Bible study: sacrificial offerings and giving

Bible study: sacrificial offerings and giving

Posted on January 19, 2009 Updated on January 19, 2009

Memorise: “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Timothy 4:15)

Read: Matthew 25:14-30

Pastor E. ADEBOYE

Apart from identifying and abiding in your calling, another component of faithfulness is your ability to provide maximum yield to the Master, according to the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:30) The issue in not how many talents you received, but what you did with what you got.

The servant who received five talents traded with them and gained five more. He doubled his investment, and the Lord called him ‘faithful servant’. Likewise the one who received two talents. You cannot be faithful until you exhaust the potentials of God’s gifts in your life, and bring Him maximum profit.

“Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Timothy 4:15). God is a very shrewd investor. He expects not just some returns on investments, but the best possible returns! Many Kingdom based services are far below optimum level.

What God is saying is, ‘Enlarge your coast; broaden your horizon’. Companies today are broadening their customer base by looking out for new uses for their products. This translates into more money in their bank accounts. There are several ways you can use each gift so as to obtain the highest level of approval and commendation. Take time to think and pray about it, and the Lord will show you. Each gift is loaded with immense potentials! God expects you to completely unload it.

“But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way” (1 Cor 12:31). There is always a more excellent way. Those who want to be faithful are never satisfied with what they have done, or are doing. They are ever in search of a better way of pleasing God. Many of us are yet to say our best prayers, preach our best sermons, give our best offerings. You are yet to sow your best seed!

Many believers have kept back their best for the last: no wonder they never meet with Heaven’s set mark! Unlike such Christians, Solomon put his best foot forward very early, and got his breakthrough. Your best offering, seed, service, worship is what would dramatically change your life for good. What is it doing in reserves? Release it today! You can obtain better result from the same activity – sermon or song, if only you can adjust some inputs: for instance if you can pray more, study harder, pray more in the spirit, fast a bit more effectively, worship God more qualitatively, etc. Always remember you can exceed your present level of performance.

Profiteering in business – milking customers to maximize profits is unacceptable. Profiteering in the Kingdom – milking all your talents, gifts, and spiritual resources to maximize profits for God is acceptable.

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