Believing In The Harvest Part 2

God's desire is not driven by a sense that were in trouble if we don't do.

He wants our hearts first and only then [things today we wrap up a series on giving Paul's admonition of the church from the Moody Church in Chicago this morning to win with one Moser whose clear teaching helps us get across the finish line. Estimates are isn't it true that giving changes your heart in a very fundamental way. Selfishness gives way to focusing on the needs of others.

Not only that, Dave. But the Bible says that God loves a cheerful giver. Now of course he loves all givers, but particularly a cheerful giver. You know the ministry of running to win can continue because there are people who support us. If you are blessed by this ministry. It is because some other people step to the plate and they became a part of our ministry.

When you become an endurance partner endurance partners are those who stand with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts.

If you want to know more. Here's what you can do. Go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.

We thank all of you who pray for us and who support this ministry that goes to more than 20 countries of the world and that we go to the pulpit of Moody church where we learn more about what God thinks of giving and how generous he is to us how your Bible is out because this promise is so wonderful. You have to see it in the text with your own eyes. Notice it says this, God loves a cheerful giver. Verse eight and God is able to make all grace abound to you that having all sufficiency in all things at all times. You may found in every good work.

Let's look at it phrase by phrase and God is able to show you the power of it to make all grace abound, and that's the measure of it toward you.

That's the direction of it so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times is the extent of it, that you may abound in every good work. That's the ministry of it. You are a cheerful giver. God is going to get back to you and the harvest will be. This abounding grace that is promised, here in the text that may include money, sometimes it remarkably includes money, sometimes it doesn't.

But the grace of God will be upon your life. I noticed it. Just this morning, in rereading the text. It's amazing how you see things it says God is able to make all grace abound. Verse eight and you'll notice at the end of the verse, and that you may abound God abounds in our lives in grace and we in turn abound. It's all about pounding and a plentiful harvest. Now the question is, exactly what does this mean so far as the text is can turn what does it look like to receive this very special harvest.

Well, let's look at the text it says. First of all, that we will receive righteousness. It says in verse nine as it is written, he has distributed freely. He has given to the poor. By the way, in the Psalms.

This is a description of a generous man. He has distributed freely.

He has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. And now here's the promise verse 10 he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

One of the fruits that you will receive is the harvest of righteousness. This is not the righteousness of God which is received by faith. This isn't a matter of saying that this is the way we are saved.

It is through giving no that's not the way it happens is it comes through faith in Jesus Christ, the righteousness that referred to here is right living, so that you see as you have a generous heart. As you take all that God has given to you and to me and as we lifted up to God with open hands so that we say God is truly is yours. It really does belong to me now give me wisdom as to what to do with it when we do that there is a righteous kind of living with an open heart that is that is permeates all of our lives. I wouldn't doubt but that part of the bountiful harvest that is talked about is the impact in the lives of our children in the lives of our grandchildren in the lives of our relatives in the impact in the church because God says I will give you the harvest of righteousness will give you the harvest of right living. And then there's another harvest that is coming and that is glory to God not here.

I'm going to have to read the text. Remember he's going to be talking about the Saints that live in Jerusalem and how glad they are going to be at this very special gift given by these two churches and now let's look at it very carefully you'll notice it says you will be enriched in every way. Verse 11 for all of your generosity which through us will produce thanksgiving to God for the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God by their approval of this service.

They will glorify God because of your submission going from your confession of the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you grace that is come because you were a cheerful giver. Now think about this for a moment what Paul is saying is, is that when these believers receive a gift they are going to give thanksgiving to God.

I mean imagine this there receiving a gift from Gentiles, from people who whom they've never met and never will need because were talking about cities that were hundreds of miles apart in the ancient world and and they are going to receive these funds. The saints are and they are going to give thanks and they're going to say.

Glory to God because of your gift to Paul says God will get glory because of what you've done in the lives of the saints. You know it's something like Giving today isn't it.

As you know, we recently took an offering for some orphans at an orphanage in Africa and a very generous offering, I might add, I can imagine that when that gift comes in. Apparently it's enough to sustain them for a whole year. I can imagine that when that gift comes they offer glory to God and praise to God, and they in turn pray for us which is what the text says it's a matter fact this happens it with our orphanage that we help supply and support in India. Those little girls.

I was so humbled when I was told that when I was going through some problems with my eyes at those little girls were praying for me and rejoicing at the gifts that we have given in the help that we have supplied and they give thanksgiving and they give glory to God.

And that's part of the harvest that God is talking about here and I can imagine here at Moody Church part of the harvest is not just in the far-flung mission fields of the world about there are families that are giving glory to God because of the ministry of our family ministries here at the church there there people who are giving glory to God, their students, their university students who come here college student and they are giving glory to God because our generosity enables them to have a place to worship and to learn and all the way down the line, our children, our families are singles are college students, all of them and all of us together, giving glory to God because of our generosity and because we are committed to the needs of the saints, and this is a good place for me to mention something when you look at an offering envelope and I expected to have one appeared today, but I didn't have hours hours was put into the offering basket a little while ago but you will you'll see on its things like general fund and then under that you admissions in a number of different categories. You know there's some people who say this, they say. I will give I will give to the orphans. I will give to the missionaries. But I'll never give to that general fund because that general fund. It keeps the lights on. It pays salaries and I don't want my money to go to something that Monday and I wanted to go to the missionaries to the orphans all give to them, but I will give to the church.

I smile when I hear that. No, that's like saying that's like saying you know we had this tree that is bearing fruit and I am willing to pay for someone to pick the fruit of the tree, but I will not give a dime to the to the root of the tree to give anything to it, let it rot all that I'm interested in is the fruit. My dear friend you cannot have fruit unless you have a strong root and the stronger the root the more important it is to realize the more fruit that will be born May I speak candidly, I will. Whether you give me permission or not, may I speak candidly unless we have a strong home base. We can have the ministries that we had, we won't be taking offerings for other kinds of ministries, the stronger the home base, the more we can branch out and bear fruit in many many different ways. We have other ways that we had in mind to bear fruit, but her lack of funds hinder us. That's why when Rebecca and I fill out that that offering card that offering envelope. We always get the majority of our money. The majority of our money to the general fund. It's the engine that keeps everything else going well. The apostle Paul says God is able to make all grace abound.

It isn't just for the poor saints in Jerusalem it's for the saints in Chicago. In our instance and and the ministries that God has given us. Now we must understand that cheerful giving cheerful giving brings about a blessed life. That's what the text says, and we have to believe the text in another country in 1/3 world country.

True story that I read a man went into a hot and took a bowl of rice.

A large bowl of rice actually unless corrected. I think it was a large bowl of corn and he took the corn with him out to the field and began to plant.

He began to planted in the in the dirt.

Obviously in the ground and his little daughter was five or six years old actually began to cry because she knew how poor the family was in her big question was, why wouldn't daddy take corn that might feed us for several days. Why wouldn't daddy take corn and put it in the ground that seem to be very very unwise will answer the question of course is her daddy put it in the ground because he believed in the harvest he could have he could have chosen to take that bowl of corn and use it for lunch and for dinner. That week, but then there'd be no harvest, and there are times when you have to simply believe in the harvest and you plant and you plant in faith because you believe in the harvest that God is able to make all grace abound.

I don't know how God can take the wishes of a six-year-old boy who is making some play money during offering time wishing he could give it to the children. That adds up to more than $3000. I don't know how God can take that and then later on his mother weeks later receives checks the same day that match exactly the total. I don't know how that works but the text says God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having sufficiency in all things at all times. You may abound in every good work. I'd say that's quite a blessing to cheerful giver and there is the promise right there. My wife and I know some missionaries very well because he actually served with me on a staff at a church, not this church, but previous one and they were missionaries in Argentina and then in the Middle East and they told us a very interesting story about money.

Now you know missionaries have very little to go on. They decided that they would faithfully give a percentage of their money to the Lord's work, no matter how tough it got.

But knowing that God sometimes leads us through money.

They decided something else that the fewer their funds, the worse it got. They would give a higher percentage to God.

See what they were doing. As it says in the book of Malachi.sys test may now you're not supposed to test God only once in the Bible does it say test me that had to do with money. God's as you bring the tithes into the storehouse, and then see whether or not I'm not going to open the heavens, and bless you now, those Old Testament promises, of course, the tide was required today. Of course there is no requirement. It is simply proportionate giving based on cheerfulness, but they decided to test God. And whenever things got tough. What they would do is they would give more a greater percentage of what they had numbered years ago we were in Regina Canada visiting and we were in their home catch this now that they now own. That's fully paid for.

How many of us have homes that are fully paid for. Probably not very many of us were all making mortgage payments. I remember sitting there listening on how it happened. This happened that happened then this fell into place. It was like a chess game. I don't know how God did it, but the text says God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times.

You may abound in every good work.

If you are a cheerful giver and they were and they proved God in their need, that God actually responds to cheerful givers and blesses them.

I'm not saying that that'll happen to you or to me, and that every time we give remember were not saying that you get back monetarily what you've given. I do say though that if you give cheerfully, God will bless you, there are marriages that are in trouble today because the couple does not give and they do not give with any cheerfulness and so there's no abound in grace and their relationship God is able to make all grace abound something else that's very critical about this passage is that the motivation of cheerful giving is God's gift to us. Notice it says the grace of God and then it says in verse 15. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift makes believers in Corinth, generous to Jewish believers in Jerusalem. Bottom line, having been radically blessed by God, having been radically love by God.

These believers in turn love.

It opens the floodgates of their hearts towards those who are in need to because they are now. Love of God and therefore they love.

We love him because he first loved us.

They've experienced the grace of God, the marvelous grace of our loving Lord grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt younger on Calvary's mountain toad poured there with the blood of the Lamb spilled because they received his inexpressible gift and when we do we become givers, cheerful givers.

In a few moments were going to be remembering our Lord's death, and I do need to say that there is some of you here who are here today who in the offering basket surpassed, you shouldn't give tell you why, because you may think that somehow you can get on God's good side. Or you can rectify your relationship with God. If you're not a believer in Jesus.

If you'd not received his inexpressible gift. Don't give it could confuse matters for you but if you receive that gift. Let us be cheerful givers. Now you can understand why Rebecca and I had a talk about how we can get more this year than last, but were going to be having communion were going to be passing the elements in the cup represents the blood of Jesus Christ, the bread represents his body. This is a reminder of this inexpressible gift and we say thank you Lord for forgiveness and grace and pounding grace toward us grace greater than our sins and because of that we are going to be givers and were going to get back to you in thanksgiving and praise, and in whatever way you speak to us your bountiful love and grace having been radically love. We radically love and give join me as we pray our father we ask today. In Jesus name that you will help all of us to answer the question of what would you have us to do with what you've given to us. We thank you for the opportunity of what we can call investing for eternity but father we've come now because we want to come to your table. We want to be reminded of the grace that you given to us and therefore we pray that these moments shall be holy moments in your presence.

Pray in Jesus name, amen. Will my friend, this is Pastor Luther.

You know why I am so blessed when I read this passage of Scripture it's because it has to do with God's generosity toward us. The apostle Paul motivates us to giving not because he puts asunder guilt, but he says look at what God has done. Have you been blessed as a result of this series of messages. I think it gives a whole different perspective on the matter of giving these messages can be yours with a gift of any amount you can go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 now this is the last day. These messages will be available.

That's why I'll be giving you this information once again.

But aren't we grateful for the fact that God motivates us because he himself is generous, so God says to us be like me.

I gave my son and you and I should be willing to give of ourselves to others. Here's what you can do. Go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for this series of messages on God's generosity toward us.

1-888-218-9337 it's time again for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life. Now when we pray who should we pray to. That's Mark's question a listener who writes to us from New York. He asks, should we pray to the father or to Jesus and my own prayers. I often use father God, Lord and Jesus interchangeably, although my prayers are focused on the father with a view in my minds eye that Jesus is right there by his side and hears my prayers to what do you think Mark a very good question and I'm so glad that you're concerned about those kinds of important issues. Strictly speaking, we should pray to the father in the name of Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. That's the way in which Jesus lays it out for us and that's the way the apostle Paul prayed, but because Jesus is God. I don't think it's wrong to pray to Jesus.

Jesus accepted worship in prayers when he was here on earth and does so what we need to do is to see that even though the members of the Trinity can be used interchangeably. It isn't wrong to pray to anyone at the members of the Trinity, but strictly speaking, your conception I think is correct, your praying to the father. Jesus is there to intercede. We pray in his name we pray, in the power of the spirit. Thank you Dr. Luther for straightening us out on that issue. If you'd like to hear your question answered.

Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to ask Seth running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614. Why is it that some kids want to break out and experience what the world has to offer.

Often they end up in ruin. Wishing they'd never left. Next time we begin a series on the article son will look first at one son left his father and never return. His name was Absalom plan to join us. Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin loser this is Dave McAllister going to win is sponsored by the Moody teacher