Faith That Gives
Gen. 14:17-24
Jan. 8, 2006 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction:
A Barometer
1 Low pressure-clouds/rain are coming in
2 High pressure-blue skies are starting to show
B Giving is a barometer for your spiritual growth
1 Giving is biblical (faithful)-see it in your life
2 Giving is unbiblical (unfaithful)-see it in your life
C I preach on stewardship every year for several reasons:
1 Biblical
2 Care
3 Worship
4 I don’t beg for money
5 Ministry costs money ($100-25,000 $250,000=most of the budget)
D One man comes to the top of the cream (Old/New Testament) when we look at faithfulness. Abraham.
1 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son... Heb 11:8-9,17 (NASB) By faith
a Abraham wasn’t great because he was wealthy, good-looking, charitable-it was his faith in God!
b His life was a barometer that showed his faith in God.
2 Abraham (Abram) & Lot had parted company over a dispute over some pasture land.
a Lot went to Sodom & Gomorrah, Abram lived in Hebron
b Five kings from the north came & raided five kings in/around the area of Sodom & Gomorrah
aa v. 11 says they took all their feed
bb v. 12 says they also took Abraham’s nephew, Lot
c Abraham rounded up 318 of his ranch hands
aa Put deputy badges on them, put weapons in their hands & they go out after these 5 kings
bb They were successful (v.16)
3 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." He gave him a tenth of all. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself." 22 Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, ’I have made Abram rich.’ 24 "I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share." Gen 14:17-24 (NASB)
I Abraham recognized that God already owned it all.
A There are at least three ways God already owned it all...
1 He owns it by right of creation
a Scripture is crystal-clear that God is the Creator in creationism, the intelligence in intelligent design.
aa In the beginning God created... Gen 1:1 (NASB)
bb All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:3 (KJV)
cc For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. Col 1:16 (NASB)
b What He makes, He owns!
2 He owns it by right of sustaining
a Some say God made the earth, wound up the clock, & stepped back...let the earth run itself.
b Col. 1:17 tells us different He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Col 1:17 (NASB)
c In other words, God holds it all together, keeps it going.
3 He owns it because He bought it.
a What Adam sinfully sold at the fall, Jesus lovingly brought back at the cross.
b A time is coming, according to Eph. 1 & Romans 8, when Jesus will restore EVERYTHING to its pre-fall condition.
B God owns everything we have.
1 When we give, we don’t give God anything He doesn’t already possess.
a He has placed within our care what we call our incomes
b God has given us every cent that has passed through our hands.
2 We can express our recognition of His ownership over everything by honoring Him with a faithful tithe back to Him.
C Lake & french fries
1 I could take them all
2 I could smother him with french fries
3 What I want is for him to share with me what I have given him
II Abraham recognized that his love & gratitude were manifested through his tithe to the local church.
A Melchizedek was a type of Christ in Gen. 14
1 He represented God
a being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Heb 5:10 (NASB)
where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Heb 6:20 (NASB)
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. 4 Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. Heb 7:1-4 (NASB)
b To Abraham, his priest was God’s man, ambassador
c When Abraham gave, he was showing his love & gratitude to God.
2 Some may say, "Abraham was under the law, we’re not."
a Abraham lived before the Law was established
b Abraham tithed before he was commanded by the Law to do so. Why?
c He recognized Melchizedek represented God, and out of a heart of love & gratitude he expressed his faith in God by giving.
B When we give, we show our heart of love & gratitude.
1 "I’m not under the law, I’m under grace."
a The Law always asked for less than grace demands
aa Adultery. Physically-lust
bb Murder. Physically-hate
b Jesus in no way lowers the standards now that we’re under grace.
c He doesn’t want to force us to give our offerings, but rather for us to express our love & gratitude through faithful giving.
2 When we refuse to give faithfully, we fail to express our love & gratitude to God & what He’s given us.
a People will use all kinds of excuses when they refuse to give.
aa I can’t afford it (what if God gave you the income that represented your giving?)
bb I’m mad at the preacher (you don’t give to me, you’re giving to the ministry of the Kingdom of God)
cc I’m under grace
b If you’re not faithfully giving, how are you expressing your love & gratitude to God for His blessings?
C Sunday School/worship attendance is not tithing
1 Sit down at the China King, eat, & then walk out!
2 You’ll have "Bruce LeRoy" with the flying death monkey fists of fury...you no pay bill!
3 You say, "I came, sat down in a warm, soft chair, ate, enjoyed fellowship with other people, my presence alone should be sufficient payment." They’d call the cops!
4 Don’t fool yourself into thinking this doesn’t happen in churches (your church).
5 If your presence is not sufficient at China King, why would we think our presence is sufficient with the King of kings?
a Attitude vs. amount
b Express our love & gratitude
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
