Giving Our Best: Faith and Heart in Offerings

Notice it is not that the Lord accepted the offering first now that's what many Christians have taught 95 5% of Believers teach this because they don't read the Bible carefully they teach that God accepted Abel because of his offering he offered blood Cain didn't offer blood that's what I've heard all my life that's what I've heard in every Evangelical Christian book but what does the Bible say Christians have a tendency to turn upside down what the Bible says and it doesn't say Cain God rejected Cain's offering he rejected Cain and therefore he rejected his offering. [00:00:51]

It's a heart that God sees then he accepts our offering that's very important important and you know in the New Testament in Hebrews 11 it says it's by faith that Abel let me show you that verse then we'll come back here in Hebrews chap 11 it says by faith Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain so what was it nowhere in the Bible does it say God accepted Abel's offering because he brought blood I'll tell you what he brought he brought faith it doesn't matter how many times you CAU the blood of Christ if you don't have faith he's not going to accept you. [00:02:21]

Remember Abel was the first human being who exercised Faith the first not Abraham Abel Abel's name comes long before Abraham's in Hebrews 11 what is it that made his offering an offering of faith and what is it that made Cain's offering not an offering of Faith how does that apply to us all of us bring some offering to God I don't mean money or anything I mean a a life what is it that makes God accept one person and not accept another person that's important to understand. [00:04:16]

There is a difference between giving God an offering and giving God the best that you have there's a difference between giving your life to God when you're 70 years old with one foot in the grave and giving your life to God when you're 17 years old with your whole life ahead of you that's the difference giving the best to God and giving the drgs to God there's a lot of difference between giving the best of your time to God and giving 5 minutes to God and 5 hours to movies and television. [00:06:56]

The true men and women of God are the ones who gave God their best not the drgs that is a principle that comes throughout scripture and those who have eyes to see it will see it and it's possible that many of us have missed what God wants to give us and do for us because we haven't understood this principle you see that throughout scripture when God wanted to bless Abraham he asked him for his best to offer up his son there's nothing more precious to Abraham on Earth than his son and God said I want that. [00:08:33]

I will not in the middle of verse 24 I will not or I will never offer to my God that which costs me nothing and the Lord spoke to me so clearly I mean it's I don't hear it so clearly every time I read the Bible but that day I did the Lord said to me never in your life offer me something which cost you nothing and I said Lord help me I will never offer to you that which has cost me nothing if it cost me nothing it's not fit for offering to God. [00:13:12]

The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much now you leave out some words from that like leave out the word righteous leave out the word effective and fervent and it sounds like this prayer can accomplish much that's how most people understand it prayer can accomplish much but the Bible says the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man and he takes the example of Elijah who prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain and then again he prayed earnestly that it would rain and it rained. [00:21:32]

You will seek me and find me only when you search for me with all your heart there again we come to the same principle how eagerly are you praying is it just a nominal okay I've said my prayers I've gone through the ritual I'm supposed I'm supposed to pray every day and I've done it it's again it's not a question of time it's not a question of 5 hours in prayer maybe only 2 minutes in prayer but is with all your heart you sought God then you will find me and I think the meaning is otherwise you won't find me. [00:20:19]

I was very happy to hear that in the last couple of months beginning in the East Bay some others celebrated the first birth of a child with not a registry but a birthday celebration when nobody was asked to bring any gifts but people came to share God's word and I believe they've already had you already had two celebrations like that and one brother said at the end of it he says I got a lot more from the words that I heard from my brothers than if they had given me a whole lot of financial gifts. [00:25:20]

God has chosen the poor of the world rich in faith that's a verse in James chapter 2 and I come from a country where most of our churches are among poor people very poor people and I've seen that they are rich in faith and that's why Wherever I Go whether it's nccf or any other church I'm always concerned about the poor if you follow this pattern how will it affect the poor how will it affect the poor how will it affect the poor and I'm thankful that we've Now set a pattern in this church to celebrate births as the elders have decided where anyone can participate. [00:27:33]

I don't want to discover something like that at the Judgment seat of Christ when I stand there and my life is evaluated by the Lord and says the Lord says a lot most a lot more I wanted to do through you but you are not serious you are not serious about your Christian Life you just did the bare minimum bare minimum of everything and eased your conscience of course you didn't commit sin or you listen to the message in the church that you should not sin you never told lies and you were upright you paid your taxes you did everything right but what you offered to me hardly cost you anything. [00:24:08]

It's very easy to ease our conscience by saying I prayed I read my Bible today I've done this I've done what is necessary for my Christian Life for today it's very different when we have the principle of Davids who says I will never offer to God that which cost me nothing now when we say cost me nothing it doesn't mean that most of 24 hours we have to give to God it's an attitude more than quantity of time it's not percentage of your income no it's an attitude it's an attitude towards God that's determined the way we fulfill that statement I will not offer to God that which cost me nothing. [00:18:17]