A message preached on Sunday, October 24, 2010 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain.
Sermon Series: Foundations: Lessons on Christian Living
Sermon: “Witnessing”
Date Preached: October 24, 2010
As someone who has experienced God’s saving love, you have much to share. What if you could tell your story of what God has done for you? You can! And that’s what I want to talk about today.
What Is a Witness?
Jesus said, “you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). But what is a witness? A witness is “One who has firsthand knowledge about an event.” The truth is, Every Christian has a personal testimony. Your account of your experience of new life (2 Cor. 5:17) in Christ. Regardless if you were saved when you were 5 years old or 55 years old, all of us share a “common salvation” experience.
See Isaiah 43:10; Acts 5:20.
Our focal verse helps us understand our calling as witnesses.
Focal Verse: “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” Mark 5:19
First, notice that there is . . .
1. The Command to Witness – “Go . . . tell”
This is one of the great salvation/deliverance stories in the Bible. This man that Jesus encountered was given up as a lost cause, a hopeless case, yet with Jesus there are no hopeless cases. After Jesus set the man free from his demon-possession, it was natural for the man to want to be with Jesus. However, Jesus told the man to go to his family and tell them what had happened. Just as Jesus told this man to go, so He tells us to go too! It is not a suggestion but a divine imperative.
In the Old Testament God told his watchmen that they were never to be silent and never to rest. To be silent meant withholding a word of either warning or good news. To rest on the job could be disastrous for the welfare of the city. You and I are God’s watchmen, witnessing a word of good news but also a word of warning to those who will not receive the good news. We must not be silent! We must not rest on our watch? Lives are at stake. We must not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord (1 Tim. 1:8).
First, there is the command to witness. Second, there is . . .
2. The Context of Our Witnessing – “home to your family”
Where do you begin? At home, in your Jerusalem (see Acts 1:8). It’s good that we support and do missions globally, but we need to remember that we’re in a mission field. The latest growth statistics for our church field are staggering. Livingston Parish led a five parish growth region known as the I-12, I-10 Corridor with a 47% growth rate. Almost 68% of our residents are now under 44 years of age. The last time we distributed literature in our area there were 19 subdivisions, all of which could be considered relatively recent housing developments. We have a tremendous mission field right here at home.
This reveals the command to witness, the context of our witnessing, and third, . . .
3. The Content of Our Witnessing – “how much the Lord has done for you”
What do we tell people? We tell them what God has done for us. What has He done? Has He saved you from wrath? Has He reconciled you to God? Has He forgiven your sins? Has He given you a new purpose for life? Has He helped you as a father or mother? Has He encouraged you and given you His peace? Tell them what God has done! Tell them about the great deed God did on the cross! See Isaiah 63:7; 1 Pe. 3:15.
The Fruit of Our Witnessing – “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19)
What is the end result of our faithful witnessing? Fruit (John 15:5) – Disciples are made! God is at work in our world and those who are working with Him are seeing the fruit of their witness – disciples. See John 4:35-36. For the principle of sowing and reaping, see 2 Cor. 9:6; Gal. 6:9.
The Power of Your Story
1. Has authority – You were there.
2. Communicates on a level that people can relate to. It is life-oriented. It doesn’t come off like you are preaching.
3. Natural and simple. Doesn’t require learning and memorization.
4. Can be shared anywhere at any time. You can share your story at the mailbox, the break room, the store, or the school. Because it is your personal testimony, your story is portable. Wherever you go, your story goes!
The Elements of Your Story
What do you tell? The best models for ministry are biblical and we have an excellent biblical model for sharing our testimony in the Apostle Paul. Paul often shared his personal testimony which usually consisted of three aspects:
1. My Life Before Receiving Jesus (Acts 22:3-5)
Paul tells some of his Jewish background and the fact that he was zealous for God, even persecuting Christians who he thought were wrong.
2. How I Received Jesus (Acts 22:6-13)
Paul tells of his Damascus Road experience and how he was confronted by the living Jesus. God also used a faithful believer named Ananias in Paul’s conversion.
3. How Jesus Makes My Life Meaningful (Acts 22:14-15)
Paul tells how he was chosen by God to be His witness. Paul’s life took on a new purpose, a purpose designed by God.
Sharing the Basics of the Gospel
Sharing our story is important, but there is a need to go beyond our story to His story. Every Christian needs to know the basics of the Gospel. Here is one plan of salvation that is easy to remember that communicates the basics of the Gospel.
Promise: God loves you (Jn. 3:16)
Reality: We all struggle with sin (Rom 3:23)
Answer: For sin is Jesus (Rom. 5:8)
You: God requires you to confess and believe (Rom. 10:9-10, 13)
Getting Started Let me encourage to . . .
1. Write out your personal testimony.
2. Become familiar with the basics of the Gospel.
3. Be intentional. Have a plan. Write down names of people that you could witness to. Pray for them and ask God to give you opportunities to witness. Don’t underestimate the power of the written word.
(1) Use a Gospel booklet
(2) Write a letter
(3) Utilize whativaluemost.com
All of us want to see people saved. For that to happen, we must witness and sow God’s word. Fields that are sown yield a harvest. How are we going to reach the people of our community? By every Christian witnessing.
The Main Thing Is to Share God’s Word! Rom. 10:17
“He who goes out weeping , carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” (Ps. 126:6).
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Foundations: Good Works (Week #7) Ephesians 2:8-10
A sermon preached on Sunday, October 17, 2010 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain.
Sermon Series: Foundations: Lessons on Christian Living
Today’s Sermon: Good Works
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:4-10 (Focal, vv.8-10)
Memory Verse: Ephesians 2:10, NIV, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 (English Standard Version)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Here is one of the most complete descriptions of the nature of salvation and what salvation produces in our lives. These verses describe what it means to be in Christ. We will examine this great passage in two parts: Salvation as the gift of God, and sanctification, as the work of God in the believer’s life. Both parts are essential for us to understand.
I. Salvation: The Gift of God (2:8-9)
Faith and works are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other. You cannot have faith without good works and good works as the Bible describes are produced by people of faith. To help us understand the relationship between faith and works, I want to use a statement that John Calvin made that expresses the truth of this passage. The two parts of his statement form the two sections of this message. First, Calvin said what all the reformers voiced, “It is faith alone that justifies” (Calvin).
What does this text in Ephesians say to us about salvation – this “faith alone that justifies”?
(1) Salvation is by grace
Paul reminds his readers in verse 8 (as in v.5) that they owe their salvation entirely to the undeserved favor of God, “For by grace.” God’s grace is His unmerited favor that He grants to us who have sinned against Him.
(2) “Been saved” from what? (Rom. 5:9) – Wrath
It is because of God’s grace that Paul can say “you have been saved” (pf. tense). And what are we “saved” from? This is a valid question that is expressed by many people today. Many do not know why they need God’s salvation. Romans 5:9 tells us why we need to be saved. To be “saved” is to be saved from the wrath of God due to us at the final judgement because of sin. The phrase, “you have been saved” is the equivalent of saying “you have been justified.” See Romans 3:23-24.
(3) To be “saved” is to be secure (pf. tense)
This salvation or justification is complete in the sense that no defect or inadequacy mars God’s purpose. To be “saved” means that the believers salvation is completely secured. The action of “saved” involves a present and ongoing state which has resulted from a past action. In Christ the Christian can correctly say “I have been saved, I am saved, and I will be saved!” If salvation was obtained by some human effort on our part, then it would not be complete, but because salvation is “by grace,” and it is wholly of God, we stand justified (“saved”) before God for all time. The wrath of God fell on Jesus at the cross. “By His blood” we are justified (Rom. 5:9).
How does this salvation come to us? How do we enter into this justified “saved” state of being?
(4) Salvation is received “through faith”
Salvation is appropriated “through faith,” (Rom. 5:1) which is confident reliance in Christ Jesus as the only means of our salvation. Faith is only as good as its object. Who then is worthy to place trust in to save us from eternal wrath? There is but one person, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the object of our faith. See Gal. 2:16; Rom. 3:22, 26. The passages in Romans describe how God can be perfectly just and yet still justify us. God’s justice was satisfied in the cross.
(5) Faith comes from God – “and this”
It’s important for us to see that faith, however, is not a quality, a virtue, or a human faculty that some people are predisposed towards. Saving faith is not something that man can produce. It is simply a trustful response that is itself evoked (or prompted) by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (Jn. 6:44). The word translated “can come” is the word that means “to be able.” Man alone does not have the moral or spiritual ability to come to Christ unless the Father “draws him” and gives him the inclination to come and the ability to place trust in Christ.
The key to this interpretation is found in the phrase “and this.” Does the “not your own doing” point to “faith” or to “saved” or to the entire process? From start to finish the entire process is God’s doing. Grace and even faith are included in this “gift of God,” so that in every aspect salvation is the gift and work of God.
(6) Boast in God alone – “not by works”
So that no one would misinterpret faith as being our contribution to salvation, Paul immediately adds the phrase, “ it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” The “gift of God” is found in various places in the NT. For example, it is the gift that brings justification (Rom. 5:16), the “gift of righteousness” (v.17), the gift of “eternal life” (Rom. 6:23), and the gift of Himself (Jn. 4:10). Because salvation is a gift and “Not a result of works” (i.e., self-effort), there is no grounds for our boasting (Rom. 3:27).
Based on what is revealed in these two verses, let me ask you a very important question, “Have you “been saved” “by grace”? Has there been a point in time where you by faith accepted what God has done for you in Jesus? Have you been declared justified? Do you have the assurance of your salvation? If not, has God given you the inclination to reach out to Him in faith? “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). Is the Father drawing you to believe in Jesus? If so, “Believe [faith, trust] in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “Whoever hears my word and believes [faith, trust] him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned” (Jn. 5:24).
II. Sanctification: The Work of God (2:10)
(1) Receiving God’s gift is just the beginning
The entire process of salvation is God’s doing (see 2 Cor. 5:17-18) but our salvation does not end with the reception of God’s gift. Again, Calvin said, “It is faith alone that justifies,” “But faith that justifies can never be alone.” (Calvin). Sanctification is the process of becoming like Jesus, growing in grace. The “good works” produced through us are evidence that God is at work in our lives. See James 2:14-26, esp. vv.22-24. There is no contradiction between faith and works as we will see in Eph. 2:10.
(2) Christians are God’s “workmanship” (Rom. 1:20)
Paul used a word to describe believers that he alone uses in Scripture and does so only twice. It is the word translated here as “workmanship” in the phrase, “For we are His workmanship.” Our English word “poem” is derived from this Greek word. Literally, you might say that Christians are God’s poems, works of art. This is how God describes those who are in Christ. We are His special new creations. God has made all people in His image, but sin has marred, defaced the image of God, not destroyed it. However, in Christ, and only through Christ are we created anew by God.
The only other occurrence of this word is in Romans 1:20 where it says God’s “invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made (“Poiema”).” We see evidence of the creator in His “workmanship” in creation. To see a Christian is to see a new creation that only God could have created. Only God can take sinners and make them saints. Only God can make the unclean clean. Only God can redeem the ruined. Only God can cleanse the soul and make us new!
(3) A miraculous new status – “created in Christ Jesus”
How have we become “God’s workmanship”? The next phrase tells us, “created in Christ Jesus.” The verb “to create” in the OT Hebrew would be “barah” and it is only used of God and denotes the creative energy he alone can exert. Here the verb denotes a past completed action that has abiding results, and the emphasis on the action is that God alone is the one who has done the creating (aorist, passive, participle). It is God who has made us new creations, “God’s workmanship.” The great hope that we have is that God is still making new creations in Christ. And what God can do in a life is nothing short of miraculous. Salvation, the new birth is comparable in quality to the creation of the universe! No natural process can accomplish or explain either miracle.
(4) Our new life’s purpose – “for good works”
What is the purpose of God making us His “workmanship”? In Christ Jesus we are recreated, “for good works,” God’s original intention for us. “Good” means profitable, benefitting others, and carries the idea of beauty or that which is attractive. That which is done to benefit others is beautiful because it is a God-work. It’s been said that “good deeds are God deeds.”
Producing “good works” signifies every kind of activity undertaken for the name of Christ, it is being fruitful for God. It is taking on the character of Christ – His attitude and actions. Good works reflect Christ’s life flowing through us. It is as Christ said, letting “your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).
True faith produces good works. Works never produces salvation, but salvation always produces good works. A man is not justified by works, but a justified man works. Works are the consequences, not the causes of salvation. They are the fruit, not the root of salvation. One must be a Christian before he can live as a Christian. He must be good before he can do good.
(5) The path has been “prepared beforehand”
The good and beautiful works that God has for us to do have been “prepared beforehand” by God Himself. Here is an aorist active verb which means that these works that God has prepared have been established by God from a point in the past. The road has already been built. Here is a further reason why the Christian has nothing left to boast about. Even the good that you and I do now has its source in God, who has made it possible. As Paul reminds us, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). If God has prepared beforehand good works for me to do, then I need to first, know God and then let God reveal to me those good works that He wants me to do. And He will!
(6) Where will you “walk”?
Why has God prepared these good works? So “that we should walk in them.” The word “walk” means to live or to conduct yourself. The word is also found at Romans 6:4 where Paul encouraged the Roman Church to “walk properly” and 13:13 where he encouraged them to “walk in newness of life.” The verb is a subjunctive aorist which denotes possibility but the outcome is still as of yet an unknown. Therefore, the best translation is “should walk” (ESV, NASB, NKJV). The point is, the road that God has prepared lies before us but we must chose to travel upon it. Our walking in “good works” is contingent on our obedience.
As we do the “good [beautiful] works” that God has “prepared beforehand,” our life will be a beautiful expression of God’s handiwork. As we walk in “good works” it’s as if we are filling-in the shapes, the colors and the textures to the work of art that we are becoming in Christ.
So how is your painting progressing? How are the lines coming along in the poem of your life? Are you living as “God’s workmanship”?
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Sermon Series: Foundations: Lessons on Christian Living
Today’s Sermon: Good Works
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:4-10 (Focal, vv.8-10)
Memory Verse: Ephesians 2:10, NIV, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 (English Standard Version)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Here is one of the most complete descriptions of the nature of salvation and what salvation produces in our lives. These verses describe what it means to be in Christ. We will examine this great passage in two parts: Salvation as the gift of God, and sanctification, as the work of God in the believer’s life. Both parts are essential for us to understand.
I. Salvation: The Gift of God (2:8-9)
Faith and works are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other. You cannot have faith without good works and good works as the Bible describes are produced by people of faith. To help us understand the relationship between faith and works, I want to use a statement that John Calvin made that expresses the truth of this passage. The two parts of his statement form the two sections of this message. First, Calvin said what all the reformers voiced, “It is faith alone that justifies” (Calvin).
What does this text in Ephesians say to us about salvation – this “faith alone that justifies”?
(1) Salvation is by grace
Paul reminds his readers in verse 8 (as in v.5) that they owe their salvation entirely to the undeserved favor of God, “For by grace.” God’s grace is His unmerited favor that He grants to us who have sinned against Him.
(2) “Been saved” from what? (Rom. 5:9) – Wrath
It is because of God’s grace that Paul can say “you have been saved” (pf. tense). And what are we “saved” from? This is a valid question that is expressed by many people today. Many do not know why they need God’s salvation. Romans 5:9 tells us why we need to be saved. To be “saved” is to be saved from the wrath of God due to us at the final judgement because of sin. The phrase, “you have been saved” is the equivalent of saying “you have been justified.” See Romans 3:23-24.
(3) To be “saved” is to be secure (pf. tense)
This salvation or justification is complete in the sense that no defect or inadequacy mars God’s purpose. To be “saved” means that the believers salvation is completely secured. The action of “saved” involves a present and ongoing state which has resulted from a past action. In Christ the Christian can correctly say “I have been saved, I am saved, and I will be saved!” If salvation was obtained by some human effort on our part, then it would not be complete, but because salvation is “by grace,” and it is wholly of God, we stand justified (“saved”) before God for all time. The wrath of God fell on Jesus at the cross. “By His blood” we are justified (Rom. 5:9).
How does this salvation come to us? How do we enter into this justified “saved” state of being?
(4) Salvation is received “through faith”
Salvation is appropriated “through faith,” (Rom. 5:1) which is confident reliance in Christ Jesus as the only means of our salvation. Faith is only as good as its object. Who then is worthy to place trust in to save us from eternal wrath? There is but one person, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the object of our faith. See Gal. 2:16; Rom. 3:22, 26. The passages in Romans describe how God can be perfectly just and yet still justify us. God’s justice was satisfied in the cross.
(5) Faith comes from God – “and this”
It’s important for us to see that faith, however, is not a quality, a virtue, or a human faculty that some people are predisposed towards. Saving faith is not something that man can produce. It is simply a trustful response that is itself evoked (or prompted) by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (Jn. 6:44). The word translated “can come” is the word that means “to be able.” Man alone does not have the moral or spiritual ability to come to Christ unless the Father “draws him” and gives him the inclination to come and the ability to place trust in Christ.
The key to this interpretation is found in the phrase “and this.” Does the “not your own doing” point to “faith” or to “saved” or to the entire process? From start to finish the entire process is God’s doing. Grace and even faith are included in this “gift of God,” so that in every aspect salvation is the gift and work of God.
(6) Boast in God alone – “not by works”
So that no one would misinterpret faith as being our contribution to salvation, Paul immediately adds the phrase, “ it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” The “gift of God” is found in various places in the NT. For example, it is the gift that brings justification (Rom. 5:16), the “gift of righteousness” (v.17), the gift of “eternal life” (Rom. 6:23), and the gift of Himself (Jn. 4:10). Because salvation is a gift and “Not a result of works” (i.e., self-effort), there is no grounds for our boasting (Rom. 3:27).
Based on what is revealed in these two verses, let me ask you a very important question, “Have you “been saved” “by grace”? Has there been a point in time where you by faith accepted what God has done for you in Jesus? Have you been declared justified? Do you have the assurance of your salvation? If not, has God given you the inclination to reach out to Him in faith? “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). Is the Father drawing you to believe in Jesus? If so, “Believe [faith, trust] in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “Whoever hears my word and believes [faith, trust] him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned” (Jn. 5:24).
II. Sanctification: The Work of God (2:10)
(1) Receiving God’s gift is just the beginning
The entire process of salvation is God’s doing (see 2 Cor. 5:17-18) but our salvation does not end with the reception of God’s gift. Again, Calvin said, “It is faith alone that justifies,” “But faith that justifies can never be alone.” (Calvin). Sanctification is the process of becoming like Jesus, growing in grace. The “good works” produced through us are evidence that God is at work in our lives. See James 2:14-26, esp. vv.22-24. There is no contradiction between faith and works as we will see in Eph. 2:10.
(2) Christians are God’s “workmanship” (Rom. 1:20)
Paul used a word to describe believers that he alone uses in Scripture and does so only twice. It is the word translated here as “workmanship” in the phrase, “For we are His workmanship.” Our English word “poem” is derived from this Greek word. Literally, you might say that Christians are God’s poems, works of art. This is how God describes those who are in Christ. We are His special new creations. God has made all people in His image, but sin has marred, defaced the image of God, not destroyed it. However, in Christ, and only through Christ are we created anew by God.
The only other occurrence of this word is in Romans 1:20 where it says God’s “invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made (“Poiema”).” We see evidence of the creator in His “workmanship” in creation. To see a Christian is to see a new creation that only God could have created. Only God can take sinners and make them saints. Only God can make the unclean clean. Only God can redeem the ruined. Only God can cleanse the soul and make us new!
(3) A miraculous new status – “created in Christ Jesus”
How have we become “God’s workmanship”? The next phrase tells us, “created in Christ Jesus.” The verb “to create” in the OT Hebrew would be “barah” and it is only used of God and denotes the creative energy he alone can exert. Here the verb denotes a past completed action that has abiding results, and the emphasis on the action is that God alone is the one who has done the creating (aorist, passive, participle). It is God who has made us new creations, “God’s workmanship.” The great hope that we have is that God is still making new creations in Christ. And what God can do in a life is nothing short of miraculous. Salvation, the new birth is comparable in quality to the creation of the universe! No natural process can accomplish or explain either miracle.
(4) Our new life’s purpose – “for good works”
What is the purpose of God making us His “workmanship”? In Christ Jesus we are recreated, “for good works,” God’s original intention for us. “Good” means profitable, benefitting others, and carries the idea of beauty or that which is attractive. That which is done to benefit others is beautiful because it is a God-work. It’s been said that “good deeds are God deeds.”
Producing “good works” signifies every kind of activity undertaken for the name of Christ, it is being fruitful for God. It is taking on the character of Christ – His attitude and actions. Good works reflect Christ’s life flowing through us. It is as Christ said, letting “your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).
True faith produces good works. Works never produces salvation, but salvation always produces good works. A man is not justified by works, but a justified man works. Works are the consequences, not the causes of salvation. They are the fruit, not the root of salvation. One must be a Christian before he can live as a Christian. He must be good before he can do good.
(5) The path has been “prepared beforehand”
The good and beautiful works that God has for us to do have been “prepared beforehand” by God Himself. Here is an aorist active verb which means that these works that God has prepared have been established by God from a point in the past. The road has already been built. Here is a further reason why the Christian has nothing left to boast about. Even the good that you and I do now has its source in God, who has made it possible. As Paul reminds us, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). If God has prepared beforehand good works for me to do, then I need to first, know God and then let God reveal to me those good works that He wants me to do. And He will!
(6) Where will you “walk”?
Why has God prepared these good works? So “that we should walk in them.” The word “walk” means to live or to conduct yourself. The word is also found at Romans 6:4 where Paul encouraged the Roman Church to “walk properly” and 13:13 where he encouraged them to “walk in newness of life.” The verb is a subjunctive aorist which denotes possibility but the outcome is still as of yet an unknown. Therefore, the best translation is “should walk” (ESV, NASB, NKJV). The point is, the road that God has prepared lies before us but we must chose to travel upon it. Our walking in “good works” is contingent on our obedience.
As we do the “good [beautiful] works” that God has “prepared beforehand,” our life will be a beautiful expression of God’s handiwork. As we walk in “good works” it’s as if we are filling-in the shapes, the colors and the textures to the work of art that we are becoming in Christ.
So how is your painting progressing? How are the lines coming along in the poem of your life? Are you living as “God’s workmanship”?
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, October 11, 2010
Foundations: The Church (Psalm 122:1)
A sermon preached on Sunday, October 10, 2010 at Hebron Baptist Church by Pastor Joe Alain.
Sermon Series: Foundations: Lessons on Christian Living
Sermon: The Church
Memory Verse: Psalm 122:1, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”
Thinking about the Church
(1) The church is both universal and local. Universal in that it includes all Christians in all places at all times – past, present, and future. It is local in that God’s church includes Christians who come together in local assemblies to carry out His work. HBC is but one local expression of God’s universal church. It’s best to think of the church as a living organism rather than a cold lifeless institution. The church is not buildings or even great programs, it’s people!
(2) The church is made up of redeemed people, people who have come together to love God and to love people.
(3) The church on earth is imperfect because it is made up of imperfect people. But even with all of its imperfections, God loves His church!
(4) The church is of God and loved by God. Jesus said “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades [or hell] will not overcome it” (Matt. 16:18). The church is not a man-made institution it is God-created organism and He is the Head, and we are His body! Ephesians 5:25 tells us “Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.” God thinks much of His Church. Paul’s instruction to God’s shepherds found in Acts 20:28 is undergirded with the sober reality that “the church of God” has been “bought with his own blood.” God loves the church! And because He loves the Church we ought to love God’s church too.
(5) Finally, the church is God’s plan for advancing His kingdom. God is working in and through His body – the church.
Objections to the Church
Objection #1: Sometimes Christians become cynical and critical of the church. They become dissatisfied with some aspect of the church. They don’t like this or that, or they don’t care for how this is done, etc. But sometimes our criticisms are not motivated by love. Don’t criticize the church for when you do you are tearing down Christ’s body, you are destroying what Christ is building. Does the church need reforming? In some sense yes, the church is constantly in need of reformation, but when you criticize your church you’re really criticizing God’s people and your family. You are standing on the side of the enemies of the church and being used by Satan to come against what God calls the apple of His eye (Zech. 2:8).
Non-constructive criticism disparages what God calls His treasured possessions (Mal. 3:17). One of the passages in today’s Bible study is Ephesians 4:11-16. This passage speaks about growing up in Christ to a place of maturity so that God’s church will be characterized by unity and love all organized and functioning under the Lordship of our Head – Jesus! The last phrase of Eph. 4:16 reminds us of the importance of the church growing “up in love” and this is accomplished “as each part does its work.” So love God’s church and love it enough to do your part in bringing God’s church closer to the biblical ideal.
Objection #2: Some others might say, “I don’t really need the church. I’m a Christian but I don’t need to be involved in what happens at church. I can worship God anywhere, etc.” There are several errors with this kind of thinking: (1) First and foremost, being a part of a local church is God’s will for your life. See Hebrews 10:25. To belong to Jesus and not belong to His church in a meaningful way is like saying “I’m married but I don’t have to live (or talk) to my wife or husband.” People who think like this are living contrary to God’s will for their life and are living contrary to God’s will. God didn’t tell you this, so who did?
(2) The second problem with this idea that you don’t need the church is the faulty thinking that you do not need anyone else in life. But this kind of thinking destroys community. The truth is people need the church more than they realize. And this is true because God created us to be in community with one another. He did not create us to go it alone in life. In fact isolating oneself from others was one of the first evidences of our sinful nature, the sinful nature that we see manifested in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, and still is. When sin entered the human race, the first thing that happened was that man became self-centered. Second, he hid himself from God. People that say they don’t need church are really saying that they don’t need God directing their life. The reality is many people who think like this simply hiding from God.
Why then is the church so important to your spiritual well-being? I want to mention five (5) areas, and I want to spend most of the time on the first three, because the last two will be dealt with in the next few weeks.
The church is important because it is . . .
1. Where You Worship God
It brought great joy to the Psalmist when he thought of going to God’s house with others to worship the Lord (Ps. 122:1). For the Christian worship is our joyous privilege. Now I have to admit that before I was saved, I had no desire to worship God. Why? See 1 Cor. 2:14. Worship is a spiritual discipline and only saved peopel really get it. But when God saves you, you want to worship God! You were created to worship, to know God, to love Him. You were planned for God’s pleasure. Worship brings God great pleasure and it brings you great joy (see Ps. 16:11).
See Hebrews 10:25. Believers need to get in the habit of going to church in order to worship God with other Christians. Truthfully, if you do not get in the habit of going to church, you will soon get into the habit of not going to church. A habit is “an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely voluntary.” Only when worship becomes a holy habit, will we grow in our love for the Lord and fulfill His purpose for our life.
2. Where You Grow in Godliness
See Matthew 28:18-20. The church, His body, is charged to “make disciples” (v.19). Our focus is to be on “teaching . . . everything” Jesus has commanded. The church helps us grow in godliness, to become like Christ through the church’s preaching, teaching, and serving ministry. Romans 8:29 tells us that God has predestined us to be “conformed to the image of His son.” God wants to make you like Christ. God doesn’t want you to become a god; but He does want you to become godly. He wants you to develop His character, He wants you to think and act the way He thinks and acts. God wants to make you like Himself.
1 Jn. 3:2 is a wonderful promise, “when he appears we shall be like him.” That’s you in a few years, provided you’re a Christian. So why worry about godliness if I’m predestined to be godly and one day I will? Although God will grant Christlikeness to us when Jesus returns, until then He intends for us to grow toward that Christlikeness. Hebrews 12:14 says that we are to “Make every effort . . . to be holy.” Note, we are not supposed to wait around for holiness, Christ-likeness, we are to pursue it! That’s why Paul tells Timothy, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness”
(1 Tim. 4:7).
Ephesians 4:15, Msg. says that “God wants us to grow up . . . like Christ in everything.” God’s will is for you to grow up. How does God do that? He uses the church. The different ministries and leaders of the church are used “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:12-13). As a result of this maturity, we will no longer be tossed about like the waves blown here and there (v.14). As we grow in godliness our lives will be built upon a solid and lasting foundation.
Now, if you need gas for your vehicle, where do you go? You go to a gas station. If you need groceries, where do you go? You go to a grocery store. But if you need growth in godliness, where are you going to go? You go to the place that God has designated as the place to help you grow – His church!
Church is important because it is where you worship God and where you grow in godliness. It’s also important because it is . . .
3. Where You Receive and Give Encouragement
The church is like a family, a community where you are able to receive encouragement but also you can encourage others. Look once again at Hebrews 10, this time verse 24. It says “Spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” The word “spur” in the NIV means to prompt someone to positive action. The NLT says, “Think of ways to encourage one another.” Have you been encouraged by someone at church? Look for ways that you can be an encouragement to others.
What actions could you take to be an encouragement and blessing to others? God wants you to “Spur” others toward love and good deeds. How do you do that? The very meaning of the word “encourage” tells us. Part of this word means to come alongside someone. The same word is used to refer to the Holy Spirit. The HS comes alongside and leads us and encourages us and prompts us into action. You encourage people by coming alongside them, understanding them, loving them, helping them. Oftentimes we don’t really know what people are going through, so encouragement first begins with understanding.
Our positive words and actions can be a great encouragement to someone. And isn’t that how w want people to treat us? Two Scriptures drive this home. Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Do your words build up and benefit others? If not, keep silent. Or even better yet, come alongside that person. “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matt. 7:12).
Why is the church important? It’s where you worship God, grow in godliness, receive and give encouragement, and it is . . .
4. Where You Learn to Serve
Church is where you learn to put your faith into action. Look at 1 Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” Your talents are not for your benefit. Do you want to know why you’re alive? You were put here to serve God and they way you serve God is by serving other people. If you’re called to salvation you’re called to serve. You can learn to serve God through church when you first, make yourself available and second, when you remain faithful.
5. Where You Carry Out God’s Mission
Jesus said, “In the same way that you gave Me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world” (Jn. 17:18, Msg.). God’s mission is to advance His kingdom (His rule) and we participate with God in doing that as we share the Gospel and teach all that He has commanded (Evangelism and Discipleship). Through the use of your time, the discovery and use of your talents, and through using your treasure, you participate in carrying out God’s mission, to advance the Gospel into all the world.
It is the church that provides the opportunities to “go . . . and make disciples.” The church sends out the preachers, the teachers, the missionaries. It is the church that gives a cup of water in Jesus’ name. It is the church that brings people to the saving knowledge of God. It is the church and only the church that has been commissioned to extend God’s kingdom. If you want to be part of what God is doing in His world, see God at work and join Him as He works in and through His church!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Sermon Series: Foundations: Lessons on Christian Living
Sermon: The Church
Memory Verse: Psalm 122:1, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”
Thinking about the Church
(1) The church is both universal and local. Universal in that it includes all Christians in all places at all times – past, present, and future. It is local in that God’s church includes Christians who come together in local assemblies to carry out His work. HBC is but one local expression of God’s universal church. It’s best to think of the church as a living organism rather than a cold lifeless institution. The church is not buildings or even great programs, it’s people!
(2) The church is made up of redeemed people, people who have come together to love God and to love people.
(3) The church on earth is imperfect because it is made up of imperfect people. But even with all of its imperfections, God loves His church!
(4) The church is of God and loved by God. Jesus said “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades [or hell] will not overcome it” (Matt. 16:18). The church is not a man-made institution it is God-created organism and He is the Head, and we are His body! Ephesians 5:25 tells us “Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.” God thinks much of His Church. Paul’s instruction to God’s shepherds found in Acts 20:28 is undergirded with the sober reality that “the church of God” has been “bought with his own blood.” God loves the church! And because He loves the Church we ought to love God’s church too.
(5) Finally, the church is God’s plan for advancing His kingdom. God is working in and through His body – the church.
Objections to the Church
Objection #1: Sometimes Christians become cynical and critical of the church. They become dissatisfied with some aspect of the church. They don’t like this or that, or they don’t care for how this is done, etc. But sometimes our criticisms are not motivated by love. Don’t criticize the church for when you do you are tearing down Christ’s body, you are destroying what Christ is building. Does the church need reforming? In some sense yes, the church is constantly in need of reformation, but when you criticize your church you’re really criticizing God’s people and your family. You are standing on the side of the enemies of the church and being used by Satan to come against what God calls the apple of His eye (Zech. 2:8).
Non-constructive criticism disparages what God calls His treasured possessions (Mal. 3:17). One of the passages in today’s Bible study is Ephesians 4:11-16. This passage speaks about growing up in Christ to a place of maturity so that God’s church will be characterized by unity and love all organized and functioning under the Lordship of our Head – Jesus! The last phrase of Eph. 4:16 reminds us of the importance of the church growing “up in love” and this is accomplished “as each part does its work.” So love God’s church and love it enough to do your part in bringing God’s church closer to the biblical ideal.
Objection #2: Some others might say, “I don’t really need the church. I’m a Christian but I don’t need to be involved in what happens at church. I can worship God anywhere, etc.” There are several errors with this kind of thinking: (1) First and foremost, being a part of a local church is God’s will for your life. See Hebrews 10:25. To belong to Jesus and not belong to His church in a meaningful way is like saying “I’m married but I don’t have to live (or talk) to my wife or husband.” People who think like this are living contrary to God’s will for their life and are living contrary to God’s will. God didn’t tell you this, so who did?
(2) The second problem with this idea that you don’t need the church is the faulty thinking that you do not need anyone else in life. But this kind of thinking destroys community. The truth is people need the church more than they realize. And this is true because God created us to be in community with one another. He did not create us to go it alone in life. In fact isolating oneself from others was one of the first evidences of our sinful nature, the sinful nature that we see manifested in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, and still is. When sin entered the human race, the first thing that happened was that man became self-centered. Second, he hid himself from God. People that say they don’t need church are really saying that they don’t need God directing their life. The reality is many people who think like this simply hiding from God.
Why then is the church so important to your spiritual well-being? I want to mention five (5) areas, and I want to spend most of the time on the first three, because the last two will be dealt with in the next few weeks.
The church is important because it is . . .
1. Where You Worship God
It brought great joy to the Psalmist when he thought of going to God’s house with others to worship the Lord (Ps. 122:1). For the Christian worship is our joyous privilege. Now I have to admit that before I was saved, I had no desire to worship God. Why? See 1 Cor. 2:14. Worship is a spiritual discipline and only saved peopel really get it. But when God saves you, you want to worship God! You were created to worship, to know God, to love Him. You were planned for God’s pleasure. Worship brings God great pleasure and it brings you great joy (see Ps. 16:11).
See Hebrews 10:25. Believers need to get in the habit of going to church in order to worship God with other Christians. Truthfully, if you do not get in the habit of going to church, you will soon get into the habit of not going to church. A habit is “an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely voluntary.” Only when worship becomes a holy habit, will we grow in our love for the Lord and fulfill His purpose for our life.
2. Where You Grow in Godliness
See Matthew 28:18-20. The church, His body, is charged to “make disciples” (v.19). Our focus is to be on “teaching . . . everything” Jesus has commanded. The church helps us grow in godliness, to become like Christ through the church’s preaching, teaching, and serving ministry. Romans 8:29 tells us that God has predestined us to be “conformed to the image of His son.” God wants to make you like Christ. God doesn’t want you to become a god; but He does want you to become godly. He wants you to develop His character, He wants you to think and act the way He thinks and acts. God wants to make you like Himself.
1 Jn. 3:2 is a wonderful promise, “when he appears we shall be like him.” That’s you in a few years, provided you’re a Christian. So why worry about godliness if I’m predestined to be godly and one day I will? Although God will grant Christlikeness to us when Jesus returns, until then He intends for us to grow toward that Christlikeness. Hebrews 12:14 says that we are to “Make every effort . . . to be holy.” Note, we are not supposed to wait around for holiness, Christ-likeness, we are to pursue it! That’s why Paul tells Timothy, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness”
(1 Tim. 4:7).
Ephesians 4:15, Msg. says that “God wants us to grow up . . . like Christ in everything.” God’s will is for you to grow up. How does God do that? He uses the church. The different ministries and leaders of the church are used “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:12-13). As a result of this maturity, we will no longer be tossed about like the waves blown here and there (v.14). As we grow in godliness our lives will be built upon a solid and lasting foundation.
Now, if you need gas for your vehicle, where do you go? You go to a gas station. If you need groceries, where do you go? You go to a grocery store. But if you need growth in godliness, where are you going to go? You go to the place that God has designated as the place to help you grow – His church!
Church is important because it is where you worship God and where you grow in godliness. It’s also important because it is . . .
3. Where You Receive and Give Encouragement
The church is like a family, a community where you are able to receive encouragement but also you can encourage others. Look once again at Hebrews 10, this time verse 24. It says “Spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” The word “spur” in the NIV means to prompt someone to positive action. The NLT says, “Think of ways to encourage one another.” Have you been encouraged by someone at church? Look for ways that you can be an encouragement to others.
What actions could you take to be an encouragement and blessing to others? God wants you to “Spur” others toward love and good deeds. How do you do that? The very meaning of the word “encourage” tells us. Part of this word means to come alongside someone. The same word is used to refer to the Holy Spirit. The HS comes alongside and leads us and encourages us and prompts us into action. You encourage people by coming alongside them, understanding them, loving them, helping them. Oftentimes we don’t really know what people are going through, so encouragement first begins with understanding.
Our positive words and actions can be a great encouragement to someone. And isn’t that how w want people to treat us? Two Scriptures drive this home. Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Do your words build up and benefit others? If not, keep silent. Or even better yet, come alongside that person. “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matt. 7:12).
Why is the church important? It’s where you worship God, grow in godliness, receive and give encouragement, and it is . . .
4. Where You Learn to Serve
Church is where you learn to put your faith into action. Look at 1 Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” Your talents are not for your benefit. Do you want to know why you’re alive? You were put here to serve God and they way you serve God is by serving other people. If you’re called to salvation you’re called to serve. You can learn to serve God through church when you first, make yourself available and second, when you remain faithful.
5. Where You Carry Out God’s Mission
Jesus said, “In the same way that you gave Me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world” (Jn. 17:18, Msg.). God’s mission is to advance His kingdom (His rule) and we participate with God in doing that as we share the Gospel and teach all that He has commanded (Evangelism and Discipleship). Through the use of your time, the discovery and use of your talents, and through using your treasure, you participate in carrying out God’s mission, to advance the Gospel into all the world.
It is the church that provides the opportunities to “go . . . and make disciples.” The church sends out the preachers, the teachers, the missionaries. It is the church that gives a cup of water in Jesus’ name. It is the church that brings people to the saving knowledge of God. It is the church and only the church that has been commissioned to extend God’s kingdom. If you want to be part of what God is doing in His world, see God at work and join Him as He works in and through His church!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, October 4, 2010
Foundations: The Grace of Giving (2 Corinthians 9:7)
A sermon preached on Sunday, October 3, 2010 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain.
Sermon Series: Foundations, Lessons on Christian Living
Message: The Grace of Giving
Memory Verse: 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
Background: The collection for the poor at Jerusalem. Interestingly enough, Paul never mentions “money.” He uses terms like “offering,” “blessing,” “service,” and “grace.” And in contrast to the Corinthians who were relatively affluent, free from persecution, and joyless which was evident in their quarrelsomeness, the Macedonian Churches to the north who were suffering greatly were held up by Paul as exemplary for their generous giving (8:1). They practiced and enjoyed the grace of giving. What is the grace of giving that these believers experienced?
Grace Giving Is . . .
1. Generous Giving (8:1-2)
How does Paul encourage the Corinthians to give generously from the heart? He lets them know of the generosity of their neighbors. Although the Macedonians were then facing a severe ordeal involving persecution (see 1 Thess. 1:6; 2:14), the Macedonian churches, such as those at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, had contributed generously to the poor at Jerusalem. As Paul expresses it, their “rich generosity” was the overflow of “overflowing joy” and “extreme poverty.” The Macedonians were motivated to give generously because of God’s grace, His unmerited favor and goodness towards them in Christ (8:1).
Why do we give generously? Because “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us . . .” (Eph. 1:7-8a). You do not have to have much to give much, to be a generous person. Just as their suffering and troubles did not rob them of their joy, so their poverty did not hinder their generosity. If people with so little are able to give generously, how much more could we do who are so blessed! Grace giving is generous giving from the heart that has a deep sense of gratitude for what God has done.
Grace giving is generous giving and . . .
2. Joyful Giving (8:2)
The Macedonians experienced “overflowing joy.” They considered it a joy to share in this “service to the saints” (v.4). Our focal verse, 2 Cor. 9:7 reminds us that “God loves a cheerful giver.” God wants us to give but He wants us to give joyfully, “not reluctantly or under compulsion” (9:7). Giving to God doesn’t have to be a painful. It really can be great joy and it is for many of God’s people. Why then is giving to God a great joy. Why have God’s faithful people found giving to be a joyful experience?
People who give joyfully have learned the grace of giving. They know that (1) First, their giving reflects a heart of love and obedience and obedience produces a sense of joy.
(2) Second, they know that Joyful giving is the antidote to covetousness, an unhealthy attachment to stuff. People who are covetous, who are stingy, whose hands are closed are not typically joyful people. But joyful giving frees you from covetousness. Because of our sinful tendencies you and I need to give more than God needs our gifts.
(3) Third, joyful givers know that they are imitating God the God whose nature it is go give. Through their giving they are becoming more like Jesus.
(4) Fourth, joyful givers know that their offerings, their gifts are used by God to bless and build up His kingdom.
Paul quoting Jesus in Acts 20:35 said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Every parent and grandparent knows the joy of giving a special gift to a child. There is incredible joy and satisfaction in the act of giving. And the result of our hands being opened to God are that He is able to continue pouring out His blessings upon us. And so to those Macedonian believers Paul will say in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Grace giving is generous giving, joyful giving, and . . .
3. Sacrificial Giving (8:3a)
These believers gave what they were able but then even went “beyond their ability.” They moved into the area of sacrificial giving. Their giving costs them something. Their desire to give caused them to make some lifestyle changes so that they could give even more. Their example of sacrificial giving reminds us of the poor widow that Jesus spoke of in Mark 12:41-44. While the wealthy gave large impressive gifts, she merely gave her 2 pennies, but it was all that she had. Jesus commended her gift because her motivation was right and because it was a sacrificial gift in proportion to her resources.
Sacrificial giving calls for lifestyle adjustments. Some believers today are questioning the American Dream that is ingrained in us to always want something bigger and better. You see this in books like Radical Discipleship by David Platt which is on the New York Times Best Sellers List and in the writings of Francis Chan. Some of these believers are intentionally downsizing their lifestyles, moving to smaller homes, buying used cars, eating out less and doing so that they can be in a position to give sacrificially.
It’s not the amount of the gift but the heart of the giver and the relationship between the size of the gift and the resources of the giver. Does our giving costs us anything? And what more could we do if we would move into the realm of sacrificial giving?
Grace giving is generous, joyful, sacrificial, and . . .
4. Voluntary Giving (8:3b-4)
If you noticed, Paul is very careful to not say, “You must do this!” He encourages them to give, he shows them examples of believers who are generous and who give sacrificially, but he wants the Corinthians to understand that true grace giving is voluntary. Paul relates that the Macedonian believers gave “entirely on their own” (8:3b). Paul was careful not to compel them to give because they might give under pressure and not motivated from a heart of love and joy. But the Macedonian believers had pleaded with Paul and the others for the privilege of “sharing in this service to the saints” (v.4).
Giving here is called a “fellowship,” a “koinonia.” Giving is a privilege and connects us together as believers in Christ and in His mission. In other words, when you give you are a participant in the true fellowship of the Body of Christ at HBC. I have some theological disagreements with my Pentecostal friends; however, when it comes to church membership, they may have it right. Members are born again believers who actively participate in the life of the church with their presence and with their financial support. To be a part of the fellowship is to be an active supporter with your time, talents, and treasure.
We (HBC) do not want you to give/tithe because you feel pressured to do so. We want you to give from a heart of obedience, a heart of love, a heart overflowing with joy. “God loves a cheerful giver.” If you give because we compel you to give, you might give reluctantly, or grudgingly, and then you would miss out on the blessing and the grace of giving. Motivation is all-important to God. So why should you give? Because like these Macedonian believers, it is a privilege to share in ministry (“service”) together.
Grace giving is generous, joyful, sacrificial, voluntary, and . . .
5. Whole-Hearted Giving (8:5)
Why were the Macedonian believers such generous, joyful, and sacrificial givers? Because they “gave themselves first to the Lord.” They gave themselves whole-heartedly to God, holding nothing back. As a result of giving themselves to the Lord, “then” they were able to give themselves “to us [i.e., Paul and the work] in keeping with God’s will.” Their giving involved so much more than their offerings. They gave themselves to the work of God in every area of their life!
This message is really not so much about money as it is giving yourself wholly to God. The question today is “Are you giving yourself whole-heartedly to God? When that happens God will have your time, talents and treasure. The giving question is settled when the Lord becomes our consuming passion.
When we give ourselves to God then we will give generously, joyfully, sacrificially, and voluntarily. Why? Because we will love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and we will love what God loves. We will give because we know that this is God’s will and plan for us. It is “in keeping with God’s will.” We will give because it is a privilege to “koinonia” together in God’s work. I hope that you will use this opportunity today in worship and in your small group to evaluate your giving. Does it reflect generosity, joy, and sacrifice? What steps could you begin making so that your giving reflects these qualities?
Invitation and Response
The ultimate example of grace giving is JESUS! See 2 Cor. 8:9. He gave himself generously, joyfully, sacrificially and He did it all for you! Have you given yourself to Him? When you do, everything changes!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Sermon Series: Foundations, Lessons on Christian Living
Message: The Grace of Giving
Memory Verse: 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
Background: The collection for the poor at Jerusalem. Interestingly enough, Paul never mentions “money.” He uses terms like “offering,” “blessing,” “service,” and “grace.” And in contrast to the Corinthians who were relatively affluent, free from persecution, and joyless which was evident in their quarrelsomeness, the Macedonian Churches to the north who were suffering greatly were held up by Paul as exemplary for their generous giving (8:1). They practiced and enjoyed the grace of giving. What is the grace of giving that these believers experienced?
Grace Giving Is . . .
1. Generous Giving (8:1-2)
How does Paul encourage the Corinthians to give generously from the heart? He lets them know of the generosity of their neighbors. Although the Macedonians were then facing a severe ordeal involving persecution (see 1 Thess. 1:6; 2:14), the Macedonian churches, such as those at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, had contributed generously to the poor at Jerusalem. As Paul expresses it, their “rich generosity” was the overflow of “overflowing joy” and “extreme poverty.” The Macedonians were motivated to give generously because of God’s grace, His unmerited favor and goodness towards them in Christ (8:1).
Why do we give generously? Because “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us . . .” (Eph. 1:7-8a). You do not have to have much to give much, to be a generous person. Just as their suffering and troubles did not rob them of their joy, so their poverty did not hinder their generosity. If people with so little are able to give generously, how much more could we do who are so blessed! Grace giving is generous giving from the heart that has a deep sense of gratitude for what God has done.
Grace giving is generous giving and . . .
2. Joyful Giving (8:2)
The Macedonians experienced “overflowing joy.” They considered it a joy to share in this “service to the saints” (v.4). Our focal verse, 2 Cor. 9:7 reminds us that “God loves a cheerful giver.” God wants us to give but He wants us to give joyfully, “not reluctantly or under compulsion” (9:7). Giving to God doesn’t have to be a painful. It really can be great joy and it is for many of God’s people. Why then is giving to God a great joy. Why have God’s faithful people found giving to be a joyful experience?
People who give joyfully have learned the grace of giving. They know that (1) First, their giving reflects a heart of love and obedience and obedience produces a sense of joy.
(2) Second, they know that Joyful giving is the antidote to covetousness, an unhealthy attachment to stuff. People who are covetous, who are stingy, whose hands are closed are not typically joyful people. But joyful giving frees you from covetousness. Because of our sinful tendencies you and I need to give more than God needs our gifts.
(3) Third, joyful givers know that they are imitating God the God whose nature it is go give. Through their giving they are becoming more like Jesus.
(4) Fourth, joyful givers know that their offerings, their gifts are used by God to bless and build up His kingdom.
Paul quoting Jesus in Acts 20:35 said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Every parent and grandparent knows the joy of giving a special gift to a child. There is incredible joy and satisfaction in the act of giving. And the result of our hands being opened to God are that He is able to continue pouring out His blessings upon us. And so to those Macedonian believers Paul will say in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Grace giving is generous giving, joyful giving, and . . .
3. Sacrificial Giving (8:3a)
These believers gave what they were able but then even went “beyond their ability.” They moved into the area of sacrificial giving. Their giving costs them something. Their desire to give caused them to make some lifestyle changes so that they could give even more. Their example of sacrificial giving reminds us of the poor widow that Jesus spoke of in Mark 12:41-44. While the wealthy gave large impressive gifts, she merely gave her 2 pennies, but it was all that she had. Jesus commended her gift because her motivation was right and because it was a sacrificial gift in proportion to her resources.
Sacrificial giving calls for lifestyle adjustments. Some believers today are questioning the American Dream that is ingrained in us to always want something bigger and better. You see this in books like Radical Discipleship by David Platt which is on the New York Times Best Sellers List and in the writings of Francis Chan. Some of these believers are intentionally downsizing their lifestyles, moving to smaller homes, buying used cars, eating out less and doing so that they can be in a position to give sacrificially.
It’s not the amount of the gift but the heart of the giver and the relationship between the size of the gift and the resources of the giver. Does our giving costs us anything? And what more could we do if we would move into the realm of sacrificial giving?
Grace giving is generous, joyful, sacrificial, and . . .
4. Voluntary Giving (8:3b-4)
If you noticed, Paul is very careful to not say, “You must do this!” He encourages them to give, he shows them examples of believers who are generous and who give sacrificially, but he wants the Corinthians to understand that true grace giving is voluntary. Paul relates that the Macedonian believers gave “entirely on their own” (8:3b). Paul was careful not to compel them to give because they might give under pressure and not motivated from a heart of love and joy. But the Macedonian believers had pleaded with Paul and the others for the privilege of “sharing in this service to the saints” (v.4).
Giving here is called a “fellowship,” a “koinonia.” Giving is a privilege and connects us together as believers in Christ and in His mission. In other words, when you give you are a participant in the true fellowship of the Body of Christ at HBC. I have some theological disagreements with my Pentecostal friends; however, when it comes to church membership, they may have it right. Members are born again believers who actively participate in the life of the church with their presence and with their financial support. To be a part of the fellowship is to be an active supporter with your time, talents, and treasure.
We (HBC) do not want you to give/tithe because you feel pressured to do so. We want you to give from a heart of obedience, a heart of love, a heart overflowing with joy. “God loves a cheerful giver.” If you give because we compel you to give, you might give reluctantly, or grudgingly, and then you would miss out on the blessing and the grace of giving. Motivation is all-important to God. So why should you give? Because like these Macedonian believers, it is a privilege to share in ministry (“service”) together.
Grace giving is generous, joyful, sacrificial, voluntary, and . . .
5. Whole-Hearted Giving (8:5)
Why were the Macedonian believers such generous, joyful, and sacrificial givers? Because they “gave themselves first to the Lord.” They gave themselves whole-heartedly to God, holding nothing back. As a result of giving themselves to the Lord, “then” they were able to give themselves “to us [i.e., Paul and the work] in keeping with God’s will.” Their giving involved so much more than their offerings. They gave themselves to the work of God in every area of their life!
This message is really not so much about money as it is giving yourself wholly to God. The question today is “Are you giving yourself whole-heartedly to God? When that happens God will have your time, talents and treasure. The giving question is settled when the Lord becomes our consuming passion.
When we give ourselves to God then we will give generously, joyfully, sacrificially, and voluntarily. Why? Because we will love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and we will love what God loves. We will give because we know that this is God’s will and plan for us. It is “in keeping with God’s will.” We will give because it is a privilege to “koinonia” together in God’s work. I hope that you will use this opportunity today in worship and in your small group to evaluate your giving. Does it reflect generosity, joy, and sacrifice? What steps could you begin making so that your giving reflects these qualities?
Invitation and Response
The ultimate example of grace giving is JESUS! See 2 Cor. 8:9. He gave himself generously, joyfully, sacrificially and He did it all for you! Have you given yourself to Him? When you do, everything changes!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
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