ABRAHAM, I CAN BE FAITHFUL PART 6 OF 10

TEXT- GENESIS 22:1-19

INTRODUCTION

TODAY BEING THE FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH, WE ARE EMPHASIZING OUR CHURCH GOALS AND THEME FOR 1993.

THIS YEAR OUR THEME IS, "THE CAN DO CHURCH".

ON EACH FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH I HAVE BEEN PREACHING ABOUT CAN DO CHRISTIANS THAT ARE FOUND WITHIN THE BIBLE.

LAST MONTH WE LEARNED HOW NOAH WAS A CAN DO CHRISTIAN AND WAS ABLE TO LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY IN THE MIDST OF AN UNRIGHTEOUS AND UNGODLY WORLD.

TODAY OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN GENESIS 22:1-19 AND THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, "ABRAHAM, I CAN BE FAITHFUL."

BEFORE WE BEGIN I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU ABOUT THE SPECIAL EMPHASIS WE ARE HAVING HERE AT GRACE THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF MARCH.

LAST OCTOBER WHEN OUR CHURCH APPROVED OUR 1993 CHURCH PLAN, WE INCLUDED IN IT A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE TOPIC OF STEWARDSHIP.

EACH SUNDAY THIS MONTH I WILL BE PREACHING ON A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF STEWARDSHIP.

ON MARCH 21ST, OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS WILL BE TEACHING ON THE TOPIC OF STEWARDSHIP IN THEIR CLASSES.

ALSO ON THAT DAY, EACH MEMBER OF OUR CHURCH WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO FILL OUT A COMMITMENT CARD REGARDING THE STEWARDSHIP PRINCIPLE OF TITHING.

THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY, MARCH 28TH, HAS BEEN DESIGNATED "OVER THE TOP" SUNDAY.

ON THIS DAY IT IS OUR GOAL TO GO OVER THE TOP OF THE MONTHLY FUNDS NEEDED TO PAY OUR CHURCH EXPENSES.

IN TODAY'S BULLETIN YOU WILL FIND A 1993 PROPOSED BUDGET WHICH IS BASED ON OUR 1992 EXPENDITURES.

YOU WILL ALSO NOTICE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE BROKEN THESE EXPENSES DOWN SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW WHAT WE NEED ON A MONTHLY BASIS AS WELL AS ON A WEEKLY BASIS.

EACH WEEK WE WILL TRACK OUR FINANCIAL PROGRESS TO SEE HOW WE ARE DOING AS WE DRAW CLOSER TO "OVER THE TOP" SUNDAY.

AS WE LOOK TO OUR TEXT TODAY AND STUDY ABOUT ABRAHAM AND HOW HE WAS FAITHFUL TO GOD, I WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF STEWARDSHIP.

1 CORINTHIANS 4:1-2; "LET A MAN REGARD US IN THIS MANNER, AS SERVANTS OF CHRIST, AND STEWARDS OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD. IN THIS CASE, MOREOVER, IT IS REQUIRED OF STEWARDS THAT ONE BE FOUND TRUSTWORTHY."

ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF STEWARDSHIP IS THAT WE BE FAITHFUL.

ABRAHAM GIVES US AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE AS CHRISTIANS CAN BE FAITHFUL STEWARDS FOR THE LORD.

AS WE EXAMINE OUR TEXT, I WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER FOUR REASONS WHY WE SHOULD GIVE AS FAITHFUL STEWARDS OF GOD.