Open Your Treasures and Give
The sermon challenges listeners to give themselves anew to God and to use their treasures, whether wealth, time, or personal service, to benefit others and bring glory to God.
Mary Wilder Tileston, inspired by the story of the wise men presenting gifts to Jesus, encourages believers to give themselves anew to God's service. She emphasizes that God will provide the desire and power to offer various treasures to Him, whether it be wealth, time, personal service, or even life itself. Tileston highlights that everyone has something to give, from the tears of the penitent to the riches of the wealthy, as long as the vision of Christ is in their hearts. Ultimately, she stresses that all gifts, regardless of size or value, are welcomed by God when given with love and for His glory.
Text
And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
MATTHEW 2:11
GIVE yourselves anew to God and to God's service, and He will give you the desire and the power to open your treasures; to give to Him, it may be wealth, it may be time, it may be personal service, it may be life itself. In His store there is a place for all, for the tears of the penitent, the barley loaves of the child, the two mites of the widow, the savings of the Philippians' "deep poverty," as well as for Mary's ointment, for the land of Barnabas, for the gold and incense and myrrh of these Eastern sages. And if the vision of Christ be before his eyes, and the love of Christ be in his heart, the man of wealth will give his large offering, the man of learning his dear-bought knowledge, the man of business his hard-earned leisure, for the glory of God, for the benefit of his fellow-men, for the Church or for the poor; to feed the hungry, or to teach the ignorant, to help the struggling, or to guide the erring; and each gift will be welcomed by Him who gave Himself for us all, and who asks in return for ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him.
JOHN ELLERTON
Sermon Outline
- Give Yourselves Anew to God
- The Vision of Christ
- The Gift of Ourselves
- A living sacrifice to God
- Feeding the hungry, teaching the ignorant, helping the struggling, and guiding the erring
Key Quotes
“And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“God will give you the desire and the power to open your treasures; to give to Him, it may be wealth, it may be time, it may be personal service, it may be life itself.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“And if the vision of Christ be before his eyes, and the love of Christ be in his heart, the man of wealth will give his large offering, the man of learning his dear-bought knowledge, the man of business his hard-earned leisure, for the glory of God, for the benefit of his fellow-men, for the Church or for the poor;” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- Surrender our lives to God's service and trust Him to give us the desire and power to open our treasures and give to Him.
- Use our time, talents, and resources to benefit others and bring glory to God.
- Recognize that our gifts, whether large or small, are welcomed by God and can be used to make a difference in the lives of others.