2/23/14 EQUIPPING TO SERVE

God’s Character

    God sees the needs of the world.  He sees the REAL needs of the world.  There are times when a person has a pain and goes to a doctor.  They think they know what is wrong.  “Doc, it’s my _______________.”  The doc checks that out and finds nothing wrong.  Then he finds something else wrong that gives the same symptoms.  He discovers the real issue.
    What are the real issues of life people face today?  If you listen to the politicians and news people, you would think that the only issue people face today is financial.  Take care of that and all the world’s problems would be solved.  People just need more money.
    Let me share a story with you about needs.
Girl Carves the Word “EMPTY” into Her Skin
    Psychologist Madeline Levine has been counseling teenagers for over 25 years, but recently Levine has begun to see a new breed of unhappy teenagers—smart, successful, and privileged kids who feel utterly lost and empty. For Levine, one client in particular typified this kind of unhappy teenager.  Levine saw a 15-year-old girl who was “bright, personable, highly pressured by her adoring, but frequently preoccupied … parents.” The girl was also “very angry”.
    Levine quickly recognized the girl’s “cutter disguise”—a long-sleeve t-shirt pulled halfway over her hand, with an opening torn in the cuff for her thumb. Such t-shirts are used to hide self-mutilating behaviors: cutting with sharp instruments, piercing with safety pins, or burning with matches. When the young girl pulled back her sleeve, Levine was startled to find that the girl had used a razor to carve the following word onto her forearm—“EMPTY”.
    Levine commented:  I tried to imagine how intensely unhappy my young patient must have felt to cut her distress into her flesh …. The most common thing I hear in my office from the kids is, “I’m fake”.  The surface of [their family life] always looks good …. The lawns are always perfectly manicured, the houses always look beautiful. But when you get to what’s going on beneath these kids’ T-shirts, there’s not much happening inside.
sources: Madeline Levine, The Price of Privilege (Harper Perennial, 2008), pp. 3-5; Joy Lanzendorfer, “All and Nothing”, Metro Active, (1-3-07)
    The truth is that many people are really hurting.  The pain is real.  The trials destructive.
    As we continue to look at God’s character, today we want to look at a characteristic that is the answer, the solution for this kind of pain.
    God is compassionate. Out of this compassion we also see that God is the Savior.
    A few passages to read as we start that tell us that God is compassionate.
II Kings 13:22-23 NIV
22 Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23 But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.
Psalm 86:11-15 NIV
11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.
14 The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life-- men without regard for you.
15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
Psalm 111:4 NIV
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
    One who is compassionate feels sorrow for someone else’s suffering.  This sorrow includes a desire to help.  Genuine compassion requires action.  Because God knows the real needs of people, He went in to action. He provided what we really need.
    It was out of His genuine compassion for people, God provided the only real means of forgiveness and salvation.  It took Jesus to come to earth, live as a man and then die on the cross.  When Jesus resurrected from the grave salvation was completely paid for.  Jesus, the perfect son of God come in the flesh was the ONLY way to overcome sin.
    Jesus showed compassion for the masses when he shared the good news with the poor.  He healed the brokenhearted and pronounced freedom for prisoners.  Jesus gave sight to the blind and delivered people from spiritual oppression.
Luke 4:16-19 NIV
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Mark 6:34 NIV
34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
    Real compassion is deep and heartfelt.  It is sorrow for the suffering and trials someone is facing.  Beyond simply a feeling, compassion identifies with the distressed. Compassion takes action to help the person in need.
    Because this is a characteristic of God, and we are to be like Him, God expects an attitude of compassion to be in the hearts of believers as well.
    At the beginning, we talked about the real needs people have.  What is the foundational need of the world?  Where do we start?
    What the world needs is Jesus.  The world needs Jesus as Savior and Lord.
1 John 5:4-5 NIV
4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
    The only way anyone can overcome the world is through faith in Jesus, through receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Jesus is the ONLY way to overcome the passions and destruction of sin.
Review two well known passages.
Romans 6:23 NIV
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:9-10 NIV
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
    The earliest creed or confession in the church was not “Jesus is Savior,” but “Jesus is Lord”.  He is called “Savior” 16 times in the New Testament and “Lord” more than 450 times.
    Some people teach that Jesus can be your Savior, forgive you of your sins, without actually being your Lord.  This is not biblical.  If you receive Jesus as your Savior, He must be your Lord.
    When He is your Lord, then God’s power will give you His victory.  We overcome through what God will do in our lives.
    A true story from Missionary H. B. Garlock.  Liberia in the 1920s.  Sacrifice and Triumph.  P 49 ff.

    God’s compassion, His gift of eternal life offered to hurting people, IS the answer this area needs.  I shared this story to show us that God’s power can overcome ANY obstacle.

LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step
What are the key points of this message?
How can we apply this message?

Prayer
We need to specifically pray now together.
Prayer for the hurting people of this community.
Drugs, heroin is making a negative impact.
Second armed robbery at the cash store.
Salvation.

2/16/2014 EQUIPPING TO SERVE

God’s Character - Part Two

Judgment for a Crime Measured by the One Against Whom It Is Committed
    Colin Smith addresses people who object to God’s judgment of sin:
    You may say, “Wait a minute. How can any sin deserve everlasting destruction? If God is just, how can he punish like this?”
    The best answer I ever heard to that question was given by a friend of mine who is a middle school pastor. He outlined the stages of the following scenario:
    Suppose a middle school student punches another student in class. What happens? The student is given a detention.
    Suppose during the detention, this boy punches the teacher. What happens? The student gets suspended from school.
    Suppose on the way home, the same boy punches a police officer on the nose. What happens? He finds himself in jail.
    Suppose some years later, the very same boy is in a crowd waiting to see the President of the United States. As the President passes by, the boy lunges forward to punch the President. What happens? He is shot dead by the secret service.
    In every case the crime is precisely the same, but the severity of the crime is measured by the one against whom it is committed. What comes from sinning against God? Answer: Everlasting destruction.
Colin S. Smith, from the sermon “God Will Bring Justice for You,” www.UnlockingtheBible.com
    Who is God and what is He like?  He is pure, righteous and holy, the eternal Creator.  We are looking to give some answers in this study of God’s Character.
    Quick review:  Character.  Starting with some definition.
Character:
**The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another.
**Moral or ethical strength, quality that make up the inner nature of a person.  Integrity.
**Qualities that make a person unique
    If we are going to look at God’s character, we must ask the question:  What is God like?  Continuing that answer from last week.
God is love.
1 John 4:8 NKJV
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
    True love is outward, it is selfless.  It focuses on the needs of others.  God’s love reaches out to the whole world, even though it is populated with sinful people.  Romans 5:8 tells us that even though we were still on the side against God, Jesus died for us.
    Think about the message of John 3.  God sent Jesus to this world to die for us.  This was necessary because we had no other way to restore the broken relationship with God that controls the human race.  God’s righteous nature requires punishment for sin.  Jesus took that punishment for us.
1 John 4:9-10 NKJV
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:9-10 NLT
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
    Jesus was the sacrifice.  This amazing gift gives us the entrance in to God’s family.  We can honestly go to God, our heavenly Father.  He is the Father all need to follow.
    Love is outward.  Love is giving, focusing on the needs of others.  This is the nature of God.
    Let me read you a story:  What Are Human Beings Made For?  By John Stott.
    Take a fish as an obvious example. God created fish to live and thrive in water. Gills are adapted to absorb oxygen from water, so water is the element in which a fish finds its identity, its “fishness,” its freedom. It finds itself in the element for which it was created: water. It’s limited to water, but in that limitation is liberty.
    Suppose you had a little fish in one of those old-fashioned goldfish bowls. Suppose the little fish swam round and round his blessed bowl until its frustration became unbearable. The fish decided to make a bid for freedom and leap out of the bowl. If it landed in a pond in your backyard, it would increase its freedom because there would be more water to swim in. But if it landed on the carpet, then its bid for freedom would spell death.
    If fish were meant for water, what are human beings made for? It would be interesting if we had time to sit down alongside one another and share our answers to that question. If fish were made for water, what are human beings made for? What is the element in which human beings find themselves, as water is the element in which a fish finds itself?
    I don’t hesitate to say that according to Scripture the answer is love. Human beings are made for love because God is love. When he created us in his own image, he gave us the capacity to love and to be loved. So human beings find their destiny in loving God and in loving their neighbors.
John Stott, “Freedom”, Preaching Today, Tape No. 102.
        We thrive in genuine love.  Without it we don’t want to live.  We find our destiny is growing to be more and more like Jesus.  Thomas Chisholm (1866-1960) was an American songwriter who wrote several Christian hymns.  He wrote over 1,200 sacred poems which appeared in many Christian periodicals.  He served as an editor of the Pentecostal Herald in Louisville for a time.  Let me share 2 of the 4 verses
    I have one deep, supreme desire, that I may be like Jesus.
To this I fervently aspire, that I may be like Jesus.
I want my heart His throne to be, so that a watching world may see
His likeness shining forth in me.  I want to be like Jesus.
    He spent His life in doing good; I want to be like Jesus.
In lowly paths of service trod; I want to be like Jesus.
He sympathised with hearts distressed, He spoke the words that cheered and blessed,
He welcomed sinners to His breast. I want to be like Jesus.
    What an awesome theme and longing of our heart - I want to be like Jesus.  I want to live in His amazing love.  We can all do this as we give Him our hearts.
God is merciful and gracious.
Exodus 34:6-7 NKJV
6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation.”
    God gives us understanding on what His name reveals about his character.  He is Lord!!!  His compassion, kindness and forgiveness combine with His truth, holiness and justice.  He is gracious and compassionate.  He will not punish any person unless they reject His long-suffering love, spitefully and continually rejecting His patient love and mercy.
    Speaking to the nation of Israel:
Deuteronomy 4:25 NKJV
25 When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the LORD your God to provoke Him to anger,
    When the time comes that they walk away from God and reject His Word -
Deuteronomy 4:30-31 NKJV
30 When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice 31 (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.
    God is so merciful, He forgives, He restores. He helps those who need Him.
Joel 2:12-13 NKJV
12 “Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” 13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
    A history lesson:  The act of rending, tearing a garment was an act of grief, sorrow or despair.  The prophet was calling for broken and contrite hearts, not an outward display of sorrow or regret.  God longed for hearts that were truly broken and filled with sorrow over sin.  The result would be true repentance—a change of heart toward God. A broken heart is ready to turn from selfish ways to follow God.  This opens the door for God’s mercy. It is God’s character to show mercy and compassion to His people.  Look at Joel 2 again.
    Grace can be pictured as God’s giving us the blessings of salvation that we don’t deserve.  Mercy can be defined as God’s saving us from the punishment deserve because of sin. God offers forgiveness as a free gift that we receive by faith in Jesus.
    A few more passages that tell us of God’s mercy and grace.  What do they say to us?
Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Titus 2:11-12 NKJV
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
Titus 3:4-5 NKJV
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
    How can we apply mercy and grace?
Wooden Won’t Trash Knight
    John Wooden, former basketball coach at UCLA, was the antithesis of many of today’s coaches. He seldom left his seat on the Bruins bench during a UCLA game. “I tried to teach players that if they lose their temper or get out of control, they will get beat,” he says. “Modeling was better than words. I liked the rule that we used to have that a coach couldn’t leave the bench. I’m sorry they did away with that.”
    Wooden set amazing records in college basketball. From 1948 to 1975, he had a win-loss record of 885-203—a phenomenal career winning percentage of .813. He had an 88-game winning streak at UCLA.
    Pressed in an interview to be critical of former Indiana University coach Bobby Knight, Wooden would only say, “I think Bob Knight is an outstanding teacher of the game of basketball, but I don’t approve of his methods. But I’m not a judge, and I’m not judging Bob Knight.”
Abilene Reporter-News (5-18-00)
    A thought on resentment, we can say it is the opposite of mercy.
How Resentment Takes Hold, a thought by Max Lucado.
    Resentment is when you let your hurt become hate. Resentment is when you allow what is eating you to eat you up. Resentment is when you poke, stoke, feed, and fan the fire, stirring the flames and reliving the pain.
    Resentment is the deliberate decision to nurse the offense until it becomes a black, furry, growling grudge.
Max Lucado, The Applause of Heaven (Word, 1996), p.100;
    Instead of resentment, learn God’s mercy and grace.
DISCUSSION
Review question from last week:  This first question is more for you to reflect than to specifically respond.  Do you often think about your character?  Do you think about the impact it makes in your life?
What should a Christian do to develop the Christ-like character of real love?
How do you define love?
How do mercy and grace impact the world?
What is the impact when believers all show love, mercy and grace to each other?
Why is it easier to receive love, mercy and grace than to give it?

Prayer

2/9/2014 EQUIPPING TO SERVE

God’s Character

    A Case Study: Imitate Jesus or Machiavelli?  From:  J.P. Moreland & Tim Muehlhoff, God Conversation.
    Your dream job becomes available. The night before the crucial interview, you sit down to polish your résumé. You remember reading on the Web that seven out of ten people embellish or lie on their résumés. Should you? What ethical standard should guide you in your decision?
    As you sit in front of your computer; you look over at two wristbands you’ve recently bought. Each has four letters imprinted on it. The first reads, “WWJD”.  This band reminds you that when writing your résumé you should ask the question “What would Jesus do?”  The answer is obvious: Jesus would strongly advise you not to lie on the résumé.
    The second wristband …. reads “WWMD”—or “What would Machiavelli do?”  Machiavelli was a 16th century political strategist who advocated deceit and manipulation in order to get ahead. He was ruthless in his pursuit of power and his name is synonymous with the phrase “The ends justify the means”.
    In his bestselling book What Would Machiavelli Do? The Ends Justify the Meanness, Stanley Bing uses Machiavelli’s insight to advise up-and-coming business leaders. Bing’s chapter headings reflect how Machiavelli would move up the corporate ladder.
    He would fire his own mother if necessary.
    He would be proud of his cruelty and see it as a strength.
    He would make you fear for your life.
    He would feast on other people’s discord.
    Machiavelli’s view of lying is particularly helpful in writing your résumé: Those who do not lie do not succeed, and therefore remain unknown. Machiavelli’s advice concerning your résumé is clear: lie, lie, lie!
    It’s getting late and your résumé still isn’t finished. How do you decide? Is it WWJD or WWMD?
J.P. Moreland & Tim Muehlhoff, God Conversation (IVP Books, 2007), pp.104-105
    We all continually have to make decisions.  Some don’t have a large impact - do I want this flavor or that flavor?  Other decisions impact eternity.  What we base our decisions on is what is inside us.
    We are going to take some time to talk about God’s character.  What is God like?
    Important question:  Why talk about this topic?
    As we work through the theme of Equipping To Serve, we won’t be fully equipped to serve God if we don’t grasp what He is like.  In the story of the person trying to decide if he should cheat on his resume, some might wonder why it makes a difference.  If “everyone” is cheating, he will be left behind if he doesn’t cheat as well.  Why does God care about the business world?
    God’s character shows us who He is.  We must emulate His character if we are going to be Christ-like.  That’s a basic definition of Christian.
Acts 11:25-26 NKJV
25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
    Antioch was the largest and possibly the most important city in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Because of persecution, the believers were scattered.  The gospel message came to Antioch and a strong church grew.  Paul and Barnabas spent a long time there teaching and training the church.
    Up to that time, those in the church called themselves
believers
disciples
The Way
saints
    It was at Antioch that the term Christians was first used.  It was probably people outside the church who coined the term.  At first, it likely was to insult believers.  But the church considered this name as a mark of honor because it directly identified them with Christ.
    Because we must learn to be like Jesus and live according to the Bible, we must be like the early church and not be afraid to separate ourselves from the ungodliness, corruption and wickedness in our society so we can identify with Jesus.  Sadly, the term Christian has become so generic that it often doesn’t mean anything.  We should present a picture of our Savior and reflect a deep relationship and devotion to Him.
    Let’s dig in to this theme of Character.  Starting with some definition.
Character:
**The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another.
**A distinguishing feature or attribute, as of an individual, group, or category.
**Moral or ethical strength, quality that make up the inner nature of a person.
**A description of a person’s attributes, traits, or abilities, integrity.
**Qualities that make a person unique
**Public estimation of someone; reputation.
**In character:  Consistent with someone’s general character or behavior.
**Character assassination: a vicious personal verbal attack, especially one intended to destroy or damage a public figure’s reputation.
    If we are going to look at God’s character, we must ask the question:  What is God like?  A few thoughts from a Psalm.
Psalm 103 NKJV
A Psalm of David.
Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, 18 To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them. 19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.
    We can understand characteristics of the one true God as we see  similarities to human qualities.  This does not mean that we have divinity in us, for God’s character is far above anything we can achieve as humans.  God is love.  We can love.  We cannot love anywhere close to the point that God loves.
    God created us in His image.  We have the ability to submit to Him and see Him change us to be more like Him.
    Let’s look at some of the things that God IS.  His characteristics.
God is good.
Psalm 106:1 NKJV
1 Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Mark 10:18 NKJV
18 So Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
    When you read the creation story in Genesis, you find often that it says God made _________ and it was good.  It is an extension of his own nature.
    Because He is good He provides for all of us.  He feeds the animals in the wild.  He provides for our needs.  He is so good that He takes care of those who don’t serve Him.
Matthew 5:45 NKJV
45 . . .  for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
    We see God’s goodness to people who earnestly depend on him.
Psalm 145:18-20 NKJV
18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. 19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. 20 The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.
DISCUSSION
This first question is more for you to reflect than to specifically respond.  Do you often think about your character?  Do you think about the impact it makes in your life?
What should a Christian do to develop a Christ-like character?
How does a Christ-like character impact the world?
How can we all work on this challenge together?

Prayer

2/2/14 EQUIPPING TO SERVE

A Faithful and Growing Steward

    We are continuing to talk about Christian stewardship as a foundation for serving the Lord.
    Whatever you think of Warren Buffett, one of the richest men in the world, he has an interesting insight that I want to share:  Warren Buffett’s “Jerk Doctrine” of Riches
    A Harvard Business Review blog calls it Warren Buffet’s “jerk doctrine”. Buffett, one of the wealthiest people in the world, once said, “Of the billionaires I have known, money just brings out the basic traits in them. If they were jerks before they had money, they are simply jerks with a billion dollars.”
Michael Schrage, “Is Technology Making You More (or Less) of a Jerk?” HBR Blog Network (11-7-12)
    That’s an interesting insight.  It’s not how much money a person as, it is what is in their heart.  As we talk about Christian stewardship, we are talking about obedience to God and applying what the Bible teaches.  These are principles that are cross-cultural that cross economic lines.  God expects a poor person to be a faithful steward as well as a rich person.
    Last week we started out with a question:  What about the concept of “living within your means”, even if it will determine that you don’t have all the fun stuff others have?  Does that sound unamerican?  Learning to live within our means is important.
    In this series we have looked at:
Do EVERYTHING for the Lord.  Do it all the Lord’s way.
A Steward – a trustee, control or manager, but not an owner.  A steward manages for the benefit of someone else.
A definition of stewardship: “The Sum total of all my attitudes toward God”.
A true steward must have a good attitude, or he/she won’t be able to be faithful to the responsibilities of stewardship.
    The Bible teaches us about tithing.  This is a central part of stewardship, of recognizing ownership and rightly handling the money we have in our control.
    God has amazing blessings and benefits for His children as they obey Him.
    Ownership:  God is the owner of everything.
    Define the tithe – 2 Identifying Marks:
1.  Always first.
2.  Always 10% of increase (before deductions).
    The tithe is the acknowledgment that all we have belongs to God. He is God and is in control, sovereign. The tithe is a means by which God’s ownership is established.
Law of the First Things
God always gets the first. Tithe paid first before other things.
Exodus 23:19 NIV
Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.
Proverbs 3:9-10 NIV
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
    Last week we were not able to fully cover everything, so I will pick up what we missed and then complete our study.
The Storehouse Principle of the Tithe
Malachi 3:8-12 NIV
8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 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. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
    This passage includes blessings as well as curses.
    What are the blessings? Provision in God’s house.  This is God’s divine way to provide for the local church.  The needs will be met and we won’t have to resort to guilt, pressure, gimmicks, manipulation, raffles, candy sales, etc. to provide for the local church.  God says that He will make it enough.  It will work because it is God’s way.  God promises blessings as well as rebuking the devourer.
    The storehouse: The local church – where you regularly attend.  Tithe where you are fed, have fellowship and receive ministry. This is where you turn to in times of trouble and blessing.  Tithe to your storehouse (God’s clearing house) – undesignated, it belongs to God.
    These verses include some challenging and frightening statements.  They are also some statements of blessing.
    “Will a man rob God?”  Who of us would think of sticking a gun in God’s face and stealing from Him?  Yet, that’s what God says happens.
    Important fact about tithe:  while it is not primarily a money making project, it IS God’s revealed way to support the church.  When all of God’s people tithe, the church is relieved of all the gimmicks used to coax money in to the treasury.  Tithe, not gimmick, is God’s way.
A GENEROUS LIFE AND LIFESTYLE
    Remember that “attitude” is an important part of the definition of stewardship that we are using.
II Corinthians 9:6-7 NIV
Sowing Generously
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 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.
From The Message
God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.
    I’m sure that some people look at the title of E. M. Clark’s book, How To Be Happy Giving Your Money Away and think that it must have been written by a lunatic.  But, the more we grasp the Biblical principles of stewardship and God’s blessings the more we are cheerful givers.  I would rather spend time around a generous person than a stingy one.  Their whole outlook on life is different.
    God loves a cheerful giver.  Your attitude is an important part of the process. Let me tell you, it is fun to be able to give.
    Let me give you a simple way you can join the cheerful givers, looking for a way to help with special needs.  Many say that would love to give to help out in various needs, but they simply don’t have the money for it.  Let me show you how you can plan for it.
    In your budget, put some cash away every week to have to give it away when a need arises.  You can give to a friend or stranger, maybe a cause like a family that has a house fire, etc.
    “But, you don’t understand, I don’t have any extra money to give.”
    If you put 50 cents a week away, at the end of the year you would have about $25.00.  I believe that most of us can do more.  Wouldn’t it be fun to give someone in need $25.00 at Christmas time?  Andrea and I have an agreement that if one feels we really should give someone something, we will do it. One time we I said that I felt we should give $100 to a specific family in need.  She said, good, I have been thinking the same thing.  Just do it quietly so you don’t embarrass the person receiving your gift. This is another way to have a divine appointment.
    While none of us can meet every need we hear about, there are times when we can do something and it is FUN TO GIVE and see someone blessed.  So, plan for it.
    Question: Considering that the 90% left in your pocket belongs to God, what does that say about how you spend it? Use it wisely.  Provide for your family, etc.
    We already talked about sovereignty.  God is sovereign.  Sovereignty is acknowledged only when the terms laid down by the sovereign are met.  Paying the tithe is obeying the expectations of our Sovereign.  IE. You don’t just call Buckingham Palace and say you’ll talk to the queen, or that you’ll be showing up for lunch and expect the queen to be ready to greet you.  Many royal watchers were horrified when a lady in Washington DC hugged the queen when she visited in her home.
    Question: Think about how you respond to the person who says, “I can’t afford to tithe”?
    God chastened Israel for giving Him second best.  That is what is done when we try to give to God the way we design, and not His way.
Malachi 1:6-8 NIV
Blemished Sacrifices
6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty. “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.  But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’
7 “You place defiled food on my altar. But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the LORD’S table is contemptible. 8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the LORD Almighty.
    They were offering sick, blind animals to God. He told them to offer that to the governor and see if he would be pleased.  God is to receive the first and best.
    There are so many more things we could talk about on this subject, but we will stop here for the time.
SO, WHAT DO WE DO AT THIS POINT IN TIME?
    For many of us, you are already living in the blessings of faithfully tithing.  We can REJOICE IN THE BLESSINGS that we are tithing.  We can live expecting God’s continual provision.  We can trust God to continue to provide for us as a church fellowship.
    How about the ones who don’t tithe?  I want to strongly emphasize this point:  This is not a money-making issue, but obedience to God.  It’s a matter of giving God the opportunity to open up the windows of heaven and pour out His blessings.
    It is the blessing of LIVING OBEDIENTLY & GENEROUSLY.
    Picking up our discussion from last week:
DISCUSSION
What if everyone who claims Christianity brought the tithe to their local church regularly?
Where do offerings come in?  Missions, giving to special needs, etc.
Is there a specific income level a person has to reach before God expects the tithe?  Giving to help others?
Good money management, good budgeting is an important ingredient in this whole topic.  We have not talked about that.
Can you identify specific struggles people have that keep them from tithing?
Is this whole topic of stewardship and tithing simply a money raising scheme?
If you have not been tithing, not been giving regularly, how do you start?
If Americans who identify with the historically Christian church had given 10% to their churches in 2008, rather than the 2.43% given, there would have been an additional $172 billion available for work through the church.
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