Stewardship and Life Management Four
This material should be used in conjunction with Dr Harry Wendt’s “In Heavens Name, Why on Earth?”
The Priesthood Defined
We Christian’s have a thing build into us by the Spirit of God, and this thing comes about due to the life change that occurs when we become believers. When the Holy Spirit impacts us, we want to tell others about Jesus, about how we have encountered God. Now some of us are a bit fearful of doing this while others do it to such an extent that those hearing about it wish they would shut up for five minutes so they could get a word in edgeways about the rugby or the news or that the eggs have boiled dry and the saucepans caught fire and things are looking fairly grim in the kitchen.
What happens to us when we come to faith is that we become part of ‘the priesthood’! Now I’m not talking about the robes and the dog collar type of priest but about being part of this great body of all believers that is the church. All these odd saved people joined together that comprise the earthly body of Christ, The Church.
This was true for the nation of Israel also when God gathered the people together at Mount Sinai where he said “The whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5b-6) Then God made His covenant with the nation of Israel.
As you will know if you’ve been here over the last few weeks we have been looking at Dr Harry Wendt’s material, “In Heavens Name Why on Earth.” This is the last week of the series and the focus of this week is Managing Me, Managing Money. I know that I just used the “M” word but relax I’m only going to discuss biblical stuff here.
Point two.
Point three.
Point Four.
Point Five. This in itself is extremely relevant, priests are called apart to witness to intercede on behalf of others, to intercede on behalf of one another and too stretch out beyond the noise and bustle of life and bring others into the kingdom of God. A priest that is engaging in the world in the way of witness is a witness. Some thing to remember is that a priest who engages in the world in sinful ways has no credibility and is a burden to the true witness of the church.
Dr Harry has come up with a good illustration of what this Priesthood looks like and why!
Illustration 3C
Point one.
Point two.
Point three.
Point four.
Point five.
Deuteronomy 4:6-8;” Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” 7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? 8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?”
1 Peter 2:8-9; 8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”[a]They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Being that the sermon series is called “Stewardship and Life Management” here comes the bit on money.
Money.
Illustration 3D
Point one. There are two hands in the illustration; the one on the left Mary’s contains a Kiwi fruit, Mary grows Kiwi Fruit! The one on the right Mark’s contains a wheelbarrow wheel. One day Mary gives mark a wheel barrow load of kiwifruit and in return he gives her a new wheelbarrow wheel. So what are they actually giving each other, Dr Harry answers this by saying nothing! Now this might seem a bit odd but he explains it this way. Though Mary put effort into growing the [kiwifruit], they come from and belong to God. Although Mark put the effort into marking the wheel, the materials and skills he used come from and belong to God.”
Point two.
Point three.
Point four.
Point five.
Playing with Percentages.
Illustration 3E
The World’s Approach
Point one. PP. Time, Talents and Treasure
Point two. This bloke assumes that those three T’s are all his.
Jesus Approach to this is different to the blokes.
At this point you will now be waited upon for your offering!
Point one. Exodus 19:5 and 1 Corinthians 4:7
Point two. So the bloke after looking into the Word could be asking the question “How much of what belongs to God do I truly need to keep and use for my own needs?” This reminds me of the Soldiers covenant, and this comes with a challenge to soldiers are you living in this part of your covenant? “I will be actively involved, as I am able, in the life, work, worship and witness of the corps, giving as large a proportion of my income as possible to support its ministries and the worldwide work of the Army.”
Point three.
Point four.
Point five.
The Appropriate Offering.
Illustration 3F
Point one.
Hosea 6:6 “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Matthew 9:13 “’I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Point two.
Point three.
Point four.
Point five.
The truth that comes from this series is that we are given, our skills, talents and provision by God so that we can live in relationship with Him, serving Him, in our service to others. We are not to ask the question what others want, but what it is God would have us do for them. We are all to live productive God honouring lives giving of what we have this includes money. In recognising that money being stored service we are in a position to give some of this service to others.
The scriptures discuss the amount; the soldiers covenant gives soldiers an understanding of what to give. The challenge this week is what is it God would have you give through the part of his Church here a t Sydenham to bring life change to people and people to eternal life and to service in His Kingdom here on Earth. It is your place to determine what you will give back to God for the work of the Church; this is between the two of you. The final point I will leave you with is that what happens in the physical effects what happens in the spiritual, because it is all spiritual.
Let’s pray
Our Father in Heaven,
Holy is your name,
Your Kingdom come,
Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,
Give us this day our daily bread,
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,
Lead us not into temptation butt deliver us from evil,
For yours is the power and the glory for ever and ever!
Amen.
