Sermon Outline

Key Verse: Matthew 10:8

Main Points:

  1. Things that don’t cost money: Matthew 10:8
  2. Free gift of the Holy Spirit: John 16:7
  3. The free gift of love: Romans 5:5
  4. Sow love generously: Proverbs 11:24
  5. Sow in the spirit: Galatians 6:8
  6. In righteousness, think blessings: Proverbs 11:23
  7. Freedom to choose and angelic help: Acts 10:3
  8. Spread the comfort of the Lord: 2 Corinthians 1:3,4

 

Additional References:

  1. Acts 20:35
  2. Galatians 5:22
  3. Matthew 5:44
  4. Romans 5:8
  5. 2 Corinthians 9:6
  6. Galatians 6:7 -10
  7. Matthew 6:33
  8. Psalms 37:25
  9. Proverbs 11:1
  10. Mark 9:41
  11. Genesis 24:7
  12. Genesis 48:16
  13. Romans 12:18

 

Sermon

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)

You must have heard people say, ‘nothing comes for free.’ It’s a true proverb and not wrong because why should anything come free? You have to work hard to earn your salary. Everyone knows that nothing comes free. Those things that are free, have a hidden price tag on it. To gain something we have to lose something. If you want an area to be clean, parks to be maintained and beautiful trees to be grown, you have to pay a cost. Even the sample food that some stores offer us to taste is a part of their sales strategies. ‘Everything comes for a price’ means the same thing as, ‘You get what you paid for.’ You have to work hard to get paid. Like it is said “You have to play the piper if you want to dance.” It means you do not get anything for nothing. But God has given many things around us for free, and if we use them we will be blessed.

Many times we talk of how things have become costly, and why we have to be miserly. We forget about the free things that we can use for our benefit. Some people often talk of how much it costs them to raise children or how much things cost to run a house. According to them they cannot give to the poor or do charity because they don’t have much. So they stay poor. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” (Acts 20:35) and many preachers link it only to money, that if you give money you shall receive money. But today I want to speak to you of things which are free and if you give them you will receive untold blessings.

Things that don’t cost money

Many have not realized how to tap the blessings of God. In this world, unless you pay you don’t get the right things. You need to invest to get returns. You need to put money in the bank to get in the interest. You cannot earn interest just like that. Everything yields but at a cost. Like if Person A has 10 lakhs, Person B has 1 lakh and Person C has Rs.1 and all three put their money in fixed deposit at 8% interest p.a., then A will get Rs. 80,000, B will get Rs. 8000, and C will get only Rs. 0.08. This proves that money attracts money. So you invest in things, after sometime you get  a return benefits from them. There is appreciation value of things like real estate and other such assets.

What I want to show you is that in the world, you have to pay something to get something in return. No giving, no receiving. Every product has its price. Do you know in the spiritual world, for every benefit also you need to pay a price? But it is not in cash or money or gold. It is given to us freely, and if you use it, you can reap rich dividends. Are you ready to know what are these free things that you can use to get blessings. You might me wondering, “Do you mean to talk about ‘give nothing and receive everything’?” Yes, almost like that. There are things in your life that if you give, it doesn’t cost you money, but if you release it, it brings you benefit.

Free gift of the Holy Spirit

Do you know when Jesus paid for your sins on the cross, He gave something of value in your lives and if you release that in the world, you shall be blessed? Jesus said, “I am going and it is for your advantage that I am going. It is best for you. Because when I go only then the Holy Spirit will come” (John 16:7). Jesus said it is for your benefit the Holy Spirit is coming. What benefit? He will give you the fruit of the Spirit. That is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness and self control (Galatians 5:22). Most of the times we do nothing about these fruits. Many don’t realize that they are there in us for our benefit. We have been struggling to earn our living, struggling to make both ends meet. Things are hard to come. But God is shows us the easiest way.

The free gift of love

Take for ‘Love’ for instance. Agape love is God’s love being poured in our spirits (Romans 5:5). If you release that agape love in the world, you shall be rewarded without stress and sweat. Many Christians are ignorant of this secret and they live on the bottom rung of things. They struggle everyday to make a rupee. Jesus said, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44). I know it is not easy for the world to love their enemies but for us who were loved by Jesus even while we were His enemies, we can love anyone. While we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:8). I am telling you if you love your enemies, God will reward you. You need to know on what principles the spiritual government works. Progression in the spiritual world is only through love for and service of others. Do you know that the angels do all the services for you and for others. They too have promotion in heaven based on their selfless love. Here on this earth hard work gives you promotion, but there heart work gives promotion. Love should not have boundary because agape love is limitless. That is why if a Christian opens a small window for someone, it is a very stingy kind of living. Paul says, “he that sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he that sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). The seed you sow has been given by God freely, so sow it.

Sow love generously

Some might be asking, “What to sow Pastor Peter?” Many preachers only preach on sowing money. No sow in love, sow in compassion, sow in encouragement. You will get unreserved favour of God. So instead of only opening a small window to be a blessing to others, break the wall and love all. Become a flower and spread the fragrance, become a sun and spread light everywhere without any discrimination. Yes let love not be stingy. Jesus gave his life for us. That is not stingy love. If love is causing pain to you, that cannot be love. Love will always bless you. “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer, another withholds what he should give and only suffers want” (Proverbs 11:24). Many evangelists use this only in the area of finance. But it can be used even for sowing good works. In fact Bible speaks of sowing and reaping. It doesn’t mean only money “what you sow you reap” (Galatians 6:7). You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself. You will harvest what you plant. That is what this verse means. This bible passage has become a familiar proverb even in our day. Even among those who do not know God, ‘You reap what you sow’ is often heard. What goes around comes around.

Sow in the spirit

Paul writes, “If we sow to the flesh we will reap corruption, but he that sows to the spirit shall for the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:8). Did you see that? There is a blessing in sowing goodness, kindness, in sowing, forgiveness, in going the extra mile. Yes it is wearisome, but it reaps rich dividends. But does the world weary you? You are wearied with the work. You work like an elephant and gain like an ant. What does the world pay you? Half of what you worked for. But see how God pays you. Didn’t Jesus say “seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and everything will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). “Let us not be weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). Go on doing good, go no loving, go no forgiving, go on living for the kingdom. Don’t cheat, don’t lie, and don’t be ambitious for worldly things. God will reward you. I am saying it on the basis of the life that my wife and I have lived. We kept on sowing goodness, kindness, forgiveness and God has never left us. “As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

In righteousness, think blessings

Use the best things in life. God has put in you a wealth of blessings. You have potential blessings. Even your very thought can turn things in to blessings. Yes you think good, blessings will reach you. Your very thought can either mar you or bless you. “The desire of the righteous ends only in good, the expectation of the wicked in wrath” (Proverbs 11:23). These are heavenly principles that God calls all His children to live by. Does not David say “I have never a righteous forsaken nor his children begging for bread” (Psalms 37:25). Any form of goodness will yield its benefits. The world says “it is more blessed to receive than to give.” But Jesus says it is more blessed to give than receive. Like the Bible says, “a false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight” (Proverbs 11:1). Live a false life and you are doomed, live a right life you are blessed.

Freedom to choose and angelic help

Not only are there many free things that God has freely bestowed to us, He has also given us the free choice to use these free things for the benefit of others. That is why we are blessed only when we freely choose to use the free things around us for others. Eveyrone has free choice to forgive or not to forgive, to love or to hate, to help or not to help. What you do with your free choice is what pays you from heaven. If you openly choose to welcome people, bless and encourage them, God will move to help you. You need to be aware that there are angels who are 24/7 out there helping us without cost. People like Abraham and Moses knew this principle that angels were there helping them all the time. Abraham was aware of the angel of God helping him in the affairs of life (Genesis 24:7). Jacob acknowledged that it was an angel who redeemed him from all evil (Genesis 48:16). As adults, we are free to do good or evil and our choice determines whether our guardian angel will be working for us or not. If you turn to God, heed God’s voice and be a blessing to the world, your guardian angels will be able to work more effectively through and for you. It was probably Cornelius guardian angel who instructed him to send for Peter (Acts 10:3). Why? It was not only his prayer to God, but also his alms given to the needy.

Spread the comfort of the Lord

People in the world are very sad. They are depressed. They need encouragement. They need somebody to give them hope. Even a smile which costs you nothing will make people and God will reward you for it. Jesus said, “If you give a cup of cold water to the least of these, you will not miss your reward” (Mark 9:41). Yes there is a reward in the free things of life, if you use it to the fullest. Now you cannot expect the world to give you a smile. When the world is required to smile or be kind, they need a reason to smile or be kind. But for us as a believer we always have a reason to smile, be kind, and good. Because we have received all goodness from God. In the world many are unhappy for many reasons like failures, lack of confidence, lack of social life, less likes on a profile pic, bad grades, backlogs, jealousy, no friends to tag along with, shortage of money, evils in the society etc. So the world has to force itself to smile.

I know that even among believers we all go through trouble but yet in the midst of it all, God wants us to have the joy of the Lord, He wants us to help others, He wants us to forgive others and to encourage others. Why? Because we ourselves have been forgiven, we have been helped, and we have been encouraged if not by people by our God. Paul writes, “Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforts us in all tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Corinthians 1:3,4). Paul is saying that when we go through hard times we need comfort God brings comfort to our hearts, so that when someone else is going through hard times we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. Spread joy, spread peace, spread love, spread forgiveness. These are strong factors to get God’s appreciation and blessings. “As much as possible live in peace with all” (Romans12:18).

When you do what the Bible asks you to do, God will surely bless you. Why does He bless you? – Because your God is also like that. God is love. God loves the whole world that he gave his Son to die on the cross for us. Everything he has given is free. Close your eyes. Feel the air you breathe. Feel the way your lungs fill up and deflate each time you inhale and exhale. You have been breathing God’s air for free for so many years. I have been breathing God’s free air for 60+ years. He didn’t ask anything in return. I have been using up the sun for light for so many years did He take anything in return? No. That all is a free gift. God wants you to be like him. Jesus said, “Give and it shall be given you to in a good measure pressed down shaking together and running over” (Luke 6:38).

A warm hug is what some are waiting for, an encouraging word. God has given you children who are free entertainment to you, value it. God has given you your wife, who cooks for you all 365 days. Keep a cook at home and you will know what it will cost you. Everything comes with a price tag, except love. Good family and good friends are such big assets. Am I an asset to you? Praise God. Can you put a price on your loved ones? They are worth everything without costing a singe rupee. Well of course except for those few rupees you let them have for that smoothie when they wanted it. It’s a small price to pay when you consider the real value they add to your life.

Yes, spread love everywhere, God will bless you. Speak of the love of God, speak of the love of Jesus and you will never miss your rewards. Don’t you feel nice when somebody tips you? Don’t you feel nice when somebody suddenly cooks food for you? I have had pleasant surprises in my life. I mean those families who would cook hot food for us. What a pleasant surprise and why does it give joy? – Because the world lives on paying for things or lives on a barter system. You call me home; I have to call you home. That is vyavhar in the world’s language and it is not a pleasant feeling. When one invites you home for food, you don’t thinking of their graciousness, but think about what to give in return. You go to a wedding, you are expected to give a gift. I mean the world is not very pleasant. Everything is calculated in terms of money. But how wonderful is voluntary giving. God loves a cheerful giver. I pray that you will use the free gifts that God has given to you effectively, and stay blessed all your life.

Praise God!!!

 

Abstract

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)

You must have heard people say, ‘nothing comes for free.’ It’s a true proverb and not wrong because why should anything come free? You have to work hard to earn your salary. But God has given many things around us for free, and if we use them we will be blessed.

Do you know when Jesus paid for your sins on the cross, He gave something of value in your lives and if you release that in the world, you shall be blessed? Jesus said it is for your benefit the Holy Spirit is coming. What benefit? He will give you the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Most of the times we do nothing about these fruits. Many don’t realize that they are there in us for our benefit.

If you openly choose to welcome people, bless and encourage them, God will move to help you. As adults, we are free to do good or evil. If you turn to God, heed God’s voice and be a blessing to the world, your guardian angels will be able to work more effectively through and for you.

Even a smile which costs you nothing will make people and God will reward you for it. Paul is says in 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 that when we go through hard times we need comfort God brings comfort to our hearts, so that when someone else is going through hard times we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. Spread joy, spread peace, spread love, spread forgiveness. These are strong factors to get God’s appreciation and blessings.

When you do what the Bible asks you to do, God will surely bless you. Why does He bless you? – Because your God is also like that. God is love. God loves the whole world that he gave his Son to die on the cross for us. Everything he has given is free and God loves a cheerful giver. I pray that you will use the free gifts that God has given to you effectively, and stay blessed all your life. Praise God!!!