THE PASTOR’S POINTS
sermon ministry of
CEDAR LODGE BAPTIST CHURCH
Thomasville, NC
A fellowship of Faith, Family and Friendship
July 27, 2003
A country song some years ago was composed around the theme of a small town in rural Texas being a great sight – in the rear view mirror! Egypt was that for God’s people. After 430 years as captives, the two-million plus slaves that made up the nation of Israel left Pharaoh’s town in the dust; the nation and its leader were plundered and broken. There was no fight with swords, spears and chariots; God had fought the entire battle, and the victory was complete. God’s plans, worked in God’s ways are like that!
God’s plan was to prepare Israel, the descendants of Abraham to possess the Promised Land. They couldn’t do that wallowing around in straw and mud, making bricks for the Pharaoh’s pyramid tomb. So God brought an end to the captivity and poverty of His people and, by doing so, redistributed the wealth and splendor of Egypt to a bunch of former slaves headed for Beulah Land!
I like that story! Most of mine are about going from hero to zero. God’s people went from zero to hero overnight. It wasn’t easy, and the journey they took required a lot of faith and courage, but it was worth it – just like all the promises of God.
This text overflows its brim with teaching about how to exercise faith in stewardship. As we investigate this story further, I want you to see several important principles of stewardship which are helpful for us, especially as we approach another time of planning for a new year, with budgeting and supporting the ministries of God’s work.
I. WHEN YOU COOPERATE WITH GOD HE GIVES YOU COURAGE TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP.
The people that came out of Egypt were not accustomed to success; they were slaves. They were used to being told what to do, and doing it so they wouldn’t have someone stick a sword through their head. Leaving Egypt under the “say-so” of Moses was one thing, but they were told to tell their masters they wanted to take some of the household gold and other valuables. 430 years of slavery can condition you to questioning a new way, even if it is God leading the charge!
So many of us have been stuck in the bondage of our own carnal living we don’t even want to hear the word “tithe”.
Do you know what the percentage is of born-again adults who claimed to tithe to their church in the last few years?
In 2000: 12 In 2001: 14 In 2002: 6
Yet, God says that if we want to cooperate with Him we will tithe. The testimony of believer after believer which I have heard over the years is that, if you begin to tithe (cooperate), God will give you the courage to continue…and He will provide.
Pastor and author Bob Russell writes:
Jackie Nelson gave a moving testimony years ago that I’ve often repeated. Jackie said, "I am a single mother of three teenagers. My ex-husband does not help. I barely get by. We really want to do our part in this three-year campaign so our new building can be built. But when we discussed it as a family, we realized that we can’t give any more than a tithe. So we decided that our gift would be to pray every day for the success of this program.
But in the middle of our discussion my oldest son said, ’Mom, we’ve got cable television. We don’t have to have that.’ So we’ve decided to give up our cable TV for three years so we can do our part.
The widow who was gathering a few sticks to make a fire so she could use the last of her grain to make a final meal for her son and herself met a man named Elijah who told her to give the last meal to him instead. Had I been the widow I probably would’ve used the sticks on him. But she had courage and took the step to give even the last of what she had – and God blessed her. The Bible tells us that after she did give the prophet what he asked, her meal barrel never ran out even though she had nothing to put in it.
The question then is, what are you going to do with what’s in your barrel this year? Will you cooperate with God and tithe?
II. WHEN YOU COOPERATE WITH GOD YOU WILL (eventually) BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND HIS WILL.
I have often had to smile at my own spiritual blindness. I have to confess I have a difficult time sensing where God is going with things. (He very rarely asks my advice or permission before He does things!). It would have been easy for Moses and all of Israel to second-guess the Lord when all those plagues didn’t get them released from Pharaoh; it only made things worse. It is difficult to figure out God’s ways – He says that His ways are higher than ours. In this case God was after something from Pharaoh:
7But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between the Egyptians
and the Israelites. 8All the officials of Egypt will come running to me, bowing low. ‘Please leave!’ they will beg. ‘Hurry! And take all your followers with you.’ Only then will I go!” Then, burning with anger, Moses left Pharaoh’s presence. 9Now the LORD had told Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you. But this
will give me the opportunity to do even more mighty miracles in the land of Egypt.” 10Although Moses and Aaron did these miracles in Pharaoh’s presence,
the LORD hardened his heart so he wouldn’t let the Israelites leave the country. Exodus 11:7-10
God was using Pharaoh’s arrogance to highlight the miracles that God was going to bring into play. It was up to Moses and Israel to cooperate with the Lord before they could see that.
God’s greater plan for Israel (and for all of us), was wrapped up in the great miracle of the Passover. On the final miracle, the 14th day of the month, the death angel came through the entire land and took the firstborn of any household where the directions of God had not been followed. God had directed that blood of a sacrificed lamb be placed on the doorways of the houses. The angel would respect that threshold and not take the firstborn of that household.
Warren Wiersbe in outlining this chapter showed the progression in this passage that corresponds to God’s offer of salvation:
3Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 4And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. 5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: Exodus 12:3-5 (KJV)
Notice how it is “a lamb”; then “the lamb”; and finally “YOUR lamb”! Recognition of the Son of God as the lamb is good; but He must become your lamb. This is the personal aspect of salvation. In cooperating with God’s ways and plans before you understand them fully you enter the gate of understanding by and by.
Elizabeth and I conducted a home Bible Study many years ago. One of the ladies who attended was MaryAnn. One night MaryAnn arrived all smiles and full of praise. We asked what had happened. She said, “I’m praising God for my dog’s fleas!” Now, I’ve known some strange folks, but I asked anyway. It seems MaryAnn’s hound had just become a momma. When MaryAnn looked at the hound closely she noticed fleas. When she got really close she saw the pooch’s entire coat was moving. This dog had a major flea infestation.
Try as she could MaryAnn couldn’t get rid of those fleas. The vet told MaryAnn to dip the momma away from the pups and then walk her to dry off because the pups were too young to get the dip on them. While walking, the dog delivered the last of the birth sacs that hadn’t yet come out. Later MaryAnn’s vet told her that it was a good thing the dog had to be walked. At that stage she probably wouldn’t have delivered the last sac if she hadn’t been active. It would have made her very sick. Having the fleas caused the walk, which may have saved the dog’s life. MaryAnn was praising God for the fleas!
I don’t know how often fleas are used by God for any good purpose, but the point isn’t begged here – God reveals Himself when and how He so chooses. However, whenever we cooperate with Him we eventually can look back and understand His will. As we begin another year, if you have not cooperated with God by tithing, may I inform you that you will never see His will in it unless you cooperate with Him.
3. WHEN YOU COOPERATE WITH GOD YOU WILL PLEASE HIM
One of the reasons many folks have difficulty seeing or understanding God’s will is because He is very reluctant to reveal Himself to people who don’t please Him. The Bible tells us that very clearly:
6So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
Being sincere about seeking God’s will, and pleasing Him is the key. Scottish preacher, Gordon MacDonald tells about his father giving him two nickels on Sunday; one is for his allowance, the other for the offering. By the time he got to church he’d lost one of the nickels. When the offering plate was passed he was sincerely sorry about having lost God’s nickel!
Around Thanksgiving a few years ago, radio commentator Paul Harvey shared a true story of a woman and her frozen Thanksgiving turkey. The Butterball Turkey Company set up a telephone hotline to answer consumer questions about preparing holiday turkeys. One woman called to inquire about cooking a turkey that had been in the bottom of her freezer for 23 years. That’s right-23 years.
The Butterball representative told her the turkey would probably be safe to eat if the freezer had been kept below zero for the entire 23 years. But the Butterball representative warned her that even if the turkey was safe to eat, the flavor would probably have deteriorated to such a degree that she would not recommend eating it. The caller replied, "That’s what I thought. We’ll give the turkey to our church."
Here is a statement that is perhaps controversial today…
Everyone wants to please God.
Now, the reason I said it is controversial is that some folks claim to not believe in God. That is nonsense! God has told us that He has imprinted His image on us and in us in such a way that we know without being told that He is our Creator. The problem is sin. Those who claim to not care if they please God are sticking their heads in the sand, ostrich style, hoping the dilemma will go away. It doesn’t!
My friend, you may please your self, your spouse or GMC Finance by holding back God’s tithe, but you’re pleasing the wrong party. Mark it down. Give your tithe to God – it is holy unto Him.
1Then the LORD said to Moses, 2“Dedicate to me all the firstborn sons of Israel and every firstborn male animal. They are mine.” 3So Moses said to the people, “This is a day to remember forever—the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. For the LORD has brought you out by his mighty power. Exodus 13:1-3a
Dedicating of the firstborn is the same as tithing. It is recognition that God is the One Who gives you all of what you have. You give Him back the best…the first tenth!
IV. WHEN YOU COOPERATE WITH GOD YOU WILL BEGIN TO LEARN TO TEACH OTHERS HIS WILL
14“And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With mighty power the LORD brought us out of Egypt from our slavery. Exodus 13:14 (NLT)
The Passover is still celebrated today by Jewish congregations. The night of release from the bitterness of bondage by God’s strong arm is a major theme of the night. The story is passed on to the next generation one home at a time.
One of the ways the Israelites had to cooperate with God on that night was to eat the roasted lamb within the house. Parents did not wait for the church to lead their children to the Lord…they instructed them as they ate.
I advocate the same thing. Children will ask their parents the questions IF they see them participating. Parents, do your children know you tithe? Do they know you don’t?
