The vision of ONE&ALL church begins with:
Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'
-John 14:6
ONE&ALL operates out of the belief that Jesus and Jesus alone saves us from our sins, connects us to God, and gives us the truth about all things.
One: We stand against the kind of spiritual arrogance that says we are better than everyone else and have no sin in our lives.
Two: No one, absolutely no one, is so far from God that they can't be reached.
Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'
-Matthew 28:18-20
Disciple: One whose intent is to obey everything Christ has commanded.
What area of our lives does Jesus speak most about?
Answer: Money and Possessions!
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
-Colossians 3:5
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
-Matthew 6:21
Everything the Bible tells us about the world is under the terms of Creation, Fall, and Redemption.
First: What does Creation tell us about our money?
Theological truth - We are stewards, not owners.
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.
-Psalm 24:1-2
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. 'But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.'
-1 Chronicles 29:11, 12, 14, 16, 17
Your mind, talents, savvy, were given to you by God and helped you earn what you have earned.
Theological Truth One:
Everything you have is a gift from God.
Theological Truth Two:
Even though God has given us power over parts of His world, God does not give us ownership over it.
Theological Truth Three:
We are stewards.
I know you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.
-1 Chronicles 29:17
You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.
-Malachi 3:9
So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
-Matthew 25:28-29
1. Stewardship is not holding on to God’s resources but actually giving them out.
2. The job of the steward is to invest in things that bring joy to the master.
The Christ-follower asks, “What am I supposed to do with God’s money over which He has given me power—placed into my hand—that produces those things that bring joy to the Master?”
So—Before you sit down to do any budget, your first question is: Since this is God’s money, what brings God joy?
I tell you … there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
-Luke 15:7
When do the angels sing? Over one lost sheep found.
Godly Stewardship is multiplying those things the Master enjoys—that move His heart—that brings joy to the heavens.
1. Stewardship is giving away, not holding on.
2. Stewardship is investing.
3. Stewardship is investing in things that bring the Master joy.
4. Spiritual stewardship is the only lasting investment.
You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.
-Luke 12:20-21
If I am a steward of the things God has given me, what is the guideline of generosity.
We are supposed to use Ten Percent as the basic guideline for understanding how much we should be giving away.
In Luke 11: Jesus is not happy with the religious people who spend all their efforts on the externals rather than on the heart—the internals.
Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.
-Luke 11:42
1. Jesus does accept the guideline of the tithe.
2. You are not less indebted to God in the New Testament than the Old Testament.
Genuine Christ-followers do not ask, how much money do I have to spend?
Instead, they ask…How much money do I have to keep?
How can I position my life in such a way as to spend my money only on things I truly need so that I can give the rest of it away?
Stewardship is not equal giving; it is equal sacrifice.
1. Theological principle of giving? We are stewards not owners.
2. Motivational dynamic of giving? The excitement of investing God’s money into things that last for eternity and things that cause rejoicing in the heavens.
3. Practical guideline for giving? The tithe is my beginning point.
What is our real problem? FAITH
Without faith it is impossible to please God.
-Hebrews 11:6
You shall not test the Lord your God.
-Matthew 4:7
God knew we would need help in this area so He says to us, “Test Me.”
'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.'
-Malachi 3:10
Questions to assist you in future decisions of Stewardship:
What is the primary motivation of your heart?
What brings joy to the heart of God?
What brings the most joy to your heart?
What does God treasure most?
What do you treasure most?
Does your giving reflect your heart?
Are you willing to reflect, repent, and relent?
What stops you from going out from this place today and sitting down with an accountant or budgeter and giving ten percent of your income to kingdom building?
Are you willing to restructure your life?
GIVE