Give And It Shall Be Given
Notes
Transcript
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.
Introduction
Introduction
Do you consider yourself a giver or a taker?
We have all met takers. No matter how much you give or how much they get, it doesn't seem to be enough. They are never content and always seem to want more.
The heart of a taker is self-centered. They only look out for themselves, with no care for others around them.
If we are not careful, even a child of God can fall into a “give me; I deserve” trap, and live only for selfish gain and pleasure.
The Bible tells us that selfishness will be characteristic of the last days:
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
We live in a taker world. People are out to get whatever they can from others.
Every time you turn around, there seems to be another scam trying to cheat people out of their money.
It's a shame that so many people are caught up with trying to get something for nothing.
God's ways are different. He wants us to give, and He promises that He will bless us in return.
Talk about the discount cards - Carl and Lillar’s - Your last year at White Plains and the stingy old guy...
We tend to think it is important to get, to keep, and to hoard for the future. But the Bible tells us to give.
This does not mean that we should not save money; it means that in addition to saving, God wants us to see the importance of giving.
24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; And there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
We tend to think that when we give, we lose something. As selfish beings, our inclination is to get and keep instead of give.
The expression, "Get all you can, can all you get, and sit on the can," aptly describes our greedy nature.
But our text verse tells us otherwise.
And by the way, this isn’t going to be a message about money, although a lot could be said about that...
Leonard Ravenhill said back in the 80’s that people spent more money on dog food in a year than they gave to missions...
In 2018, a missionary wrote an article saying that people in America spend more on halloween costumes for their pets than they do missions...
The problem? He said Western Christians tend to be "me-centric," putting themselves and their wants and desires before God's command to love and serve others.
I don’t have time to go over the entire article, but I would urge you to look it up and read it...
He concludes the article by arguing that when Jesus-followers "break free from the confines," the world will see a "mass movement of brilliant reflections of our Creator God going out to the communities around here and in the nations in the world."
Then, he said, 90 percent of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists will see a Christ-follower for the first time and understand the power of God in a real way.
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If our hearts are right, we won’t have issue with giving money, work, time, whatever because that is the means through which we receive God's blessings.
In God's economy, givers gain what they can never lose while takers lose what they can never gain.
I want to share three reasons with you tonight that people become givers:
Givers Understand the Character of God
Givers Understand the Character of God
In Luke 6:38, we see not only God's command to give, but the very character of God Himself.
This verse is from Luke's account of our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, in which He instructs man on how to live.
Even as Jesus gives this instruction, He is a living example of it. God does not instruct us to do what He has not done Himself. He set the example on how He expects us to live with His earthly life, establishing a pattern for us to follow.
God calls us to give because His nature is to give.
What are some ways that God shows us His giving nature?
He gives salvation
He gives salvation
If we had to pick one of the many gifts God has blessed us with and prize it above all others, it would be the gift of salvation!
His generosity toward us knows no boundaries - not even that of His own life!
45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
If God has given His own life for us, He will not refuse us anything less than His best.
To have the Giver Himself as our Savior is the greatest gift mankind can receive. But God’s gift of Himself is only the beginning to more of His goodness.
He gives security
He gives security
After salvation, God seals us with the Holy Spirit Who preserves us until the day of redemption!
He secures our salvation!
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And just in case you’re worrying that God might change His mind about all that, He won’t…Why?
6 For I am the Lord, I change not; Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
In a world where change is constant, God’s promise of eternal security is the anchor we can hold on to through the storms of life’s uncertainty.
He gives sustenance
He gives sustenance
Literally, God provides for our physical needs.
19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Paul Chappell said, “God doesn't promise to overflow your bank account, but promises to provide for your every need.”
Not only does God give us what we need physically, but He also gives us what we need spiritually:
16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
He gives satisfaction
He gives satisfaction
God created in us a vacuum that only He can fill.
Our God-given desire for happiness is met through a relationship with Jesus Himself.
16 Thou openest thine hand, And satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, And hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Talk about the podcast episode on transgenderism -
It’s not a mental illness, but it’s dysphoria - “a state of unease or generalized dissatisfaction with life.” - They want me to agree that something is true and they don’t even know it is true, they admit, they are dissatisfied, they are looking for something - That something is God…Unfortunately, Satan has blinded so many minds today that they are filling this void with a mental disease, and if they don’t repent, like all that don’t repent, they will wind up in hell.
Unlike the fleeting happiness that this world offers, the satisfaction the God gives us throught Christ remains...
We can keep coming back for more as His supply of joy never ceases!
Thou wilt shew me the path of life:
In thy presence is fulness of joy;
At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
When we seek contentment in God, we find pleasures that never end, because God is the very fountain of goodness.
He is the giver of all good things, and He calls on us to reflect Him in our giving...
We give because He first gave...
We love him, because he first loved us.
So, tonight, we’ve seen how Givers Understand the Character of God...Next week, Lord willing, we will look a couple other points concerning this...
Givers Obey the Command of God
Givers Obey the Command of God
Givers Trust the Care of God
Givers Trust the Care of God