I could not wait to tell you all the great things God has done this weekend at Brand New Church:
1) Saturday night had unreal attendance…over 450!! I love Saturday services…
2) Had a wedding after the Saturday service that brought God glory…
3) Got choked up during the wedding couldn’t talk…Cindy gave ZLee a water to help me and he took for him during his song.
4) Sunday fought fever all day and God gave me unbelievable strength!!
5) 11:00 am service was loaded with attendance, visitors, and most importantly God’s Power.
6) I taught on GivING…this is the one topic I dread teaching more than any…I know I shouldn’t, but rural America talk travels fast.
Here are my notes…you can watch the message at brandnewchurch.com or download it on iTunes:
GivING
When we start GivING the lost start LivING!
The Scripture is all about the offerING…
Cain and Abel Gen. 4:2-5
God was pleased with Abel’s offering because something died, sacrifice!
Animal Offering,Bread Offerings without Yeast, Burnt Offerings morning and evening
Drink Offerings, Free Will Offerings, Thank Offerings, Peace, Trespass, Wood Offerings
God’s Son died as an Offering
Jn. 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he GAVE..”
Salvation the Gospel is all about giving:
1 Jn. 1:9 “he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins…”
forgive
Death Gave Us Life!!!
Why do we give…obedience!
Football – My hands $10
Ben Roethlisberger’s hand it’s over 1 Million for every TD pass in 08…27.7 million
Basketball – Kevin Garnett 24.7 Million over $292,000 a game
Microphone – Miley Cyrus $18.7 Million last year
Baseball – Alex Rodriguez 26.7 Million – $791,000 every homerun in 2008
Golf Ball – Tiger Woods $115 Million last year
Sofa – Oprah sit in it $260 Million
Steering Wheel – Jeff Gordon $35 Million last year
Dollar – In the hand of Almighty God can reach thousands and build the only institution that can save the world…the local church…His Church!
When you start giving the lost start living!!
Why should I give?
1) To Honor our Creator
Gen. 1:1 “In the beginning God created…”
Ps. 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;”
2) Acknowledge You are Apart of God’s Family
Gal. 3:29 “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Abraham was the first tither Gen. 14:20
Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, paid tithes Genesis 28:22.
Levi, Abraham’s descendant father of the tribe from which the priesthood Hebrews 7:9. My heritage of paying a tithe precedes the law of Moses.
Jn. 8:39 “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do the things Abraham did”
3) There is freedom in it!
I don’t tithe, because it was law
So was honor thy father and mother, thou shall not commit adultery
Nothing said about it by Jesus in the New Testament…really?
Matthew 23:23-24 “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.”
4) To show my love to God
2 Sam. 24:24 “I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
He gave His Son!
5) To Avoid Robbing God
We need to have a good name in town so we pay our bills…mortgage, etc…
Could you imagine getting to heaven and have robbed him during your lifetime.
Mal. 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’
In tithes and offerings.”
Haggai 1:6 “You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
This means many have thrown money into car repairs, unexpected bills because we have not been faithful in our giving.
Mal. 3:9 “You are under a curse.”
6) To Spread The Gospel
Mal. 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.”
The Gospel, Ministries, Environments save the lost!!!
1 Cor. 1:21 “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.”
Matt. 16:18 “I will build my church.”
7) To Experience BlessING
Mal. 3:10-12 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. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.”
When we start GivING the lost start LivING!!
7) NWA campus hit record attendance…great job David and team!
8 ) My wife and I finished our weekend eating dinner with the Ezell’s who shared how God is changing their lives through BNC. They are special!!
9) Cindy drove me home from NWA and I tried to make out with her the entire 71 mile trip…she declined due to driving safety.
10) Getting ready for Easter weekend which is just two weeks away!!
11) One more thing…watch Germany, Ghana, Canada, Australia on our iCampus during 11:00 am service…I am truly amazed by this technology!!
Thank you BNC…we love you guys more than ever!!
Sharon Evans says,
Service this weekend was amazing! You did an amazing job, as usual!
on 30 March 2009 / 4:50 PM
Randy Wood says,
Good stuff. Would love to use it.
on 30 March 2009 / 7:58 PM
Ryan Haynie says,
Hey Shannon. My fiancee and I have been attending lifechurch.tv the last few weeks to see Dave Ramsey. He made an interesting comment to the pastors out there watching. He said you should do 3 sermons on getting out of debt, and 2 on budgeting for every one sermon you do on giving.
I understand that we are to give even when it hurts, but the reason most people don’t give is because they’re broke. You might check out the video on their website. I thought it was a great sermon series.
on 31 March 2009 / 10:01 AM
Chris Ezell says,
Besides the safety thing, it probably didn’t help your make out chances that Bruce Medley was asleep in your back seat with a belly full of manicotti.
Penny and I immensley enjoyed getting to catch up with you and Cindy and Bruce. Thank you for your leadership and passion for sharing the Word. Sunday was an encouraging message on a difficult topic, but one that must be taught.
on 01 April 2009 / 6:50 AM