Impact Week Sixteen

Review

Last week we were talking about hell and judgment.

1) The Lake of Fire is eternal separation from God. With all the imagery we might have in our heads about what punishment awaits the non-believer, the worst thing you can imagine is being apart from God.

2) The Lake of Fire was created for Satan and his angels. It was never meant for any human being. We were created to glorify and be with God. According to 2 Peter 3:9, it is God’s desire that everyone turns away from their sinful nature and turn to Him.

3) At death, a person faces one of two judgments: the great white throne (found in Revelation 20:11-15), or the judgment seat of Christ (found in Romans 14:10), the later of which is for those who faithfully believed and followed after the heart of God.

So, hopefully we covered enough about the subject. We may do a study of Revelation in the future, but I’m not prepared to do that at this point.

Background

This week we’re in the New Testament during the early years of the church (meaning Christianity on a whole, the world-wide church). Pentecost has taken place, and the church is beginning to take shape. Peter has given his most famous speech to the Sanhedrin (which was a court of judges). As we head into the reading, we’ll take a look at the heart of giving and the seriousness of deception.

Reading: Acts 4:32-5:11

End

Okay. There’s a few things to get straight here. First of all, as believers, we give ten percent of everything we earn as an offering before God. It’s part of the law of the Old Testament that we observe. We usually do that with money in this day and age. The best way to look at it is that everything we have is from Him and because of Him – it all belongs to Him anyway. So there’s no reason for us to hold it back when He gives us so much more. When you do what we call tithing in a service, you are being obedient to what God has commanded, yes, but it should be out of gratefulness, not simply to be obedient.

Second, let’s re-read this:

Acts 4:36-37 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.

In the context and knowledge of what just happened, Ananias and Sapphira came and gave their offering. Understand that God doesn’t require us to give everything we own. What they gave was more than likely above and beyond ten percent of what they owned. The problem was, they made it appear as though they were giving everything. The deceit in their hearts is what enraged Peter and caused the two to drop dead in an instant.

Examine your heart when you give. Are you giving because you are required to? Or do you give out of a heart of love? We need to constantly remind ourselves when we give that what we do is not out of obligation – we are not bound by the law. We do it because God is faithful to us. We have everything we could possibly need and a lot more. Did you eat yesterday? Did you have a roof over your head and a bed to sleep in? Yes we are in hard times financially as a country, but we are alive, we are breathing, and we have purpose on this earth. If you never have a Lamborghini, you’ve still lived a full life.

2 Corinthians 5:7 But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 10And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. 13Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, 15as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”

Give because of the grace you have been given. Give out of the love in your heart for God. Give out of gratefulness. And for your own sake, don’t give to impress God, and especially not someone else.

Matthew 6:1-4 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Memory Verse: 2 Corinthians 9:8

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”