WW120501 The business of Bethlehem’s baby John 8
Beginning:
Have you ever heard someone say, “I keep my religion and my business separated.” Or, God has no business in my business. This could not be further from the truth.
Some think faith in Jesus is esoteric, ivory towered, philosophical, traditional, warm fuzzy, church stuff.
Would it surprise you to discover that much of what Jesus came to do was economic? The baby born in Bethlehem had a business head on his shoulders.
Background:
The Jewish people developed a religious system that blinded them to the truth about the very God they were trying to know.
17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."
The Jewish people thought themselves to be the people closest to God of all men on earth. They not only were far away, but also were keeping people from knowing Him.
Their religion had become very complicated and oppressive to the very people it was intended to simplify and free.
19 Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.
Jesus knew that breaking through their “Traditions and Religion” and re-establishing truth would require drastic language.
21 Once more Jesus said to them, "I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come."
The darkness was complete in the Jewish religious leadership.
Basic Truth: Jesus’ unique position allowed Him to redefine God’s plan and clarify His claims on our everyday lives.
23 But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."
Burning Question What were the financial changes the Messiah came to establish? 25 Who are you?" they asked.
Prophecy
Psalm 146:7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free.
Jesus announced His Messiah ship by declaring the year of Jubilee
Luke 4:16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him,
Don’t miss the drama of this moment:
Luke 4:21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
Jesus declared the year of Jubilee. WOW!!!!
The Messiah came to set prisoners free.
People were not put in jail for murder, theft, adultery, and the like-they were killed. The people in jail were there because they could not pay their bills. Prisons were for debtors.
How do I know if I am in financial bondage?
#1. Does your family have its basic needs met, or are you always running out of money before you run out of month?
#2. Do you have extra to give to the needy?
#3. Do you tithe or tip?
If you find you are embarrassed by your answers to these questions, you are in financial bondage. There is a way out.
Put God first
Ask God to teach you how to live with financial excellence and follow His instructions exactly.
*Read the letter from Jeff and Julie from Naperville, Illinois.
The Messiah would give sight to the blind.
Vision health is a real problem in any third world setting. Blind people were a drain on family’s barley existing above the poverty level. Babies coming into the family were needed because they could help work the land and take of the older family members. When they are blind they are a financial drain.
Jesus came to restore people to the work world. His miracles made it possible for people to re engage in their own support. Blindness was a bondage and Jesus opened the door.
Kissing bugs, leprosy, flies and insects, injuries and birth defects afflicted a large part of the population. There were no real cures for blindness or even bad eye health. Jesus on several occasions restored sight to blind eyes.
There is a precious young lady who worships in our 11:00 service who is blind. Her name is Melissa. Oh, how I wish God would restore vision to her.
There are also many other blind people who worship God. They are blind to the truth of financial freedom if one by faith trusts God.
Illustration: A preacher said to his congregation, “I have good news and bad news to tell you. The good news is we have enough money to pay off our building debt. The bad news is the money to do it is in your checking accounts.”
Spiritual blindness symptoms:
The inability to see how generous giving can turn back into your life as a blessing.
The narrow sight that can’t see any need but personal
The conclusion that God can get along just fine without you blessing Him with your money, not realizing He can, but you can’t get along without His blessing.
The Messiah would end the cycle of poverty by redistributing wealth by restoring forfeited land to the original owners. Every 50 years it went back. If your kids were bad farmers and lost the farm, a future generation would get it back.
Giving people a chance to earn a living gives them their dignity. Handouts and hands up sometimes come at the cost of dignity.
Illustration:
Here is how most Christians do Thanksgiving and Christmas basket giving. We go to a home with a bag of groceries and expect the people we are there to bless to immediately turn their lives around, give their heart to Jesus, start going to church and become tithers. We give them worship schedules, and soul winning tracts. We want to stand around and sing carols or preach to them, but by doing so we are robbing them of their dignity. Jesus always restores our dignity along with all else that he does.
You want to give Christmas blessings like Jesus taught? Set the bags on the porch; ring the doorbell and run. Bless the poor in ways that doesn’t push them further down in despair.
Give rest to the land
Leviticus 25:1 The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ’When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the LORD.3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.5 Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest.6 Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you--for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, 7 as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.8 "’Count off seven sabbaths of years--seven times seven years--so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years.9 Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land.10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.11 The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines.12 For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.13 "’In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to his own property. --- 18 "’Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land.19 Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety.
The Messiah came with heavenly wisdom on ancient farming practices. Give rest to the land, by leaving the fields barren every 7th and 50th year.
What do I want my hearers to know?
The only avenue to financial excellence is to discover and follow God’s directives in financial matters.
You want to be spiritual? Do what God directs.
You want to be successful in money matters? Follow His lead
There is a process that leads to freedom from sin:
#1. Belief in Jesus
#2. Maturing understanding
#3. Commitment to the teachings of the Bible
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
The truth that leads to freedom includes every area of life. You can be free from financial bondage.
What do I want my hearers to do?
A faith relationship with Jesus is the only way to live without carrying the full sin load. Put all your faith in Jesus today
30 Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.
