"Lessons On Offerings" 1 Cor. 16 Pt 16 Series

What makes Warren and his message attractive to some also makes him anathema to others. One posting at the Slice of Laodicea website, commenting on Warren’s message at a United Nations prayer event, is representative of the sort of criticism he often generates: "A Benedict Arnold to the Gospel.

We can now see the TRUE COLORS of Rick Warren — UN blue and Christian ’yellow.’ " Some fundamentalists condemn his Purpose-Driven theology as unscriptural. Meanwhile, from his political left have come charges that he’s a conservative wolf in ecumenical clothing and that his recent undertaking in Africa is a naive exercise in futility.

ii. Fortune Magazine Oct. 2005: Will success spoil Rick Warren?

The first time I saw Warren, he was striding down the aisle of a United Air Lines flight--the middle leg of a 24-hour journey from Los Angeles to Kigali, Rwanda--handing out Chick-fil-A sandwiches to church members on the trip. He stopped to help a stranger get her luggage into the overhead, glad-handed the flight attendants, patted people he knew on the shoulder, and went back to his seat in business class. Like a politician who loves the campaign trail, Warren feeds off people. A large, gregarious man with spiky hair and a goatee, Warren dresses in Hawaiian shirts and wears no socks, even on stage at Saddleback. He’s known as Rick or Pastor Rick, not Reverend Warren. "Rick is not sophisticated in any way," says his wife, Kay. "He’s always been the class clown." He jokes about his weakness for doughnuts, and he uses one-liners to deflect questions he’d rather not answer. Ask about politics, and he’ll reply, "I’m not left wing and I’m not right wing. I’m for the whole bird." Rick and Kay, married 30 years, were both the children of small-town pastors. Rick’s father, Jimmy Warren, was a "church planter" and carpenter; he literally built dozens of small churches. The family never had money, but Jimmy, like Rick, was a down-to-earth guy with a big personality. Rick first thought about going into politics but turned to the church in high school. He started Saddleback in his apartment in 1980.

b. Rick is giving all the money to the poor in Africa and taking on the Aids epidemic!

c. Here is an important thought - We need to open our stingy wallets and give to others in the Kingdom so that we are making a difference with our life!

d. We need to risk giving and be like Nehemiah was willing to give it all up to go help people in need:

i. Video Illustration: Bluefish TV – “Comfort Zone” The Life of Nehemiah DVD.

T.S. – We need to offer to God’s people who are in need special offerings and we also need to offer workers within the Kingdom our hospitality.

II. Offering to God’s Kingdom your hospitality

a. Paul challenges the believers in Corinth to offer their services to God’s people within the Kingdom.

i. To practice hospitality with others is to be applauded within the Body.

1. We need to be willing to offer up our homes to others and be willing to serve others as they labor for the Lord.