Living Like Jesusin a Broken World

What it Looks Like to Be the Church

You Can’t Take it With You: A Life of Generosity

• Focused on the Apostles Teaching

• Experienced supernatural power

• Lived in a state of awe & wonder

• Shared their possessions freely

• Spent time collectively in the temple

• Ate together in homes regularly• Prayed and praised together

Acts 2:42-47

• Shared their possessions freely

When we fail to revere God the we should, it has a direct effect on the way

we accumulate possessions for ourselves, the way we ignore the needy,

the way we trivialize fellowship, and the way we play more than we pray.

God LOVES you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

1.

You are sinful and SEPARATED from God. Therefore you cannot know and experience God’s love and plan for your life.

2.

Jesus Christ is God’s ONLY provision for our sin. Through Him you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life.

3.

Sinful Man Holy GodGood Works

Religion

Morality

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Sinful Man Holy God

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

You must individually RECEIEVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life.

4.

SThe Self-Directed Life

SELF is on the throne

Interests are directed by self, resulting in discord, frustration

Christ is outside the life

S

The Christ-Directed Life

CHRIST is on the throne

Self is yielding to Christ

Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony w/God’s plan

When God is on the throne of our hearts, it completely

changes the way we handle our money & possessions—

and how we respond to those in need.

Isaiah 58

“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.”

v.3

SThe Self-Directed Life

SELF is on the throne

Interests are directed by self, resulting in discord, frustration

Christ is outside the lifeIsaiah 58 v.4 “Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,     and in striking each other with wicked fists.”

The Self-Directed LifeInterests are directed by self, resulting in discord, frustration

v.4 “Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,     and in striking each other with wicked fists.”

Self-Zone

The Self-Zone

• Quarreling

• Strife• Anger

• Discontentment• Greed• Emptiness

Seeing Things Clearly

The Self-Zone

• Quarreling

• Strife• Anger

• Discontentment• Greed• Emptiness

“You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.”

v. 4 (live)

v. 5  Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,     only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed     and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast,     a day acceptable to the Lord?

There has to be a change of heart

Isaiah 58:6-12

Generosity flows from a transformed heart.

We give because God gives.

Key words in the Bible:

“Believe”

“Pray”

“Love”

“Give”

272x

371x

714x

2,152x

• What about tithing?• Is tithing commanded for New Testament believers?

How does Isaiah 58 answer this question?

• What about tithing?• Is tithing commanded for New Testament believers?

How does Isaiah 58 answer this question?“You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.”

(tithe)v. 4

• What about tithing?• Is tithing commanded for New Testament believers?

How does Isaiah 58 answer this question?It all comes down

to your heart

S S

The Self-Directed Life

The Christ-Directed Life

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,     with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the

hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy

your needs in a sun-scorched land.”

Isaiah 58:9-11