Prov. 3:5-10 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones. Honor the LORD with your substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase: So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall burst out with new wine.
Raise Hand: Believe that God has given you special gifts… Believe that God is the Source of all Good Things…
This Past Month – Stewardship of LIFE
Asked - How good you are at honoring God? w/Time? Talents? Tithes?
PRAY
January was About Stewardship
LEARNED?
STEWARDSHIP
Stewardship is:
The Way I Handle those things in MY life that God has given ME…
The Management of my God-given resources for His glory & for the good of others…
All about TRUST & HEART
Is ALL @ CHOICE!!
Principles
Stewardship Enables Me to:
Find spiritual gifts...Increase faith...Become spiritually sensitive...Become more fruitful...Receive greater blessings...Be a greater Blessing...Make an Eternal Contribution...
Stewardship In Action is:
Belief w/ Legs
What we DO after saying AMEN
My GIFTS Being Used for God
Stewardship’s Ultimate Goal is the Expression of Our Gifts Working together In a Corporate Setting...
BODY OF CHRIST in FULL Operation & Power...
Does God want to have great Churches Today? Does God want to have the Harvest Greatly affected?
Great Churches:
GIVE…
GIVE Beyond their own Natural Ability…
GIVE Willingly & of their Own Accord…
View Giving as a Privilege…
1st GIVE themselves to the LORD
IT ALL STARTS W/ A RIGHT ATTITUDE of the HEART!
W/ a Right Attitude You See Giving as:
A Priority Not a Problem...A matter of Willingness not Wealth...A matter of Opportunity not Obligation.
LAST WEEK –
I shared Our VISION...
Somone said "Thought you were going to ask us to pay for it"
"I AM"
This Week is all about PAYING FOR IT
Today - Last Sermon @ Stewardship –
Today is ABOUT MONEY
IS ABOUT TRUSTING GOD
Some WILL Get IT & Be Changed Because of Living on a Higher Plain with JC…
PLEDGE CARD/OFFERING
TESTIMONIES
THIS SERIES
Why I Do this Series/Sermon:
Ø God Told Me to
Ø I believe it
Ø I have for almost 17 Years
Ø I Practice it & BEYOND
Ø You Need to hear it
#1 BENEFIT - Personal Growth Spiritually!!
#2 - Don’t have to ask for money all time…
Top 10 Reasons for a Stewardship Series (Tithing Message)
It is a tried and proven pattern of giving by godly people throughout the ages
It will help you revere God more in your life
It will bring God’s wisdom and order to your finances and will help you harness the dragon of materialism. It will serve as a practical reminder that God is the Owner of everything you have
It will allow you to experience God’s creative care and provisions in ways you would not otherwise experience
It will encourage your spiritual growth and trust in God
It will ensure you of treasure in heaven
It will strengthen the ministry, outreach, and stability of your local church
It will help provide the means to keep your pastor and missionaries in full-time Christian service
It will help accomplish needed building projects and renovations
GIVING
ABOUT GIVING
Millionaires
L. Kraft, head of the Kraft Cheese Corp., who had given approximately 25% of his enormous income to Christian causes for many years, said, “The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord.”
J. D. Rockefeller said, “I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week.”
Quotes
I have tried to keep things in my hands and lost them all, but what I have given into God’s hands I still possess. –
Martin Luther
When it comes to giving, some people will stop at nothing. - Jimmy Carter
God judges what we give by what we keep. - G. Mueller
The trouble is that too many people are spending money they haven’t yet earned for things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like.
Give according to your income, lest God make your income according to your giving - Peter Marshall
If you give what you do not need, it isn’t giving - Mother Teresa
Ø What is Your Contribution to Life & God’s Kingdom going to say about you??
Ø What type of Giver are You Going to Be with Your LIFE? God-Given Resources (Time...Talents…Tithes)
3 Types of Givers –
Little – You ought to (obligation)
Legal – You have to (law)
Liberal – You want to (grace)
Liberal Giving SAYS:
You Have the Heart of Christ...You See Others Needs as Something You can Help With...You are Tied to Others...You Get to Give - Not vice-versa...You are an Inspiration to Others...You improve the Lives of Others Around You...You have a Right Attitude...You Will Get Back Liberally Also...Your aim in life is to Glorify God
Both the Bible & Jesus had a great deal to say about Finances/Materialism in this World…=BIBLICAL!
Regarding Jesus
Ø 16/38 (29) parables…1/10 verses @ Gospels…+2000 verses on money & possessions
Ø In Matthew, Mark, and Luke 1 of 6 verses deals with money
WHY?
Giving HAS Nothing to Do With ASSETS!
It’s about Attitude...Trust...Choice...Ownership (Millionaire & Shack)...Love...
You Make a Living by What You GET - A Life By What You GIVE
Truths About $$:
· Money is Tight For MOST
· Most Don’t Understand Biblical Stewardship PRINCIPLES
· Tithes = 10%
· Offerings are above & beyond
· Until you give 10% (Biblical) you’re not under God’s Principle of Blessing
SCRIPTURE
Honor the LORD with your substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase
Substance – Wealth...Sufficiency
First fruits – 1st part...Beginning...Choice Part...
Increase – Income...Gain...
So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall burst out with new wine.
Barns – Storehouse
Filled – Full in abundance...
Plenty – Plenty...More than enough...
Burst out – Break through...Increase...
New wine – Fresh...New...
TALK IS CHEAP
Some things we say
Ø I Can’t Afford It
TRUTH – you can’t afford not to
You will NEVER out give God
Ø If I had More I Would
Truth – Bible says he that is faithful in the little will be in the much...
NOTE –
God can’t replace Irresponsibility…GOD CAN DELIVER YOU!
Ø I tithe
Truth – Most Tip God & Call It Tithing
Leftovers
Leftovers are such humble things, we would not serve to a guest, & yet we serve them to our Lord who deserves the very best. We give to him leftover time, stray minutes here & there. Leftover cash we give to him, such few coins as we can spare. We give our youth unto the world, to hatred, lust, & strife; Then in declining years we give to him the remnant of our life.
Great Stewards Have a Few Things in Common – They:
Know About God’s Shovel...
Want to Be Used By & For God...
Believe God...
Live a Higher Life...
Understand the Reward...
Live Eternally...
Responsibility:
Turn to God...Trust God...TEST
Cheerful Givers
A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson. She gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church. “Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself,” she told the girl. When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given. “Well,” said the little girl, “I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did.”
