Sunday, March 30, 2008
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leftovers.
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Firstly i would like to ask for your opinion if you think jokingly lying is considered lying? Cos during cell group yesterday i was jokingly said that someone paid double for the last bang cards in the whole entire world! (well probably...) ya and when i reached back to church, they were like asked me to confess my sins and if my conscience were bothering me. I know that they were joking and I am not offended but it set me thinking if it is considered lying if you are joking. If you ask me, after thinking for a while, I think it is not considered lying cos the bible said in exodus 20:16 that "do not tell lies about others"(CEV) or "you shall not give false tesimony against your neighbour"(NIV). But i thought i remembered that we learn in sunday school its just "thou shall not lie". That means my "may I borrow $2?" trick for BB week is not "lying" in biblical terms isit?
K now I want to talk about what I heard about yesterday during cell group.
Title: Giving to God
Very simple and common title, but do not be fooled.
The Widow's Offering
"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,[j]worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
[Mark 12:41-43]
Jesus annointed by a sinful woman
"Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."
Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
[Luke 7:36-48]
THINGS WE CAN SEE:
(1) It doesn't matter how much you give to God. God said that the poor widow's 2 copper coins is worth more than the rich men's large amounts of money. God also rebuked those who said against the woman who broke the alabaster jar of perfume. It doesnt matter what the cost is, it is WHAT IT COST THE GIVER that matters. The poor widow gave everything, all that she had (100%) and the woman who led a sinful life, walked into a parisee's (aka law-abiders) house and broke a very expensive jar of perfume on Jesus' head. Imagine the courage it took her to do that. Maybe she felt guilty and worth lower than the parisees thats why the weeping and her actions. God supported her because she DENIED herself and knelt down and kissed Jesus feet and wept and used her hair to clean the tears off the floor.
(2)GOD DESERVES YOUR EVERYTHING, not just your leftovers. When you give your leftovers it mean nothing to you right? After all it is your leftovers.
"But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."" [2 Samuel 24:24]
This does not only applies to your offering and money but also to everything else like your quiet time, the time spent in your ministry. We should not give God according to our selfish ambitions.
This sermon/last night's worship hit me on 4 areas:
(1) After singing the song Jit's friend composed, I realised that the way to me having a closer relationship with God is MORE OF HIM AND LESS OF ME. That statement just says it all.
(2) My quiet time with God and my weekly prayer have been suffering because I always study study first then whatever LEFTOVER TIME i have then i do my quiet time. Usually by then I would be too tired or too lazy.
(3) Every month I always decided to give 10% of my allowance, but I would tell myself to only give it on the last week so if I need the money then I can use. Meaning I will use my LEFTOVER MONEY for the offering. And by then either no money or forget. That's why I soooo long never give offerings. This week I didnt give because I want to receive my next month's allowance then decide how much I should give.
(4) Easter sunday performance is over (which was very well-done btw). My mum and aunt asked me to stop the ministry till after O-levels. After listening to this sermon, I started to think. If I give God something that it is not going to cost me anything, what good would it make? We will be meeting up this tue night for evaluation. Please pray for me.
So yup, hope you were blessed by my post.
God bless,
Aaron
aaron chua thanked jesus at1:49 PM
