DEVOTED TO JESUS: To Give as a Disciple
DEVOTED TO JESUS
To Give as a Disciple
January 30, 2022
• The book of Acts tells us the story of the first century church. It didn’t begin as an institution. It began as a movement.
ekklesia (Church) actually means: an assembly or gathering.
1. A SIMPLE MESSAGE. 2. AN EXPANDING MISSION. 3. A SERIOUS DEVOTION.
• Devoted means: To be earnest towards, to persevere, be constantly diligent, or to attend tirelessly all the exercises.
Acts 2:42-47 - They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
1. God has a lot to say about money, but it has nothing to do with money. It has everything to do with
Matthew 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.”
Matthew 6:24 - “…You cannot serve both God and Money.”
2. Who or what has your devotion? (Headship or Lordship)
• You will either place your trust in money, wealth, and the pursuit of security, or in God.
3. There are two traps when it comes to your finances:
a. Personal
b. Personal
• Both of these traps are self-centered.
• Both of these traps are driven by
• Greed can be defined this way: If it comes to me, it is for
4. God doesn’t just want to rescue you financially. God wants to have headship or Lordship of your life, but His competition is your
5. Giving is not a financial decision. It’s a decision whether or not to
Matthew 6:21 - For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
6. What Jesus taught is not about money, it’s about your devotion, and the main competitor for your devotion is money.
7. Three action steps to break greed:
• Give
Proverbs 3:9-10 - Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
1 Corinthians 16:2 - On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
8. Financial independence is living independently of
Matthew 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.”
Matthew 6:24-32 - You cannot serve both God and Money. 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? 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? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things…
9. A pagan is just somebody who doesn’t believe that there is a
Matthew 6:32 – “…and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
10. Who or what is first in your life?
• If you don’t give, take the Tithe Challenge. Sign up online at laurelridgechurch.org/give