Friday: Further Thought ~ Rewards of Faithfulness
Further Thought:
Here is a word picture of a church family who are financially faithful managers of God’s business on earth.
The Stewardship Vision for Seventh-day Adventist Churches Around the World
It’s sometime in the future; and pastors and local church leaders have been successful at creating a stewardship environment in the church.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
They have taught, trained, supported, and encouraged the church family in biblical financial management.
People are implementing biblical principles into their lives. They are growing in generosity, saving on a regular basis for the unexpected, and moving out from under the bondage of consumer debt.
Their lifestyles are marked by moderation, discipline, and contentment. Money has been eliminated as the rival god, and they are growing in their relationship with the Creator God.
It’s Sabbath morning, and people are arriving for services. In their demeanor is a sense of peace — a lack of anxiety over financial matters, a pervading sense of contentment and gratefulness.
Marital conflict over money has been largely eliminated. They enter worship with a sense of anticipation and expectation of God’s presence and work among them.
The church’s ministries are fully funded, and it has a strong outreach. It extends the love of Christ in very tangible ways to those in need.
Funds have been made available to provide church facilities that wonderfully support ministry and that are maintained with excellence.
The question before us all is, “What is God calling us to do with whatever resources He has entrusted to us?”
Discussion Questions:
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Application: Its our choice!
#3 essentially avoiding sin that leads to death.
How to avoid the unpardonable sin. The unpardonable sin I do believe is shunning the Holy Spirit's pleadings unto death.
Turn to God in prayer. Ask for forgiveness. Be contrite and sincere. Give Christ your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Any other way and you will not succeed. As you turn your problems over to Christ, He will even transform your thoughts to be in harmony with Him, clearing the way for good actions. You can't overcome the sin that leads to death unless you choose to let Christ do it for you. Daily prayer and surrender is vital.
Deuteronomy 4:30-31. Good advice, applicable to modern Christians.
1John 1:9. He is faithful to forgive our sin.
Isaiah 57:15. The humble, contrite, and repentant sinner bypasses the unpardonable sin.
Philippians 2:13. Christ even gives us the desire and power to do His will.
Luke 9:23. Daily prayer and surrender to Him, is taking up your cross and following Christ.
This whole trimester has been so wonderful to study through. There has been such an enlightenment over practical matters about our relationship with material things. Where is my focus? In the finitude of my present state or in the offer of eternity given by God Himself?
This has been a practical and helpful quarterly. There is no reason we should be running to the world or people who are not coming out of Babylon for advice about Biblical matters (I.e. Dave Ramsey). I like some of Dave Ramsey’s teachings, but between G. Edward Reid (the principal contributor for this quarter) and the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, I believe there is enough wisdom to set our feet on financial stability.
This past month I’ve been trying to study the quarterly everyday as usual, and then I heard about “The Asbury revival”. I started trying to find out more information about it. I came across an article by Dan Vis about this revival that started in Kentucky, USA in February of this year. It led me on a search that has opened my eyes to the real revival that God wants for us. I hope all of you will join me in digging deeper into the Word as I have found in Fast missions. (FAST missions was created by Dan and Vi Vis to help people hold fast to the Word). I’ve been part of FAST missions for awhile, but I didn’t always appreciate it as much as I do now. One thing that I like is they incorporate the Sabbath school lesson by focusing on memorizing the memory verses.
Here's a free online class to help us prepare for the end time: (it starts with the three angels' messages, early and latter rain). You will love it! I just finished the class and want to take it again so I can imprint it on my heart.
http://fast.st/fsat/dontforgetjesus
What just came to mind as I thought about how to answer #3, is a song we all know so well. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
The entire song is wonderful, but the key is to turn our eyes upon Jesus.
Praising God, right now, because as I read the Prodigal Son story once more I can see how the Holy Spirit is growing me.
It's about the older brother. I've always sympathized with him. Fairness, you know. Justice. Balancing the books. You can look at that passage with me, again...
The reward is the Father. The best robe and ring of honor and new sandals, the feast with friends and laughter and music and dancing and a warm, crackling fireplace, lights blazing for miles around....the mansion over a hilltop, harp and crown, streets of purest gold .... these things are nothing, pale to oblivion in comparison ... to being always with God. They are all part and parcel of being with God. Not being with God in form, but being with God in the heart and soul.
Always with God. The older son had missed out on the Father's love and peace just as long as the younger son had. Was actually still dead and needing to be made alive again. Older son was right there .... in God's house.... eating at God's table... being called God's child and bearing His name... could have been out in the driveway, scanning the horizon with binoculars, longing and praying with the Father for the return of his little brother. Planning the "Welcome Home" party together. Offering to box up a care package from His Father's table and go out searching for his undeserving brother. Wouldn't have felt like partying, either, until his brother was back home.
Erring more on the side of mercy and forbearance than of intolerance. Basking in the joy of what that does to a person inside, sharing the joy of God's mercy. That's what the older brother could have been doing. And that's what God's softening my heart for.
Like the older brother I/we can be out in the field, doing the work of evangelism, of tithing and offering money and resources, of living a life of service ... but somewhere we will feel angry and rightly so...because there's a dis-ease in the heart....because we are still not fully identified with Jesus and His work. A selfishly angry heart has naught in common with Jesus.
The context of this next Bible text is where Jesus is wrapping up His Sermon on the Mount, talking about wolves in sheep's clothing... warning that a false Christian is like the older brother, using all the "God talk" and working out in the field making impressive displays, sweating and laboring, but feeling resentful and frustrated......worried about how the money gift is being used (Luke 15:30).... pointing the accusing finger...because that person is not yet fully belonging to the Father.
So what is the work God wants us to do?
For me, through the grace of God, who is in the process of taking out my heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19), absolutely the best reward of faithfulness is more faith to believe ...(the same tender plant that sprouted in the younger son's heart)...that Jesus is real, that He is my Savior and Lord, that He is dwelling in my heart and in my mind, that through His Holy Spirit He is giving me His heart and mind of gentleness, patience, forgiveness, longsuffering, kindness, mercy....that I belong with Him and to Him in the most intimate relationship of loving service, forever.