Pastoral ministry is always shaped, formed, directed, and driven by worship. Your ministry will be shaped by worship of God or worship of you or, for most of us, a troubling mix of both. Perhaps there is no more powerful, seductive, and deceitful temptation in ministry than self-glory. Perhaps in ministry there is no more potent intoxicant than the praise of men, and there is no more dangerous form of drunkenness than to be drunk with your own glory. It has the power to reduce you to shocking self-righteousness and inapproachability.
Paul David Tripp

Lessons Of Faith 1

Lessons Of Faith 1

LESSONS of FAITH – 1

It ÿwas ÿin the bag. ÿHe was clutching it like it ÿwas ÿthe last ÿthing he owned. ÿAnd it was. ÿThe attendants had to pry ÿit from ÿhis ÿhands. ÿWhen they opened it, ÿthey ÿfound ÿover ÿ3000 dollars, ÿÿmostly small bills. ÿBy some standards, ÿhe might ÿbe considered rich, but you see, he wasn’t. He was poor, ÿwandering the ÿstreets, ÿsleeping in alleys and doorways, ÿbegging for food and ÿmoney. ÿÿHe ÿhad found a good area where ÿthe ÿpeople ÿwere generous. ÿHe asked and they gave. Yet, when they found him, dead from ÿthe ÿcold and lack of good food, ÿhis clothes were old ÿand dirty, ÿand his pockets were empty. ÿAll he had was that bag ÿand 3000 dollars. What happened?

What ÿhappened is that he failed to follow one of the ÿmost important ÿteachings in the Bible. ÿGod’s principle of Use. ÿThis same ÿprinciple is rarely applied in many of our own lives, ÿÿand yet it is easily recognized as “missing” ÿin others. The man with the bag failed to apply the principle. ÿHe was keeping all he had hid in a paper bag. He was saving for a rainy day. He was so busy saving ÿfor an unsure future, ÿhe failed to see the storm ÿaround him, ÿÿand he ended up dead on the sidewalk, ÿclutching his ÿonly belonging. It was in the bag.

That which he cared so much about is now useless to him. ÿHe didn’t use what he had. ÿHe kept it hid in a bag, while he wasted away. He didn’t spend a cent for food, clothing, or anything. ÿHe kept saving, saving, saving! Now it’s too late. He didn’t use it. It was in the bag.

Are ÿyou holding on to all you have? ÿAre you afraid to ÿuse it? Are you saving for a rainy day? Don’t! Don’t die holding the bag! ÿÿGod wants you to use your talents and your resources. ÿÿHe gave ÿthem ÿto you, ÿnot so you can hide them in a bag, ÿÿbut ÿto display ÿto ÿall ÿfor His Glory! ÿJesus, ÿin the parable ÿof ÿThe Talents, ÿÿwas pleased at the servants that used what ÿthey ÿwere given ÿand ÿangry at the servant that buried his portion ÿin ÿthe ground. ÿ(See Matt. ÿ25:14) ÿJesus even instructs us not to ÿsave treasures ÿon ÿearth where moth and dust ÿcorrupt, ÿÿand ÿthieves steal, ÿbut to save treasures in heaven, ÿfor where our treasures are, our heart will be also. (Matt. 6:19)

Please, take it out of the bag!

LRH 10/10/85