GOD'S PLAN OF CHURCH FINANCE or
GOD'S WAY FOR HIS WORD TO WIN IN THE WORLD
Dr. Miles Seaborn
Malachi 3:6-12
INTRO. The story of a circus athlete who earned his
living by displaying astonishing feats of physical
strength. His "show" would normally conclude with a
simple, but impressive, demonstration of his ability
to squeeze an orange dry! After completing his act, he
would then challenge his audience to produce anyone
who could extract even one drop of juice from the
crushed fruit.
On one of these occasions, a little man volunteered.
He was so diminutive, that his very appearance raised
a laugh from the spectators. Undaunted, however, the
man stepped onto the stage and took from the athlete
what appeared to be nothing more than a shriveled up
piece of rind. Then, bracing himself, he slowly and
firmly compressed his right hand. Every eye was on him
and the atmosphere was electric! A moment or two
elapsed, and then, to everyone's amazement - and not
least the athlete - a drop of orange juice formed and
dripped to the floor. As the cheers subsided, the
athlete beckoned the man forward, asked his name and
then invited him to tell the crowd how he had managed
to develop such fistic powers.
"Nothing to it," replied the man; and then, with a
grin, he added: "I happened to be the treasurer of the
local Baptist Church."
There was a time when I thought that the foregoing was
a good "offertory" joke; but this is no longer the
case. As a pastor and preacher, I have come to see
that consecrated and consistent giving never results
from are-twisting and brow-beating appeals. Now and
again such methods might work, but in the long run
they are doomed to failure.
ILL. of current church bulletins - $75,000 Harvest Day
ILL. Great evangelistic church - balloon note
ILL. Local church built new building - in deep
financial trouble.
ILL. People vs. money - FBC, Lufkin
God would give anything to m ...
GOD'S WAY FOR HIS WORD TO WIN IN THE WORLD
Dr. Miles Seaborn
Malachi 3:6-12
INTRO. The story of a circus athlete who earned his
living by displaying astonishing feats of physical
strength. His "show" would normally conclude with a
simple, but impressive, demonstration of his ability
to squeeze an orange dry! After completing his act, he
would then challenge his audience to produce anyone
who could extract even one drop of juice from the
crushed fruit.
On one of these occasions, a little man volunteered.
He was so diminutive, that his very appearance raised
a laugh from the spectators. Undaunted, however, the
man stepped onto the stage and took from the athlete
what appeared to be nothing more than a shriveled up
piece of rind. Then, bracing himself, he slowly and
firmly compressed his right hand. Every eye was on him
and the atmosphere was electric! A moment or two
elapsed, and then, to everyone's amazement - and not
least the athlete - a drop of orange juice formed and
dripped to the floor. As the cheers subsided, the
athlete beckoned the man forward, asked his name and
then invited him to tell the crowd how he had managed
to develop such fistic powers.
"Nothing to it," replied the man; and then, with a
grin, he added: "I happened to be the treasurer of the
local Baptist Church."
There was a time when I thought that the foregoing was
a good "offertory" joke; but this is no longer the
case. As a pastor and preacher, I have come to see
that consecrated and consistent giving never results
from are-twisting and brow-beating appeals. Now and
again such methods might work, but in the long run
they are doomed to failure.
ILL. of current church bulletins - $75,000 Harvest Day
ILL. Great evangelistic church - balloon note
ILL. Local church built new building - in deep
financial trouble.
ILL. People vs. money - FBC, Lufkin
God would give anything to m ...
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