"God Is Our Treasure" Sermon Series

For the last several weeks we have been going through a series on how to view money and possessions in light of eternity.  This has been such a wonderfully challenging series as we have begun to view these these through the lens of Scripture...follow this link if you would like to listen to any of these messages.  The first message touches on the topic of contentment, the calling to live a modest life and the cultivation of a lifestyle of generosity.  The second message is on God's ownership.  And then the 3rd message being on the issue of tithing, answering the question if this is something that we as New Testament believers ought to do.  http://www.providencecommunitychurch.net/providence/god_is_our_treasure 

John Piper On The Practice Of Tithing For The New Testament Believer

Hey folks,

Here is a link of a great sermon by John Piper on the practice of tithing for the New Testament believer, great sermon:

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1995/923_Toward_the_Tithe_and_Beyond/

Randy Alcorn on "Earning Rewards"

Hey folks,

Here is a very helpful article I ran across from Randy Alcorn's ministry "Eternal Perspectives Ministries" on the question, "Can we really earn eternal rewards?"  I have to confess, studying the topic of "rewards" is a new one for me, as it might be for many of you.  Very clearly laid out, while also very challenging as well.  Enjoy!  http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Mar/5/can-we-really-earn-eternal-rewards/

Haiti Relief Fund Through Sovereign Grace Ministries

Dear Friends,

I wanted to pass on to you this link through our family of churches as they have set up a relief fund to channel resources through some of our contacts already in Haiti and in the Dominican Republic. Here is a clip from their website:

"In response to the devastating earthquake that occurred in Haiti on Tuesday, Sovereign Grace Ministries has activated our Disaster Relief fund to help deliver food, medicine, and other needed aid there. We will distribute the funds we raise primarily through existing ministry contacts we have on the island—both in Haiti and the Dominican Republic—who are already involved in relief efforts."

Please pray for the people of Haiti and the ministry relief workers there. If you are able to help financially you can click here: http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/About/FinancialSupport/DisasterRelief.aspx

Thank you so very much!

The Gospel & Social Action - A Message By D.A. Carson

Last year a group of students asked Dr. Carson if he would speak on the topic of "The Gospel & Social Action," as many seem to talk about issues of social action (ministry to the poor, working for issues of justice in society at large) and the gospel as though they might be one in the same. Listening to this very informative lecture, that Justin Taylor has posted on the Gospel Coalition website, will not only help inform someone of the calling to care for the poor, but also to help sharpen and tighten one's grasp on what "the gospel" actually is (to help keep "the main thing" the "main thing"). Enjoy. http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/08/06/carson-on-gospel-and-social-action/

The Gospel & Ministry To The Poor

In light of our monthly work through our Care Group ministry to the women and children at Forest Avenue Women's & Children's Shelter...read and be fed:

"Like nothing else could ever do, the gospel instills in me a heart for the downcast, the poverty-stricken, and those in need of physical mercies, especially when such persons are of the household of faith.

When I see persons who are materially poor, I instantly feel a kinship with them, for they are physically what I was spiritually when my heart was closed to Christ. Perhaps some of them are in their condition because of sin, but so was I. Perhaps they are unkind when I try to help them; but I, too, have been spiteful to God when He has sought to help me. Perhaps they are thankless and even abuse the kindness I show them, but how many times have I been thankless and used what God has given me to serve selfish ends?

Perhaps a poverty-stricken person will be blessed and changed as a result of some kindness I show him. If so, God be praised for His grace through me. But if the person walks away unchanged by my kindness, then I still rejoice over the opportunity to love as God loves. Perhaps the person will repent in time; but for now, my heart is chastened and made wiser by the tangible depiction of what I myself have done to God on numerous occasions.

The gospel reminds me daily of the spiritual poverty into which I was born and also of the staggering generosity of Christ towards me. Such reminders instill in me both a felt connection to the poor and a desire to show them the same generosity that has been lavished on me. When ministering to the poor with these motivations, I not only preach the gospel to them through word and deed, but I reenact the gospel to my own benefit as well."
- Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer

A Christian View of the Economic Crisis by Dr. Mohler

In light of much of the recent "economic crisis" I wanted to draw your attention to Dr. Albert Mohler's blog on how we as Christians ought to view this time. If you are anything like me, there is the looming question, "How am I to think Biblically about this?" Dr. Mohler adds some great insights and answers to that question...

http://albertmohler.com//blog_read.php?id=2550

Burna Disaster Relief Fund

As disaster-relief efforts continue in Burma, Sovereign Grace Ministries has the opportunity to provide assistance through ministry relationships we have in that country. SGM has established a Burma Disaster Relief fund and are contributing financially toward aid efforts in Burma.

Any who would like to join us in this effort can donate to the Burma Disaster Relief fund via Sovereign Grace Ministries Website.Most importantly, please join us in praying that amid the destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis, victims of the storm would receive swift and effective help, and that many in Burma would hear and respond to the gospel.


http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/About/FinancialSupport/Donations.aspx

The Joy of Giving Our Lives Away To The One Who Gives Us Everything!

This morning we read this from Spurgeon's "Checkbook of the Bank of Faith" which is an outstanding little devotional to help set our hearts on the promises of God. As a church as we seek to "Love, Live & Give Gospel," may we walk this life out doing as such...and may we not "care about [ourselves] till we grow morbid." :) Enjoy giving your life away! Take care...

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Proverbs 11: 24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,and one who waters will himself be watered.

"If I carefully consider others, God will consider me, and in some way or other He will recompense me. Let me consider the poor, and the Lord will consider me. Let me look after little children, and the Lord will treat me as His child. Let me feed His flock, and He will feed me. Let me water His garden, and He will make a watered garden of my soul. This is the Lord's own promise; be it mine to fulfill the condition and then to expect its fulfillment.
I may care about myself till I grow morbid; I may watch over my own feelings till I feel nothing; and I may lament my own weakness till I grow almost too weak to lament. It will be far more profitable for me to become unselfish and out of love to my Lord Jesus begin to care for the souls of those around me. My tank is getting very low; no fresh rain comes to fill it; what shall l dot I will pull up the plug and let its contents run out to water the withering plants around me. What do I see? My cistern seems to fill as it flows. A secret spring is at work. While all was stagnant, the fresh spring was sealed; but as my stock Rows out to water others the Lord thinketh upon me. Hallelujah!"

Grace Motivated Giving - Matthew 20:28

This last Father's day I preached a message based on Matthew 20:20-28, entitled, "Becoming Men of Biblical Greatness." In that message the last point was "Biblical Greatness is found in men who sacrifice." In each point, though there was a directive for us to apply in pursuing what Scripture calls truly great, there was also a point for worship, in that each point was also an opportunity to worship Christ, because He and He alone is the One Who is eternally so Truly Great. Using that passage as a spring board, I would like to do a series of blog entries on why we "give" whether it be our finances, time or talents to the building of the local church.

Being a pastor, I am often times the recipient of a host of emails and direct-mail advertising by
"church marketing" firms that claim that if we use their services, etc. then we can really do "great things" for God's kingdom. Several years ago, I received one advertisement almost (almost is the key word) claiming that if we used their bulletins then people would be coming back again and again to our church, and that it would grow exponentially. "Wow" I thought, "I never thought about building a church on the style of the bulletin." There are many other "church marketing" groups out there seem to promote a variety strategies to pastors to help make their church grow numerically or to give more, etc. As a pastor reading such material and the thought of actually employing such methods to motivate (or manipulate) God's people to give financially makes one's stomach turn.

As we come to Matthew 20:28, we see a motivation to give and live self-sacrificial lives that are not motivated by compulsion, nor by human manipulation, but instead are motivated by and rooted in the grace of the Gospel, from the very Nature and Heart of God, that produces true, worshipful, grateful, gracious and joyful hearts.

That passage states, "even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Here in this passage, we are shown not only the uniqueness of our precious Savior, but we are also given an example to follow. I say, an example to follow, because in this context, Jesus is contrasting the disciples desire for a type of "worldly" greatness (using the Gentile rulers manipulation and lording of authority over the people they are to lead), and then saying to them, "It is not to be so among yourselves" and then points them to Himself in verse 28.

Here we see that the very notion of giving our lives away for the cause of Christ, is not motivated by "successful stories" by others who have done this and then come out on top. Nor, was it because of some natural wisdom or antidote that someone acquired through their own life experience, saying that sacrifice for good or moral causes is a good thing to do. No. The reason why the "Christian" life is to be a life of sacrifice for Christ, is because this is Who God Himself is.

The goal of the Christian life is that we will be made like Him. And one by, by Grace Alone, we will be made like Him, we will be transformed into His image. And one of the characteristics of this God Who saved us, is that He, Himself is a "Self-Sacrificing, Generous God." This is the God Who has GIVEN TO US. We who deserve His just wrath and judgement, He instead, gave us what we didn't deserve and that was grace, which was purchased through the GIVING of His one and only Son for us.

John 3:16 For God so loves the world that He gave His Son
Matthew 6:11 He gives us our daily bread
Luke 11:13 He gave us the Holy Spirit
Luke 12:32 He gladly gives us His Kingdom
Matthew 7:10 He gives us good gifts

We give our lives for Christ...why? Is it because we heard a good motivational speaker who shared a lot of great anecdotal stories? No. We give because we worship God. We give because we adore Him and desire Him. We give our lives because this is the very nature of the God who so graciously "gave His life as a random for many." In light of what we have truly earned through our own sinfulness, aren't you glad the Father gave the Son? Aren't you glad that the Son, in submission and love for the Father, He gave His life as a ransom for you?

How and why do we give? Is it out of a sense of manipulation or out of a sense of legalism? No, we give of our time, finances and talents, because this is a reflection of our redemption. This is a reflection of the gospel itself. This is a reflection of the very God we serve. Our lives are no longer our own, we were bought with a price! We are His! And we give of our lives not grumbling or complaining, but instead out of joy that is motivated by the Gospel. As Hebrews 12:2 shows us the root of where our motivation is to come from by pointing us to the glad, generous sacrifice of our Savior,

"Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

We give so in true, free grace motivated joy! And so in closing to this blog entry, I want to end by just commending the people of Providence Community Church. You excel in this! You excel not just in the grace of giving (time, possessions, finances and resources), but you excel in your keeping of the gospel central to your motivations. The Gospel is to be central to all of our motivations and especially so in how we give our lives in service to one another as unto the Lord in gladness! This you do so, so very, very well. You are a joy to lead! Take care...and have a great day giving yourself increasingly so to the God Who gave Himself to us.