brings prosperity and God brings disaster. If God brings disaster to bring about His purposes do you see that as Holy or unholy? Is God therefore evil as He uses evil to bring about His purposes? NO ---- God is sovereign over evil – He controls evil and He uses evil and yet at no time is He ever evil.
Many believers have said that God could never have had anything to do with Sept 11, 2001? Did God allow Hitler to murder 6 million Jews? Did God use that evil? Could God have used the holocaust to bring about and fulfill prophecy and re establish the nation of Israel which He did in 1947 – 2 years after the last gas chambers?
Now I realize that what I am speaking to you about is difficult to understand and comprehend but it would be wrong of me not to address this with you ------it is my hope that you will learn to have a biblical worldview with the eyes of God. Remember Joseph said in chapter 50 “what you intended for evil, God meant that evil for good.” God used that evil – God took that evil and used it for good ---- God was Lord of the evil --- God was in control of the evil ---- the evil did not control God. COMMENTS: I have battled addressing this with you because I know that it is the deep deep meat of God ----- but the scriptures tells us in John 17:3 “This is eternal life that they may know you – the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” How much do you want to know God? I want you to have as full of understanding and knowledge of the God of the bible that you can
Deuteronomy 28:63 “Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please Him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.” God is always pleased to bring about His purposes in the lives of His children. God will always use what He chooses to use to bring it about and that includes evil and when He does it and when He brings it about at no time does He ever become evil or smell of evil.
There are many things that happen in this world. God is ruler and sovereign over them all. He does not sit back in a chair and watch His creation --- never never fall into that deceptive thinking – We do not know what God is doing. We do not know why God does what He does. God took my grandson and that was good. God had his purpose. The car crash – the cancer --- the house burning down ----- loosing your job ----- I firmly believe that God is bringing His hand down on this nation through this financial crash in our nation ---- we are either going to repent our not. What Joseph said about God and how God used the evil for good completely agrees with what Paul said in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose.” God does not work all things for the good of everyone ----- this scripture verse is not a promise for all people. The verse does not say that. He works all things for the good of those who love Him and for those who have been called according to His purpose. Not all people have been called according to His purpose. But if you are a real Christian --- you have been and He will use all things for His purposes for your life.
Let me put it this way on a slide:
If you have a view of God that is always and must always be explainable to you then you have a small God. – Pastor Ben Fleming
Lessons about the Purposes of God
1. When God accomplishes His divine purposes in spite of our sins, we must never excuse ourselves for doing what was sin. God is sovereign in all aspects of life. This is how Joseph saw and understood who God was. Someone might be tempted to read and hear about Joseph and blame God for their sin. The brothers committed their sin but God used it to bring about His purposes but the responsibility for the sin of the brothers does not lie at the feet of God. The apostle James in the New Testament warns us of this kind of thinking.
James 1:13 -15 “When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.” So never blame God for your sin. Never blame someone else for your sin. Never blame God for the sin that someone else committed against you --- …..look to God and ask God to use that evil for good. Look at what you are going through right now and expect that the purposes of God are being worked out and that one day you will be able to see them and walk in them.
2. On this earth, you will never be able to explain away all human suffering. God had a special plan for Joseph’s suffering. There are times when believers suffer and we will never understand why. How do we explain rape to a person who has been marred for life? How do we explain child abuse that leaves a person an emotional cripple? Suffering in general is related to the fact that we live in a world that is contaminated through with sin. The point is this: You can use your freedom to sin and make other people suffer and you can use your freedom to sin and cause suffering in your own life. But, because you cannot explain all human suffering never let that rob you of the joy that is found in knowing God and walking and reflecting the love of God in your own life.
3. Suffering is difficult to explain but a Christian has the potential to see the meaning of it and non believers do not. A non believer will always question and blame God. As a believer you have the opportunity to understand some of the purposes of suffering. Let me give you 4 purposes. Suffering can give a believer the opportunity to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ to someone else. Suffering can help a believer understand the suffering of others. Suffering can produce Christian maturity. Suffering can bring a person to personal salvation
4. Suffering can give the believer an inner strength and mature and mold that believer beyond normal human capacities. This is what happened with Joseph and as you walk with God you can experience that in your own life as well. It is easy to drift away from God and His people. We are warned to be careful that we do not drift away. Especially when we suffer it is easy to draw away. Hebrews tells us to not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing but to encourage one another. God knows especially that when you are suffering you need the family of God – you need worship – you need prayer and to hear the prayers of others. (PHOTO) Dr Victor Frankl was a prisoner in a concentration camp in WW2. During his time he found that when one looked for meaning and purpose in suffering it brought hope – strength and enabled that person to endure and mature. He came out the other side alive because he had learned to focus on finding meaning in suffering. “What you meant for evil --- God meant for good.”
As I got to this point this past week KNIS came on with an interview of Pastor John Piper. He was being interviewed about his new book called Spectacular Sins – it addresses the issue of evil and God. I know that God wants His people to fully understand who He is and His complete sovereignty and power over evil. Would you stand with me this morning and say out loud with me the words of the prophet Jeremiah and may these be words that you do not just say but words that you experience in your journey with God through life on this earth.
Slide: O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, great are Your purposes and mighty are your deeds.
The Life of Joseph #10
October 12, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming
We have been studying the character of Joseph for the past 10 weeks. I pray that you have enjoyed studying this man’s life and that it has caused you to examine your own life and character. Joseph was a great man – but why? Why did the Spirit of God hover over his head more in the book of Genesis than any other man, including Abraham???? Joseph was not superhuman. He was a mere man. He never walked on water. He did not have a halo. He never performed a miracle and he certainly was not one who was free from trouble. Do not be deceived into thinking that he was a perfect saint and you could never live like him. He interpreted a few dreams with God’s help but he never gave a prophecy and as far as we know today – he never wrote any scripture. Why was he so great????? He had a great faith in God. He believed that God was in control and in full power over everything. His strong faith gave him a godly attitude. He knew and believed that God had a purpose for everything. It did not matter what happened to Joseph – he knew that God had a purpose for everything that happened in his life and all around him. Knowing and believing that God had a purpose was his key to greatness and it is your key to greatness in God’s kingdom. The purposes of God. Write that in on the blank at the top of your outline next to my name. PURPOSES OF GOD Turn in your bible to Genesis 50 and look at the top of your outline: the prophet Jeremiah wrote these words about God
Jeremiah 32:18 -19 “You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers’ sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, great are Your purposes and mighty are your deeds.
Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve.” The prophet Jeremiah, who was known as the weeping prophet because he shed tears for the sins of God’s people. He was a prophet who suffered greatly like Joseph and yet He knew that the purposes of God were great. Psalm 33:11 “But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” Notice how the psalmist takes the purposes of God and says they come from the heart of God. Dr Luke wrote about David
Acts 13:36 “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.”
Proverbs 16:4 The LORD has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.
God makes the wicked for a day of disaster…………We want the purposes of God when they are good for us but what about when they cause us pain? Do we want the purposes of God when they seem like a human disaster???? What about when it seems unfair and not right? The purposes of God are not always easy to understand and get your mind around. We often only want one view of God – one that we agree with and one that kind of makes us feel good.
Deut 29:29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”
I thought of this as looking at this apple. (hold and turn) You can see one side of it and you think that by looking at the one side when you bite into it you are going to get apple that tastes good – it is not rotten or has bugs or worms in it --- but what is the other side like? GO PUT THE APPLE DOWN… What is your view of God? Is God good when everything is going your way and you are doing what you want? What happens to you when you run into evil? Does God use evil to accomplish His purposes? Does He bring disaster to accomplish His plan? Will you walk with God and pursue His purposes even when you have to walk through fire – pain – lonliness and hardship? God wants you to be able to echo and live out the words of Jeremiah - “great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds.”
Please stand with me as we read chapter 50.
Background
Joseph had revealed his identify to his brothers after giving them test after test and he saw that they were now men who could be trusted and indeed God had worked in their lives. Joseph told the brothers that it was God who had sent him on ahead to preserve the family of the Jewish nation. After talking with his brothers and catching up with them – he sends them back to Canaan and tells them to bring his father back to him. Pharaoh heard about this and says to “load animals and carts and go back to Canaan and bring your father and your households back to me. I will give them the best in the land of Egypt.” When the brothers arrived back in Canaan to their father and told him everything – he found it hard to believe but he could not explain the carts loaded down with food and all of the animals. So – Jacob and his 11 sons and families take off to Egypt and on the way down Jacob stops at Beersheba to offer sacrifices to God. MAP PHOTO PHOTO – this does not mean anything to you but in biblical history this is where Abraham and Isaac had lived years before and called on the name of the Lord in Genesis 21:22 and it is where Abraham died and God made the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12. (BLANK). And if you look in chapter 46:2… God speaks to Jacob and tells him to not be afraid as he goes down to Egypt and that in Egypt God would make him a great nation – so when they went down to Egypt there were 66 in all. The nation of Israel consisted of 66 people. Not one Hebrew was left in the Holy Land. Scholars have estimated that Jacob moved to Egypt in 1876 B.C. and in Exodus when they left Egypt some 430 years later there were some 600,00 men, women and children. God kept His promise did He not??? God had His purpose for everything that He did and everything that He brought about. He even used evil to bring about His purposes. So --- if God can keep His promise 3,000 years ago and fulfill His purposes can He still do that today???????
Jacob and the 11 brothers arrive in Egypt in chapter 46 and in verse 29 it says that Joseph threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.” Jacob was 130 years old at this time. He lived another 17 years and died at age 147. He lived his final years in luxury and got to be around Joseph’s children. We read at the beginning of chap. 50 that Jacob died and again we see the deep love of a son for his father when Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept over him. Joseph wept tears of grief. Pharaoh hears about Jacob’s desire to be buried in Canaan so he grants Joseph permission to honor his father’s request and the king treats Jacob like Egyptian royalty and all the Kings officials – Joseph and family make the trip north --- can you imagine what that scene was like going through the dessert???? They buried Jacob --- everyone returned to Egypt and if you look at chp. 50 vs. 15 --- the brothers got worried.
“perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may repay us for the evil which we did to him” so they sent someone to plead with Joseph and asked him to forgive them for the evil they did. Joseph wept when he heard this and says an amazing statement which I am going to spend the rest of our time on “do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God. But as for you – you meant evil against me – but God meant the evil for good.” Notice that it does not say that God allowed the evil but it says that God ordained the evil. Joseph comforted them and spoke kindly to them. The brothers had a hard time understanding the purposes of God but Joseph did not……. He knew that God had used the evil for good.
I want to take a moment to walk through with you what the bible says about God and evil. I want to look on the other side of the apple with you. Most believers cannot see God as having anything to do with evil. Joseph said, “what you meant for evil – God meant the evil for good.” Most people think like this: God is good and God is love and therefore he has nothing to do with evil. God cannot and will not be associated with evil. Evil is running loose and it determines what it wants to do and there is nothing that can constrain evil. Sounds good to you does it not? But, let me tell you that is wrong thinking. It is not biblical thinking. That is seeing only seeing one side of the apple. Let me read some scriptures I put on your outline:
God and Evil
Isaiah 46:10 God speaking, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. “
(softly) God does what He pleases and man is in no position to question God and judge what He does. When God pleases Himself…… He is always 100% right and holy and without evil. That can include a hurricane or a tidal wave or anything that we might say does not come from God. Before these words in chapter 46 – Isaiah records other words that God spoke.
Isaiah 45:7 God speaking, “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.” That is what it says – there is no mistake in the bible. That is what the Hebrew says. …. God brings prosperity and God brings disaster. If God brings disaster to bring about His purposes do you see that as Holy or unholy? Is God therefore evil as He uses evil to bring about His purposes? NO ---- God is sovereign over evil – He controls evil and He uses evil and yet at no time is He ever evil.
Many believers have said that God could never have had anything to do with Sept 11, 2001? Did God allow Hitler to murder 6 million Jews? Did God use that evil? Could God have used the holocaust to bring about and fulfill prophecy and re establish the nation of Israel which He did in 1947 – 2 years after the last gas chambers?
Now I realize that what I am speaking to you about is difficult to understand and comprehend but it would be wrong of me not to address this with you ------it is my hope that you will learn to have a biblical worldview with the eyes of God. Remember Joseph said in chapter 50 “what you intended for evil, God meant that evil for good.” God used that evil – God took that evil and used it for good ---- God was Lord of the evil --- God was in control of the evil ---- the evil did not control God. COMMENTS: I have battled addressing this with you because I know that it is the deep deep meat of God ----- but the scriptures tells us in John 17:3 “This is eternal life that they may know you – the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” How much do you want to know God? I want you to have as full of understanding and knowledge of the God of the bible that you can
Deuteronomy 28:63 “Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please Him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.” God is always pleased to bring about His purposes in the lives of His children. God will always use what He chooses to use to bring it about and that includes evil and when He does it and when He brings it about at no time does He ever become evil or smell of evil.
There are many things that happen in this world. God is ruler and sovereign over them all. He does not sit back in a chair and watch His creation --- never never fall into that deceptive thinking – We do not know what God is doing. We do not know why God does what He does. God took my grandson and that was good. God had his purpose. The car crash – the cancer --- the house burning down ----- loosing your job ----- I firmly believe that God is bringing His hand down on this nation through this financial crash in our nation ---- we are either going to repent our not. What Joseph said about God and how God used the evil for good completely agrees with what Paul said in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose.” God does not work all things for the good of everyone ----- this scripture verse is not a promise for all people. The verse does not say that. He works all things for the good of those who love Him and for those who have been called according to His purpose. Not all people have been called according to His purpose. But if you are a real Christian --- you have been and He will use all things for His purposes for your life.
Let me put it this way on a slide:
If you have a view of God that is always and must always be explainable to you then you have a small God. – Pastor Ben Fleming
Lessons about the Purposes of God
1. When God accomplishes His divine purposes in spite of our sins, we must never excuse ourselves for doing what was sin. God is sovereign in all aspects of life. This is how Joseph saw and understood who God was. Someone might be tempted to read and hear about Joseph and blame God for their sin. The brothers committed their sin but God used it to bring about His purposes but the responsibility for the sin of the brothers does not lie at the feet of God. The apostle James in the New Testament warns us of this kind of thinking.
James 1:13 -15 “When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.” So never blame God for your sin. Never blame someone else for your sin. Never blame God for the sin that someone else committed against you --- …..look to God and ask God to use that evil for good. Look at what you are going through right now and expect that the purposes of God are being worked out and that one day you will be able to see them and walk in them.
2. On this earth, you will never be able to explain away all human suffering. God had a special plan for Joseph’s suffering. There are times when believers suffer and we will never understand why. How do we explain rape to a person who has been marred for life? How do we explain child abuse that leaves a person an emotional cripple? Suffering in general is related to the fact that we live in a world that is contaminated through with sin. The point is this: You can use your freedom to sin and make other people suffer and you can use your freedom to sin and cause suffering in your own life. But, because you cannot explain all human suffering never let that rob you of the joy that is found in knowing God and walking and reflecting the love of God in your own life.
3. Suffering is difficult to explain but a Christian has the potential to see the meaning of it and non believers do not. A non believer will always question and blame God. As a believer you have the opportunity to understand some of the purposes of suffering. Let me give you 4 purposes. Suffering can give a believer the opportunity to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ to someone else. Suffering can help a believer understand the suffering of others. Suffering can produce Christian maturity. Suffering can bring a person to personal salvation
4. Suffering can give the believer an inner strength and mature and mold that believer beyond normal human capacities. This is what happened with Joseph and as you walk with God you can experience that in your own life as well. It is easy to drift away from God and His people. We are warned to be careful that we do not drift away. Especially when we suffer it is easy to draw away. Hebrews tells us to not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing but to encourage one another. God knows especially that when you are suffering you need the family of God – you need worship – you need prayer and to hear the prayers of others. (PHOTO) Dr Victor Frankl was a prisoner in a concentration camp in WW2. During his time he found that when one looked for meaning and purpose in suffering it brought hope – strength and enabled that person to endure and mature. He came out the other side alive because he had learned to focus on finding meaning in suffering. “What you meant for evil --- God meant for good.”
As I got to this point this past week KNIS came on with an interview of Pastor John Piper. He was being interviewed about his new book called Spectacular Sins – it addresses the issue of evil and God. I know that God wants His people to fully understand who He is and His complete sovereignty and power over evil. Would you stand with me this morning and say out loud with me the words of the prophet Jeremiah and may these be words that you do not just say but words that you experience in your journey with God through life on this earth.
Slide: O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, great are Your purposes and mighty are your deeds.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Biking and Walking with Jesus
On Saturday Oct 4th, I had the opportunity to ride again in the Fallon No Hill 100 Bike Ride. I rode with our bike team - Mark Hansen, Andy Getas, Thomas Chandler and Danny Fierro. We ride together almost every Wed in Carson City.The Fallon 100 started at 7:30 am. It looked like the day before we would have rain but it blew over.
Mark and Thomas are the rookies on our team so we paced ourselves and followed them and we finished 65 miles of the ride. Riding bikes gives a picture to me of the Christian life.
You have to ride the bike yourself but when you bike you need a team member. They help you to keep your cadence, they encourage you, when you get a flat tire, they stop and help you change the tire. You learn about biking from more experienced bikers. You learn what to do and what not to do. I have been biking for 4 years now and really have found great fun, friendships and challenges through biking.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Hearing God's Word
Paul tells Timothy, "Preach the Word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching." I am weekly faced with the task of preaching the Word of God. I work 20-25 hours at preparing, praying, writing and reading so that I may present to God's people spiritual food which is of deep substance to them, to challenge them, encourage them, feed them and lift them up. I have been recently focusing on one word in each message. Do they hear what that one word is? Do they understand that one word? Does it stick with them more than 48 hours?
How do we hear God's Word? Hearing God's Word is a discipline. You have to practice attending a New Testament church where the preaching of God's Word is the main focus. Many listen to God's Word but Jesus said in Luke 11:28 "blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it." Is my call as a pastor just preaching the Word of God or faciliting and confronting God's people with obeying it? Should there be more focus on obedience? If God's people are not obedient they are disobedient and need to be rebuke. What do you think? What would happen if on Sundays I publically rebuked people in front of others? I wonder if anyone reads my blog anymore?
How do we hear God's Word? Hearing God's Word is a discipline. You have to practice attending a New Testament church where the preaching of God's Word is the main focus. Many listen to God's Word but Jesus said in Luke 11:28 "blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it." Is my call as a pastor just preaching the Word of God or faciliting and confronting God's people with obeying it? Should there be more focus on obedience? If God's people are not obedient they are disobedient and need to be rebuke. What do you think? What would happen if on Sundays I publically rebuked people in front of others? I wonder if anyone reads my blog anymore?
Doctrines of the Faith #2
Doctrine #2 God’s Sovereign Choice
When someone mentions that term Calvinism, the customary response is, “Oh you mean the doctrine of predestination?” This is a strange and widespread identification with Calvinism. The Reformed view of God or the joy focused view certainly does hold firmly to this doctrine. Almost every church has some form of a belief about predestination because the bible teaches predestination. If you have a biblical theology you cannot avoid this doctrine.
Ephesians 1: 3 - 12 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. 11In him we were also chosen,having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
In this text Paul speaks of being predestined according to the counsel of God’s will. The question is not – does the bible teach predestination, the question is “what is it?”
A destination is a point that we have not yet reached. When you book airplane tickets you do not book them to nowhere. When we add the prefix pre to destination we speak of something that takes place prior to or before the destination. The pre relates to a question of time. In bible terms or thinking, predestination takes place before we believe in Christ, and not only before we were born but before the universe was created.
God is agent of predestination and in His sovereignty he predestinates. Humans are the object of His predestination. The term election is used often referring to God’s divine predestination: God’s choosing certain individuals to be saved. The term election is a positive word referring to the results of salvation of those who are elect. The term also has a negative side implying that there are those who are not elect. God makes a choice – some He chooses to pass over and some He chooses for heaven.
Is God’s Choosing Conditional or Unconditional?
Do our individual lives have any bearing on God’s decision? Even though God makes His choice before we are born, He knows everything about our lives before we even live them. Does He take that prior knowledge of us into account when He makes His decision regarding election? The question is “On what does God base His decision to elect some and not others? The very answer to that question distinguishes a Joy – Focused Theology from other theologies. Last month we looked at the T in TULIP. Today is the U. Unconditional Election.
We know what that means when it comes to Ulysses S. Grant who was known as Unconditional Surrender Grant in the Civil War referring to surrender that excludes negotiations. There is no room for “if you will do this I will do that”. This same kind of surrender was on the USS Missouri at the end of WW2. Unconditional simply implies “with no conditions attached, foreseen or otherwise.”
Romans 8:29 - 30 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Romans 9:9 - 16 9For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”£ 10Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”£ 13Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”£ 14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”£ 16It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
When God chooses those who are to be His and He does based upon nothing that the human has done or will ever do, it does not mean that His decisions are arbitrary. He has His reasons why some He chooses and some He does not. God chooses for only reasons known to us. He chooses for His own pleasure, which is His divine right. If something pleases God, it must be good. There is no evil pleasure in God.
When someone mentions that term Calvinism, the customary response is, “Oh you mean the doctrine of predestination?” This is a strange and widespread identification with Calvinism. The Reformed view of God or the joy focused view certainly does hold firmly to this doctrine. Almost every church has some form of a belief about predestination because the bible teaches predestination. If you have a biblical theology you cannot avoid this doctrine.
Ephesians 1: 3 - 12 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. 11In him we were also chosen,having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
In this text Paul speaks of being predestined according to the counsel of God’s will. The question is not – does the bible teach predestination, the question is “what is it?”
A destination is a point that we have not yet reached. When you book airplane tickets you do not book them to nowhere. When we add the prefix pre to destination we speak of something that takes place prior to or before the destination. The pre relates to a question of time. In bible terms or thinking, predestination takes place before we believe in Christ, and not only before we were born but before the universe was created.
God is agent of predestination and in His sovereignty he predestinates. Humans are the object of His predestination. The term election is used often referring to God’s divine predestination: God’s choosing certain individuals to be saved. The term election is a positive word referring to the results of salvation of those who are elect. The term also has a negative side implying that there are those who are not elect. God makes a choice – some He chooses to pass over and some He chooses for heaven.
Is God’s Choosing Conditional or Unconditional?
Do our individual lives have any bearing on God’s decision? Even though God makes His choice before we are born, He knows everything about our lives before we even live them. Does He take that prior knowledge of us into account when He makes His decision regarding election? The question is “On what does God base His decision to elect some and not others? The very answer to that question distinguishes a Joy – Focused Theology from other theologies. Last month we looked at the T in TULIP. Today is the U. Unconditional Election.
We know what that means when it comes to Ulysses S. Grant who was known as Unconditional Surrender Grant in the Civil War referring to surrender that excludes negotiations. There is no room for “if you will do this I will do that”. This same kind of surrender was on the USS Missouri at the end of WW2. Unconditional simply implies “with no conditions attached, foreseen or otherwise.”
Romans 8:29 - 30 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Romans 9:9 - 16 9For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”£ 10Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”£ 13Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”£ 14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”£ 16It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
When God chooses those who are to be His and He does based upon nothing that the human has done or will ever do, it does not mean that His decisions are arbitrary. He has His reasons why some He chooses and some He does not. God chooses for only reasons known to us. He chooses for His own pleasure, which is His divine right. If something pleases God, it must be good. There is no evil pleasure in God.
Joseph #9
“Becoming a Believer of Integrity and Forgiveness”
The Life of Joseph #9
October 5th, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming
Turn in your bible to Genesis chapter 45. Has anyone every heard the phrase, “Big boys do no cry?” How many guys in here have every been told that????? How many of you have said it? How many women have been told –“girls do not cry?????” Perhaps this is the reason most men have trouble crying. Maybe this is the reason why older men seem to cry a lot in their final years – they are simply letting out all the tears they have kept bottle up. …… When someone cries or is crying we think they are weak. We want them to stop so that everything will be okay --- it bothers us when we are around someone who cries. We sometimes think…. “If you are tough and if you are a person of real character --- you do not cry……” Little boys grow up being told that they do not cry.. they are to be tough. We have been programmed to think that way even though as a believer in Christ we know it is not true but we find ourselves sometimes speaking that emotionally damaging statement. We are going to study Joseph today and we are going to see that weeping is a quality of a man of character. Write that in at the top of your outline. Weeping
Weeping is real character. Learning to weep and sob and allowing tears in our lives is emotionally healthy, it is spiritually healthy and mentally healthy. On June the 9th at 1130am I spoke to my son Benjamin and he told me “Dad, there is no heartbeat”… I hung up the phone that morning and began to learn and experience what weeping and sobbing was all about. I began to learn some of what it meant to weep and allow others around me to weep and to weep with others. Weeping should be part of our lives. It is not just an emotion that God has assigned only to grief and pain but it is also to be an emotion of joy, and thankfulness. My 84 year old father called me this week and at the end of the conversation asked me “must a person be baptized to be saved?” he gave me the chance to go through the gospel again with him and as I hung up I found my self gently weeping tears of joy and thankfulness.
As we have been learning – Joseph was a man of character – he was a man of God – he was a man of prayer – he was man of wisdom – a man of forgiveness but he was also a man of tears. He knew how to weep – he had learned to weep and had experienced the healing and joy that came from weeping…..
Last week we found that Joseph could now trust his brothers. He had put his brothers through test after test and they had passed with flying colors. Joseph knew that he could trust them. He remembered what kind of men they were when he was 17 years old and in and through the tests that he walked them through he had seen that God had been working in their hearts and minds and changed them into brothers whom he could trust. Stand as we read 45. PRAY
BACKGROUND
The emotions that Joseph had kept bottled up inside finally came out. In verse 1, He told all of the Egyptians to leave the room and leave him alone with his brothers. He sobbed and sobbed and wept so loudly that they still heard him on the other side of door. Most likely his weeping came from feelings of – joy and thankfulness. Through his tears he said--- “I am Joseph. Is my father still living?” The brothers were terrified – they had no idea what was happening. They were speechless and fear gripped them. Perhaps Joseph could see this through his tears and because he was a compassionate man – he says to them (softly) “come close to me” --- look at me ----don’t remember me??? it is me your brother. I am Hebrew just like you. I am the one you sold into Egypt.”
Listen to the maturity of Joseph ------ “do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for what you have done, because it was for saving of lives that God sent me ahead of you. Look at verse 7 “But God --- I love the word but in the bible – but God --- it was God who sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth to save your lives by a great deliverance --- and again He says, it was not you --- but it was God. Do you see here how Joseph understood the sovereignty of God in his life???? He knew that all that went on in his life was God’s plan…... Do you believe that today? Do you believe God is in control of your health? Do you believe God is in control of our economy? Do you believe God is in control of your finances and He knows what He is working out and what He is aiming to teach you? Would you be able to say --- but God???
We are going to see Joseph address the issue of the sovereignty of God over evil next week in chapter 50 as we end our study of the character of Joseph. Joseph must have sensed an urgency… so he commands his brothers to hurry back to Jacob and tell him that Joseph is alive and that Joseph is ruler over Egypt and that he is to come back to Egypt with the brothers where Joseph will take care of them and feed them. “I will provide for you – there are still 5 more years of famine to come – quickly bring my father down here.” And then look what Joseph does in verse 14 – He throws his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept and Benjamin embraced him and he too was weeping. This was not weeping because of grief or sorrow but it was weeping from joy and complete forgiveness and love. And then Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept over them and then his brothers talked with him. ---- there is no grief here. It is a weeping of joy and thankfulness. These brothers had been reunited in heart and spirit – they sat together and talked and experienced deep fellowship with complete trust and forgiveness. What a picture for us of what the family of God is suppose be.
Story: Some years ago there was a film called The Promise. It was a story of a young man and woman who were engaged and deeply in love. A week before their wedding they were involved in a terrible car accident. Both of them were badly hurt and the girls face was terribly disfigured. While they were recovering in the hospital in separate rooms – they young mans mother visited the soon to be daughter in law. She had never liked her and did not want her to marry her son. She told the badly injured girl that she would secretly pay for all the plastic surgery to restore her face if she promised to disappear and never have anything to do with her son. She was suffering – alone – in trauma and agony and confused so she made a promise to do so. The mother told her son that the girl had died in the accident. Years later through an unusual chain of events the young man and woman met again. He had not changed greatly so he was easy to recognize. She tried to keep her promise but circumstances brought them together and he began to recognizer her. He realized the woman he loved was still alive and eventually they were joined finally in a scene romantic reconciliation. Can you imagine the tears of joy for them?? The story does not tell us what happened to the mother.
When was the last time you shed tears of joy???? When was the last time you shed tears because of forgiveness and the restoration of trust between you and someone else???????? When was the last time you shed tears because of your sin???
I do not ask those questions to make you feel guilty but to have you think about the character of Joseph --- his tears showed his human side but they also showed his heart attitude. Here was a man who had more power – prestige and authority than any man in the world and yet he never lost his ability to be tender – to show compassion and feel deeply. (softly) God…..wants you and me to have the same heart that Joseph did.
A LOOK AT JOSEPH’S TEARS
1. Joseph wept when he saw the softened hearts of his brothers. (42:21-24) “The brothers said to each other, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us.” Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. Joseph turned away from them and began to weep…” Why did he weep?? Maybe he remembered the pain he felt as they talked about what they did to him but more than likely because of the heart of Joseph - he was moved because he heard them acknowledge their sin…… He was moved to weep because of softened hearts. This is what can happen to you in a prayer group or a small group when someone in the group is so honest that they confess their sins specifically in that group. God moves in your heart and I have to say that the emotions that I have felt have been ones of joy. Joy that someone is honest. Joy that I am trusted to be able to hear someone’s confession of sin. Joy that someone is confessing their sins to one another and that healing is sure to follow in that persons life.
When was the last time you confessed your sin to another believer? When was the last time you were in a small group and heard someone else confess? We must learn to weep because of a softened heart that is sensitive to sin.
2. Joseph wept out of compassion for Benjamin’s welfare. (43:30-31) “Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, he hurried out and looked for a place to weep.” For years, Joseph must have wondered how his brothers were treating his youngest brother Benjamin. Did they do similar things to him that they did to him? Joseph’s weeping was from the joy of seeing his baby brother. The compassion in his heart for his brother provoked weeping. It had been over 17 years since he last saw him . We must learn to weep with compassion for a brother or sisters welfare. DAN’S TESTIMONY
3. Joseph wept when he saw the true repentance of his brother Judah. (44:33) Judah’s repentant confession most likely touched the heart of Joseph more than any other event. He wept uncontrollably because he saw true repentance. Judah stood before him and said that he would himself become a slave and take the place of his brother Benjamin. Some 23 years earlier Judah was the one who said to his brothers, “let’s sell our brother to the traders”. Joseph heard his repentance. He heard his heart and wept over what his brother said. Judah did exactly what the apostle Paul told King Agrippa in Acts 26:20 “repent and turn to God and prove your repentance by your deeds”. Judah’s deeds was the willingness of his heart to take Benjamin’s place and become a slave.
4. Joseph wept when he was reconciled with his brothers. (45:14-15) He no longer hide from them but he revealed his true identity to them. His brothers saw who he was and that he had no grudges against them. Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept and Benjamin embraced him and wept. And then Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Tears of joy because of reconciliation. Joseph worked hard for this moment and it was a time of joy. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Philipi ---- “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Joseph was rejoicing not in his brothers but in the Lord. He knew that God had been working in his brothers and he knew that God had brought this reconciliation about. I cannot imagine the pleasure that God was experiencing as He saw this time with Joseph and his brothers.
I have to confess that as I think back over my years of walking with Jesus and knowing that I am a believer in Christ I can think of more times of broken relationships than I can of reconciled relationships……. Perhaps that is because I have not worked as hard as Joseph to be a reconciler but I do know that God wants you and me to work hard at being reconcilers and to weep when there is reconciliation between brothers and sisters in Christ.
5. Joseph wept when he was reunited with his father and at his father’s death. (46:29,50:1) Death is perhaps the most common reason for weeping in almost every culture. I remember when 5 Boy Scouts were killed in a car crash in my hometown when I was in the 5th grade. I remember going to the funeral home and hearing all the weeping. I have been the pastor for many funerals in the past 13 years and I have seen and heard a lot of weeping. I can remember and feel how fresh the weeping of this past June was in my own life and with my family. David wrote these words about his 5 year old son. “I climbed into bed with Chris, I was resolved that if another son of ours would die, he would not die alone. I wept and sobbed as I held my son that night and I talked to through my tears as he slept. “Daddy loves you. We all love you. Jesus loves you.
You do not have to be afraid. If you do not wake up, you’ll go to be with Him….. and we will see you again…. And we’ll be happy, we’ll be healthy and we’ll understand.” Weeping at death for us as a believer can be because of loss and the pain in the loss…. but we must learn also to weep at death for a believer because scripture tells us that although the believer who has died is “away from the body…. they are at home with the Lord.”
So --- when you hear of a funeral – be there and learn to weep with those who weep. Do not avoid the chance to be around death.
6. Joseph wept when he saw the grief caused by his brother’s guilt. (50:17) He wept because of his brothers guilt…… Does that not show you how compassionate this man was? I cannot say that I have ever wept because of someone’s guilt. Joseph had completely forgiven them and now he was emotionally upset enough to weep because they were still gripped with fear and guilt. Peter wept because of his guilt after denying Jesus 3 times but here is a man of God weeping over someone else’s guilt. Oh God teach us to weep because of the guilt of a fellow believer. Lessons we can learn from the weeping of Joseph
Weeping Lessons
* You cannot genuinely embrace a person you have not fully forgiven. If you cannot touch a person who has hurt you and insulted you - you cannot and do not see God’s purpose in using them in your life……. Look at (verse 5.) “Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you”. Joseph was able to see that what happened and how it happened…. God used for His glory and His purposes.
Romans 8:29 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes”
So – who have you not fully forgiven? Who can you not genuinely embrace in your present or from your past?
* Weeping can be a sign of great strength. No one would every look at Joseph and conclude that he was a weak man. He endured pain and loss and suffering and in the end rises to a position of great power and could have very easily gotten revenge on his brothers. But through out the story we see a heart of compassion and forgiveness. He found great healing from his pain through weeping. Instead of a scripture I put this application on your outline:
We must never allow pride to keep us from doing what God says is normal ! When you hurt, do not be afraid to weep. The very fact that you do not or run from weeping is a weakness.
* Weeping is normal and healthy under certain circumstances but it should never be used as a manipulation for selfish reasons. Some people have developed the art of weeping. Some societies will pay for mourners who weep to come to a funeral. Some of you have seen people who use weeping to manipulate people --- preachers have done it --- musicians have done it --- it is almost like you can predict what is going to happen. When you use weeping to manipulate others you hurt yourself and confuse others around you.
* Sincere weeping will often clear the way for objective and honest communication with those who have hurt us. You can see this with Joseph ---- after their weeping – he spent time talking with them. The bible does not tell us how much time he spent with them before he sent them off to Canan to get Jacob but you can imagine all that they had to catch up on from the past 20 years or so.
C.S Lewis wrote after the death of his wife, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken…. The only place outside heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and confusions of love is hell… We shall draw nearer to God, not by trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all loves, but by accepting them and offering them to Jesus….. throwing away all our defensive armor. It our hearts need to be broken and if He chooses this as the way in which they should break, so be it.”
Let us pray: Lord teach us to weep. Teach us to shed tears over hearts that are softened towards sin. Help us to weep over the true repentance of a believer. Help us to weep when broken relationships are healed and restored and Heavenly Father we do not know how to weep at death. Thank you for the life of Joseph. Thank you that whatever was written in earlier times was written for our encouragement and that through perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. In the name of your Son Jesus who wept. Amen
The Life of Joseph #9
October 5th, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming
Turn in your bible to Genesis chapter 45. Has anyone every heard the phrase, “Big boys do no cry?” How many guys in here have every been told that????? How many of you have said it? How many women have been told –“girls do not cry?????” Perhaps this is the reason most men have trouble crying. Maybe this is the reason why older men seem to cry a lot in their final years – they are simply letting out all the tears they have kept bottle up. …… When someone cries or is crying we think they are weak. We want them to stop so that everything will be okay --- it bothers us when we are around someone who cries. We sometimes think…. “If you are tough and if you are a person of real character --- you do not cry……” Little boys grow up being told that they do not cry.. they are to be tough. We have been programmed to think that way even though as a believer in Christ we know it is not true but we find ourselves sometimes speaking that emotionally damaging statement. We are going to study Joseph today and we are going to see that weeping is a quality of a man of character. Write that in at the top of your outline. Weeping
Weeping is real character. Learning to weep and sob and allowing tears in our lives is emotionally healthy, it is spiritually healthy and mentally healthy. On June the 9th at 1130am I spoke to my son Benjamin and he told me “Dad, there is no heartbeat”… I hung up the phone that morning and began to learn and experience what weeping and sobbing was all about. I began to learn some of what it meant to weep and allow others around me to weep and to weep with others. Weeping should be part of our lives. It is not just an emotion that God has assigned only to grief and pain but it is also to be an emotion of joy, and thankfulness. My 84 year old father called me this week and at the end of the conversation asked me “must a person be baptized to be saved?” he gave me the chance to go through the gospel again with him and as I hung up I found my self gently weeping tears of joy and thankfulness.
As we have been learning – Joseph was a man of character – he was a man of God – he was a man of prayer – he was man of wisdom – a man of forgiveness but he was also a man of tears. He knew how to weep – he had learned to weep and had experienced the healing and joy that came from weeping…..
Last week we found that Joseph could now trust his brothers. He had put his brothers through test after test and they had passed with flying colors. Joseph knew that he could trust them. He remembered what kind of men they were when he was 17 years old and in and through the tests that he walked them through he had seen that God had been working in their hearts and minds and changed them into brothers whom he could trust. Stand as we read 45. PRAY
BACKGROUND
The emotions that Joseph had kept bottled up inside finally came out. In verse 1, He told all of the Egyptians to leave the room and leave him alone with his brothers. He sobbed and sobbed and wept so loudly that they still heard him on the other side of door. Most likely his weeping came from feelings of – joy and thankfulness. Through his tears he said--- “I am Joseph. Is my father still living?” The brothers were terrified – they had no idea what was happening. They were speechless and fear gripped them. Perhaps Joseph could see this through his tears and because he was a compassionate man – he says to them (softly) “come close to me” --- look at me ----don’t remember me??? it is me your brother. I am Hebrew just like you. I am the one you sold into Egypt.”
Listen to the maturity of Joseph ------ “do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for what you have done, because it was for saving of lives that God sent me ahead of you. Look at verse 7 “But God --- I love the word but in the bible – but God --- it was God who sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth to save your lives by a great deliverance --- and again He says, it was not you --- but it was God. Do you see here how Joseph understood the sovereignty of God in his life???? He knew that all that went on in his life was God’s plan…... Do you believe that today? Do you believe God is in control of your health? Do you believe God is in control of our economy? Do you believe God is in control of your finances and He knows what He is working out and what He is aiming to teach you? Would you be able to say --- but God???
We are going to see Joseph address the issue of the sovereignty of God over evil next week in chapter 50 as we end our study of the character of Joseph. Joseph must have sensed an urgency… so he commands his brothers to hurry back to Jacob and tell him that Joseph is alive and that Joseph is ruler over Egypt and that he is to come back to Egypt with the brothers where Joseph will take care of them and feed them. “I will provide for you – there are still 5 more years of famine to come – quickly bring my father down here.” And then look what Joseph does in verse 14 – He throws his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept and Benjamin embraced him and he too was weeping. This was not weeping because of grief or sorrow but it was weeping from joy and complete forgiveness and love. And then Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept over them and then his brothers talked with him. ---- there is no grief here. It is a weeping of joy and thankfulness. These brothers had been reunited in heart and spirit – they sat together and talked and experienced deep fellowship with complete trust and forgiveness. What a picture for us of what the family of God is suppose be.
Story: Some years ago there was a film called The Promise. It was a story of a young man and woman who were engaged and deeply in love. A week before their wedding they were involved in a terrible car accident. Both of them were badly hurt and the girls face was terribly disfigured. While they were recovering in the hospital in separate rooms – they young mans mother visited the soon to be daughter in law. She had never liked her and did not want her to marry her son. She told the badly injured girl that she would secretly pay for all the plastic surgery to restore her face if she promised to disappear and never have anything to do with her son. She was suffering – alone – in trauma and agony and confused so she made a promise to do so. The mother told her son that the girl had died in the accident. Years later through an unusual chain of events the young man and woman met again. He had not changed greatly so he was easy to recognize. She tried to keep her promise but circumstances brought them together and he began to recognizer her. He realized the woman he loved was still alive and eventually they were joined finally in a scene romantic reconciliation. Can you imagine the tears of joy for them?? The story does not tell us what happened to the mother.
When was the last time you shed tears of joy???? When was the last time you shed tears because of forgiveness and the restoration of trust between you and someone else???????? When was the last time you shed tears because of your sin???
I do not ask those questions to make you feel guilty but to have you think about the character of Joseph --- his tears showed his human side but they also showed his heart attitude. Here was a man who had more power – prestige and authority than any man in the world and yet he never lost his ability to be tender – to show compassion and feel deeply. (softly) God…..wants you and me to have the same heart that Joseph did.
A LOOK AT JOSEPH’S TEARS
1. Joseph wept when he saw the softened hearts of his brothers. (42:21-24) “The brothers said to each other, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us.” Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. Joseph turned away from them and began to weep…” Why did he weep?? Maybe he remembered the pain he felt as they talked about what they did to him but more than likely because of the heart of Joseph - he was moved because he heard them acknowledge their sin…… He was moved to weep because of softened hearts. This is what can happen to you in a prayer group or a small group when someone in the group is so honest that they confess their sins specifically in that group. God moves in your heart and I have to say that the emotions that I have felt have been ones of joy. Joy that someone is honest. Joy that I am trusted to be able to hear someone’s confession of sin. Joy that someone is confessing their sins to one another and that healing is sure to follow in that persons life.
When was the last time you confessed your sin to another believer? When was the last time you were in a small group and heard someone else confess? We must learn to weep because of a softened heart that is sensitive to sin.
2. Joseph wept out of compassion for Benjamin’s welfare. (43:30-31) “Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, he hurried out and looked for a place to weep.” For years, Joseph must have wondered how his brothers were treating his youngest brother Benjamin. Did they do similar things to him that they did to him? Joseph’s weeping was from the joy of seeing his baby brother. The compassion in his heart for his brother provoked weeping. It had been over 17 years since he last saw him . We must learn to weep with compassion for a brother or sisters welfare. DAN’S TESTIMONY
3. Joseph wept when he saw the true repentance of his brother Judah. (44:33) Judah’s repentant confession most likely touched the heart of Joseph more than any other event. He wept uncontrollably because he saw true repentance. Judah stood before him and said that he would himself become a slave and take the place of his brother Benjamin. Some 23 years earlier Judah was the one who said to his brothers, “let’s sell our brother to the traders”. Joseph heard his repentance. He heard his heart and wept over what his brother said. Judah did exactly what the apostle Paul told King Agrippa in Acts 26:20 “repent and turn to God and prove your repentance by your deeds”. Judah’s deeds was the willingness of his heart to take Benjamin’s place and become a slave.
4. Joseph wept when he was reconciled with his brothers. (45:14-15) He no longer hide from them but he revealed his true identity to them. His brothers saw who he was and that he had no grudges against them. Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept and Benjamin embraced him and wept. And then Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Tears of joy because of reconciliation. Joseph worked hard for this moment and it was a time of joy. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Philipi ---- “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Joseph was rejoicing not in his brothers but in the Lord. He knew that God had been working in his brothers and he knew that God had brought this reconciliation about. I cannot imagine the pleasure that God was experiencing as He saw this time with Joseph and his brothers.
I have to confess that as I think back over my years of walking with Jesus and knowing that I am a believer in Christ I can think of more times of broken relationships than I can of reconciled relationships……. Perhaps that is because I have not worked as hard as Joseph to be a reconciler but I do know that God wants you and me to work hard at being reconcilers and to weep when there is reconciliation between brothers and sisters in Christ.
5. Joseph wept when he was reunited with his father and at his father’s death. (46:29,50:1) Death is perhaps the most common reason for weeping in almost every culture. I remember when 5 Boy Scouts were killed in a car crash in my hometown when I was in the 5th grade. I remember going to the funeral home and hearing all the weeping. I have been the pastor for many funerals in the past 13 years and I have seen and heard a lot of weeping. I can remember and feel how fresh the weeping of this past June was in my own life and with my family. David wrote these words about his 5 year old son. “I climbed into bed with Chris, I was resolved that if another son of ours would die, he would not die alone. I wept and sobbed as I held my son that night and I talked to through my tears as he slept. “Daddy loves you. We all love you. Jesus loves you.
You do not have to be afraid. If you do not wake up, you’ll go to be with Him….. and we will see you again…. And we’ll be happy, we’ll be healthy and we’ll understand.” Weeping at death for us as a believer can be because of loss and the pain in the loss…. but we must learn also to weep at death for a believer because scripture tells us that although the believer who has died is “away from the body…. they are at home with the Lord.”
So --- when you hear of a funeral – be there and learn to weep with those who weep. Do not avoid the chance to be around death.
6. Joseph wept when he saw the grief caused by his brother’s guilt. (50:17) He wept because of his brothers guilt…… Does that not show you how compassionate this man was? I cannot say that I have ever wept because of someone’s guilt. Joseph had completely forgiven them and now he was emotionally upset enough to weep because they were still gripped with fear and guilt. Peter wept because of his guilt after denying Jesus 3 times but here is a man of God weeping over someone else’s guilt. Oh God teach us to weep because of the guilt of a fellow believer. Lessons we can learn from the weeping of Joseph
Weeping Lessons
* You cannot genuinely embrace a person you have not fully forgiven. If you cannot touch a person who has hurt you and insulted you - you cannot and do not see God’s purpose in using them in your life……. Look at (verse 5.) “Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you”. Joseph was able to see that what happened and how it happened…. God used for His glory and His purposes.
Romans 8:29 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes”
So – who have you not fully forgiven? Who can you not genuinely embrace in your present or from your past?
* Weeping can be a sign of great strength. No one would every look at Joseph and conclude that he was a weak man. He endured pain and loss and suffering and in the end rises to a position of great power and could have very easily gotten revenge on his brothers. But through out the story we see a heart of compassion and forgiveness. He found great healing from his pain through weeping. Instead of a scripture I put this application on your outline:
We must never allow pride to keep us from doing what God says is normal ! When you hurt, do not be afraid to weep. The very fact that you do not or run from weeping is a weakness.
* Weeping is normal and healthy under certain circumstances but it should never be used as a manipulation for selfish reasons. Some people have developed the art of weeping. Some societies will pay for mourners who weep to come to a funeral. Some of you have seen people who use weeping to manipulate people --- preachers have done it --- musicians have done it --- it is almost like you can predict what is going to happen. When you use weeping to manipulate others you hurt yourself and confuse others around you.
* Sincere weeping will often clear the way for objective and honest communication with those who have hurt us. You can see this with Joseph ---- after their weeping – he spent time talking with them. The bible does not tell us how much time he spent with them before he sent them off to Canan to get Jacob but you can imagine all that they had to catch up on from the past 20 years or so.
C.S Lewis wrote after the death of his wife, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken…. The only place outside heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and confusions of love is hell… We shall draw nearer to God, not by trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all loves, but by accepting them and offering them to Jesus….. throwing away all our defensive armor. It our hearts need to be broken and if He chooses this as the way in which they should break, so be it.”
Let us pray: Lord teach us to weep. Teach us to shed tears over hearts that are softened towards sin. Help us to weep over the true repentance of a believer. Help us to weep when broken relationships are healed and restored and Heavenly Father we do not know how to weep at death. Thank you for the life of Joseph. Thank you that whatever was written in earlier times was written for our encouragement and that through perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. In the name of your Son Jesus who wept. Amen
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