Principles for Christian giving

Principles for Christian Giving,

Matthew 6:1-4

What’s the best you’ve ever received?

· Throughout my life, I’ve been given so many gifts and am thankful.

However, as wonderful as those gifts are, there’s no gift more precious to me than the gift God gave me when He opened my eyes to the truth of the gospel.

· God gave me a saving faith in Jesus and a heart of repentance.

· That day, I was born again, and by God’s grace, I’ve never gotten over it.

A lot changed in my heart and in my life that day.

One of the biggest changes was an understanding that my life no longer belonged to me.

Romans 14:7–8 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

One way we live this out is through generously giving to the church for the work of the ministry that:

· Others would come to know Christ through our work locally as well as our support of missionaries.

· To support the discipleship ministry of Christians in the church.

· And to help those in need.

The principle Scripture teaches is that Christians have been given more than anyone else; therefore, Christians should be more generous givers than anyone else.

· As simple as this principle is, it’s not something God asks us to do on our own.

o He has given us a new heart with a desire to live as He commands.

o He has also given us the Holy Spirit to guide us in doing this.

However, even though we’ve been born again, we struggle with the sin that remains in us.

o We’re tempted to forget that our heavenly Father provides for our every need and instead rely on ourselves.

o This, in turn, produces a tendency to guard all we have and restrain the Holy Spirit's encouragement to be generous.

Of course, on top of that is all that false teaching on money, possessions, and giving.

· Maybe, because of these things, you’ve been tempted not to give generously.

Yet, not being generous with what God has given to us is out of character for a person who has been born again.

Today, we’ll see three biblical principles for Christian giving that will help you understand how to follow Jesus in consistent, generous giving.

· I hope the Holy Spirit is already filling your heart with an eager expectation to become an even more joy-filled generous giver.

<Matthew 6:1-4>

The first principle of Christian giving is that:

A. Giving must be from the right motivation.(1-2)

Context: This passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount.

· The sermon's theme centers around the righteousness required of Jesus’ followers.

<cf. 5:20>

· Jesus goes on to give examples about anger and murder. (5:21-26)

· Adultery and lust. (27-30)

· Divorce (31-32)

· Making vows and lying. (33-37) etc…

In 6:1-18, Jesus builds on that by teaching that right actions that come from wrong motives don’t please God.

· He gives three examples that include giving to the poor, prayer, and fasting.

1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

1. What would be considered “wrong motivation” for giving?

o The wrong motivation is to gain status in the eyes of others.

<23:5-7> -This was Jesus’ criticism of the religious leaders.

o Another wrong motivation is to imagine that by giving money to the church will make you right with God.

2. What is the “right motivation” for giving?

<5:16>

· Your life should point people to God’s glory not yours.

This includes our giving.

· We give for the glory of God.

o The Christian’s heart is filled with gratitude in knowing how generous God has been with us, and we desire to show generosity to others.

In the context of v.1-2, the “right motivation” is that:

a) Jesus wants us to have concern for the poor.

<Deuteronomy 15:7-11>

NOTE: Although giving to the poor is the focus of v.1-4, the principles apply to giving in general.

3. How do you have the “right motivation?”

o It begins with being grateful to God for what you have and recognizing that God works through you to minister to others in tangible ways.

a) We're acknowledging that all we have is from God.

§ Everything belongs to God.

§ In giving we're testifying to these truths along with demonstrating what we believe about God and His value to us.

§ We're stewards of what belongs to God.

b) God is working through Christians to minister to others.

§ This principle is illustrated in <Matthew 25:31-45>

§ Notice that giving generously is so much a part of the normal Christian life that the people in v.37-39 asked, “When did we do this?”

Christian giving comes from a right motive.

The second principle of Christian giving might shock you:

B. Christians giving doesn’t involve a tithe.

· If you've been around the church for a while, you likely think giving is 10%.

o I'll give my tithe, and that's 10% of my income.

· Although people commonly think of giving 10% as the tithe found in the Old Testament, the tithe was much more.

Context: Israel was a theocracy.

· The tithe paid the priests who were, to a degree, the government officials.

o The tithe also funded the government in general and paid for helping the poor.

· Actually, the tithe wasn't 10% but rather totaled more than 23%.

o There was a tithe that for the support of the Levites,

o One for the temple and the feasts,

o And one for the poor.

Therefore, in thinking about Israel’s governmental system you see that it would be more accurate to think of the tithe as paying taxes.

· Therefore, the tithe belonged to God which is why Malachi said in 3:8.

Malachi 3:8 8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

Tithing wasn’t the only sort of giving.

1. In addition to the tithe, the Israelites were encouraged to do free-will giving.

Exodus 25:2 2 “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves himyou shall raise My contribution.

The standard of free-will giving was to give generously according to what you decided to give.

2. For Christians, the requirement for giving is the same.

a) Pay your taxes <Romans 13:1, 6-7>

b) Generous free will giving <2 Corinthians 9:6-7>

Maybe for you, that’s 10%, and for someone else, that might be another amount.

· For example, Robert LeTourneau invented earthmoving equipment.

o During WW2, 70% of all the earthmoving equipment used by the Allied Forces came from his company.

· He and his wife decided to give 90% of their income and live on 10%.

So, we’ve seen that:

· Giving must be from the right motivation and is a normal part of the Christian life.

· Christians don’t tithe; rather, we bring generous free-will offerings.

The third principle of Christian giving is that:

C. Jesus'example directs us in personal giving.

<Philippians 2:5-8>

The backdrop against which we think about giving is the generosity of Christ.

· Jesus willingly and joyfully set aside His glory and His divine prerogatives and humbled Himself to the point of humiliation.

2 Corinthians 8:9 9 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.

· Jesus gave of Himself to the point of giving everything.

a) Giving is an important way that the Holy Spirit works in Christians to make us more like Christ.

Hebrews 11:6 6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

· God commands Christians to give generously, and doing so is an act of faith.

o As you participate in the ministry of the church through giving

It’s been said that “The last thing to be converted is a man’s wallet.”

Maybe you’re wondering what that looks like specifically.

· We could summarize how Christians give as proportionally and systematically.

1. Christians give generously in proportion to what you have.

· We don't give what we don't have.

· We don't give based on what someone else gives.

· We don't give what we hope to have.

This means those who have more give more, and those who have less give less.

2. Christians give systematically.

<1 Corinthians 16:1-2>

· Paul’s talking about an offering for destitute Christians in Jerusalem.

a) The church met weekly, and giving was part of the worship service.

o Notice also that they were to put aside and save, as he may prosper.

o He’s saying, as God provides systematically for you, set aside the amount you’re going to give.

We’ve seen three principles for Christian giving:

(1) Giving must be from the right motivation and is a normal part of the Christian life.

(2) Christians don’t tithe; rather, we bring generous free-will offerings.

(3) Jesus' example directs us in personal giving.

My point in this sermon is to teach you that Jesus expects Christians to follow His example in giving.