Sermon for 2/17/13

Sermon: from Deuteronomy 26:1-11 “I Will Give You”

Sometimes it’s a good idea to preach a sermon about giving. I know when I go too long without doing it the council seems to get a little nervous.

Time for a sermon on giving.

From Deuteronomy 26 we see that God gives his people a land as an inheritance.
 rich land
 good land
 land flowing with milk and honey
 great produce
 great hopes for the future

Who gives us all we have? Our Lord. He gives according to his promise.
 We did a good bit of work, but it would have been useless if He hadn’t made his promise.
 God views the land of promise as a blessing that he has prepared for his people.

What’s our testimony?
 We were weak
 We were wandering
 We had few people and fewer possessions
 We were in a strange land
 In that land we had misery, toil, oppression, suffering
 God rescued us and brought us to this land

What’s our testimony as Christians?
 weak, wandering, few in number, unpropertied, not in our real home, misery, toil, oppression, suffering
 Jesus has rescued us from sin and death.
 Jesus has been tempted in all ways, as we are, but without sin.
 Jesus has given us strength, direction, numbers, property, a real home, joy, rest, acceptance, peace

So what do we bring?
 The Israelites brought a basket. It’s their basket. They made it (out of materials the Lord provided). They filled it (with goods the Lord provided). And they brought it to leave it as an offering.
 What is our offering? We bring a basket. We wouldn’t even have that without God’s providence. We wouldn’t be able to fill it. Really we don’t bring anything that we would have without the Lord giving it to us. But if it makes us feel better we can think of the basket as ours. And we bring it to leave it in the hands of our Lord.

God has given us life. He has given us all we need through Jesus. He has rescued us indeed. What will we give? Nothing that God hasn’t given us. But we give back generously and with thanksgiving. He is the one who preserves us in all our dangers. He is the one who deserves all our thanksgiving and praise.