Superficial vs. Spiritual Wisdom 1 Cor 2:12-13

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual."

Paul opens the chapter reminding the church that he first came to them only with the wisdom of God not of man. He determined to be nothing before them except for Jesus Christ and him crucified. Paul was reminding the Corinthian church and us today in mount Zion Boko that when we come to Christ we are bound to grow in the basic facts of what God has done and even deeper teachings of God’s word.

This growth is a rigorous process. This wisdom has depth to it. A Christian who is maturing in his or her faith is not coming to church on Friday evening or Sunday, church school, or all the other activities, to be entertained by some clever, eloquent performer who orchestrates your emotions and makes you feel good. It is our responsibility to teach you. It is your responsibility to learn. That is why Paul says, "Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory" (1 Corinthians 2:6-7).

Wow, Paul says though I did not come to you with eloquence, we speak wisdom among those who are perfect, among those who are well instructed in christianity, and come to some maturity in the things of God. They don’t only understand the plain history of Christ, and his crucifixion, which is basic doctrine, they also discern deep and admirable designs of the divine wisdom. It is not wordly wisdom but divine wisdom. To those who enjoy the gospel revelation; types are unveiled, mysteries made plain, prophecies interpreted, and the secret counsels of God published and laid open.

Listen to the details:

Point 1: There are two kinds of wisdom.

a) One is "temporal wisdom." It is the wisdom of this age. It is the wisdom of the rulers of this age. It is a wisdom that has limited horizons. It is propelled forward by the spiritual powers of darkness. It has a satanic dimension to it. And it is doomed to pass away.

What would be some examples of this temporal wisdom?

There are many labels we could throw around.

Naturalism tells us that we live in a closed universe of cause and effect. What we experience through our senses is all that there is.

Hedonism declares a universe that has no real meaning, so "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die."

New Age Mysticism informs us that reality is found within ourselves and, with intense meditation, we will come to a greater awareness of who we are and how to function in relationship to others.

Materialism stimulates our inquisitive nature, promising that wealth and power is the purpose of living. "The one with the most toys wins."

Apostate Christianity belittles the historic biblical doctrines of the faith, yet still claims to be Christian.

There are those who still claim the name Christian but reject the notion of a Creator,  the God who sustains, who breaks into human history in the person of Jesus Christ and who reveals His truth in the Scriptures, which we hold to be "the only infallible rule of faith and practice."

All these worldly wisdom live within time. They don't really explain where we came from, why we are here and where we are going in a way that equips us with quality for the now.

b) The second kind of wisdom is eternal wisdom. This is the hidden wisdom of God. It is His natural and special revelation of himself. This lasts forever and is the ultimate ground of all being in which you and I can stake our very lives. Granted, at times, we distort it and misinterpret His wisdom. When we do so, we need to come under the authority of God's revelation, finding correction of our errors through our endeavor to more fully understand the wisdom that goes beyond our temporal, limited, finite, human rationality.

Point 2: None of the rulers of this age fully understand this.

Sometimes the phrase "rulers of this age" is used to describe evil, supernatural powers thought to control human destiny. It appears that here Paul is referring to human leaders, since, in verse 8, he says that these are the ones who crucified Jesus and since the contrast in this whole passage is between the believer who has the Spirit and the nonbeliever who does not have the Spirit.

Not many of the rulers of this world understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Power does have a way of corrupting. As has been said, absolute power corrupts absolutely. I do know that, when your citizenship is in the Kingdom of God and you bow your head before His sovereignty, there are those rulers of the kingdom of humankind who are threatened by your allegiance to the Lord. They do not understand this. The currency of the kingdom of humankind is a different currency.

Illus: My wife went to Egypt some few months ago and in returning she brought back some of their currency which she did not change. While in Egypt they were useful there but here in our country they are useless. Her plans was to give it to a visiting Doctor who came to the Hospital so that he can return with them. It is their currency and useful there but here it is irrelevant.

The eternal wisdom of the Kingdom of God is viewed as foolishness to the kingdom of this earth. It is currency that is irrelevant. It doesn't make sense. It is puzzling (confusing).

Don't be surprised when some people view you as odd when you are faithful to your Lord.

Point 3: No one can figure the eternal wisdom out on his or her own.

It is impossible to come to this truth of God without God's specific revelation. Paul paraphrases an Old Testament statement when he writes, "But, as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him'-these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

This is the wisdom of the before time, end time and after time. Paul is saying that the most brilliant of persons living in time alone could never come up with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, the most brilliant persons who have ever walked the face of this earth cannot, in a clear and rational way, articulate the notion of before time and after time, much less be able to figure out the strange mysteries of the Creator, Sustainer God, who was before time, will be after all time is over and who functions in His triune nature here within the very midst of time. He is not only the alpha and the omega; he is everything between and that wisdom can only be revealed by His spirit.

Eternal truth is not perceived through the eye. We can see nature. It gives us wonderful pleasure. We enjoy art. Some of our most satisfying sensations come through the eye. We can study science. It is dependent upon observable data. However, when we see nature defaced into that which is ugly and observes science gone crazy in nuclear holocaust or physical disease or in legal transgression, we need healing that goes beyond our gifts of observation.

The moral word is not one of convenience alone. The ear can hear the great music, but there is a music of grace that goes beyond that which triggers the most rapturous of beautiful ecstasy.

The human heart can be filled with enormous piety, compassion and even love, but it cannot ultimately set right that which is wrong.

For all of this, we need God's revelation of himself.

Point 4: God has revealed His wisdom to us by His Spirit.

Tell me about yourself. Tell me your deepest inner thoughts, will you? I doubt that you will. They are secret, aren't they? They are your private thoughts. No one is going to know them, unless you reveal yourself honestly. And no one can make you do that, can they? You can play games, can't you? And you've done some of that. We all reveal facts about ourselves that fake people out. We all know how to do it, don't we? You can show off the knowledgeable or the ignorant you. You can show the wealthy or the poor you. You selectively choose to reveal what you want to reveal. That is your right, to own your own thoughts. No one has the power to rape your inner private self.

I notice this in my counseling ministry. There are layers on one's self that a person reveals. Seldom do they get down to the deepest level in the first interview or two. That is one reason why we advise long-term therapy. There is so much about a person that remains hidden.

Paul makes this human analogy when he writes, "For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:11).

You have no opportunity to know who God really is and what He is thinking unless He initiates His self-disclosure to you. He has done it. The result is the wisdom of God that you can only discover through His self-disclosure.

Point 5: You have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit of God.

Paul writes, "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual" (1 Corinthians 2:12-13).

God has given you a tutor. If you have received Jesus Christ as Savior, you have the Holy Spirit in your life. He is the very essence of God himself, who has been given to you by God to impart not human wisdom, but spiritual truth. The Holy Spirit is not going to supernaturally teach me German language, or Chinese without my effort. Nor is the Holy Spirit going to do your physics for you or write your English literature paper or even fill out your annual tax forms. The Holy Spirit will give you wisdom that will help you use your time more wisely and maximize the intellectual gifts that are yours. He will help clear your mind, so that you can study. But the Holy Spirit's primary function is to interpret spiritual truth, so that you can come to Jesus Christ, grow in Jesus Christ, be enabled by Jesus Christ to face temptation, to be gifted in Jesus Christ and used by Jesus Christ in a way that validates your very creation.

Point 6: The unspiritual person does not receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The unspiritual person does not receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit for they are foolishness to him. That person is not able to understand them, because they are "spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Why is this? The unspiritual person lives only in the temporal. The Kingdom of God understandings are moronic or idiotic to him or her. The spiritual person lives with a sensitivity to the eternal.

For example, when I teach from God's Word, if a person receives Jesus Christ as Savior, it will have a tremendous impact on how that person uses their money, sexuality and power; a nonbeliever becomes threatened. An unspiritual person rejects that. They accuse me of going from preaching to interfering in their business. It's their own business what they do with their money, their sex life and their power. They don't realize that every good and perfect gift they have comes from the Lord, and He owns it all, and He can take it back at any moment. They won't let go. It's theirs. They don't understand the joy of liberality, that sees one's self only as a temporary recipient and steward of what God has given. They say concept of tithing is absurd. The fact that one could experience joy in giving himself or herself to the Lord and to others doesn't make any sense. The flip side is that the nonspiritual person doesn't understand why unlimited money, unlimited sex and unlimited power doesn't satisfy them.

I invite you today, if you have never received Jesus Christ as Savior, to open your life to Him; acknowledge your need of His forgiveness, His healing, His wisdom, letting go of that false pride, that arrogance which demands that you have your way as one living in the economy of this world's kingdom. Or if you have received Him but have restricted the Holy Spirit with a blanket of self-interest, elitism, arrogance, pride, doubt, party spirit, admit it for what it is. Repent! Welcome the Lord once again into the very center of your life. And live with the wisdom which comes from the Holy Spirit!

 

The Joy of Giving : Philippians 4:10-20

 

 

Introduction

 

The church in Philippi had taken up an offering to give to Paul, in prison because of his faith. Paul wrote back to the church and expressed his joy (see verse 10). Joy, or its derivative, occurs almost 20 times in this letter.

 

Have you discovered the joy of giving? Perhaps too many of us view giving as an occasion for grief or dread rather than an occasion for joy. In what ways can giving make you a joyful person?

Paul starts by indicating that in the beginning of the gospel no church communicated with him in giving as the church in Philippi (vs 15). Even though what they gave was nothing compared to what they have received from Paul, he was grateful and acknowledged what they did so much. The church in Philippi did not ask what the other churches were doing to Paul but they were keeping the flames of giving and making sure that Paul had his necessities to do ministry. Today many people ask what others have done before they can decide on what to do. That was not the case with these people. Even when others were not giving they kept giving.

Listen to the reasons. Paul says in verse 17“Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.”. Giving is a fruit of their spiritual growth that is counted on the account of the believers who give not the receiver.

See:

1.      It was but little which they sent. They sent only to his necessity, just such things as he had need of perhaps it was according to their ability, and he did not desire superfluities.

2.      It is an excellent thing to see those to whom God has given the grace abounding in grateful returns to his people and ministers, according to their own ability and their necessity: You sent once and again. Many people make it an excuse for their charity that they have given once why should the charge come upon them again? But the Philippians sent once and again they often relieved and refreshed him in his necessities. He makes this mention of their former kindness, not only out of gratitude, but for their encouragement.

3.      He excuses their neglect of late. It seems, for some time they had not sent to enquire after him, or sent him any assistance but now at the last their care of him flourished again vs 10

 

1. Giving revives our concern (v. 10)

 

The word renewed in verse 10 pictures something that was dead now coming to life. The word sometimes is translated as revived. The word pictures a tree or plant that is barren in the winter, but when spring comes, the tree or plant blossoms with new shoots and flowers. The Philippian Christians had been barren in expressing their concern for Paul, but now, with the gift of money they sent him, they were blossoming anew with concern for Paul's welfare. Are you in a blossom in your giving in church or you are like a dead tree that is still in it’s winter? Even when it’s spring you are still in your winter. There are some people who continue to live in the dry season even when God has brought rainy days in their lives. The church in Philippi realized that they need to change and move. Make an account of your giving, make and account of your tithing and see if you are still in the dry season or the raining days and make a change. 

 

See, Paul makes an excuse for them: Wherein you were also careful, but you lacked opportunity. How could they lack opportunity, if they were resolved upon it? Paul was not angry with them and like Paul I want to say you lacked the opportunity to show gratefulness to God and now there is an opportunity to give your tithe, your offering and for thanksgiving and for the completion of this church building. What a wonderful opportunity you have.

As we focus on the needs of others, and give to help meet those needs, we experience joy. Giving revives our concern for people. The Philippian church experienced that.

 

2. Giving teaches us contentment (v. 11)

 

Paul did not want this church to think that his joy rested on whether he had money. Paul had schooled himself to be satisfied with whatever he had. He had joy in his life, not because his purse was full, but because he had learned contentment. The Greek Stoics used the word content to describe self-sufficiency. Paul believed his sufficiency was in Christ (Read Hebrews 13:5). Paul believed that whether you were naked or clothed, hungry or filled, rich or poor, if you had the Lord in your life, you had everything you needed.

 

Our consumer-oriented society pressures us to place too much value on material things, to the point that our joy is based on how much we have. This approach to life results in chronic dissatisfaction. We never seem to have enough.

 

How do you define contentment? Contentment is not trimming down your desires. Contentment means living with a sense of God's adequacy, a conviction that God is adequate for any need we face. Therefore, we can give joyfully, knowing God will supply our needs.

 

Can a Christian really attain joyful contentment, especially in our materialistic world? Yes (Read verse 13). From our union with Jesus comes the strength to learn contentment.

 

3. Giving makes us partners in ministry (v. 14)

 

Paul said about this gift of money sent by the church at Philippi (Read verse 14). The word share is the same word often translated as "fellowship." The word denotes partnership. Each time we give to the Lord's work, we partner with other Christians to help advance the kingdom. That exciting thought puts joy in our hearts.

 

4. Giving pays spiritual dividends (vv. 17-18)

 

Paul made clear he was not looking for monetary gifts for his own benefit. Giving blesses the one who gives more than the one who receives the gift. The phrase "credited to your account" implies that giving to the Lord is like investing in kingdom matters. Kingdom work pays spiritual dividends (bonuses,shares,etc). Paul is like saying; I welcome your kindness, not because it adds to my enjoyments, but because it adds to your account. It is not any design to draw more from you but to encourage you to exercise beneficence that meets with a glorious reward hereafter.

 

Giving from the right motives and for the right reasons becomes in God's sight, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.  (Read v.18). This language from the Old Testament shows that our giving becomes an act of worship and devotion to God. Sacrifices to God fill our hearts with great joy (see Ps. 4:5, 7). It is not a sacrifice of atonement. That is done only by Jesus Christ. But it is a sacrifice of acknowledgement, well-pleasing to God because it was a fruit of their grace (Hebrews 13:16).

 

A study of the giving patterns in churches revealed that

 

Seventy-five percent of the money given to churches comes from 25 percent of the people.

 

Mount Zion Baptist church are giving a little more than 3 percent of their incomes.

 

These figures show just how many people are missing the blessings that result from giving. Some leaders are also missing in churches as far as giving is concerned.

 

5. Giving grows our faith in God (v. 19)

 

Perhaps some of the members of the church at Philippi had given to Paul's ministry but were worried they might not have enough money left to meet their own needs. Paul gave them a great promise to stand upon. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” vs 19

 

Many Christians sit at the kitchen table or at a desk each month with their bills, and they conclude they have no or little money to give to the church. Paying for college tuition, buying new tires for the car, buying food, paying rents and repairing their houses as larger priorities than faithful financial stewardship.

 

Verse 19 encourages us to take the step of faith and to give, trusting God to meet our needs.

God meets our needs personally ("my God").

He meets our needs liberally ("all your needs").

He meets our needs gloriously ("according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus").

Paul says my God not your God. My God who takes what is done to me as what is done to him. You supplied my needs according to your poverty, but he will supply your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. That is grace because you don’t merit either.

Conclusion

 

As we give financially to the Lord's work, we become keepers of the flame. We help spread the gospel message. We meet people's needs. We assist people in growing spiritually. We enable our churches to shine as God's lights in the world. Such privileges fill our hearts with joy. Keep the flame and Shalom!

second message: The Heart and Soul of Christianity

 

Scriptures: Mark 10:35-44; John 13:12-15; Matthew 25:31-46

 

Introduction

 

Last week our brother Clifford preached on the topic “Giving: The heart and soul of Christianity”. Today we will be looking and the second sermon on the same topic. You can understand why giving is the heart and soul of our faith. If we are not giving then we are like dead Christians and when you are dead you don’t exist. Those who have not learned generosity are just church goers, they don’t yet understand true Christianity. If giving is the heart of Christianity; then stop giving and Christianity will die. We saw that Giving begins with a cause

Giving entails a sacrifice

Giving leads to life

Giving produces joy

Now we just read about the request of James and John. They mad a very boundless request to their master (to do to them whatever they will desire) rather than asking him to do to them as he deems fit (Eph 3:20).

Worldly honour is so glittering that the disciples of Christ have also been dazzled (amazed) with it. Whereas to be good should be more our care than to look great, or to have the pre-eminence. The disciples became angry with James and John not because they affected precedency, but because they had the same ambitions. Jesus took this opportunity to teach them the heart of Christianity. Jesus showed them that;

1.    Dominion was generally abused in the world mark 10:42

2.    That it ought not to be accepted into the church and Christianity. It shall not be so among you…

Illus: The late Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, was visiting Taiwan on one of his overseas trips. During the visit he hiked with a Taiwanese pastor back into one of the mountain villages to meet with some of the national Christians. The roads and trails were wet, and their shoes became muddy. Later, someone asked this Taiwanese pastor what he remembered most about Dawson Trotman. Without hesitation the man replied, "He cleaned my shoes."

 

How surprised this humble national pastor must have been to arise the next morning and realize that the Christian leader from America had arisen before him and cleaned the mud from his shoes. Such a spirit of servanthood marked Dawson Trotman throughout his Christian life. He died as he lived, giving his life to rescue someone else from drowning.

 

Service, in the vocabulary of the world, is often synonymous with duty, a necessary activity. And to many in our hypersensitive society the label "servant" is offensive. To them it would mean belonging to a lower class of people. They would think it demeaned their status in life, marked them as "common people." Consequently, it was to be avoided at all costs.

 

I. Jesus taught service

 

Not so with Jesus. Jesus Christ, the King of kings, came to serve. Serving others is giving; you are giving yourself, giving your time, giving your money, giving your energy, giving your talent, giving…giving. That is servanthood.  For Jesus, service was not a peripheral issue, not just a florescent sign splashing half -truth in a window of self-indulgence. When it came to service, he meant business. Because it is the heart of His ministry. Know that giving is the heart and soul of Christianity. It was near the end of Jesus' ministry. He and the twelve disciples were on the wandering journey to Jerusalem that would end in a few days with Jesus' Crucifixion. On the roadside, James and John came up to Jesus with a private, surreptitious (clandestine) request (Mark 10:35- 37).

What they wanted was rather clear. They knew many people were saying that Jesus was the Messiah who, like David, would be a great military commander and would drive out Israel's enemies (the Romans), and restore Israel to greatness. They suspected that, at Jerusalem, Jesus would start the revolution, stir up the thousands of pilgrims, and begin the war. They expected Jesus to win, and they wanted to have the two chief positions in His new government after the Romans were driven out. They wanted to be the secretary of state and secretary of defense in Jesus' new cabinet. Today we have men and women like that, we don’t care about ministry but what we care about is our position. Will I be deacon or leader in that ministry? Will I be this or that? We don’t look at the big picture.

 

Jesus seems to have been disappointed and frustrated with them. "You don't know what you're asking," He said. He was referring to the fact that His close associates likely would die the same kind of death He would face in a few days. But they didn't understand what He meant. Jesus said, "But to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared" (Mark 10:40, NIV).

When the other ten disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were furious, maybe because the brothers had beaten them to it! So the twelve disciples, having been with Jesus three years, near the end in Jerusalem, were arguing over who was the greatest. Jesus called them and spoke (Mark 10:42-44, NIV). "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them - Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all."

 

 Do you want to be great in God’s house? You must be servant; that kind of servant who get’s up on Sunday morning and the priority is to be in God’s house, That kind of servant who will be there at the first hour to clean the benches and to pray, that servant who wants to prepare the atmosphere for others to come and get an encounter with God. Not that kind who comes when he or she wants and at the time they want but at God’s appointed time. The paradigm has changed! The disciples must have felt as if they had been slapped in the face. Some must have looked at Jesus as if He were the one who didn't get it. What were James and John thinking?

 

Without doubt, it was one of Jesus' most radical statements. It was revolutionary because it turned the values and advice of the world completely upside down. The world measures greatness in terms of size, power, and authority; in the Kingdom of God, greatness is measured in terms of service. Though we value power and prestige, God values the heart of a servant.

 

II. Jesus modeled service

 

As though His statement about radical serving was not enough, the night before He was crucified Jesus modeled, once again, servanthood. It was Thursday night of Passover Week. Later that night He would be arrested and begin the dizzying round of trials before the Jewish high court, Caiphas, Annas, Herod, and Pilate. Before sundown the next day, He would be dead.

 

He knew that the time of His death had come. That made the celebration of the Passover Meal with His disciples all the more touching. It would be their last meal together, the last real time to talk with them and teach them. We call this meal on Thursday night the Last Supper.

 

During the meal, as the twelve disciples lounged on cushions around the low table, Jesus stood up, took off his cloak, and tied up his long gown with a towel. He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and dry them with the towel. When He came to the impetuous (impulsive) Simon Peter, the disciple at first refused to let Jesus wash his feet. But then he relented. Slowly, around the table Jesus went, until He had washed all their feet. The place must have been silent; the disciples had never seen Jesus do this.

 

When he finished, He put His cloak back on and sat down at His place. He told them He had set an example that they should do as He had done for them (John 13:12-15).

 

What did Jesus mean that they should do as He had done? Some groups take His words at face value and periodically have foot-washing services. But these people know that there was much more to Jesus' words than an order simply to mimic His action. And the disciples would have seen clearly what He meant. He had acted out for them a basic truth of Christianity. The job of washing feet is a filthy job. People didn't bathe very often and they wore no shoes, or only sandals. People's feet were dirty and smelly, and it was a demeaning job to have to wash them. In fact, the job was usually dumped on the lowliest servant in the household. Washing feet was a lowly act of service to one's betters. And that is what Jesus was acting out to His disciples. He voluntarily took the lowly position, the position of lowest status and prestige. He put aside His due rank and privilege and became the lowly one. He

would complete the lesson the next day when He submitted and died on the cross to redeem humanity. He, the mighty God in human flesh, allowing His opponents to kill Him, in order to buy our forgiveness. He took the lowly place. And as He washed their feet, He drove home the point He had made a few days before on the road to Jerusalem as the disciples argued over who was the greatest: greatness in the kingdom of God is marked by being a servant.

 

III. Jesus judges service

 

Jesus taught about service, He modeled service, and He said that the basis of judgment will be whether we have been servants or not. One of the most disturbing passages in the New Testament is Matthew 25:31-46. It is Jesus' description of the final judgment, sometimes called the "Sheep and Goat Judgment." Jesus said that when He returns in glory in the Second Coming, He will sit on His throne and pass judgment on the people of the earth. He will divide like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. This is a disturbing passage theologically because Jesus said that the basis of the judgment will be whether we have been servants, whether we have helped the needy. We don't like to hear this, because we think our actions or works have nothing to do with our salvation. And other parts of Scripture make it clear that they don't. So, what is Jesus saying here? Could it be that

those with real faith, those who truly know God and will go to heaven, will see servanthood develop in their lives? Can He be saying that those who believe will be servants? What good is it to say that we believe in Christ but have no evidence in our lives to prove it? If we have faith, it will show in how we live. Good works don't save us; they prove that we are saved.

 

But Jesus' words about judgment disturb us for a more personal reason - that many aren't comfortable being servants. We would rather hear that the evidence of real, saving faith is that we go to a lot of church meetings, because we can do that. Or that one is intellectually convinced that Christianity is true, because we are convinced of it. We don't want to hear about service, because we don't always choose to serve.

 

After a surgery performed by an American missionary doctor, perspiration ran on the doctor's forehead; his eyes were glassy, his lips almost purple from unrelenting strain. His hands began to tremble with fatigue. "How much would you have gotten for this operation in the States?" the physician was asked. "Quite a lot," said the physician, "it was a complicated procedure."

 

"How much will you get for this here?" The doctor looked at the poor Korean woman who had come to him with only a coin in her hand. She had asked for help in the name of Christ. Tears welled up in the doctor's eyes, and with choking voice he said, "Well, for this I will get nothing but her gratitude and my Master's smile. But that, sir, is worth more than all the plaudits and money the world can give."

 

The distinction that will then be made between the precious and the vile He shall separate them one from another, as the tares and wheat are separated at the harvest, the good fish and the bad at the shore, the corn and chaff in the floor. Wicked and godly here dwell together in the same kingdoms, cities, churches, families, and are not certainly distinguishable one from another such are the infirmities of saints, such the hypocrisies of sinners, and one event to both: but in that day they will be separated, and parted for ever Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, Malachi 3:18. They cannot separate themselves one from another in this world (1 Corinthians 5:10), nor can any one else separate them (Matthew 13:29) but the Lord knows them that are his, and he can separate them. This separation will be so exact, that the most inconsiderable saints shall not be lost in the crowd of sinners, nor the most plausible sinner hid in the crowd of saints (Psalms 1:5), but every one shall go to his own place. This is compared to a shepherd's dividing between the sheep and the goats it is taken from Ezekiel 34:17, Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle. Note, 1. Jesus Christ is the great Shepherd he now feeds his flock like a shepherd, and will shortly distinguish between those that are his, and those that are not, as Laban divided his sheep from Jacob's, and set three days' journey between them, Genesis 30:35,36. 2. The godly are like sheep--innocent, mild, patient, useful: the wicked are like goats, a baser kind of animal, unsavoury and unruly. The sheep and goats are here feeding all day in the same pasture, but will be coted at night in different folds. Being thus divided, he will set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left, Matthew 25:33. Christ puts honour upon the godly, as we show respect to those we set on our right hand but the wicked shall rise to everlasting shame, Daniel 12:2. It is not said that he shall put the rich on his right hand, and the poor on his left the learned and noble on his right hand, and unlearned and despised on his left but the godly on his right hand, and the wicked on his left. All other divisions and subdivisions will then be abolished but the great distinction of men into saints and sinners, sanctified and unsanctified, will remain for ever, and men's eternal state will be determined by it. The wicked took up with left-handed blessings, riches and honour, and so shall their doom be.

Giving: The Heart and Soul of Christianity Scriptures: Matthew 20:28

 

 

"For God so loved the world, he gave . . ." (John 3:16). We are never more like God than when we give. Jesus said, "I did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life" (Matt. 20:28). The world's thought is get all you can. But to be like Jesus, we must give.

Observation:

Jesus was teaching his disciples basic principles of discipleship. That they must be like the Master himself and it is very fit that they should, that, while they were in the world, they should be as he was when he was in the world. They should be as he was in the world for to both (disciple and master) the present state is a state of humiliation, the crown and glory were reserved for both in the future state. Let them consider that the son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Our Lord Jesus set two things before them; humility and usefulness (or humility and giving to others).

 

Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and we never saw that they washed his feet. No one ever ministered to Jesus as a great man. He ministered help to the needy; the sick and diseased. He deprived himself of both food and rest to attend to the needs of these people who came to him continually. That is humility.

 

There was no example of beneficence and usefulness as there was in the death of Christ, who gave his life a ransom for many. He lived as a servant, went about doing good and he died as a sacrifice doing greater good of all. So he came into the world for a purpose. Our lives were forfeited (surrendered) into the hands of divine justice by sin. Christ’s atonement rescued our lives as he was made sin, and a curse for us. He died, not only for our good, but in our stead (Acts 20:28, 1 Pet 1:18,19). This is the reason why we should not strive for precedency (important than others), because the cross is our banner, and our Master’s death is our life. So, study to do good and for the consideration of Christ in dying for us, not hesitate to lay down your lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16)

 

Look at these basic principles of New Testament giving.

 

I. Giving begins with a cause

 

The disciples of Jesus gave up everything to follow Him. They left behind homes and jobs and security to follow this Nazarene Carpenter. Why would those men give up everything to follow an itinerant preacher? Because they were captured by a cause. The kingdom of God was at hand. The Son of God was in their midst. They wanted to be a part of a life-changing cause.

 

Such actions did not stop with the first followers of Jesus. The Book of Acts records men and women giving up houses, incomes, possessions, land, time, and talents to follow Christ. These people were persecuted, murdered, and endured suffering. Why would they endure such pain and torture? Because they saw themselves as a part of a great cause.

 

 

These early Christians saw giving as the means of Kingdom building. In giving what they could, the expansion of God's kingdom on earth would occur. We can selfishly live for ourselves, meagerly exist and eventually die. Or, we can give ourselves to the greatest cause of reaching people for Christ and therefore find life.

 

II. Giving entails a sacrifice

 

Jesus said, "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28, NIV).

1. Since godly giving entails a sacrifice, does he expect anything less from us? Jesus observed a touching event when he watched people give contributions to the Temple. Many people gave considerable amounts. Then came a widow. She gave two coins amounting to less than 1 Fcfa. Then Jesus used her action as an object lesson for His disciples. Jesus was saying to His disciples that the size of the gift does not matter as much as the size of the sacrifice. The woman could have kept one of the coins and everyone would have understood. But, she gave everything she had. She did not hold anything back.

 

The heart of Christianity says that you haven't given God anything until you have given God everything.

 

III. Giving leads to life

 

In the Holy Land, fresh water comes from a brook and fills the Sea of Galilee. This body of water has always been fruitful in fish. And then the Sea of Galilee takes that water and gives it to the Jordan River. That famous river uses its water to turn the desert into a rose and make it the land of milk and honey.

 

The Jordan River spills into the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea does not have an outlet. It takes the water in but does not give any away. That produces the saline problem which makes it salty and dead. Nothing lives in the Dead Sea.

 

This is a universal principle: One has to give to live. "Give, and it will be given to you," Jesus said. The fact remains, abundant living begins with abundant giving

 

IV. Giving produces joy

 

This was our central message last Sunday. You've heard it said, "Give until it hurts." That's not true. People don't give because it hurts. They give because it feels good. Again Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35, NIV). The happiest people on earth are givers. They have discovered the joy of giving.

 

Conclusion

 

When we give of ourselves our heart is changed. And the heart of our Christ shows through.  Shalom