Sermon Tone Analysis

*INTRO:*

 

*ANNUAL BREAKTHROUGH OFFERING TODAY*

 

As we approach what I’m believing to be a */HOLY moment /*this morning, I want the Scriptures to be a reminder to us of the power of ONE!

 

Four ways you can give this morning:

 

1.

Give a cash gift.

2.     Make a pledge for a later date.

\\ You may have finance coming available at a later date.

3.     Give a cash gift and making a pledge for a later date.

4.     Make a 12 mth giving pledge.

\\ You can spread it out over time as it becomes available to give to God’s work.

\\ \\

All Cheques can be made out to ELIM Christian Centre – City church.

*The Power of “ONE”*

 

Throughout biblical history and modern day history we discover the “power of ONE”.

*One LIFE* – Jesus changed history by his death & resurrection, David Livingstone – missionary extroadinaire – Africa will never be the same again, YOU!

*One moment* – Elijah’s zeal and passion calls down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice

*One Day* – You wake up one morning something happens in your life that changes things forever.

Joshua speaks and the sun stands still until God’s people have vengeance on their enemies.

*The Power of ONE DECISION* - “I do” at marriage.

Prostitution Law Reform, which was passed by one vote.

*/TODAY – The Power of One OFFERING!/*

 

*Children of Israel* – commanded to stop bringing their offering to build the Tabernacle

*Ezra* – rebuilds the temple with incredible giving from God’s people which leads to a REVIVAL.

*Nehemiah* – rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days through dedicated giving of themselves

*David* – weeps with joy over the offering given to build the 1st Temple in Jerusalem

*Jesus* amazed at the offering of the *widow’s mite* in the local synagogue.

*The POWER OF ONE OFFERING.*

q                 We are believing today that this offering will enable us to completely re-roof our building and stop any further damage caused by leaks.

q                 To help finish off the brick room (for outreach to youth, international services, etc – flooring, paint and sound.

q                 Giving us much needed finance to /upgrade our equipment/ for office staff and Sunday services.

To give us */further MOMENTUM/*!

We are believing for $88,000 today to fulfill these goals.

*Remember last week – How did the people rob God?*

In tithes and offerings!

*Malachi 3:8 (NKJV) *"Will a man rob God?

Yet you have robbed Me!

But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes */and/* offerings.

God offers us to test Him and try him in breaking this curse by giving our TITHES and OFFERINGS to his work!

Today if this is your FIRST offering to the LORD you are about to test HIM and see if He will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you /such blessing/ that you will not be able to contain it!

Exciting!

*/MONEY is a TOOL/*

This means it can be used by anyone for GOOD or for EVIL.

Another misquoted verse from the bible :

/Money is the root of all evil/!

NOPE!

*1 Ti 6: 10 *For the /love/ of money is a root of all /kinds of/ evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.*(NKJV)*

Many in the church and out of the church have pierced themselves with sorrow over the desire or love for money.

This is called */GREED/*!

Let me take you to some powerful teaching in the word of God on the /place/ money can take in our lives:

*Mammon \\ **Matthew 6:24 (NKJV) *"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and mammon.

Hhmmm!  /What is mammon?/

Whatever it is, it is possible to serve that instead of God.

But Jesus goes further than this:  he says it is impossible to serve both at the same time.

You will either LOVE ONE and HATE the other – loyal to one and despise the other!

*Mammon* is an Aramaic word that essentially means /‘riches’./

Mammon is a spirit that can come around our life that essentially tells us:  /“Man doesn’t need God, you can have riches, riches will get you what you want, you don’t need God when you can have riches!”/

*/When you serve Mammon – you cannot serve God!/*

On the other hand – /money that is submitted to God/ and His purposes has the /spirit of God/ on it – which is why it multiplies and cannot be consumed by the devourer.

\\ I’m convinced that money that has been submitted to God – wealth that is devoted to serving Him rather than trying to replace Him – is blessed by God.

In a very real sense, God’s spirit blesses it.

Money that /doesn’t/ have the spirit of God on it will /attract a spirit of greed/, selfishness and covetousness on it – a manifestation of the spirit of MAMMON.

*/Money that has the Spirit of God on it can transform the world/*

*Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV) *19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

*Question:  Can I take my money with me when I die?

NOPE.

BUT you can send it on ahead!*

When you use the money that God has entrusted to you, /for righteous purposes/, we are laying up treasure in heaven!

*This is why the *enemy* of our souls works so hard to corrupt and distort our thoughts about money!*

The DEVIL knows that God can take */TEMPORAL money/* and turn it into */ETERNAL SOULS/*.

He knows that the more money we give away to God’s eternal purposes – the more we give to church, missions, people – the MORE people are going to get SAVED, the KINGDOM of GOD can be advanced and the Kingdom of darkness will DIMINISH!

*The Power of Generosity*

*Illustrate*: Why is it so hard to learn to part with the money in our care with an attitude of generosity?

Let me illustrate – does anyone here have a $100 bill – thankyou.

This bill represents what we exchange for our life.

We work – so many hours a week, and in exchange for our life we are rewarded with money.

Therefore our money represents our life.

God then wants to teach us how to be generous with our life, because our money is our life!

*Carefully place $100 bill in my pocket.*

Let’s look at a powerful Scripture in Proverbs:

24 There is /one/ who scatters, yet increases more; And there is /one/ who withholds more than is right, But it /leads/ to poverty.

25 The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.

*Proverbs 11:24-25 (NKJV)*

 

‘..there is one who scatters, yet increases more…”

 

*Jesus taught* in this regard:

38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.

For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”*

Luke 6:38 (NKJV)*

*‘..the same measure you use..*’ – */little/* measure, little measure */comes back/*, */larger/* measure, */larger measure/* returned.

God encourages generosity and also warns of */STINGINESS/* or a */MISERLY/* attitude:

“..And there is /one/ who withholds more than is right, But it /leads/ to poverty..”

The Lord *warns* us all of *false boasting* when it comes to offerings:

14 Whoever falsely boasts of giving /Is like/ clouds and wind without rain.

*Proverbs 25:14 (NKJV)*

Do not come *EMPTY-HANDED* before the Lord:

16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall /not/ appear before the Lord */empty-handed./*

17 Every man /shall give/ as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.*

Deuteronomy 16:16-17 (NKJV)*

 

*JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER - THE FIRST BILLIONAIRE:** *The very first person to reach the status of billionaire was a man who knew how to set goals and follow through.

At the age of 23, he had become a millionaire, by the age of 50 a billionaire.