Commitment’s Blessing
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Last week we finished up our Nehemiah series by looking at the reset that happened for the Israelites after they finished rebuilding the walls
We read the lengthy passage in Nehemiah 10 where they were giving back to the house of God
Here are some of the things mentioned:
Things brought to the temple:
Wood
Firstfruits of crops and trees
Firstborn cattle, herds and flocks
First of ground meal and grain offerings
First of trees
New wine and oil
10th of crops
Other contributions of grain, wine, oil
They ended with this thought
Nehemiah 10:39 (NIV)
39 … “We will not neglect the house of our God.”
As they were rebuilding and resetting after repenting, part of what they did was to make the house of God a priority again
So, I begin with this question for you?
How important is the house of God to you?
How important is the house of God to you?
Have you resolved to not neglect the house of God?
This morning we are going to look at an important part of being a disciple of Jesus through giving.
Not just the importance of giving, but the blessings we receive when we give.
I want to approach this discussion from a heart posture this morning
Giving is not an obligation for the believer, it is an outflow of a right heart!
We are going to unpack this biblically
Before we get there, I want to look at some different camps when it comes to giving.
Hear me right now, I am not sharing this to condemn this morning, but to shed light on where you might be, and and for you to prayerfully consider where God might want you to be
Camps
1. Resistant - Don’t give
1. Resistant - Don’t give
Random Caller
Bad Teaching
Disgruntled Members
Random Caller - don’t go to church, they don’t give to church, but they sure want to get from the church - idea that we have a money printer in the back and have tons of money
Bad Teaching - taught that giving is not a requirement in the new testament - that may be true, but the implication is that we don’t have to give, so we don’t
Disgruntled members - mad at the leadership or decisions made, it’s not going the way they want, or they have some hostility in their heart, so they don’t give
2. Random - give occasionally
2. Random - give occasionally
giving is not consistent, but they will give some - throw a $20 bill in the plate sometimes
give to things they think are important as they come up
Don’t give a consistent amount or a tithe
3. Resolute - always give
3. Resolute - always give
maybe they were taught that you give to the church - you always go to church, you always dress nice, and you always give 10% of your income
they don’t miss giving, if they miss a week, they double it up next week
Do you fall into one of these groups? Let’s talk about some possible struggles in each of them:
Resistant - the struggle here is a bad heart posture - it’s possible that there is some anger and frustration built up and because of this, they are not able to serve God fully. They are likely missing out in ways that God wants to bless them!
"There are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, mind, and the purse."
— Martin Luther
It is possible that there is some heart conversion that needs to take place
2. Random - a possible struggle here is though not resistant to giving, you still might be locked up in this area and God may not have full access to your life - you might not have given Him access to that area
Maybe if you’re in this camp, you need the Holy Spirit to challenge you to full commitment of your finances
A lot of people here haven’t been taught to give every area of their lives to God
Maybe there is some fear here or unbelief that God will provide
Or maybe simple teaching that God blesses you when you have a heart to give - stay tuned
3. Resolute - one of the possible struggles here is the temptation to control - you have given so much for so long, you think that gives you authority, as if the finances are still yours - but you gave them away - you have given the finances to God, it is not for you to control anymore
Another possible struggle here is the trap of legalism - you think that because you have given so much, God owes you something. When something goes wrong, you might blame God. How could He let this happen when you have given so much to Him.
Or, you think that you have earned your way to heaven or for His blessings. Entitlement might set in.
"Giving is more than a responsibility—it is a privilege; more than an act of obedience—it is an expression of love."
— Charles Stanley
Now that we’ve looked at some possible struggles, Let’s talk about a heart posture that is right
A heart posture that is right, is not one that gives resistantly, or randomly, or even resolutely, but one that gives in love!
"Give, but give until it hurts, for this is real love."
— Mother Teresa
Real love means to sacrifice, to let go, and to trust!
In James 2, he is talking to the church in the context of faith and works
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?
15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
So, to be like Jesus means that it is not simply enough to wish someone well,
“sending good thoughts” would be the modern equivalent, probably
James says that true faith is expressed in action - in this case, loving the other by clothing and feeding them!
Christians should be people who give, because we love!
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
19 We love because he first loved us.
The christian life is an outflow of what God has done for us!
When we recognize that we have surrendered our lives to Him, that means everything, including our finances!
Our heart posture becomes: “what He gives us, we will steward!”
This includes:
time
talents
treasures
temple (body)
So, we steward these things as an outflow of what God has done in us!
With this heart posture as our lens, we look at what scripture says about giving
This is what happened for the Israelites in the Nehemiah story
Their hearts were refocused on God, and it was displayed in what they gave!
God gives us principles in scripture to shape our hearts to being like his
God gave His firstborn son for us, so we give our firsts to Him
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
When we give to God, He will take care of us!
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
what are “all these things?”
If you read back you see:
clothing
food/water
basic necessities - God will provide when we seek His Kingdom and Righteousness, including the principle of giving in love
24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. 25 A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
These aren’t just old testament principles, they are kingdom principles
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Our hope is not in wealth, it is in Jesus - so we give, as Jesus gave and we will be blessed
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
9 As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
The principle is that you gives and it produces righteousness - because this is a kingdom principle
The the Lord blesses us when we live according to His principles
You are all likely familiar Malachi 3 if you have ever heard a sermon on giving
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
I don’t want to just look at the floodgates of heaven here
I want to look at the why behind it
The tithes and offerings were stored up to be provided for those in need
They provided for the work in the temple, for the Levites as they didn’t have a share of the land
And to give to the poor
God is essentially saying to bring the tithe and offering to provide for the work He is doing and for those in need!
So, this is OT, the principle is eternal - give to the work of the Lord and to provide for those in need!
What does He promise, all the blessings!
When we sow into what God is doing, we reap the benefits - because is the work of God!
We don’t give to get, we give out of a pure heart!
35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."
— John Wesley
Questions:
Why do we give?
What do we give?
Who do we give to?
Why do we give?
we give because God first gave to us! We give because we know all is God’s,
What do we give?
all of our time, all of our talents, all of our treasures, and all of our temples (bodies)
Who do we give to?
those in need…to the work of God!
How important is the house of God and ministry of God to you?
If you’re wanting a good starting point, 10% of your firstfruits is what God thinks is a good idea, I would start there
I want to end this morning with a by Corrie ten Boom
"The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation."
— Corrie ten Boom
How much will we give to God?
What are we not willing to give to Him?
When you surrender your life, all that you are and have, you will find His blessings on your life!
Maybe this morning, some of us need to make some commitments. Let’s seek the Lord and “decide in our hearts”, as Paul said, what to give. Allow the Lord to free us and to challenge us this morning.
Before we give anything, it is important to give everything!
If you haven’t given lordship to Jesus, this morning is a good time to do that!
