★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Family Worship Centre (FWC),
Wuye - Abuja, Nigeria
First Service
24th January, 2016
SERMON
* Speaker: Pastor Sarah Omaku
* Topic: The Sacrificial giving of a Disciple
* Theme for 2016: Our Jesus, His Command, Our Vision
* Text: Malachi 3:8-12
★ Matthew 16:24 →"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."
* This life we are living in is far inferior compared to where we are going to [Heaven]
* All your treasures should be stored in heaven, not on earth
* The main aim of a disciple is to please his/her master
* Being a disciple is not your end in itself; your body is not your end.
→ Heaven is your ultimate end!
* There is something in-built in a man that propels him to give to God
★ Genesis 8:22 → "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
→ When you give to God, you release a divine emotion
* You must get to the level of Abrahamic giving when the only thing that matters is total obedience to God
* Giving to God existed even before the Law
→ It is no longer fashionable not to give to God
* NOTE: The Law did not come through Moses, but through God
→ The Law has not and it will not pass away.
→ Many Christians use the excuse that they are in a dispensation of grace and not of law, therefore they will not give. This is wrong.
* Tithes, offering and first-fruits, are used to run the Church and expand the Kingdom of God on earth.
★ Matthew 5:17-18 → "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished."
* Until Jesus comes, nothing in the law will be removed
* Jesus brought a more superior law
★ Matthew 23:23 → "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."
* What you get is dependent on how much you give
* If you are still [stuck at the level of] giving tithes & offerings, you still lack one thing - total surrender
* NOTE: Jesus never mentioned tithes & offerings. He required that believers should give generously.
★ Luke 6:36 → "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
* The early Church lived selflessly and met the needs of all the believers
* Today, many believers do not want to share their possessions with others that are in dire need.
* Until you give yourself totally to the Lord, you cannot give anything that is acceptable to God. (See: 2 Corinthians 8:5)
* Jesus did not come to earth with the lifestyle of heaven
* A man who is totally surrendered to God will not hesitate to give every thing when he is required to do so.
* The Disciples give everything when there is a need
* You must realise that your blessings are not all about you
* Many believers are distracted the moment then get some blessing from God
* You have to live a high life: Beyond tithes and offerings (which is the minimum)
* Everything that God gives you is in trust
* Until you give everything, you have not given at all
* Jesus expects you to give all because He knows the value of the exchange
* Another house or another car is not what you need. You need to live a sacrificial life and help people around you
* Prayer:
"Father, de-materialize and de-world me"
