Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Jan 26th, 2013 Use It Or Lose It – The Saturday Morning Post (Sunday Edition) by Pastor Ted Stahl

Today’s Passage – Exodus 22 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 9 – 10;  Proverbs 27; Psalms 131 – 135

Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1

Read a previous post from today’s reading passage – “Living in Canaan”

Good morning! Did you get to wake up yesterday morning to a wintery scene, with your yard all covered in clean, white snow? Do you think Heaven is like that? Could you imagine the colors you will see in Heaven on your arrival? Heaven will be hard for us to imagine. The Bible says, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1Corinthians 2:9).

Everything we receive in Heaven comes from God who understands what we would like better than we understand ourselves. Think about it. You think you want something, you buy it, and then you lose interest in it: it’s not what you really wanted. But an all knowing God will give you what He knows will satisfy you. A perfect gift from a perfect God. Heaven will be just as perfect to you as it is to me. But what about the things we get here on earth? God allows us to have things here on earth. They don’t belong to us, they belong to Him. He allows us to use them in our quest to be a good steward. There is also the stuff we buy that we think we need, or will make us happy. It only ends up in the basement, attic, garage, or shed. And that is where it stays until you pass. You can’t take it with you. Some of it will be given as gifts, some of it will end up at the flea market or garage sale, the rest thrown out as garbage. God tried to teach this to the children of Israel in Exodus 16. The Bible says, “And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.” (Exodus 16:14-20).

Here is some stuff about our stuff that we can glean from this passage. The first and most important is that everything we have is from the Lord. God’s Word tells us that He will provide our every need (Phillippians 4:19). He will also give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). Be careful with this: Israel got tired of the manna, and wanted meat. God sent quail that they could eat till it came out their nostrils!

The second item we can glean, knowing first that everything we have is from the Lord, is that everything we have was made to be used. In the parable of the talents, A lord had three servants. He gave one, three talents; the second two talents; and the third, one talent. The first two put what they received to use and turned a profit for their master. The third did not…

“Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.” (Matthew 25:24-27).

Maybe it’s time to sell off the excess stuff in our basements, attics, garages, and sheds; pay off some debt, and help others. Turn a profit for our Lord.

And that leads to our third gleaned item: everything that we have that we don’t use will decay, stink, and breed worms. The things that God has allowed us to have are for a reason. If we do not use them, they fall into a state of decay that will eventually render them useless and worthless.

The space in my shed appears to be shrinking. I have to unload everything in order to get through the door. It is probably time for myself, and maybe others, to clean up our acts, and get organized. And then remember, you can’t take it with you. It will only remain for someone else to give away, sell at the flea market, or throw out. Paul wrote to Timothy, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” (1Timothy 6:7-12).

Peace. (1Timothy 6:7)