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For the Sake of the Kingdom

 

There are two powerful statements in both the Old Testament and New Testament on giving and caring for fellow believers and the Church. I am not talking about just passing the offering plates around to raise money or to meet a specific need within the church. I am talking about every single Christian “stepping up to the plate,” digging deep within their hearts, sacrificing and giving all they have for the Kingdom of God. 

Exodus 35:20-21, “So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents. All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle….” 

Exodus 36:6-7, “So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!” So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.” 

Acts 2:44-47, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” 

Do you see the pattern? Hearts stirred. Many responded and contributed. Nobody was in need. There was always plenty and more than enough. This is all the proof we need to realize that there is so much more to living out our faith than “just going to Church” on Sunday and “doing our devotions.” We all have the time, resources, and talents to offer something and to give of ourselves for the sake of the Kingdom of God. 

I like what the Free Methodist Church says about our spiritual gifts and ministry. In the 2019 “Book of Discipline” paragraph 3413, it says: 

            “Followers of Jesus are called to exercise both natural abilities and spiritual gifts in the church for the sake of the kingdom of God. God endows all persons with natural abilities that may be employed for service and ministry. The believer uses these in ways that glorify God. In addition, the Holy Spirit also distributes, as he wishes, spiritual gifts for the common good and the edification of the church…The believer seeks the gifts not for personal aggrandizement, but to further the cause of the kingdom of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

Everyone has something to offer and each of us has a God-given ability and opportunity to use this gift wherever needed. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”   

For many, we already know what we love to do and enjoy “jumping in” to do those things to help the Church. For some, it may take “prodding” where someone else “notices” a gift and ability in someone and then comes along side of them to encourage and guide them to get involved. 

Either situation, we need to be doing something and involved in some way. There are no excuses for apathy and having an uncaring heart. We have no excuse for seeing a need and then choosing to close our hearts and brush it off to “let someone else do it.” James 4:17, “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”

We should guard against thinking so highly of ourselves that we refuse to get involved unless we are personally asked to do so. We shouldn’t have to be sent a personal invitation. We should never use the excuse “well, there’s nothing for me to do” in our attempt to avoid helping or getting involved. Excuses never accomplished anything. 

If we know that we have the means to do a particular task, then we must take the initiative and seek out ways to get it done. If there are ways, then go do it. If there isn’t a way, then be a pioneer of faith, forge ahead, create the opportunity and make it happen. 

It is more than just going to church, giving of our tithes and offerings, reading the Bible, and saying our prayers. We must give of ourselves, our time, resources, effort, ingenuity, wisdom, and other means to serve and give of ourselves. It fulfills the words of Jesus to “love our neighbors as ourselves” (Mark 12:31). Sacrifice. Service. 

Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. As it has been said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.”

The time is for every single Christian to arise and find where they serve best. The time has come for the Church to see an overwhelming abundance of volunteers so she can stop begging, pleading, and groveling in attempt to get enough people involved. 

Shame on any Church or any gathering of believers who sit back and watch the 1% who are doing 99% of the work tire and burn out. If we all do our part, together, there will always be plenty, people would be cared for properly, and more will come to salvation in Christ. Find what it is that you can do and do it for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

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