How much is much?| Colin D

This message was preached  Colin D Cruz at Word of Grace Church on the November 1st, 2015.  To listen/download the audio please click here  . To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here

What on earth am I doing here?

Is life a cycle of sleep, eat, drink? We need to step back and see the big picture.

Life can seem like a treadmill- running a lot and going nowhere. When God created man he said that it was very good. Then the devil came and tempted Adam and Eve and sin entered the world. Since then, everything is contaminated. We are all born with the sin nature.

Genesis 6:5-The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

After the flood, God said in Genesis 8:21- The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though[a] every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. 

We only have to read the newspaper to see that this is true- we read about wars, illnesses, riots, murders, etc. The world is in a mess.

Into this mess God sent his son. Gal 4:4 says, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law”. This was God’s plan. God sent Jesus and the rest is history. When Jesus left the earth he said that I am coming soon.

On this earth we have to now make disciples. For those who have put their faith in Jesus we will be with Him forever. Our future is secure. But what about now- this time on earth?

We gave 2 options- live it up or find out what purpose God has for us.

Remember Esther? She was sovereignly chosen to be in the King’s palace and later she became queen. The Jews’ lives were in danger. Only Esther could intervene but at the risk of her life. she had a choice to live in comfort or to take up the challenge.

In Esther 4:14 Mordecai says to Esther,  “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Mordecai provoked her to do good for her people.

We may not be in this position. We have education, money etc. for such a time as this so that we can see gospel advance. One day Jesus will come back and we don’t have guarantees about anything. At Word of Grace church, this is what we want to do. We want to continue what we do. As for Mordecai, God will provide for us. If not you, someone else will provide.

Mark 12: 41-43 says “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, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others”

From this passage we see three things:

1.      Jesus is watching the treasury box. Many rich threw in large amounts. Imagine if the ushers this morning did that. But that’s what Jesus was doing. The crowd came- many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and put in 2 copper coins.

2.      Jesus commented on and evaluated the giving. He said that the widow put in more than the rest. How can that be? Jesus said she gave everything but the rich gave what was extra.

3.      Jesus evaluates it with how much is left with you, not how much you give. Jesus loves a cheerful giver.

Q. What can motivate us to give?

We focus on what Jesus has done for us. In 2 Corinthians 8:9 Jesus gave so that you and I can be saved. That should motivate us. Jesus gives us amazing promises. In Mark 10: 28-29 he says that he will reward us when we give. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11- God wants to prosper you so you can be generous.      

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.