Forgiveness (April 4th, 2005)

Generally, each message is a part of a series, that deals with applying the Bible to real-life issues.  Don't worry if you've missed part of a series.  Each Sunday will work together with the other messages, or can stand alone to help you deal with the things life brings each day.

(April 11th, 2005)

Finances - A Steward of the Tithe (April 18th, 2005)

Finances - Budget (April 25th, 2005)

where nobody stands alone

Illustration--- Spanish story. There's a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers. Bits & Pieces, October 15, 1992, p. 13. Last week we look at a mandated forgiveness. (Prophet) This week we are going to look at an everyday forgiveness. Luke 6: 27-36 Love for Enemies   27“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.   32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Point #1  --- Be aware of enemies in our everyday lives.  How do you identify them?  What are they going to look like. o Luke 6: 27-31  27“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you. o They hate you, they curse you they mistreat you, and they take things from you.  Colossians 3: 13 • Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.   How many times are you identifying in this group. • By wanting to lash out • By cursing them • By mistreating them  We see this every • In wal-mart • In Schools • In relationships • In our marriages Illustration --- The married couple o A couple married for 15 years began having more than usual disagreements. They wanted to make their marriage work and agreed on an idea the wife had. For one month they planned to drop a slip in a "Fault" box. The boxes would provide a place to let the other know about daily irritations. The wife was diligent in her efforts and approach: "leaving the jelly top off the jar," "wet towels on the shower floor," "dirty socks not in hamper," on and on until the end of the month. After dinner, at the end of the month, they exchanged boxes. The husband reflected on what he had done wrong. Then the wife opened her box and began reading. They were all the same, the message on each slip was, "I love you!"     Unknown. Point #2  Love the unloveable. o Luke 6: 32-34 o 32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. o When they cures you hate you mistreat. o Love them . o Pray for them o When it seems so hard to love someone who does not want to be loved o What credit is to love someone who already love you.  It’s none So Love the unloveable  How many times should we love o Matt:18 21-22  Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Illustration The man I ate dinner with o The man I ate dinner with tonight killed my brother." The words, spoken by a stylish woman at a PF banquet in Seattle, amazed me. She told how John H. had murdered her brother during a robbery, served 18 years at Walla Walla, then settled into life on a dairy farm, where she had met him in 1983, 20 years after his crime. Compelled by Christ's command to forgive, Ruth Youngsman had gone to her enemy and pronounced forgiveness. Then she had taken him to her father's deathbed, prompting reconciliation. Some wouldn't call this a success story: John didn't dedicate his life to Christ. But at that PF banquet last fall, his voice cracked as he said, "Christians are the only people I know that you can kill their son, and they'll make you a part of their family. I don't know the Man Upstairs, but He sure is hounding me." John's story is unfinished; he hasn't yet accepted Christ. But just as Christ died for us regardless of our actions or acceptance, so Ruth forgave him without qualification. Even more so, she became his friend. Albert H. Quie, President of Prison Fellowship Ministries, Jubilee, p. 5. Point #3 --- There will be a reward o Luke 6: 35 o 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  o How do you know that you will be rewarded?  Jesus said that you would be  There is a reward for being obedient • How many times have you honestly felt bad for doing something good for someone? o Never I am sure • Did your parents ever scold you for getting good grades or for obeying what they say, No.  Just as your parents, when you obey Jesus, you will be rewarded o There will also be healthy relationships  Healthy relationships are a reward themselves. o Your reward will Great.  You will be sons of the Most high Invitation o This an invitation of prayer for strength o I challenge you to come, pray for strength o Pray at the o Alter o Prayer stations o With someone o Pray for strength for this week when o  that person curses you o mistreats you o hates on you o Lets get prepared o I challenge you to come, and pray, to love, to be rewarded

The Christian F Word - Finances - Read Luke 12: 35 – 38, 42 - Week 1 – a Steward of the tithe Week 2 – Practical Steps to find financial security and get out of debt ** Pray I. Ready yourself to store faith a. Be ready, for when it is time to get blessings you can’t because your faith has not been stored (v. 35) b. You don’t get blessed the amount you put in necessarily, but the more you put in the more faith you stock in God i. So when He does connect and bless you the more it will flow because of you ongoing relationship. ii. Being a good steward, means preparing for the future by storing up faith. c. Illustration Nuts squirreled away under bonnet (BBC News UK edition: Friday, 11 February, 2005, 11:38 GMT  ) About 2,000 nuts were found in the air filter Mechanics working on a faulty car were astonished to uncover the problem - 2,000 nuts hidden in its air filter. It is thought a squirrel had stashed its winter supply in David Bowler's engine while the car was in his garage. Mr Bowler took the Rover 45 to a garage in Fareham, Hampshire, after his wife Jill told him it was having problems picking up speed. When he went to fetch the vehicle, Mr Bowler was presented with a bag full of nuts weighing 1.5kg (3.3lb). Some friendly squirrel was storing his winter food in the air filter assembly and causing a blockage Richard Lawman, garage sales manager Mr Bowler, 69, from Fareham, told the BBC News website: "I phoned up and asked whether the problem was the exhaust and the receptionist said 'no'. "She said there was a problem and I could tell she was smiling. "When I went in to collect the car I was presented with this carrier bag half full with peanuts. "I was amazed actually. Everybody seems to think squirrels have taken the nuts from their box in the garden. "But it's a bit of a mystery really as to how the nuts got there because I do not think a squirrel could get into the garage. To me the evidence looks like mice." Richard Lawman, after-sales manager at Pooles MG Rover in Wickham Road, said staff were "astounded" by the discovery. He said: "What we think has happened is that some friendly squirrel had come up the air intake pipe and was storing his winter food in the air filter assembly and causing a blockage. "It was a very unusual thing to see." d. Tithes stored in temple i. Nehemiah 10: 38, 39 1. 38 The R275 priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes, and the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the R276 storehouse. 39 For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution R277 of the grain, the new wine and the oil to the chambers; there are the utensils of the sanctuary, the priests who are ministering, the gatekeepers and the singers. Thus we R278 will not neglect F120 the house of our God. 2. Malachi 3: 10 a. 10 " R99 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food F55 in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open R100 for you the windows of heaven and pour R101 out for you a blessing until it F56 R102 overflows. b. When the storehouse gets full, then the blessing overflow e. put blessing in the storehouse so when it is time to glorify God it can be done. i. It is a sad day when the church can’t do ministry because of the budget. ii. Those of little faith don’t experience blessings, because they don’t have enough faith to see it. 1. Have you ever wondered why so many people are hurting financially? a. They probably aren’t giving 10% off the top to God? b. By not doing that you are not inviting God into your finances to guide you through decisions to help stretch what you make. 2. I would rather live off of 90% of God’s money, than 100% of my money. f. This is a readiness that people are not accustomed to seeing i. What is tithing? 1. It is not randomly throwing in a few dollars. 2. It is the giving of the first portion (10%) a. As we see Abraham do in Genesis 15: 2 3. The above and beyond, which is offering, stretches the faith because it is cutting into what you can’t afford to tell God “I have enough faith in you to know that you’ll make it affordable.” II. Be faithful in the small things (v. 42) a. If you have been unfaithful in little, how can God trust you with much? (v. 42) b. What is the sacrificial moment? i. This is a way to teach us that it takes a faithful and sensible steward to sacrifice. 1. By doing it like OT style it engages you to stand up and go give tithes. 2. Instead of mindlessly dropping a few dollars in as the plate goes by. 3. It also gives you and your family time to have a quiet time to pray for safety and for God to provide. ii. Epiphany is here to engage a crowd to become more than who they are to better the life in which we live. 1. It is our job to help you grow from unfaithful in little to faithful in much. c. Stewardship means working with God to enhance your fainances to glorify God. i. Illustration: 1. Stephanie working with our dog Elijah to pull up the tree in the backyard.  Funny story. d. You give little because you have little faith. i. Matthew 6: 25 – 30 (NAS) 1. 25 "For R207 this reason I say to you, do F111 not be worried R208 about your life, F112 as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 "Look R209 at the birds of the air, F113 that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 "And who of you by being worried R210 can add R211 a single hour F114 to his life? F115 28 "And why are you worried R212 about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon R213 in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 "But if God so clothes the grass R214 of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You R215 of little faith! e. How can God expand your territory if you exercise little to no faith. i. Luke 16: 9 – 13 1. 9 "And I say to you, make R694 friends for yourselves by means of the wealth R695 F367 of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they R696 will receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 "He R697 who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. 11 "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, R698 F368 who will entrust the true riches to you? 12 "And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? ii. Epiphany DNA 1. It is the dream of a place that effectively engages the generational gap most often overlooked by the modern day church by being culturally relevant, innovative, and authentic.  This place will be one of the leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation, divorce care, and minister / leadership training centers in northern middle Tennessee. 2. As a church, we will have to start focusing on these things in little portions. a. Start budgeting and preparing for such things, for them to happen. b. Start small and God will bless into something big. f. A faithful and sensible steward will allow God to work in their finances even when it is not much, so that when it is increased they will know how to tithe to God. III. Serve God’s family a. Serve the house of God b. V. 37 – He will be serving i. Why do people hurt? 1. b/c they focus on themselves instead of focusing on the solution a. Examle don’t aid the problem, solve the issue b. Don’t give an addict money, you give him rehab. 2. We need a paradigm shift of the mind. a. We are just coming off of the April 15th tax day. i. This is why a financial message was planned for this day. b. Psalm 24: 1 – 2 i. The earth is the LORD’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.  2 For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. c. What is a steward? i. One who acts as a supervisor or administrator, as of finances and property, for another or others. ii. Stewardship means using the resources God has entrusted to you to accomplish His plans and purposes ii. When we have this perspective things go better 1. When you serve it must be with all of your heart. a. Ricky taking me bream fishing at a secluded pond.  They were biting so well that he had two poles in two different hands casting at the same time and even catching them at the same time.  Funny story. c. Why do people hurt? i. Because their focus is off 1. they see tithing as religion trying to rob them. 2. they see helping someone as less time for themselves. ii. Thank goodness Christ came to serve. 1. Tithing is not robbery it is the delivery of blessings 2. Helping someone is not less time for yourselves but a time of blessing delivering. 3. Christ was our example and now we must follow it.

Someone asked Willie Sutton, the notorious bank robber why he robbed so many banks. "Because," replied Sutton, "That's where the money is." Source Unknown. What the wealthy think about money: I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness--John W. Rockefeller.  The care of $200,000,000 is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it--W.H. Vanderbilt.  I am the most miserable man on earth--John Jacob Astor.  I was happier when doing a mechanic's job--Henry Ford. Millionaires seldom smile--Andrew Carnegie. Source Unknown. The Christian F Word – “Finances” This is the hardest message that I have ever done.  It is easier for me to preach that someone is going to hell for certain sins, than it is to tell them they are a thief for not tithing. Malachi 3: 7 – 9 7 "From the days R95 of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept {them.} Return R96 to Me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts. "But you say, 'How shall we return?' 8 "Will a man rob F52 God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes R97 and offerings. F53 9 "You are cursed R98 with a curse, for you are robbing F54 Me, the whole nation {of you!} Instead of being a thief let us focus on how to budget God’s money. (the money He allows for us to borrow from Him) 1 Timothy 6: 6 – 11 (NAS) 6 But R225 godliness actually is a means of great R226 gain when accompanied by contentment. R227 7 For we R228 have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8 If we have R229 food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But R230 those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a R231 snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the R232 love of money is a root of all sorts F58 of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered R233 away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But flee R234 from these things, you man R235 of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, R236 love, R237 perseverance F59 and gentleness. I. Be consistent with how you save money a. 1 Timothy 6: 8 b. Average American saves less than 1% of finances c. 61% of Boomers and elders do not have an IRA d. Proverbs 21: 20 i. 20 Precious treasure and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them. ii. Life Application Bible notes 1. This proverb is aobut saving for the future.  Easy credit has many people living on the edge of bankruptcy.  The desire to keep up and to accumulate more pushes them to spend every penny they earn, and they stretch their credit to the limit.  But anyone who spends all he has is spending more than he can afford.  A wise person puts money aside for when he or she may have less.  God approves of foresight and restraint.  God’s people need to examine their life-style to see whether their spending is God-pleasing or merely self – pleasing. e. Consistency in life is important i. A man's life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching.  C.H. Spurgeon. ii. Just as Consistency in finances is just as important. f. Being consistent in your money is putting it in its place at all times. i. Money will need to be there because it could be like a roaring lion waiting to destroy relationships, lives, and jobs In I Talk Back to the Devil,  A.W. Tozer reminds us: "Money often comes between men and God. Someone has said that you can take two small ten-cent pieces, just two dimes, and shut out the view of a panoramic landscape. Go to the mountains and just hold two coins closely in front of your eyes--the mountains are still there, but you cannot see them at all because there is a dime shutting off the vision in each eye." It doesn't take large quantities of money to come between us and God; just a little, placed in the wrong position, will effectively obscure our view. Cedric Gowler. II. Be cautious in how you spend money a. 1 Timothy 6: 6 b. Proverbs 21: 5 i. 5 The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit, but anyone who is reckless only becomes poor. c. 1 Corinthians 6: 12 i. 12 All R222 things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. ii. just because you can doesn’t mean you should d. Proverbs 22: 7 i. The real question:  Who owns you? ii. 7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender. e. Budget out of debt i. Know your income ii. Know your debt and expenses 1. Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.   B. Franklin. iii. Cut wants and prioritize needs iv. Bank $1,000 emergency fund v. Spend the rest 1. Get God in front 2. Don’t try to take the lead. The demand God makes on income is well documented in the Old Testament command to give of the first fruits. 3. Larry Burkett once said on his “Money Matters” radio show, those of us who don’t tithe should really consider whether we’re Christians at all. You guessed it; controversy and call-ins flooded the show. It’s not about the total here, but the tenacity to tithe with consistency. Give to God first, and you’ll find a way to figure life out on what’s left. 4. Pay Regular Bills Next 5. Pay Debt Third a. Snowball debts:  Smallest to Greatest. b. After God and the bills, the cash that’s left is ours—well, it’s our creditors and ours. We owe them, and it’s time to pay up. Cut the creditors in now, so you can cut them out later. 10 WAYS TO USE MONEY Let’s get something straight: We don’t own anything, God does. Our jobs are to use the resources He has gracefully provided for us responsibly. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But what does that look like practically on a day-to-day basis? Here are 10 easy ways to be good stewards of the money He has entrusted to us—and save some cash in the process. 1. Buy generic products, especially at the grocery store. You will be shocked by the difference of your monthly grocery bills if you buy generic brands, as opposed to name brands—everything from plastic baggies, to bread, to spaghetti sauce, it’s almost always cheaper. 2. Shop at Goodwill: There are many “diamonds in the rough” at Goodwill and thrift stores. Sure, a lot of it is junk, but there are also some great finds, especially with clothes. Most people don’t realize that people donate and drop off perfectly good things to these places because they are moving, a relative has died and they are unsure what to do with their things or have people have grown out of their clothes. It takes a little hunting, but you can find some great finds at a great price. 3. Never make impulse purchases: Never make spur-of-the-moment decisions on large purchases. Take a few days to think about it and weigh the options. Ask yourself questions such as, “Can I afford it right now?” and “Do I really need this?” This will allow you to think clearly without the swirl of emotions while being in the store. 4. Tithe: Remember, every cent we own belongs to God, but He entrusts us with His resources. However, He requires that we give back at least 10 percnt of our gross earnings, not our net. Tithing was not a suggestion, but a direct command for God’s children. And it’s a great weekly reminder that our resources do not belong to us and it provides us the opportunity to use our money to honor Him. 5. Seek value above cost: Products that may cost a bit more may last longer. Some products may cost quite a bit less, but they may wear out or break much sooner. Weigh value (how long it will last, how it will serve its purpose, how often it is used, etc) above mere dollars and cents. 6. The Starbucks Factor: It’s not the large items that will surprise you how much they add up—it’s the small things. A movie here, a Starbucks grande caramel mocha there, filling your car up with gas, eating out—you’ll be surprised how much it adds up. Write down everything you spend for two weeks and notice how the little things add up to more than a little chunk of change. Try to limit your spending and trim down on the “non-essentials” of life. If will make a big difference! 7. Avoid eating out often: Most people I work with eat out almost every day for lunch (and some of them every day for dinner!) My wife and I either bring a lunch or go home for lunch most days. We’ve found that going home most days for lunch and having a sandwich saves a great amount on our monthly bills. Take a lunch to work and cook dinner at home more often than not. It’s not only easy on your wallet, but also on your waistline! 8. Remind yourself that possessions are not the sum of your life: It’s an easy principle: living simpler will make life simpler. Remind yourself you don’t “need” as much as you think you do and that everything you see you don’t necessarily have to have. 9. Be creative in how you spend your time: read a book, take a walk in the park, ride your bike, throw a Frisbee, watch a little league baseball game, play your guitar, watch a children’s play. It will save some cash on how your entertain yourself. 10. Always, always, always pay off your credit card bills! If you ever fail to make a payment on your credit card because you don’t have the money cut the card up immediately into a hundred pieces. My dad always said, “There are only two types of people: those are paying interest and those that are receiving interest.” Paying interest on your credit card can take years to get out. Your credit will carry with you the rest of your life. The key to all of these is moderation. Spending in moderation with wisdom and balance will help keep your checkbook in balance as well. f. Be cautious how you spend your money i. Remember:  You are the only one looking out for your finances. III. Be contented with God’s work not money (v. 10 – 11) a. Epiphany DNA It is the dream of a place socially active in global and local outreaches.  This place will facilitate a glocal (global + local) small group outreach.  There will be an active small group outreach in every city of Robertson County.  Social and spiritual outreach will be conducted in every country of the world by supporting foreign missionaries.  This is a place that desires to be a community church, not a church in the community.  It is the dream of a place that expands its public ministry into every home through televised and/or webcasted services. b. For us to accomplish this vision we must be more concerned with doing the will of God, than we are collecting all the money for ourselves. c. This is a message to us as individuals but also for us cooperatively.  For a church to sit on $100,000 in their savings and say they don’t have money to properly staff the church or help someone out is a thieving lie. John G. Wendel and his sisters were some of the most miserly people of all time. Although they had received a huge inheritance from their parents, they spent very little of it and did all they could to keep their wealth for themselves. John was able to influence five of his six sisters never to marry, and they lived in the same house in New York City for 50 years. When the last sister died in 1931, her estate was valued at more than $100 million. Her only dress was one that she had made herself, and she had worn it for 25 years. The Wendels had such a compulsion to hold on to their possessions that they lived like paupers. Even worse, they were like the kind of person Jesus referred to "who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:21). Daily Walk, June 2, 1993. d. 1 Timothy 6: 10 – 11 i. love God’s work more than money ii. How put money in its place 1. God’s advice about money in Proverbs (This is outside of tithe) a. Be generous 11: 24 – 25: 22: 9 b. Place people’s needs ahead of profit 11: 26 c. Be cautious of countersigning for another 17: 18; 22: 26 – 27 d. Don’t accept bribes 17: 23 e. Help the poor 19: 17; 21: 13 f. Store up for the future 21: 20 g. Be careful about borrowing 22: 7 e. God says to be wise and unselfish with money i. Leonard Sweet states, “We go “within” ourselves by getting “outside” ourselves.  How do we “find ourselves”?  Jesus says:  “Lose yourself” in the other.  – in his book out of the question into the mystery. f. Malachi 3: 10 – this is only place where God says “Test me” i. " R99 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food F55 in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open R100 for you the windows of heaven and pour R101 out for you a blessing until it F56 R102 overflows. IV. Invitation a. Test him in this. b. Who wants to test him today? c. Life sucks, everything going wrong, then put your finances in God’s hands and focus on the work of God. d. Test him.