Giving is about the heart (2)

Deuteronomy 15:7–15 ESV

“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ “If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed. You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today.

Introduction

New Series

Were going to start a new series this week called, “Living a life of Blessing.”

And through this series were going to spend the month of February talking about stewardship and

how stewardship leads to blessing in our lives.

Heard this before Before..

If you have been around here for long enough, you’ve heard some of this series before..

We try to teach it about every three years..

and thats because every three years the church changes significantly

As we grow we have a lot of new faces. Many of you were not here three years ago.

and for the rest of us, We don’t remember much of what we heard yesterday, much last three years ago.

So every three years we go through stewardship because some of us have never heard this, and the rest of us need to be reminded.

Grumbling

And i know that there are a lot of people who get uncomfortable when pastors talk about giving..

People don’t like to talk about giving because in our society we don’t particularly like to talk about money..

Its a private issue.

But I want to remind you that giving is about more than money..

as well see in a minute..

and money is a central part of our lives..

and thus its important to talk about how we handle it..

JESUS

Talking about Money is so important and so central to life that Jesus actually talked about it more than he did heaven and hell..

about 15% of his recorded teaching was about money, stewardship and possessions.

and around 15 of his 39 parables revolve around money..

He knew people needed instruction about it..

because it was a large part of their lives..

The bible and giving

Further more..

the bible is all about giving in general….

and much of the giving it talks about isn’t about money..

The core message of scripture is the gospel correct?

John 3:16 (ESV) “For God so loved the world, that he what…. gave his only Son, that whoever what believes in him (Thats you giving your faith) should not perish but have eternal life..

The bible repeatedly talks about giving sacrifices..

giving praise..

Giving forgiveness..

Giving judgement..

Gods giving salvation..

God giving favor..

God giving blessing…

AND YES.. giving tithes.. offerings.. and being generous..

FROM COVER TO COVER, GIVING IS A MAIN CONCEPT IN SCRIPTURE..

Its a fundamental command..

why?

Because giving is not really about posessions..

Its not really about money, or goods, or even sacrifices..

its about the heart.

Our heart…

how you give..

what you give..

and even when you give..

reflects and inner attitude of our heart..

SO YES..

Were gonna talk about for the next few weeks..

and I hope that you’ll lean in

and take what you learn and apply it your life..

Because if you will there are blessings that are unlocked in our lives when we steward what God gives us well. .

So today, were going to start by talking how giving “is a heart issue.. “

More than Money

Anything you give

I want you to go with me to a famous passage of scripture..

one that well probably look at a couple times through this series..

And its one that many preachers have used through the years to talk about giving money..

but I want us to take a deeper look really quick..

First lets look at Matthew 7:1-2

And I want you to see if you can tell me what this passage is talking about..

Matthew 7:1–2 ESV

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

Can anyone tell me what that passage was about?

Judgment right..

Now lets look at its parallel passage in Lukes account..

The same sermon on the mount that Jesus is preaching..

but with a little more detailed recorded..

Look

Luke 6:37–38 ESV

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

About money?

Now many times when you hear that passage you hear pastors talking about money..

and this passage does apply to money..

It applies to anything you give..

as the law of reeping and sowing…

but..

Do you see the word money in their anywhere?

No..

So is the main context of this passage about money?

No.. again it apply to money..

but its not about money..

RATHER.. its about the heart..

The heart

Judge.. condemn.. forgive..

all reflections of the heart..

Jesus is saying ANYTHING you give..

Will be given back pressed down shaken together and running over…

But its because of the posture of the heart..

Paul

Look what paul tell the corinthians in 2 corinthians…

2 Corinthians 9:6–7 ESV

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (Theres the law of reaping and sowing..) Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Paul says..

You will reap what you sow..

but you have to decide the what in your heart..

and give freely and with cheer towards God..

Why does Paul address this?

Because giving is a heart issue..

its about the heart…

but why?

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT THAT WE TREAT OUR MONEY LIKE AS GOD TELL US?

Where you treasure is..

Remember what Jesus said..

Matthew 6:19–21 ESV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus tells us that the position of your treasure will even determine the posture of your heart..

Because where your treasure is you heart will be ..

Whats our treasure?

In modern day our treasure is our money..

now we treasure other things too

but the implications of this verse are implying our money..

our gold .. silver.. dollars..

think about it..

Stocks

If you buy a stock in the stock market..

youll find yourself checking that stock..

something you never did before..

you didnt care how it was going before..

but now your monies there..

and because it is you heart is there..

You see you can put your treasure in your house.. and you car.. and your goods..

and youll end up putting you heart.. and your hope.. and you peace.. in you stuff..

and youll have what you have and not more..

BUT

when you put your treasure in the kingdom.. y

our put your heart in the kingdom..

and you end up gaining things that stuff could not bring..

peace..

blessing..

favor..

Because your treasure is in the kingdom..

AGAIN..

and again..

Treasure shouldn’t just be defined as money..

because their are even more important treasures..

but Money is the treasure that consumes our life..

working for it..

earning it..

saving it..

spending it..

giving it..

much of our lives are consumed by the producing and handling of money..

and if were not careful.. it can end up consuming us..

and our heart can get tied up in it..

INSTEAD..

God commands us to give back into the kingdom..

and to be generous with others..

and in doing so we find our heart in the kingdom..

Why did God create giving…

A pastor once asked a seminary class..

why did God invite giving?

And he did.. like we said.. in his word he directs us to tithe, to give, to sacrifice..

One student who thought they were wise said.. ..

“well to support his kingdom of course..”

The pastor laughed … and said.. no..

Think about that for a moment..

The God who spoke the universe into existence with words..

Do you really think he NEEDS our money?

No..

He doesn't..

God can provide well without us..

Now, he uses us..

And he does support the kingdom with what we give..

but if not one ever gave another dime he would find a way to make sure everything was taken care of..

God created giving for us..

Because giving, more than any other means, forces us to put our trust in God..

It becomes a way to participate in the kingdom and be a part of the work..

God created giving for man..

So many could put his faith and trust in God..

So our heart would be in the Kingdom.

Giving is about the heart..

Dealing with out heart

so I want to look real quick about four ways in which we have to deal with our heart if were going to be the givers God has called us to be..

Deal with a selfish heart..

The first one is this.. we have to deal with a selfish heart..

In verse 7-8 God gives the people the command to be generous..

but then he gives them a warning in verse 9

Deuteronomy 15:9 ESV

Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin.

God says..

Be careful..

don’t let an unworthy thought come in.. (Some translations says wicked there.. )

And you think..

If I give this man what he needs..

next year..

int he 7th year..

the year of release..

He wont have to pay me back..

so im not going to give to him..

Seven years..

You see in the economy god established..

every seven years all debt was forgiven..

Dont you wish we still had that economy..

Tempted..

and he says dont be tempted to withhold from him..

knowing he wont have to pay you back next year..

Wicked..

Notice.. God labels this selfish attitude as “Wicked”

And acting on that wicked thought it leads to what.. to sin..

Selfish

One of the biggest roadblocks to having a generous heart is a selfish heart..

The heart that says its all about me..

By nature

humanity is selfish by nature..

no one has to teach us to be selfish..

From birth

when we come out of the womb..

we start crying..

and that crying is translated.. HOLD ME.. FEED ME.. CHANGE ME.. LOVE ME..

And then when we grow up..

one of the first words we learn is..

MINE..

MINE

Adults..

and adults are no better..

have you ever gone through a drive through with your spouse?

on of the first fights krista and I ever had was in a drive through

(Tell story)

WE ARE SELFISH BY NATURE..

BUT GOD WANTS TO EXPELL THAT SELFISHNESS OUT OF OUR HEART..

AND HE DOES THAT THROUGH GIVING..

BECAUSE GIVING TAKES THE FOCUS OFF OF US AND PUTS IT ON THE RECEIPIENT OF OUR GIFT..

THE KINGDOM, GOD, OTHERS..

AND WORKS THE SELFISHNESS OUT OF OUR LIVES..

and again.. thats not just about money..

That can apply to anything given..

BUT MONEY IS A BIG ONE..

at the risk of sounding like a tv preacher..

I wonder is theres anyone in here that would just give me $100 right now..

Deal with a grieving heart

The second attitude we have to deal with is a grieving heart..

look at verse 10

Deuteronomy 15:10 ESV

You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.

After addressing a selfish heart.. we have to deal with a grieving heart..

Notice god says..

If you will give freely..

with a pure heart..

like paul said..

A cheerful heart..

I will bless you.. and all your work..

BUT..

he implies that a grieving heart can rob us of that blessing..

so whats a grieving heart?

Buyers remorse

Have you ever.. bought something big.. and you were super excited about it..

But when you woke up the next day..you  thought.. on no.. what have I done..

Buyers Remorese..

If we let it.. our heart will be like that with our giving..

and it can rob us of our blessing..

Instead of being cheerful givers..

and giving freely..

we begin to think things like..

man.. I could have done all these other things with that money..

and we start to grieve the loss of it..

and god said..

don’t do that..

When we grieve it tells us that our giving is about us..

Is says we dont trust God will provide..

So how do we conquer a grieving heart?

Ask Phil

Do you grieve the loss of this money phil?

no

Why do you think it was so easy phil to give me this money..

because I gave it to him before church and told him.. when I ask you I need you to give me that $100 back..

It wasn’t his..

how do we deal with a grieving heart when it comes to giving..

we remember that it doesn’t belong to us..

Psalm 24:1 ESV

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,

It all belongs to god..

Given

and hes given it to us to be good stewards of it..

Hes given us the ability to work..

the skill to make money..

the mind for what we do..

the blessing of provision..

and then he commands us to be obedient and generous with it..

WE ARE JUST STEWARDS NOT OWNERS!

If God gave, and God asks you to give.. he will give more!

THERE IS NO GRIEVING NESSASARY..

THERE IS NOT GIVERS REMORSE!!

We can BE A CHEERFUL GIVER AND STAY CHEERFUL AFTERWARDS!

MAKE IT A JOYFUL EXPEREINCE INSTEAD OF A DREADED ONE!

AND GOD WILL REWARD YOU CHEERFUL HEART AND BLESS YOU EVEN MORE!

So we have to deal with and get rid of selfishness and giving grief…

and then look..

He tells us two things to replace with with instead..

Develop a generous heart..

the first is a generous heart..

look at verse 12-14

Deuteronomy 15:12–14 ESV

“If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed. You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.

Now Jesus is talking about a servant..

someone who you owe nothing..

They worked for you..

But now the year or release has come..

and even though he has paid his debt..

look what god tell the people…

Your gonna send him out well..

Liberally..

That word is not a political statement..

Its a statement of abundance..

He says your gonna heap blessing on him..

JUST LIKE GOD HAS BLESSED YOU.. YOU SHALL BLESS HIM..

Abraham..

remember what God origionally promised Abraham?

Genesis 12:2 ESV

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

he was blessed.. so he could bless..

 Gods desire in blessing his people is not to spoil them..

Its so they can carry on his nature and be a blessing to the world themselves..

You see God want us to deal with our selfish heart..

Our grieving heart..

so we can have a generous heart..

What is a generous heart?

what is a generous heart?

Its a heart that gives like god the given gives..

one who blesses even though we don’t deserve it..

one who give.. even when it cost him greatly..

one who cares for other a head of themselves..

That the kind of heart God wants us to have..

because its the kind he has..

One that is willing to share what one has with who ever needs it.

We need to develop a generous heart..

Beyond the minimum..

generosity is the heart that goes beyond the minimum..

It goes above and beyond the obligation..

It goes beyond the natural inclination of human kind to conserve everything it have in self preservation..

It takes of itself and gives to those who need..

It shares what it has so other can have too..

It delights in doing good for those around it..

It gives unconditionally and freely because it knows that God has blessed it and will continue to do so far and above anything it could give..

THIS IS A GENEROUS HEART..

ONE THAT DOESNT JUST RECEIVE PRESSED DOWN SHAKEN TOGETHER AND RUNNING OVER..

BUT GIVES PRESSED DOWN SHAKEN TOGETHER AND RUNNING OVER..

AND THE KIND OF HEART GOD WANTS US TO HAVE..

And its based not just in the desire to be generous..

but its based in the understanding of our forth heart condition..

Gratitude..

The grateful heart..

Ultimately god wants us to deal with our selfish and grieving heart.

and develop a generous heart..

out of our deep love and admiration for him..

WE GIVE.. BECAUSE HE GAVE..

WE LOVE .. BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US..

GENEROSITY and CHEERFUL GIVING, IS FOUNDED IN GRATITUDE..

Look how God ends our passage..

Deuteronomy 15:15 ESV

You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today.

God says..

I want you to be mindful not to let your heart be selfish..

and not to grieve your giving..

I want you to be generous..

And i want you to do those things and remember what I have done for you..      

Gratitude recognizes the great debt we owed god.. that has been paid by Jesus..

A debt we could not pay..

and wants to do whatever possible to show appreciation and recognition for what we have received..

Altar Call..

We’ve talked a lot about giving today..

But i want to remind you that we give.. because we have already richly received..

a little over 2000 years ago Jesus came and was born..

He lived and ultimatly gave up his life for us..

John 3:16 that we read earlier told us that..

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

I wonder..

Have you received that gift today?