Sermon Tone Analysis

TAKING GOD AT HIS WORD

*“I WILL MAKE YOU RICH IN EVERY WAY”  *

*PART 1 OF SERIES*

*DECEMBER 7TH, 2003*

* *

 

THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF TWO OF THE GREATEST TIMES OF THE YEAR!!!

 

CHRISTMAS ALL HAS TO DO WITH GIVING!!!

 

IN FACT SO MUCH OF WHAT WE DO IN CELEBRATING DURING THIS SEASON HAS IT’S ROOT AND SIGNIFICANCE IN THE WORD OF THE LORD!!!

 

YOU ALL KNOW THAT JESUS GOT UP AND DECLARED THE INTENT OF GOD AND WHY HE WAS SENT TO EARTH…

/GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD…….JESUS SAID……..THAT HE *GAVE* HIS ONLY SON!!!!/

/ /

SO DON’T LET HOW THE WORLD CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS…..

OR WHAT WE PERCEIVE AS JUST SOME KIND OF ‘MINDLESS CONSUMERIZM’ STEAL FROM YOU THE CELEBRATION YOU CAN MAKE AND HAVE WITH YOUR OWN FAMILY AND FRIENDS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, THAT WILL  - - WHEN HANDLED APPROPRAITELY - - DISPLAY THE GIVING SPIRIT OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER!!!

 

 

THE TREE YOU SEE BEHIND ME……….DOES NOT REPRESENT SOME GARISH DISPLAY OF PAGAN WORSHIP, OR SOME REINFORCEMENT OF COMMERICIALISM…..

BUT IT REPRESENTS THE CROSS…………(HAVING BEEN MADE OUT OF WOOD)…..AND REPRESENTS THE LIFE THAT THE WORK OF THE CROSS BROUGHT TO YOU AND I!!!!

 

 

EVEN POO-POOING SANTA CLAUS IS WRONG ON OUR PART AS CHRISTIANS….

BEC HE REALLY REPRESENTS A BENEVOLENT FATHER!!!!

 

NOW WE DON’T WORSHIP HIM…..

BUT WE DO WORSHIP A FATHER THAT SO LOVED US…..THAT HE GIFTED US WITH THE MOST PRECIOUS AND SPECIAL OF ALL GIFTS!!!!

SO ENJOY THIS SEASON OF GIVING…

 

AND WITH THAT IN MIND WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT GIVING THESE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS!!!

 

 

AS A LAUNCHING POINT THIS MORNING……….LET’S LOOK AT THIS HEAVENLY FATHER THAT GIVES….

BY TURNING TO 2 COR 9:10-11

 

NOW HE WHO SUPPLIES SEED TO THE SOWER AND BREAD FOR FOOD….WILL ALSO SUPPLY AND INCREASE YOUR STORE OF SEED AND WILL ENLARGE THE HARVEST OF YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS….

/ /

*/YOU WILL BE MADE RICH IN EVERY WAY/*/……SO THAT YOU CAN BE GENEROUS ON EVERY OCCASION…….AND THROUGH US YOUR GENEROSITY WILL RESULT IN THANKSGIVING TO GOD!!!!!/

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(ILLUS>   HOMEOWNER AND PLUMBER IN NEW ENGLAND…..

“EVERYDAY YOU MUST PUMP SOME WATER FROM THE WELL……IF YOU DON’T YOU’LL BE SORRY”

 

 

WHEN THE WELL WENT DRY………THE RESPONSE WAS…./THE

WATER IN THE WELL COMES FROM AN UNDERGROUND RIVER THAT FEEDS THE SMALL TRIBUTARIES OF WATER WHICH ARE CONNECTED TO YOUR WELL……WATER MUST CONTINUE TO FLOW THROUGH THESE SMALL TRIBUTARIES SO THAT THE WELL CAN RECEIVE WATER…./

/ /

/IF YOU QUIT PUMPING THE WATER…..THE GROUND WILL DRY UP SLIGHTLY AND THE UNDERGROUND RIVER CAN’T FIND ITS WAY TO YOUR WELL…..THIS CUTS OFF THE WATER SUPPLY!!!…/

/ /

THEN HE CONCLUDED BY SAYING THIS…../ *REMEMBER….THE SOURCE OF THE WATER IS THE RIVER…..NOT THE WELL!!!*/

 

 

 

IF THE SOURCE OF YOUR FINANCIAL STRENGTH IS YOUR OWN PERSONAL WELL OF RESOURCES…….YOU RISK RUNNING DRY!!!!

 

 

 

(PP:  *THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOURCE AND MEANS)*

* *

RECOGNIZING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOURCE AND MEANS CAN BE TOUGH!!!

 

 

OUR BANK ACCOUNTS…..OUR ABILITIES…..AND OUR INTELLECTS ARE *NOT *THE SOURCE OF OUR PROVISION AND BLESSINGS!!!

 

 

THEY ARE SIMPLY THE MEANS BY WHICH GOD…..THE SOURCE……PROVIDES BLESSING!!!

 

 

GOD PROVIDES FOR OUR NEEDS…..

ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF CHRIST!!!

 

HE USES THE MATERAIL RESOURCES OF OUR WORLD AS THE DELIVERY SYSTEM……..TO CARE FOR US….HIS CHILDREN….

BUT TO EXPERIENCE HIS ABUNDANCE…..WE MUST FIRST SEE HIM AS THE SOURCE OF EVERY BLESSING!!!!!!

 

 

AND SECONDLY…

WE MUST TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD…..BEC WE TRUST THAT HIS WORD IS TRUE!!!

 

 

SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES ABOUT GIVING RELATE CLOSELY TO HOW GOD CHOOSES EITHER TO BLESS US OR TO WITHHOLD BLESSING!!!

 

 

IF WE WANT OUR WELLS TO CONTAIN ENOUGH RESOURCES TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY IN OUR WORLD….

WE MUST TRUST GOD AND FOLLOW HIS TEACHINGS!!!

 

THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT GIVING…….AND GIVING GENEROUSLY OUT OF LOVE FOR GOD….

WILL TAP YOU INTO GOD’S UNSEEN RIVER OF BLESSING!!!

 

 

THAT’S WHAT THAT VERSE IN 2 COR 9 IS ALL ABOUT!!!

 

 

 

*(pp>     **GOD WILL BE THE SOURCE OF YOUR BLESSING)*

* *

WE WILL IMPROVE MEASURABLY OUR ATTITUDES ABOUT GIVING WHEN WE RECOGNIZE THAT GOD WILL BE THE SOURCE OF OUR BLESSINGS!!!

 

 

IN PAULS’ THANK YOU NOTE……HERE IN 2 CORINTHIANS 9………….TO THE CHURCH AT PHILIPPI FOR THEIR FINANCIAL SUPPORT…..HE SAYS IT THIS WAY…

AND MY GOD WILL MEET ALL YOUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS GLORIOUS RICHES IN CHRIST JESUS!!!

/ /

!

PAUL SAID GOD WOULD MEET EVERY NEED THEY HAD…

 

THAT IS AN AWESOME PROMISE TO CHRISTIANS!!!

 

 

 

(*PP> GOD’S LAW OF THE HARVEST)*

* *

THE WAY WE SHARE OUR FUNDS MAY BE THE MOST PRACTICAL ISSUE WE FACE!!!

 

 

EVERY SUCCESSFUL FARMER KNOWS THAT HE MUST FIRST SOW SEED IF HE WANTS TO REAP A CROP!!!

 

 

SCRIPTURE CLEARLY TEACHES THIS CONCEPT!!!

 

IT IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE ‘LAW OF THE HARVEST”!!!

 

SIMPLY STATED…….THE MORE YOU WANT TO REAP……THE MORE YOU HAVE TO SOW!!!

 

 

 

THIS PRINCIPLE IS FIRST FOUND IN GEN 8:22…..WHICH SAYS…

 

AS LONG AS THE EARTH ENDURES……SEEDTIME AND HARVEST……COLD AND HEAT……SUMMER AND WINTER……DAY AND NIGHT………..WILL NEVER CEASE”

/ /

 

THIS PASSAGE CONCERNS PHYSICAL PLANTING AND HARVEST…..BUT THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE YOU’LL FIND THAT THE LAW OF THE HARVEST APPLIES TO MORE THAN JUST THE PHYSICAL PRODUCTION OF CROPS!!!

 

 

 

IT APPLIES TO VIRTUALLY EVERY PART OF OUR LIVES…..INCLUDING MAN’S MORAL BEHAVIOR!!!

 

WE ARE TOLD/…….”A

MAN REAPS WHAT HE SOWS”  (GAL 6:7)/

/ /

/ /

BUT LET’S TAKE THE POSITIVE SIDE OF HARVEST FOR OUR EXAMINATION THIS MORNING…

 

 

*(PP> GOD PROMISES REWARDS)*

* *

* *

GIVING TO THE LORD IS …..IN FACT….A GOD-BACKED ……GUARANTEED INVESTMENT…….AND NOT JUST SOME KIND OF UNCERTAIN GAMBLE!!!

 

 

JESUS USES THE PROMISE OF REWARD TO TEACH HIS FOLLOWERS!!!!

 

HE TEACHES PEOPLE TO GIVE WITHOUT A PUBLIC DISPLAY BEC THE GLORY SHOULD GO TO GOD….AND NOT MAN!!!

 

  /MATTHEW 6:4 SAYS……..THEN YOUR FATHER………..WHO SEES WHAT IS DONE IN SECRET……WILL REWARD YOU!!!!/

/ /

 

! GOD PROMISES TO REWARD THE PERSON WHO GIVES!!!

 

 

 

JESUS ALSO TEACHES THAT “IF ANYONE GIVES EVEN A CUP OF COLD WATER TO ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES BEC HE IS MY DISICPLE…..HE WILL CERTAINLY NOT LOSE HIS REWARD!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

AGAIN……………THE LORD REINFORCES A CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GIVING AND RECEIVING!!!!

 

NOW………………SOME OF US THAT ARE REALLY HOLY FIND THIS WHOLE THING OF RECEIVING REWARDS………..OR JUST ABOUT RECEIVING ANYTHING FROM GOD SO BASE AS FINANCIAL BLESSING……..AS SOMETHING THAT GOD WOULD NEVER DO!!!

 

I DISAGREE!!!

 

THE HEALTHY DESIRE FOR REWARDS IS A LEGITIMATE MOTIVATION FOR CHRISTIANS TODAY!

 

 

EVEN THE CLASSIC TEXT OF FAITH……….HEBREWS 11:6……..TELLS US THAT GOD………./REWARDS

THOSE WHO EARNESTLY SEEK HIM”/

/ /

  IN MATTHEW 6:19-34….JESUS COMPARES GIVING TO STORING UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN!!!

 

 

HE TELLS HIS FOLLOWERS NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE PHYSICAL NEEDS OF LIFE BEC GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF HIS CHILDREN!!!

 

NOW THAT PASSAGE FITS FOR TODAY!!!

 

 

GOD LONGS FOR US TO TRUST HIM….ENOUGH……TO

‘SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS”

 

THEN AS WE DO……..

JESUS PROMISES THAT …..”ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU AS WELL”!!!! \\ \\

 

 

 

AND “ALL THESE THINGS””…..INCOLOUDES SUCH NECESSITIES OF LIFE AS FOOD AND CLOTHING……..BUT EVEN BEYOND!!!

 

 

JESUS GIVES US PERMISSION TO EXPECT GOD TO REWARD HIS CHILDREN WHEN WE TRUST HIM TO PROVIDE!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

BUT THERE’S SOMETHING ELSE WE NEED TO SEE……

NOT ONLY IS THEIR REWARDS CONNECTED WITH IN OUR BASIC GIVING COMMITMENT…..

BUT GOD’S TEACHING ON GENEROSITY ALSO IS EXPRESSED WITH ANOTHER PRINCIPLE!!!

 

TRUST GOD TO REWARD TRUE OBEDIENCE.

IN GENERAL……IT’S EASY TO ACCEPT THIS PRINCIPLE IN THE WORD OF GOD…….!!!

 

IN FACT WE CAN FIND A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES THAT VERIFY THIS PRINICPLE THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE!!!

 

 

FOR EXAMPLE..

WE TRUST GOD TO BLESS CHILDREN WHO OBEY THEIR PARENTS IN THE LORD….

WE TRUST GOD TO MAKE ‘ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD…”

 

AND WE TRUST GOD TO SAVE US WHEN WE COMMIT OUR LIVES TO JESUS!!1

 

IF WE DIDN’T BELIEVE GOD WAS TRUSTWORTHY IN KEEPING HIS PROMISES THERE WOULD LITTLE POINT IN FOLLOWING JESUS!!!!

 

 

 

 

BUT UNFORTUANTELY……MANY CHRISTIANS ACT AS IF THIS PRINCIPLE APPLIES IN ALL AREAS OF LIFE *EXCEPT* IN THEIR FINANCIAL DEALINGS!!!

 

 

I KNOW MANY CHRISTIANS…..(NOT TOO MANY HERE OF COURSE)……..WHO ARE CONVINCED THAT THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO GIVE TO GOD!!!!