Examining The Foundation Continued - The Spoken Word

Examining The Foundation Continued

The Spoken Word

Gtcotr/ss092803

(Stand & Read Together - Need This Scripture On The Screen)

Key Scriptures: (NKJV)

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who live it will eat its fruit.

Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Our Text Today Will Be Taken From:

The Book Of James, Chapter 3

We Have Thus Far Examined The Foundation Stones Of:

* Prayer

We Pray To God For

* The Financial Covenant Of Tithing

Tithing Is Not An Issue Of The Law, But A Tenant Of The Covenant (Continue In The Series This Wednesday)

* Worship (Which we will revisit in weeks to come)

Never Underestimate The Power Of A Song

* The Words We Speak

Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63

> The motivation of our conversation empowers each word with the spirit of life or death

^ The serpent’s conversation with Eve (Genesis 3)

^ Satan’s conversation with Jesus in the desert (Luke 4)

> Truth is the choice tool of a deceiver

^ Responsible Honesty

^ Irresponsible Honesty

^ Deceptive Honesty

Truth aimed at leaving the wrong impression

* It is a fool who turns the truth into a lie. Romans 1:25

Proverbs 6:16-19 ‘Seven Things The Lord Hates’

1. A proud look

2. A lying tongue

3. Hands that shed innocent blood

4. A heart that devises wicked plans

5. Feet that are swift in running to evil

6. A false witness who speaks lies

7. One who sows discord among brethren

At least 3 of the 7 have to do with the words we speak

Proverbs 16:28 A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends.

Proverbs 26:

20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.

21 As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

22 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.

I. The Power Of Life And Death

Text: James 3

1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.

4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.

5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.

8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?

12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

II. Three Great Truths About The Spoken Words

A. You Can’t Believe Everything You Hear

1. Ecclesiastes 7:21ff Also do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times, also, your own heart has known that even you have cursed others.

2. Acts 17:11 The Bereans listened, but searched for confirmation before making up their minds to believe what was said

3. Proverbs 18:17 The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him.

B. Out Of The Abundance Of The Heart The Mouth Will Speak

1. Matthew 12

33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

2. We have to change the root if we want to change the fruit

C. What You Say Will Be Said

1. Luke 12

2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.

3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

2. Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

III. Words Are Like Seeds

A. They Are Designed To Produce A Harvest

B. Some People Need To Be Praying For A Crop Failure

C. Matthew 7 Says People Are Known By Their Fruit

* What Fruit Are You Known For Producing In Others

1. The Fruit Of The Spirit

2. Rotten, Discontent, Angry or Bitter Fruit

* Now I am talking to those of you who need a change:

You are angry, bitter, tired, frustrated, discontent, disgruntled, quick to judge or make critical remarks … perhaps you design your conversation to deceive or cast a false impression … maybe you are irresponsible with your comments to others and end up sowing discord, hurting others or causing trouble between friends.

D. Ephesians 4 says

1. You don’t have to live that way anymore

2. You can be renewed in the spirit of your mind

3. You can put off that old man with those old ways

4. You can put on a new man with new ways

5. What does it take?

* Recognition

* Repentance

* Rededication

* Renewal

Golden Traingle Church On The Rock - Vision Of The House

Golden Triangle Church On The Rock

Vision Of The House

Gtcotr/092403

Please Turn In Your Bibles To Matthew 28

Key Scripture: Proverbs 29:18a Where there is no vision, the people perish …

Perish = ‘Cast Off Restraint’

No Guidelines; No Firm Direction

We all need to know where we are going.

Three Things About The Vision At GTCOTR

#1. We Know Where We Are Going

The Only Marching Orders God Ever Gave The Church Was

“Go Into All The World & Make Disciples”

Therefore: We are going into all the world to make disciples.

From our Jerusalem

To our Judea - Samaria

To our uttermost parts of the world.

We are reaching out in ever increasing concentric circles to simultaneously reach our generation and our world for Jesus.

This is called The Great Commission

The concept is found in several places in the NT …

Let’s look at one in:

Matthew 28

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

#2. We Do Not Know What We Will Encounter On Our Journey

We are on a faith adventure with the Holy Ghost, for the Father God and in the name of the King, Jesus.

These are exciting days.

We Know:

* It is not about us.

* We must possess a high tolerance for experimentation

* We must see wrong decisions, bad decisions and costly mistakes as a part of the process and not the problem.

* We must develop great patience for retrial.

* We must not take a temporary situation and create a permanent problem

* We cannot afford to judge success on a weekly basis

* The journey is our friend.

Just in case we do not get the Great Commission fully accomplished, we are ever busy ‘raising up runners for the next lap’

#3. We Know What It Will Take To Succeed

Reach, Teach & Keep Individuals & Families For Christ

* Reach

The Lost & The Saved

One On One & Mass Appeal

This is why we do jails, fairs, beaches, missions, 237

* Teach

How To:

Make A Living

Make A Life

Make A Difference

Things like Water Wells - ‘Show Video’

* Keep

Building Spiritual Relationships

Groups of 10’s, 50’s, 100’s & 1,000’s (w/one another)

Feed, Fold, Milk & Fleece (w/shepherd)

If a preacher does not have the smell of sheep on him, he may not be a shepherd, but a hireling … also … if a sheep does not have the hand of a shepherd on them, they may be a goat.

Examining The Foundation Continued - The Songs Of Zion

Examining The Foundation

The Songs Of Zion

Gtcotr/ss092103

Key Scripture: Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

There Is No One So Defeated As A People Without A Song

2 Kings 25:8-11 - 587BC

Approximately 587 BC, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, sent his armies, destroyed Jerusalem and took the people of Judah captive bringing them to Babylon as slaves.

Those captives who had seen the temple destroyed, their houses burned, the city walls torn down and the King’s house demolished could not escape the haunting images. For years they served the Babylonian Empire at hard labor with tormented souls.

Perhaps 40 years later, some uncertain author penned a sad song about having no song to sing.

Psalms 137

1 ¶ By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?

Isaiah 44:28 & 45:1 Isaiah prophesied that Cyrus, God’s anointed Shepherd, would give orders to rebuild Jerusalem and lay the foundation for the temple.

God said of Cyrus in Isaiah 45

“I have named you though you have not known Me.”

“I have girded you though you have not known Me.”

Isaiah 48:20 Isaiah prophesied Judah would go forth from Babylon.

Which they did in about 538

Interestingly, Isaiah lived from about 740BC to 681BC

Over 150 years before Cyrus was born and over 100 years before Judah ever went into captivity in the first place.

God knows the end from the beginning and He knows how to get us there. (Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.)

Isaiah gave an interesting account of their upcoming return to Zion.

Isaiah 48:20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

The ultimate confession - 200 years before

Isaiah later prophesied:

Isaiah 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

I. The Power Of A People With A Song

A. Power Over Circumstances

Acts 16

25 ¶ And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

B. Power Over People In High Places

Psalms 149:

6 ¶ Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;

7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

C. Power Over The Devil

Psalms 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

Matthew 21:16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

D. Power Over My Own Flesh

Ephesians 5

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

II. Examining The Foundation

A. Prayer

B. Tithes & Offering

C. Worship

III. Psalms 137:4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?

How Shall We Worship The Lord?

A. Worship God With Your Vision

B. Worship God With Your Sacrifice

C. Worship God With Your Song

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Tithes & Offerings Continued - Covenant Securities

Tithes & Offerings Continued

Covenant Securities

Gtcotr/ws091703

Pre-Message Meditation Material

* What Is A Government’s Responsibility?

> Provide And Maintain Firemen, Policemen, Judges, Prisons and Prison Guards, Schools and School Teachers, Roads, Traffic Control Devices, Bridges, Lakes, Rivers, Interstate And International Trade Securities, Regulate Commerce, Banking, Insurance, Food & Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, Military, Air Traffic Control, Public Transportation, Space Program, Orbital Satellite Deployment, Postal Services, Parks, Legislation, Public Works, Environmental Security, National Weather Services, Emergency Management, Welfare, Indigent Health Care, Customs & Immigration, Elected Officials, Appointed Officials, Government Employees just to name a few.

* How Does A Government Accomplish This?

> Assessing, Collecting & Managing Taxes

* What Is A Citizen’s Responsibility?

> Pay Taxes

^ Even if they do not have a child in school

^ Never need a fireman

^ Don’t get welfare

^ Or travel abroad

* Personal Penalties

* Community Penalties

* It is the same relationship between Christians and their church. The church exists, provides and maintains personnel and services on the strength of tithes and offerings.

> There are both personal and corporate penalties for non-payment - non-compliance with kingdom assessments

If a person informed you that they were going to Mexico to build a road for the poor people of Mexico who did not have a road to take their produce to market and that person asked you to send your taxes to them instead of sending them to the US Government, since the US has good roads and the people of Mexico are so much more in need, would you be justified to do so? No!

The proper channel would be to request from the US government financial aid and assistance for the project. If the US decided to support the cause and the budget allowed, the project would be funded. I trust the US would not fund that project at the expense of loosing necessary teachers in the classrooms and sufficient policemen from our community roadways.

When a tax base dwindles, communities suffer, services diminish, vision deteriorates, jobs are lost and foreign aid efforts fail.

When a tithe base dwindles, churches suffer, services diminish, vision deteriorates, ministries are lost and foreign missions efforts fail.

The main difference between a citizen’s taxes and a Christian’s tithes is temporary impact verses eternal impact.

Some Christians tithe and some Christians tip.

The difference between a tithe and a tip is that A tip is 15% …

And the tip is on top of the price of the meal!

I would not be caught tipping Jesus’ Bride less than I would tip a bad waiter at Bennigan’s.

Covenant Securities

Key Scripture: Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

God Is A Covenant God

He Offered Covenant To Abraham And To His Seed, Whose Seed We Are … Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

You Were Born Again Into The Covenant God Made With Abraham

Sunday morning we established that:

Tithes and Offerings Are Not Issues Of The Law, But Tenants Of The Covenant.

And That New Testament Theology Supports The Fact That:

Jesus removed His followers from the curse of the law, not from the responsibilities of the covenant.

There are many places in the Old Testament that give instruction on practicing the covenant. One such is place is:

Malachi 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 will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

I. Covenant Securities

A. Conditional Covenant

1. Bilateral Covenant

2. If You Will, I Will

B. Prove Me And See

1. Open The Windows Of Heaven To You

2. Rebuke The Devourer For You

3. All People Will Acknowledge You As Blessed

II. Four Principles Of Giving

1. Obedient - Bring all the tithes

Genesis 4

3 ¶ And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 ¶ And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? …

Job 36:11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

2. Cheerful - (expectancy produces excitement/cheer)

2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

3. Liberal

2 Corinthians 9:6 ¶ But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Proverbs 11

24 ¶ There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

25 ¶ The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

Proverbs 22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

4. Diligent

Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Proverbs 21:5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

Matthew 25 The parable of the talents (5/2/1) wicked & slothful

Those who were diligent increased and were considered faithful

The one who said it was useless to serve God decreased

Extra Thought

III. The Storehouse Blessing

A. We Bless The Storehouse Of God

B. God Wants To Bless Our Storehouse

Deuteronomy 28:8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

1. Get yourself a storehouse plan

2. Even if it is small, begin with something and let God bless it

In the following lessons we will answer several practical questions concerning giving. You may request a copy of my notes along with a cassette tape or CD of this evening’s service from the information desk. When requesting tapes of this series, you may wish to have the dates handy: Sunday Mornings, 090103; 091403 & Wednesday Evening, 091703.

Tithes & Offerings - Two Lies The Devil Needs You To Believe

Tithes & Offerings

Two Lies The Devil Needs You To Believe

Gtcotr/ss091403

I am not the tithing police. I am a teaching priest.

Today we will end up in The Book of Ezekiel, Chapter 34

Key Scripture: Malachi 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 will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

This week I came across a recent survey on tithing: On May 19, 2003, Barna Research Group posted the results of their most recent research on tithing. You can get more information at www.barna.org

The results were boiled down to a headline:

Tithing Down 62% in the Past Year

A better understanding of their findings can be found in their published statement:

"The proportion of households that tithe their income to their church – that is, give at least ten percent of their income to that ministry – has dropped by 62% in the past year, from 8% in 2001 to just 3% of adults during 2002." Barna Research – May 19, 2003

During the research, depending on how individual adults answered questions, they were placed into different categories for identification purposes. Three main groups were labeled as follows:

Christian

Those who identified themselves as being Christian.

Born Again Christian

“Born again Christians” were defined in these surveys as people who said they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today and who also indicated they believe that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Respondents were not asked to describe themselves as “born again.”

Evangelical Christian

“Evangelicals” are a subset of born again Christians in Barna surveys. In addition to meeting the born again criteria, evangelicals also meet seven other conditions. Those include:

1. Saying their faith is very important in their life today

2. Contending that they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians

3. Stating that Satan exists

4. Maintaining that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works

5. Asserting that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth

6. Saying that the Bible is totally accurate in all it teaches

7. And describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today.

Tithing Research Results In Brief:

Christians (as a whole group nationwide)

Tithing down from 8% in 2001 to 3% in 2002

3 out of every 100 Christians tithe

Born Again Christians

2000 - 14% (14 out of 100)

2001 - 12% (12 out of 100)

2002 - 6% (6 out of 100)

Evangelicals In 2002 - 9% Tithe (1 out of every 11)

Here at GTCOTR we have always enjoyed being the leader and examples of what Christians and Churches should be. Our statistics have always been well above the national average and as a result, we have been afforded the opportunity to do more than other Churches could do in local outreach and world missions.

The most recent figures I previously had are over 12 years old. At that time I understood that 20% of Evangelicals tithed to their local church. For years we were almost double that.

My research this week unveiled some interesting things to me. We are still well above the national average. If only 9% of Evangelicals nation wide give ten percent as a biblical tithe to support their church, we, as a whole, even only seeing 20% tithers, out perform the national average by more than 200%.

Yet, even though we are above the national average, we are still well below the biblical responsibility.

I. Two Lies The Devil Needs You To Believe

A. Lie #1

“Tithing was instituted as a part of the Law of Moses which, as New Testament Christians, we are no longer expected to follow.”

B. The Truth Is

The Old Testament Contains So Much More Than Just The Law

1. Genesis 14:20 Abraham gave ‘tithes of all’, more than 500 years before the law.

2. Genesis 26:12ff Isaac enjoyed the blessings of the Covenant of Abraham at least 450 years before the law.

2. Genesis 28:20-22 Jacob vowed to tithe on all of his increase over 430 years before the law.

3. Leviticus 27 & Numbers 18 teach and explain tithing during the law which period lasted for approximately 1500 years.

Tithing not a part of the 10 suggestions/commandments

Under 1^st Cmdt - No other Gods - Luke 18 YRR

Can’t serve God & money - Love … root of all evil

The law established sin, grace became a pardon for sin.

Point # 213. A pardon ‘for sin’ is not a license ‘to sin’.

4. Kings and prophets from Hezekiah to Nehemiah, Amos and Malachi re-instituted the tithe and rebuked people for not tithing.

5. Malachi 3 declared God’s children robbers and thieves who were financially cursed, not by the law but by the breaking of covenant, because they did not bring the tithe Jacob promised.

6. Galatians 3

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Jesus removed His followers from the curse of the law, not from the responsibilities of the covenant.

17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Tithes and Offerings Are Not Issues Of The Law, But Tenants Of The Covenant.

B. The Second Lie The Devil Needs You To Believe

“A person can give their tithes to anything or anyone they desire.”

C. The Truth Is God originated and designated the tithe for the basic support of your local church.

Offerings, not otherwise directed by God, are given on a freewill basis from discretionary sources and can be designated to other individuals or enterprises. (political campaigns, missionaries, televangelist, social programs, extended family needs, humanitarian organizations, church projects, other non-profit community & world efforts, etc.)

God does not consider it a tithe when it is does not meet His criteria and accomplish His goal. The tithe is Holy unto the Lord - dedicated.

Mark 7:10-13 God is not easily swayed by our reason or logic.

Key Scripture: Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in Mine house …

God already has a plan and He likes His plan best.

II. God Instituted Divine Dependency (we see it in the body)

Ezekiel 34 (and in relationships)

1 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

A. The Shepherd’s Duty

1. Feed the flock

2. Know them and minister to their needs

3. Love them and lead them

B. The Sheep’s Duty

1. Produce and yield meat, milk & wool

2. Follow the shepherd & not the stranger John 10:4-5

3. Reproduce more sheep

C. Those who do not feed the sheep should not milk the sheep.

D. It’s wrong to fleece another man’s sheep.

Note: If sheep are not milked and fleeced they will not be healthy and will never reach their productive potential.

You can pick up a printed copy of the conclusion of this message at the information desk in the foyer immediately after service.

Conclusion

It is God’s order and will that each head of household bring a sanctified one tenth of all of the households increase to their church. It God’s order and will that this money be used first as pay for the ministers and servants of that church and then as financial assistance for those poor and needy, especially to those in the church and then to those outside the church, who are without Christian family members to help them.

It was seldom a biblical consideration that a person or family would not have a local church that they were a part of like a sheep who knows their shepherd and is a part of a certain flock. Even then, these living too far from an established congregation were to set aside their tithe for God’s dedicated purposes. The building and care of the church, as well as support for local and world missions projects, has historically been funded by special offerings as witnessed throughout the bible.

Our View:

Every Christian should bring all of their tithe to the church they are set in.

Our Purpose:

To take the resources contributed and provide as much Jesus as possible, first to the sheep of this pasture and then in ever increasing concentric circles to the utter most parts of the world. We wish to make our church important to God.

Our Impact:

We have already reached several of our local communities and over 100 other countries with the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a real and vital way. We have built churches, bible schools, grammar schools, feeding centers, medical clinics, supported orphanages and funded seminars, workshops and crusades, drilled water wells and provided counsel, covering and correction to people of all nations, races, tribes and languages, all without charge. We have equipped saints and provided opportunities for them to be proficient witnesses to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, sending them out to the lost, in prisons, hospitals, on the streets, at festivals, on beaches, in schools and daily life adventures, seeing a harvest of souls numbering into the hundreds of thousands, both in America and throughout the world. We are steadily advancing and enhancing the Kingdom of God and with each passing day pray for greater doors of utterance and the resources to make the most of those opportunities.

Our Need:

The fields are white and ripe for harvest. We need only laborers. We need you to abandon your own way, come to Christ, bring your tithes and offerings, be discipled and give yourself to the work of the church. Discover your purpose and pursue your destiny. Learn Jesus and make a living, make a life and make a difference. Take the dare.