THE UPSIDE-DOWN ECONOMY OF GOD

VIDEO LINKS FOR THIS MESSAGE

GOD’S ECONOMY - PART 1


GOD’S ECONOMY - PART 2


GOD’S ECONOMY - PART 3

THE UPSIDE-DOWN ECONOMY OF GOD
Message by Pastor Mark Taylor

“Give, and it shall be given unto you..”  (Luke 6:37)

“Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister..” 
(Matthew 20:27)

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, left Heaven and came to Earth on a mission.  It was not as a King to conquer, or a Judge to deliver judgement on a sinful world.  He did not come to demonstrate His God-given gifts to receive recognition, wealth, or fame.  He did not come to set up rules of moral conduct or even enforce the one’s His Heavenly Father had already set up.  All that will come later when He returns to Earth to set up His Kingdom, and we will participate with Him in His rule and reign on Earth. “Blessed and holy, are those that have a part in the first resurrection:on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”  (Revelation 20:6).

But first, the Lord Jesus came to you and me and this world for one reason, and that was to show us how much God really loves us.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever would believe on Him, would not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16).

In our economy, we expect others to show us love, meet our needs, and give us respect first.  In other words, people have to earn our love and respect.  In God’s economy, He demonstrated His love first. “But God demonstrated His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).  Before we showed Him any love or respect, He loved us.  Before we deserved forgiveness, He gave it to us freely.  And even now, when we know how much He loves us and we fail to return that love and respect, God still gives to us freely because of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things.”  (Romans 8:32).

Giving is part of the nature of God.  He loves to give.  He has instituted a spiritual law of giving to us.  “Give, and it shall be given unto you..”  (Luke 6:37).  “For what ever a persons sows (gives), that shall they also reap (receive).” (Galatians 6:7).  “The person who sows (gives) sparingly shall reap (receive) also sparingly; and the person who sows (gives) bountifully shall reap (receive) also bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6).  These scriptures could include money, but it is referring to a life of giving service and love to others.

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, came to give to you and me.  “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister to others, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45).  It is a wonderful truth that the Lord has come to serve you.  He has come to answer your prayers, to bless you, to give you the ability to use your gifts and talents to serve others. He has come to give to you to give to others.  “Feed the hungry and help those in trouble.  Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.  The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.  You will be like an ever-flowing spring.” (Isaiah 58: 10-11).

Another thing that is upside down in God’s economy is that He wants you to give thanks when there does not seem to be anything to be thankful for. We usually say “thank you” after something is given to us, but God likes for you to be thankful before He answers your prayers.  Because, when you show gratitude to God, you are showing faith in Him.  You are looking through eyes of faith instead of looking at your current situation.  This is called “faith”.  We can exercise faith with “thanksgiving”. “Do not be anxious for anything, but in every thing by prayer and intercession for others, with thanksgiving, let your requests be make known unto God.  And the peace of God, which goes beyond all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).  Even our salvation and blessings are associated with our gratitude.

And certainly God appreciates and rewards those who are thankful when their prayers are answered.  In Luke 17:17-19 the Lord Jesus healed ten people and only one said “thank you”.  Jesus said to this one who had returned: “Rise and go; your faith has made you whole.”  Not only was he healed, but he received complete wholeness to live a full life and salvation to enter into eternal life.  What precedes most miracles is thanksgiving.

The Lord Jesus demonstrated how God’s economy worked when He gave thanks for the suffering and death which He would soon endure at the cross.  “And He took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them.” (Luke 22:19).  The resurrection was what the Lord Jesus could be thankful for.  Not only for Himself, but for all those who loved Him and believed in Him.  “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ?  And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” (I Corinthians 10:16).  The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, invites us to give thanks for the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection.  But it also invites us to give thanks for His help in our suffering.

As we approach this Easter season, let us approach it as the Lord Jesus did.  He did it with giving of Himself to others.  He did it while serving others by humbling Himself.  He did it through being thankful to His Heavenly Father.  He did it by encouraging others about the great future He had for them after the resurrection.  “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15.

It would be good if we could look at things the same way our Heavenly Father does.  Yes, it is true, it seems upside-down compared to the way we have been taught, and live our lives.  But when we follow God’s economy, we will be blessed and so will many other people.   We would be so much richer if we gave the way God gives, minister the way God ministers, and be thankful the way God has asked us to be.