This is my sermon from earlier tonight. IT's also the newsletter article from this month. Financial Peace University has been life changing for me and my family. Classes at Antioch will start in January. Antioch is also hosting a free smart money live event on November 15th @7:30PM. You can register for that with the below link.
Living like no one else
Matthew 2:7-11 “7 Then
Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time
the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search
carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to
me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9 When they heard the king, they
departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before
them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw
the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come
into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down
and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented
gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
Here’s the disclaimer. I’m about to get into this and some
of you are going to think “Oh No, the Pastor is talking about money!” Let me
assure. That is EXACTLY WHAT I AM DOING! It’s one of the benefits of being
Associate Pastor. It’s up there with getting to wear sneakers all the time, and
when I mess things up the general response is “Well just bless his little
heart.” Though in reality I’m not
talking about money as much as I’m talking about worship, true worship. Just
like Pastor Price preached so eloquently about at homecoming.
What is worship? How do we worship? What does it look like
when we worship God? What puts you in the mood to worship? In the Greek worship
is “proskuneo” a greek word used only of worship offered to a god.
How did they worship? Did they build a a big cathedral with
stained glass windows? Break out a organ and sing some songs? No, they
worshiped by giving. Did you know you can worship by giving? That’s why it is
part of the service!
I know that the struggle to give, or even to have it at the
end of the week to give is real. Usually there’s to much month at the end of
the money. People are asking us for money all the time! Our kids, family
members, random strangers, unexpected bills, people wanting you to donoate to
this, that or the other. Your boss says there no room in the budget for raises
but the CEO is in the news making millions. You can’t even walk to your car In
the parking lot in some places without someone hitting you up for money. Then
when the plate gets passed around midway through service and you’re like oh no.
One more person who wants my money.
Have you ever wondered why it’s like that? In Matthew 4
Jesus is tempted by Satan. Satan desires worship, he desires to take God’s
place. Worship is rightfully God’s and
God’s alone. Satan wants to be God so thus he desires worship. So, if he can’t
obtain worship he can at least take away worship that is meant for God. Our
offering is part of that worship. Everything from the guy in the parking lot,
to the car breaking down, to the dangerous lullaby of the credit card is used
by the enemy to rob God of His worship.
God doesn’t need/want our money. He wants our hearts. He
wants us to learn to be givers, because He is a giver. What your Pastors want
isn’t your checkbook. We want your hearts. We want you involved! We want you
invested in the ministries here at Antioch Baptist Church! We want you to do
more than come and sit on a pew once or twice a week! Because, when God has
your heart, then you see real lasting change.
So what did they give? Gold! Gold right now is around $1300
an ounce. We have several pawn shops and cash for Gold places right down the
road. Not to mention the sell your gold parties’ people have in their houses
now. Most of us have at least one piece of Gold jewelry but I doubt any of us
have solid Gold utensils that we eat with. It was no different here in Matthew
2. Gold was used only for the best most important things. You look at the
construction of the temple in Kings and you see all the gold that was involved
in doing so. You see people donating their gold jewelry to help build the
tabernacle of God prior to the building of the temple. Gold is the gift of
kings.
Have you ever wondered what they did with the gold? I
Imagine they sold it. Why would they sell it? Right after this they had to run
away from Herod and went and lived in Egypt for years. What exactly financed
that journey? Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
For years I thought there was no way to teach this and not
seem biased. After all my salary comes from the offering plate. Of course, I
think everyone should give.
Here’s my challenge if that is what you, or someone you
know is struggling with. I want you to give, but not to Antioch. Find something
to give that you believe in. Find something to give to that helps build the
body of Christ. There are so many places that could benefit from your donation.
Especially in light of the devastation in the east coast right now as a result
of Hurricane Florence.
When we give, God uses it to further His Kingdom, When we
submit our finances to the Lord we are then in a position to give and give
generously in the worship of our King. Coming January of 2019 we will start
another Financial Peace University class here at Antioch. It is 9 weeks long
and it teaches how we might worship God and serve His kingdom with the finances
and resources he has blessed us with. If you would like to know more about it
please let me know! Have a great week!
2 Cor 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes
in his heart, not grudgingly or of [a]necessity; for God loves a cheerful
giver.
Sola Scriptura!
Pastor Glen
