Focus: Serving Christ With Our Substance

Text: Lk.8:2,3

"And certain women, which had been HEALED of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which MINISTERED unto him of their SUBSTANCE."

As Christ moved from place to place ministering to people, He came in contact with a lot of women, including Mary Magdalene, who was possessed by seven demons. Her life was in a mess and her destiny was chained and controlled by evil spirits. One demon is enough trouble, not to talk of seven demons living inside a person. That is real misery. Mark tells of it again in connection with the resurrection of Christ. He says, "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils" (Mk.16:9). She was always remembered by what Christ did for her in the past. The Lord Jesus Christ broke her demonic shackles, transformed her life, and gave her a brand new future. Christ touched her life, and that of many other women, setting them free from one infirmity to another.

Now as a result of that awesome encounter, Mary Magdalene and many other women have decided to follow Christ everywhere He went, serving Him with their substance. From a grateful heart and with a sense of responsibility, they have committed their wealth to caring for Christ. Isn't this amazing? That is nothing short of returning favors. They served and honored Christ with their substance.

How grateful are you for what Christ has done for you on the cross of Calvary? Does Christ's death on the cross mean anything to you at all? Do you understand the implication of being a Christian, which is that your person and your possessions are entirely Christ's? All we are and all we own are rightfully His. It is only proper that we surrender our whole selves to Christ and serve Him with our substance - with all we've got.

If we fail to serve Him with our substance, we have indeed wasted it. It is not in our best interest to withhold from Christ our resources.

The story of the prodigal son tells it all. Luke says, "And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there WASTED HIS SUBSTANCE with riotous living" (Lk.15:13). He was unmindful of God. Of all his wealth, not a dime went to God. He squandered all his money and was reduced to penury. He lacked a sense of vision, purpose and responsibility. He never saw the need to plan and to invest. He was never purpose-driven or profit-oriented. He made no room for diligence and industry. All he knew to do was spend, spend, and spend. He was wasteful. I repeat that the substance we fail to invest on Christ is a substance really wasted. Christ requires that we consecrate self and substance to Him, and we never lose for doing that. God keeps safe all we give to Him. Paul says, "For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and AN ENDURING SUBSTANCE" (Heb.10:34). God reserves for us in heaven an enduring substance. God runs a bank in heaven that safely keeps all our deposits. Not a dime will be lost.

Christians in the early church led lives of total devotion to Christ. They ministered to the needs of Christ's body with their resources. Luke writes, "And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need" (Act.2:45). Individual Christians sold landed properties and other assets to do good and invest in the kingdom of God.

Micah says, "Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I WILL CONSECRATE THEIR GAIN unto the LORD, and their SUBSTANCE unto the Lord of the whole earth" (Mic.4:13). God wants to consecrate the wealth of the people to Himself. He is the Lord of the whole earth. Concerning the believers in Macedonia, Paul says, "Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the GIFT, and take upon us the fellowship of the MINISTERING to the saints" (2Cor.8:4). They pleaded with Paul to accept their monetary and material gifts. They did not consider the giving of their substance as a big deal, because as Paul acknowledges, "And this they did, not as we hoped, but FIRST GAVE THEIR OWN SELVES to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God" (2Cor.8:5). It is by giving ourselves to God first that we are able to give our resources too to Him. Hearts possessed by Christ will withhold nothing from Him. God wants free access to your cheque book and to your possessions.

My prayer for you is the same prayer of Moses for the tribe of Levi. He prayed, "BLESS, LORD, his SUBSTANCE, and ACCEPT THE WORK OF HIS HANDS: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again" (Dt.33:11). Learn to worship God with your substance. He waits to receive the work of your hands. God owns you and everything in your possession. Serve Him with your substance.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter