No Root in Themselves
Scripture: Mark 4:16-17Devotional Series: The Integrity of God's Word
Teaching: The Integrity Of God's Word pt. 3 (SUN_AM 2021-06-20) by Pastor Star R Scott
Do you remember the prophet who refused to receive any benefit from the king who had come and dipped in the Jordan? He said that he had some gifts for him, but he wasn’t willing to receive at this man’s hands. The same as Abraham rejecting all that was to be given to him for the service, the ministry, that he had rendered. He stood firm and said, “It will never be said that any man made Abraham rich.”
Isn’t it sad that Gehazi had to run after him and say, “Oh, the prophet changed his mind. We’ll take this as pay for services rendered”? God’s grace, goodness and mercy are free. That’s one of the things that’s in all of the ministry in Africa. We were even able to remind somebody of that the other day. A lot of these things are taking place, but the fact is that we can stand and tell these people that the Lord has allowed us to go and minister the Word of God, and we’ve not taken one dime out of their country.
I’ve always thought it was sad to watch these multimillion-dollar ministries go into a place like Kwa Njenga, the slums, and take offerings from these people. Oh, I’m not saying the local churches shouldn’t require tithe of these people, because you tithe whether you’re poor or rich. It doesn’t make any difference. But to go in and take from these people in these big city-wide crusades, then take big chunks of money out of there. It’s always grieved my heart to watch that kind of a spirit, because freely we have received, freely we give. Amen?
I’m not opposed to take an offering, but I’m talking about the consistent taking of some of these that are living in true poverty. I like the way that the Scripture speaks toward it. God says to take advantage of the poor and your arms will fall off. I don’t know what’s behind all of that, but, you know, it’s something that God definitely disapproves of.
Understanding and not uniting with the truth, not standing up in this generation. As we look to the next portion of the stony ground, we’ll speak just toward that. That stony ground. We’ve all seen those Christians. They come in. They hear the Word of God. They’re the most excited people in the building, and in two months you can’t find them. How many of you have seen that over the years? It always kind of scares me when somebody comes in that way. It’s like not much of a chance of this guy making it.
Oh, I’m not saying there’s not a place for the excitement, and the man that got healed in the temple was leaping and jumping and praising God. I’d like to see more of that; amen? But we’re talking about that man back in Mark, Chapter 4. He hears the Word of God, and he receives it with gladness, verse 16 says. Immediately, on the shallow ground, the people receive it with gladness but have no root in themselves, and so endure for a time.
Isn’t it sad that Gehazi had to run after him and say, “Oh, the prophet changed his mind. We’ll take this as pay for services rendered”? God’s grace, goodness and mercy are free. That’s one of the things that’s in all of the ministry in Africa. We were even able to remind somebody of that the other day. A lot of these things are taking place, but the fact is that we can stand and tell these people that the Lord has allowed us to go and minister the Word of God, and we’ve not taken one dime out of their country.
I’ve always thought it was sad to watch these multimillion-dollar ministries go into a place like Kwa Njenga, the slums, and take offerings from these people. Oh, I’m not saying the local churches shouldn’t require tithe of these people, because you tithe whether you’re poor or rich. It doesn’t make any difference. But to go in and take from these people in these big city-wide crusades, then take big chunks of money out of there. It’s always grieved my heart to watch that kind of a spirit, because freely we have received, freely we give. Amen?
I’m not opposed to take an offering, but I’m talking about the consistent taking of some of these that are living in true poverty. I like the way that the Scripture speaks toward it. God says to take advantage of the poor and your arms will fall off. I don’t know what’s behind all of that, but, you know, it’s something that God definitely disapproves of.
Understanding and not uniting with the truth, not standing up in this generation. As we look to the next portion of the stony ground, we’ll speak just toward that. That stony ground. We’ve all seen those Christians. They come in. They hear the Word of God. They’re the most excited people in the building, and in two months you can’t find them. How many of you have seen that over the years? It always kind of scares me when somebody comes in that way. It’s like not much of a chance of this guy making it.
Oh, I’m not saying there’s not a place for the excitement, and the man that got healed in the temple was leaping and jumping and praising God. I’d like to see more of that; amen? But we’re talking about that man back in Mark, Chapter 4. He hears the Word of God, and he receives it with gladness, verse 16 says. Immediately, on the shallow ground, the people receive it with gladness but have no root in themselves, and so endure for a time.