Sermon Tone Analysis

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Series: Mission Conference

Title: Giving IS a Gift

Text:

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VIDEO – CHAN

VIDEO – CHAN

VIDEO – CHAN

Chan goes on to say:

Chan goes on to say:

To give largely and liberally, not grudgingly at all, requires a new heart; an old heart would rather part with its life-blood than its money.

Oh my friends!

Enjoy your money; make the most of it; give none away; enjoy it quickly for I can tell you, you will be beggars throughout eternity.

To give largely and liberally, not grudgingly at all, requires a new heart; an old heart would rather part with its life-blood than its money.

Oh my friends!

Enjoy your money; make the most of it; give none away; enjoy it quickly for I can tell you, you will be beggars throughout eternity.

Now, I’ll admit that hearing this testimony and this quote from Chan is a real challenge, yes, even to me, your pastor.

Yet, I think it is a perspective we need in this me-first, giving-averse country!

We are so negative about this idea of giving our money for a lot of reasons.

After seeing so many scams and charlatans, and being selfish because of our sinful nature, we are very cynical about any preacher who dares to mention “the green stuff.”

And yet, Jesus was very willing to talk about it.

He said more about money than just about any other subject.

His disciples mentioned it too.

Now, I’ll admit that hearing this testimony and this quote from Chan is a real challenge, yes, even to me, your pastor.

Yet, I think it is a perspective we need in this me-first, giving-averse country!

We are so negative about this idea of giving our money for a lot of reasons.

After seeing so many scams and charlatans, and being selfish because of our sinful nature, we are very cynical about any preacher who dares to mention “the green stuff.”

And yet, Jesus was very willing to talk about it.

He said more about money than just about any other subject.

His disciples mentioned it too.

BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND

One of them, the Apostle Paul, spends two chapters in 2 Corinthians talking offering a very different perspective on our stewardship.

He was writing to a group of Gentiles in Corinth about their willingness to give to their Jewish brothers and sisters in Jerusalem.

You see, the Jerusalem church was in dire need.

Because of persecution, many had lost their job.

On top of that, a famine had struck the area.

In addition, many believers made trips to the area to see where Jesus had lived and to communicate with the “home church.”

All of this had drained the people of resources and led to great poverty.

In , he urges the Corinthians to give help to these brothers and sisters in Christ.

Read : Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

One of them, the Apostle Paul, spends two chapters in 2 Corinthians talking offering a very different perspective on our stewardship.

He was writing to a group of Gentiles in Corinth about their willingness to give to their Jewish brothers and sisters in Jerusalem.

You see, the Jerusalem church was in dire need.

Because of persecution, many had lost their job.

On top of that, a famine had struck the area.

In addition, many believers made trips to the area to see where Jesus had lived and to communicate with the “home church.”

All of this had drained the people of resources and led to great poverty.

In , he urges the Corinthians to give help to these brothers and sisters in Christ.

Paul makes his appeal to the Corinthians based on the response other churches, specifically those in Macedonia, had given.

He is not doing that to create “competition” giving, although that approach may have worked well with the some of the egotistical Corinthians.

He is genuinely amazed at how God had worked in the hearts of the Macedonians and, in speaking of them, he makes a profound observation.

He says that the grace of God was bestowed (given) on the Macedonians so that they were willing to give, even though they were suffering themselves.

In short, he tells the Corinthians that the reason the Macedonians were so willing to give was that God GAVE THEM A DESIRE to do it.

That’s why this message is entitled: Giving IS a Gift.

It’s because anyone who is able to give for the right reasons and with the heart God wants them to have must be GIVEN that ability by God.

Giving is a GIFT!

Paul makes his appeal to the Corinthians based on the response other churches, specifically those in Macedonia, had given.

He is not doing that to create “competition” giving, although that approach may have worked well with the some of the egotistical Corinthians.

He is genuinely amazed at how God had worked in the hearts of the Macedonians and, in speaking of them, he makes a profound observation.

He says that the grace of God was bestowed (given) on the Macedonians so that they were willing to give, even though they were suffering themselves.

In short, he tells the Corinthians that the reason the Macedonians were so willing to give was that God GAVE THEM A DESIRE to do it.

That’s why this message is entitled: Giving IS a Gift.

It’s because anyone who is able to give for the right reasons and with the heart God wants them to have must be GIVEN that ability by God.

Giving is a GIFT!

Paul makes his appeal to the Corinthians based on the response other churches, specifically those in Macedonia, had given.

He is not doing that to create “competition” giving, although that approach may have worked well with the some of the egotistical Corinthians.

He is genuinely amazed at how God had worked in the hearts of the Macedonians and, in speaking of them, he makes a profound observation.

He says that the grace of God was bestowed (given) on the Macedonians so that they were willing to give, even though they were suffering themselves.

In short, he tells the Corinthians that the reason the Macedonians were so willing to give was that God GAVE THEM A DESIRE to do it.

That’s why this message is entitled: Giving IS a Gift.

It’s because anyone who is able to give for the right reasons and with the heart God wants them to have must be GIVEN that ability by God.

Giving is a GIFT!

NEED

NEED

And I really want you to listen today.

You may be here and you really wish you weren’t.

Every time you hear me say anything on this topic, your first reaction is guilt.

You realize that you do not give as you should or could and you feel guilty about that.

Messages like this make it worse, yes, but it never gets bad enough to make you repent and change.

So here’s my question for you: How would you like to give and actually ENJOY it?

What would it be like to simply give as God gave you a burden to give?

Listen!

And I really want you to listen today.

You may be here and you really wish you weren’t.

Every time you hear me say anything on this topic, your first reaction is guilt.

You realize that you do not give as you should or could and you feel guilty about that.

Messages like this make it worse, yes, but it never gets bad enough to make you repent and change.

So here’s my question for you: How would you like to give and actually ENJOY it?

What would it be like to simply give as God gave you a burden to give?

Listen!

And this message isn’t just for you personally, it’s for us as a church family.

We have a great vision here.

A couple of years ago we made a biblical and strategic decision that we were not going to be about us.

We were going to be about reaching the world.