Thursday, 25 April 2013

Thursday April 25, 2013

Read Acts 4:32-5:11

You can tell where a person’s heart is by what they are (or what they are not) willing to give for the betterment or welfare of others. Just think of the ANZACS as they landed at Gallipoli during the first World War. For 8 months these men gave their lives for the welfare of others, for a nation of individuals who, for the most part, they had never personally known or met.

When a person is willing to give sacrificially for the sake of others, their heart is clearly sacrificial. When a person gives reluctantly or under compulsion you see greed, selfishness and corruption in their heart.

 

In the book of Acts we see that the church was filled, by and large, with people with large, joy filled hearts. They gave so generously that there no needy people among them. Can you imagine what impact Christianity would have in the world today if there were no needy people in the world? From time to time people would sell their land, their houses, their cars...errr camels and so on and give the money to the church for the support of the needy. The result was that more and more people came into the church.

 

Yet one married couple came forward and boasted of their generosity. It appears that their hearts were corrupt. They also sold the land and presumably with pomp and ceremony gave the funds to the church. But the husband was struck down for his sin, not of withholding some of the funds, but for lying to God and the Holy Spirit. Later his wife was questioned and she too was struck down for lying and seeking to deceive the Lord and His people.  Their hearts were corrupt. They loved praise and adoration from men more than they loved God. They loved money so much that they kept a part of the funds, which was theirs to keep anyway, and lied to God and His people. The result was that God’s wrath and anger visited immediately upon them. They were struck down for their deception.

 

What is it that you and I are willing to give for the welfare of others? Are we willing to part with 1/100 of our weekly income so that the church can support the poor and needy? Would we joyously raise that amount to 1/4 or 1/3 or even 1/2? Would we, as many have done in the past, give God 9/10s of our income and live off 1/10? The question is not one of giving  but one of the heart. We need to ask, where is our heart? Where is my treasure? What is it that I really worship?

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Ask the Lord to work powerfully in tomorrow’s services. Pray that God would prepare each and every single person to meet with Himself and that He would be working powerfully to grow us in Christ-likeness and humility. Pray that the Word would be powerfully proclaimed tomorrow in both services and that the believers would be equipped and the non believers convicted to bow the knee and to confess Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

¥ Pray that your church would be exceedingly generous and giving as you worship your Lord and Saviour.

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Why does God love generosity?

2. How can we move, as a church, to the situation described in Acts 4:34?

3. Why should church members look after each other?

 

 

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