Joyful Giving #1

Joyful Giving
Stewardship Series #1
October 19th, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming

Introduction: We are starting a new series today. Turn in your bibles to the book of Luke. The 3rd gospel in the New Testament. I am calling this series Joyful Giving. Yes I am going to talk about money. Please do not get up and walk out on me. I say that because I have had that happen in the past when I speak on this subject. If you are here for the first time – we do not always talk about money – its been a whole year. Please hear me out. Please understand that everything we are going to study today and in the weeks to come fits into a big picture. I am going to be direct and open with you but we are going to study what God teaches us about money – stewardship and giving. Jesus spoke more about money than He did about heaven or hell. Jesus told 38 parables – 16 of them deal with money management. The bible has 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 on faith but over 2,000 dealing with money and possessions.

If you get angry at me ---- that’s okay with me – I believe that now more than ever the people of God would want a pastor to speak to them about money. You are worried about money --- I sat down with a teen guy in this church and asked him how it was going and the first words out of his mouth were his worries about money…. you find yourself fearful about money. I know you do. Some of us – when we get money – the only thing we know what to do with it is spend it. For some of us – money controls us we do not control money. My 84 year old dad called again and he is worried about money. He said – “I am not sure if you mother and I can make it” ……Some people think that a pastor should never know about people’s money or their giving – but when people are in financial trouble in the church and outside of the church they come to the church for help. -- so I am going to address the issue of money in these coming weeks. I am going to challenge you to become a joyful giver. I am even going to challenge you to make a written covenant to become a biblical giver something we have never done in 13 years.

This past week is the first time I can remember someone asking me for help in managing their money . I was excited about it and offered my time but they never contacted me. Our financial seminar earlier this year was only attended by a handful. People want a pastor to be involved in every aspect of their life except when it comes to money and parenting their children. Money is an issue of stewardship --- it is an issue of your relationship with God…. It is an issue of joy and the fullness of eternal life…… how we manage what God has given to us ---- is an issue of greed and coveting and it is an issue of contentment. The bible says with contentment there is great gain. Do you not think that if one learns to be content they will be in better financial health? I guarantee you they will be. Our country is in the state it is in because of our lack of contentment. Proverbs 22:7 says that the borrower is a slave to the lender. Borrowing money removes joy from a person and makes him or her a slave. A borrower who is in slavery to a lender cannot be a joyful giver. By the way, giving in churches in America in the last 3 months has dropped by 40%.

We see giving all throughout God’s Word. Psalm 115:16 “The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth He has given to man.” God gave man the earth to manage. God gave man the earth to steward. It is biblical to be a steward of the earth. Man is to manage the earth but no where is man to worship the earth….. Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born , to us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders, and He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”…..Not only does God who made the earth give man the earth to manage but God gave man His only Son who is the Prince of Peace. Is it not amazing that man wants and uses the earth that God created for his pleasure and yet man rejects His own Son……. God is a giver and He gives joyfully.

In Matthew 7:7 Jesus puts it this way, “Ask and it will be given to you: seek and you will find; knock and the door will be open to you.” God commands His children to ask and God says when you ask I will give. He says that your asking needs to have a seeking flavor about it which is a persistence in the asking…… Luke 22:19 records the familiar words by Jesus that almost every person who has gone to church and taken communion has heard, “This is My body given for you, do this in remembrance of me.” And because God is a giver and has given His Son to His chosen children Romans 5:5 says “and hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” The apostle Paul is talking about those who are God’s children. God gave them His Holy Spirit and has poured it out into their hearts. He is talking about those who are children of God. Those who are in Christ or Christ is in them. Only real heart believers have been given the Holy Spirit. God is a giver and He gives joyfully.

Not only is God a giver to His children but God commands His children to be givers. He expects them to be givers. He says be holy for I am holy. Being a child of God and being a giver go together. It does not matter how much money you make. You can be on social security and the command to be a giver is still applies to you. Parents – if you do not model for your children giving and if you do not challenge and teach your children to be givers you are robbing them of joy in God. Children who do not learn from their parents to be givers - grow up being greedy and ungrateful and they become adults who are not givers.

Donald Whitney writes in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life these words, “we will give to the extent that we believe God will provide for us. The more we believe God will provide our needs, the more we are willing to risk giving to Him. The less we trust God, the less we will give to Him.” - Donald Whitney (SLIDE) So as we begin this series – I want you to understand that my heart’s desire as I preach God’s Word to you is that you would grow and accept the challenge to grow and trust God more than you ever have.

Turn in your bibles this morning to the gospel of Luke. Even though this series is topical we are going to expound certain texts in God’s Word. Please stand with me as we read
Luke 6:36 – 38. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 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.” ---- let’s pray.

Background: The three verses that we read are part of the Sermon the Mount given by Jesus. He is teaching his disciples how to live. If they are followers of His - then they are to live a certain way. When we study the bible we must learn to study it in context. Verses 36 – 38, we find that they fall under Jesus teaching about love. He is teaching unconditional love. Keep your bible open and look with me at what He says about unconditional love which can only come from supernatural power in the life of a person. Verse 27 We are to love those who are our enemy and those who hate us we are to do good to them… and as you are doing good to them you are to bless those who curse you……. We bless those who mistreat us by praying for them and we do not get back at them and retaliate. We are to give freely and then Jesus gives the golden rule – due unto others as you would have them do to you. From verse 32 - 36 Jesus gives 7 lessons on unconditional love and then He brings in money –
vs. 34 “If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?

He is talking about believers who love like Jesus --- they are givers instead of lenders and then in verse 35 He says that your reward will be great. He is referring to the principle of sowing and reaping. In the next few verses Jesus gives us five areas which are proof of the sowing and reaping principle, that He taught so often in Scripture:

Sowing and Reaping Principles

(1) Mercy will always lead to mercy (vs. 36) “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” In this case, mercy means to pardon someone who has wronged you. God shows us mercy and pardons us, therefore, we are to show others mercy. If you are merciful then others will be merciful to you. You cannot see and experience the love of God in your life when you are not merciful to other people. 2nd principle of sowing and reaping

(2) Judgment will lead to judgment (v. 37a.) “Do not judge or you will be judged.” If you judge others then others will judge you. We enjoy judging other people but we want no one to judge us.

(3) Condemnation will lead to condemnation (v. 37b.). Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.” Does anyone in here enjoy having others disapprove of you? Do you ever disapprove of someone else? Jesus says, we reap what we sow.

(4) Forgiveness will lead to forgiveness (vs. 37c). “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” If you forgive others then you will experience the forgiveness of God and when you wrong others you will find forgiveness from them. 5th principle

(5) Giving will lead to giving (v. 38). Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Jesus was speaking to men who were mostly farmers except for Peter. (baskets and oats ) ---- demonstration with Dorothy He compared giving to farming. You measure a crop with a certain size – a bushel a peck. I brought this to show you ---- when you pour out of your crop with a certain measurement you will be poured back into – when it is poured back into it is pressed down – shaken together and running over into your lap. With the measure you use in giving it will be measured back to you. You find this principle all through out the bible.

Proverbs 3:9 10 (PBF) “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; (not the leftovers or after you have paid your bills) then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” Jesus said, give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. King Solomon said, honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops then and only then will your barns be filled to overflowing and your vats will bring over with new wine.” Those words and the teaching of Jesus and King Solomon are either true or they are not true. Now listen to me: You will never have enough to start giving ---- you will never give if you think you are going to wait until your debts get paid off ---- you will only know for real if the words of God are true when you begin to give and give and give. Only givers are able to look back over the months and months of giving and see the truth of those words. The more you give the more your barns overflow --- the more you give the more God pours into your lap. This is not a prosperity principle --- this is biblical principle. You cannot expect God to give to you --- you cannot expect good health --- you cannot expect your car to not break down or your dishwasher to break down --- you cannot expect to this see this principle in your life unless you begin to learn to give.

I find it very sad to know of the number of believers who are robbing themselves because they do not believe God and they do not trust Him.

Now – going back to the principle that Jesus gives in verse 38 --- Give and it will be given to you ---- turn in your bible to the last book in the Old Testament. Malachi --- right before Matthew. Chapter 3. The prophet is talking about robbing God – many have heard this but I want to read from verse 10

Here it is again the principle Jesus gives –“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. --- here it is --- do not miss it--- test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room for it ---- and now He tells how he will flood you --- I will prevent pests from devouring your crops – the vines in the field will not caste their fruit and all nations will call you blessed and your land will be a delightful land.” OK --- but why give??? You do not have enough as it is? I could speak 2 more hours on why become a joyful giver but let me give you 5 reasons that I pray move your heart to faith so that you might obey God.

Why become a Joyful Giver?

* Joyful giving will increase your finances.
Proverbs 3:9 -10 “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will bring over with new wine.” I do not understand it and but I know that for some reason those who give joyfully find that money goes further. They do not go into debt. Stuff just seems to last longer. Give and it shall be given to you – pressed down shaken together. Giving joyfully causes you to be content and you are not gripped with materialism. If you are having trouble with finances then look at your giving.
How much are you in debt????? Do you pay only the required amount and how many late payments have you be charged this year? There is no one in this room who would refuse to see their finances increase. Let me put it this way: SLIDE Joyful giving keeps the giving faucet from heaven turned on in your own life. God never gives to believers who are buckets but to believers who are funnels.

* Joyful giving will deepen your spiritual life. (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” You will become more godlike. You will grow in your prayer life. You will grow in your bible reading. You will find more victory over sin in your life. You will not become God but your life will reflect more and more of the life of Christ. People are attracted to givers. Givers have joy. Givers know where what they have comes from. Givers are people persons who point other people to God. Givers are great lovers. 3rd reason

* Joyful giving will enrich your marriage . (Ephesians 5:25) “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church..…” Christ loved the church by giving. Joyful giving enables a man to love His wife as Christ loved the church. A husband who gives cannot help become a man who loves. Giving releases a husband to love like Christ and I would go so far as to say to a women – giving releases a woman to respect her husband. If a single man is not learning to become a joyful giver he will be disabled as a lover when he marries.

* Joyful giving enables a believer to be a forgiver. (Ephesians 4:32) “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” Is in not interesting to you to see that forgive has the word give in it. Forgive means to give away the right to get back at someone. Forgive means to give up hurting that other person in the same way that they hurt you. You cannot be a biblical forgiver and not be a giver. Giving and forgiving go hand in hand. When you forgive as Christ forgave you --- you give freedom to the person who wronged you.

* Joyful giving encourages and enlarges the ministry of your church.
Luke 8:1 – 3 “After this, Jesus traveled about from one town an village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases……. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” Have you ever thought why Jesus did not turn rocks into food for himself and the disciples and why he let the women work and use the money from their work to buy food and feed Jesus and the disciples? All through out the bible you will find God’s plan for building His kingdom on this earth to be a plan that includes His people supporting the work of building the Kingdom of God on this earth. Jesus and the disciples focused on the spiritual ministry and the women supported them to enable them to do such. That was and is God’s plan.

When God’s people joyfully give – a group of God’s people called a church are able to expand the ministry and building of God’s Kingdom. Matthew 9:37-38 says that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few – ask the Lord of harvest to raise up workers to go out into the harvest. If you have been in this church family long enough you know that the Brady family is answer to that prayer. Joyful giving will enable this church family to support sending them out into the mission field. It will take all of us learning together how to become joyful givers – it will not happen with just a few of us as givers.

So –let me review for you: Why become a joyful giver? Joyful giving will enlarge and encourage the ministry of your church --- joyful giving will enable you to forgive like God has forgiven you --- joyful giving will enrich your marriage and single guys joyful giving will equip you to become a great lover. Joyful giving will deepen and mature your spiritual life and joyful giving will increase your finances.

Prayer: Oh God make me a giver