GOD'S WORD
“Cursed is that man who promises a fine ram from his flock and substitutes a sick one to sacrifice to God. For I am a Great King,"
says the Lord Almighty, "and my name is to be mightily revered among the people of the world."
- Malachi 1:14KJV
- Give Offerings to God -
December 12, 2023
Good morning, My Brothers and Sisters! I want to start this morning by talking about a story that I heard a while back. It was about a man who was walking down the street and he saw this homeless man who was asking for food. The man thought to himself, "I don't have much, but I can give him something." So he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins, and he gave it to the homeless man. The homeless man said, "Thank you so much, but why did you do this?" The man replied, "I know that God has given me a lot, and I should always be willing to give back what I can."
We can learn a lot from this story. We are called to give offerings to God out of gratitude for all that He has given us. In the bible, King David praised the Lord eighteen-fold in Psalm 138:2: “I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.”
We can learn three important lessons from David's example of giving offerings to God.
First, giving offerings is an act of faith. We must trust that God will use our offerings to further his plans. As Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” We must have faith that our offerings will be used in ways that bring glory to God.
Second, giving offerings is an act of obedience. We must be obedient to God's commands and willing to give generously when He calls us to do so. As 2 Corinthians 9:7 reminds us, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” We must be obedient to God's will and obedient to His call for us to give offerings.
Third, giving offerings is an act of love. We must be willing to give out of love for God and His people. As 1 John 3:17-18 says, “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” We must be willing to give out of love for others and out of love for God.
Brothers and Sisters, we can all learn a lot from King David's example of offering praises to God eighteen-fold. He showed us that giving offerings is an act of faith, obedience, and love. So let us all be generous with our offerings as we seek to bring glory to God.
Remember: when we give offerings to God out of faith, obedience, and love, He will use them to further His plans and bring glory to His name.
Lord, you call us to ‘be holy’,
and that is not something
we can ask you to do for us
by some miraculous act,
it demands our attention,
the willing involvement
of body, mind and soul,
when lives are changed
by a conscious desire
to become the people
you have called us to be.
Be with us on that journey,
that’s all we ask, dear Lord.
In the name of our savor
Jesus Christ, Amen
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