Sermon Prepared For: The Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Vidalia, Georgia on July 7, 2007. Preached on July 8, 2007
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, God above. I thank You for Your agape love. Lord I present myself right now as a humble servant and your child, being obedient to Your will for my life and the ministry You have given me.
Father, God, as I deliver Your message to the people you have sent here today, let them not only be hearers of Your divine Word, God give them the desire to do Your Will. For this, dear Lord, I will forever give You the highest praise and honor and glory. Protect me and my family from the fiery darts that the enemy shoots our way. Shield us with faith and the helmet of salvation and Your entire armor Lord, most of all God, continue to watch our backs as we move forward in Your presence.
Lord I stand here in intercessory prayer for my church family and all of their people. You know about each of our needs and I declare right now in the Name of Your Son Jesus that we have victory over sin. We may not get our prayers answered when we think they should be, but Lord, we know that You are an on time God, so I say thank You Lord for answered prayer.
I love you Lord, because you created me just as I am under no false pretenses, not puffed up, proud or conceited. Yet confident in Your promises and bold enough to preach Your Word where ever You send me, not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ!
I have prayed this prayer with an open mind to serve You. In Jesus Name. AMEN! And so it is.
Introduction:
I am Carolyn, a daughter of the Most High King in Heaven above. I am called as an evangelist....That is not a title, for I am not "hung up" on titles, but being an evangelist is my understanding of the gift within the five-fold ministry that God has given me. I am apt to teach and to prophesy. I have the administrative works of an apostle, but my anointing is as an evangelist, not as a pastor! So I never have to worry about a church voting me out, for as I preach I deliver the Word as it has been given to me, and I can shake the dust off of my feet and go on to the next assignment.
It is indeed a challenge, yet a privilege to come before my church family this day to deliver God’s Word. It gives me joy to know that our pastor, Rev. H.W. Miller does not see me as a "woman in the pulpit", but accepts me as his sister-in-Christ, one of the brethren and a fellow yoke carrier. For our burden is not easy, but through Christ we can do all things who gives us strength. And I thank God for our Deacon Board who God used to suggest that I deliver the message this day. It takes strong Christian men of faith to make decisions that might not conform to the status quo of society and I want to acknowledge their commitment to serve God as the head of their lives.
To all of you, my brothers and sisters, it is good to see you in the presence of the Lord. We all could have been on our cooling boards this morning, but by God’s grace and His Mercy, He has brought us this far by faith, leaning on Him as we hold on to God’s unchanging hands.
There is a special Word from the Lord for you today and it has been divinely given to me for this church. I pray that all will receive the message with clarity and deep understanding, but I realize that some might hate it....the bottom line is that, like when the mailman delivers a bill to your mailbox, you usually hate getting it because you don’t want to pay the price- even though you created the debt! But, eventually, you have to pay the cost or else you will have a judgement placed against you and a higher debt to pay.
Isn’t that like God? Always giving us choices to accept or reject His Word through the messengers He sends you?
My intention is not to hold you long...I usually don’t hoop and shout...but I will allow the Holy Spirit to use me. I have no heaven nor hell to put you in, therefore I’ m not here to judge anyone! We have all sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God at some point in our lives, so God will be the judge of our eternal destiny...and that is a promise from God! Amen .
TEXT: Speaking of God and Judgement is what led me to the title of my sermon today, so if you need a topic, it’s this:
GOD DOESN’T WANT YOU TO BE A GOOD FOR NOTHING !
Communication is a big problem in the churches throughout the world today. The Word of God is being preached Sunday after Sunday throughout the nation, yet, the message isn’t getting across to everybody. Many of us are suffering with a poverty mentality and feel like there is no way out of our circumstances. Yet when we are taught the value of tithes and offerings we get mad and our hearts get empty.
We want to immediately react to things based upon our knowledge in spite of the fact that the scripture James 1 v. 19 says, ..My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Webster dictionary describes a "good for nothing" as a shiftless person with no direction in life; one without merit or purpose. The bible also defines certain people who are "good for nothing", as we think in terms of them today....a person who is lazy, won’t work, a beggar and the list could go on and on and on.
I know, and the Lord knows, that sometimes circumstances are allowed to happen in your life that could appear to be detrimental to your way of living. But often these are trials of endurance to build your faith and your trust in Him.
You could be "down and out" on your luck and you just can’t make ends meet. Maybe the welfare check or the SSI check ran out before the end of the month did. Those type situations don’t make you good for nothing...but what does, is, when you are a LAZY and A SHIFTLESS SLUGGARD.
PROVERBS 14 V. 23 says, All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. PROVERBS 26 V. 13-16 talks about the sluggard (good for nothing person) who finds excuses not to work and rationalize his/her behavior- The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!" As a door turns on its hinges, so a slugard turns on his bed. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly. Church, you don’t have to look very far to see some "good for nothing" folk, unfortunately some of us has one or two in our own families! They love to sleep while you are working and they have the audacity to act like they are discontented with life and their circumstances...well I suppose so, because PROVERBS 20 V. 13 warns us...Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare, laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry. PROVERBS 19 V. 15
When this type of person wakes up and realizes that they have missed out on their riches in glory, they want to show anger at the world and blame everybody else for their lack . A discontented, good for nothing person has a distorted view of life !
Illustration- A multimillionaire was asked how much was enough money. He answered, "Just a little bit more!" You see he had money wealth, but he was discontented! And a discontented person can’t remain satisfied for long. If you want to quench a person’s thirst, an empty glass won’t help them. We must have our inward emptiness filled and then we can find true happiness.
There were some guys hanging out at the neighborhood store and one of them said, "Man if I had a hundred dollars I’d never complain again!" A businessman was walking into the store and overheard the guy’s comments and interrupted the conversation, "Excuse me" "Did I hear you say if you had a hundred dollars, you would never complain again? The guy said, "That’s right,that’s what I said!"
So the businessman reached into his pocket and pulled a crisp $100 bill and gave it to the guy and said, "I’m happy to be able to help someone else have what they want" and he walked away.
Well, as soon as he got out of earshot, the guy said to his friends, "Man! If I’d known I could get a hundred, I should have asked for two hundred!!"
You see, when we suffer from discontent, we are never satisfied because we have a problem with internal affairs! We assume that if we can acquire a little bit more, then we will experience contentment!
Sometimes more is better...and sometimes less is much better! PROVERBS 15 V. 16 says, "Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasures and turmoil with it." Our attitudes has to take a higher priority than financial amounts! Financial poverty with a contented heart is better than having material abundance with a discontented spirit! Why would God want to give us more if we don’t appreciate what we already have? Church, you see, money isnt the issue-the problem is a restless heart.
This is a question and please don’t answer out loud, but search your soul with honesty. If someone offered you 7 million dollars to be miserable for the remainder of your life, would you take it?
It’s not how much we have, but how much we enjoy the little we have that makes happiness.
It doesn’f matter how much we have accumulated if we have not learned to be happy with what we have. We won’t be able to enjoy it!
God doesn’t want His children to live in poverty because the spirit of poverty is a curse, and it must be broken off of God’s people. The Israelites cried out to God for deliverance. Because poverty is a spirit, the people that are bound by it must be delivered. Poverty is a mind set. The strength of poverty is not what it manifests, but what is happening behind the scenes to cause the poverty.
Whether you live in a big, fine house or a one room apartment, be thankful for the roof over your head and make it a clean place to live. Whether you drive a foreign luxury car or an old pick-up truck, take care of it, keep it maintained properly and be thankful that you now have a choice! You can walk if you want to, but it’s not because you don’t have a vehicle to drive.
You may not have money to shop at a fine department store, but be thankful you can go to the clearance rack at an outlet store or shop at a thrift store like I do! Maybe you can’t go to the beauty salon every week, but be thankful that God made you in His image and you are beautiful in His sight. And men, knowing that you are made also in God’s image ,let’s you know that you should be proud and thankful to look like a KING!
The church might not be a mega-size church with thousands of members, but be thankful that we have a place to come and to fellowship, to serve God and that we are in the midst of communities where we have an opportunity to reach out and show others how to find salvation for their souls.
Church, the Lord wants you to understand that He doesn’t want you to be a good for nothing and full of discontent. I’m trying to help you understand and accept the fact that life isn’t always fair! If you look for life to be fair, you’ll always be angry. That’s why Paul said in effect: "I’ve learned to accept the fact that life isn’t easy. And that’s okay. I’m serving God and not my circumstances!"
We must stop complaining about our negative situations. No matter what you have experienced, never forget the goodness of the Lord. He has already done great things for you. Be thankful because we cannot enter into God’s gates for anything without first thanking Him for what He has already done. 1 THESSALONIANS 5 V. 18 says, In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
CONCLUSION:
As I come to close today, God wants to remind you that giving is a spiritual dictate that will change your lives and your lifestyle forever and that it doesn’t matter if you have a little to give or a lot.
1- Jesus heartily approved of the widow’s small gift. LUKE 21 V. 1-4 - As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth", He said , "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
2- The Lord wants us to give generously and cheerfully. 2 CORINTHIANS 8 V. 1-5 And now brothers we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected but they gave of themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.
3- Prayer is important. JOHN 15 V. 7- But if you stay in Me and obey My commands, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!
4- When you bless the church and bless the shepherd with a willing heart, the spirit of thankfulness will return to you. This is explained to us in the letter Paul wrote to the Phillipians.
....4- ALWAYS BE FULL OF JOY IN THE LORD; I SAY AGAIN, REJOICE! 5-LET EVERYONE SEE THAT YOU ARE UNSELFISH AND CONSIDERATE IN ALL YOU DO, REMEMBER THAT THE LORD IS COMING SOON. 6- DON’T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING; INSTEAD PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING; TELL GOD YOUR NEEDS AND DON’T FORGET TO THANK HIM FOR HIS ANSWERS. 7-IF YOU DO THIS YOU WILL EXPERIENCE GOD’S PEACE, WHICH IS FAR MORE WONDERFUL THAN THE HUMAN MIND CAN UNDERSTAND. HIS PEACE WILL KEEP YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOUR HEARTS QUIET AND AT REST AS YOU TRUST IN CHRIST JESUS. 8- AND NOW, BRETHREN, AS I CLOSE THIS LETTER LET ME SAY THIS ONE MORE THING; FIX YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT IS TRUE AND GOOD AND RIGHT. THINK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE PURE AND LOVELY, AND DWELL ON THE FINE, GOOD THINGS IN OTHERS. THINK ABOUT ALL YOU CAN PRAISE GOD FOR AND BE GLAD ABOUT IT. 9- KEEP PUTTING INTO PRACTICE ALL YOU LEARNED FROM ME AND SAW ME DOING, AND THE GOD OF PEACE WILL BE WITH YOU. 10- HOW GRATEFUL I AM AND HOW I PRAISE THE LORD THAT YOU ARE HELPING ME AGAIN. I KNOW YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ANXIOUS TO SEND WHAT YOU COULD, BUT FOR A WHILE YOU DIDN’T HAVE THE CHANCE. 11-NOT THAT I WAS EVER IN NEED, FOR I HAVE LEARNED HOW TO GET ALONG HAPPILY WHETHER I HAVE MUCH OR LITTLE. 12- I KNOW HOW TO LIVE ON ALMOST NOTHING OR WITH EVERYTHING. I HAVE LEARNED THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT IN EVERY SITUATION, WHETHER IT BE A FULL STOMACHE OR HUNGER, PLENTY OR WANT; 13- FOR I CAN DO EVERYTHING GOD ASKS ME TO WITH THE HELP OF CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH AND POWER. 17-BUT THOUGH I APPRECIATE YOUR GIFTS, WHAT MAKES ME HAPPIEST IS THE WELL-EARNED REWARD YOU WILL HAVE BECAUSE OF YOUR KINDNESS 18- THEY ARE A SWEET SMELLING SACRIFICE THAT PLEASES GOD WELL, 19- AND IT IS HE WHO WILL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEEDS FROM HIS RICHES IN GLORY, BECAUSE OF WHAT CHRIST JESUS HAS DONE FOR US.
ALTER CALL:
Today could be the last day of your life. Only God knows His plans for you. The judgements of God are sure, requiring the punishment of all who sin. God sent His beloved son, Jesus, who was without sin, to die in our place. God’s judgement was satisfied only through the shedding of Jesus’ blood. By rising again, Jesus triumphed over sin and death.
If we repent of our sins, and truly believe on Jesus as our Savior, we can have a new life now, and eternal life in heaven.
GOD LOVE US AND WANTS TO SAVE US.
WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN.
GOOD WORKS ALONE ARE NOT ENOUGH.
SALVATION IS AVAILABLE ONLY THROUGH JESUS.
WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE .
If you want to rededicate your life to God by coming before the church, please come now. Or if you want to stand where you are, that’s alright because God knows your heart.
If you want to become a member of this great church to fellowship and become a servant with us, please come. We will be happy to have you join us because we are on the battlefield for the Lord.
If you need a special prayer or want to be in intercessory prayer for someone else, please come.
BENEDICTION:
And now - all glory to Him who alone is God, who saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord; yes, splendor and majesty, all power and authority are His from the beginning; His they are and His they evermore shall be. And He is able to keep you from slipping and falling away, and to bring you, sinless and perfect, into His glorious presence with mighty shouts of everlasting joy. AMEN.
