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GIVING CAN BE A FORM OF WORSHIP!

Philippians 4:18 NIV
I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

In the New Testament, two verses speak of a fragrant offering to God.
First: THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS. Eph 5:2
Second: GIVING OFFERINGS to Paul while he was in jail. Phil 4:18

The WORDS used in these two verses REMINDS us of the Old Testament offerings, especially the burnt offerings.

From Philippians 4:18, we understand that God is very pleased with our giving, which shows our love for Him and the Gospel. In the Old Testament, God was pleased with the worship He received through burnt offerings. They were called a “sweet smelling savour” or a “pleasing aroma.” But they had NO HUMAN PURPOSE or BENEFIT. They were not used to feed people. The burnt offering was JUST BURNED. It was PURE WORSHIP to God.

Can you imagine taking a perfectly good animal — which would be worth over $1,000 today — and just burning it?! Yet God commanded this to be done in Old Testament times, He approved of it and enjoyed it.

It was the day Solomon offered a thousand burnt offering to God that God asked him to make a request (when Solomon asked for wisdom) 1Kings 3:4-5. According to Bible scholars the value of Solomon’s sacrifice was over $1 million, but it HAD NO PURPOSE EXCEPT TO WORSHIP GOD. No one ate the meat. No one got any benefit from all the killing and sacrifice except God.

Imagine you were God and were
ALWAYS GIVING,
ALWAYS BLESSING,
ALWAYS DOING GOOD for others.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone DEMONSTRATE by their actions how much they VALUE you?

Matthew 26:7-10 tells of a woman who poured an alabaster box of EXPENSIVE PERFUME on Jesus. The disciples (ignorant of the ways of God at that time) complained that it should have been sold for much money and given to the poor, but Jesus commended her for doing good. Then He said what she did should be told to the whole world (verse 13). Do you see that?

What Does Worship Mean?
WORSHIP means DEMONSTRATING or SHOWING HOW MUCH WE VALUE SOMEONE.

OUR GIVING to the Lord can be:
EVIDENCE of our LOVE
PROOF of our DEVOTION and
A SIGN of our COMMITMENT to the Lord.

So our GIVING should not only be because of the needs of people, but BECAUSE OF OUR LOVE FOR JESUS CHRIST.

SAY THIS
Come this Sunday at the Thanksgiving 2021, I will worship God with ALL THAT I HAVE!

YOU ARE BLESSED BY ALL MEANS