Collection of the Saints

The Collection of the SAINTS

REVIEW:

Two more messages in our Journey through 1 cor.

Paul has address so much

all connected to UNITY

NOT DENOMINATIONS

—- BUT DEDICATION TO SOLOLY THE WORD OF GOD

Paul has addressed

UNITY of the SPIRIT,

UNITY OF THE CHURCH,

UNITY OF THE CONGREGATION

UNITY in HEAVEN

We have CELEBRATED the RESURRECTION,

the LORDS SUPPER

Paul is doing some HOUSE KEEPING

to Keep the CHURCH focused on CHRIST

Paul has given us ——- Practical Answers to LIVING in UNITY, LIVING In the SPIRIT

This book has been about HELPING the Body of CHRIST live TRANSFORMED LIFE

and PAUL has FOUGHT that Battle

I think in many ways PAUL

thought of himself

Like the saying from Rodney Dangerfield

I CAN NOT GET ANY RESPECT

Funny, but i don’t believe that Paul felt worthy

Paul served out of LOVE, and COMMITMENT

and i think that Paul’s guilt of

WHO he WAS

and WHO he IS

Is evident in our study

Paul KNEW THAT IT WAS NOT BY HIS POWER

Paul was SURRENDERED and SERVING

Paul KNEW that it was GOD ALONE

the AUTHORITY and POWER OF JESUS

so PAUL finishes this LETTER in the STYLE OF THE LETTER

PRACTICAL LIVING — for PRACTICING CHRISTIANS

WE ALL WANT TO BE PRACTIONSONER OF CHRIST RIGHT====

RIGHT?????

Collection for the Lord’s People

LOOK —- KEEP YOUR EARS OPEN

i am not here to guilt you in to giving

we don’t do that HERE at HORIZON

Money is said in Scripture to be the root of all EVIL

It power comes from PRIDE, WANT, and Discontentment

Yet the LORD is to be our ALL IN ALL

and EVIL sneaks in

Money is important, yet Churches either, talk too much or talk to little

You must become the faithful steward in your Finances

you give —— You make this CHURCH work for the LORD

You bless others

You support ministries

You learn to be Generous —— and Paul will tell us that we must me

Generous BUT Discerning

BUT

I am going to teach you a little about GIVING

Look —— i get it

Many of us give based on HOW we WERE taught to GIVE

10 %

Giving enveloped —— in my first church. You picked up GIVING ENVELOPES that were dated… I Remember there was 56 in each box for each member

Please don’t think that i am bad a YEAR and WEEK MATH

The had SPECIAL GIVING ENVELOPES strategically spaced in

I think it is a great method for YOUNG BELIEVERS

BUT mature believers give a little different

THEY SEE A NEED AND THEY GIVE

They are attuned to the NEEDS around them

We are CATEGORICAL creations of GOD

the CHALLENGE is to CHANGE

to CHRIST.

GIVE WHEN WE SEE THE NEED

BE GENEROUS

BE INTENTIONAL

BE CONSISTENT

See Paul is teaching us to SET money aside weekly —- he doesn’t give a percentage

it is NOT a percentage to TODAY

it is a GENEROUS GIVING HEART

with the HANDS TO HAND OUT

SEE A NEED FILE IT

this is why we GIVE

this is why we are Generous

The money is for GOD’s People

Paul is discussing the PROCESS, the PLAN

We give for GOD’s GLORY

it is giving according to the need

Weekly management of God’s Gifts

everyone is to SET ASIDE

Have a lot, Give a Lot

Have a little, Give a little

The point is due you PLAN TO GIVE

i have learned to carry a few 1, 5, 20 in my wallet.

Giving can be a VEHICLE OF JOY to a person in NEED

Scrooge or Servant

You must learn the mindset that it is HIS, He gives, He purposes, WE OBEY

THEN WE TRUST IT TO THE CHURCH TO MANAGE IN LINE WITH GOD’s Calling

NOW to understand WE MUST CONNECT some of PAUL’s PASTORAL TEACHINGS

1 Timothy 5:3–13 ESV

3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, 10 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.

Let me just pull a few points from here

Honor the widows —— TRULY WIDOWS

YOUR are to BE Decerning

You are not to give to anyone who asks

You should check to ensure that EARTHY FAMILY or CHURCH FAMILY

There is so much here

BUT the main thing is that these passages TEACH US

the WAY we are to give

BE INTENTIONAL

set aside money weekly

I suggest you to that for the CHURCH of COURSE

we have expenses that need met

You should plan on having money in your wallet to GIVE

1.00, 5.00 or 20.00 is your choice

You should be CONSISTENT

REGULARLY —— PAUL says weekly

Be DISCERNING

GIVE IF YOUR HEART IS SCREAMING TO GIVE

but know that YOU

should be a GOOD Stewart

You should expect a TRADE of money for Serving

Look don’t mis understand

it speaks here in these passages

that a widow should give back in serving

And it SAYS PRAYERS COUNT

it says be WISE

1 Timothy 5:3–13 ESV

But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.

intentional, consistent and discerning.

Your CHURCH —- HORIZON models this

I am SO SO VERY PROUD of our BOARD

No debt in this church EVER

we don’t even have a Credit CARD

We trust GOD TO LEAD AND PROVIDE

We are intentional ——- we plan

We are consistent ——- Every week we collect

Every month we give

We PAUSE, PRAY, PONDER and PROCEED ——- AND YES OH YES we PRAISE

you see

We PAUSE PRAY PONDER AND PROCEED

in order to PRACTICE, PRAY, PLAN and PROVIDE.

that is a lot of P

the Baptist Convention will be PROUD —— see i worked another in there

THE ONE THAT MATTERS

THE ONE THAT PAUL IS DISCUSSING TODAY

it PRACTICE

doing all the others without PRACTICING it is meaningless

Check your budget, or your checkbook, or your statement

Where is your heart?

Where is your Practice?

What do you need to change.?

So we close today with one of my all time Favorites

1 Corinthians 16:13–14 ESV

13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.

Friends LIVE THIS ONE OUT

BE WATCHFUL

STAND FIRM

ACT MATURE

BE STRONG

and do it all in LOVE

LETS PRAY