Sunday sermon [Text]

Sunday sermon

 Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

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Sunday sermon videos
https://youtu.be/gdMqCRsXIps
https://www.facebook.com/john.chiarello.5/videos/10205003186157564/ 
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMhBp1wgu7lU34dS_Z
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0wagjiywi1hbl43/11-11-18%20Sunday%20sermon.mp4?dl=0 

 ON VIDEO [Mass verses and Church Unlimited]
.Testimonies of giving
.Do you see the new thing yet?
.Stories from homeless friends about sharing the little they have
.The prophet and the widow
.The voice of justice comes from the church [not the media or politicians]
.The prophetic word effected them all- even the prophet
.The provisions never ran out- even during the famine
.The first recorded resurrection in the bible
.Christ- the final offering
.The KCTA preacher
.How did they rob the widows?
.The true story of a boy raised from the dead [not in the bible]
 
TEACHING [Past posts below]
This Sunday I spoke on the verses for the Mass for this date.
I taught on most of the chapters before- and will add those sections below.
But the common theme was giving- and how giving and those in distress [widows- poor- etc.] are treated by those who ‘get’.
Huh?
In the story from Kings we read-
1Kings 17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
1Kings 17:11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
1Kings 17:12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
1Kings 17:13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
1Kings 17:14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
1Kings 17:15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
1Kings 17:16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
It is a famous passage- Elijah told the widow to prepare food for him first- then use the rest for her and her son.
The widow was ready to die- the famine ravished the land- and the little food she had left was to be their final meal.
Yet- the prophet was bold enough to ‘take from her’.
This story has been used over the years to justify [rich] ministers being supported from people in poverty- after all- the poor woman gave to the prophet.
Yet- the prophet too was poor- they were both experiencing financial hardship- as a result of the prophetic word Elijah had given! [no rain]
In essence- we see one poor person sharing with ANOTHER poor person- and they both were blessed as a result- the food never ran out by the miraculous hand of God.
The reading from the gospel has the same theme-
Mark 12:38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
Mark 12:39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:
Mark 12:40 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
Mark 12:41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
Mark 12:42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
Mark 12:43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
Mark 12:44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
Most of us are familiar with the last portion- the ‘Widows mite’- and yes- Jesus commended the poor woman for giving all she had left- though she was poor.
But before he commended her- he rebuked the religious leaders- because they were the ones partly to blame for the woman’s poverty-
Mark 12:40 ‘Which devour widows’ houses’-
A few weeks ago I taught on the principle of Çorban – Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for a particular rule they ‘made up’.
The rule was- if you dedicate the money- that is required by the law to be used to support your family in need [including widows] and use that money for the temple and religious leaders- then you are free from supporting your parents in need-
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Mark 7
This wrong rule actually played a role in the increase of poverty among the widows!
Because the money was no longer going to the ‘poor widows’ but to the ‘Temple’.
So- before Jesus commended the widow who gave all she had- he first rebuked the religious leaders for ‘taking all they had’.
Yes- Jesus never taught us that poor people in general should support religious leaders- who are themselves living extravagant lifestyles.
Now- all leaders do no fit into this category- but sadly- some do.
And some have justified dong this by the passages we are looking at today.
That is wrong.
I taught much more on the video- but I felt this small part was what I should put down in writing.
God will supernaturally provide for his people- and yes- that includes religious leaders as well.
Yet- leadership should never take advantage of people in poverty- or teach a doctrine that justifies rich lifestyles being supported by poor widows.
The widow who gave to Elijah- was simply doing what Jesus taught us- to care for one another in need.
The widow who cast in her mite- was commended because she gave all she had to what she understood to be the offerings for God at that time.
Yet- the religious leaders were rebuked by Jesus himself for setting up religious rules that devoured widows ‘mites’ and used the money for their own glory.
Yes- give- give sacrificially at times- do all you can to help the down and out- share the little you have with others- who are in the same boat as you.
All of these principles are good-
And make sure- in the end- that you took advantage of no one-
Especially the widow. [Some sites see here  https://corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com/2023/04/sunday-sermon-text.html?m=0 ]

PAST POSTS [These are links and parts of my past teachings that