TEN DIVINE PRINCIPLES OF GIVING SCRIPTURE READINGS: Mathew 6:1 “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. :2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. WHAT DO WE GIVE? THIS IS WHEN WE GIVE IN CHURCH 1Corinthians 16:1 Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. ▷ Our Church Giving is collectively called The Collection For God’s People and they are in three categories: 1. Tithes 2. Offerings Malachi 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 3. Seeds: Seeds are to be sown! 2Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. Psalm 126:5 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. 6 He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. DIVINE PRINCIPLES OF GIVING 1. OUR GIVING MUST BE MOTIVATED BY OUR LOVE FOR GOD John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. When God so loved the World, He gave! We Give because we love God! Our Giving should not be as a result of being threatened 2. WE GIVE OUR BEST AS GOD GAVE HIS BEST! God gave His one and only Son from John 3:16! 3. THE LORD JESUS EXPECTS AND REQUIRES US TO GIVE. Jesus said to His disciples, “when you give” not “if you give” (Matthew 6:2)! Hence, Christian giving is not optional, but rather essential. Jesus expected all His followers to be givers. Believers in the Lord Jesus will give. 4. GIVE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. Jesus warned His disciples not to give for the sake of being admired by men. Mathew 6:1 “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. :2 “So when you give…” When we give, we must be careful to examine our motives. We ought to give for the glory of God and the good of His people. We must desire His approval of our giving, rather than the praise and admiration of people. Are you giving for God’s praise or man’s? 5. THE LORD JESUS WANTS US TO PRACTICE BENEVOLENT OR CHARITABLE GIVING. Jesus said “When you give to the poor . . . .” (Matthew 6:2,3). Jesus is specifically teaching about “alms” in this passage: aid, charity, or benevolent offerings for the needy. Do you give amply enough to the Church that she can be generous in benevolent giving? 6. OUR GIVING SHOULD BE IN SECRET The Lord Jesus reminds us that our giving is ultimately to the all-seeing heavenly Father. Jesus said Mathew 6:3-4 “When you give …. So that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” When we give, we are not simply adding to the Church budget, we are giving up a thank offering to the Father Himself. Thus, we must all give “as unto the Lord.” Our ultimate goal in giving is to please Him. Are you conscious of the fact that your giving is to the Lord and seen by the Lord? 7. OUR GIVING IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP The Bible teaches that Christian giving is an act of worship. In connection with the previous point, we see this truth stressed in another way in Paul’s word’s “On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save” (1 Corinthians 16:2). Paul here teaches the Corinthians that their taking up of the collection is an act of worship which is to be a part of their regular Lord’s Day worship. When we put our money in the plate, we are worshiping Almighty God in accordance with His Word. Note well, Paul is speaking here of a “collection for the saints” – this is giving by the Church to the Church for the Church. Did you realize that giving is a part of worship? Is your worship in this area abundant or inhibited? Is giving to the Church a priority with you? 8. OUR GIVING MUST BE CHEERFUL AND OUT OF PERSONAL DECISION! 2Corinthians 9: 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in light of the incarnation. Many Christians argue about whether the tithe (10% of our income) is still the standard for our giving to the Church (disputants usually want to show that less than 10% is fine). Paul scuttles the whole debate in one verse. He says: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Christ’s self-giving is now the standard for our giving! We begin from the base of the tithe and aim for emulation of His self-sacrifice. Our giving is to be inspired and instructed by Christ’s inexpressible gift. In light of such a challenge, who could possibly satisfy himself with asking “how little a percentage is acceptable for me to give?” Do you try to get by with giving as little as possible to the Lord, or do you give in view of the Lord’s costly sacrifice? 9. GIVING MUST BE ACCORDING TO WHAT ONE HAS The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in accordance with our means. 2Corinthians 8:12 “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” This means at least two things: (1) since we are all supposed to give proportionately, those who have more money are expected to give more [we who are particularly blessed materially must remember this], and (2) the Lord never asks us to give what we do not have, or contribute beyond our means. Are you really giving in proportion to the material blessings that the Lord has given you? 10. WE GIVE TO RECEIVE! Our Giving should be from the heart accompanied by much expectation Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Malachi 3:10“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty. 2Corinthians 9:10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. CAUTION: NEVER GIVE: 1. Out of compulsion, give out of love 2. To pay for sins or receive salvation since salvation is free 3. To receive deliverance for this is free Isaiah 52:2 Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion. 3 For this is what the LORD says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.” CONCLUSION 2Co 8:7 But just as you excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us see that you also excel in this grace of giving. We have not come close to reaching our potential for giving. Won’t you pray that we will give as we ought? That we will give for the right motives? That we will give joyously? And that we will give extravagantly?
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 19:22:07 +0000