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God Has To Make An Example
Contributed by Gregory Thomas on Jul 13, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: You can’t profit illegally from the giving of your Time, Talent or Money especially when there is a command on what you are suppose to give.
God Has To Make An Example
Acts 5: 1-11
Did anyone notice that 75 churches closed last week?
Why do you think they closed?
Introduction
In the text there is 1) Greed (Vs. 1- 2) Selfishness (Vs.3) 3) Persuasion (Vs. 4) 4) Dishonesty (Vs. 4) 5) Death Vs. 5-10 6) Fear (Vs. 11)
Vs. 1-2 1) Greed 2) Selfishness
When you put restrictions on your worship, you leave an opening for the enemy to take what you should have given.
Cain and Able Genesis 4:3-5And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Prov 3:9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
He had a wife that adopted his mindset and they combined their thoughts to put together a plot to bring what they wanted to give, instead of giving what was appropriate.
You want Position, Power and Promotion with a connection that requires Conduct and Responsibility. This is why we have so many sick assistants, because they privately misuse their position to gain profit from people they are suppose to serve.
You can’t profit illegally from the giving of your Time, Talent or Money especially when there is a command on what you are suppose to give.
Giving is an act of worship and when you cheapify the experience you get what you give.
2 Cor 9:6-7 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Prov 10:22 The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
Vs. 3Pursuasion - Ananias allowed Satan (Contrary; Adversary; Enemy; Accuser) to fill (Load, Pack, Fill Up) his heart
In Ananias’s heart he purposed to lie.
Vs. 4 Dishonesty 1) Your Time 2) Your Money 3) Your Talent Is based upon what’s in your heart. You can’t lie when you know you have not been giving. What you have not given was given unto you to be a blessing even when your heart was jacked up
You have to answer this question, who are you lying to?
You didn’t get paid to ball you got paid to finance you work but we do neither, for this cause we are broke. Not because God didn’t give you the money but because you didn’t put it where it was suppose to go.
Could you have given an offering that matches that Coach, Fendi, Lv, or Gucci bag – That Hugo Boss Suit, Stacy Adams Alligators?
Vs. 5-10 Death
You want all the profit you have gained to live but you don’t give. So it has to die and be carried out and buried.
Vs. 11 Fear