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COULD A MAN ROB GOD?

READING: Matt 22:15-22
15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true,
and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription ?
21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are
Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

I. WHAT BELONGS TO GOD?

A. Who is created in the image of God?
1. Gen 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in
the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

B. How do we give ourselves to God?

1. Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to
the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost.

2. Rom 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his
death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from
the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

3. Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
me.

4. Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then
said I, Here am I; send me .

5. 2 Cor 8:1-5 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of
Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty
abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their
power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift,
and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 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.

II. COULD A MAN ROB GOD? [COULD A MAN ROB HIMSELF?]

A. Israel did.
1. Mal 1:6-7 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine
honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise
my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? *Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar;
and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.
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2. Mal 3:8-10 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?
In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now
herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a
blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

B. What attitude are we Christians supposed to have?

1. 2 Cor 9:6-9 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him
give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace
abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
9(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for
ever.

C. If we rob God, we really rob ourselves.

1. Matt 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or
wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting
life.

2. Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together,
and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it
shall be measured to you again.

III. COULD A MAN ROB GOD? [COULD A MAN ROB HIS FELLOW MAN?]
A. What was Israel commanded?
1. Deut 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house,
and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

B. What did Israel do?

1. Mal 2:1-8 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.
2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I
will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do
not lay it to heart.
3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and
one shall take you away with it.
4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith
the LORD of hosts.
5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and
was afraid before my name.
6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and
equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.
7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the
messenger of the LORD of hosts.
8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the
covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.
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C. What are we Christians commanded to do?

1. Mark 16:15-16 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

2. Matt 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

3. 2 Tim 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou
to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

D. Can it be done? Can all nations be taught?

1. Acts 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

2. Col 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of
the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven;
whereof I Paul am made a minister;

IV. COULD A MAN ROB GOD? [COULD A MAN ROB HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS?]
A. Again.
1. Mark 16:15-16 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

B. Take examples from the Scriptures.

1. John 1:40-45
40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being
interpreted, the Christ.
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou
shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the
prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

2. 2 Tim 1:3-5 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without
ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see thee, being
mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is
in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois , and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in
thee also.

V. COULD A MAN ROB GOD? [COULD A MAN ROB THOSE WHO NEED HELP?]
A. We are commanded.
1. Gal 6:7-10 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit
shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall
reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto
them who are of the household of faith.
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B. What do Christians do?

1. Acts 4:36-37 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas , (which is, being interpreted,
The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the
money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

2. Acts 9:26-27 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but
they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought
him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had
spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

3. Acts 11:27-30
27 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the spirit that there should be great dearth
throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which
dwelt in Judaea:
30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

4. 1 Thess 1:6-8 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much
affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and
Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in
every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

5. Acts 16:9-10 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia , and
prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision,
immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia , assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to
preach the gospel unto them.

2 Tim 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know
whom I have believed , and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him
against that day.

Invitation: Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess Christ as the Son of God, Be Immersed for the remission of
sins, and then grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, remaining faithful until death.

If you are a Christian and have sinned publicly, then you are invited to remove your
separation from God by public repentance so that prayers can be offered for you.