Give And You Will Receive Series

CONTRADICTIONS

LESSON V

GIVE AND YOU WILL RECEIVE

Mk. 10:28-31

Nov. 5, 2006

FOR THE LAST TIME LET’S BE REMINDED OF THE DEFINITION OF A CONTRADICTION.

TO ASSERT OR EXPRESS THE OPPOSITE OF . . .

A CONTRADICTION IS SOMETHING THAT JUST DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.

FOR EXAMPLE . . . .

– ONLY IN AMERICA DO SHOPPERS BUY HOT DOGS IN PACKAGES OF TEN . . . AND BUNS IN PACKAGES OF EIGHT.

– ONLY IN AMERICA DO BANKS HAVE BOTH DOORS TO THE VAULT OPEN . . . AND THEN CHAIN THE PENS TO THE COUNTERS.

– ONLY IN AMERICA DO PEOPLE USE ANSWERING MACHINES TO SCREEN CALLS . . . AND THEN HAVE CALL WAITING SO THEY WON’T MISS A CALL FROM SOMEONE THEY DIDN’T WANT TO TALK TO IN THE FIRST PLACE.

WE HAVE BEEN ON QUITE A RIDE WITH THIS SERIES.

WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT APPARENT CONTRADICTIONS IN SCRIPTURE, BUT WE’VE SEEN THEY ARE NOT CONTRADICTIONS AT ALL – THEY ARE INCREDIBLE TRUTHS.

FREEDOM FROM SIN IS SLAVERY TO CHRIST.

THE LAST WILL BE FIRST

SURRENDER IS NOT LOSING

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

AND NOW OUR LAST APPARENT CONTRADICTION . . .

GIVE AND YOU WILL RECEIVE.

PLEASE TURN WITH ME TO MK. 10:28-31.

THE CONTEXT IS, JESUS HAD JUST GOT DONE TALKING TO THE RICH YOUNG RULER AND THE RULER DECIDED HE COULDN’T BE A FOLLOWER OF JESUS BECAUSE THE COST WAS TOO HIGH.

JESUS THEN EXPLAINS THE WHOLE SCENE TO THE DISCIPLES AND THEN PETER SAYS . . .

“WELL JESUS, WE’VE GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING. WHAT’S IN IT FOR US.”

“THE RICH YOUNG RULER COULDN’T HANDLE THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP, BUT HERE WE ARE, WE SAID YES TO YOU.

FOLKS, THIS MESSAGE IS SO HARD TO PREACH.

IT’S HARD TO PREACH ON A FEW LEVELS.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO SHUT DOWN WHENEVER THEY HEAR ABOUT GIVING AND SACRIFICE.

THEY IMMEDIATELY THINK THE CHURCH IS TALKING ABOUT MONEY AGAIN AND THEY SHUT DOWN.

THEN THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN SOME MONEY, SOME TIME OR SOME ENERGY SO THEY CONVINCED THEMSELVES THEY’RE GENEROUS AND SO THEY DON’T NEED TO HEAR MESSAGES LIKE THIS.

THERE ARE ALSO THOSE WHO HAVE A HARD TIME WITH WHERE MESSAGES LIKE THESE END UP.

WHENEVER WE TALK ABOUT GIVING THEY STRUGGLE WITH THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF RECEIVING.

SOME HAVE A HARD TIME RECEIVING THE BLESSING OF THE LORD AND OTHERS CAN’T FIGURE OUT WHY THEY DON’T RECEIVE THE SAME BLESSING AS SOMEONE ELSE.

IT’S TWO ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM, BUT BOTH STRUGGLE WITH THE RECEIVING PART.

AND THEN . . . HERE IS THE BIGGEST STRUGGLE WITH THIS MESSAGE.

THE SCRIPTURE ITSELF.

TALK ABOUT CONTRADICTIONS.

V. 30 IS MESSED UP.

YOU WILL RECEIVE ALL THESE THINGS IN ABUNDANCE, BUT YOU WILL ALSO RECEIVE PERSECUTIONS.

BLESSING, BLESSING, BLESSING AND BY THE WAY PERSECUTIONS TOO.

HOW DOES ALL OF THIS MAKE SENSE?

THIS IS A TOUGH MESSAGE TO PREACH.

SO, I WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE I CONTINUE.

I WANT TO PRAY. I WANT TO ASK GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HELP EACH OF US RECEIVE WHAT IT IS HE HAS FOR US THIS MORNING.

THE HOLY SPIRIT KNOWS OUR HEARTS AND PERSONAL STRUGGLES.

HE KNOWS OUR TENDENCIES AND PERSONAL BIAS.

HE KNOWS WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR MIND AT THIS VERY MOMENT.

IF YOU’RE WILLING TO SIMPLY AGREE THAT ALL WE WANT IS TO HEAR FROM GOD TODAY I WANT TO PRAY THAT NOTHING WOULD HINDER OUR RECEIVING FROM HIM.

IN SPITE OF YOUR PERSONAL STRUGGLES WITH THESE TYPES OF MESSAGES IF YOU’RE WILLING TO SAY, “LORD, LET ME HEAR YOUR VOICE” I WILL ASK YOU TO STAND WHILE I PRAY.

PRAYER

OKAY, LET’S LOOK AT THIS PORTION OF SCRIPTURE.

PETER SAYS TO JESUS, WE’VE GIVEN ALL TO YOU AND FOR YOU.”

LET’S LOOK AT WHAT JESUS SAYS.

HE SAYS THERE IS A PRESENT EFFECT OF GIVING ALL AND THERE IS A FUTURE EFFECT OF GIVING ALL.

YOU WILL RECEIVE . . . IN THIS PRESENT AGE – TODAY, WHILE I’M ALIVE ON EARTH.

AND IN THE AGE TO COME – ETERNITY IN HEAVEN WITH CHRIST.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS, THERE ARE IMMEDIATE AND FUTURE DIVIDENDS TO INVESTING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

GIVE, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU. A GOOD MEASURE, PRESSED DOWN, SHAKEN TOGETHER AND RUNNING OVER, WILL BE POURED INTO YOUR LAP. FOR WITH THE MEASURE YOU USE, IT WILL BE MEASURED TO YOU." (LK. 6:38)

BRING THE WHOLE TITHE INTO THE STOREHOUSE, THAT THERE MAY BE FOOD IN MY HOUSE. TEST ME IN THIS," SAYS THE LORD ALMIGHTY, "AND SEE IF I WILL NOT THROW OPEN THE FLOODGATES OF HEAVEN AND POUR OUT SO MUCH BLESSING THAT YOU WILL NOT HAVE ROOM ENOUGH FOR IT. (MALACHI 3:10)

THERE ARE PRESENT DAY PROMISES.

BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO PERSEVERES UNDER TRIAL, BECAUSE WHEN HE HAS STOOD THE TEST, HE WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE THAT GOD HAS PROMISED TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM. (JAMES 1:12)