SermonIndex Audio Sermons
SermonIndex - Promoting Revival to this Generation
Give To SermonIndex
Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine : Holding Back

Print Thread (PDF)

PosterThread
MattChenier
Member



Joined: 2006/11/13
Posts: 121
Longview,WA

 Holding Back

Ac 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Ac 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Ac 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Ac 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own * ? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Ac 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

What God has given you is yours to give. You can give none, some, or all. If you tell God you will give him all and don't, you show that you were proud and unable to follow through. This is bad enough, but...

When you tell God that you already gave it all, and you have held out, you lie to the Holy Spirit. How many of us stand before God day after day and tell God we have given him everything, when we haven't. How many of us seek to be praised by man for our giving, when we haven't given what we boast.

God would not have punished annanias and saphira had they not given anything. They may not have received a reward, but thy would not have been punished, for the possession was theirs to give or keep. Everything God has given you is yours to hold or release into the ministry. If you don't give the ministry 100% of your money, time, or assets, you don't sin. You will not receive a reward but you don't sin. Your sin is when you say you gave 100% but you only gave 75%. Don't lie to the Holy Spirit. If you haven't been giving God 100%. Don't say that you have. Humble yourself and be honest with him. Stop walking in darkness, repent of your sin.

My purpose in posting this was not to encourage anybody to give less than 100% of their possessions to God, but to discourage those of us who think we can get away with holding back what we claim to have given. How many of us have told God we gave him 100% of our lives, when we haven't. God will exalt a humble and honest heart. But a liar has his part in the lake of fire.

Its one thing to by a plasma screen tv when you could have given the money to a missionary, but don't tell God you gave everything you could. Be honest. After all, honesty is obedience, and obedience is better than sacrifice. I believe God is more pleased with the honest man who keeps his entire possession for himself than with the dishonest man who gives 99% and says he gave 100% He may have sacrificed more than the first man, but he wasn't obedient.


_________________
Matt Chenier

 2006/12/9 5:28Profile









 Re: Holding Back

Quote:
[b]How many of us have told God we gave him 100% of our lives, when we haven't.[/b] God will exalt a humble and honest heart. But a liar has his part in the lake of fire.

I believe there is a matter of perception to take into account, here.

If a person makes an 'in principle' decision to give all to God, then God knows that's what is in the person's heart, even if the outworking of it is imperfect...... And, in time, He may bring to the person's attention some of these imperfections, one by one.....

There is a great deal of spiritual peace to be had if one is trusting of God when He does this..... both the accepting of our 'in principle' offering, AND the times He points to something which makes the person feel they had not given all when they thought they had.

It is possible to listen to preaching, and feel one is falling short on EVERYTHING, but, if we listen carefully, and respond only to the thing THE LORD points out, we will not come unstuck as we rededicate our 'all' to Him, with specific attention to anything He has brought to our fresh understanding.

 2006/12/9 16:34
Logic
Member



Joined: 2005/7/17
Posts: 1791


 Re: Holding Back

It's more than Holding back, but wanting fame and admiration from others.

Ananias, with Sapphira wanted the aplause that Barnabas recieved.
They wanted to be though of as someone like Barnabas.
He was who he was genuinly, but they had to feign their good will.

They most likely lied so much to their friends about what they did and who they were, that they belived their own lie.

Don't lie to yourself and be truthful.
If you want the admiration of others, Humble your self and become a servant and you shall recieve the favor with God and man(Psalm 15:4 , James 4:10, 1Peter 5:6.)

 2006/12/9 17:48Profile





©2002-2024 SermonIndex.net
Promoting Revival to this Generation.
Privacy Policy