EASTER DEVOTIONAL (14 OF 25)
Scripture: II Timothy 3:12-13, I Chronicles 21:23-24
This content is part of a series.
NOTE: This sermon is part 27 and 28 of a 50 part devotional series. Two sermons outlines are included in this download.
PREVIEWS:
Twenty-Seventh Day (27 of 50)
Series: Easter Devotional
Christopher Harbin
II Timothy 3:12-13
‘‘Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others. But evil people who pretend to be what they are not will become worse than ever, as they fool others and are fooled themselves.’’ II Timothy 3:12-13
This is just not the part of the gospel we want to hear. It is not a good selling point in the marketing of our evangelism. ‘‘Come to Jesus and suffer!’’ I have not seen that slogan on too many billboards recently. ‘‘Think your life is hard, try Jesus!’’ just does not sound very catchy. Maybe that is why we ignore this part of the New Testament witness to Jesus and the gospel preached by folks like Paul. It’s just not cool or catchy.
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Twenty-Eighth Day (28 of 50)
Series: Easter Devotional
Christopher Harbin
I Chronicles 21:23-24
‘‘Araunah answered, ‘Take it, Your Majesty, and do whatever you want with it. I’ll even give you the oxen for the sacrifice and the wheat for the grain sacrifice. And you can use the threshing floor boards for the fire. It’s all your!’ But David replied, ‘No! I want to pay you what they’re worth. I can’t just take something from you and then offer Yahweh a sacrifice that cost me nothing.’’’ I Chronicles 21:23-24
So what is the point of sacrifice, tithes, and offerings? We struggle as Araunah did with issues of form, substance, and meaning. Araunah was concerned with questions of form. He was also worried with issues of pleasing the king. David had authority to simply requisition his threshing floor, oxen, grain, and anything else he might consider needed. David could have demanded anything as king, and it would have been handed over. On one level, Araunah knew that, and he was likely seeking, at least in part, to avoid the king’s anger. Things would go better with him if he were to offer the king more than was requested. On the other hand, giving lavish gifts to the king might also ingratiate himself with power, and that was always a good idea for self-advancement.
PREVIEWS:
Twenty-Seventh Day (27 of 50)
Series: Easter Devotional
Christopher Harbin
II Timothy 3:12-13
‘‘Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others. But evil people who pretend to be what they are not will become worse than ever, as they fool others and are fooled themselves.’’ II Timothy 3:12-13
This is just not the part of the gospel we want to hear. It is not a good selling point in the marketing of our evangelism. ‘‘Come to Jesus and suffer!’’ I have not seen that slogan on too many billboards recently. ‘‘Think your life is hard, try Jesus!’’ just does not sound very catchy. Maybe that is why we ignore this part of the New Testament witness to Jesus and the gospel preached by folks like Paul. It’s just not cool or catchy.
--------------------
Twenty-Eighth Day (28 of 50)
Series: Easter Devotional
Christopher Harbin
I Chronicles 21:23-24
‘‘Araunah answered, ‘Take it, Your Majesty, and do whatever you want with it. I’ll even give you the oxen for the sacrifice and the wheat for the grain sacrifice. And you can use the threshing floor boards for the fire. It’s all your!’ But David replied, ‘No! I want to pay you what they’re worth. I can’t just take something from you and then offer Yahweh a sacrifice that cost me nothing.’’’ I Chronicles 21:23-24
So what is the point of sacrifice, tithes, and offerings? We struggle as Araunah did with issues of form, substance, and meaning. Araunah was concerned with questions of form. He was also worried with issues of pleasing the king. David had authority to simply requisition his threshing floor, oxen, grain, and anything else he might consider needed. David could have demanded anything as king, and it would have been handed over. On one level, Araunah knew that, and he was likely seeking, at least in part, to avoid the king’s anger. Things would go better with him if he were to offer the king more than was requested. On the other hand, giving lavish gifts to the king might also ingratiate himself with power, and that was always a good idea for self-advancement.
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