Faithful People – 3

Faithful People – 3

Subject – Giving Ourselves Totally to the Lord

by Rick Welborne

2 Corinthians 8:1‑7 (NLT) 

1 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 

2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. 

3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. 

4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. 

5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. 

6 So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. 

7 Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving. 

–Today we want to continue this concept of faithfulness but maybe by taking it a little deeper.

–Pastor Rick, you are asking or the Word is asking us to give our tithe and offerings besides...how can we go deeper than that?

–Let me commend those of you who have listened to God’s Word and have responded by choosing to be faithful in your tithing and offerings (Missions and Bahamas) but there is more.

–The Macedonians first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. Just as God wanted them to do! To the Lord and to us!

–So what is our message about today...sacrificial faithfulness - being committed to giving our all to Jesus...not just our money...everything!

1. Our greatest example of extra-ordinary faithfulness and of giving our all was Jesus!

–We love to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and celebrate we should but we must understand Jesus gave us His all!

Romans 5:1‑11 (NLT) 

1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 

2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 

4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 

5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. 

6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 

7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 

8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 

9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 

10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 

11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. 

–Jesus was sacrificially faithful by giving His all...by giving His life. By giving His body to be broken, abused, and scorned by His enemies. 

–We celebrate Easter because of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ...we celebrate the God-man who gave it all.

--It is hard to imagine that God has brought us into a place of “undeserved privilege.” What powerful words and what a powerful concept.

--Jesus, as our example, is showing us that as we witness to others and as we lead them to Christ, we are bringing them into a place of “undeserved privilege.”

--Along with this “undeserved privilege” we also receive Holy Spirit which I deem as “undeserved power.” We did not deserve Jesus but we received Him and now we do not deserve Holy Spirit and He is available.

--There’s more. We also receive “undeserved forgiveness” because when we were utterly helpless, Christ came at the right time and died for us. Who are we showing up for at the right time.

--We show up in people’s lives so they can find this “undeserved privilege, power, and forgiveness.” I can’t stop. We then lead them to His ‘undeserved love” and cleansed by His “undeserved blood.”

--We then come into one of the greatest experiences a human being can have and that is “undeserved friendship” with God. We have much to be thankful about with Jesus. 

2. If we will to be Christians, we must emulate Christ!

–Unless I am mistaken Christian means to be Christ-like...to be like Christ! To emulate, imitate, and follow Him all the way to the cross. 

–The purpose of Christ and the purpose of the Macedonians were to give themselves first to God to do what He wanted. Father, your will be done…not mine. 

–Some of you may think that all we are after here at Life Church is for you to pay your tithes and to give offerings on top of that...faithful to missions. Not true.

–The reality is that we want you to be Christ-like and be willing to lay yourselves down for the cause of Christ. And to lay down your life for your friends. 

–We understand that if you will give yourselves totally to Christ that He will have access to all you are and all you have, and all you hope to ever be. All I have belongs to Him…not just the tithe.

–To emulate Christ we must understand what He did:

John 10:14‑18 (NIV) 

14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me‑‑ 

15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father‑‑and I lay down my life for the sheep. 

16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 

17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life‑‑only to take it up again. 

18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." 

–To summarize...

--Jesus says I lay my life down for the sheep (those who follow Me). 15

–I lay my life down for those not in the pen yet...He says, “I must bring them in”. 16

–I lay My life down because by doing so...My Father loves Me! 17    Obedience

–I lay My life down of My own accord.  18   Willful obedience

–So if I am to emulate Christ...I should be willing to lay my life down for the sheep (the brothers). Pastor Rick, that is what Jesus did not us! Really?

1 John 3:16‑19 (NIV) 

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 

17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 

18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 

19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence... 

3. If we emulate Christ we will experience resurrection!

1 Corinthians 15:12‑21 (NLT) 

12 But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 

13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 

14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 

15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 

16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 

17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 

18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 

19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. 

20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. 

21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 

–I declare to you today...Jesus was born, He was crucified (laid down His life), and that He has been resurrected from the dead...He is alive!

–When we are willing to give ourselves (to lay down our lives for Christ and each other) we show that we are identifying with Christ in His death and resurrection.

Romans 6:1‑5 (NLT) 

1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 

2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 

3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 

4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 

5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 

–In other words...when we are willing to lay down our lives...we experience resurrection.

Matthew 10:38‑39 (NIV) 

38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 

39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

–Tommy Barnett - If we will do the usual...Jesus will do the extra-ordinary! 

4. The principle we have been trying to share with you has been that of resurrection!

John 12:24‑26 (NIV) 

24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 

25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 

26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. 

–If you try to hang on to your life you will lose it!

–If you try to hang on to YOUR dreams you will lose them!

–If you try to hang on to your finances you will lose them!

–If you lose your life in Christ...you will find it!  Resurrection!

–If you give your dreams to God...He will bring them to pass!  Resurrection!

–If you give your finances to God...He will bring blessings!  Resurrection!