Right Giving Comes From Right Motive

Intro

we are in our series, A Generous Life. We started a couple weeks by looking at why it is better to give then to receive. We looked at Paul’s example of a generous life, and how coveting is actually the enemy of generosity.

Last week we had Canada’s Double Portion come, and you were very generous to them. I was blown away by your generosity, and I’m sure they were too. So thank you church for being so generous.

This morning as we continue our look at generosity, we are going to have a look at our motives. Why do you practice generosity, and what does God say about our motives.

We are going to be in the gospels this morning. To start, we are going to be in Luke 14:12-14. For a little context because we are jumping in at the halfway part of the story, Jesus has been invited to a meal. As he sits, he notices that everyone is trying to get the seat of honor. He then teaches them that it is better to take the most humble seat and let the one who invited you elevate you to the seat of honor, then to take the seat of honor and be humbled by the host.

It is with this back drop of humility that he dives into the second half of his teaching.

Luke 14:12–14 NLT

Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Give like Christ

Jesus tells his host, and no doubt the crowd as they eagerly listen in to the story, that it is better to give to those who can’t return the favor then it is to give to those who can. Why? Because if you give to those who can’t give back, you will receive your reward at the resurrection.

But there is another reason we are to give and not expect something back. It is the example that Jesus gave us on the cross. While you were still an enemy of Christ, He died for you to take away your sins. Jesus paid the price and gave you the gift of salvation, and there is absolutely no way you could ever pay Him back for it. There is no good deed, there is nothing that will eve measure up to the amazing gift of salvation that Christ gives you.

So what did Jesus teach us to do instead? Pay it forward. You could never pay Jesus back for what He did, so instead why don’t you give to those who could never pay you back.

The second passage we are going to look at is Matthew 6:1-4. We are going to be bouncing back and forth between these two passages. This is what Jesus says in Matthew.

Matthew 6:1–4 NLT

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Seek God’s Approval

Both passages bring up the idea of reward, but you can only receive one reward for your good deeds.

If you give only to those who can give back, and if you only give to draw attention to yourself and how generous you are, when you receive your praise or when you get paid back, you have received your reward. You’ve got your recognition, you’ve got your praise, good job.

But Jesus says that it would be better if people never knew about your good deeds and your generosity. Why? Because then you will receive a heavenly reward from your heavenly Father.

This can be tough because sometimes it is nice to get that instant gratification, that recognition. This is the problem with sin and doing things the world’s way. It doesn’t take into account the everlasting nature of God’s heavenly rewards and His blessing. Jesus told us to store treasures in heaven where theif can’t steal and moth and rust can’t destroy.

The issue with living for the praise and recognition of today is that the reward never lasts. It is so much better to seek the approval of our Heavenly Father, because that is an everlasting approval.

This brings us to the second enemy of true generosity, and that is hypocrisy. I found this story that I thought fit really well.

Hypocrisy can show up in the smallest of things. “Following a great sermon on lifestyle evangelism one family thought they had better do something to witness to Jesus. So they invited their neighbours to dinner the following Friday night. When it came to the meal, the hostess was keen to show their neighbours that they upheld Christian standards in their home. So she asked little 5 year old Johnny to say grace. Little Johnny was a bit shy. ‘I don't know what to say.’ … ‘Well darling,’ she said, ‘just say what Daddy said at breakfast this morning.’ Obediently, the boy repeated, ‘Oh God, we've got those awful people coming to dinner tonight’"

A hypocrite is like a white washed tomb. It looks really good on the outside, but inside is full of dead bones.

I think it important to pause and share this reminder. Generosity is not limited to our finances, though that can be one of the toughest places to exercise it. But Jesus calls us to give everything generously. Whether it is our love, our joy, our service, and even our forgiveness. Jesus held nothing back from us, so why would it be ok to hold something back from others?

Is your generosity or your good deeds just for show, to save face, or are they an expression of your relationship with Christ? Whose praise are you seeking? Whose approval do you desire?

I’m going to close with this. It is a litmus test for your motives. It can be hard to know what your true motives are, and so I know this will help.

“If our desire is to do right—to give light—we’re acting in the spirit of Christ. But if we only desire to appear right—to get the spotlight—we have the wrong motive”

Are you giving light to someone, or are you trying to steal the spotlight? When we live our lives with right motives, the spotlight should only ever be on Christ.

Let’s pray

1. What stood out from the message?

2. “True generosity gives and expects nothing back.” Where can you practice this kind of generosity more?

3. What does it mean to ‘give light’ and how can you give more light this holiday season?