Sermon Tone Analysis

*Intro: humour*

The apostle Peter writes, But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day” (2 Peter 3:8 NRSV).

An economist who read this verse was quite amazed and talked to God about it.

“Lord, is it true that a thousand years for us is like one minute to you?”

The Lord said, “Yes.”

The economist said, “Then a million dollars to us must be like one penny to you.”

Again the Lord said, “Yes.”

The economist thought for a moment and then asked, “Will you give me one of those pennies?”

And the Lord replied, “Yes, I will…in a minute.”

*Today* is a /great day/ for our church – our first structured FAITH PROMISE OFFERING for “the Mission”.

*Reminder*:  What’s the Mission again?

*Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV) 19 *"Go therefore and make disciples of /all the nations/, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, *20 *"teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, /even/ to the end of the age."

Amen.

Why must we do all we can, while we can?  Finish the job?

Because Jesus will not return until the job is done!

*Matthew 24:14 (NKJV) *"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Who wants King Jesus to return?

YES – we all do!

 

*SLIDE_ 10~/40*

We have numerous missionaries all working in this part of the world from our own congregation.

We want to be able to support them the best we can.

*PROJECTS* and *NEW FOCUSES* – *INDIA & SRI LANKA* next year.

Let me tell you 4 reasons *why* this is a great day for our church:

 

*1.

We are using our money and resources the way God has always intended.*

One of the most misunderstood areas of life is the area of giving, particularly the question of how God wants us to handle our money.

The Bible is very clear about this:

/Tell people to use their money to do good.

They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them.

By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven—it is the only safe investment for eternity!

And they will be living a fruitful Christian life down here as well” *(1 Timothy 6:18-19).*

NLT/

/ /

These verses make it clear that */money is to be used, not loved./*

You are to /use money/, and you are to */love people/*.

If you get that reversed, you are in trouble because if you start loving money, you will start using people to get more money.

Money has a tremendous potential for good if you use it as God intended.

It is a tool that the Bible tells us to use for good in order to fulfil God’s purposes for our lives.

This life is a preparation for the next:  */Eternity/*.

You can’t take your money with you, but you can send it on ahead by investing in people who are going there.

\\ \\ I will only get to use money I have here on earth for 60 or 80 years.

On the other hand, I will get to use money that I store up in heaven for all of eternity.

There is no greater investment strategy than to invest what I have now in a place that I know is going to last forever, instead of a place where I only get to use it for 100 years at the most.

*IMAGINE this scenario:*  You have focused most of your spending and attention on material things of THIS WORLD instead of investing your resources in *“the MISSION*”.

On that great LAST DAY you are standing before Jesus Christ giving an account of your life and you say to Jesus /“Did you see my nice new carpet?”

“How about my new Ferrari – you should see how it handles the corners Jesus!”/

Does this sound a little *HOLLOW* to you today?

Friends none of us need to /lack confidence/ on that great last day as we learn to USE our MONEY for God’s PURPOSES.

Second reason this is a great day for our church:

 

*2.

You are getting ready to INCREASE your faith by  making a FAITH PROMISE.

*

 

Why is that so impressive?

*PERSONALLY*: Through learning to *give by faith*, I have /increased my faith/, grown closer to Jesus Christ, and my heart has been changed more than any other discipline in my life has accomplished.

Giving is the fundamental issue of life.

*Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) *But without faith /it is/ impossible to please /Him/, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and /that/ He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

As you write down a figure of money today that you are going to TRUST God’s power to deliver into your hands – you are putting a smile on God’s face and *causing Him great PLEASURE*!

Amen!

He loves FAITH.

HE loves it when we trust Him as a DAD to provide for us.

REMEMBER  - /only two things ever* amazed* Jesus Christ/ – GREAT FAITH and LITTLE FAITH!

When you learn to trust God for finance in order to  channel it into His global cause – he will make you into */a river of His blessing/*.

He passes it onto you and you pass it on downstream right into families living in poverty, micro-enterprise schemes, lifting people above the poverty line – giving them dignity and self-worth perhaps for the first time in their life, *MOST OF ALL* – bringing the message of the *GOSPEL* into their lives.

*3.

**When you give to God’s global cause you are becoming more like God in your character*

 

*John 3:16 (NKJV) *"For /God so loved/ the world that /He gave/ His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

The Bible is a book about giving.

In fact, *the Bible* talks /more about giving/ than it does heaven and hell, and there are more promises in the Bible about giving than any other subject.

*Why?*

It is because /God wants us to be generous like him/.

God gave us literally everything we have.

Everything you have is yours only because of God’s generosity.

There is one group in the world that God especially wants us to give to, */the poor/*.

There are over 2,000 verses in the Bible about the poor, and some are accompanied by promises.

\\ \\ */“He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses” /*(Proverbs 28:27).

Proverbs 19:17 tells us, */“If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD—and he will repay you/*!.”

 

Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all— it is dead and useless.”

/A Faith Promise/ is displaying a *FAITH that WORKS*!

 

*4.

When you invest in God’s Global Fund you are investing in ETERNAL Outcomes!*

 

*/Investing in this fund means using your money to take the good news of the gospel around the whole world/*.

If you want to know how much God loves the world, look at the cross.

/With arms outstretched and nail pierced hands/, Jesus says, *I love the world this much*.

*I would rather die than live without them*.

God says that if you are going to be like him, you must care about the whole world.

You must not be solely concerned with your community and your family.

You must also care about the global glory of God.

\\ \\ *Luke 16:9* is probably one of the /most misunderstood verses in the Bible/.

It says, */“Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”/*

This means that God wants you to invest your money in bringing the good news of Jesus to people, and then those who become Christians will be eternally grateful to you.

When you get to heaven, they will be there to welcome you and say, *“Thank you, I am in heaven because of **you**.”*

You will be friends for all of eternity.

The most important thing you will ever do with your lives is to get involved in ministry and mission to the world, because */bringing people the gospel is far more important than anything else/*.

What you do for Jesus Christ with your time and your money is going to /far outlast your career/ and your /hobbies/.

It will far outlast everything else, including your own family, because the only family that is eternal is God’s eternal family.

\\ \\ Jesus said: */“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven”/* (Matthew 6:19-20a).

If your treasure is on earth, then /every day you are getting further and further away from it/. *You are not staying on this planet.*

If your treasure is in heaven and that is where you are investing, then every day you are getting /closer and closer to it/.

Do you want to be moving away from your treasure, or do you want to be moving toward it?

It is up to you.

\\ \\ *John Mickan* is here today – Missionary to Chile for 15 years.

Travelled the length and breadth of Chile ministering to Pastors and their wives – tirelessly with great fruit to their account.

John has an amazing story of how God led him into FAITH PROMISE giving before he even really knew what it was all about:

 

*CONCLUSION*

 

Music team to come.