WMO 2007 #3/3

#1 · November 5, 2007, 2:51 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on November 5, 2007, 2:51 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
WMO 2007 #3/3

MIND ALTERING TRUTH

October 28, 2007

Text: Romans 12:1-8

Over the past two Sundays, I have shared that in order to give to the work of the Lord, we must first receive Gods grace of salvation. Until we do that, we have nothing that we can give. When we receive Gods gift, we in turn share with others in need of the Gospel and in need of material basics. In fact, Christians cannot not give. Because of Christs overwhelming gift of love and life, believers are compelled to give out of gratitude.

Receiving and giving have a purpose. We do not undertake these actions like a rudderless ship which is propelled forward, but with no purpose and direction. We receive from the Lord and give in ways He directs with a purpose and for a purpose. The primary purpose is to glorify God. In 1 Peter 2:12 we are instructed, Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. If God is not glorified in and through our giving, then we need to revisit the purpose of our giving.

A second purpose of receiving and giving is for our benefit. We have read in Romans 12:2, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will ishis good, pleasing and perfect will. Whenever we confess Jesus as our Savior and receive in that moment Gods wonderful gift of salvation, we face a struggle that very moment. Even though reaching that point is a struggle for some as they resist the call of the Holy Spirit, all of us face that lengthy battle between conforming to the world and being transformed into Christs likeness. There are always areas of our lives that we find difficult to give to God until we give Him enough time to work in our lives. This is what I mean by mind altering truth: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Giving for the purpose of supporting the Lords work is a life transforming action. When Peter and John walked through the temple area and came upon the crippled man and healed him, it was a transformational experience for all of them as well as the witnesses to the event. The crippled man received the power of God. Peter and John received confirmation that Gods healing and witnessing power had been given to them. They used their gifts to glorify God and testified, Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. (Acts 3:12-13) Receiving and giving Gods blessings were used to glorify God and to bring transformation.

Our acts of mercy do no less today. Christians who receive Gods gifts and, in turn, share Gods gifts experience transformation. Christians do not merely give to some unknown cause or for the sake of getting some annoying solicitor off the phone. At least, we shouldnt be giving this way. Christian giving, whether through personal witness or prayer or financial means, is for the purpose of glorifying God. One of the main ways that God is glorified is through the submission of one life after another to Him. Every saved soul is a jewel to God, and He delights in bestowing His creation with salvation. When we, as obedient servants, participate in that event, we continue to be transformed.

Our transformation which comes through the renewing of our mind leads us to a greater sense of humility before the Lord. It cannot be said enough that we enjoy some awesome privileges as Americans that are not experienced in many more places around the world. I say this not to impose a guilt trip on us. We are not guilty for enjoying relatively high standards of living. We should be thankful to our Creator God for blessing us with His mercies. From our thanksgiving, then, should come that greater sense of humility I just mentioned. As a people humbling ourselves before our great God, then, we are compelled to return Gods blessings to Him so that we participate in His blessings being showered on others.

This is why I have no difficulty asking that we strive to save at least three dollars per month for the World Mission Offering in addition to our normal offering and ministry support. Except for the direst cases, something like three dollars a month represents discretionary spending in America. In other words, none of us are likely to suffer malnutrition if we save three bucks for the WMO. In fact, it will likely do most of us a great deal of good if we skip a meal a month for ministry! Which is more gratifying? To buy that DVD of a mediocre movie that you never get around to watching again anyway, or to know that your financial support to the WMO brought fresh water to a struggling village in Africa? To buy that latest version of Warcraft for your Playstation or X-Box, or to know your financial support helped deliver a young woman sold into prostitution in Thailand? To supersize that fast food meal, or to know that your prayers and support helped take an abandoned orphan off dangerous streets in Brazil? To go to a movie just because there is nothing else to do, or to know that your commitment to Christ brought refugees around the world to a saving faith in Jesus Christ? Finding fulfillment and surprising joy by participating fully in Gods will renews our mind and leads us away from conforming to the pattern of this world. We are transformed, and that is the mind altering truth.

Listen to this description of the life of 11 year old Emelia in Ghana, Africa, and be humbled before God. This story of Emelias day comes from Compassion International ministries. 6:15 a.m. Emelia starts her day with prayer. She shares her bed, a mattress on the floor, with her 9-year-old sister, Pela. 6:20 a.m. Emelia washes her face with a splash of cool water from a cup and brushes her teeth in front of the family's home. 7 a.m. Emelia and Pela walk fifteen minutes to the community well closest to their home where they haul water in 5-gallon buckets. 7:07 a.m. Emelia and Pela cushion heavy buckets on their heads using a fabric ring. Most days require two trips to the well, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to fulfill the family's water needs. 7:16 a.m. Without a kitchen in their home, Emelia lights pieces of wood in a stove in her yard. She warms up leftover rice and beans for breakfast. 7:20 a.m. Using some of the water they collected, Emelia takes a sponge bath and then washes last night's dishes while Pela rinses. 8:45 a.m. Emelia joins other children in praise and worship during morning devotions at their school. 5 p.m. After a full day at the child development center, Emelia uses a pestle to help her mother pound a cassava plant root and plantains. This is hard, time-consuming work. The pulpy starch is called fufu and is served with soup. 6:02 p.m. Emelia's fufu that she made earlier is paired with goat soup. The family eats by hand from the same bowl. 7:45 p.m. Emelia enjoys her favorite activity, reading, before going to bed for the night. There is electricity in her home, but the family goes to bed soon after darkness falls, around 8 p.m.

How many of us experience days anywhere close to that? Just getting fresh water into the home like that would be a challenge to most of us. Emelia wants to be an accountant, and she may get to train for that field because, through the committed giving of Christians who have, Emelias family can send her to school without having to give up their necessities of life. Isnt this what being transformed by the renewing of your mind is all about?

Emelia and her family are supported through the Compassion International childrens ministry, which is certainly one way to respond to Gods call to reach out to the world. Our support to missionaries ministries through our World Mission Offering is another way, and our focus this month. Our missionaries are actively bringing villagers to salvation throughout remote districts of Burma and Thailand. As we learned last year, they are rescuing Brazilian castaway children from dangerous streets in Brazil through the Hope Unlimited ministry. Our missionaries combat disease and dig fresh water wells and teach productive agricultural techniques across the landscape of Africa. All of these ministries and more are being accomplished every day because of the faithfulness of American Baptist missionaries and those who support them. We are humbled to be a part of Gods mission in this way. We are being transformed.

The theme that American Baptist International Ministries has been using this year is Surprised by the Word: Receive. Give. Be transformed! I hope that through this sermon series you experience God working in your life and the life of our church this way. We must first receive Gods gift of salvation and then His blessings which follow, because we cannot give what we do not have. In turn, we give out of the storehouse of wealth that we receive from God. A Christian cannot not give. From this, we are transformed as we obey Gods good, pleasing, and perfect will. As we repeat this cycle over and over, we will continue to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. This is mind altering truth.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

170 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

WMO 2007 #3/3

MIND ALTERING TRUTH

October 28, 2007

Text: Romans 12:1-8

Over the past two Sundays, I have shared that in order to give to the work of the Lord, we must first receive Gods grace of salvation. Until we do that, we have nothing that we can give. When we receive Gods gift, we in turn share with others in need of the Gospel and in need of material basics. In fact, Christians cannot not give. Because of Christs overwhelming gift of love and life, believers are compelled to give out of gratitude.

Receiving and giving have a purpose. We do not undertake these actions like a rudderless ship which is propelled forward, but with no purpose and direction. We receive from the Lord and give in ways He directs with a purpose and for a purpose. The primary purpose is to glorify God. In 1 Peter 2:12 we are instructed, Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. If God is not glorified in and through our giving, then we need to revisit the purpose of our giving.

A second purpose of receiving and giving is for our benefit. We have read in Romans 12:2, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will ishis good, pleasing and perfect will. Whenever we confess Jesus as our Savior and receive in that moment Gods wonderful gift of salvation, we face a struggle that very moment. Even though reaching that point is a struggle for some as they resist the call of the Holy Spirit, all of us face that lengthy battle between conforming to the world and being transformed into Christs likeness. There are always areas of our lives that we find difficult to give to God until we give Him enough time to work in our lives. This is what I mean by mind altering truth: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Giving for the purpose of supporting the Lords work is a life transforming action. When Peter and John walked through the temple area and came upon the crippled man and healed him, it was a transformational experience for all of them as well as the witnesses to the event. The crippled man received the power of God. Peter and John received confirmation that Gods healing and witnessing power had been given to them. They used their gifts to glorify God and testified, Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. (Acts 3:12-13) Receiving and giving Gods blessings were used to glorify God and to bring transformation.

Our acts of mercy do no less today. Christians who receive Gods gifts and, in turn, share Gods gifts experience transformation. Christians do not merely give to some unknown cause or for the sake of getting some annoying solicitor off the phone. At least, we shouldnt be giving this way. Christian giving, whether through personal witness or prayer or financial means, is for the purpose of glorifying God. One of the main ways that God is glorified is through the submission of one life after another to Him. Every saved soul is a jewel to God, and He delights in bestowing His creation with salvation. When we, as obedient servants, participate in that event, we continue to be transformed.

Our transformation which comes through the renewing of our mind leads us to a greater sense of humility before the Lord. It cannot be said enough that we enjoy some awesome privileges as Americans that are not experienced in many more places around the world. I say this not to impose a guilt trip on us. We are not guilty for enjoying relatively high standards of living. We should be thankful to our Creator God for blessing us with His mercies. From our thanksgiving, then, should come that greater sense of humility I just mentioned. As a people humbling ourselves before our great God, then, we are compelled to return Gods blessings to Him so that we participate in His blessings being showered on others.

This is why I have no difficulty asking that we strive to save at least three dollars per month for the World Mission Offering in addition to our normal offering and ministry support. Except for the direst cases, something like three dollars a month represents discretionary spending in America. In other words, none of us are likely to suffer malnutrition if we save three bucks for the WMO. In fact, it will likely do most of us a great deal of good if we skip a meal a month for ministry! Which is more gratifying? To buy that DVD of a mediocre movie that you never get around to watching again anyway, or to know that your financial support to the WMO brought fresh water to a struggling village in Africa? To buy that latest version of Warcraft for your Playstation or X-Box, or to know your financial support helped deliver a young woman sold into prostitution in Thailand? To supersize that fast food meal, or to know that your prayers and support helped take an abandoned orphan off dangerous streets in Brazil? To go to a movie just because there is nothing else to do, or to know that your commitment to Christ brought refugees around the world to a saving faith in Jesus Christ? Finding fulfillment and surprising joy by participating fully in Gods will renews our mind and leads us away from conforming to the pattern of this world. We are transformed, and that is the mind altering truth.

Listen to this description of the life of 11 year old Emelia in Ghana, Africa, and be humbled before God. This story of Emelias day comes from Compassion International ministries. 6:15 a.m. Emelia starts her day with prayer. She shares her bed, a mattress on the floor, with her 9-year-old sister, Pela. 6:20 a.m. Emelia washes her face with a splash of cool water from a cup and brushes her teeth in front of the family's home. 7 a.m. Emelia and Pela walk fifteen minutes to the community well closest to their home where they haul water in 5-gallon buckets. 7:07 a.m. Emelia and Pela cushion heavy buckets on their heads using a fabric ring. Most days require two trips to the well, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to fulfill the family's water needs. 7:16 a.m. Without a kitchen in their home, Emelia lights pieces of wood in a stove in her yard. She warms up leftover rice and beans for breakfast. 7:20 a.m. Using some of the water they collected, Emelia takes a sponge bath and then washes last night's dishes while Pela rinses. 8:45 a.m. Emelia joins other children in praise and worship during morning devotions at their school. 5 p.m. After a full day at the child development center, Emelia uses a pestle to help her mother pound a cassava plant root and plantains. This is hard, time-consuming work. The pulpy starch is called fufu and is served with soup. 6:02 p.m. Emelia's fufu that she made earlier is paired with goat soup. The family eats by hand from the same bowl. 7:45 p.m. Emelia enjoys her favorite activity, reading, before going to bed for the night. There is electricity in her home, but the family goes to bed soon after darkness falls, around 8 p.m.

How many of us experience days anywhere close to that? Just getting fresh water into the home like that would be a challenge to most of us. Emelia wants to be an accountant, and she may get to train for that field because, through the committed giving of Christians who have, Emelias family can send her to school without having to give up their necessities of life. Isnt this what being transformed by the renewing of your mind is all about?

Emelia and her family are supported through the Compassion International childrens ministry, which is certainly one way to respond to Gods call to reach out to the world. Our support to missionaries ministries through our World Mission Offering is another way, and our focus this month. Our missionaries are actively bringing villagers to salvation throughout remote districts of Burma and Thailand. As we learned last year, they are rescuing Brazilian castaway children from dangerous streets in Brazil through the Hope Unlimited ministry. Our missionaries combat disease and dig fresh water wells and teach productive agricultural techniques across the landscape of Africa. All of these ministries and more are being accomplished every day because of the faithfulness of American Baptist missionaries and those who support them. We are humbled to be a part of Gods mission in this way. We are being transformed.

The theme that American Baptist International Ministries has been using this year is Surprised by the Word: Receive. Give. Be transformed! I hope that through this sermon series you experience God working in your life and the life of our church this way. We must first receive Gods gift of salvation and then His blessings which follow, because we cannot give what we do not have. In turn, we give out of the storehouse of wealth that we receive from God. A Christian cannot not give. From this, we are transformed as we obey Gods good, pleasing, and perfect will. As we repeat this cycle over and over, we will continue to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. This is mind altering truth.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

170 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org