Buying Selling Giving - Week 1

Just about everyone is familiar with the U.S. economy. It seems to be in the news daily and its up and down movements affect our lives greatly. The economy that is in the news is not the only economy, though. Each nation has its own economy and, taken collectively, they make up the world economy. Alongside the world economy there exists the economy of God. It is similar, but very different from the economy of the world. The world economy is driven by money and things. God’s economy is driven by love and people. This series is about how the economic forces of buying, selling, and giving relate to God’s economy of love and people.

In Genesis we find that God created the world in an orderly fashion and followed a plan. This plan of God has been unfloding since before the foundations of the earth were laid, and it continues to unfold today. Jesus was part of God’s plan. God sent Jesus to earth to fulfill a specific purpose within his plan. We find in the Gosple accounts that Jesus had to buy-in to God’s plan for him. That is, Jesus had a choice. He could have said “no” to God’s purpsoe for Him. But he did not; he bought in. Jesus bought in when he went public with his ministry. At the age of 30 Jesus was baptized by John the baptist, was tempted by satan, called his disciples, and began to preach. He was buying-in to what God called him to do.

In Jeremiah 29:11 God says he has a plan for every person, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV). Each of us has a place in God’s plan. We have a specific purpose to fulfill. Like Jesus, we have a choice. We can turn our backs on God’s call or we can buy-in to his purpose for us. Our buy-in is when we believe Jesus is who he says he is - the Son of God, and that he does what he says he will do - forgive our sins. When we take this faith step we buy-in to God’s purpose for our lives.

Think about what is at stake when you consider buying-in. If Jesus is who he says he is and does what he says he will do then eternity is at stake! But don’t make an emotional buying decision…make an informed one by seeing what else is going on in God’s economy as this series continues for the next 2 weeks.