What will you give?
1 Chron. 29:3-17 What are we giving to God …. Do we give freely willingly because we want to.
2 Cor. 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Do you want the Church to Grow. Here is the key. It takes funds to finance gospel meetings, singings, door knocking and bible study campaigns, radio programs ect. Do you believe the word of God! God keeps his promises.
Rom 10: 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
They cannot go except they have funds to go and do with. 2Cor. 9:7-11
God wants us to abound to every good work. Sure we are to give out of love, willingly, and freely because we love the Lord and his Church, the house of the living God.
The Church is the house of God. We give because we want to see it grow.
Eph. 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
We hinder the spirit of God when we do not support his work. If we love God, then we will love his Church and will invest time and money to build his house, Just as David and the Israelites did.
Where people spend their money tells what they are interested in. We spend money on hunting trips, fishing trips, ball games, golf. Would we spend the same amount on a gospel meeting, or going to a church gathering? Do we support the Church with the same vigor as we would our school functions . If our children are involved in sports or band we make sure they do not miss practice. Do we support the church in the way. Do we put forth effort to make sure they do not miss any assemblies. In practice they learn skills to play a game or an instrument, in Church they learn skill for eternal life. Too often we are more concerned with the children developing skill to play games, or skills to get a job, or skill to make money than we are in them developing skills for eternal life. It is because of where our heat is.
Mt 6:19 ¶ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
It has to do with what we love. The Church suffers from lack of interest and money because of what we love and where the love of our heart is.
Mt 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Do you love the Lord or do you love the world? Which do you love the most – which do you spend more on and you will see which you love the most?
1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Many would drive 100 or more miles for a hunting or fishing trip and spend 100’s dollars for a weekend of vacation, doing some of these things but how may would drive the same distance or spend as much to be in at a church meeting with lectures, singing and preaching. A man I met last year in Ar. MAN
Mat. 6:19-24
We should love Jesus our Lord because he first loved us, because he cleansed us of our sin, because he died for us.
1Jo 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Re 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Do you love Christ and appreciate what he has done for you? Then we need to show that appreciation by supporting his Church and its work with time and money.
Lu 7:41-48
How much do you love the Lord Jesus Christ … I am sure that you had many sins. I know that I did.
Mal. 3:7-10
Many are spiritual sick and weak because they do not spend the time and money to be spiritually fed.
1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
You purchase food for the physical body. But not purchase food for the spirit of God that was born in you. We must feed this spirit with fellowship and the word of God for it to be strong. If it is strong then will you be able to overcome many bad habits and sins in your life. It will enable to you to become strong enough that you are not in bondage to them. But we must spend time, effort and money to feed the spirit within us. We need to be where preaching is being done, where Christians are singing praise to God, where prayers are being made. You cannot do this in your living room.
To buy groceries you go to the grocery store.
Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Mal. 3:10-15
What would you be willing to give to promote the Church and to lead others to Jesus Christ.
Mt 16:24 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Jesus asked a question? What will a man give?
Mr 8:36-38
All these things of the world that we run after are not worth our soul let alone all the souls of those we could have reached had we put more effort into it.
What about your life? Have you been investing in eternal life. Are you being a good steward of the blessings that God gave you. You may say that I was baptized and I do not need to be concerned with this. Consider what is written in Jude.
Jude 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Have you obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ. Are you keeping the faith.
