Westtown Church
Westtown Church
The Purpose of Living and Giving
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What is the purpose of a coffee maker? It certainly isn't designed to make ham sandwiches. It's purpose is to brew coffee. That's why it was created. What is the purpose of an adopted child of God our Father? Jesus teaches us in the first petition of The Lord's Prayer and this purpose gives direction to all things in the Christian life. See you Sunday as we continue Forward in Faith together.
Introduction to Forward in Faith
Speaker 1Good morning . Well , there's some people that didn't go out of town . That's good news , good to be with you to worship . But if you're a guest here with us today , we're grateful that you're here as well . I invite you this morning , if you have your Bibles , to turn to Matthew , chapter 6 . We're going to continue in our Forward in Faith series , in particular looking at the Lord's Prayer .
Speaker 1During this segment We've seen already that , as Jesus teaches us how to pray , what we realize is he's really teaching us how to live and he's also teaching us how to give . And so in the Lord's Prayer we've already seen that , especially through the context of Matthew chapter 6 , where we find the Lord's Prayer . We find it also over in Luke 11 , but in Matthew 6 , surrounding the Lord's Prayer , jesus is talking about a key principle is that when we pray , we're to pray with a sincerity of heart , not to be seen by other men and other people , but with an eye toward our loving Father in heaven , our Father in heaven . And then we also saw a pattern in the Lord's Prayer . When we fly over it and just look down at it as a whole , what we see is that in the six petitions of the Lord's Prayer . When we fly over it and just look down at it as a whole , what we see is that in the six petitions of the Lord's Prayer , the first three are focused on God's glory and then the second three are focused on our needs . First , jesus teaches us to pray for God's name and kingdom and will , and then he has us also depend upon God for our daily bread , the forgiveness of our sins and also deliverance from evil . But the order is important because it's a God-centered way of praying and in the same way Jesus is teaching us we're to be radically God-centered in our living and radically God-centered in our giving giving of our time , our talents and our treasure .
Speaker 1This morning
The Purpose of Prayer: Hallowing God's Name
Speaker 1, what I want to do is I want to move us . We've seen the pattern and the preface . I want us to move to the purpose of our prayer here , the Lord's prayer in that first petition . Hallowed be thy name . So I want to invite you to pray with me , if you would . Heavenly Father , we're grateful that we can come to your word now . Lord Jesus , teach us anew how to pray , give us a vision for life through this prayer , even as we pray as you taught us , as we pray as you taught us . Our Father , who art in heaven . Hallowed be thy name . Thy kingdom come . Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven . Give us this day our daily bread , and forgive us our debts , as we forgive our debtors , and lead us not into temptation , but deliver us from evil , for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever . Amen and amen .
Speaker 1Well , I have one main point , so everything else I'm gonna say it's gonna hang on . This piece right here . When we look at the first petition of the Lord's Prayer , jesus is teaching us this that we need to learn that the fundamental and preeminent purpose in life is to hallow God's name and not our own . The fundamental and preeminent . By preeminent I don't mean just the first in an order of things , I mean the point of everything on our list . Not only is it first in priority , but everything on our list it's the purpose of everything else is to hallow God's name and not our own . We're going to flesh out what that is , but to hallow God's name means to acknowledge Him as holy , as someone who's not like us , in that sense that there's none like Him . There's none like Him . He's set apart as holy in His infinitely great being and good being . To hallow our Heavenly Father's name means to glorify Him , it means to honor Him , it means to enjoy Him , it means to have our souls satisfied in Him . To hallow His name , jf Packer . To hallow God's name is to find our deepest joy in bringing honor to our Father's name . That's the heart of a Christian , that's the heart of a child of God to be concerned for the honor of the family name , our Father's name .
Speaker 1Remember the Westminster Shorter Catechism , written back in the 1640s . It's a great summary of the Christian faith . What's the very first question ? What is the chief end of man ? Which today's language we'd say ? What's the primary purpose of people ? Why are we here ? Why did God create us ? Why did he redeem us ? To glorify God and to enjoy him forever . That's it , that's the point point . And so what does this mean ?
Speaker 1In this first petition of the Lord's prayer , jesus is not just teaching us that we have this part of our life . If you think of your life as a pie , like we have the , we have a religious slice and we have a work slice and we have a family slice . No , no , no . He's saying all of life is spiritual . All of life is about hallowing God's name , glorifying and honoring him in our family life , in our work life , leisure life , in our accomplishments , in our sufferings , in our disappointments , in our corporate worship , in the life of discipleship , in our prayer life . When we read the Bible , we serve one another in fellowship , in our financial giving . All of it , every bit of it , is all about hallowing our Father's holy and loving name , and so all of life is spiritual through when we mow our lawn , not just when we come to worship yes , this is the climax of it but when we mow our lawn , when we talk to our neighbor , walk our dog , play pickleball , do a project at work . When we go out , walk our dog , play pickleball , do a project at work . When we go out to the grocery store . When you drive on the Veterans Expressway I told the first service if you got one of those Westtown stickers or a Jesus Fishies sticker on the back of your car remember , on the Veterans Expressway you're hallowing God's name by the way you drive , so be careful out there . All right , but in all seriousness , everything we do is to be about the honoring of God's name , and so when we read our Father , hallowed be thy name , we can turn that as far as this campaign into a prayer or something like this Father , hallowed be thy name . I'm giving this not simply that we can expand and develop the church property , but , as we do so that your holy name would be honored by all who come here and by more and more people in this community for decades to come , and even for generations to come . Amen , that's the heart of it . That's the heart of it . Lots of people build wonderful things , but this campaign is specifically about developing the church and our property so that we can have God's name honored more and more , more effectively .
Speaker 1I want you to think about something for a moment this morning . Where's our Father's name given the greatest glory at this very moment ? Where do you think that is ? There's no doubt it's in heaven . It's in heaven . You remember the apostle Paul when he said he was torn , but he said to depart and be with Christ is what Far better , far better right . The angels are there , the saints whose souls have been glorified . They're filled to the brim with adoration and praise and thanks to God , our Father , and , of course , god the Son , and God , the Holy Spirit .
Speaker 1And so let me ask a follow-up question when do you think the greatest happiness resides in the souls of men . Where do you think that is this morning ? And of course it follows , doesn't it ? It's most certainly in heaven . That's where the souls of people are overflowing with happiness . You see , in Revelation 4 and 5 , the joy and praise and adoration of worship . And this is important because we need to see this connection between a heart that's fully devoted to honoring and enjoying God , our Father's name . It fills the souls of God's children with this overflowing happiness and a satisfaction and joy in glory which the things of this world cannot give . It doesn't make the things of the world necessarily bad . In fact , god says his creation is good . It's just that they can't satisfy the human soul .
Speaker 1What is heaven ? It's where duty and delight are fully one . It's where holiness and happiness are united . Satan tries to divide those . Sometimes we get whispered in our ear well , if we do our duty we're not going to have much delight , or if we pursue a life of holiness , somehow we're going to give up happiness . That's the great lie . Heaven disproves that . But sin mucks things up . Satan whispers lies . The world tries to press us into its mold where these things are separated or false promises are made . But the psalmist understands it , because in Psalm 115 , verse one , he says not to us , o Lord , not to us , but to your name , give glory . And seeking God's glory in and through his own life ,
God's Name in Heaven and On Earth
Speaker 1he's seeking also his own happiness . But this is a longing for God's name to be glorified amongst God's people and indeed amongst all the nations of the earth . And so let's think about these things for a moment .
Speaker 1We've spoken a lot lately about time , talent , treasure . Let's think about this , how this first petition applies to that . Why has God , our Father , given us time ? Why has God given us time that we might bring glory and honor , not to us but to him ? That's what time is for . That's what Jesus is teaching us when he teaches us how to pray . God has given us precious life and time to give God glory and honor on earth as it is in heaven . You see , that phrase in the Lord's Prayer on earth as it is in heaven , applies to all three of the first petitions .
Speaker 1Our family just returned from the funeral of a loved one and I thought about it . Proverbs speaks about there's wisdom to be gained in the house of mourning Mourning as in M-O-U-R-N-I-N-G . There's wisdom to be gained in a funeral home , because that's where the weight of eternity presses in upon us and we realize anew each time just how precious time is . What a great gift that God has given us this day . This is the day the Lord has made . Let us what Rejoice and be glad in it .
Speaker 1Sin robs us of this perspective . Sin causes us to take time for granted . That's one of the effects of it . So we don't want to waste precious time on trivial things although there's a time to certainly kick your feet up and all of that but we don't want to waste our days on trivial and foolish things sinful things . We want to spend our time wisely . And foolish things , sinful things . We want to spend our time wisely . Redeem the time , paul says , in a way that does what that brings honor and glory to our Father in heaven that honors his name . So if God was to look at our day planner whether it's a day planner just in our head or one actually written out , whatever the case may be would he be pleased at the way that we're spending our time and how we're spending it ?
Speaker 1We want to be wise with our time and think about the talents . Why has our Father given us talents and spiritual gifts that we would bring glory and honor to His name by the use of them , by the exercise of them on earth as it is in heaven . Imagine how everyone is concerned about everyone else in heaven . Everyone is concerned about everyone else in heaven , the love and the care . Not one iota or drop of sin stains the souls glorified in heaven . They've been expunged of that ugly self-centeredness that mars our relationships . And it's a beautiful thing to consider this morning .
Speaker 1What's going on in heaven ? Are you conscious of the talents God's given you , that you can honor him , not just make a living , but that you can honor him at your work , whether your work's in the home , maybe it's in an office or some building , maybe you work outdoors , I don't know . And there's all kinds of different work . Some of it's paid , some of it isn't . But is it work done in love and care , not just for others yes , for others but to the glory of our Father in heaven ? Are we conscious that we're approaching things to honor our Father as his children ? Our whole mission in life is to uphold the family name , our father as his children . Our whole mission in life is to uphold the family name . As Paul would say , to live worthy of the gospel . That's what he means . We don't earn God's love , but we are called to live worthy of the gospel , and we do that as we serve one another .
Speaker 1Now , how do we know that our God , our father , is a servant ? How can we know that ? And we know it because we see it in Jesus Christ . We see it in God's Son , his only begotten Son , who came to serve , not to be served but to serve . Mark 10 , 45 .
Speaker 1You know , see , if we see Jesus , we see the Father . Why is that ? Jesus says to Philip in John 14 , 9 , anyone who has seen me has seen the Father . Jesus is the exact imprint . If we want to understand what God , our Father , is , we look at God the Son , and Jesus says in John 10 , 30 , the Father and I are one . And so to understand our Father in His name , we have to understand Jesus .
Time, Talents, and the Glory of God
Speaker 1Jesus is the greatest revelation of the name of God . There's no greater hallowing of the Father's name than when Jesus laid down His life on that cross , on that bloody Roman cross , where he took the unjust treatment , the horrific abuse and torture of wicked men , and also where God's just wrath and judgment came upon him , not for his sins , but for ours , on him , not for his sins , but for ours . That's the most glorious revelation of the name of our father is in the suffering and service of the son . For us sinners , to the glory of the father , it's a marvel , isn't God good ? This is who he is . This is why Jesus , or this is why the apostle Paul , says in Philippians 2 , that his name will be above every other name . He's got the name above all names and because Jesus and the Father are one , to praise the name of Jesus is to praise the name of the Father and to bring the Father honor and glory , and by implication , it's also to praise the name of the Holy Spirit .
Speaker 1So to glorify and honor God , our Father , we must be like Jesus . We must be servants of God , like the Lord Jesus . We need to know him so that we can then begin to grow to be more and more like him . And this is why God has given us talents , and if we know God , we know Christ . He's given us spiritual gifts . For what ? To serve the body of Christ . If we should simply come to worship and then leave , we're falling short of what Jesus is teaching us here in this very first petition . In this prayer . We have to remember how the prayer starts Our Father , our , our , our Father . He is my Father , and if you know Him through Christ , he's your Father . He is my Father and if you know Him through Christ , he's your Father . But Jesus is saying our Father , we're an eternal spiritual family .
Speaker 1I came from a family where there were six of us , kids and my parents . Well , if only one or two people do the things of a family and then the rest don't do much or anything , what kind of a family is that ? And everybody has different roles in a family at home . And people have different roles in a family in a church environment . Sometimes we make spiritual gifts too complicated . You know , some of you have the great gift of encouragement . We're all supposed to encourage one another , but God gives some people just a little extra sauce in the encouragement category and they just seem to encourage people everywhere they go . Well , what does it mean for you to exercise the gift of encouragement ? You know what it means . It means you're just here and you interact with people and you encourage them . You don't even have to sign up for a program . Now , I'm not saying we don't have programs for you to sign up for . There's plenty to do there too . I'm just saying a lot of these spiritual gifts . You're just to use them to build up and edify other Christians . To use them to build up and edify other Christians .
Speaker 1Have you come to identify your spiritual gifts ? You can do that on our website online . Then there's a little follow-up questionnaire . Once you get your results , you'll notice you're to click on there and answer just a few brief questions after that . But that's an important part of what this campaign is about . How do we spend our time ? How do we spend our talents and our spiritual gifts ? How are we using them ? And so the elders and myself , we want to talk to you in the weeks and months ahead about these things , and so we don't want to just come and worship together .
Speaker 1That's important . In fact , everything I believe starts right there . That's the single most important thing we do to encourage one another is worship together , but then also as a family , a spiritual family , we want to serve one another in all the varied ways . We're all made different . God has gifted us all different , but we want to exercise that as a way of life . As a way of life , because this is just what Christians do . This is what people in the family of God do . What do they do ? They praise God , they thank God , they worship Him and they serve and love and care for one another .
Speaker 1That's it , the name of God . Now , it's not simply a label for God . I know sometimes Americans well name their child . They like the sound of the name , sometimes it's more than that , but sometimes we just kind of like how it sounds .
Speaker 1But biblically , the name of God , or the name of a person , had great significance . It told us something about their character . And so what is God's
Understanding God's Name
Speaker 1name ? It means all that God is in his infinitely perfect good and great , eternal and unchangeable being . God's name is everything that makes God God right , everything that makes CJ CJ that's his name right . Everything that makes Pastor Corey Pastor Corey that's my name biblically Everything that makes God God , all of his attributes . We could for literally months just study one attribute of God's character after another , taking one a week . We could string that series out for a long time .
Speaker 1Everything God is , that's his name , and so it's not only who he is in his being , but his name also biblically refers to the fact that he's revealed . We depend upon him revealing his name to us . We don't go up and just get knowledge of God on our own . No , he reveals himself to us Now . Where does he reveal his name ? Three places in creation , in providence and in salvation . In those works and then also , of course , in his holy word . So it's in his word and in his works primarily creation , providence and salvation . Let's take those one at a time and think about it for a minute . God reveals His name . In other words , he reveals what he's like in creation .
Speaker 1As we look at the beautiful sunsets here in Florida . They are beautiful , aren't they ? Tim and Stacey made a wise move . Now , I grew up south of Chicago . There were some nice sunsets sometimes up there , that's for sure , but there's nothing like some of the sunsets we have here . They're gorgeous .
Speaker 1Psalm 8 , o Lord , our Lord , how majestic is your name in all the earth ? Psalm 19 , the heavens declare the glory of God . Same thing His name is his glory . And so what does this teach us about God ? God , you know , he could have just created us to just see everything in gray , but he didn't do that , did he ? He just gives us sunsets . It's not the quote that we need sunsets . He gives us sunsets because he shares . He's a giver , he shares his goodness and this beauty with us , that we would praise his name . It's telling us something of what God is like . He loves to see us enjoy his gifts , his goodness . And so what does that mean for us ? To hallow God's name means that , yes , we give Him thanks and praise for the good things that he brings into our life , whether it's you know sunsets or wiener dogs or you know ice cream , whatever it is . But then we want to bring that , we want to bring goodness and beauty into the lives of other people . Why ? Because that's what glorifies God's name . That's what reveals something of who he is . But he also reveals His name not just in creation but in providence , and providence is that word that just simply means it's God's care of His whole creation , but with a special eye on His care for His people , eye on his care for his people . His providence is how he cares for all things , but especially in the scripture , that care in which he cares for his own children who have faith in Jesus , who know him through Christ .
Speaker 1You know , I got out of my car the other morning here on the property . You know , I got out of my car the other morning here on the property and I parked under this first tree over here , and sometimes the birds leave gifts on my car . But this morning I got out and here's what I heard he was singing me a song and then he sang another one . You feel the delight in your soul . That's God giving us little gifts , things to delight in . Now , what does Jesus say ? These birds help . By the way , if you have the Merlin Bird app , you'll know that's a Northern Cardinal , that's how I know , right ? But then another one starts singing back it was beautiful , it was a beautiful thing . Then another one starts singing back it was beautiful , it was a beautiful thing .
Speaker 1But what's Jesus saying ? When we look at the birds ? What are we to be reminded of ? That God cares for the creation . He cares for his birds , and you're of much more value as a child of God , and he will care for you , and so we can trust him in all things . And so we have this .
Speaker 1It reveals something about what God is like . We see it in the creation . He's a caring and loving father who cares for even the birds of the air . And so what do we do ? We thank him , but then we give him praise before others , but then we also hallow his name , not only by thanking and praising him before others , but by caring for others . Just as God cares for the things of creation , but especially Paul says , especially for those in the household of faith , we give special cares to those that are in the household of faith , galatians 6.10 . So God reveals his name in creation and providence , but he also reveals his name in salvation .
Speaker 1The son of God incarnate is named Jesus for a reason . You may remember this from the early chapter , the first chapter of Matthew . God's name , jesus' name , reveals the character of God , and so Matthew says in Matthew 1.21 , that Jesus is to be called or the son of God , messiah is , is to be called Jesus because what he will save his people from their sins . This is the very character of God . His name tells us what he's like . If Jesus is a forgiving Savior and our Father is a forgiving Father , that's what His heart is like . He delights and loves to forgive sinners . Aren't you glad for that ? This is who God is . And we come to understand who God is through Jesus and all that he is . And His very name reveals the very heartbeat of God , that he's full of compassion and mercy . And God can forgive sinners because Jesus , our Savior , died for our sins . And then God assures us of that by raising him from the dead . His resurrection puts a stamp on everything Jesus claimed was true and your sin debt has been paid in full . So we are forgiven of our sins , we repent away from a life of sin and we turn and we trust and put our faith in Christ . And so for us , as God's children , we hallow God's name . How , by being forgiving to other people in the family of God . Jesus' very name tells us what the Father's like . And so , as children of the Father , we want to be forgiving to others in our family , in our church , in our community , who have hurt us and sinned against us .
Speaker 1There's lots to say about that , which we don't have time to go into this morning . There are complications in those things , I understand . But why are we to be forgiving ? Because this is who God is . This is what Jesus'
Honoring God with Our Resources
Speaker 1forgiving heart is like . Remember when he was dying on the cross ? Those who had tortured him and were mocking him had beat him , drove spikes through his hands and feet . Father , forgive them , for they know not what they do . Aren't you glad God's got a heart like that ? And we want to be like that as the children of God , and so one of the most important ways that we can serve one another in the church is by forgiving one another , because we're going to fail one another sometimes .
Speaker 1That's the reality In the most loving families . There's failures , sin failures . We hurt each other . But the distinctive thing about a Christian family is not that there's no sin there . It's that we deal with the sin at the foot of the cross and there's the forgiveness there at the foot of the cross that we extend also . We receive it from God and we extend it to one another . That's the difference between a Christian family and an unbeliever's family . Jesus shows us what God is like on that cross justly untreated , not for his sins but for ours , so that he could extend forgiveness to us . Look what he absorbed so that we could be forgiven , and he wants us to be that way .
Speaker 1And so we honor our father's name . We do it with our time . We do it with our time . We do it with our talents and spiritual gifts and by serving one another in various ways , even by forgiving one another . But we also honor our Father's name with our treasure , and I mean by that our money , our finances and our resources .
Speaker 1The Bible teaches in many places everything we have comes from God . Where else could it come from ? All good things come from God . He's the source of everything . He created all things . He's the source of everything good . So everything we have comes from our Father , above the money that we have , the wealth itself , as well as the ability and the opportunities to obtain that , to obtain that wealth whatever it is . And so it begs the question what is money for ? What is wealth for ? What is it for ? Why does God give us these things ? We certainly don't deserve them .
Speaker 1He's gracious to us , and Jesus is teaching us here to pray something like this Heavenly Father , all I have is yours . I'm your child , blessed beyond measure by your love . You have entrusted me with these resources , you've entrusted me with this wealth . Hallowed be thy name . Not to us , not to us , o Lord , but to your name . Give glory in all that you have so graciously given to me . See , we honor and glorify our Father's name when we tithe .
Speaker 1The tithe is just simply 10% of our income to Christ's church . And sometimes people ask me what about the Old Testament , the New Testament ? I think we make it too complicated , honestly , if you want to go to the Old Testament , they tithe 20% every year . Honestly , if you want to go to the Old Testament , they tithe 20% every year 10% for the Levites and priests , 10% for the work of the temple and then actually every third year they did another tithe for the poor . So the Old Testament . But the tithe is a good place . Abraham tithed to King Melchizedek before Israel ever exists , and a tithe is a good way to begin and it also is pleasing to God when we give contributions to help the poor up above and beyond that . But it begs the question too why do we work for income Now ? Of course we got to pay the bills . Amen , it's good to be able to pay the bills , but why do we want more ? Why would we want more ? Is it to spend it simply on ourselves ? Be careful here . You and I need to be careful .
Speaker 1Jesus has a parable , and we don't want to be like that rich man he speaks about in this parable , where he talks about how a man had yielded an abundant harvest . And what did the man think after he got that huge harvest ? And he says I'll just tear down my barns and build bigger ones . By the way , there's nothing wrong with expanding your business . This is not a parable about don't expand your business . That's not what he means . The reason we know that is the commentary . Here's the philosophy of life the man had . It's why he was building bigger barns . Listen , I'll just take life easy eat , drink and be merry . You see , it was all about himself . That's the problem . That was the problem . He just kept building bigger things for himself .
Speaker 1And then Jesus comments here in Luke 12 , this is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God . And what he says is how will it be ? Jesus says that fool , this very night , his life will be taken from him . It's important that we , as God's children , are rich toward God . Listen to 2 Corinthians 8 , 9 , for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ , that though he was rich , yet for your sake he became poor so that you , by his poverty , might become rich .
Speaker 1I don't think the point is that we have to take a vow of poverty , but there's an attitude of this . We just see that God is an extremely sacrificial giver and we want to reflect that in our own life . The context of 2 Corinthians 8 , it's interesting Paul's writing to the Corinthians , and in that context , if you go read it , you'll notice he's saying Corinthians , look at these Macedonian Christians over here . They actually gave out of not just their poverty but their extreme poverty and they were commended . Look at their and learn from their example . And so if the Macedonian Christians can give out of their poverty , we can certainly give out of our wealth . We want to be like our father , we want to be like our elder brother Jesus , who teaches us how to give , how to sacrifice , how to be gracious givers .
Speaker 1And so my prayer for every single family of our church is that we would be all in for the Forward in Faith campaign , that we would be all in in our regular tithes and offerings and in our financial sacrifice , above and beyond our regular giving for the campaign . Why ? Well , to honor God , to develop the church , to strengthen the church . God , the Father , so loved the world that he gave . He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life . He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life . Our father gave his son the son . Our elder brother in the family of God gave his life , and the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead and lovingly gave us who believe in Christ the gift of faith that we could receive eternal life . Christ , the gift of faith that we could receive , eternal life , the Spirit , applies what Jesus accomplished on the cross and what the Father planned in love for us before the foundation of the world . God is a great , great giver .
God as the Ultimate Giver
Speaker 1I want to conclude with this something an old Dutch theologian from the 17th century , herman Witsjes . Listen to what he says . He summarizes it well To dedicate all that we are and all that we can perform to the advancement of the glory of God is our own glory . To dedicate all that we are and all that we can perform to the advancement of the glory of God is our own glory , and so I pray that every one of us would make it our life mission to hallow God's name , to hallow his name . So let's pray , let's ask him for his help , because we need God's grace to be able to do this . It's not a natural thing .