Giving my Resources
Earthly Treasures • Sermon • Submitted
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· 3 viewsGiving is synonomous with Lordship. Because we belong to God, everything we have is His, and to be used for the Kingdom.
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Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’ “Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ”
In this short series, we will explore what God says about giving, and why it’s vital for Christ’s disciples to have a plan for their earthly treasures.
Today, we are going to take a look at the giving of our resources in light of how the Bible instructs.
We can define resources as our treasure, which would be our money and tangible assets, like property.
Now before you tune me out, you need to know how important this is.
The Bible mentions the use of money approximately some 184 times: 134 in the Old Testament and 50 in the New Testament (The majority of the time by Jesus).
The worship or hording of money and things is distinctly spoken against.
God cares and takes notice of what you do with your money and assets.
What you do with your money reveals your heart.
I. They are not mine.
I. They are not mine.
The parable makes a great observation, the kings servants were given money to invest.
The kings servants were given money to invest.
A. What do you have that God has not given?
A. What do you have that God has not given?
It’s easy for us to believe the hype that we are the captain of our own destinies, and although we have freedom in many ways, we are where we are right now because God has put us here.
The jobs we have relate to the skills we posses and are a gift from Him.
What if you were born in a third world country with nothing?
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10
B. Do you posses them or do they posses you?
B. Do you posses them or do they posses you?
Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!
“You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
II. They have been given for a purpose.
II. They have been given for a purpose.
A. To be invested in Kingdom work.
A. To be invested in Kingdom work.
In kingdom work
Immediately the question arises, how much?
The Biblical minimum.
A Tithe = 10%
Not established under the law but under grace.
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.
I mention this because many who argue against tithing, do so by attributing it under the law.
The Biblical freedom.
Under grace, we have freedom to give abundantly as God puts on our hearts with free will offerings. But not the freedom to give stingily!
Hence, the freedom allows us to give above and beyond the tithe.
We begin at the tithe and give freely and happily beyond that.
The logic that tries to escape tithing as the starting point, denies the position that grace raises the bar, not lowers it, as evidenced in the sermon on the mount.
The Biblical attitude.
The Biblical attitude.
In others
The N.T. is clear especially in the teachings of Paul, that God loves a cheerful giver. ().
B. To pay dividends.
B. To pay dividends.
Our investment pays off with real lives changed, souls saved, and disciples made!
If we are not involved in this cooperative effort, we are denying the faith!
and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
We invest personally and cooperatively, not one or the other!
III. They reflect whom I serve.
III. They reflect whom I serve.
Jesus says in -
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Romans
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Where is your heart in this matter?
Is your treasure being invested in you or the kingdom of God?
But most try to straddle between the two, and find a happy medium.
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
If as true disciples of Jesus, we consider
As true disciples of Jesus, if we accumulate resources for our own pleasure and not for their intended use in kingdom growth, we are selling out Jesus!
Yes, we have to live, pay rent, or mortgage, have a car, take vacations.
God does not deny us these things.
But, there are plenty of places where we could curb our spending and maximize our giving and support for kingdom work!
You just need to decide, whom you serve!