Cheerful Giving

2 Corinthians 9:6-10

INTRO: The Christian faith is all about giving. It started with God giving His Son Jesus to us first. Then Jesus gave His life on the cross for us to save us. Then He tells us to do unto others what He has done for us. We all know what people say about giving to God’s work, but what does God’s word have to say. If we are wise we will listen to God’s word and not men. This church began because someone gave to get it started. Others have given to keep it going. Many have been saved because of Christian generosity. You and I were saved because someone gave so we could hear about Jesus and His salvation. We now have an opportunity to bless others through our Lottie Moon International Christmas offering. Jesus said it is more blessed to give than receive! (Acts 20:35)

I. Cheerful givers are enriched (supplied with riches, wealth, abundance) by God. (VS:6-10)

 1. You will be enriched in accordance with what you give. (V:6)

 2. You will be enriched with God's love and approval. (V:7)

You are just like God and His Son Jesus when you give. Think of all who have given to God’s church and His work in the past to give us what we have today. Think of those giving now. All who have a part in keeping God's work going are enriched with God's love and approval.

He loves a cheerful (joyful-jolly- merry) giver.

3. You will be enriched with an abundance of God's grace and sufficient supply toward you. (V:8) God's unmerited favor will abound toward you. You will have a sufficiency in all things and an abundance (plenty – overflow) to give to every good work. (Phil. 4:19)

4. You will be enriched with righteousness that will endure forever. (V:9)

This righteousness endures forever not only through the deeds done for the poor, but in the doer as he is being transformed into Christ likeness, which is God's will for us.

5. You will be enriched with God's resources and He will multiply the seed you have sown. (V:10)

 a. God will increase the fruits of your righteousness. Fruits of your righteousness include God's favor and blessings and the joy, welfare, and happiness your gift brings to others.

6. You will be enriched in everything. (V: 11) Cheerful giving satisfies your soul. God will meet all your needs and more so you will have enough to give liberally (generously) to God's work. 

II. Cheerful giving edifies (builds up) the church. (V:12) It supplies the needs of the saints. The needs of others will be met and they in turn will cause many joyful thanksgivings to God. 

III. Cheerful giving brings glory to God because of your generosity to them. (V: 13)   

  a. Cheerful giving will prove that you are obedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ; That your faith is real. Cheerful giving magnifies the Lord God thru your submission to Him and His will.

IV. Cheerful giving magnifies God thru the glorification of His exceeding grace. (V: 14) Those helped will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace of God in you. There’s a song entitled Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed.

V. Cheerful giving results in thanks to God for His indescribable gift of Jesus Christ. (V:15) God’s greatest gift is Jesus who brings us eternal salvation and spiritual riches, through His becoming poor. Such a gift is indescribable - “unable to recount or tell fully,” used only here in the NT). Those who have benefited from such a spiritual gift as salvation through Jesus Christ should not hesitate to benefit others with material gifts. It will bring thanks to God!

Conclusion: Christianity is all about giving because that is what Christ is all about. He set the example. Nothing good will ever happen apart from someone giving.   We have an opportunity thru our mission offering to help others hear the gospel and for us to be enriched by God, to edify or build up the church, supply the needs of others, and bring glory and thanks to God for His exceeding grace at work in us and His indescribable gift of Jesus Christ.

INVITATION: Jesus wants to give to you right now. He offers salvation for your soul and He also offers help for whatever circumstance or situation you might be in right now. Jesus can only give to you as you allow Him.

Thank God for His Word

Scripture Text

John 3:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Intro: We have so much to be thankful for. We could never count all God’s blessings, but there is one I believe we should thank God for today. It’s God’s holy word! In it is one of His most precious promises to mankind, a verse we are all familiar with. 

I. God! The Creator in Genesis 1:1 who created us, the earth, the heavens above, and all that is in them. The universe is 27.4 billion light years wide. A light year is 6 trillion miles. How awesome is this God of ours!

II. So loved the world! The gods of other religions are unloving! Love is our God’s nature! God is love! That’s His motivating factor in all He does. God wants all mankind to know His love. He wants to reach everyone in the world with His love; the good, bad, and the ugly, lovely and unlovely. He loves regardless of feelings He might have. He loves even when a person doesn’t deserve to be loved. He wants the best for those who are unworthy of being loved.

III. That He gave His only begotten Son!  Love expresses itself toward others! God took the initiative to love us! God gave us His most precious gift when He gave us Jesus Christ, His only Son. He gave Jesus to be a sacrifice for the sin of all mankind. The greatest act of love is to give your life for someone!

God demonstrated His love for us when we were still sinners Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)

IV. That whoever believes in Him! Whoever includes all mankind, nobody left out! God doesn’t pick and choose who will be saved, we do! All you have to do is believe in Jesus for

Salvation. More than head knowledge! A true believer is One who Trusts Christ with all his heart and soul and has placed His faith in Him. A true believer is one who has the utmost confidence and assurance in Jesus for his salvation and justification!

When we truly believe, we transfer our trust from ourselves and our own efforts to Christ’s finished work on the cross of Calvary for our salvation. (John 19:30) Jesus said “It is finished!”

When our trust in Christ is real, we reject and turn from all temptations and sin by asking for His help to live for Him. We stand firm and rely on His Spirit power at work in us to conquer and carry us through every trial, test, and temptation.

V. Should not perish but have everlasting life! What a promise! Christs’ salvation keeps us from destruction in hell and gives us everlasting life. This life He gives is not until we slip and mess up, but for all eternity. We will never perish! Thank God! There’s power in the blood!

What a loving God and Father we have! What a wonderful Savior and Lord He has given us to pay for all our sins and give us everlasting life. God has placed His Spirit within us as a guarantee of eternal life. We should say as King David did “Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Forget not all His benefits! Forget not to Thank Him!

Invitation: If you have never taken advantage of God’s love and His glorious promise of everlasting life, now is the perfect time before it's eternally too late!Just confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive your sins. Invite Him into your heart to take charge of your life.

A Touch of Faith

Scripture Text Mark 5:25-34

The bible says in Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:1 (NewCenturyVersion) Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.

1.  By faith we activate the presence of God. Mark 5:25-26 (NKJV)  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26  and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. The woman had been hemorrhaging for twelve years; it was uncontrollable. No one could touch her or anything she had touched. By law she was considered unclean, so unclean that she was to be divorced by her husband (Leviticus 15:25-27). This particular woman had tried all she knew. She had seen "many physicians" and "spent all that she had," and yet she "grew worse." She was to be totally cut off from society and religious worship. Her last resort was to turn to Jesus! Even though she couldn’t go to God’s house, by her faith she activated the very presence of God in her life and situation.

2.  By faith we activate the power of God.

Mark 5:27 (NKJV)  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. There is the shy, embarrassed, unworthy attitude. Note the woman made her way through the crowd and came up behind Jesus. She wanted to touch Jesus without being seen or noticed because she was embarrassed and felt unworthy. Her hemorrhaging was a personal, intimate matter for her, something she did not want to be known and discussed. She was considered unclean; therefore, she felt unworthy to approach Jesus but she had an expectant, believing attitude. The poor woman believed what "she had heard of Jesus." (V:27) She believed the gospel that Jesus loved and cared and would make her whole.

Mark 5:28 (NKJV) For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."

Note the thoughts of her mind, "If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole".

She believed in her mind, in her heart, in her soul, with her whole being. She cast off all doubts!

 She believed two things: the gospel (what she had heard about Jesus) and the power of Jesus to make her whole.  By her faith she activated the power of God in her life.  Mark 5:29 (NKJV)  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  

1.  Jesus turned to see who touched Him.Mark 5:30 (NKJV)  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"There was no way Jesus could have felt the touch to His robe. He was being pressed and thronged by the crowd, yet when she stepped up behind Him and touched His robe, He knew. How?

a. Her faith touched Him. It is faith that touches Jesus. Faith will never go unnoticed nor be ignored by Jesus.

3.  BY faith we activate the purposes of God.

a. There is the confessing attitude.  Mark 5:33 (NKJV)  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

 Jesus had made the way easy for her. He had allowed her to be healed without embarrassment, but it was not enough to believe in secret. The secret disciple had to be brought to the point of confessing her faith so that everyone could know God’s purpose for mankind.

b. The healing had cost Jesus. Mark 5:30 (NKJV) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"

Spiritual power had flowed out from Him into the woman. That’s when He turned and asked the pressing throng surrounding Him, "Who touched my clothes?"

 When a person places his faith in Jesus and His power, it touches Jesus, and Jesus infuses His power and life) into that person. Thus the purpose of God was activated by this woman who was an outcast by society.

God’s purpose for mankind is what life and salvation are all about: the infusion of His power, and abundant life into the spirit, soul, and body of man.

c.  Mark 5:34 (NKJV)  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."

 Conclusion: She was given comfort, joyfulness, courage, confidence, and boldness in her faith and healing. She was assured that she was whole permanently. Her deliverance would last. She became a daughter of God.  She was given physical healing, soul salvation and peace with God.

Invitation: We all need something from God!  It’s crisis time for your faith. (Hebrews 11:6)
Do you have faith in what the word of God says about Jesus and His omnipotent power?  Will you be the one to touch Jesus by faith and activate His presence, power, and purpose in your life?

You can activate the power of God in your life, in your situation right now, whatever you may be facing.

If you need salvation from the penalty of your sins, confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your heart to take charge of your life.

From Death to Life

Scripture Text Ephesians 2:1-10

Intro: Last week I talked about the greatness of God’s power that raised Jesus from the dead. Today I want to talk about the same greatness of God’s power that also raised us from death to life. May we rejoice in and praise this wonderful God we serve and thank Him for His grace!

I. Once we were dead. Ephesians 2:1-3 (NLT)
¹ Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.
² You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. ³ All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

 a. In disobedience, rebellion,  wrongs and many sins. Spiritually dead, separated from God.

 b. Controlled by the devil. His spirit was at work in us because we refused to obey God.

 c. We were Subject to God’s anger just like all sinners because we followed our passionate desires and the lust of our sinful nature which leads to hell.

II. God's love and mercy has raised us from spiritual death to life everlasting. 

Ephesians 2:4-7 (NLT) ⁴ But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵ that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) ⁶ For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. ⁷ So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

 a. Even when we were dead in sin, God made us alive together with Christ. Why?

 b. Because He is rich in mercy, and great love. In the New Testament mercy means “undeserved kindness” toward sinners- (Rom. 5:8).Thus God, who is rich in exhibiting this undeserved kindness, acts on behalf of sinners because of His great love for us. The noun for “love” (agapē) comes from the verb agapaō that means “to seek the highest good in the one loved.” Since sinners are spiritually dead toward God, they have nothing to commend them to God. This is why Paul described this love as being “great.” The love of Christ passes all human understanding.

c. God has raised us up and seated us with Christ in Heavenly realms. A done deal! Why?

d. We are examples of God’s incredible grace and kindness throughout eternity. Grace means the undeserved and unmerited favor and blessings of God; kindness is the compassion, sympathy, and benevolence of the heart and mind of God; the richness of kindness and love that dwells within the very nature of God. God is going to be eternally glorified for His grace and kindness toward us. All creatures will live in stark amazement at God's wondrous mercy & grace shown toward us—all through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:10-11 (NLT) ¹⁰ God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its many sided variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. God has done so much for us through Christ Jesus that it will take an eternity to show it all off.

III. Eternal life (salvation) is by God’s (grace) alone. (V:8-9) Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) ⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

God’s unmerited favor and blessings!

 a. It’s a gift from God. We can’t take credit for it.

 b. Eternal life is Not a reward for anything we have done.

 c. We can’t boast before God. Salvation is the work of God's grace alone.

 It is not of mankind, not to any degree whatsoever.

IV. We are God’s masterpiece, His workmanship (V:10)  Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. This means God actually places His divine nature into the heart of every believer, making their spirit alive where it was previously dead.

a. Created anew in Christ Jesus. This new creation was made possible by Jesus. The reason we are created anew is;

 b. For good works. God's people give ample evidence of the power of a new life which operates in them by living for and serving the Lord.

We are to be ever busy about doing the good works of helping to reach people for the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to live our lives as examples of Christ our Lord.

c. God planned this in advance. Note that God has intended us to walk in good works. Doing good works is not an option for the believer; it is the very nature of the believer. If a man has been created in Christ—if God has truly worked in him—the man does good works. His born again nature dictates it. He cannot do otherwise.

This was God’s will from the very beginning of His plan for our lives.

Purpose of Our Salvation: God's glorious purpose in salvation and in the church is to show His love and wisdom to the whole universe—to stir every creature in the heavenly realms to stand in stark amazement at what He is doing and will do throughout eternity.

Invitation: Have you been raised from death to life through Jesus Christ and His forgiveness.

If not, now is the day and accepted time to confess your sins against God and ask Jesus to forgive you and save you for Heaven. Invite Him into your life to take charge of you. When you do He will raise you from death to life eternal.