How Can I Give And Enjoy It
HOW CAN I GIVE AND ENJOY IT?
I heard about an IRS agent who called a church and the agent asked the pastor, "Is Mr. Fred Bagley a member of your church?" The pastor said, "Yes he is." The IRS agent continued, "He reported to us, that he gave $25,000 to your church last year. Is that true?" The pastor said, "I will have to check and get back with you." So the pastor got the information and called the IRS agent back and said, "No, Mr. Fred Bagley did not give the church $25,000 last year, but he will."
I heard about a church back East that bought a new kind of offering plate, guaranteeing to increase offerings' 30%. It was a strange offering plate. It was designed that if you put anything smaller than a $5.00 bill, a loud siren would go off. And if you put in $1.00 bill a loud buzzer went off, and if you only put in a quarter, a loud whistle sounded off. And if you don't put in anything, the offering plate takes your picture. They bought 10 of those.
If you believe what the Bible says we are saved by grace, say "Amen." If you believe that the Bible says Jesus Christ is coming again say, "Amen." If you believe that when you give to God, God blesses you, say, "Amen." I thrilled that we can trust God for salvation. And I thrilled that you are believing that Jesus is coming again. And we can certainly trust God in what he has to say about money.
Over half of all the parables that Jesus told dealt with man and his possessions. And if you really want to know the truth, Jesus spoke more about money and our relationship to it than he spoke about heaven, hell, baptism, eternal judgment, and the second coming all put together. So if we're a church that is going to speak where the Bible speaks we are committed to speak about finances, other wise we are not teaching the whole counsel of God. So this morning I want to share with you, How You Can Give and Like It.
My goal for Crossroads is that when we mention the word offering, we get excited, we start smiling and laughing, and we start cheering for Jesus. Now we are not there yet. But I hope we can get excited that way, because it is such a vital response to God. So let me share with you How You can Really Give And Enjoy It.
FIRST -- KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANAGEMENT AND OWNERSHIP.
There is a big, big difference. The Bible says in:
Psalm 24:1
1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; (NIV)
Most of us have read that Scripture or quoted that Scripture. But I'm not sure we really believe it. Look at Deuteronomy 10:14. God makes a tremendous statement about His ownership. Look at what it says:
Deuteronomy 10:14
14 To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. (NIV)
That settles it doesn't? That very clearly tells us that God is the owner because He is the creator. Right now some of you may be thinking, "God owns all of nature, but He does not own my pay check. I work for that." Oh, really? Go back in the book of Deuteronomy and look at 8:17:
Deuteronomy 8:17-18
17 You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. (NIV)
Powerful words aren't they? It is God who provides you with energy. It is God who provides you with breath. It is God who provides you with health. It is God who made transportation available for you to get to work. It is God who gives you the skills. So even our paychecks does not belong to us. It belongs to God. Look at Psalm 50. And again God is speaking.
Psalm 50:11-12
11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. 12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. (NIV)
That really settles it. God owns everything. We don't own anything. You don't own the equality in your home. You don't own your IRA accounts. You don't own your CD's. You don't own your checking or savings account. You don't own the car you came in today. You don't own anything. It all belongs to God. God holds the final title deed. The Bible says, "You brought nothing into this world, and we will take nothing out of this world. (1 Timothy 6:70" There are not U-hals on the back of hearses. There is not even a trailer hitch on the back of the hears. We don't own anything. But we are called to be managers of what God owns.
In Luke 14:33 there is a revolutionary statement by Jesus. In fact Luke 14:33 makes some people's nerves.
Luke 14:33
33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. (NIV)
What in the world does Jesus mean by that? Does Jesus mean that when you become a Christian you have to bring your car, and your house and all of your savings and give it to the church? Is that what Jesus means? No. Jesus is talking about something
far more revolutionary than that. Jesus is talking about settle an issue that immediately needs to be settled when you become a Christian. What issue is that? The issue is that you do not own anything, God owns it all. Have you acknowledge that?
ILLUSTRATION
We don't own a thing. We are managers, caretakers, stewards if you please. The ownership belongs to God. That leads us to the second principle.
SECOND -- WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD FOR WHAT WE MANAGE.
This will make your giving much more freer and happier. In Matthew 25 is the parable of talents. Talents meaning the amount of money, not ability. But in verse 14 parable begins.
Matthew 25:14
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. (NIV)
Notice that the master did not give them money, he entrusted them to manage the money. They weren't owners, they were managers.
Matthew 25:15
15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. (NIV)
God has entrusted to you what you can handle. Now watch this.
Matthew 25:16-18
16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. (NIV)
When the master came back he wanted a full report of how they handled the money he entrusted to them. The first guy said that he had doubled the money he was entrusted with. And the second guy said that he also doubled the money he was entrusted with. And the last guy said, "I buried the money you gave me." And what was the response of the master? The master says, "You wicked slothful servant. You knew that I expected a return on the money I entrusted you. Throw this man into the darkness."
What incredible judgment fell upon the person that did not manage well what God had given them. Mark it down. Luke 16:2 says, "Turn in account of your management." 1 Corinthians 4:2 tells us "that it is required of stewards to be found faithful." I believe that every one of us will have to give an account to God of what we did with what we had. Someday God is going to ask me, "What did you do with what I gave you to manage?"
God is concerned with how you earn what you ear. And God is also concerned with how you spend what you earn.
ILLUSTRATION ON SPENDING MONEY ON SOMETHING DUMB.
Isn't it amazing what we spend our money on? We have all spent our money on foolish things. We are called to be managers of what God gave us. And we are to know the difference between management and ownership.
THIRD -- KNOW THE MIRACLE OF SOWING AND REAPING.
Most Christians have not gotten in on God's sowing and reaping. When they give, it is a spur of the moment thing. Why? Because they do not understand God's law of sowing and reaping.
2 Corinthians 9:6
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (NIV)
I want to give you 3 principles about the miracle of sowing and reaping.
A. We reap what we sow.
If you sow carrots you get carrots. If you sow lettuce, you get lettuce. If you sow tomatoes, you get tomatoes. We reap what we sow.
This is true in our everyday life. The Bible says in Proverbs 11:25:
Proverbs 11:25
25 He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. (NIV)
Do you know what that means? It means if you go to work and you smile at everybody, you will get smiles.
If you give friendship, you get friendship. The same is true when you give to God. In Proverbs 3:9 & 10 there is a command and a promise. Verse 9 is the command.
Proverbs 3:9
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; (NIV)
What is the command? We are to honor God with the bucks and dollars we receive. Now notice the promise.
Proverbs 3:10
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. (NIV)
When is the "THEN?" I have heard people say, "I will honor God with my wealth when God honors me with some." That is not how it works. God says first in priority we are to honor God in our wealth. Then God releases His blessing back to us. Some people say, "I will honor God with my wealth when my ship comes in." Do you know why your ship has never come in? You have never sent one out. We reap what we sow. If you need a smile, sow a smile. If you need a friend, sow friendship.
B. WE REAP IN QUANTITY WHAT WE SOW.
We are now talking about volume. Look at 2 Corinthians 9:6.
2 Corinthians 9:6
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (NIV)
This is a law of life. If you sow just a few seeds, you will have a skimpy harvest. If you give out very few smiles, you will receive just a few smiles. If we sow financially very little, we will receive very little.
Velva and I got in on God's plan of reaping 20 years ago when we started tithing. With Sears, window, computer. Its fun being in God's program of reaping. R. G. Leturno, is the man that invented all the great earth moving equipment that is being used today. He gave 95% of his income to God and lived on 5%. He was a millionaire. But he didn't start out as a millionaire. He started out tithing 10% and then 15%, and then 20% percent, and then 25%, and finally 95%. He said, "It is so much fun giving to God. I scope out, and God scopes in. God has a bigger scope than I do." He said, "You can't out give God." He's right. You can't out give God. I double dog dare you to out give God. You can't do it. Because when you give you won't be saying, "Let's see, how much do we have?" When you're giving, realize that God is going to bless you, you won't be saying, "How much do we have?" Because if you are giving out of your scant resources, it will be sorry giving. But if you are giving out of God's resources, there is no limit. So receive back in quantity.
Look at Malachi 3:10. Again we have a command and a promise. If you can trust God for salvation. Then you can trust God in this.
Malachi 3:10
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 you will not have room enough for it. (NIV)
Another promise is given in verse 11.
Malachi 3:11
11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. (NIV)
What were there devours? Locust & grass hoppers what would eat their crops reducing their profit margin. What are our devious today? Taxes and inflation. Their killing us. But I want to tell you something. I know Christians who are tithing and God is rebuking the devour. We can either trust God in what He says, or we can doit God's way.
The bride bent with age leaned over her cane. Her steps uncertain needed guiding, while down the church isle with a toothless smile her groom in a wheel chair was gliding, And who is this elderly couple thus wed? You will find when you closely explored it, that this is that most rare conservative pare who waited till they could afford it.
Don't wait to tithe till you can afford it. Yet there are some Christians who will go all through their life, giving God a dollar here and a dollar there. Because they say the way things are we just can't afford to tithe. Baloney. God says you can, then you can. I believe that with all my heart. Otherwise we don't believe God.
I heard about a business man who came to his pastor and said, "I want you to pray for my business. And my wife and I have decided to tithe now." The pastor prayed for the man's business and sure enough the man did tithe. His income at that time was $125 a week. He tithed $12.50 a week to the church. Fifteen years later that man was making millions. His net income was 2 to 3 million dollars. So every month when he sat down to write the tithe check, it was an incredible amount of money. He came back to his pastor and said, "It's so much money to write this tithe. Maybe I shouldn't tithe this much. Pastor would you pray about that for me?" The pastor immediately went to prayer and said, "Lord I pray that you would reduce my brothers income back down to $125 a week." The man said, "No. That's not what I had in mind."
Let me tell you something. Tithing is a very poor place to stop. But it is a very great place to start. We need to learn to sow in all seasons. That means our giving is not dependent on our economic conditions.
I'm going to ask you to do something. Would you bow your heads please and close your eyes in prayer. Every head bowed please. Every eye closed. I know that a majority of people in here who have incomes are sincere and that you really want to do the right thing for God. But the majority of you have never tithed. You have never even tried it. I'm not going to challenge you to tithe 10% of your income. I'm going to let God challenge you to do that. It was God who said, "Put me to the test." God said, "Try me in this and see if I won't open the windows of heaven. I going to ask you today to make a covenant with God to tithe of everything that comes to you financially. And if God has not kept His word, I want you to contact me. Would you be willing to do that? I'm going to ask you right now by repeating a prayer, quietly between you and God. "Dear God, I believe your Word. I believe it can be trusted here. So Lord I make a commitment to tithe. I expect you to open heaven windows and pour out the blessing as You promised. In Jesus name Amen.
Tom Myers