Sermon Tone Analysis

God’s Divine Economy - Why Follow It?

Stewardship Sunday Message

November 23, 1997

 

*1.

It is a tried and proven pattern of giving by godly people throughout the ages.*

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*Ge 14:17 ¶ After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).*

*Ge 14:18  Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine.

He was priest of God Most High,*

*Ge 14:19  and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.*

*Ge 14:20  And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand."

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.*

* *

*Ge 28:16 ¶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it."*

*Ge 28:17  He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place!

This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."*

*Ge 28:18  Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.*

*Ge 28:19  He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.*

*Ge 28:20  Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear*

*Ge 28:21  so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God*

*Ge 28:22  and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."*

* *

*Le 27:30  "'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.*

* *

*Pr 3:9  Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;*

*Pr 3:10  then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.*

* *

*Mal 3:7 ¶ Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them.

Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.

"But you ask, 'How are we to return?'*

*Mal 3:8  "Will a man rob God?

Yet you rob me.

"But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.*

*Mal 3:9  You are under a curse-- the whole nation of you-- because you are robbing me.*

*Mal 3:10  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.

Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.*

*Mal 3:11  I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.*

*Mal 3:12  "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.*

*Mal 3:13 ¶ "You have said harsh things against me," says the LORD.

"Yet you ask, 'What have we said against you?'*

*Mal 3:14  "You have said, 'It is futile to serve God.

What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty?*

*Mal 3:15  But now we call the arrogant blessed.

Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.'"*

* *

*Mt 23:23  "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!

You give a tenth of your spices-- mint, dill and cummin.

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.*

*2.

It will help you revere God more in your life.*

* *

*De 14:22 ¶ Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.*

*De 14:23  Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.*

*3.

It will bring God’s wisdom and order to your finances and will help you harness the dragon of materialism.*

* *

*Mt 6:19 ¶ "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.*

*Mt 6:20  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.*

*Mt 6:21  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.*

* *

*Mt 6:24  "No one can serve two masters.

Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve both God and Money.*

*Mt 6:25 ¶ "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.

Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?*

*Mt 6:26  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?*

*Mt 6:27  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?*

*Mt 6:28  "And why do you worry about clothes?

See how the lilies of the field grow.

They do not labor or spin.*

*Mt 6:29  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.*

*Mt 6:30  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?*

*Mt 6:31  So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'*

*Mt 6:32  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.*

*Mt 6:33  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.*

*Mt 6:34  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.*

* *

*Lu 12:16  And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.*

*Lu 12:17  He thought to himself, 'What shall I do?

I have no place to store my crops.'*

*Lu 12:18  "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do.

I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.*

*Lu 12:19  And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.

Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."

'*

*Lu 12:20  "But God said to him, 'You fool!

This very night your life will be demanded from you.

Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'*

*Lu 12:21  "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."*

* *

*1Ti 6:6 ¶ But godliness with contentment is great gain.*

*1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.*

*1Ti 6:8  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.*

*1Ti 6:9  People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.*

*1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.*

* *

*1Ti 6:17  Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.*

*1Ti 6:18  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.*

*1Ti 6:19  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.*

* *

*Ec 5:10  Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.

This too is meaningless.*

*4.

It will serve as a practical reminder that God is the owner of everything you have.*

* *

*1Ch 29:11  Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.*

*1Ch 29:12  Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.*

*1Ch 29:13  Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.*

*1Ch 29:14  "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?

Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.*

*1Ch 29:15  We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers.

Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.*

*1Ch 29:16  O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.*