Grace Giving

Open your Bibles to second Samuel chapter 24 second Samuel chapter 24 what a picture of grace and what picture of giving. So I've taken the well and decided to call this title.

This exposition grace giving grace giving second Samuel 24 over toward the first third of the old part of the book in the Old Testament. Second Samuel chapter 24, beginning in verse 15, so the Lord set a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time and 70,000 men of the people from Dan to Beersheba, died when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it. The Lord relented from the calamity and he said to the angel who destroyed the people. It is enough. Now relax your hand.

The angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of a room of the Jebusite. Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who striking down the people and said, behold it is I who have sinned. It is I who have done wrong with these cheap what have they done. Please let your hand be against me and against my father's house.

So Gad came to David that day and said to him, go up erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of the root of the Jebusite. David went up according to the word of Gad justice. The Lord had commanded arena looked down and saw the king and his servants crossing over toward him and Arruda went out and bound his face to the ground before the king that Arruda said why is my lord the king come to his servant David said to buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord that the plague may be held back from the people. Arruda said to David, let my lord the king taken off from what is good in his sight to look the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yolks of oxen for the wood everything go.

King Arruda gives to the king, and Arruda said to the king by the Lord your God, except you. However, the king must David said to Arruda. No, but I will surely buy it from you for price for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God, which cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 50 shekels of silver. David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

Thus the Lord was moved back by prayer for the land and the plague was held back from Israel. The chapter begins with King David commanding Joab and the officials of the Israeli army to go count their warriors. David had fallen into viewing things the way a natural man would be a thing David had backslidden in the thinking of.

We have a strong and mighty army will stay victorious.

But God had been teaching Israel all along. It's not my mind, and it's not by power but it's by my spirit says the Lord. So Joab and his commanders appealed to David as a David. You know how this works. You know God will multiply our effectiveness. We don't need to fall into the flesh and fall into pride and concede encounter army and put our trust in our numbers were put our trust in the Lord. But David did not relent. He pressed upon Joab and the commanders of the armies and they went out and counted the soldiers because of this sin. By the way, it wasn't just a sin to count the numbers. It was a sin because in David's heart he was leaning on the physical strength of his army and not the mind of Almighty God. That's where the sin was and so God sends a pestilence against Israel. Our text we read this morning since 70,000 men died and it all at once. God commanded the destroying angel to stop. Don't go any further, and the geographical place when the plague was stayed was a place where I Jebusite man now converted to Jehovah worship had all the piece of property which was a threshing floor.

Brenda fresh out his grain.

Then God told David now serve me and worship me. I've held back the wrath from you. You know you deserve it and the rest of Israel deserved, but in grace. I've held it back now, I command you to worship me and serve me. And here's your instruction build an altar on the threshing floor that very place where the plague stopped when the wrath was stayed built an altar there and offer offerings to me and these were to be offerings of Thanksgiving of gratitude to God for sparing them in grace from the wrath. I deduce these observations for us this morning I let's remind ourselves today that all of God's children are children of grace. There's no such thing is coming to God or being God or belonging in God's family. Any other route then to the Lord Jesus Christ and the divine favor.

That's what Gracie is the divine favor, God's offer to us in and through his son Jesus Christ. If you're a child of God, your child of God by grace. It's unmerited, it's undeserved. You can't achieve it. It's infinitely beyond anything you can even fathom as far as its value and he bestows it upon us freely because of and through Jesus Christ back to our narrative here. David is again in prod in conceit he trusts the flash he looks at his numbers bought guy don't chase to me rabbit tube. How many years of your life in my life right now where it's not wrong. The cowboy got in that accounting look at what we got in that investment our files and what other things apply what I think I'm okay. I think this is going to be okay friend the moment you look in the moment you calculated out in the moment you think. I think we're doing okay near the Mexico should be. If God allows because my confidence is not in this real estate are in this money I put back during these investments, or in my ability to earn over the next 40 years. If you're young man whatever it is I know I'm to look at that, but in my heart of the trust in the Lord, are you hearing me church. There's a balance in the David's heart was overcome with just looking at it the way an unsaved man would look at it. Just looking at the physical resource he had in his army of earlier chapters of the this book of the Bible. Let us know that all of Israel had been guilty of sins before the Lord. So though David tells the Lord put the sin only on the one who sinned, the Lord knows, yes David you did sin and your sin has consequences.

But all the people had seen just as a side note here this morning list to remind ourselves, though, that those in the headship there sin does affect those under them the sins of the fathers affects those under them the sins of the president affect those under them the sins of the company leader affect those under them. The Bible tells us in Exodus chapter 20 verse five you shall not worship them or serve them. That be the gods of the other peoples. The pagan idols by the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children. On the third and fourth generations of those who hate there's a generational curse that can happen in families there's a generational stronghold of a bent toward certain wickedness is our certain iniquities that are cast down and passed down generation to generation, but notice what he says here at the end of the verse of those who hate me.

In other words, when you come to God through Jesus Christ. When you embrace Christ as your Savior, God changes your status from one who's numbered about among those who are opposed to God and hate God. Now your number among those who belong to God and begin to love God.

Aren't you glad for that change and you and your generation can buy generational curses. You can blank the strongholds of iniquity that are passed down one generation to another generation because you're no longer numbered among those who hate the Lord your now he is in you love the Lord. That's good.

You know, that is, spoke for you. Listen to me this morning. What that is. That is grace, grace, grace and peace that we can turn that thing around. Thank God were not counted among those who hate the Lord and it's all because of grades might affect everything in this chapter, which is true of every chapter throughout the Bible. But everything in this chapter points to the Lord Jesus Christ and our salvation by grace. It's all about human it's all about grace you know it without without the Lord Jesus without grace we would know forgiveness, we would not know God's blessing we would not know freedom out from under the wrath of the judgment of God is David in Israel 100 this point again in verse 16 we know the place where the wrath was stayed where the wrath stopped when the angel stretched out his hand or Jerusalem to destroy the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people. It is enough. Relax your hand and noticed the specific geographic places pointed out here in the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Orinda.

The Jebusite this particular place was on Mount Moriah, and by the way, is that not just a clear and powerful picture of Jesus Christ God in the holy wrath God and divine justice must pour out his wrath on sinners. The wrath of God is poured out, and Jesus Christ stands between us and his father, and bear the wrath of God is stayed and stopped what picture Jesus that is the wrath of God.

The ends at the threshing floor here of a rune of the Jebusite. But what about this place. This threshing floor of a rune of the Jebusite. What else happened here with this particular spot is called Mount Moriah what else happened on Mount Moriah will that's where Abraham was commanded to offer up his son Isaac to the Lord.

Genesis 22 verse two and he said take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and noticed the parallels here.

This is Abraham's unique miraculously born son Isaac special one and only son, that picture Jesus.

He's the one and only son of God, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you is so that entire event of the father taking the son Isaac.

The unique, precious, miraculous born son Jesus was miraculously born of the virgin and you take him up on the mountain of Moriah and Abraham would supply unstuck the spirit to the chest of his son and offering is offering the Lord. But before he could plunge that dagger into his son's chest. You know what the Bible says the Lord speaks to him and said Abraham don't look there's a ram caught in the thicket. I provided the sacrifice every bit of that speaks of Jesus every bit of that speaks of grace on this very point on this very geographic location. Some people that I remember preaching this message many years ago. Why did God kill his son and I had some feedback from that not from you guys but from people in the community of fellow Mark goodness.

Why could you say something that God would kill his son. That's exactly what happened. Isaiah 53 verse 10 says, but the Lord was placed across him Jesus, putting him to grief if he would render himself as a guilt offering, he will see his offspring who will prolong his days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his hand in grace upon grace upon grace upon grace, God the father took his precious one and only son to confide in Abraham and Isaac. Abraham, the father Isaac the precious, unique son and God the father crossed God the son on the cross in our place was the place where the wrath of God was set aside that was coming against us. And that what that place that Abraham offered out, offered up Isaac is this very place.

The amount of Moriah were around the Jebusite at this point in history had put a little threshing floor. Everything about this thing is about grace just grace all of which, what else is going to happen there if you're coming from the perspective of this narrative when we know this is the exact place where David's son Solomon would build the temple second Chronicles chapter 3 verse one then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on the mount of Moriah where the Lord had appeared to his father David at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of a morning in could say Orinda. The Jebusite was the temple all about. Everything about the temple is about Jesus and about grace everything in the temple was a portrait of Christ.

Everything in the temple was a type of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for us everything about the temple and the ritual and the old economy of the Jewish religion ported to Jesus piece the substance of all of it.

The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 8 verse 13 that all the aspects of the old Jewish religion. The listen to me all the aspects of the old Jewish religion are now obsolete. Why, because the substance has come Jesus. Those things were just shadows and types in pictures Jesus to reality now skunk you don't look at the shadows of the pictures when the real things. There you may have family coming in for Christmas. You may not have seen them for a long time and they are precious and dear and you look at them on your Internet or whatever you guys use these days. Look at people with and their precious but once they walking the dog, you don't think that up and say, look at the picture know you look at them when Jesus is called all the rest at 20 to him is now set aside when they were going to the temple, they would have a bronze altar out there on the outside courts of the temple and there they would sacrifice the animals we don't do that anymore because Jesus is the fulfillment of that picture. He came and died on Calvary as the sacrifice. There's a golden lampstand in the in the in the temple that lampstand represented Jesus, who is the light of the world.

There's the table of showbread in the temple that represented Jesus, who is the bread of heaven and the bread of life.

There's some of the broad slavery and therewith the priest would wash and cleanse themselves ceremonially.

What did that picture that represented Jesus who cleanses us from all sin. There's the altar of incense were incense would rise up to the Lord. What is that picture that pictures Christ, who is our permanent and ever faithful intercessor at the right hand of God the father. There's a veil in the temple and when Jesus died, the veil that separated the holy place, from the holy of holies the Bible says was written into that represented Jesus body Tracy's body was torn and crushed in the way to the innermost sanctum was opened up but we don't go through a physical veil.

We go through the veil of Jesus Christ. All this points to Jesus and all of it points to grace the innermost part of the temple is the holy of holies and there the holy of holies the great high priest one day here protect the blood of an animal, and he would sprinkle that blood component mercy seat in that place rolling back the burden of sin against the people for year that pointed to Jesus.

Jesus Christ died on the cross and the Bible says he would endure greater and better tabernacle. He went into the heavenly one. And there he bore his blood on the great altar of Almighty God in our place for our sins. Everything about this geographic spot with a raffle state speaks of Jesus and speaks of grace grace upon grace upon grace upon grace.

They all pointed to King Jesus, the King of all the king of holiness, the king of righteousness.

The king of truth, the king of heaven and are you ready to praise his name. He's king of grace your center you like that he's king's.

He's king of granting birth to the most undeserving. That's us all of that's pictured in this glorious narrative of the wrath of God, stopping at this geographic place, which is at this point in history owned by Jebusite Orinda and it was a threshing floor but we see another picture of grace here. Another portrait grace here that is that what's under the Jebusite doing owning land in Israel. Well the truth is, it would long ago that this wasn't Israel's land. David had conquered the Jebusite kingdom sometime before that he had transported to Whitby within the environs now of Israel, but somehow in God's grace. One of the royalty of the Jebusite.

Submit name already came to faith in Jehovah piece.

Now I is as far as religion goes Israelite.

He's allowed to reclaim in an old land there in Israel by Frank Jebusite are the enemies of Jews and Jews of enemies of Jebusite but in grace, you become brothers so Orinda. The Jebusite holds a piece of property in Israel and now is a faithful worship or a convert to worshiping Jehovah God. This is grace he now had citizenship in Zion, even in the city of David, even though one time before he was in a Jebusite you think about this. David conquers Orinda and his people and to the conquering of David God's king. This pagan king becomes a child of the King. Isn't that the way grace found you Bible says we are at enmity with God were God's enemies and Jesus of the sovereign work of the gospel and the Holy Spirit of God. He comes in he conquers you to conquer you to put his helmet on its own you and crush you he conquers you till when you he conquers you and places you as a citizen in his kingdom. He conquers you and wins you did to even be a precious child, in his holy family. That's what Orinda represents Jebusite now numbered among the elect of Israel, even a landowner just a few decades earlier. He was an arch enemy of God and God's people picture of grace. This whole things about Jesus as whole things about Rick. It bleeds grace grace upon grace upon grace and all of it serves as a reminder to us, us believers. The disgrace that has enabled us to believe on Christ.

It is grace that is has enabled us to begin the love God will come to church and bring ties and offerings and do what we do try to appease the wrath of God know we come to customer's Jebusite is now in the king.

The family once it enemy now God's child grace.

We believe in grace, we begin to love God and grace would be good to love God's church and grace, we begin to love God's word and grace. We are no longer under wrath. We are citizens within the protected elect family of God and grace. We are sitting here today and grace life Church of the souls because every true child of God as a child. Grace is all grace grace upon grace upon grace II the true child of God count you the privilege to serve God by success.

I should say true child of grace I can put the word true in the that outline up there but I probably should have the true child of grace counts and a privilege to serve God. Notice how we see this spelled out here beginning in verse 18. So dad that's the prophet speaking for God came to David that this is after the wrath was stated David and the rest of the nation were spared.

Gad came to David on that density and I go up and erect an altar to the Lord on the flashing threshing floor of a room of the Jebusite so so the profit centers what God will shoot it. Now that he saved you from wrath that you serve him twice a God spared you from the wrath you, David.

You know good and well it should come on you and your household before anyone else in the kingdom. But God spiritual that's not fair.

Know God, the need to be fair because his son is Justin who he saves now go serve me and worship me and notice there's just a sweet grace rock humility and everyone involved.

Verse 19 David went up according to the word of gadgets. The Lord commanded Orinda who owns the land Davidson out of the threshing floor all Orinda looked down and saw the king and his servants crossing toward him and Orinda went out about his face to the ground before the king. Verse 21, then Orinda said, why has my lord the king come to his servant David said want to buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord that the plague may be about the people so Orinda sister David will let the Lord the King take an offer what is good in this side. Even the oxen for the burnt offering the threat threshing sledges and the yolks of oxen for the woods. Verse 23 Orinda says everything will king Orinda gifts to the king and Orinda said to the king by the Lord your God accept you so first of all we see such gracious humility. Such a willingness to serve God honoring this part. I'm going to sit David, are you kidding me, I saw the pestilence I saw the wrath of God being carried out in our nation, and I saw God miraculously stop. It showered such grace upon me, David. I wouldn't dare ask you to pay for this. It may be my livelihood can have the land you can have the oxen for the sacrifice and the yolks and everything about the threshing floor that's the wood you can build the audit.

It's all free. David should because a true child of grace counts of the privilege to serve God, which is my privilege to do it. David, I want to get in on this. David was humbled. Also, David was gracious to be part of this. So David says as we remember in our our take verse 24. However, the king said to Orinda. No David, no. But I will surely buy from you for price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God, which cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor of the oxen for 50 shekels of silver. David says in grace. You don't know why I'm humbled and I'm grateful and I I've got to buy this threshing floor. I'll provide the the wood for the altar, I'll provide the animals for the sacrifice I provide my own labor to build it and erect it all offered there because this is a Thanksgiving offer maroon Christmas going to stand. I'm so grateful that you have such a heart. You considered a privilege to get in on the service. You understand how I'm not doing this out of duty I'm doing this because I'm grateful I get to do it.

God showed me so much grace I'm just that great.

But then that apply to us today. The church that our labor for Christ in this church ought to be out of hearts of humble gratitude.

We are sinners who been shown favor by this holy God. We are undeserving and we serve him here in this local church out of gratitude, not woeful duty.

There is a biblical truth in your duty but it's beyond that for children of God. We see it as a privilege to serve the goddess. Our previous to do so. It's not that we have to do it like a road. And David is that we get to do this for our God spared us the wrath. What a beautiful picture we see in David of the of all time lineage of Israel.

Orinda lineage of paganism, anti-God wickedness, and idolatry. Yet both of them now are together both of them now in humility and in oneness are endeavoring to fulfill this service and this worship to God. It's a beautiful picture of the local New Testament church.

This lady overhears from this out of the traps this lady over here. She's from another saw the tracks.

This fellow here is from bad household. This fellow here. He's from wealth and prosperity in the community. This guy over here. He's like this. Discoveries like that were just also grateful that we missed the wrath and our Savior took it for us. So one of us is a really one of us is David. It just don't matter. We counted a privilege to serve together. What a beautiful picture of the local church.

This that's what you gotta be careful who you receive as members of the local church.

You can have it be about enjoying Christ Church in Crossett and brought in because they'll serve in the flesh is going to be about them is going to be about their little kingdom about their little things out about.

I'm just glad I get to get in on it. That's were David and Orinda are, they were brought together by grace this Jebusite, Orinda, and this Jew David. They were bonded together in grace growth have been brought to a humble penitence state. Realizing how deserving they were of the judgment and how close they were to receiving the judgment of God in both look to what they can do in service and worship to God is just a privilege to get in on it as we see a rune of the former Jebusite and David, the royal king of Israel: laboring together in the service worship.

I reminded of Psalm 133 verse one behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.

I see that it grace like church I'm not making that up.

I see that here I see so many men I see so many ladies and you guys would have anything to do with each other. If the world was only thing you had, but when Jesus changed. You dislike a rune of the Jebusite of David, the royal king of Israel together, grateful we get the privilege of serving our God. III the true child of grace will not allow others to do his part.

He just refuses to allow others to do his part, we see that so powerfully in David's response, Orinda righteously generously gladly says David you can have the land you can have the oxen you can have the wood.

Just take it all, David.

I'm glad to get in on it. David's is no. I will surely buy from you for price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God, that which cost me nothing you know when we come to our Christmas love offering next Sunday I I've used this phrase many times to you that is not everybody can give the same gift that everybody can do something.

Orinda tried to do what he could do nothing for root of this might be a a true lifestyle sacrifice for him businesses threshing floor that was his livelihood.

This point is God take care me somehow. But this is needed to serve my God Soviet I believe I've had some moments, Pam and I've had some seasons where we gave lifestyle sacrificial giving to this work can say that we don't often admit that often, but there's been times we've done that. I don't know maybe this is your time to do an arena type gifts you do it the Lord to shoot for David, his heart was just as true, and there was some generosity, but it wouldn't of the size of Orinda's gift offer as he owned everything. He was the king. Everybody can do something like Orinda did what he could do and David did what he could do. You see, the child of grace sees it as abhorrent to enjoy the blessings, the grace the fellowship of a sound local church and not offer back to do their part in the support in the service and the worship of God through that picture. I'm reminded of Nehemiah is God in his grace, allow the tune of Israel to return from exile and begin to rebuild the city and it was so important, so central to everything. They were about as a nation to get the wall rebuilt around Israel.

Nehemiah had every family take a place on the wall. Your sweat was if you don't do your work and if you're not faithful.

Then there's going to be a weak spot Rob will be keeled.

Everybody had their job everybody took their place in the wall and they were successful in rebuilding the wall as Nehemiah 46 says because the people had a mind to work. It's are we used to be in captivity now were back in God's country where grateful. It's a privilege hello all I could to be a part of it, brothers and sisters in Christ. Listen to me this morning. My first job here before I join this church was to carry see rock up the steps of the old building, which is now the chapel and help now that she wrote to the walls because I'd just gotten saved not long before that I was just glad to get to do a part and honestly before God feel that way today. It's a privilege it's a privilege to serve the Lord.

It's a privilege to support the Lord's work. It's a privilege to worship him. Together with these people and a child of grace is someone else's not going to do my part.

That's what David said is not heard a word from God.

This is my part. Orinda.

It's wonderful that you have a heart to give it all. This is my part and I'm not gonna let somebody else do my part brothers and sisters in Christ.

If you minute grace live very long. Stop for a moment this morning to stop for a moment think with me think of the immeasurable blessings of the soundproof local church. I see we see our lives in the loss of our loved ones immeasurably blessed by the ministry of the local church. It's here that my children and now my grandchildren learn of sin, and learn of grace and learned of Jesus and learn of eternal things. It's here in this fellowship. You had a problem while back. Did you handle medical scare while back and called you who prayed for you to check down it's in this fellowship you found people who care without malice. I just genuinely cared for you.

It's here in this fellowship were people care for our eternal good who care for us in times of sorrow or sickness and loss so we come lock a rune nine we come like David to our Christmas love offering and it's unthinkable as a true child of grace to receive these benefits and these blessings and to ponder the glories of the grace that God has shined upon us, and yet be stingy in our support of God's local church.

It's unthinkable unthinkable to be a child of grace to sit on a pew, knowing that the brothers and sisters are round you are paying part of your way because of your tightness and stinginess brothers and sisters around you are carrying what you should be carrying and you're on the church welfare role the church welfare multiroomed and David both them so will have none of that will have none of that true child of grace counts is the wonderful privilege it would not think of any someone else doing their part we see around and David here and there offering to serve the Lord in this way we don't see any of them are either one of them calculating out what's fair and equitable thing to sing the wrath of God.

That should oppress them, spare them, but can't calculate that out. There's no number big enough to calculate that out so their devotion back is that way well calculate if this thing out were thankful for grace were thankful we print been provided.

What we been provided the true child of grace understands that we do not first given to me than the did you hear that we do not first gift to meet indeed in the local church because giving is not only God's means to raise money. Giving is God's means to raise children giving to support the work of the local church is not first about material needed's first about our need for the spiritual exercise of giving. Giving is a spiritual exercise. It builds my faith and it prospers my soul, my church may need my offerings but more than that.

Much, much more than that, I need to get too much. It's the clearly spoken from the Scriptures direction for us as to how were to serve and worship God as clearly as Gad Sr. David by this place, this threshing floor of the altar there sacrifice their there was no plan B. This is the way God instructed us to do it. The church needs my service. The church needs my gift, but more much much more. I need to give them served by local church, giving to advance God's work is like lubricating the gears of my spiritual life. It's a nourishment to the inner man. The true child of grace begins to grasp these things you see when you give to advance the cause of your local church, God causes that to be a thing that advances you more than anything else you thought you were helping get that job done of that task that carpet later.

Whatever it is no God but it to help you God minute to minister to you. IV. Our last point, where's your gratitude meter how you doing on your gratitude meter before God.

David and Orinda. Here are over when with gratitude to God that hears his launch of the listen. Don't miss this. They have been spared the wrath of God. They didn't deserve a disgrace. Immediately after that God's is okay, here's what I want you serve me out. Your sermon hears, which got realized.

God calls you and I to service to him and to worship him in our local churches after he spared us from judgment and wrath you say we are commanded to serve and worship because an infinite wonderful matchless grace he's chosen not to number us among the condemned and the downed you been chosen and commanded to serve God and all the church because you been not numbered among the downed. He only told David to do this, and David was he doing with arena in concert with taking his threshing floor buying it from them because those men were spared the wrath it's the fool who says I dread God's command hydrate is commenced. Worship to serve and to give him understand something, sir understand something, ma'am understand something, brother and sister in Christ, God only has two sons one disservice or Canada's oppressive chart embraced by one to condemnation because you're outside the rim of grace, so if he told you so may yeah support markedly within that company myself. Can you even imagine David Armenta sing well doggone it gets. Always telling us now got a go by this threshing floor. Not a trace affect their gratitude meter was way up here. We're grateful this holy God spared us through Jesus Christ and that just takes care of everything else there 70,000 men killed in this plague, not a one of them was told to serve God anyway.

Their dead, you get to serve the Lord because you're not numbered among the condemned were numbered as a child of Christ's. What a gift what a glory. What a goodness we are called the faith in Jesus Christ, then we are called the Fellowship of the local New Testament church. We are called to support the ministries of that local New Testament church. That's why till you find a solid one.

Find a solid one. Find a good one. You get your card and make sure it's going to let this a sound biblical Christ starting the Lord God focus Bible saturated church called the Fellowship recalled the face are called to support support the preaching the word.

The body lacked the missions endeavor and by the way, Knesset can I just say this to you honestly hope you won't think less of me. Sometimes I think about quitting. I'm like that preacher at the train station. You've heard all the illustrations yet. Here again, the deacon walks up and said pastor you're sitting here at the train station. I've been watching you.

You're just sitting here train comes in trains goes out train comes into pastor while you sit nuggets Tracy Swanson trains coming in trains go. He said man I want to see something move that I don't have to push. Sometimes I just won't quit. I'm tired of the next offering them tire the next thing I have five grandbabies that you must know this God we love them no must cherish this God we know and love. They must worship him and him and embrace him quit too much on the line. Amen. It could be little brother Jeff, you may just work me into the grade. In the next 20 years. I don't know. Let me be careful here you're gracious to your pastor. That's why I still have bigger and my preaching. By the way, I thank you for that. It's a benefit to you, but I could be dead before that carpets worn out back there that were want to put down in all likelihood, Robin will be Dan Nelson. Kate will be Dan Rice will be doing Evelyn will be Dan and Elyse will need it. Then they walked on that carpet learn missions learned of church planning Walden that carpet go to small group and learn the attributes of God which we teach in small group sit on this pew and hear the thundering Spirit empowered expository preaching the word of God is more than carpet did you hear Ms. Monica yes if God should choose we meet in a barn wing beat on a dirt floor. I pay all okay gotcha to give God will set amen hallelujah you live in that, by the way, not just the church has your have to be like that to. But if he allows us to have something decent and nice. We should enjoy that to. So in our efforts to build and maintain facilities to perform these ministries. We must realize that it's our service in our worship to maintain this place of the keep it going you seek God's not calling you and to build a wooden altar. He's not calling you, and not sacrifice an animal like you did the all pointed to Jesus and Jesus come our service and worship is the local church. That's our service. Dr. Jerry vines had a preacher friend who told him the story and I've never gotten over it is preacher friend was at the 25th wedding anniversary of a simple farmer and his wife. I think the guys name was Jacob, and Jacob was a simple farmer with a small farm and I mean he works so that the sun down just barely pay bills like most small farmers at country boy. He married his high school sweetheart. Not long after they were married I drove his pulley or what was she became handicapped and crippled.

She spent the next 25 years. This was her 25th anniversary this past was in the home for the 25th anniversary she been crippled all those years and Jim loved her, helped her get up in the morning up theater, help, clothe, or help by either an old you have worked hard and he come in and check on her and for those 25 years. He just poured his love into that dear crippled wife about a year before this 25th anniversary. Jim begin to wonder what can I do for her. I will have hardly any money. Then he remembered the only thing she ever said of any extravagance. She said I'd love a string of authentic real purpose. Pearl necklace where the only indulgence. Jim really had was chewing tobacco and he decided about a year out from his 20 for the anniversary he give up to. He would tell her that he give up chewing tobacco and every time he think about her think about bonnet you tobacco he put the money in his tobacco pouch every day and every week more money when tobacco pouch every day.

Every twinkle chip put more money in the tobacco and it became the day of the 25th anniversary celebration at the end of it. He said sweetheart, I have something for you. So he goes over to his crippled wife and her wheelchair kneels down and he buried his face in her lap and he starts weeping and pulls out of his back pocket is tobacco pouch. She said honey why you give me your tobacco Pepsi should open it. She opened it and out came a string, perhaps she said you Jim is real he said you bet you there real cheese and Jacob how to how could she lifted his head out of her lap, tears streaming down his face as sweetheart it's just because I love you and that's why we bring offerings to Jesus just because we love it.

But wait, it's much more biblical intruder reversed analogy where the crippled, where the lame where the helpless and worthless.

So, else has cared for us and loved us and been devoted to us and saved us and cleansed us and made us his own that he brings out a Pearl of eternal life with him forever and we see Jesus. How could you tooth and how could you do this, there's nothing about me. How could you do this and Jesus lifts his head off of our laps, with tears streaming down his play face and he looks at us and says just because I love where is your gratitude meter where's your gratitude meter as we bring our Christmas love offerings next week. I don't know what God wants you do I will not know what you do but I pray will come in like King David of old and say I will not bring an offering to the Lord my God, which cost me nothing you do and God that you do listen, that of coal, not of coercion, that of arm-twisting grants to grateful for the love of the Savior how to serve and worship his church. Part of that is this gift