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Light the World

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Light the World rJ suBJECT Po" CLASSIFICATION: Nehemiah 13:10-12; Malachi 3:7-12; Matthew 4:12-17; Luke 19:1-10 and 8:1-3 - .- BIOGRAPHICAL --TEXTUAL --TOPICAL SCRIPTURE _ ---DEVOTIONAL DELIVERIES: Hour F.B.C. 10-24-90 Sunday S hool Teachers Meet · ng ( XXX+++); BIBLIOGRAPHY--------------------------------- Light the TITHE TO SHARE CHRIST Scripture: Nehemiah 13:10-1 2; Malachi 3:7-12; Matthew 4:12- 17; Luke 19:1-10 and 8:1-3 Intro: power fai l ure ... I. CHRIST -- By to Obey --Nehemiah 13:10-12 1. The Concern of a Layman - -vs. 1 Oa 2. The Neglect of the Spiritual --vs. 10b 3. The Return to Mini s try --vs. 11 4. The Resumption of t he Tithe I I. SHARE - t hing to Acknowledge God House --Malachi 3:7-12 1. Call to Return --vs. 7 2. Conviction of Robbery - -vs. 8 3. Curse to Face -vs. 9 4. Command to Obey --vs. 10a 5. Compassion to Experience (1) Heavenly bless i ngs --vs. 10b (2) Divine protect i on --vs. 11 (3) Respect of others 12 III. SHARE CHRIST By Tit hing to Send Light --Matthew 4:12-17 1. Action is Taken - - vss. 12-13 2. Prophecy is Fulfil l ed --vss. 14-16 (Isa. 9:1-2 3. Proclamation is Made . IV. By Giv ing as a Testimony of Salvation --Luke 19:8-9 1. Assertion is Made -vs. 8 2. Assurance is Given -vs. 9 V. CHRIST By Giving Sacrificially Luke 8:1-3 1. The Message Preached --vs. 1 2. The Miracles - -vs. 3. The Ministry Supported - -vs. 3 I. PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES OF GIVING (Wayne Watts, The Gift of Giving) 1. Plan to be Rich in Heaven 2. Give to Minister to You 3. Plan a Short Life 4. Make Christ of All 5. Plan Ahead to Give 6. Give through Church II. THE FOR TODAY 1. To follow Jesus as means to take seriously Biblical teachi ngs about tithing 2. God has set asid e the storehouse church as the place here we to tithes 3. The church shoula determine wisely how to spend the tithes (at this point you may highlight the 1991 church budget) 4. We outgive God 5. The darkness of world demands the light of Jesus Give: Light the World Tithe to Share Christ BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Nehemiah 13:10-12; Malachi 3:7-12; Matthew 4:12-17; Luke 19:1-10; 8:1-3 FOCAL PASSAGES: Nehemiah 13:12; Malachi 3:10; Matthew 4:13-17; Luke 19:8-9; 8:1-3 VERSE TO The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.-Matthew 4: I 6 The main ide of this lesson is that Christians are to tithe and to give beyond the tithe in order to share Christ, the Ught of the world, with all people. In teaching this lesson, use suggestions in "Planning to Teach" to lead adults to decide to tithe or to give beyond the tithe in order to share Christ, the Ught of the world, with all people. , BIBLE ---Have you ever been in an area that was struck by a tornado or a hurricane at night, when electric service was disrupted? Or, have you had lightning strike a transformer on your street late in a rainy, gusty evening? One of the things that impresses itself on you is the depth of the darkness when the lights go out. You grope for the candles or the kerosene lamps that you know you put somewhere in the house for just such emergencies. Then, you experience a great sense of relief when electric service is re­ stored and the light comes on again. Many people in our world-near us and far away-live in the darkness of sin and ignorance. Their darkness is deep, and their need for the light of the good news is desperate. We need to share with them the Light of the world, Jesus who came to save all people who will respond to Him in faith. We can make possible their receiving the Light by tithing through our churches and by giving beyond the tithe. Share Christ--By Tithing to Obey God's Word Nehemiah 13: 12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the com and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries. ehemiah was a devout layman who was concerned about the status of God's work in Jerusalem. The Persia king, Artaxerxes, had appointed I him to be a political leader. God had commanded Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. He successfully completed that work, he realized work was far more than bricks and morta(. people could neglect the spiritual dimension while giving attention to the physical facili­ ties. However, that is what had happened. ehemiah noted that the people's spiritual leaders had interests other than fulfilling their spiritual roles. They were neglecting God's house be­ cause they were not being supported by tithes and offerings. Instead, they worked in their fields in order to provide for themselves and their families. ehemiah, the governor, knew that such a condition was wrong. od's Word specified that the Levites were to be supported by tithes { offerings. Thus, Nehemiah proceeded to implement that directive. He ught the Levites and the Levitical choirs from the fields and put them k to work at their primary calling. They were to give spiritual leadership ough worship and teaching. he Jews could list several reasons not to give the required tithes and offerings: (1) !oflation was rampant; scarce; (3) was widespread; (4) times were desperately However, in light of God's Word none of these reasons could stand. The tithe was/ is holy to God, and it belonged to the Levites who had not received a tribal allot­ ment of land. The people responded to Nehemiah's insistence. All of them gave. Corn (various grains}, wine, and olive oil were brought to the treasuries (store­ houses) in the Temple. These storehouses were smaller rooms built on the side of the for storage. Tben adequate provision was available r those who served at God's house. Again it rang with praises, and the ople were called to dedicated service. father began serving churches as pastor in the late 1930's when any members had little money. However, the members of his churches ought corn, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, eggs, milk, and so on, which was their tithe and a part of his salary. We had little money, but God's provided food for us! Christ--By Tithing to Acknowledge God's House 3: 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, If I not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Nehemiah and Malachi probably served in about the same period of time. Malachi was a need for stewardship from a slightly different perspective. a-- As a prophet Malachi was not called to come up with new things. / stead, the prophet was to call people back to God and His Word. When Malachi referred to the tithes, he was not initiating a new program. He was calling the people back to a practice that Abraham and Jacob commend­ ed (Gen. 14:20; 28:22) and that God commanded (Lev. 27:30). It was a act of gratitude and of obedience to God. Malachi stressed that the tithe was to be brought to the storehouse. The storehouse is identified by the words mine house (Mal. 3:10). So, the storehouse is God's house. Thus, Malachi used language similar to miah's. The tithe was to be brought to the storehouse in order to meet adequately all needs. In return God gave a marvelous promise. People who were willing to prove Him-put Him to the test-would receive an outpouring of God's blessings to a degree that they would not have room to receive them. Windows ofheaven describes access to God's heaven- ly abode. The blessings would flow from Him. Today, many noble causes and worthy people vie for our ~ Though they may be worthy, only God's church represents His store- house. We should give the tithe there. Only then should we give t9:7.oth 11 causes n college, slefnt me a check. He noted it t:;::--- his tithe that he planned to send me as long as I was preparing for minis- try. With gratitude for his interest, I sent the check back, saying: "J am not the storehouse. That is the church." Share Christ--By Tithing to Send the Light 4: 13 And leaving he came and dwelt In Capemaum, which ls upon the sea coast, In the borders of and Nephthallm: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat In darkness saw great light; and to them which sat In the region and shadow of death light ls sprung up. 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the king­ • dom of heaven ls at hand . Following Jesus' baptism and victory over Satan in the wilderness temp­ tations, He returned to Nazareth where He announced His messiahship. According to Luke, Jesus proclaimed to the hometown congregation that Isaiah's prophecy was fulfille in Him.
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