Time Alone With God

Dr. Tim Johnson

2 Corinthians 8

Day
One

As you know we have
started our stewardship campaign called "The Call." We are asking everyone
to pray this prayer daily, style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">"Lord what do class="GramE">You want to do through me to help my church fulfill Your
mission?"

Last week, I shared with you that…the projected growth
for the
South East side
of town is enormous. Behind the new Culvers Ice Cream store, you will soon
find an 80,000 square foot shopping and banking complex, the city of

Lincoln

is planning to continue housing beyond 98^th and Old Cheney. Lincoln
Public Schools has set aside land to build additional middle school in the

Vintage

Heights

neighborhood at 93^rd and Old Cheney and two new elementary schools,
one at 93^rd and

Pine Lake Road

and the other at 63^rd and

Yankee Hill Road

. The largest development now in the works is the
Appian Way
, the 450 acre retail center being built near 84^th and on both the
north and south sides of Hwy. 2. We
are being surrounded with people who need to know Christ. We must be proactive
in preparing to meet the opportunities that are coming.

Over the past 2 ½ years, we have noticed that every
time we have a very large attendance, the following weeks, we drop back down
to the comfortable parking, seating capacity of our space. The 80% rule has
been true of us…once we reach 80% capacity, we will not go any further. Plus
we are dealing with Optimum available seating time for those who are just
starting their trek to find God. They are most likely to attend a worship
service mid morning. Bottom line, we have reached the equilibrium the way we
are doing things right now. There is a name for this,
it's called "Sociological Strangulation" (one of the 7 deadly sins of
the church) which if left unattended leads (even against the will of the
church) towards stagnation. This has been found and documented by Church
Growth Expert, Peter Wagner. This begins to take place when a church begins to
be at 70% of her capacity. Growing churches will move through it but will not
get past the 80% mark. Numerous leaders from our church have been in prayer
and have formed many groups who have done space studies and options and have
come to the conclusion that we need to build additional space for every age
level in our church.

The Call of God is for us individually and corporately
to share Christ with those He surrounds us with and to invest in them in such
a manner that they become fully developed followers of Christ. That is the
call, but part of
being faithful to that call for us at

New

Covenant

Community

Church

style="mso-spacerun: yes"> includes style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic"> adding additional space for us
to be more effective in reaching the people God is sending our way.
We can't do this with only a few people. We are a very young church with a
median age in the lower 30s; there are not many here who have large amounts of
discretionary money; so it will take all of us giving sacrificially.

We are committed to reaching the future generations! The
future generations need to know Christ and they are being dropped in our
backyard.

So, this week I
want to challenge you to start thinking and praying about what God might be
telling you to do financially to help us towards fulfilling the next phase of
our building plan. I know that I am treading on thin ice, but I am willing to
take that chance to challenge you in your view/management of the possessions
God has blessed you with.

I will do all that
I can to be faithful to present God's Word to you as clearly as I can with
the purpose of helping you become more Christ-like.

Of the 38
parables uttered by Jesus, over 1/3 of them deal with possessions. One out of
every six verses in Matthew, Mark, and Luke speak of the right use of material
goods. And even more so, why did Jesus say more about how we are to view and
handle money and possessions than about any single thing? You be the judge of
that!

href="http://www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?passage=Luke+12%3A16-21%3B+Luke+16%3A19-31%3B+Mark+10%3A17-25&NIV_version=yes&language=english&orientation=linebyline"> face="Arial">Read Luke 12:16-21; Luke 16:19-31; Mark 10:17-25

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">These
verses revealed style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">managers
who did little with the much style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">
they had been blessed with.

style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Observations:

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Self was given # 1 consideration-Look at the personal possessive
pronouns

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Each had the opportunity to help others

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Each made a selfish decision

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Each paid for the selfish decision

The question
that begs to be asked is why is style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">it so
difficult if I have much? style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal">

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">I believe that many times, with much brings
too many options and causes us to want too much control/power.

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Close your Time Alone with God by thanking God for all the ways
He has blessed you and by acknowledging that He really is the owner of all
that you have. Ask God to open your heart to what He wants to do through class="GramE">You to fulfill His purposes in your church.

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">

style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Day Two

Yesterday we
looked at one model of managing one's possessions…one who does little with
much. Today will look at another model.

style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Read style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: black; FONT-STYLE: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> href="http://www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NIV&passage=John+6%3A5-13%3B+Luke+21%3A1-4&orientation=linebyline">John
6:5-13; Luke 21:1-4 style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: line; COLOR: black; FONT-STYLE: italic; mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> color="black">

In these
stories, we came in contact with style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">the manager who does much with
little.

style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">The
major observation that I saw was that each gave out of their poverty. style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">
Wow! Both of those examples really push me to realize that I can make a
difference even if don't think that I have much to offer. Every little bit
does matter.

One, we tend to think that we barely have enough for our
own needs(1 Kings 17 is great story to read if you
have time).

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Two, there is a temptation to think that my little contribution
won't make any difference.

Remember the
story in 2 Cor. 8 from last week?

style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-style: italic"> color="black">2 Cor. 8:1-5 style="color: black; font-style: italic">Now I want to tell you, dear brothers
and sisters, what God in his kindness has done for the churches in Macedonia. style="color: black; font-style: italic; position: relative; top: -3pt; mso-text-raise: 3.0pt">2 style="color: black; font-style: italic">Though they have been going through
much trouble and hard times, their wonderful joy and style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">deep poverty have overflowed in rich generosity.
style="color: black; font-style: italic; position: relative; top: -3pt; mso-text-raise: 3.0pt">3 style="color: black; font-style: italic">For I can testify that they gave
not only what they could afford but far more. And style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">they did it of their own free will. style="color: black; font-style: italic; position: relative; top: -3pt; mso-text-raise: 3.0pt">4 style="color: black; font-style: italic">They begged us again and again for
the gracious privilege of sharing in the gift for the Christians in

Jerusalem

. style="color: black; font-style: italic; position: relative; top: -3pt; mso-text-raise: 3.0pt">5 style="color: black; font-style: italic">Best of all, they
went beyond our highest hopes, for their
first action was to dedicate themselves to the Lord style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">and to us for style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">whatever directions God might give them.
(NLT)

color="black" face="Arial">The very last thing that our Leadership Team or I
want to do is to manipulate anyone to give to our building campaign. That is
why we have been asking everyone to pray, "Lord, what do You
want to do through me to help my church fulfill Your purposes?"

color="black" face="Arial">Note in verse 4 of 2 Cor. that they gave themselves
to God at the start. That is what we have been asking everyone who attends New
Covenant Community Church to do…spend time asking God to give them
direction.

color="black" face="Arial">Note also in verse 3 that they gave out of their
own free will. And it was because of that free will attitude that they were
able to give generously even though they were living in poverty.

color="black" face="Arial">With a need of 2.5 million dollars for our building
and setting goals of 1 million, 1.4 million and 1.8 million, we have our work
cut out for us. All we can do is pray and ask that God will move in all of our
hearts to be a part of the solution. All of us will have to sacrifice, not
just be inconvenienced for the next three years.

color="black" face="Arial">Close your Time Alone With
God by simply opening up your life to God and asking Him what He desires to do
through you to fulfill His purposes in you and your church.

style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Day Three

I realize that
studying God's Word on what it has to say about possessions can be very
challenging. Thank you for pressing ahead with some strong challenges. I have
been asking that God will speak to all of us through His Word and by His
Spirit and that there would not be any manipulation felt by anyone.

Today, we will
look at a third management style of dealing with our possessions.

style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Read style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> href="http://www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NIV&passage=Mat.+25%3A24-30+">Mat.
25:24-30 href="http://www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NIV&passage=Mat.+25%3A24-30+">

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">This
particular story was about style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">
the manager who did little with little. style="background-color: yellow; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-highlight: yellow; background-position: 0%">

style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Observations:

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">You and I are accountable for our gifts-Vs. 19,24

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">God expects us to multiply our gifts-V. 27 In other words, God
does not want the gift given back in the same condition as we received it. style="BACKGROUND: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow">

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Doing nothing with our gifts is a sin-Vs. 26,30

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">How we use our gifts today determines how many gifts we will
receive tomorrow-Vs. 28-29.

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">They could think that their gift seems so insignificant so why
bother investing.

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Or, they despise their gift and refuse to develop the gift.

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">It could be that they compare their gift to others instead of
committing their gift to God.

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Maybe they think that when they receive more, they will start to
develop their gift-(Lottery mind set, Publishers Clearing House
Sweepstakes…if only I win, then…).

style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Luke
16: 10-11 class="GramE"> style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: line; COLOR: black; FONT-STYLE: italic; mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Unless style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: line; COLOR: black; FONT-STYLE: italic; mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> color="black"> you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in
large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won't be honest with greater
responsibilities. ¹¹And if you are untrustworthy about worldly
wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">? New Living
Translation

style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-weight: bold; layout-grid-mode: line; color: black; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> color="black" face="Arial">It's not what you have but how you manage what
you have.

style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> color="black" face="Arial">Close your Time Alone With
God by asking Him to reveal to you if you have been carrying the attitude of
doing little with the "little" God has given you. Ask Him, "What do class="GramE">You want to do through me to accomplish Your vision for
my church?"

style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> color="black" face="Arial">

style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial"> color="black"> color="black">Day Four

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Today, we will
look at the fourth model of management. Once again, thank you
for spending Time Alone With God asking Him to
teach you about the right attitude to take concerning the possessions He has
gifted you with.

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Read
href="http://www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NIV&passage=Mat.+25%3A19-23">
Mat. 25:19-23 style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: line; COLOR: red">

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">This
is probably the most exciting example to read about. Here we saw the
characteristics of the style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">manager
who does much with much style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">.

style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Observations:

style="font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">God increases our resources after we have proven to be a faithful
manager.

style="font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Managing
has nothing to do with assets, it has everything to
do with ownership, trust and attitude. style="background-color: yellow; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-highlight: yellow; background-position: 0%">

face="Arial">I truly believe that management is a choice. You and I must come
to the place where we choose to have an open hand with the things God has
blessed us with. The following saying has meant much to me as I think about
the blessings God has given to me.

style="font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">"God has given me special gifts and resources to help me become
the

style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">person style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">
He intends for me to be: That is His gift to me! I must choose to
manage these gifts and resources for His glory and not my own: That is my
gift to Him!"

face="Arial">Close your Time Alone With God by
offering all that you have to God…your gift to Him. Ask Him what He wants to
do through you to accomplish His purposes at your church.

style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">

style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> face="Arial">Day Five

face="Arial">Over the past week we have looked at four different models of
management. They were: The manager who does little with much, much with
little, little with little, and much with much.
Which model is your default mode? What do you believe that God has been
saying to you about that?

face="Arial">Today, I would like to ask you to spend your time praying for our
church. We are nearing the May 4^th weekend when we will collect
from each person what they believe God wants to do through them to help us
fulfill God's purposes for New Cov.

style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">I have shared
with you that this is a very scary time for me as your leader. Knowing that
the need is 2.5 million and that our goals are 1 million, 1.4 million and 1.8
million is a very daunting
challenge.

To the best of our
abilities, we have prayed, studied, met with numerous people in countless
meetings to help clarify the direction we believe God is leading us. This is
totally in the hands of God, but I tend to fret over it as if it were in mine.
Regardless of the outcome, we will seek to clarify God's plan for us as we
live out His purposes for us.

What you can expect
from the Leadership Team and me is Vision, Integrity and Passion. I will lead
with the very best I have to give. And with what I see now and with the
support of the leadership of our church, we believe that this is what God
wants us to do. So we will do all we can to see this dream come true, God
willing!

This is why prayer is such a big issue. We have set
aside numerous opportunities for prayer. Please be part of the solution by
seeking God.

style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-style: italic"> color="black">2 Cor. 1:9 style="color: black; font-style: italic">We felt we were
doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was
good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, Who alone could save
us, for He can even raise the dead. (Living)

Time Alone With God Archives