Good Giving

Well… it’s that time of year again! It’s that time of year that we have… the talk. You know… THAT talk.

Some do not like talking about this in church… others don’t mind it so much. Sometimes the church gets a bad rap because of the topic we are going to cover… this might be for various reasons… but at HWC… we do not shy away from having this discussion.

Today… we are going to talk about… GIVING! Not just average giving… but GOOD GIVING! Today we are going to talk about being good stewards of what God has given us… and we are going to dive right in to our main point today: Good Faith Christians are Good Givers.

First off, lets remember what is meant by Good Faith Christians. People of Good Faith believe that every thought, every word, and deed are meant to be weighed on the scale of faith, that faith should be the primary lens through which life is viewed or perceived, that science, commerce, business, politics, and every other part of life on earth are at their best when approached from a theological point of view.

Good faith is faith that impacts the believer AT EVERY POSSIBLE LEVEL! Good faith is not limited to expression behind the scenes or in private, but is prominent and prioritized in every part of life.

Secondly, let’s look at what it means to be a good giver and what it is we are talking about giving.

God demonstrates for us what it means to be a good giver and Scripture reveals His motive in giving. John 3:16, a well-known passage of Scripture, serves as our main text today and we start off with the first nine words. “ For God so loved the world that he gave.” In these first nine words we are given a lot of information!

Who is it that is giving? It is God. Why is it that He is giving? Because He loved. Who is it that He loved? the world! Even though there were many in the world who did not love Him back, God’s love for the world remained!

Moving on, the text tells us what, rather, who it was God was willing to give. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son...”

God gave His Son, Jesus, in the most loving and selfless act of compassion this world has ever seen! Why did He give His Son? Because His Son was the ONLY answer to the sin problem this world faced. Jesus was given by God to be the ultimate passover Lamb… that His life might be given for us… for our sins.

I bring this to our attention to highlight this very important truth - OUR GOD IS A GOOD GIVER! God did not withhold nor did He hesitate to give what was necessary to give - even at the expense of giving HIS ONE AND ONLY SON! God is the ultimate example of a good giver!

And the object of this message today is simple… as God is a good giver… so should His people - Good Faith Christians - be good givers! And this message of giving is something that goes against the consumeristic and greedy mindset of the culture that surrounds us. Such is why I reminded us of the definition of Good Faith. Good Faith is going against the secular flow and remaining steadfast in ways of the Lord.

How important is it to God that we give? I find it interesting that 16 out of 38 parables spoken by Jesus have to do with giving and possessions! But today’s focus is NOT solely on the giving of money… the focus today is on giving in general. And we are going to look at ___________ important aspects of what it means to be a good giver.

Well, I give my tithe… does that make me a good giver? I give offerings on top of my tithe… does that make me a good giver? I not only give in the offering, but I give through my time and talents as well… does that make me a good giver? We’re going to dive in as we look to answer what it means to be a good giver.

Good Giving… Starts in the Heart.

First off… who was it that invented giving? Who was it that came up with any kind of giving as we know it and why?

God invented giving! God gave us everything we see and have in this life!

We believe that God is the creator of ALL things! To a degree, I admire the faith of those who would believe that some random explosion took place billions of years ago that resulted in the universe as we know it and that we are nothing more than the accidental result of a ball of pond scum somehow gaining consciousness! Talk about a high level of faith! Talk about a lie from the enemy himself! God created all that is known and He GAVE it to us to manage… to be stewards over long before sin ever entered this world! But with sin… came greed and a distorted understanding of what giving is.

Does God NEED what we have to GIVE? Let’s think about that for a moment… God GAVE us anything and everything we have to give! He gave us our talent, our time, and treasure! It all came from God! So does God NEED us to give back what He originally gave us? If He doesn’t need what we have then why is giving a very important part of our faith? Why did God invent giving? Is it that God needs our giving for the continuance of His ministry? Does God need our time, talent, and treasure? No! LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY: God did NOT invent giving for His sake… He invented giving… FOR OUR SAKE.

Giving… reveals something very, VERY important. God does not NEED what we have to give… but when we give to God… it means that GOD HAS OUR HEART! It means that money is not our master, it means treasures are not our master, it means that hobbies and occupations, and the American dream is not our master… When we give to God, it reveals that God is most important to our heart. Our faithfulness in giving helps to work greed and selfishness OUT OF OUR LIVES!

Interestingly enough… the way giving is often preached from pulpits… it is preached in such a way that it works greed and selfishness back into our lives. We’ll get to that in a moment...

God isn’t so much interested in what you have to give so much as He is interested in who or what it is that has your heart.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about this very thing. He said in Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

That last verse is especially important. Our heart is found in what we treasure. What we treasure becomes the pursuit of our heart. And yes… Jesus is speaking directly to the pursuit of wealth and prosperity here. He finishes this passage in verse 24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Jesus is giving very clear warning! What we treasure becomes our master… giving helps make sure our heart is aligned with God… instead of greed.

And let’s consider this word greed for a moment. Is greed something we apply to money only? Certainly not! Greed is an attitude… a position of the heart… that deceives a person in believing that greed leads to gain… but it instead is robbing you of blessing!

A giving heart is a heart cleansed of greed… a heart that has come into alignment with God’s heart. Greed was most certainly NOT the motivation behind God’s giving in John 3:16. God gave for our gain!

God’s giving reveals the treasure of His heart! Our God is NOT one of greed but is generous and church… as His people… as His son’s and daughters… let it be said of us that our hearts reflect the heart of our heavenly Father… let it be said that we are generous in our giving!

Good Giving… is not motivated by getting in return

It is important that we understand that good giving begins with a generous heart, but it also must be compelled with the right motives. Our main text revealed God’s motive in giving. His motive was… and still is today… LOVE! God gave not out of compulsion or obligation… God gave because He loves us!

I’ve heard many messages preached on tithing that focuses on two passages. One is Malachi 3:6-12 and Luke 6:38. In both instances, I often hear an emphasis placed in this form: giving opens the door to getting or receiving from God.

True enough, Malachi 3:10-12 indicates that God blesses those who give and encourages the testing of this promise. Luke 6:38 indicates that if we give, “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.”

Today, I want to encourage us to maybe rethink our approach in this. In no way am I suggesting that God does not bless the gift and giver, however, IF WE GIVE… TO GET… WE ARE PLACING GREED AT THE CENTER OF OUR GIVING… NOT GOD.

Let’s go to Luke 6:37-38 and look at something important here. A principle is laid out that i feel is too often missed as the correct emphasis is commonly misplaced.

The passage reads, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Interestingly enough, while this passage is often referenced when it comes to the blessing we might receive when we donate money… notice there is no mention of money anywhere in this passage. The topic this passage focuses on is we can expect to receive what we give.

If you do not judge, you will not be judged. If you do not condemn, you will not be condemned. If you forgive, you will be forgiven. And then the main point is made in verse 38. GIVE AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU.

Funny story of the young mother coming in for pastoral advice. She needs help because her kids are always yelling at her. As she makes that statement, she turns and yells at her kids to be quiet.

So think this through. On the reverse side of this thing we can make this declaration. WHAT WE GET, WHAT WE RECEIVE IS A REFLECTION OF WHAT WE ARE GIVING!

Are there exceptions to this? Sure there is! But ultimately we can expect to get back what we are giving! Ever heard the phrase “If you’re going to dish it, you’d better be able to take it?” Ever thought of that as biblical truth until now?

If you find yourself surrounded by complacency, maybe you ought to check what you are giving. If you find yourself surrounded by negativity, judgement, or gossip, maybe you should check what you are giving. If you find yourself being judged, condemned, etc… I think you are getting the idea!

Here’s the deal: verse 38 reveals the reward of your giving. That reward can be good OR bad… depending on what you are giving. AND IF YOUR GIVING IS SOLELY BASED ON WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET IN RETURN, YOU MAY NOT LIKE THE “REWARD” AS GREED REMAINS THE CENTER OF SUCH GIVING.

I believe this is why Paul said what he did in 2 Corinthians 9:7 “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.

Again… the pursuit is NOT the blessing but IS the generous heart! A generous heart is NOT controlled by greed or even by level of resource. It is motivated by love… the same kind of love God displayed in John 3:16. God REWARDS a generous heart… but it is not the reward we seek… we seek to glorify God through our giving!

Good Giving… is NOT limited to finances.

Church… we have so much more to give than just our money. In fact, the most important thing we can give to God today… is our heart - all that we are. And truly… this is where good giving starts.

When God has our heart, giving will come naturally. Why? Because giving is in the very nature of the God we serve. God’s church should not position itself to take… but to give - to give as God gave… to give as Christ gave.

What other resources come to mind on the topic of giving?

We can give of our time through serving others and serving in the ministries of the church.

We can give of our talents by utilizing not only our natural talents but also through exercising our spiritual giftings!

The point here is simple: We all have something to give be it time, talent, or treasure. But God wants your heart, first. For if there exists any other reason for our giving other than love, then we are missing the point entirely.

Jesus didn’t lay down His checkbook that we might live… Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many. His very body and blood was the payment for our sins. He gave willingly and He gave generously.

Jesus’ giving was not just for those who were following Him at the time. Jesus gave for those who rejected Him, for those who spit on Him, for those who nailed His hands and feet to the cross. Jesus certainly did NOT rewarded in kind for His giving… or did He?

Death… did not stop Him. The grave… could not hold Him. He conquered sin and it’s effects on the cross once and for all. Three days after His death, Jesus was resurrected from the grave, He ascended to heaven and now sits exalted at the right hand of the Father! And one day… HE WILL RETURN TO THIS EARTH AND REDEEM THE WORLD ONCE AND FOR ALL!

Because of what Christ has done… we now have the opportunity to share in the victory and we see this as we complete the reading of our main text today: John 3:16 “that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

He GAVE it ALL church! He gave it all! How much are you willing to give to Him? I’m not talking merely about your time, talent and treasure… I’m talking about all that you are! I’m talking about giving God your heart!

And this giving… the giving of our heart… comes from a motivation of love. As God gave out of His love you… will you give your heart out of your love for God?

Giving God everything unlocks His ability to bless you in every way. But again, our giving is not for getting… it’s for glorifying the Lord. The getting is a reward that comes with our giving - a reward that is realized as greed gives way to generous.

How far are you willing to go in your giving for God?

We start with the heart. We start with Giving God our heart. PRAYER - SALVATION

Secondly, maybe you recognize a wrong motive in your giving or maybe… even a reluctance in your giving for one reason or another. Giving destroys greed. Giving destroys greed. I don’t want to be greedy. I don’t want to store up treasures on earth. I don’t want to be controlled or influenced by selfishness. I want to glorify God through all that I am - including through my giving. PRAYER - search our hearts, God, and remove anything that might keep us from being cheerful givers today!