The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure – 6

The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure – 6

Subject – What Excellent Giving Looks Like

By Rick Welborne

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
¹⁹  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
²⁰  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

2 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV)
⁷  But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 

--By all means study God’s Word every day so that your faith is growing. Work on being a better public speaker whether it is preaching or teaching. Study diligently so your knowledge will increase. 

--Paul says something that is so amazing…see that you also excel in this grace of giving. If practicing will make you a better piano or tennis player, please know we can learn to be great givers.

--We can learn to give better, we can learn to give more, we can learn to give more often. As we study God’s Word about giving we can excel in this grace of giving. Example of the Macedonian believers:

2 Corinthians 8:3 (NIV) ³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. 

--Pastor Rick, what does it mean to give beyond your ability? It means pushing our giving past the point where figures add up. Sometimes giving will seem like it doesn’t make sense, but when we do it, God provides. 

1. Giving Now or Giving Later

--People ask, “Should I give now, or should I hang on to it, hoping my investments will do well and I’ll have more to give in a year?”

--We respond with two questions: “How soon do you want to experience God’s blessing?” Do you want to make sure the money goes to God’s Kingdom, or are you willing to risk it won’t?”

--When we were building this beautiful sanctuary the largest donor to the building met me for breakfast and told me what he wanted to give. He wanted to give it but he wanted us to turn around and invest it in his company.

--I told him I was not comfortable with that even though he guaranteed me his business was a good investment. Fortunately, he gave the money anyway. Over the next year his company almost went bankrupt.

--When we stand before God I do not believe He will say, “You really blew it when you gave Me all that money before the stock market peaked.” It is simply good to give faithfully and consistently every week.

--That’s why I don’t ever believe it’s ever wrong to give to God now instead of later. God can produce far greater returns on money invested in Heaven today than Wall Street or real estate ever can. Risk of not giving:

--The economy could change any moment and we would have less to give. God tells us we don’t know what tomorrow holds for us. Our new leadership may tax us more than we can imagine.

James 4:13-14 (NIV) ¹³ Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."
¹⁴  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 

--Another reason to give now, our hearts may change and we may not follow through with our giving. I had a man tell me a couple of years ago he was giving a large amount. He put it off and it did not happen. Kids.

--The longer we put off giving, the same heart that prompted you to give can change and convince you investments here on earth should increase. Heaven’s interest will decrease.

--We do not know when our lives could end suddenly and our good intentions may not get carried out. Zacchaeus is a good example for us to know what to do:

Luke 19:8 (NIV)
⁸  But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." 

--I have you now, Pastor, I will just put the church in my will. Yes, please do that and give a bunch to the church and missions but what kind of conviction does it take to part with your money once you die? No choice.

--Alcorn says death isn’t your best opportunity to give; it’s the end of your opportunity to give. God rewards acts of faith done while we are living. 

John Wesley – Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart. 

--Serious question…when the Lord returns, what will happen to all the money sitting in bank accounts, retirement programs, estates, and foundations? It will burn like wood, hay, and straw. Could have been gold…

1 Corinthians 3:11-13 (NLT2)                                                                                                                               ¹¹  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
¹²  Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.
¹³  But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 

--Money that could have been used to feed the hungry and to fulfill the Great Commission will go up in smoke.

2. Our Kid’s Inheritance.

Alcorn – “What about our children?” you may ask. “Aren’t we supposed to leave them all our money?” The answer is no. We will leave to our daughters and their families enough to be of modest help, but not enough to change their lifestyles or undercut their need to pray with and depend upon their husbands.

--Before you completely stop listening, hear his reasons why. He says we have communicated with our family that most of our estate will go to God’s Kingdom. We will leave personal items and help with kid’s education.

--Many times kids do not need more money and it is not necessarily good to leave something to them that they do not need. Being generous to family is a core value but leaving too much may not be in their best interest.

--Many people who have inherited significant wealth or won large amounts of money find themselves less happy and many times tempted to do things they normally would not do. 

Alcorn – Leaving more to God’s Kingdom and less to financially independent children is not just an act of love toward God, but toward them. 

--But, Pastor Rick, the Old Testament talks about leaving an inheritance to children and why that was so important. Children then could not afford their own land and could end up sold into slavery. 

--Many times inheritances today are just money given to children who don’t really need it, and in some cases, could not responsibly handle it. My argument with an attorney about giving to irresponsible children. 

--If we really want to leave our children a great inheritance, why don’t we work on leaving them a spiritual legacy of serving God and being generous with the poor and the Great Commission?

--Some argue; our kids are so responsible that they would give the money to God anyway. If that is the case, why not you just give it to God yourselves and not put your kids in a place of temptation?  

3. We Have Been Entrusted with so Much

Luke 6:38 (NIV)
³⁸  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." 

--The more you give, the more comes back to you, because God is the greatest giver in the universe, and He will not let you out give Him. Don’t believe me. Try it and see! I could testify all day!

--R.G. LeTourneau invented earth moving machines. He gave 90% of his money back to God but money came in faster than he could give it. 

LeTourneau – I shovel it out and God shovels it back---but God has a bigger shovel. 

--So why does God entrust so much to us? Listen to Paul:

2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (NIV)
¹⁰  Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
¹¹  You will be made rich in every way so that… 

--So that what? Prosperity teaching would tell you it is so the world will see how we can live in wealth showing the world how much God blesses those who love Him. 

--But that is not how Paul finishes the statement. 

2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV) You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Alcorn – God prospers me not to raise my standard of living but to raise my standard of giving. God comes right and tells us why He gives us more money than we need. It’s not so we can find more ways to spend it. It’s not so we can indulge ourselves and spoil our children. It’s so we can give---generously.

--Think about this…when God provides more money for us, we often think, this is a blessing. It would be just as biblical to think; this is a test. A test of our faithfulness as stewards or as God’s managers.

 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 (NKJV)
¹  Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
²  Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 

Weight Loss – 2

Weight Loss – 2

Subject – Hold Out Your Weakness

By Rick Welborne

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
²  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
³  For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 

--Just like people can find different ways to lose weight, there can also be different ways to lay aside the weight, the sin, or the thing (whatever that thing might be) that is in our lives. 

--Last week we said we needed to look to Jesus, look to His Word, and to be disciplined. As Christians, as disciples those things should come pretty automatic for us. Sadly, they don’t.

--So what do we do when there is an area of weakness in our lives that has been there for a long time and we have just assumed “it is what it is”?

Luke 6:6-11 (NLT2)
⁶  On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching.
⁷  The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.
⁸  But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward.
⁹  Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”
¹⁰  He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!
¹¹  At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him. 

--Until we admit, confess, or recognize what our weakness is, there is a really good chance that we will never change. If we are in denial (not the river) about the weight or our weight, we will not change.

--One of the great revelations of the last 20 years is how we have discovered how much spandex or elastic will stretch. You can be a 38 pants and buy 32’s as long as the waist has elastic. “I still wear 32’s.” Right!

--And someone needs to talk to a few people who believe spandex has no line of demarcation. Everything has limits and eventually something has to give. Someone needs an honest friend that says “no, please, no!”

--The writer of Hebrews is trying to have an honest discussion with believers by telling them to lay aside the weight and the sin which so easily besets or entangles us. 

--In this story in Luke 6 we see a man who obviously has a problem, an issue, an ailment, and Jesus is trying to help him deal with it. Let’s look at this man’s weakness and see if he can lay aside his weight.

1. Our Weaknesses Are Sometimes Publicly Displayed.

--So what are we to do when it is obvious to us and to others around us that we have a problem? We can probably do what this man had done several times…leave and go home taking his problem with him.

--We can cover our problem under a robe of shame or pride. Please, God, let no one see this thing.

--If you say you absolutely you do not have a weakness, your weakness is obviously pride. But, if we are willing, we can hold that weakness out to Jesus and let Him heal it. Why would we do that?

2. Jesus Promises to Help Us in Our Weakness. 

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NKJV)
²⁸  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
²⁹  He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
³⁰  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
³¹  But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. 

--He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Isaiah 40:29 (NCV) ²⁹  He gives strength to those who are tired and more power to those who are weak. 

--God is willing to give power to the weak. The question, are we willing to wait on Him to renew our strength?

--Yes, I do believe waiting on God means to get in His presence and to seek His face but I also believe to wait on God is to serve Him with all your hearts. We become waiters and waitresses for God.

--If God has said He will give power to the weak if we wait on Him, if we serve Him, then, let’s wait and serve.

3. We Need to Change Our Attitude Toward Our Weaknesses. 

Joel 3:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹  Proclaim this among the nations: "Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up.
¹⁰  Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, 'I am strong.' " 

--We must prepare ourselves for battle especially if we perceive we are going through a time of weakness. There cannot be an attitude of complacency. We must lose the weight.

--Hear your pastor, what you say about your weakness is so important…Let the weak say, 'I am strong. This is more than just positive confession; this is a statement of faith. Paul in dealing with his thorn in the flesh:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)
⁷  And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
⁸  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
⁹  And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
¹⁰  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Barnes' Notes on the New Testament - The word which Paul uses is worthy of special notice. It is that this "thorn in the flesh" was given to him, implying that it was a favor. He does not complain of it; he does not say it was sent in cruelty; he does not even speak of it as an affliction; he speaks of it as a gift, as any man would of a favor that had been bestowed. Paul had so clear a view of the benefits which resulted from it, that he regarded it as a favor, as Christians should every trial. 

4. Paul Saw Weakness as an Opportunity for God’s Power to be Demonstrated.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NKJV)
¹  And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.
²  For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
³  I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
⁴  And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
⁵  that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 

--In your weakness determine to get to know Christ better and to know His sufferings…Him crucified.

--Acknowledge your weakness, your fear, and even your bouts with anxiety. Paul said I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. Paul was saying, I have this weight.

--Acknowledge your dependence is on God’s power not on man’s wisdom.

2 Corinthians 3:5 (NKJV)
⁵  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

5. Paul Realized That His Weakness Could Become Someone Else’s Salvation.

1 Corinthians 9:19-22 (NKJV)
¹⁹  For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;
²⁰  and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;
²¹  to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;
²²  to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

--Sometimes we have to adapt (not compromise) ourselves to our environment to win the lost. Identify with people in their pain and sufferings. We all have it at some point. Listen to this verse about Jesus:

Hebrews 2:17-18 (NKJV)
¹⁷  Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
¹⁸  For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

--So what is your weakness today? Swallow your pride and do not worry about anyone else. Get ready to lose some weight that is ensnaring you.

--Extend your weakness to the Lord like this man with the withered hand and let Him touch it.

--Please know that God’s grace and strength will be made perfect in you and in your weaknesses. 

--Whatever you are struggling with here tonight might just turn out to be someone else’s salvation. 

--Hold out your hand and lose some weight. 

The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure – 5

The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure – 5

Subject – How to Start the Journey of Generous Giving

By Rick Welborne

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
¹⁹  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
²⁰  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

--Pastor Rick, I want to start this journey of generous giving but I am not sure how to get started. Today we will help you. As always, let’s go to God’s Word and see what He says.

Leviticus 27:30 (NIV)
³⁰  "'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.

--I love the story about the interesting soldier and politician Sam Houston. He came to Christ and after his baptism he wanted to pay for half of the local pastor’s salary. Someone asked him why?

Houston – My pocketbook was baptized too.

--The meaning of the word “tithe” is “a tenth part.” Ten percent was to be given (brought to) the Lord. There were to be freewill offerings but the tithe belonged to God and was mandatory. 

--Some argue this was just for the farmers but in 2 Chron. 31:5 it says the people of Israel brought a tithe of everything. We are to give to God first, not last.

Proverbs 3:9 (NIV) ⁹ Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 

--When God’s children were not giving as they had been instructed listen to what God said to them:

Malachi 3:8-10 (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. 

--But, Pastor Rick, everything you have read has been Old Testament. Let’s see what Jesus said about tithing:

Matthew 23:23 (NKJV)
²³  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

--There is much debate about whether tithing is for us today or not. Even websites dedicated to speaking against it. All examples of life in the New Testament actually went beyond the Old Testament. NT is harder. Example.

Matthew 5:21-22 (NLT2)
²¹  “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’
²²  But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! 

1. Giving in the Church

--Maybe you are one of those people who believe that each of us should only give what we feel in our hearts we should give. You may feel the early church fathers were wrong when they said the tithe was the minimal. 

Alcorn’s Prayer – “God, do you really expect less of me---who has your Holy Spirit within and lives in the wealthiest society in human history---than you expected of the poorest Israelite?”

--The truth is, the majority of Christians do not believe in or practice tithing, but instead, embrace “grace giving,” whether or not they use that term, let’s consider what that looks like for real.

--Most of the studies done over the last several decades indicate that American Christians give an average of 2 or 3% of their income to the church. One out of 4 protestants give no money at all, not even a token offering.

--What is troubling to me is that in such a wealthy society like ours, that our giving amounts only to a fraction of the First Covenant Standard (a tenth) and the Word of God.

--Sounds like to me if you want to call your giving “grace giving” that many do not have an appreciation for the amazing grace of God that has been poured out on us. How can we not be givers when God gave His Son Jesus?

--Could it be that what we have been teaching about giving (tithing and offerings) is either not true or the message is not getting through to a generation who says they depend so much on God’s grace?

--Tithing is God’s biblical and historical means of getting His people on the path of generous giving. It is only the gateway. It’s unhealthy to think tithing is a place to stop but instead, a place to start.

--Tithing is not the ceiling; it is only the floor of giving. It’s not the finish line, it’s the starting blocks. Tithing can launch us into a beautiful mindset and habit of generous giving.

--Nothing I read indicates that God has changed His mind about our giving. In Malachi 3:8 it indicates the Israelites were robbing God not only with the mandatory tithe but with freewill offerings too.

--The Apostle Paul talked about volunteer giving but he also indicated it was to be done in obedience. God still has expectations of us even when the offerings are viewed as voluntary. 

2 Corinthians 9:12-13 (NIV)
¹²  This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
¹³  Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

--Don’t ever worry that you do not give the same amount as someone else but He wants us to give in proportion to how He has blessed us. I have always said, not equal giving but equal sacrifice.

Deuteronomy 16:10 (NIV) ¹⁰ Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you.

--I have heard preachers tell people and I have heard people say I will start with 5%. Remember robbing God? It is like saying I used to rob six banks a week but now I will only rob three. It is still stealing.

--The point is not to rob God less; it is to not rob Him at all. People would be giving more by the 5% and the church could benefit from it. Don’t forget God doesn’t look at just what you give, He looks at what you keep. 

--If you would talk to as many people as I have talked to who have found the joy of living a generous life style, you would catch the heart of giving. It’s fun to bless God and people.

2. Don’t Throw Out Tithing.

--Tithing is often the means God uses to help people see how much they could truly be blessed. Because of how blessed our family has been from generous giving, it is hard to understood the animosity toward it.

--Yes, tithing has been abused but don’t throw out the baby of tithing with the bathwater of a few who abuse it. People abuse cars by driving reckless and speeding but I have no desire to walk or ride horses. God said…

Malachi 3:10 (NIV)
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.

--It is ironic, many people say and suppose they can’t afford to give precisely because they are not giving and experiencing God’s blessings. What did God say to people when they failed to give.

Haggai 1:5-6 (NIV)
⁵  Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.
⁶  You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.

--God didn’t allow their money to go far because they were stingy and disobedient to His commands of giving.

 Haggai 1:9 (NIV) ⁹ "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.

3. Obedient Faith Can Bring Breakthrough. 

--When we put God first (bringing the firstfruits – tithes and missions first), we invite the blessings of God to help us with our own finances and debts we owe. 

--How much of our harvest (our money) is blown away because we don’t make giving to God, to missions, and to others a priority? No wonder we don’t have enough. It’s a vicious cycle, it takes obedient faith to break out.

--If you say you cannot afford to tithe, think about this…If all of a sudden your income was cut by ten percent, would you die? It is possible with our new leadership. If your answer is no, you admitted you can afford to tithe.

--I say this to people quite often, is it better to live on 90% of your income with God’s blessings or on 100% of your income without God’s blessings. Truly, it all belongs to Him so why not have obedient faith. 

Leviticus 27:30-31 (NIV)
³⁰  "'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
³¹  If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it.

--Tithing is like a toddler’s first steps: they aren’t his last or best steps, but they are a good start. Pastor Rick, I am a New Testament giver! I am no longer under the law. Ok, let’s look at NT giving.

Acts 4:32& 34-35 (NIV)
³²  All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
³⁴  There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
³⁵  and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.