Facing False Doctrine

 The Ministry of Facing False Doctrine

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 11

 

 Doctrine to the Christian is the teaching of all we know about God the Father.

 The Lord Jesus Christ said: Joh 7:16  Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 

Joh 7:17  If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 

 This is why we have the Bible today: to learn the Doctrine of the Triune God.

 Pro 4:1  Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. 

Pro 4:2  For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

 What is "false doctrine"? False doctrine is any teaching that does not conform to the truth of the Word of God!

 A false opinion of the Word of God is not according to the truth that God has revealed to us.

 Our greatest protection from false doctrine is the Holy Spirit that lives within us, but we must read and study Scripture so that He can open our eyes to the truth.

 2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

 When those who teach a false doctrine go against the Word of God, it is to slander the character of God!

 To even suggest that God would speak a Word that was contrary to His character is to assume that God Himself cannot operate without error!

 This is to suggest that God could fail, and this is impossible!

 We think sometimes that somethings are not right for us, or why somethings happened, but we can trust the Word of God.

 Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 Job said: Job 13:15  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. 

Job 13:16  He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him. 

 There will be no one who disagrees with the Word of God in Heaven!

There will be no hypocrites in Heaven!

 How are we to treat the Word of God?

 2Co 4:2  But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 

2Co 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 The Lord Jesus comes to us with His gift of eternal life, and all we must do is accept that gift in faith!

When we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, then we are also saying we are accepting all the Word of God as it is written.

 What is wrong with the Church today? The Church is becoming less and less aware that our love must be directed to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Bridegroom of the Church.

 This is because the Church, like Eve, has failed to discover the craftiness of Satan.

Many who call themselves Christian today are being deceived in the places they go to worship.

 Satan has twisted the Word of God to mean something that God did not intend, and the Church is splitting and dividing through all its denominations.

 In the end, there will be only One Church as God had said from the start.

 *****2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

 Satan always quotes from the Word of God in a way that raises false doubts, and then Satan bluntly says that God will not make true what He has said.

 Gen 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

We will never be gods because we need the One True God!

 Truth means that facts conform to reality.

Truth identifies things as they are.

Truth is the perfection of God's being, which He fully answers to the Godhead.

Truth is that the Triune God is perfectly reliable in His revelations.

Truth is the Word of God.

Truth is that the Triune God can be trusted, because He is the only true God.

 He is the beginning of all knowledge and makes it available to us!

He is the source of all truth in every realm of knowledge, from morals to science.

 God is the truth in His person!

 Isa 45:5  I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 

Isa 45:6  That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 

Isa 45:8  Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.

 Seduction used in this verse means having your mind corrupted from the simplicity of the truth of the Gospel.

 We must realize that wherever false preachers/teachers are, there is the likelihood that some minds will be corrupted!

 We already know that the Church is shrinking because many so-called believers have moved their focus away from Jesus Christ and are listening to the lies and the deceptions of the world.

 The Lord Jesus said we must watch out for this even now.

 Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 

Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 

 There should be no doubt that the serpent that was taken over by the Devil led Eve away from the truth of God.

 The Devil knows this works, and he still uses this tactic today!

 He also got to Adam through his wife, Eve.

 1Ti 2:14  And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 

 We must never fail to discover the craftiness of Satan!

 Satan knows the Bible, but he will twist the truth to another meaning, and he is subtle about it.

 Eve gave in to seduction and was disloyal to the Word of God, which is always the truth taken in the context that the Holy Spirit gives it to us.

 God gives us this warning, the Holy Spirit gives us this warning, and the Lord Jesus Christ has given us this warning.

 We must spend some time studying the Scripture and asking the Holy Spirit to help us!

 Jesus said to the Pharisees: Mat 22:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

 *****2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 

 If there truly was another Savior.

If there truly was a more powerful Spirit.

If there were a better Gospel, then we might reconsider our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 In all religion there are none who claim this, because it is impossible.

 For the Christian it is Christ Jesus or no God at all!

 Act 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 

 Radical Jews were going around to the early churches teaching that the Lord Jesus was not God.

 They had tried this at the Church of Galatia and Paul wrote.

 Gal 1:6  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 

Gal 1:7  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 

Gal 1:8  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

 It is the same thing that goes on today!

Over half of the Church are bowing to a perverted gospel!

 False preachers/teachers who pervert the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and what we see that God has cursed them all!

 Cursed means they had devoted themselves to the destruction of the Church and deserve the curse of God.

Gal_6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

 We should understand that Jehovah had provided all the Jews with enough information for them to recognize the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, but they had rejected God's Messiah.

 Mal 4:5  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 

Mal 4:6  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

 So, Elijah shall come and preach repentance, as John the Baptist did at Christ’s first coming; and unless the Jews listen to him and turn to Christ, they shall be destroyed, shall share in that eternal anathema, which shall fall on the ungodly at the day of judgment.

 Many false preachers/teachers preach against the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but it should never be a Jew who has the truth of God but only rejects it.

 They were confused about the humanity of the Messiah.

 The same Jesus the Carpenter was also Jesus the Son of God!

 They have certainly remained under the curse of God.

 We must look to the Lord Jesus Christ for the truth of our redemption and our deliverance from all sin.

 Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

 The doctrine of the humanity of Jesus Christ is equally important as the doctrine of the deity of Christ!

 The Lord Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, who had the seed. The seed of a man was not needed nor involved.

 If He were born of Joseph, he would have had a sin nature as we all do.

 The body of Jesus was like the bodies of other men, except for those qualities which have resulted from human sin failure.

 The Lord Jesus was not some phantom. The woman at that well in Samaria recognized the Lord Jesus as a Jew.

 Joh 4:10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

 He suffered the pain of scourging.

 He suffered the horror of the cross.

 He thirsted.

 He got weary.

 He had a normal development, mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially.

 He had a human soul and a human spirit along with His human body.

 Jesus was a complete human being.

 He felt compassion for people.

 He had the characteristics of a human being.

 He became hungry.

 Mat 4:2  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 

 He became tired and thirsty.

 He had emotions, He wept.

 He experienced grief.

 He had human names: Son of David, Jesus(Joshua, which means Yahweh saves).

 He also had all the characteristics of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, who are the same.

 Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

 Those radical Jews did not agree with any of these things.

 *****2Co 11:5  For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. 

2Co 11:6  But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things. 

 We should be very careful when we compare one preacher with another.

 If they both are called of God, then they both preach the message God has given them to preach.

 When it came to the Apostle Paul, he was being compared with false apostles who brought bad stories into circulation and that were received by these Corinthians.

 Paul's Christian life was at stake, so Paul began the defense of his character.

 Paul could have walked away, and many of these Corinthians would be in Hell today, but for the love of Christ and the love for these Corinthians, Paul had to defend his Apostleship.

 Paul refused to allow these Corinthians to fall prey to swindlers.

This is what a false preacher/teacher is, a swindler.

 You see, when you allow false doctrine into the Church, many will be swindled out of the salvation given to them by Jesus Christ.

 Eph_4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

 There is always a difference in the way a true Pastor does things and a man of false doctrine does things.

 Those who swindle the church out of salvation would seek to fill their pockets using the false doctrine of the Devil.

 The Apostle Paul could certainly measure up to the other Apostles, but God did not make one any greater than another.

 These wicked Jews who had infiltrated the church of Corinth could in no way measure up to the Apostle Paul because these were fake Christians, and the Church has far too many fake Christians in it today.

 They were well equipped to speak of the Old Testament doctrine, but they rejected the  “grace” of the New Testament doctrine.

 Jesus said: Mat_26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mrk_14:24  And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

Luk_22:20  Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

 The Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of the New Testament, the New Covenant of God.

 Heb 7:22  By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 

 Paul had said from the beginning of his ministry at this church that he preached only the truth of Jesus Christ.

 1Co 4:1  Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 

1Co 4:2  Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 

1Co 4:3  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 

1Co 4:4  For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

 Those false apostles could not preach salvation because they did not know anything about the salvation of Grace that Paul preached.

 Paul was not an eloquent speaker, and he never claimed to be, but Paul knew all the Scriptures of the Old Testament as well as any other Jew and much better than most, but Paul also spent three years with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Paul knew the truth of the New Covenant of God!

 Gal 1:15  But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 

Gal 1:16  To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 

Gal 1:17  Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

Gal 1:18  Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 

 *****2Co 11:7  Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? 

 Those fake Jews passed the plate after they preached, expecting a payment for their preaching, but the Apostle Paul never accepted a penny of support from these Corinthians, and they were rich enough to provide support.

 They accused Paul of sin, and part of his sin, as they saw it, was that he would not accept any money from them.

 Paul had a purpose for doing this. They could not say that Paul came to this church with the intention to make money.

 There are a lot of preachers who will not lower themselves to preach in any church that cannot offer them a salary or some kind of offering or a set price for their services.

 I think a lot of Tom Maxwell, who I learned a lot from, still do, and as far as I know, the church he preached in for these many years was never able to give him a salary, so he had to have a full-time job to support him and his family, and he preached for free.

 Every Jew was taught a trade in the days of Paul, and Paul was a tentmaker.

 Tentmakers were despised; the work was tedious, and it did not provide much of an income.

 The most important and most precious gift from Heaven is the Gospel, and these rich Corinthians had gotten it for free.

 We could say that to be free and unpaid was the Apostle Paul's pride.

 1Th 2:9  For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 

1Th 2:10  Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: 

God expects us to support those who preach the truth of the Gospel, but even today those who twist the Word of God into a lie get rich while the average true Gospel preacher just takes enough to provide his needs.

 *****2Co 11:8  I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. 

2Co 11:9  And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself. 

2Co 11:10  As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

 The only church that we know contributed to the Apostle for his support was the Church at Philippi.

 Php 4:15  Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. 

Php 4:16  For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. 

 Paul said these words to these Corinthians ironically rather than literally. Paul never robbed any Church!

 In fact, it was a great honor to have a man as knowledgeable as the Apostle Paul to preach in any church.

 Paul had the touch of God upon him; those false preachers just spoke without conviction!

 The Church of Philippi was much more mature than the Church of Corinth and had the right motives for their giving.

 As we went through lessons on helping and giving, we must keep this in mind.

 Some people give support to those God has called or some other ministry of the Church expecting something in return, and they would be giving for the wrong reasons.

 Giving is not just an act; it is also an attitude.

 We know that even from the job of tentmaking, the Apostle Paul never really had many things that he actually needed to make his life more bearable, but he was not about to let any group of believers know this.

 If we are serving the Lord and are short on cash, we are not to tell others about it because we have a God who promises to provide our needs.

 Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 

Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

 If you have been in any church for very long, you have seen some missions almost begging for more support, and that is not so bad, but the truth is, where is their faith?

The greatest problem of the Church is our lack of faith!

 God does not neglect those He has called to the mission field!

 Many today are not bothered by where or from whom they receive money.

 It is easy to see that the Apostle Paul did not work that way, and we have no idea how many churches had their beginning with the Apostle Paul, and certainly nearly half of the New Testament was written by him.

 It probably shocked the rich church of Corinth to find out that Paul had suffered some needs during his stay in Corinth.

 They knew what Rome had done to many nations, and it had to hurt knowing that the poor people of Macedonia had provided many of Paul's supplies while they had provided nothing and had actually used it against him, calling it sin.

 Paul would not accept any support from them now because they had learned the truth, and they would be giving for the wrong reasons.

 After these things, Paul would not allow this church to support him at all, but he did ask if they would help the poor church in Jerusalem, who certainly had many needs, dealing with fanatical Jews every day.

 You see, we do not have to argue; we do not have to listen to what those who do not know the Lord have to say, because we have the truth.

 If the truth of Jesus Christ is in us and we are in the will of God for us, everything else is subject to that!

 We are not to boast, but we are to be bold in the truth of God!

 False doctrine is just that; it is false and has no real meaning then or today.

 People get caught up in false doctrine because they refuse to study the Word of God with prayer.

 *****2Co 11:11  Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth. 

2Co 11:12  But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

 We must understand that as we stand boldly on the truth of God, a skeptic will seldom be convinced of the truth.

 A skeptic is someone who doubts the truth and who doubts the reality of any principle or doctrine.

 Some people just doubt everything!

Schools have ruined our children till they do not know what to think.

 This is the world we live in today!

 When we speak the Word of God and live the Word of God, God is our witness of the love we have for one another and for the lost.

 The Word of God will refute every argument of any deceiver. The Lord Jesus is our example of this when He withstood the attack of the Devil.

The Word of God has an answer for every problem in this world of sin.

 All deceivers will be revealed as false apostles, just as God did reveal His true Apostles, the Apostle Paul and the other eleven.

These twelve men turned the world upside down, and the Word of God still stands as the only real truth in this world

 The world had already begun killing these men of God, and James was probably already dead by now.

 All but the Apostle John would be hunted down, tortured, and murdered because they would not deviate from the truth of God!

Any group of any church can stand up and deny the Word of God, but that just makes them fools. 

This is a church seeking the love of the world rather than the love of God!

The Apostles could not deny the Word of God because they were eyewitnesses to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they were tortured because they would not change their story.

This is one of the greatest proofs of the truth of God.

The truth of God can be denied, but this does not make it any less true.

Those false apostles desired any chance to stand against the Apostle Paul.

Their main criticism was that Paul did not really care for the Church; he was just in it for the money.

Paul would not allow the people of this rich city to support him at all. He would not accept any gift from them.

These false preacher/teachers insisted that Paul did not want this church in Corinth to be a part of his ministry.

They insisted that Paul was too proud to allow himself to be taught by Jews who knew more than he did.

These false apostles used any chance to criticize the Apostle Paul just as the false preachers of today use every chance they get to criticize the true Church and the truth of the Gospel.

If the false church truly knew the love of God as they say, they would understand that it is because of the love of God for His children that He must always follow the truth of His words.

Mat_5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

The same Jesus many call trans.

The same God the Father they call God the Mother.

The Word of God that has so much of the truth removed from it.

The Word of God that has so much of the world added to it.

It is the Lord Jesus Himself who says that every part of the original Scriptures will be fulfilled down to every punctuation mark that was used.

God the Holy Spirit gave us these words:

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 

Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 

These words should put fear into every deceiver!

*****2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 

2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 

2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

The Apostle Paul did not hesitate to tell this church at Corinth exactly what sort of people they were dealing with.

Remember all these letters were also passed around to all the churches Paul had started, so they all knew what Paul had said to Corinth.

We are not here to tear down any church or place of worship, but if that church or place of worship will not preach/teach the truth of God, then we must agree with the Apostle Paul.

Paul got his words from the Holy Spirit.

There are some of these deceitful workers of Satan in every true church, and these are the same ones who have caused so much damage to the Bride of Christ.

Satan can walk into any place of worship today because he can transform himself into an angel of light.

That church leader who does not teach the truth will never run Satan or his demons out of that place of worship.

He will just fit in with the crowd. He may or may not be the best dressed man in that place.

He may even say he is gay or trans.

He will certainly speak with a sugar-coated tongue.

He will lead all he touches into darkness because he is the ruler of darkness.

2Pe_2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

1Jn_1:6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

There is no doubt that there are countless numbers of young people who walk with this transformed angel, this dark angel who has transformed himself.

Satan is the very meaning of transgender in this world today!

So, it is no great thing if his ministers, his teachers, his preachers, are also transformed as the ministers of righteousness.

The next time you hear that word "transgender," then think of 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 14 and 15.

Satan is the original transgender!

We must cling to the truth of the Gospel and not allow such deceit into our Church.

God has already judged that their end shall be according to their works.

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 

Amen

Consistently Living for the Lord Jesus Christ

 The Ministry of Consistent Living

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 10

 

 As a proper foundation keeps a building standing, so does the Word of God declared by the Apostles and the Prophets.

 Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 

Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 

Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

 The Lord Jesus Christ Himself must remain the Chief Cornerstone of the Church, or it is not part of the true Church!

 The Apostles were chosen by Jesus Christ as foundational gifts to the Church. There can be no true Apostles today.

 Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 

Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 

 Today the Apostles are gone, and just as well as much of the church of today has strayed from the doctrine of the Apostles, the Prophets and the Lord Jesus Himself.

We still see here that there is an expectation that every Christian will one day come in unity of the faith.

I believe that most true Christians do believe the same Gospel, but even some of these add words to the Gospel that God did not intend.

 How did one become an Apostle?

 An Apostle was much more than just some messenger.

An Apostle was a delegate bearing a commission from the Messiah and wielding his commission's authority.

 The Lord Jesus Christ chose twelve men to become His Apostles.

 They were to:

 1) The job of these Apostles was to carry the teachings of Jesus Christ out into the world after His departure to Heaven.

 Joh 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 

Joh 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 

Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 

Joh 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

 2) These men were all selected by the Lord Jesus Himself.

 Peter(Simon), Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon called Zelotes, Judas the brother of James.

 As for Paul, his Apostolic title was bitterly contested; and he triumphantly defended it on the double ground that, though he had not companied with Jesus in the days of His flesh, he had seen Him after His glorification on the road to Damascus.

 I know this is true because I believe the Word of God!

1Co 9:1  Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 

 Though Paul was not one of the original Apostles, his Apostleship had the Lord’s own sanction.

 1Co 9:2  If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.  

 2Co 12:12  Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. 

 There is to be only One Church: Eph 4:4  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 

Eph 4:5  One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 

Eph 4:6  One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

This does not mean the Catholic Church because it has strayed so far from the Gospel that it is almost a cult.

 What was and is the Apostles' statement of faith? 

"I believe in God the Father Almighty and in the Lord Jesus Christ His Only Son our Lord, who was born of the Holy Ghost and Virgin Mary; crucified under Pontius Pilate and buried; the third day He arose from the dead; He ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost; the Holy Church; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; the life everlasting".

 What is the Apostles's Creed? The form that has been accepted and "received" that  has accepted by the Church reads:

 "I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of Heaven and Earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into Hell; the third day He arose from the dead; He ascended into heaven; and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost: the holy catholic Church; the communion of the saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and life everlasting; Amen"

 That word "catholic" in this creed means only that the church that is built by the Lord Jesus Christ, the One Church, the One Faith, not the many denominations who disagree with certain portions of the Word of God, and it does not mean the Roman Catholic church, which adopted it in their title but is just another denomination.

 Paul's enemies were not the church. Paul's enemies were a bunch of unbelieving Jews who would have rather seen Paul murdered, and they tried many times to do so.

 They lied about Paul, causing him to be arrested and locked up many times, and did their best to stir up the churches against the Apostle Paul.

They did their best to destroy the Church, calling the Gospel blasphemy.

 They did their very best to introduce a false gospel.

 2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 

2Co 11:5  For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. 

2Co 11:6  But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things. 

2Co 11:7  Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

 *****2Co 10:1  Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: 

2Co 10:2  But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.  

 We should know that it is probable that most of the problems in this Church at Corinth came about by one Jewish teacher from Jerusalem.

 2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 

 He even accused Paul of being bold from a distance but weak in his presence.

 2Co 11:6  But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things. 

2Co 11:7  Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

 We can see that this man said Paul was not sound in his intellect.

 The land we live in thinks the same way today about all Christians. 

We can also see that this false teacher had a fee he expected when he preached or taught in the Christian churches.

 Many a so-called man of God will not preach in any church without a set fee for their services.

 What did Paul say to these church members? 2Co 11:19  For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. 

 There are many fools in the pulpits of many places of worship today!

 The Apostle Paul was no coward; Paul was confident in his knowledge of the Scriptures!

 The Apostle Paul did not walk in the flesh as far as sin because we all walk in the flesh, but even Paul was not perfect, even though he may have been the greatest Christian to have ever lived.

 Our greatest fight is not with our own self, even though we have problems dominating our flesh, but our greatest fight is with spiritual powers from on high.

 Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 *****2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 

 If we think we can battle with spiritual powers from on high in our flesh, we will be just another of God's children that fell by the wayside.

 We must use spiritual weapons to defeat spiritual powers.

 Our Pastor must use spiritual weapons to defeat spiritual powers.

We must help him with our prayers.

 It is these spiritual powers that are behind all sin and evil.

It is these same powers behind corruption and deterioration.

It is these same powers that are behind death and Hell.

 No matter how strong, how educated, how scientific we become, we are no match to the wiles of the Devil.

 Only when we are filled with the Holy Spirit and can we reach Heaven with our prayers because our faith lies in the Lord Jesus Christ can we be protected from on High.

 Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 

 We read these things, and we know these things, but we sometimes do not use the powers God has given to us.

 These weapons of warfare God has given to us are the things that allow us to pull down strongholds.

 Our enemy, the devil and his followers, do not have a fortress strong enough to withstand the power of God!

 We cannot be so self-righteous that we think we can win any battle with Satan.

We cannot be so full of pride that the Lord is not first in our lives.

We cannot conform to this world we live in and be a child of God.

 We must have the Holy Spirit in our conscience, the Lord Jesus in our heart, and a personal relationship with God.

 Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

 We must hate sin but not the sinner!

 *****2Co 10:6  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 

 We can see that the Apostle Paul was ready to punish all disobedience.

 Disobedience is the basic sin in our lives that in no way should be tolerated.

 Disobedience is the sin of Adam that brought sin into the world to begin with.

 It seems that we all had a secret sin that we would do our best to hold onto.

 Every "babe in Christ" will be on a learning curve by the Holy Spirit till they can figure this out.

 They must be given a chance to be obedient before they are punished for disobedience.

 Everyone must be given a chance to be obedient to the Word of God.

 Everyone must be allowed to repent, which is being obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Mat 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

 It takes a while for any church to see who stands for the truth and who stands against the truth, but these things will show up.

 You cannot be a child of the devil without sin in your life!

You cannot be a child of God with sin in your life!

 The thing that Paul realized was that there must not be any mistakes in discipline in the church.

 Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 

Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 

Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 

 *****2Co 10:7  Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's. 

 If a so-called man of God comes into your church to preach, you will never know what to say to him until you have heard his sermon.

 Paul said, "If you just looked at me, I would appear to be nothing and nobody"

 Paul adds, "Are you so superficial in your grounds of judgment and only go by outward appearance"? 

 We may not agree with Paul, but we all certainly fall into this same trap to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly and judge before we have evidence of truth.

 If we interview most anyone in the South, they will all make the claim that they are saved.

 A claim is just a claim, and it is meaningless without proof!

 The proof is in the life of that person!

 Personal conviction is a factor in all these ministries we have been studying!

 The person who says they have been called to preach needs to be heard at least one time.

 We must not allow the way they dress, or a smooth tongue, to impress us more than the truth of God which should come from their lips.

 The Apostle Paul did not have an impressive appearance, but he knew the Word of God!

 The job of that preacher is to edify the church.

 To edify is to instruct and improve the mind of the listener in moral knowledge, in faith and holiness.

 *****2Co 10:8  For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

 Every true Pastor is called by the Lord to build up the Church.

No man of God should have the purpose to destroy the Church for any reason.

Every message coming from a pulpit should be to the edification of the Church.

Every Pastor's message must be approved by the Holy Spirit, or it is meaningless.

What did the Lord Jesus preach?

Mat 16:16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Mat_16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The true Church is built upon the fact that Jesus Christ was and is the Messiah and the "Gospel" is the truth of the Messiah!

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. 

This is the message that must come from every pulpit, or that place of gathering is not part of the true Church.

It is this same Messiah who chose the twelve Apostles, and it was and is this same Messiah who gave them the message for all of us who are sinners because we needed a Savior.

We live in a world that says it does not need a Savior, and that world will perish.

These things should be emphasized when approved by the Holy Spirit because we are certainly in those last days.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is still the most important message that still needs to be preached today!

1Co_9:16  For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

This is the same command given to every man of God and also to every Christian.

We should notice in any study of the Lord Jesus Christ that He never used His Godly Authority to defend Himself.

The Lord Jesus always used His Godly authority to stand up for His Father, who is the same One we are to pray to in the name of Jesus.

The same letters Paul will refer to are the same letters that are in our Bible today, so we can see what these Corinthians had.

The only things that these letters from Paul destroyed were the things and the thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God the Father, inspired by the Holy Spirit, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This world is so messed up that the truth of anything scares them to death.

This world would rather live in a corrupt world that is full of lies because they understand that world!

This world has always accepted the lies of this world as the truth and the works of this world because they are evil and still do today.

*****2Co 10:9  That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters. 

2Co 10:10  For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. 

Threatening is far different than a warning.

In fact, God has never threatened anyone!

God has from day one only warned us of things to come!

God warns us of the hazards of this life, and to His glory, He will help us to get through them.

Knowing that this is true should make us want to appreciate it and be grateful for it.

Here in America, the white Christian male is the most hated person that exists because we will not yield to the lies of the world.

That Christian Pastor of any color is to be the same and unyielding to anything that goes against the Word of God.

The Lord Jesus said: 

Jhn_7:7  The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Jhn_15:18  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

Those who think the world we live in is not evil are either blind or fools!

Praise the Lord for the Apostle Paul who stuck to the truth no matter what was going on in his life.

Anyone less would have thrown in the towel and given up on trying to bring the Church to the truth.

The Lord Jesus Christ never gave up on any of us, and He refuses to give up on us today!

Paul, like us, could not do much about his looks and it was God who called him to preach, and it was God who gave him the words he used.

Paul was who he was, but Paul became a great man of God and maybe the greatest Christian who has ever lived and was obedient to his calling by the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must never tear down the man of God who preaches the truth of God, but in fact encourage them in the Lord.

We have already discussed that there is a time for authority and discipline in the Church, and even that must be according to the Word of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ gave His life for every living, breathing soul!

Jesus did not leave anyone out; we do that by ourselves when we reject Him!

*****2Co 10:11  Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present. 

2Co 10:12  For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 

Paul is saying what every true man of God should say! We must measure ourselves by the Lord Jesus Christ!

We are to be no different inside the Church than we are outside the Church. We are to speak only the truth of God!

We are not judges, nor is it our intention to condemn anyone.

All those who praise themselves are far bolder than the true saints of God.

We can brag on God, and we should, but we should never say, "Look what I did!"

2Co 3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 

If we have given ourselves to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then we can be used of God in some ministry of the true Church, but our confidence must always remain with the Lord; we are only fellow workers in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Amen

Giving Toward the Work of the Lord

 The Ministry of Giving

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 9

 

We will see a lot of what we saw in Chapter 8 in this chapter on giving.

 We should understand that every church is a little different.

 The people in every church are different.

 Every situation is different for them, so no one can say that God expects the same amount from every church and every church member.

 There is what is called "The Word of Faith" movement going on in our world, and its emphasis is on a prosperity Gospel theology; it is a movement of greed, and it is heresy.

 Other movements teach a prosperity Gospel, and all of them are heresy!

 The background of every prosperity Gospel is the lie that God wants us all to be rich and enjoy perfect health.

 That poverty and sickness are caused by a lack of faith, and this is a big fat devilish lie.

 Giving to the church, giving to the ministries of the church, and giving to individuals who have a need certainly pleases God.

 This is God's greatest trait!

 Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, “that he gave” his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 Giving pleases God, but not every giver pleases God!

 Again, giving is referred to as stewardship.

 We will one day give an account of our stewardship, but it will never be about the amount we give.

 Givers who please God are those believers who have a readiness and an eagerness to give.

 If there is a need that is in the will of God, Christians should be giving toward that need. As we are able.

 The greatest need of this world is salvation!

 *****2Co 9:6  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

 There is an old proverb that says those who try to hold on to what they own can end up in poverty.

 Pro 11:24  There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

 Another old Proverb says: Pro 19:17  He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

 Some people are poor in Spirit, and there are people so financially poor they will not survive without some help.

 1Jn_3:17  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

 This is called love: 1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

 Our giving does not earn a reward because of the amount we give.

 Our reward depends on the ratio of what we give in accordance with what we have to give.

 Mrk_12:42  And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

Mrk_12:43  And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

Mar 12:44  For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

 This is why giving in the New Covenant is not based on the tithe; it is based on “grace”, our grace toward each other.

 *****2Co 9:7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

 Giving should be according to God's mercy.

 The Lord Jesus is the mercy of God, and God gave it all for us.

 1Jn 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

1Jn 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1Jn 4:11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

 When we give, we will give according to the will of God if we put our heart in our hand along with our pocketbook.

 Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 God does not promise prosperity upon this earth; God promises prosperity in Heaven.

 1Ti 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

 It should be very clear that God does not accept the gift of a person who does not want to give it!

 We are to think about the need and compare that to our own needs and then give sacrificially.

 There is usually always something we can give up to help someone who truly has a need, or some ministry that has a great need.

 The Holy Spirit is always willing to help us in this decision.

 When we fail to see the desperate needs of others, then we are failing to see what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us.

 *****2Co 9:8  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

2Co 9:9  (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

 The prosperity preacher will tell you that the more you give to him, the more God will give to you, but God never says such things.

 Giving is not about moneymaking. Giving is about the privilege to give back some of God's blessings to which special blessings from Him are attached.

 There is a right way to give. Giving must be seen in the fact that all we have already belongs to God and He lets us use most all of it, but He may call on us to give sacrificially on some occasions.

 We talk about the "Grace" of God a lot, but sometimes we just do not understand the true meaning of God's Grace.

 Yes, "Grace" is the unmerited favor of God. We have done nothing to deserve God's Grace!

 1) Common Grace is God's general blessings to all mankind.

 The Lord Jesus Christ paid the sin debt of everyone who has ever lived from the time of Adam to the day of the last sinner.

 Common grace also includes general blessings to all mankind!

 Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 God allows rain and sunshine on the atheist as well as the believer.

 Psa 145:8  The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

Psa 145:9  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

 God knows those who will eventually come to Him and those who will never come to Him, but He does not judge that person before it is time and still provides for them.

 Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

 God's restraining of sin in this world is also a part of His common grace.

 Think about Job. When Satan challenged God about Job's loyalty, God allowed Satan to go only so far. God restrained Satan.

 God said the Holy Spirit would not always strive with man, which means the Holy Spirit is actively restraining sin in this world.

 Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

 The ministry of the prophets and true preachers is to restrain sin.

 Human governments are put in place to restrain sin; some do better than others, but those governments will answer to God for their negligence.

 Rom 13:1  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Rom 13:2  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

Rom 13:3  For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

Rom 13:4  For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

 It is a fact that God will not allow the Antichrist to show up in this world until God is ready!

 2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

 As Christians, we believe God will remove this restraining force at the Rapture of the Church, but we are not certain.

We know He will do it, but we are not certain as to the time.

 "Common grace" is necessary because before a person can be saved, there must be a witness from God.

 Most people know they will be held accountable for their actions.

 2) Then there is "efficacious grace". All those who receive "efficacious grace" will be saved.

 This is the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation.

 This is a person who answers to the will of God!

 Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 This is the grace of God that is never rejected, as many will reject "Common Grace" and do not agree that God provides for them as He does for all.

 Many of these believe they provide for themselves through their own power, and most of them will refuse to share with those who may need some help.

 Even this will not stop God from providing the many things that He provides to the unbeliever.

 Grace still refers to the favor and the blessings of God.

 *****2Co 9:10  Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

 To those who give willingly, God will give more and more.

We must also understand that God will hold us accountable for taking care of our families as well.

 Not to hoard and keep for themselves, but so they can continue to give more and more.

 We all know that if we do not sow much seed, then there will not be much of a harvest.

 Here we see something different.

 Here we see that God will give the sower earthly possessions that might be distributed to the poor, and after this God still provides what we need for a living.

 God says, give first and then take for yourselves!

 We do this when we lay aside part of our income for giving and then compare that to what we actually need for our own needs.

Giving is tied into a test of our faith, but giving is never to be about seeking prosperity here on earth.

Most of our rewards will be in Heaven!

This is why God does not ask for a tithe from each believer in the New Testament Church.

 Some can give more than others because their needs are fewer.

 In most cases, God will multiply.

 We get back the seed that we scatter, but we get a lot more seed in turn.

 The fruits of righteousness always, always increase!

 Isa 55:10  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 *****2Co 9:11  Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

 To those who are willing givers, God will prove that they will receive what they are to give while retaining what they already have.

 This is not for a savings account but is a gift to meet the desperate needs of the world.

 Every believer is to be a channel through which God sends His blessings to the world.

 To keep more than we need is, in a sense, robbing God!

 Heb 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Heb 13:21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 Sacrificial giving depends on one thing: trusting and believing God!

 Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

 As in helping, giving all boils down to stewardship.

 *****2Co 9:12  For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

 Giving to the church is the Christian way of meeting the needs of the world.

 The most important need of this world is to hear the "Good News" of the Bible, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The greatest benefit of good stewardship is that it brings praise to God!

 Does God get mad at us if we put back something for hard times? No!

 Even the world tells us we may need to have enough to last six months in an emergency.

 God does remind us that if we have more than the necessities of life, we will be held accountable if we refuse to share.

 God expects us to be good stewards with all the benefits He shares with us.

 God does not like to see selfishness in His children.

 When we truly act like the children of God, then other people will see it, and they will praise God.

 Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 God will also use our act of giving or our lack of giving to prove our loyalty to the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ.

 Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

 We have no work to do to get saved; the Lord Jesus Christ has completed all the work for our salvation.

 All we need to do is accept His gift.

 After our salvation, God expects us to be busy as a servant and as a steward.

 *****2Co 9:13  Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

2Co 9:14  And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

 The Gospel of Jesus Christ tells the world about the greatest gift that has ever been given to people.

 Salvation may be looked at as the greatest gift of God, but it would not have happened without His great love for us.

 God sacrificed His Son just so we could have life and life eternal.

 We can only prove our loyalty to our Savior by being involved in the ministries of His Church.

 It is His Church, and Jesus has only one Church!

 Giving is one of the greatest ministries of the Church and ranks right up there with praying.

 The doors of many places of worship today are closed because the people of that house of God will not give enough to keep those doors open.

 If that place of worship was sharing the "Gospel," then it has stopped.

 If that place of worship was not sharing the "Gospel," then those doors should be closed.

 We say all the time that the Lord Jesus would have died on that cross if only one person was saved. If this is true, and it is, maybe we should help keep the doors open in some places of worship or at least look into it.

 I'm not talking about our presence, for I would not leave my church unless the Lord wanted me to.

 I'm talking about a giving ministry without taking from the ministries of our own church.

 I’m talking about helping some church that has that true man of God who preaches the truth, but that church is so poor.

Maybe this could be another mission.

 It's just a thought.

 Surely, we can pray for other places of worship to continue to serve the Lord.

 Giving stirs up great prayers.

 When you have a financial investment in the ministries of God, you will pray for the success of that ministry.

 God's people are supposed to be filled with love, and we are all in the same family because we all have the same "Father", God the Father.

 We are all filled with the same "Spirit", God the Holy Spirit.

 We are all saved by the same work of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son.

 Let us never make the death of the Lord Jesus Christ be for nothing!

 1Th 1:2  We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

1Th 1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

1Th 1:4  Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

 We sometimes forget the great cost that the Lord Jesus paid to reconcile us back to God the Father.

 *****2Co 9:15  Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

 God the Father knew exactly what would happen to His Son when He sent Him to pay our sin debt.

 God knew He would be beaten and mistreated and then murdered, because this is what our world has become. We see it every day.

 1Jn_4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 The death of Jesus Christ was truly a sacrifice when we understand the truth of the Triune God!

 God the Father could not, because of His character, forgive sin without a bloody sacrifice!

 But God could give, and He gave sacrificially!

 If we cannot find it in our hearts to give toward the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then what does this say about us?

 God gave the supreme gift; what should we give?

 Amen

God Blesses the Cheerful Giver

 The Ministry of Helping

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 8

 

 This chapter deals with the need to help other believers and other human beings who were being threatened with starvation and death and were spiritually poor.

 Many of them did not know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

 The need for church missions is a never-ending call.

 We know we live in a sin-sick world and things are never going to get any better than they are now, at least until the return of Jesus Christ.

 2Ti_3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

 The desperate needs of the world will always confront the Church.

 The challenge for the church is to help whenever possible.

 What is stewardship? Believers also are described as stewards of God’s gifts and graces, to dispense the benefits of them to the world.

 While we are watching for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to remain busy in the work of the Lord.

 1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 

1Pe 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 

1Pe 4:9  Use hospitality one to another without grudging. 

1Pe 4:10  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 

1Pe 4:11  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

 The ministry of helping is being a good steward of the manifold grace of God!

 *****2Co 8:1  Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 

 We sometimes forget as Americans that much of the world lives in poverty.

 Even in our own nation, people are dying of starvation, and there is no excuse for this.

 Paul encouraged every church to become good stewards of God's "Grace".

 1Co 16:1  Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 

1Co 16:2  Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. 

1Co 16:3  And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. 

 At this time, the church in Jerusalem was suffering because every Christian had been excommunicated from Judaism, their jobs taken away from them, and no Jew would help them.

 The thing about humans and money is that everybody wants as much as they can get and then tries to hoard what they have.

 It is quite human of us to prosper and then forget those who have needs.

 Here is another place in the Scriptures where the church meets on Sunday before anyone set a decree.

 The plate was passed on the first day of the week, which was Sunday on the Jewish calendar.

 The challenge to the Church is clear! Give all you can to reach and help the desperate who live in our world.

 What we see today while our own costs for food skyrocket, people are dying of hunger while tons of food are destroyed to create an artificial demand and to keep the prices high.

I have never seen a time when so much food is being recalled and destroyed, and we should wonder why.

 Every day, there is some recall of food or people getting sick because of eating tainted food.

 Thousands of animals are destroyed every year without proving they needed to be destroyed.

There must be reasons this is taking place.

 The churches in Macedonia had accepted this challenge to help the church in Jerusalem and were giving because of the Grace and favor of God.

 The churches of Macedonia included Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea.

 These were not wealthy churches in monetary terms; they were rich in grace and mercy.

 These places had been ravaged by war, and Rome had stripped them of their wealth.

There should be no one upon this earth who defends the Rome of those years.

 We see this happening in Iran today, even though the rulers of Iran are to blame.

 It does not stop the fact that the Christians and the poor people in Iran need help.

 The poor people of Ukraine need help.

There are still poor people in Israel who need help.

 There are poor people in America who need help.

 Food is not the greatest need of the poor because most of them are also poor in the Spirit of God, but starving people will not respond to the Gospel. 

 There are always people who need help, and the church cannot feed them all, or can it?

 What do we know about giving?

 Paul does not speak about the percentage of income one should give. Everyone knows that the Old Testament norm was ten percent of the income.

 In the New Testament it is not about the amount but about the motive, the mind and the way of giving.

 *****2Co 8:2  How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

The self-sufficiency of some places of worship convinced them they no longer needed to depend on God; they were blind to their desperate poverty in the eyes of the Lord.

The Lord Jesus Christ speaks of this in the Book of Revelation.

To protect the Church from the deception of worldly riches, Paul was pointing out that all the riches and treasures that have eternal value are found in Christ. 

I like to say that the real riches we need are all the things that money cannot buy.

Biblical stewardship is living in the reality that everything we have belongs to God. We are managers, not owners. 

Wealth is a gift to be used wisely, held loosely, and shared generously.

God does not want us to live in poverty.

God prefers we do not live in riches because we will become dependent on our riches rather than upon Him.

What does all this have to do with giving?

The question isn't whether God will bless us with resources. The question is whether those resources will draw us closer to Christ or cause us to live as though we no longer need Him.

This is the main reason why the teaching of a prosperity gospel is a lie.

Wealth is a gift — not a god. It can meet certain needs but not the most important ones. Everything we own belongs to the Lord, and every blessing should draw us closer to Him, not farther away.

Biblical giving is the practice of generously and willingly sharing resources, time, or talents in accordance with God’s principles, motivated by love, gratitude, and faith.

There are 10 Principles of Christian Giving:

       1. The Lord Jesus expects and requires us to give. Jesus said to His disciples, "when you give," not "if you give"!

Mat 6:2  “Therefore when thou doest thine alms”, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Christian giving is not optional, but rather essential. We often hear folks say: "In the Old Testament they had to give, but not in the New - now we only give if we want to." This is clearly not Jesus' teaching. He expected all His followers to be givers. Christians will give. Are you giving?

       2. The Lord Jesus wants us to give for the right reasons. Jesus warned His disciples not to give for the sake of being admired by men. 

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them," 

Jesus said: Mat 6:1  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

When we give, we must be careful to examine our motives. We ought to give for the glory of God and the good of His people. We must desire His approval of our giving, rather than the praise and admiration of people. Are you giving for God's praise or men?

    3. The Lord Jesus wants us to practice benevolent or charitable giving. Jesus said, "When you give to the poor . . . 

(Matthew 6:2-3). Jesus is specifically teaching about "alms" in this passage: alms are, aid, charity, or benevolent offerings for the needy. 

Do you give enough to the Church that she can be generous in benevolent giving?

   4  The Lord Jesus reminds us that our giving is ultimately to the all-seeing heavenly Father. Jesus said, "When you give:

Mat 6:3  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 

Mat 6:4  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

When we give, we are not simply adding to the Church budget; we are giving up a thank-you offering to the Father Himself. 

Thus, we must all give "as unto the Lord." Our ultimate goal in giving is to please Him. Are you conscious of the fact that your giving is to the Lord and seen by the Lord?

  5. The Bible teaches that Christian giving is an act of worship. In connection with the previous point, we see this truth stressed in another way in Paul's words 

"On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save" :

1Co 16:2  Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. 

Paul here teaches the Corinthians that their taking up of the collection is an act of worship which is to be a part of their regular Lord's Day worship.

When we put our money in the plate, we are worshiping Almighty God in accordance with His Word. 

Note well, Paul is speaking here of a "collection for the saints" - this is giving by the Church to the Church for the Church. 

Did you realize that giving is a part of worship? 

Is your worship in this area abundant or inhibited? 

Is giving to the Church a priority with you?

   6. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in light of the incarnation. Many Christians argue about whether the tithe (10% of our income) is still the standard for our giving to the Church (disputants usually want to show that less than 10% is fine). Paul scuttles the whole debate in one verse. 

Paul says: 2Co 8:8  I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. 

2Co 8:9  For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich"

Christ's self-giving is now the standard for our giving! We begin from the base of the tithe and aim for emulation of His self-sacrifice. 

Our giving is to be inspired and instructed by Christ's inexpressible gift. In light of such a challenge, who could satisfy himself with asking "how little a percentage is acceptable for me to give

Do you try to get by giving as little as possible to the Lord, or do you give in view of the Lord's costly sacrifice?

    7. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in accordance with our means. Paul is quite clear on this: "For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

2 Co 8:12  For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 

Put another way, Paul is saying that you should give in proportion to what God has given you. 

He said it this way in 1 Corinthians 16:2: each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper." This means at least two things: 

(A) Since we are all supposed to give proportionately, those who have more money are expected to give more [those who are particularly blessed materially must remember this], 

(B) The Lord never asks us to give what we do not have or contribute beyond our means.

 Are you really giving in proportion to the material blessings that the Lord has given you?

    8. The Bible teaches that the liberality of God's blessings to us is connected to the liberality of our Christian giving. 

Though it may seem strange, both Jesus and Paul emphasize that there is a relation between our giving to the Lord and the Lord's giving to us. 

As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:6:  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 

   9. The Bible teaches that Christian giving must be willing giving, free giving.

2Co 9:7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 

 But doesn't this contradict what we learned under the first principle, that Christian giving is not optional? The answer is no. 

True Christian giving is both mandatory and voluntary. It is required by God, but always willingly given by the believer. 

Is your giving to the Church something you do wholeheartedly, or indifferently, or grudgingly?

  10. The Bible teaches that Christian giving ought to be cheerful giving. As Paul says "God loves a cheerful giver."

Paul assures us here that the Lord takes a special delight in those who are joyful, energetic, merry givers.

Is there joy in your heart as you give? Can you truly be characterized as a "cheerful giver"?

Giving to the work of the Lord is rooted in Scripture, reflects our stewardship of God’s resources, and yields both spiritual and practical benefits.

What is the Biblical foundation for helping those in need?

From the Old Testament, Israel was commanded to bring tithes and offerings to support the Levites, priests, and the temple work.

In the New Testament, the early church shared resources freely.

The principle is that all we have comes from God, so we are stewards, not owners, of our resources.

It honors and reveres God – Giving is an act of worship, acknowledging God as the source of all we have 

It aligns with God’s pattern – Biblical examples show godly people consistently giving a portion of their resources.

It brings God’s wisdom and order to finances – Prioritizing God’s work helps guard against materialism.

It is a practical reminder that God owns everything.

It opens the way for God’s blessings.

It supports ministry and outreach – Giving sustains pastors, missionaries, and church projects.

It yields eternal rewards – Faithful giving is recorded in heaven and linked to spiritual growth and eternal treasure.

Heb 6:12  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 

1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

It reflects God’s love through service – Giving time, talents, and spiritual gifts is part of the work of the Lord.

Spiritual and personal benefits

Joy and gratitude – Giving cultivates a heart of thankfulness and trust in God’s provision

Spiritual growth – Supporting God’s work deepens faith and dependence on Him.

Eternal perspective – It shifts focus from temporary gains to lasting spiritual rewards.

Community impact – It strengthens the body of Christ and enables outreach to the needy.

*****2Co 8:3  For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 

2Co 8:4  Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 

 The number one priority of the Church is to gather to worship the Almighty Living God.

 Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 

 The number two priority of the Church is bringing souls to the Lord Jesus for salvation, and this will never change.

 The third priority of the Church is to make disciples.

 As far as giving to the Church, giving to God can never be measured by the amount.

 God doesn’t measure the gift by the amount. God measures the gift by the cost to the giver.

 You see, if you’re making a million dollars a year and you give God a hundred thousand dollars tithe, you’re not really giving very much.

 Doesn’t really cost you much. Look at all you’ve got left to live on.

 Now if you make only ten thousand dollars and you give a thousand dollars, still a tithe, that is giving a lot because it does not give you that much to live on.

 So, we see that according to the Lord Jesus, a tithe is not always enough in the modern church.

 To the poor a tithe may be looked on as enough, but to the rich a tithe may not be near enough in the eyes of God.

 Even the Lord Jesus gave something to the poor!

 Joh 13:29  For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. 

 Biblical foundation:

 From the Old Testament, Israel was commanded to bring tithes and offerings to support the Levites, priests, and the temple work.

 Mal 3:10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.  

In the New Testament, the early church shared resources freely.

 Paul taught that “God loves a cheerful giver”.

 The principle is that all we have comes from God, so we are stewards, not owners, of our resources.

 Psa 24:1 The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 

Psa 24:2  For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. 

 The area of Macedonia had been in three civil wars, and Rome had stripped this area of its riches.

 These new converts to the church still gave more than they had to give.

 What did Jesus actually say? Luk 11:41  But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. 

  1Jn 3:17  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 

 The Church in Corinth was filled with people who were not poor like the Macedonians.

 Corinth was a rich city.

 Corinth was Grecian city, on the isthmus which joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. It is about 48 miles west of Athens. The ancient city was destroyed by the Romans (146 B.C.), and that mentioned in the New Testament was quite a new city, having been rebuilt about a century afterwards and peopled by a colony of freedmen from Rome. It became under the Romans the seat of government for Southern Greece or Achaia. It was noted for its wealth, and for the luxurious, immoral, and vicious habits of the people.

 What is the most important thing we can do as the church founded by Jesus Christ?

 *****2Co 8:5  And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. 

2Co 8:6  Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also. 

2Co 8:7  Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

 Those who have given themselves to the Lord are more apt to be generous in their giving.

 Remember the Lord Jesus gave all He had for our salvation, including His life.

 It always seems that those who are poor give more to others who are poor because they know how it feels to be poor.

 Those with a pocket full of money are just too stingy to share any of it, but that is not the way of God.

 God does not expect all Christians to be poor. This would set the wrong example of Christianity.

 God wants us to help those around us when a need arises.

 First, those who are in need in the church, and second, those in the community.

 Then there are ministries to support.

 There are missionaries to support.

 A pastor deserves our support.

 The maintenance of the church must be supported.

 Part of the mission of Titus was to collect the offerings they had laid aside for Jerusalem.

 Nothing was going to Paul or the other preachers.

 There was no manipulation or exploitation.

 If not for the first Christian church in Jerusalem, there might not be Christianity today.

 Giving keeps the Church moving in the right direction if done properly.

 My church is independent, and we have total control over where church money is spent as we try to answer the call of God.

 As we study the Book of 2 Corinthians, we can see that this church had been obedient to the things Paul had written in the Book of 1 Corinthians.

 We should always love those who brought us to the Lord!

 They cared enough for us to try to keep us out of Hell.

 The Pastor who preaches the truth of God without watering it down or twisting God’s words into something false is also someone who loves us.

 God sent us His love letter from Heaven, so we know He loves us.

 Love is the key to keeping a functioning church in the modern world, but not some carnal love, love in the Spirit of the Word of God.

 *****2Co 8:8  I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. 

2Co 8:9  For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 

 Every true man of God does not issue commands to his church; he is just a messenger to deliver the Word of God.

 Every message must come by the Holy Spirit.

What's wrong with the modern church? The Holy Spirit is not allowed to do His work because the Word of God is rejected.

We say all the time that we want to be more like Jesus Christ, that He is our example to live by.

We know the Lord Jesus Christ was rich, yet for our sake He became poor.

Yes, He has a great inheritance, but He has chosen to share His inheritance with us.

That inheritance is in Heaven; we only need enough in this world to get us through it until the Lord returns to take us home or we go home by the way of the grave.

The Lord Jesus Christ proved His great love for us with the things He did for us, especially His dying for us.

Sometimes we just don't see that the God who made us came down to this earth in the form of a man and then died for us that we might live an eternal life.

Stewardship is trying to be like Jesus Christ.

*****2Co 8:10  And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. 

God expects us all to give to His work upon this earth, and He has special instructions for the rich.

1Ti 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 

1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 

These same guidelines work for us all!

All gifts that are given are God's to begin with!

So, it is the "Giver" that is important.

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

Giving is sharing.

Giving is the ability and willingness to share our material goods with others.

Rom 12:8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 

Rom 12:10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 

 Rom 12:13  Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 

Giving with liberality refers to open-handed and open-hearted giving out of compassion and singleness of purpose, but not from ambition.

The Philippians helped Paul the Missionary when no one else would.

Php 4:18  But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. 

Where would the Church be without the Apostle Paul today? But remember the "Giver" resides in Heaven and He wants all of us to be a part of giving to the Church.

Only you know how much you can give without it seriously affecting your family, which means most of us could give more, but God does not expect us to live in borderline poverty.

There is no such thing as a prosperity Gospel! We are to build up a treasure in Heaven, not here on Earth.

*****2Co 8:11  Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. 

2Co 8:12  For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 

A year earlier, these Corinthians began to do something for the poor; it stopped when the church was going through sin that made its way inside the church.

They wholeheartedly had a great desire to help the Church of Jerusalem. They needed to finish what they had started.

Great intentions are not a help to anyone!

Willingness to give is not actual giving!

As we make plans for giving, we need to follow through with that plan consistently!

There must first be a willing mind!

We give from what we have and not from what we do not have!

We must put great emphasis on supporting the missions of the Church and those men and women who give all their lives to these ministries.

Some things that Jesus said:

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Mat 19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 

Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

The truth is: Luk 11:41  But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. 

The truth is, we are to give as we have, and we will be blessed for it.

God has never asked us to do more than our very best!

Amen