What Jesus Sees At The Offering (Mk. 12:41-44)

Read Mark 12:41-44.

1.  Jesus sees who gives the offering.
2.  Jesus sees how the offering is given.
3.  Jesus sees the sacrifice, not just the amount, of the offering.  He sees the true cost.

Observations:

• Let your giving affect your living.
• Give from surplus.  
• Give from substance.  
• Jesus notices big hearts, not just big amounts.
• He draws attention to things others easily miss.
• Contribution expresses commitment.
• You don't give?  You don't believe in the mission of the church.
• You don't give?  You don't believe in the ministries of the church.
• There is no denying that the widow believed in the temple.

Faithful Then And Again (1 Sam. 17:36-37) (Part 5)

Conclusion:

• There is nothing wrong with talking to God about your obstacle. 
• However, that's not the invitation for today.
• There is nothing wrong with talking to your obstacle about the greatness of your God. 
• However, that is not the call for today.
• Today's opportunity is for you to talk to one another about the greatness of God.
• It is an invitation to remember and report His faithfulness.
• There might be a “Saul” here, someone who desperately needs to hear your testimony as much as you delight to give it.
• Be one who declares boldly, “He is faithful! I can prove it!”
• When you carefully steward God's faithfulness, you will be able to praise when others are panicking.
• Since God came through for you many times before, you should look for Him to come through for you again.
• God cannot not be faithful.

We ended the service with antiphonal testifying.  Someone from the left side of the congregation testified to the right side about a specific experience with God's faithfulness.  Then someone from the right side testified back to the left side. How quickly 15 minutes went by!

Faithful Then And Again (1 Sam. 17:36-37) (Part 4)

Transition: Since the best way to deal with adversity is to focus upon God's faithfulness, you must carefully steward it.

YOU MUST CAREFULLY STEWARD GOD'S FAITHFULNESS.

• EXPLANATION
• How do you carefully steward God's faithfulness? You must be “apt”.
• Awareness > To steward God's faithfulness, you must recognize it. Are you in the habit of looking for God's faithfulness?
• Preservation > To steward God's faithfulness, you must record it. If you rely only upon your memory, you will forget many occasions when God showed Himself faithful. For this reason, I suggest keeping a journal.
• Testimony > To steward God's faithfulness, you must repeat it. This will strengthen your own faith and another person's.
• ILLUSTRATION
• Beware of any narrowing, dismissing, limiting, downsizing or belittling comments about God's faithfulness.
• “It happens to everyone.”
• “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
• “It was pure luck.”
• “It's no big deal.”
• APPLICATION
•  If you're guilty of using any of those sentiments, or others similar to them, right now is a good time to repent.
• Every act of God's faithfulness is a unique expression of His unchanging nature!
• Okay, so maybe you haven't received supernatural courage to grab a lion by its mane and club it to death, but what has God done for you?
• Why isn't that a big deal to you?
• Why isn't it still a big deal to you?
• Is it any less impressive or worthy of praise only because time has elapsed?

In tomorrow's post, we will conclude.

Stewardship Psalm (Psa. 8)

• The goal of our stewardship.  The psalm begins (v. 1) and ends (v. 8) with God's majesty, His magnificence.  How we steward must please the King of the Universe, our Creator.
• The scope of our stewardship.  Dominion and management of God's created world (vv. 6-9).
• The attitude of our stewardship.  Humility (vv. 3-4).  I am not the Creator or the Owner.  I am a created being asked to manage other creation.  Sometimes the stars seem more impressive than man (vv. 3-4).  Stars are reliable and stable.  Man, sometimes, is not.  The moon is faithful and content.  Man, sometimes, is not.  Know your place in Creation.  Don't think too lowly or too highly of yourself.
• The challenge of stewardship.  Fulfill your assignment.  Rule well.  Be faithful.  Always proclaim God's greatness.