Biblical Finance: Get Ready to Give
F5 Sermon Series (Finance, Family, Fitness, Faith, Forgiveness) • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Review
Over the course of our study on Biblical Finances, we have dealt considerably with examining 4 significant areas of our finances
We first began by talking about Getting out of Debt
For we recognized that debt is
Debilitative
Divisive
and Deceptive
Secondly, we talked about Getting Right by Acting our Wage
By nature we have been prone to disguise our reality by purposefully displaying our fantasy
In laymen’s terms, we try to keep up with the Jones’ but don’t have the Jones’ money
But my brothers and my sisters we must become ok with acting our wage.
For acting our wage requires:
an act of vision
an act of restraint
and an act of diligence
From there we went on to stress the importance of Getting on a Plan
It is from this study that we now understand that when we fail to plan, we are making the inadvisably decision to live a life failing off purpose
As I said before if we are going to fail at something we might as well make sure we are failing on purpose
And in order to fail on purpose, you must have a plan for the purpose
For a plan:
Establish a focus
Establish Organization
Establish Optimism
and Establish Leverage
For I once heard someone say that:
A fool is one who doesn’t plan
A fool is one who doesn’t plan
a.
i. A wise man thinks ahead, a fool doesn’t
A wise man thinks ahead, a fool doesn’t
And then lastly, we had the opportunity to have a healthy dialogue with experts who helped us understand that we can Get More by Saving, Investing and Leaving a Legacy
But today, as we have now come to the end of this series, I want us to talk about being in the position to Get Ready to Give
There is no doubt in my mind that God has called each of us to be givers
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
;
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Listen one of the things I firmly believe is that you can’t give what you don’t have
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
Share the story of Jesus.
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Share the story of Jesus.
Share the story of Jesus.
GIVE A BIBLE
16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
0:8
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 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.’”
As you can see, just from these few scriptures it is abundantly clear that God desires for us to give
But what is also true is that you can’t give what you do not have
Expound:
If I don’t have a dollar, then I can’t give you a dollar
But its when I do have a dollar, then I can give you a dollar
Which is why I am crazy enough to believe that because God desires for us to give, He also desires for us to have so that we can be in the position to give
2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
That’s just not physical and spiritual prosperity, but also financial prosperity
Listen, the last time I checked the scriptures talked about how the church is responsible for helping the poor, not how the church is supposed to be the poor
In other words, you can’t help the poor, if your poor
That’s why Paul said to the Ephesians in
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Listen God doesn’t want you to be in the position of having to take but in the position of being able to give
He told the children of Israel in
18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
God wealths us, in order that His promises might be fulfilled in the earth
Listen, lest I keep you too long, I just what to share three things with you and then we can go home
Turn with me to
1 Blessed is the man
That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor standeth in the way of sinners,
Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord;
And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
That bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
His leaf also shall not wither;
And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
There are three things David shows us in this text
The first thing is this: God desires to use us
v.3 “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water”
the tree was planted specifically by the rivers of water so that it can be resourceful
the tree was planted specifically by the rivers of water so that it can be resourceful
The trees source of supply is the water
without the source of supply, it cannot be resourceful
Example : Abraham
2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
What did God tell Abraham?
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.
not only physical and spiritual prosperity, but financial prosperity as well
I am going to position you to be resourceful
I don’t know who I’m talking to this morning, but I believe God is about to position you to be resourceful
For Paul declared in
10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
Listen Prosperity isn’t meant to be selfish, its meant to be useful
Listen Prosperity isn’t meant to be selfish, its meant to be useful
God blesses us to be a blessing and a witness
When God blesses us it is not for us alone but for others around us
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
The second this is this: God desires to fill us
v. “that brings forth His fruit in his season...”
God wants to use us, but in using us He positions us to fill us
but what we sometimes fail to realize is that the filling isn’t for us, but for others
available for use
but it must be filled to be used
but what we sometimes fail to realize is that the filling isn’t for us, but for others
Illustration: Cup
available for use
but it must be filled to be used
the filling wasn’t for the cup, but for the one using the cup
Notice if you will that the fruit on the tree doesn’t benefit the tree, it only benefits the partakers of the tree
Notice if you will that the fruit on the tree doesn’t benefit the tree, it only benefits the partakers of the tree
Listen, one of the things i’ve come to learn is that prosperity isn’t meant to be selfish, its meant to be selfless
For the bible says
too whom much is given, much is required
God doesn’t bless us to be selfish with our blessing
but He blesses us to be selfless with our blessing
Winston Churchill said it best
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give”
Which is why, before giving is an action, it is an attitude
You see, before giving is an action, it is an attitude
and the wrong attitude limits your ability to get
too whom much is given, much is required
For Paul said
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
For some of us, God hasn’t filled us because we aren’t fillable
Illustration: Cup
Has the capacity to be filled, but because it is dirty it is classified as un-fillable
Don’t be classified as un-fillable because you have the wrong attitude about giving
Lastly I believe God desires to sustain and increase us
v. 3 “And his leaf shall not whither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”
When you are ready to give, by having the right attitude to give
God will not only use you and fill you but he will sustain and increase you
For while everyone else’s leaves whither
become brown, frail and dead
your leaves will remain green
throughout the spring, summer, winter and fall
for he will sustain you and increase you
While everyone else around you are dying
yours still growing
for he will sustain you and increase you
and yes while everyone else is struggling to survive
you are surviving to help the struggling
for he will sustain you and increase you
For the bible says in
24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.