What Difference Does It Make to Give?
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Introduction
Introduction
Probably one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible is Luke 6:38.
It says, "Give and it will be given to you. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. "
For a long time I wanted to believe that verse but it just seemed to good to be true.
I wanted to believe it and I kept asking myself how exactly does God give back to me.
When I give to others how does God give back to me?
When I give to others how does God give back to me?
GIVING MAKES ME MORE LIKE GOD
GIVING MAKES ME MORE LIKE GOD
God's a giver.
Everything we have is a gift from God.
When I give, I'm like God.
The Bible says "God so loved the world that He gave..."
You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.
GIVING DRAWS ME CLOSER TO GOD
GIVING DRAWS ME CLOSER TO GOD
The Bible says "Where your treasure is, there your heart is also. "
If I put my money into entertainment, that's where my heart is.
If I put my money into my house, that's where my heart is.
If I money into my car, that's where my heart is.
GIVING IS THE ANTIDOTE TO MATERIALISM
GIVING IS THE ANTIDOTE TO MATERIALISM
We live in a very materialistic culture.
Advertisers are not even subtle any more.
They just come out and say it straight out, "You can buy happiness."
That's America! Life, liberty, and the purchase of happiness.
The problem with this is that even little kids are getting caught up in it.
1 Timothy 6:17-18 "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to be generous and willing to share In this way they may take hold of the life that is truly Life!"
First it says, "Command those who are rich..."
That's all of us because, if you live in America, you're rich.
It says it's ok to enjoy life but true living comes from giving.
We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.
I think as parents we need to model a balance of giving and getting.
GIVING STRENGTHENS MY FAITH
GIVING STRENGTHENS MY FAITH
God uses finances to test your faith.
Have you ever had to decide between paying a bill and tithing?
You only have so much money so where is it going to go?
This is a test.
God's saying, "Do you really believe that I can take care of your bills?
Or do you think you have to take care of them on your own?"
He's saying, "Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the LORD of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.”
God says, I dare you. I dare you to see if you become a giving, generous person, you tithe all the time, see what happens to your life.
There are more promises in the Bible regarding giving than any other thing.
God talks more about giving and promises more about giving than any other thing.
It's the essence of the Christian life -- "God so loved the world that he gave..."
Giving gives God the chance to do a miracle. So my giving strengthens and stretches and tests my faith.
GIVING IS AN INVESTMENT FOR ETERNITY
GIVING IS AN INVESTMENT FOR ETERNITY
You can't take it with you but you can send it on ahead.
The way you send it on ahead is by investing it in people who are going there.
Jesus said in Matthew 6, "Store up treasure in heaven" -- how do you do that?
1 Timothy 6:18-19 "Give happily to those in need and always be ready to share whatever God has given you. By doing this, you will be storing up real treasures for yourself in heaven. It is the only safe investment for eternity. "
Jesus said you store up treasure in heaven. He says when I give to somebody else, God accepts it as a gift to Him.
When I give to other people, I'm storing up treasure in heaven.
GIVING BLESSES ME IN RETURN
GIVING BLESSES ME IN RETURN
Proverbs 11:25 ''A generous man will prosper but he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Whatever you give out, you're going to get back.
If you're generous with criticism, gossip, encouragement,
It is the law of sowing and reaping.
If you're generous with your money, you're going to get money back.
It's a law of life.
Giving makes me happy.
Giving makes me happy.
We don't believe that verse. If we did, we'd give more.
There are only two kinds of people in life.
There are givers and there are takers.
You're one or the other.
You're either giving and generous with your time, your money, your efforts, your energy, your life.Or you're a taker.
The more giving, the most generous people I know are the happiest people I know.
That's what God gives back to me when I give.
The question becomes, how do I get the most out of giving?
Remember that God is more interested in my attitude than the amount.
So what's the right attitude?
If you're going to give and get a reward out of it...
If you're going to give and get a reward out of it...
GIVE WILLINGLY
GIVE WILLINGLY
2 Corinthians 8:12 "For if the willingness is there, your gift is acceptable according to what you have not according to what you don't have."
The amount is not important.
What is important is your attitude when you give.
He doesn't look at how much you give when you give to anybody or the church or anything else.
He looks at how much is left over.
He evaluates your generosity, not in light of how much you give, but how much you gave in light of how much He's given you.
2 Corinthians 9:7. “Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.”
The Bible says you are not to give under pressure.
GIVE THANKFULLY
GIVE THANKFULLY
Psalm 116:12 "How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?"
You can't. You'll never be able to repay God for all that He's done for you.
But the fact is, if God never did anything else for me, I still ought to give.
If He never did one more good thing for me, He's done so much for me today, that I ought to give just out of gratitude.
Every time you give an offering, or give your tithe to the Lord, you're saying, "Thanks, Lord."
GIVE JOYFULLY
GIVE JOYFULLY
The Bible says, "God loves a cheerful giver. "
A bumper sticker said, "God loveth a cheerful giver, but he also receiveth from a grouch!"
And another, "Tithe if you love Jesus, any fool can honk!"
The word "cheerful", in Greek, is the word hilaros, from which we get the word hilarious.
When I don't feel too joyful about giving -- when I start to give and I write out my offering check and start saying, "I really could be using this money on X,Y,Z..."
When I start feeling and I don't have the joy in my heart for giving, I go back and remind myself of the six things that giving done for me
GIVE WEEKLY
GIVE WEEKLY
Paul says in 1 Cor. 16:2, "On the first day of every week [Sunday] set aside some of what you have earned and give it as an offering. The amount depends on how much the Lord has helped you earn. "
Why? He wants it to be a weekly reminder of who's first place in your life.
When you give the first part of your money on the first day of every new week, it is a reminder that says, "God, You're really number one."
Notice it uses the phrase "set aside". That involves planning.
How much should you give? He says the amount depends.
What you give should be based on what you make.
If the Lord didn't help you to earn anything this last week, then you shouldn't give anything this last week.
But in proportion to what you're earning, God says as an offering, as a reminder -- gratitude for the past, priorities right in the present, and expectation for the future -- I'm to give.
GIVE EXPECTANTLY
GIVE EXPECTANTLY
2 Corinthians 9:6 "Remember this, Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows generously will reap generously. "
This is a law that every farmer lives by.
You plant the seed and God will provide for your need.
He's saying you get to decide how much God blesses your life.
You, right now, are deciding how much God blesses your life.
You sow generously, you reap generously.
Next Step
Next Step
The Bible says that the essence of the Christian life, not a minor activity in the corner, but the essence of the Christian life is giving.
The word "believe" is used 272 times.
The word "pray" is used 371 times.
The word "love" is used 714 times.
The word "give" is used 2,162 times.
You tell me where the emphasis is in the Bible!
Prayer