The Bible tells of a young man of great wealth who came running to Jesus one day eager to ask his question. This man wanted something that he believed Jesus could tell him how to receive. So he asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"
After Jesus asked the young man what the law would say one must do, the young man professed with confidence he had sufficiently kept the law. So to this Jesus said, "Go sell all that you have and give to the poor. Then come follow Me." At this the young man was greatly saddened and walked away from Jesus. The reason the writer tells us is that the man possessed great wealth.
Jesus was much more concerned not with us possessing wealth, but that wealth would possess us.
It is often said that the most difficult thing for a pastor to preach upon in any church is the topic of wealth, money, and possessions. This may be true. But what is for sure true is that often the last thing to come under the lordship of Jesus is our wealth, however big or little it may seem to us.
Being all in to follow Jesus means being all in to give to advance His work. We want to see God work. We want our local churches to thrive. Yet we can be withholding the resources God intends to support that very work.
Some today have called tithing (giving 10% of one's income to God's work in the local church) an obsolete concept and something erased by the New Testament. Certainly the New Testament speaks less of tithing and more of sacrificial giving. However, the New Testament does not negate the teaching of tithing and also presents how grace should demand we give more than the law ever did and not less.
Are you all in in following Jesus? Would you resources and wealth reflect this?
God intends to fully fund the work of His kingdom through the giving of His people.
God has already demonstrated the greatest generosity we can ever know in the giving of His Son who in turn has given to us the gift of eternal life.
Take a Daniel moment:
1. Celebrate God's generosity to us in giving us His Son and eternal life.
2. Worship God as the giver of all good gifts and all things we possess.
3. Ask God to empower you to by faith go all in by giving to Him generously and sacrificially.
4. Pray that the work of Christ's kingdom would not be hindered by our lack of faith and giving.
After Jesus asked the young man what the law would say one must do, the young man professed with confidence he had sufficiently kept the law. So to this Jesus said, "Go sell all that you have and give to the poor. Then come follow Me." At this the young man was greatly saddened and walked away from Jesus. The reason the writer tells us is that the man possessed great wealth.
Jesus was much more concerned not with us possessing wealth, but that wealth would possess us.
It is often said that the most difficult thing for a pastor to preach upon in any church is the topic of wealth, money, and possessions. This may be true. But what is for sure true is that often the last thing to come under the lordship of Jesus is our wealth, however big or little it may seem to us.
Being all in to follow Jesus means being all in to give to advance His work. We want to see God work. We want our local churches to thrive. Yet we can be withholding the resources God intends to support that very work.
Some today have called tithing (giving 10% of one's income to God's work in the local church) an obsolete concept and something erased by the New Testament. Certainly the New Testament speaks less of tithing and more of sacrificial giving. However, the New Testament does not negate the teaching of tithing and also presents how grace should demand we give more than the law ever did and not less.
Are you all in in following Jesus? Would you resources and wealth reflect this?
God intends to fully fund the work of His kingdom through the giving of His people.
God has already demonstrated the greatest generosity we can ever know in the giving of His Son who in turn has given to us the gift of eternal life.
Take a Daniel moment:
1. Celebrate God's generosity to us in giving us His Son and eternal life.
2. Worship God as the giver of all good gifts and all things we possess.
3. Ask God to empower you to by faith go all in by giving to Him generously and sacrificially.
4. Pray that the work of Christ's kingdom would not be hindered by our lack of faith and giving.
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