Money

With all the talk about the economy right now, our pastor felt led to change his sermon yesterday (Sept 28)...we'll be back to the 10 Commandments next week, but for now, the topic is money, from a sermon series titled, Where Your Treasure Is:

Worship Through Giving
2 Cor 9:6-8

'Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.'
***Our response to God's goodness is an act of worship.

***We are not to just receive good things from God -- we are here to give to God as an act of worship.

***God has a law of identical harvest. Gal 6:7 - 'Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.'

***God acts toward us in unconditional love, but not unconditional blessing -- blessings come as a response to our obedience (!!)

Malachi 3:7-10 - 'Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?'
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
"But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'
"In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'
***When you understand God's perspective on money, you will be set free.

***Tithing is not giving a gift to God, it is giving back to God what is already His.

***Anything less than a tithe is not a tithe.

***Tithing is an act of worship where we sacrifice what is precious to us.

***If you can't afford to tithe when you are poor, you will never tithe when you are rich.

***Our use of money reflects our heart.

***He is not asking for the 'extra.' He is waiting to see if we love Him enough to sacrifice what is dear to us.

***There is nothing more frustrating to God than to see His people receive immeasurable blessing from Him, then be stingy with what they receive.

Then, one of the last things he said, was 'How can we be mad at the people on Wall Street, etc if we are also not doing what we are supposed to be doing in our giving to God??'

Food for thought.

New Series - The Introduction - Living in the Father's House

We started a new sermon series on Sunday (Sept 21) titled, 'The Power of Ten,' based on the Ten Commandments:

"Living in the Father's House"
Exodus 19:3-6; 16-19

Exodus 19:3-6 - Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you [will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."

Exodus 19:16-19 - On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
***What was God's intent in giving the 10 Commandments? To guide us to have the best life possible in a coventant relationship with Him.

***The 10 Commandments were not given to the world, but to those in a love relationship with Him.

***The 10 Commandments came from a heart of love, but were delivered with absolute firmness.

***The 10 Commandments were delivered in such a way as to instill fear, in order that all would hear and obey.

***The 10 Commandments were delivered in sternness because God saw people wandering off in ways that were not good for them.

Ezekiel 33:11 - Say to them,"As surely as I live declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?"

***Because God loves us, He has given us specific instruction to live in harmony with Him.

Exodus 20:1-17 - The 10 Commandments:

1 And God spoke all these words:

2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3 "You shall have no other gods before me.

4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

13 "You shall not murder.

14 "You shall not commit adultery.

15 "You shall not steal.

16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
The Power of Ten puts you in a position:
-- to reflect God's character to a watching world
-- to know God
-- to experience God's blessing

The Cry of My Heart

Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew 1:18-25 - "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."

***The Heavenly Father hears the cry of His people.

***The gospel story is not just the invention of God, but the incarnation of God.

***God is looking for His children.

***God hears your cry if you are a child of His and you cry out to Him. Do you know how to cry out to God?

***Crying out to God has to do with your heart and you cannot fake your heart. You can't fake being desperate -- either you are or you aren't. Ask God to "Show me what I look like thru your eyes."

***Are you a child of God? When was the last time you cried out to Him?

***Don't keep God at arm's length. Cry out to Him.

Let's Talk

Acts 4:31

Acts 4:31 - "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."
***Is Jesus someone you've met from afar or do you know him? Has He changed your life?

***Have you talked to the Lord lately?

***If we don't spend time with God and knowing Him, we do not need to be out in the world talking about Him.

***An encounter with God should be your normal daily experience - is it practical in real life?

***Prayer isn't a duty, it's the heart of your salvation. Can a person be saved who does not pray?Can a person be in love with Christ and never talk to Him? There are scores of people who believe in God, but never utter a word of prayer.

***Do you think God is worthy of your time? Does He deserve our best?

***Do you WANT to spend time with Him? Not that you HAVE to, do you WANT to?

***The most important part of your day is time spent with Him.

***The early church had nothing but God, and turned the world upside down.

***Boldness comes from the presence of God.

***Have you learned to talk to God?

***The greatest gift we have is our relationship with God, but sadly it's the one thing we most neglect.

***Do you give to God thinking He is impressed, or do you spend time with Him?

***Everything in your life is a by-product of your relationship to Christ.

***Do you ADMIRE God, or have you MET Him?

The Pillar of Worship

Revelation 19:1-6

Revelation 19:1-6 - "After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants." And again they shouted: "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever." The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!" Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!" Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
***Worship is a heart to heart encounter with the living God. What does worship mean? Why have we come?

***In worship, we learn to say, 'Yes, Lord,' 'so let it be in my life.' Trust Him -- from eternity's perspective, it is all going to be alright. True worship is the desire to know and accept the will of God.

***In worship, we commit ourselves to do the will of God. The will of God is not just something to be accepted; it is something to be asserted.

***In worship, we find the joy of our salvation. True worship is a testimony that the word of God is 'good news.'

***In worship, we find the assurance of victory - by looking to the past and seeing that the battle has already been won.

True worship finds its hope in the reality of Jesus Christ.

Loving Others

1 Peter 1:17-25 - "Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you."

***The storms of life are real and many people are just trying to survive.

***If you call yourself a Christian, God hears you.

***Your salvation cost the precious blood of Christ.

***You can love one another because God first loved you.

***Put aside excuses and care for one another -- find a way to bring joy to another.

***Do you say you love people or do you love them? Do you look for ways to bring joy to another? What would it be like if every believer were kind to one another?

John 13:3 - "It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

***People who are confident in their salvation have no trouble serving.

***We live in a tough world and people need a family to love them.

***Ask God to give you someone to love this week.

The Pillar of God's Word

Isaiah 66:1-2; Acts 6:1-7

Isaiah 66:1-2 -

"This is what the LORD says:

"Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is my footstool.

Where is the house you will build for me?

Where will my resting place be?

2 Has not my hand made all these things,

and so they came into being?"

declares the LORD.

"This is the one I esteem:

he who is humble and contrite in spirit,

and trembles at my word.

Acts 6:1-7 - "In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith."
***Time given to study the Bible is not an academic experience; it is an encounter with God.
***There is only one way to honor God - OBEDIENCE.

***Your study of God's word is (1) a decision to live in the presence of God, (2) a decision to know the will of God, (3) a decision to join the (I missed this word..maybe community) of God.
Scripture reference:Luke 22:39 - Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.

***More than He feared the cup, Jesus loved the hand from which it came.

***It is only when you have confidence in the relationship that you will have the confidence to obey.

***Obedience is discovered when it costs something - Love is revealed when it hurts.

***Strength is not found in how courageously I struggle, but how completely I surrender.

***If you don't spend time in God's word, you will not know him; If you don't know him, you won't love him; if you don't love him, you won't obey him.

***How you honor God's word, you honor Him.