Quote from Forum Archives on October 13, 2003, 12:41 pm

Posted by: jpeters <jpeters@...>

Please disregard the earlier version of Sermon Seeds G31.  A computer glitch made it incomplete.  Please use this version instead.  Thanks!

 

WELCOME TO SERMON SEEDS FOR OCTOBER 13, 2003

 

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1 Samuel 19:1-7

A GOOD FRIEND

 

Jonathan showed himself to be a good friend of David.

 

HE WAS PERCEPTIVE – Vs. 1

He was alert enough to know when David was in danger.

 

HE WAS PROTECTIVE – Vs. 2

He warned David of the danger.

 

HE WAS PROACTIVE – Vss. 3-7

He interceded for David with Saul.  He brought David back into Saul’s presence.

 

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1 Chronicles 10

THE END OF AN ERA

 

DEATH OF SAUL AND HIS SONS – Vss. 1-6

DEFEAT OF ISRAEL’S ARMIES – Vss. 7-10

DEDICATION OF THE MEN OF JABESH-GILEAD – Vss. 11-12

DECLARATION OF THE REASONS FOR SAUL’S DEATH – Vss. 13-14

 

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Joel 2:1-32

A CALL BACK TO GOD

 

APPROACHING JUDGMENT – Vss. 1-11

APPEAL FOR REPENTANCE – Vss. 12-14

ACTIONS OF REPENTANCE – Vss. 15-18

ASSURANCE OF HELP – Vss. 19-32

 

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Mark 14:3-9 etc.

THE FORGOTTEN FACES OF GENEROUS WOMEN

Forgotten Faces - #4 of 10

 

Generosity is a Biblical principal. 

And the Bible contains the stories of several generous people.

In this message we want to look at the forgotten faces of four women who were generous in various ways.  One of two may come quickly to your mind. The others you may have literally forgotten about.

 

Mark 14:1-9 – We know, according to John’s Gospel, that the woman mentioned here is Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Jesus had recently raised her brother from the dead.

 

She came to the meal and brought perfume with her.

She had an alabaster box or cruise of pure ointment that she broke open and anointed Jesus both on the head and the feet.

John tells us that she then dried Jesus feet with her hair.

 

The value of this ointment was a year’s wages for a common laborer.  Mary lovingly applied it upon her master.  This was indeed a generous gift.

 

Next, I want you to turn to back to Mark 12:41-44.

 

Here we find a very poor woman, who gave a pittance compared to all the money that the rich men were giving.

A mite was the smallest Greek coin in use.  We might say that she cast in two cents.  Jesus tells us that this was indeed a generous gift.

 

Now, go with me to Acts 9:36-43

 

Here we have a different kind of giving.

Dorcas was known for her good works, and her financial giving.

The widows who grieved her passing showed Peter the many things that she had made for the poor and needy.

 

Peter was able to raise her from the dead.

 

Now turn to Acts 16:11-15

 

Lydia, a business woman, found Jesus as her Savior.

She was so appreciative, that she insisted that Paul and Silas and their party come and stay with her.

She generously and graciously opened her home.

 

So we have Mary of Bethany, then the poor widow, then Dorcas and finally Lydia.  Each one of these women was generous in some way.  What can we learn from these generous ladies?

 

THE LORD JESUS IS THE PRIORITY

 

Think again of Mary of Bethany in Mark 14:1-9

What prompted Mary to do what she did?

The Lord Jesus was her priority.

When Jesus had earlier visited Mary and Martha, it was Martha who worked in the kitchen, and it was Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his Word.

Jesus had been talking about His crucifixion, but the apostles weren’t listening too closely.

Mary was listening.

She understood that Jesus would be crucified.

And in Vs. 8 we find that she had done it to anoint Jesus for his burial.

 

Mary was able to part with the expensive perfume and use it for the Lord Jesus was because Jesus was more important to her than anything or anyone else.

 

And think of the poor widow who gave the two mites.  We don’t know if she knew Jesus or not.  But we do know that this poor widow made giving to God more important than eating itself.

 

We will not be truly generous unless we make God and His Son our priority.  But when He is important, we will give generously.

 

If the Lord Jesus is the priority, He is also the purpose for living. Purposing to be generous to Jesus will make us generous of heart and cheerful givers.

 

Not only did Dorcas give alms to the poor, she also made clothes.  Because Jesus was the priority of her life she was not only generous with her money, but with her time and talents.

 

  

Now what about Lydia?  She opened her home in hospitality right after being saved.  She was grateful for what the Lord had done for her and what Paul had done for her.

 

Among people in general and Christians in particular, showing hospitality has become a lost art.  We just don’t open our homes like we used to. 

 

But if Jesus is the priority of our lives, then spending time with God’s people and ministering to God’s people should be a priority. When you open your home to church members, Christians are encouraged.  There is an opportunity for both you and them to grow

 

You don’t have to be fancy, just gracious.

 

GENEROSITY COMES WITH A PRICE

 

There is always a price to be paid for generosity.

Lydia not only paid the price of being less wealthy because she was housing a group of men, but she paid the price of inconvenience. She might have also incurred the wrath of her neighbors, harboring these “strange” teachers of religion.

 

In some ways, when you open your home, your home is not entirely your own anymore. You will not feel as free to do what you want, but will be considering the well being of your guests.

 

What price did Dorcas pay to make clothes for the poor?

It cost her time.

Time that could have spent by Dorcas enjoying herself

Time that could have been spent doing something for herself

Time that could have spent bettering herself

If Dorcas sold the clothes that she made, she would have financially ahead.

 

Dorcas paid a price for using her talents.  The talents were used on people who could not pay her back.   There was no physical gain that came from using her talents for the poor.

 

And what about the poor widow?

She gave up all that she had for the Lord.

That means she probably was giving up what little food money she had.

 

Mary of Bethany might have paid the biggest price.

Not only did she give a gift that was large, but she ended up being ridiculed by Jesus’ own disciples.

 

Mark 14:4-5 – Mary was the object of the disciples’ scorn because of what she had done.

 

The disciples did not understand what she was doing and why.

The disciples, under the leadership of Judas, found fault.  According to the Gospel of John, we know why Judas found fault.  He was the group’s treasurer and a thief!

 

Let me tell you.  There will always be critics when you are generous to the Lord and His people.

People will think that your money can be spent another way.

People will criticize you for not taking care of your own family and yourself.

People, who think they are inheriting your money may also be critical.

Christians will even find fault, sometimes because it makes them look bad, because they are not as generous as you are.

 

GOD IS PLEASED WHEN WE ARE PRACTICAL

 

What Mary did seemed to be anything but practical, but in reality, it was very practical.

 

Mark 14:6-7 – What Mary did was practical because Jesus would not always be around.  If she was going to do something special for Him, it had to be done then.

 

What Mary did was also practical because she was doing something that could not be done later. According to vs. 8, she anointed Jesus for burial.

 

The greatest compliment to Mary is found in verse 8.

Jesus says, “she hath done what she could”.

That statement says something to me about generosity.

 

God wants us to do what we can!

What Mary could do was to commit an act of love that cost a small fortune. She did what she could.

What the widow did was to give all that she had. She did what she could.

What Dorcas did was to donate her time, talents, and money to help the poor. She did what she could.

What Lydia did was to open up her home so that Paul and his group of missionaries would have a base of operations and a home. She did what she could.

 

GIVING TO THE LORD IS PRICELESS

 

You’ve seen the Master Card commercials.

It lists the costs of several items and then mentions one thing that is priceless.

 

Giving to the Lord is priceless.

 

Matthew 14:9 – Mary’s act of love is told wherever the Gospel is preached. That’s priceless.

As a matter of fact, the widow’s generosity, Dorcas’ generosity and Lydia’s generosity are also mentioned wherever the Gospel is preached.

 

What they gave to the Lord is also priceless because they will receive reward in Heaven for all eternity. 1 Corinthians 4:2-5, 2 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

 

Why should we want to receive rewards?

 

As we study the word we find that there are “crowns” which Jesus will give out. A couple of examples: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, James 1:12

 

Do you know what we are going to do with those crowns if we earn them?    Rev. 4:10-11 - The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, [11] Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

 

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MARKS OF A MIGHTY CHURCH

Acts 2:37-47

 

ONE FAITH Vss. 37-41

ONE FAMILY Vss. 42-46

  They Continued Vs. 42

  They United Vs. 44

  They Shared Vs. 45

  They Rejoiced Vs. 46

ONE FORCE Vs. 47

 

Sermon Seeds A10

 

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Romans 8:5-

CONTRASTS

 

There are certain contrasts between the believer and the unbeliever.  These differences are enough to motivate us to want to avoid “the lusts of the flesh” and to live after the Spirit.”

 

TWO MINDS – Vss. 5-7

 

One of two minds is going to control your thinking.  It will be the mind of the “flesh” or the mind of the “Spirit”. Vs. 5

 

TWO MODES – Vss. 8-9

 

There are two modes of operation, one of which is in charge of every life. We will either operate in the “flesh” or in the Spirit

Notice the helplessness found in Vs. 8.  It is impossible to please God in our own self-effort.

 

TWO MANDATES – Vss. 10-11

 

In these verses the mandates are unto life and death. The mandate to life is by the Spirit of God who will raise us from the dead.

   

TWO METHODS – Vss. 12-13

 

We either live after the “flesh” or after the “Spirit”.

 

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Hebrews 10:22-25

GETTING TOGETHER

 

APPROACH – Vs. 22 – “Let us draw near…”

ADHERE – Vs. 23 – “Let us hold fast…”

ADMONISH – Vs. 24 – “…provoke to love and go good works.”

ASSEMBLE – Vs. 25 –  “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…”

 

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