Giving Back
Notes
Transcript
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.
“For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
What is more important-
To give a lot, or
To give generously, or
To give joyfully
Why is the attitude of the giver and the gift so important?
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
Anyone who has been part of a working farm or private business, understands that your reward is directly connected to the amount of effort you put into the farm or business.
(Nicks story of breeding cattle) In -30 degree weather, we fed the cows all Winter
Why?
Because they couldn’t feed themselves
If we didn’t feed them, they would starve to death in the cold.
Since Nick made his money on selling the yearling cows
Sickly cows in the Winter didn’t breed well in the Spring
Which meant fewer, if any calves to go to market.
If cows didnt get fed in Winter
They didnt make it to Spring
No calving season, means no money for the ranch.
So, that’s why we fed the cows every day, even when it was -30 first thing in the morning.
The main point of this passage, is simple
God sees, not only, what is given, but also the attitude of the giver.
Is it possible to give generously and still not be happy about it?
(Question of pride)
Not just a NT idea, but also in the OT
Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end.
The Greek version of the OT, “God blesses a man who gives cheerfully, / but his worthless deeds will come to an end”
So, instead of trying to impress God with our giving-
God is more impressed with our attitude in our giving then our bank account.
So times we can be challenged to give beyond what we think is prudent or even possible.
Yet God knows everything, and will never ask us to do something that is outside our ability to accomplish
He will use things like our generosity to stretch and expand our faith and trust in Him, but
He will never stretch us so far that He breaks us.
As an example, we have Jesus as the Perfect illustration.
Jesus, being all God and all man, gave Himself totally as the final sacrifice for our sins,
That means that God gave of Himself so that we could live in right relationship with Him, and not condemned in our sins.
In life it is vital that we become better “Givers” than “Takers”
In a world where so many have far less than we do in America, When we have the opportunity to help, we should.
Just remember, no matter how hard you may think life is, (And sometimes life is REALLY hard)
There is always someone, somewhere in this world having it rougher than you.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Doing something for someone else, WITHOUT EXPECTING ANYTHING IN RETURN,
Is one of the most powerful things one person can do for another.
Ex- The Church funding our KOZ campout last summer.
It’s a fact that people who donate their time or finances to others are happier and healthier than those that dont.
Why do you think this is so important?
God created us this way
God’s Kingdom is all about giving to others.
God’s Ultimate gift to humanity-
Eternal life through the Gift of Salvation in Jesus Christ
This does not mean that if you give all of your allowance in the church offering this week, that God is automatically going to bless you with even more allowance next week- It doesnt work that way.
Giving with a cheerful heart means- We Give to worthy causes because we want to...
We see the felt need and want to help.
We will be blessed with a sense of Peace and internal Joy that spending your allowance on STUFF cannot compare to.
Some ways to practice Giving Back this week.
Always be sensitive to the needs of others.
KOZ pledge- We support each other
We Look after our brothers and consider them before ourselves.
Remember, just a Smile or a simple “Hello” can make someone’s day.
Always keep in mind that- Giving Back Matters
Find some Bible Scriptures that highlight giving
Memorize a verse about Giving
When we give of our time, efforts and resources:
We are actively taking a role in God’s work
In the church
And in the Community
God’s blessing will come back to us in ways that we could never imagine.
One of the biggest challenges I have ever been confronted with-
A Pastor who was a excellent Mentor for me, once set this challenge before me.
“Just try to out-give God...I dare ya”
It’s not possible, but it sure is fun to try.
