THE FOUNDATION OF GIVING 1D

Whenever you recite or sing John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”, you should remember, whenever you mention the blood of Jesus, you are referring to the blood of extreme sacrifice. One of the things that characterize the Christianity of today is lesser and lesser sacrificial living.

In the world today, everyone is looking for what to get; “what is in it for me?” I can understand it in the world but it has been carried into the Church. That is the signature tone of fallen man; unregenerated man does everything for self. The greatest worshipper that ever lived is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. The greatest demonstration of love ever was the cross of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The greatest symbol of worship is the cross of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Your salvation is free but it is not cheap. It cost God his very best. The cross is the symbol of worship – worth-ship. Think about what it took for God to become man, came down, lived like man, felt the pains of man, worked the emotions of man in this dusty environment. Three and half years in ministry, he lived for thirty-three and half years down here doing only one thing – “my meat is to do the will of him who has sent me”(John 4:34). What a consummate worshipper! Everything he did was worship. He was able to align his will to the will of the Father out of worship. You cannot align your will to the will of someone you don’t value.

There is a very close relationship between worship and giving. Right giving should proceed out of worship. What is your relationship with God worth? That is the meaning of worship. What is the worth of your relation with God? No one can ever outgive God. John 3:16 says, for God so loved that he gave…

You don’t teach worshippers giving. It is part and parcel of them. It is unfortunate that today, giving has been perverted even from the very big pulpits.

Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac because he was a true worshipper. God presented him with a ram not a lion, the blood of lion does not have any sacrificial value. Study Gen. 22:10-15.

David was a consummate worshipper; he will not offer unto God what cost him nothing.

“And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”

2 Samuel 24:24, KJV

In his early days, Solomon loved the Lord with all his heart and was a true worshipper.

“And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.”

1 Kings. 3:4, KJV

Study Luke 10:38-42.

Mary was a worshipper, Martha was a worker. What was the verdict of Jesus? He endorsed the worshipper. He said one thing is needful and Mary has chosen the better things. If you are a worshipper, you will not feel it when you spend four hours in the presence of God. Today, there are drive-through Churches. The world is seeking for money, the Church is seeking for money. The bottom line is “what is in it for me”. That is the level to which those who preach cheap messages in error have reduced the Church. When Solomon was in his right frame of mind, he offered a thousand sacrifices to God. You don’t teach a worshipper giving, it flows naturally.

TO BE CONTINUED.