WHEN SERVING LEFTOVERS IS ACCEPTABLE...
• YES. The day after thanksgiving or Christmas when you are exhausted from all the celebrating and eating that you did the day before…it is ok to serve leftovers because you dragging something out of the refrigerator and putting it in the microwave and push a couple buttons is about all you have the strength to do. We know that, in many cases, the leftovers are not as good as they were when they were served the first time but it is ok and those who live with us are fine with it and if they are not and complain about it then show them where the stove and refrigerator is and let them cook.
• NO. Imagine that somebody important to you or of a certain cultural status was coming to town and you invited them to your house for supper and they accepted.
Most of us would never think about serving leftovers to a special guest who was coming over for supper. We would want the food we served them to be fresh and piping hot. We would want to serve them the best meal we possibly could not warmed over leftovers. WE WOULD GIVE OUR BEST TO SOMEONE WHO IS SPECIAL TO US!
A HUGE QUESTION. As we continue in our series called “LET IT GO!” I want to pose a question to you based upon this idea of the best we have to offer versus leftovers. The question is this: ARE YOU GIVING JESUS THE BEST YOU HAVE TO OFFER OR THE LEFTOVERS OF YOUR LIFE? One of the things we learn about Jesus from His Word is that He certainly deserves the best we have to offer and not the leftovers of our lives. This makes sense especially when we consider the fact that He gave the best He had to offer—HIMSELF—in order to accomplish everything necessary for our salvation and in a very real sense; Jesus gave His best for us and to us.
BEST EQUALS FIRST. As we think about what it means to give Jesus our best in response to Him giving His best to and for us it is important to know what the Bible has to say about what is the best we have to offer. Over and over again we find that God defines the best we have to offer as the first part or portion of what it is we are offering to Him. For instance, God said that the firstborn child was to be set apart and dedicated to Him. God said that of animal sacrifices that the best part of the offering was the first part of the animal, which was the fat. God said that the best part of the crop to be offered to Him in worship was the first part of the harvest. We could go on and on but we get this picture that the BEST OF WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER TO JESUS IS THE FIRST PART OF WHAT WE ARE OFFERING TO HIM.
With all of this in mind, here at the start of a new year, I want to talk about three areas of our lives where we can give Jesus the best we have to offer and if we will commit ourselves to these three areas of our lives we will find something awesome take place in our walk with Jesus.
THE FIRST PART OF THE DAY MARK 1:35-39
JESUS PRAYS EARLY IN THE DAY. Mark’s gospel is unique because within just a few short verses we are taken to the public ministry of Jesus. The previous section records a time when Jesus, while visiting the house of Simon, one of His newly called disciples, and after healing his mother-in-law of a fever, the entire town brought their sick and lame to Him to be healed. Jesus, full of compassion and mercy for the afflicted, cured the sick, healed the lame and set free those who were possessed and oppressed by demons. After such a busy time of ministry we find, if the timing is chronological as I believe it to be, Jesus begins the next day by going out to a solemn place to begin the day in prayer. We get a sense here that Jesus, knowing that there is much ministry to be done in the new day, viewed prayer and time with His heavenly Father was a necessity for daily life and not something to be taken lightly or ignored or pushed off until the end of the day. We get this picture that time spent with the Father was necessary because that time served as “fuel for the soul” for the work to be done that day.
WE NEED TO BEGIN THE DAY WITH JESUS! I’m not trying to be a legalist here but Jesus gives us an example that shows that there is something special about the first part of the day and If it is true that Jesus, the Son of God, made prayer a priority in His life how much more does that reveal to us the priority that prayer should have in our lives? If Jesus was strengthened through time spent in prayer with the Father for the day before Him how much more does this reveal just how much we should likewise give the first part of our day to time with Jesus so that we may receive “fuel for our souls” and strength for the day that lies ahead of us that He already knows about. Beginning the day with Jesus is not just talking to Him in prayer but hearing from Him through His Word!
ARE YOU GIVING JESUS THE BEST OR LEFTOVERS OF YOUR DAY? Some of you think that what I am suggesting right now is a physical impossibility. Your agenda is full. Your day is always spent. Although we only have 24 hours in a day you live a 25 hours a day life. This means that you are going to have to prioritize. You are going to move some things around and make some sacrifices to say no to some things that are good in order to say yes to that which is best. When something is important to us we will find a way. I know all too well how easy it is to come up with 1000’s of excuses to ignore this exhortation but when Someone is important to us then we will order our lives accordingly.
THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK HEBREWS 10:23-25
“ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK…” If the first part of the day is the best part of the day that we can give of ourselves to Jesus then let us think about the first day of the week. Sunday is the first day of the week of our calendar and there is a lot of important stuff that has happened on the first day of the week. Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week. The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost on the first day of the week. A lot of important stuff has happened on the first day of the week. It is no surprise then that the New Testament Church meets corporately for worship on the first day of the week. Historically the first day of the week has been called The Lord’s Day in remembrance of His resurrection and the establishment of His church in the world. As we begin this New Year I am asking you to make a commitment to making a priority the corporate gathering of the Church on the first day of the week.
THE BIBLICAL EXORTATION. Not making the corporate gathering of believers a priority in life is nothing new for Christians. The author of Hebrews, writing to believers in this particular section, says…HEBREWS 10:23-25. The Scriptures directly address those who do not make the regular gathering of believers a priority in their lives. What we do on a weekly basis as we gather is important for us. WE GATHER…
1. TO WORSHIP. We gather together to worship and adore Jesus because He is worthy. While individual worship is important and good for our souls, there is something about corporate worship that is encouraging to the soul knowing that there are others in this thing called a walk of faith together. This is why the Bible talks about fellowshipping with one another as believers. Being together encourages us for life when we are apart. Fellowship must be centered on worship whether it is in a service like this or around a meal in the fellowship hall otherwise it is just a gathering.
2. TO BE EQUIPPED. Another reason why we meet together regularly like this is to be equipped for the work of ministry. EPHESIANS 4:11-13 reveals that Jesus has gifted the church with leaders for the purpose of teaching JESUS’ WORD so that the JESUS’ PEOPLE may be equipped for JESUS’ MINISTRY through them in the world resulting in GROWTH/MATURITY IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.
3. TO BE ENCOURAGED AND TO BE AN ENCOURAGER. The passage in Hebrews said that as we gather we are to encourage one another. We do a really good job at sharing prayer requests with one another but, generally speaking, we respond poorly. While it may be that we pray for a situation somebody is going through how often are we intentional about encouraging somebody while they are going through something? JESUS TAKES US TO AND THROUGH TOUGH TIMES IN OUR LIVES TO GROW US IN OUR FAITH AND PREPARE US TO MINISTER TO SOMEBODY ELSE WHO IS GOING TO GO THROUGH SOMETHING SIMILAR. The “it is all about me” mentality that so many take towards church and its services is so contrary to biblical teaching that it is not even funny and, if we find ourselves in this place, we should be willing to be broken over this kind of manipulation of God’s grace to us in giving us a community to be a part of.
LEFTOVERS? Do you plan for your time gathering together as the Church? Do you prepare for your time gathering together as the Church? When you show up here are you purposed to worship, to be equipped and to encourage somebody else? The “leftover” approach to our FIRST DAY GATHERINGS finds excuses to come easily for not being here regularly. It is amazing how many EXCUSES we make for missing out on the corporate gatherings that would that we would never try to use for missing work! IF THIS IS NOT A PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE THEN EVERY EXCUSE SEEMS VALID AND JUSTIFIABLE.
THE FIRST PART OF OUR WEALTH PROVERBS 3:9-10
TITHES AND OFFERINGS. The concept of worshipping Jesus with our wealth, tithes and offerings, is not something constrained to Old Testament people of God. It is an act of worship that occurred before the LAW of God was given (GENESIS 14), was prescribed in the LAW for worship, and Jesus affirmed, not abolished, in the New Testament as worship. The proverb says that when we honor/worship the Lord with our wealth (tithes and offerings) that we are to do so with the first portion not the leftovers. One of the primary reasons why so many Christians are disobedient in this area is because they are content giving Jesus the leftovers of their lives in this area rather than the first and best portion. When we give of our wealth unto the Lord with a heart of worship Jesus is glorified. When we give of our wealth unto the Lord with a heart of worship it is for our good! Here are two reasons why…
1. It keeps us humble. This is not about Jesus having needs this is about man having needs. God’s people needed to worship with their tithes and offerings to remind them that what they have is not the product of their own hands but has been given to them by Him by grace—DEUTERONOMY 6:10-12.
2. It guards our hearts. God’s people needed to worship with tithes and offerings so their hearts could be guarded against the temptation to make their wealth their god and treasure—LUKE 12:32-34. Jesus spoke so much about money matters because He knows our hearts better than we know our hearts ourselves.
THANKFUL WORSHIP. As we think about what it means to give the best of our lives to Jesus in this area we come back to the words of PROVERBS 3:9-10 and we are opened up the reality that the heart that has Jesus as treasure and first priority will give of the first portion of their resources back unto Him in worship and adoration for who He is and what He has done. There are many of you who have a “leftover” approach to worshipping Jesus in this area.
OLD PROBLEMS. NEW YEAR. LET IT GO AND GROW.
It is time to let go of serving leftovers to Jesus. He is worthy of the first and best of what we have to offer Him. He died for us. Let us live for Him.
JESUS GIVES OUR DAYS. LET US GIVE HIM THE FIRST PORTION OF IT IN DEVOTION. JESUS GIVES US OUR WEEKS. LET US GIVE HIM THE FIRST DAY OF IT IN OUR GATHERING FOR WORSHIP, EQUIPPING AND ENCOURAGEMENT. JESUS GIVES US OUR WEALTH. LET US GIVE HIM THE FIRST PORTION OF IT IN THANKSGIVING.
Maybe today the issue isn’t so much that you need to give Jesus the first part of your day or even the first part of your week but you need to give Jesus your sin and receive His grace in forgiving salvation.
Maybe today the issue isn’t so much that you need to give Jesus the first part of your day with a local faith family but that you need to quit dating the Church and identify with the Church by becoming a member.
Maybe today the issue isn’t so much that you need to begin worshipping Jesus in the area of your finances but you need to grow in this. The tithe is a baseline from where we grow in grace as we let hold of the worldly to embrace more and more the things of Jesus.
