One + One=?
Stewardship: The Missing Piece of Successful Living
January 26, 2003 FBC, Chester, IL Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
Review
Arguably the greatest influencer for Christ in the 19th century was D.L. Moody. (A layman, not an ordained clergy)
A Henry Varley quote that changed D.L. Moody’s life forever. "The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully consecrated to God!"
B D.L. Moody was one of those guys whose availability was greater than his ability.
(Show the power of what happens when we link up with God.)
a D.L. Moody was born in 1837 in North Ridge, Mass. (Poor, father died at the age of 41 leaving his family very poor, the creditors took everything even the firewood.)
*So poor that when the mother took the children to church, she made them walk to church holding their shoes and sox, and before they entered the church then the kids could put on the their shoes.
b D.L. Moody became a great salesman. Top shoe salesman in the east.
*D.L. was lead to the Lord in the back of a shoe store by a Sunday School teacher, Mr. Kimmbel. (D.L. spoke to over 100 million people about Christ. What kind of reward do you think that S.S. teacher got in heaven?)
*D.L Moody wasn’t the "sharpest" tool in the shed. Illiterate, couldn’t speak well.
c D.L. wanted to join the church, flunked the membership class. (You don’t flunk membership classes!)
*2nd year, they let him join even though he was incredibly illiterate.
d At the age of 30, he decided he would sell his shoe business and serve God full time as a layman. (Church tried to persuade him other wise.)
*D.L. Moody spoke at his church and after his talk was approached by two men. One a deacon and he said, "I think you could best serve God by remaining silent for the rest of your life."
*The other man said, "You have bad grammar." D.L Moody said, "I notice you good grammar." "Yes I do" the man replied. "What are you doing for God?"
e He went to Dublin, Ireland and was sitting on bench when he heard Henry Varley say the quote in your bulletin.
D.L. Moody’s book, he wrote down his response.
"He said a man. He didn’t say a great man learned man smart man. He just simply said "a man." I’m a man. And it lies within me whether I will or will not make this full consecration to God. I will do my best to be that man."
One + One doesn’t equal ONE when we link up with God.
Text: Acts 3:
Story of Peter and John going to the temple to pray at 3:00.
T.S.: Let’s look at 7 or 8 things/type that God uses to bless. What kind of people does God link up in partnership with?
1 People who are doing the right things. (vv:1)
A It’s 3:00 p.m. and the people are going to the temple to pray. (Doing the right thing.)
a People all the time say, "I want God to use me."
*Obey God, do the right things. (He’ll bring the right people, at the right time, right reason, right ministry.)
b Ever notice those people who just float by? They may have been going to church for years...but they just float by.
*Others that move, grove, God blesses. Why? They are doing the right thing. Not doing spectacular things, exciting things, sensational things. Work Hard, Love God, Family, Church, Bible, Pastor...doing the right things. God can use that person!!!
2 People who are willing to be interrupted. (vv:2/3) God uses people who love people.
A Peter and John are going to church and get stopped in the foyer.
a Ever met someone who doesn’t like people?
*Charlie Brown "I love mankind,..it’s people I can’t stand."
b God uses people who love people. (Put people above...policy, programs, procedure. Jesus died for PEOPLE. This world will one day pass, the only thing that remain will be PEOPLE.)
3 People who pay attention to needs. (vv:4) Peter and John saw this man needed something.
A Did Peter and John have needs of their own? (Absolutely.)
a Givers don’t have less needs than others, they’ve just decided that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
b Givers don’t concentrate on themselves. Concentrate on others.
What could have Pete and John said?
"We’d love to help, but were going to church to pray." Ever met someone so heavenly minded their of no earthly.
*Prayer is the biggest cop out for so many Christians. "I’m praying about sharing my faith. Praying about tithing. Praying about serving in a ministry position at my church." *love you.....for some of you, the best thing you could do is get of your prayer closet and start meeting peoples needs through your church.
"Why is it every time we go to church, we have to do everything?"
*Do you ever feel like you are the only one doing work for Jesus.
*Sunday is a day of rest. I didn’t come to contribute, came to consume.
*Feed me preacher! (Some of us are spiritual porkers and need to exercise.)
(IL.) Some of you took your babies to the nursery (thank you!), the person in the nursery is giving an hour of their time so you can worship up here. Ushers get here before you so you can have bulletin, find your class, welcome you the church
*If everyone put in as much work as you did this morning for this service, what kind of service would you have?
"What a shame this bigger is outside this new church."
*Junking up the place. Not a place for need people, a museum for saints.
*The church is a hospital for sinners. I’m looking at a whole bunch of them and you have a crippled man preaching to this morning. Were in the same boat
together.
"Why is every time we go to church they ask from money."
"I don’t have what he’s asking for so I’m not responsible."
*Gold and silver, I have none,...but....
*They didn’t because they were givers, partners with God and he’ll work through people.
4 God uses people who...Inspire hope in others. (vv:4/5) (Motivators)
Q. Do you know why people want to be around givers?
A. They think they’re going to get something. (Not money! Life, encouragement, hope, kind word, compliment, smile)
*When you enter a room do you worry about what people think of you.
OR...do you enter a room and ask yourself what can I give here? Who can I help out? Encourage.
*I know people who drain me by just being around them? Hard to be around.
*I know people who lift me up. Inspire. God uses that person.
5 God uses people who use what they have. (vv:6)
A Givers always find a way to give. (Note, card, call, kind word)
a Givers find a way to give. Takers find a way to steal.
b Are you taking from folks or adding to people?
"There are two kinds of people on earth today, Not the good and the bad, for ‘tis well understood that the good are half-bad and bad half-good No! The two kinds of people on earth I mean Are the people who lift and the people who lean."
6 God uses people who realize their source of giving in God. (vv:6..In the name of.)
A Peter and John realized:
God’s power: His ability to give.
God’s provision: His willingness to give.
God’s partnership: His reason to give.
B God always works through people.
Flood=Noah Jericho=Joshua Captive Children=Moses God’s Son is in the World=John the baptist
Partnership: God supplies....Man shares
Partnership: God is the creator....Man is the channel
Partnership: God pours it on...Man passes it on.
We are in trouble when we feel......
Independent: we are the source and supply
Inadequate: there is no source and supply
God doesn’t care who he uses...as long as they are sold-out to him.
God uses people....who turn their page!!!!!!!
7 God uses people who are willing to try an God will do the rest. (v:7)
Peter lifted the crippled man up, God did the rest!!!!
8 God uses people who want to give God the glory. (vv:11-12)
AC 3:11 While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. [12] When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
Conclusion:
D.L. Moody was in NY and a man gave him a huge financial gift for his school. Moody said "If you ever get up to Chicago I’ll return the favor to you." The man said, "Don’t wait on me. You return the favor to the first person you see when you get back to Chicago."
TAT: Not money. Time, kind word, phone call, card, baby sitting for a young couple so they can have a nice night alone, grandparents can cook chocolate cookies and if you can’t think of anybody to something nice for....remember your pastor.
***Notice: I have used Sermon Central Sermon for a very long time. If this or any of my sermons are similar to a sermon that is currently already on Sermon Central by another pastor or teacher....chances are I have used it. Actually, there is probably absolutely nothing in this sermon that hasn’t been preached before! If I used your sermon and haven’t given you credit, please write me and I’ll give you credit by name. I have in no way intentionally withheld credit to any work I’ve used/borrowed from. PLEASE NOTE THAT IF I HAVE "USED" YOUR WORK IT WAS BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU HAD A SUPER SERMON! I prefer to preach with an outline and just rearranged your sermon. My intent is to make sermons relevant and easy for outline guys to use. If you use MY work, feel free to claim it. I do not care!!! Simply realize that I have borrowed from other preachers, too.
Mike Fogerson, Pastor, Chester’s First Baptist Church
